Barney’s expression turned grim. “Tell.”

Ryan rolled his eyes in disgust. “Sure you would. Cold-ass bastard.”

“No. Worried bastard. There has to be a reason this happened, and I’m here to find out why.” Barney held up his hand when Ryan began to protest. “She’s the first white Fox ever. The Leo is…fascinated by the thought of her. He’s the only white Lion in the world. It has to mean something.”

“She has a mate.” One she hadn’t claimed yet, but still. No smarmy lion king was getting his hands on Ryan Williams’ baby sister. He’d gnaw the fucker’s mane off first.

Barney’s brows rose. “Of course she does.”

“You hurt Chloe and you won’t live to regret it.”

Ryan, startled, stared at his mate. She was growling, the spoon held out in front of her like a weapon. Tiny claws were beginning to break through her nail beds, and her baby blue eyes were dotted with brown.

His mate, his beautiful Glory, was changing, all to protect Ryan’s sister. If he hadn’t loved her before, he would have fallen for her now. Family meant everything to Ryan, and Glory was proving herself willing to defend it.

Barney held up his hands, but from the look on his face he didn’t honestly see Glory as a threat. “Yes, ma’am.”

“I mean it.” She snarled, and tiny fangs peeked out from behind her upper lip.

“I get that.” Barney downed his orange juice in one long gulp, then held out his cup. “More?”

Glory opened the fridge door and yanked out the juice. “Do it yourself.” She put the carton on the table with such force orange juice fountained out of the top and all over Barney. “Bon appétit.” She stormed off, every inch the outraged Bear.

Beautiful.

Barney, juice dripping from his face, his shirt, even his pants, licked his lips. “Never mind, Ryan. You can keep her.”

Ryan smiled. “I plan on it.”

Glory was fuming. It was bad enough Barney had said that he wanted to take Ryan away, but when the man got pissed at Rye for protecting Chloe? Glory saw red.

Barney should feel lucky that the worst thing Glory did was juice him.

“Sweetheart?” Glory snarled at Ryan, who threw his hands up in the air with a laugh. “Down, tiger.”

Glory rolled her eyes. “I swear, Ryan. Barney needs to stay away from me.” She was pacing, clenching her hands and ready to gut herself a Hunter.

“Hey.” Ryan’s arms went around her. “Calm down, SG. Your Bear is taking over.”

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, blowing it out in a raspberry.

Ryan laughed. “You have to keep your aggression under control. Brown bears are among the most combative bears in the wild, and we’re no different.”

“That’s why Alex does yoga?”

Ryan snuggled her close, and the most amazing scent drifted over her. “Yup, and why Cyn does those deep breathing exercises you keep laughing at. We’ll have to figure out ways to help you keep your temper under control.”

Glory got up on her tiptoes, turning in Ryan’s embrace to bury her nose against his throat. “Mm-hm.”

Ryan tilted his head back. “If you d-don’t, you could change in front of humans.”

Glory licked Ryan’s neck. Something about that scent, right there, had her wanting to…

“Fuck, Glory.”

Yes. Exactly. She needed. Glory licked the side of his neck, her anger at Barney all but forgotten in the wash of desire that swept over her. She tugged on his shirt, needing to feel his skin under her palms, to stroke and tease until neither of them could stand it any longer.

But the very last thing she wanted to do was move away from the scent of Ryan, the taste of him drugging her as she continued to lick the side of his neck.

“Bite me, Glory. Please.”

The sound of her mate begging for her was too much to bear. Glory bit, startled for a split second at the taste of blood filling her mouth.

“Shit.” Ryan lifted her against him, holding her ass so that his cock and her pussy were lined up perfectly. “That’s it, sweetheart. Claim me. Mark me as yours.”

Hers.

Ryan Williams was hers, and she had every intention of making sure there was no mistaking it. The man was taken.

Glory bit down harder, unable to resist the urge to leave a permanent mark on his skin. She could feel something exiting through her teeth, but she couldn’t think about that. Not when Ryan carried her over to the wall and pushed her up against it, grabbing hold of her thighs and forcing her to wrap her legs around his waist. He ripped a hole in her panties, the pain of the fabric digging into her skin a distant second to the feel of his finger sliding into her.

“Got to have you.” Ryan was gasping, fucking her with his finger, his big thumb rubbing against her clit. “Jesus, how deeply did you bite me?”

“Ugh.” Glory’s head slammed against the wall as the quick and dirty orgasm raged through her. When the shudders had loosened their grip on her she found herself flat on her back, her skirt pulled off and her shirt pushed up to her chin. “Ryan.”

He shuddered, ripping at the zipper of his jeans. He was going to give himself one hell of an injury if he wasn’t careful. Glory bit back a snicker. I’d love to see Julian heal cock zipper road rash.

“Ryan, slow down. I might need that later.” He paused when she cupped him through his jeans, moaning. His blue eyes became dark, his Bear staring at her with a hungry gaze.

There was a time when Glory would have been freaked the hell out. Now, she understood a little how he felt. Something inside her, foreign yet not, sat up and stretched toward their mate, eager for his touch.

Glory blinked.

Their?

Before she could ask Ryan if she really was changing, his hands were on her breasts and she just didn’t care anymore. Let her turn fuzzy, let a strange Bear move into her head and rearrange the furniture. Just as long as Ryan kept plucking her nipples just like that?

She was one happy furry.

Her hands shaking, Glory reached for the tab of Ryan’s zipper and pulled it down, careful not to damage anything she needed on the way. His cock was throbbing behind his briefs, hot and hard. The scent of his arousal actually made her giddy.

Licking her lips, Glory sat up and got on her hands and knees. “I need to taste.”