Read Online Embracing The Lion (Gray Bears 6) by Natalie Kristen - Free Book Online Page A

with dripping, glinting claws.
    Behind him, the four Gray
brothers pounced on the two vamps on the ground and pummeled them to
a pulp.
    “Out of our way!”
Gramma and Ne-ma hollered as they charged towards their grandsons,
hoisting a heavy silver blade between them. The four beefy bear
shifters scrambled back just in time as their grandmothers swung the
blade down and decapitated the two vamps in one fell swoop.
    Gramma and Ne-ma mopped their
brows and yelled, “You messed with the wrong town!”
    A cheer broke out. All of
Phillip's cronies had been destroyed. It didn't matter that they
were ancient and powerful. They were no match for a town fiercely
united in defending and protecting one of their own.
    Phillip Lancastle was the
only one left. The jeweled hilt stuck out from between his shoulder
blades and he thrashed wildly, trying to wrench the silver blade out
of his flesh.
    With the silver dagger
embedded in his body, his powers were weakened and he couldn't change
into mist. He glanced at the piles of ashes on the ground, the
remains of his comrades and snarled at Gareth, “You. Will.
Pay!”
    Gareth arched a brow at
Phillip. “Are those your last words?”
    When Phillip screamed and ran
at him, Gareth knocked him to the ground with a well-aimed blow and
unsheathed his claws.
    He stepped over the writhing
vampire and prepared to finish him off. Gareth's glinting claws were
arcing towards Phillip's throat when someone caught his wrist.
    “May I?” The
voice was low but the grip was steely.
    Gareth frowned at the tall,
good-looking stranger with glowing wolf eyes who had stepped out
silently from the crowd. The stranger held Gareth's arm back to stop
him from delivering the killing blow.
    Tara ran to Gareth, together
with Gramma and Ne-ma.
    Gramma and Ne-ma gasped at
the tall stranger. “Mr Rhys! What are you doing here?”
    “Mr Rhys?”
Tara's eyes and mouth rounded. “B-but...he's not...” she
spluttered. “He is Ryan Kline!”

CHAPTER
TWENTY

    Gramma and Ne-ma planted
their hands on their hips. “What? You checked into our inn
with a phony name,” they said indignantly. “Why...”
    Ryan Kline turned and gave
Tara a slight smile. “I recognize you. You're one of Hugo's
maidservants. I believe you've seen me around Hugo's home. Coming
and going, mostly going...” He took a sharp breath and turned
to Gramma and Ne-ma. “Yes, my real name is Ryan Kline. I...”
    “You're the Alpha of
the Kingston wolves!” Gramma exclaimed, slapping her forehead.
    “And we thought you're
just a shy, retiring guest at our inn!” Ne-ma added.
    “I am just a guest at
your inn. I am no longer the Alpha of the Kingston pack. I left the
pack, after Hugo's death. I've been traveling, looking for Hugo's
murderer.”
    “Well, he's right
here,” Gareth said, nailing Phillip to the ground with his
claws. “And he's all yours.”
    Ryan Kline nodded his thanks
to Gareth and shifted into wolf form. Raising his head to the sky,
Ryan let out a long, anguished howl.
    He would avenge his lover's
death, but vengeance couldn't bring the dead back to life.
    Ryan faced the vampire, his
wolf eyes burning with fury and pain. Phillip had no time even to
scream. The wolf lunged forward and tore out his throat. Phillip's
body twitched for a moment at the wolf's feet and lay still.
    But Ryan wasn't done.
Growling, he savagely ripped open Phillip's chest and tore out the
vampire's cold, cruel heart.
    As Ryan staggered back, Tara
pushed forward and snapped, “Lemme!”
    She knelt down to yank the
dagger out from Phillip's back. Glaring at Phillip Lancastle's
shrunken, blackened heart, she stabbed the silver blade cleanly
through the heart and stood up.
    The dagger clattered to the
ground as the heart, together with Phillip Lancastle's body,
disintegrated into ashes.
    Ryan Kline stepped back and
stared at the ashes swirling around his feet for a long while.
Finally, he turned and gave Gareth and Tara a curt nod.
    Swiftly and silently,