An Alpha's Tempest (Water Bear Shifters 4) (15 page)

Ben let out a whoop, and then ran to pick Rhythm up and spin her around. He set her down just as quickly, a concerned look on his face. “Wait, does that hurt the baby? Should I not be picking you up?”

Rhythm laughed. “It’s fine,” she said. “The little cub is well-cushioned in there.”

Ben’s eyes were moist, which made Rhythm tear up as well. “Wow,” he said softly, his voice filled with wonder. “We really do have a lot to celebrate, don’t we?”

“We do. Most importantly, our child will grow up in peace and safety,” Rhythm said.

“You made that happen,” Ben said. “We couldn’t have done this without you.”

“It was the hard work of a lot of people,” Rhythm said. “I’m just glad everything came together the way it did.”

Ben kissed Rhythm, softly this time, and her heart filled with happiness. Now that the hard times were behind them, she had so much to look forward to with her strong, sexy bear. Life in Alaska had turned out completely differently than she thought it would, but she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Because, at the end of it all, life in Alaska had turned out perfectly.

A year and a half later, Ben and Rhythm held their wedding in Glacier Point. Although it required them to travel up from Kodiak for the wedding, they had wanted to hold the ceremony in a place that meant something to them. Glacier Point in the summer was beautiful, especially with the sun shining down on it twenty four hours a day. The wildflowers were blooming wildly, and the air was fresh and crisp the way only Alaskan summer air can be.

Ben and Rhythm’s baby daughter, Juno, was dressed in a beautiful white dress that matched her mother’s. Rhythm had toyed with the idea of doing a double wedding with Lance and Caroline, who had married a year earlier during the summer after the scientists were defeated. But, in the end, Rhythm had wanted to wait until her daughter was born so that the little cub could participate in the ceremony. Seeing her daughter now, looking beautiful and adorable in her little dress, made Rhythm very happy that she had waited. Juno looked around with wide-eyed wonder at the crowd that had come to support her parents.

The ceremony wasn’t too big, but several of the shifters who meant the most to Ben and Rhythm were there. The whole Northern Lights Clan attended, as did Sawyer and several members of the Frost Peak Grizzlies Clan. And, of course, the other panda shifters from Ben’s rescue crew were there along with their wives. Brett’s wife, Aubrey, had a hand over her swollen, pregnant stomach. Soon, more panda cubs would be joining the crew. Slowly, but surely, the pandas would rebuild their numbers. Rhythm could hardly wait for Juno to have little cousins to run around with.

When Ace, who was performing the wedding, officially pronounced Ben and Rhythm to be man and wife, Ben leaned in for a kiss. Rhythm melted at his touch, enjoying the feeling of his lips against her lips. That feeling never got old. In her arms, baby Juno squealed with delight and started clapping as she saw her parents kissing. This brought laughter from the gathered crowd, who joined in with Juno’s applause.

Rhythm blushed as Ben let out a whoop, and then led her through the crowd toward the waiting reception. Juno continued squealing, and Rhythm couldn’t keep a grin from spreading across her face as she looked out at the group of people who meant more to her than anything. They were all just like family members to her.

And what a beautiful, wonderful family she had been blessed with.

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There are bears walking among us. Sloane Meyers is devoted to telling their stories.

Sloane thinks we could all use a little escape in our lives. And what better way to shake up the ordinary than to transport yourself to the mysterious world of those who have an animal within them, roaring to be let out. Sloane brings you hot shifter males, and spunky, spirited heroines—with NO cliffhangers! Each book can be read as a standalone.

When she’s not busy crafting bear tales, Sloane enjoys a good glass of wine, preferably shared with good friends. She loves reading, baking, and pretending that she’s actually a music buff. On weekends, she spends a lot of time in the great outdoors, hiking with her own sexy alpha and adorable little cub.

You can connect with Sloane at her website,
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