Lost Bear Page 2

  “I heard you, now show yourself.”

  His deep, sensual, commanding voice sent an electric shock to her core. He demanded her compliance and she couldn’t deny him.

  She took a deep breath and sat up straight. Her head and shoulders were exposed over the hedge, but he didn’t flinch when he saw her.

  “I think you’re the reason all of the animals have disappeared,” he said smiling.

  She agreed with a small growl and watched him carefully. He appeared to be unfazed by her presence, and she wondered if he had experience with grizzlies. The species was near extinct, and they usually lived solitary lives, but his house was nonthreatening and bordered the National Park.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked, offering her his plate. He still stood in the middle of the yard, but she had a feeling he would move closer if she invited him too.

  She nodded her head and he moved carefully down the path in her direction. When he reached the end of his yard, and the break in the greenery, he bent down and slid the plate off of his property and out into the forest.

  He kept his eyes on her the whole time, and backed away as slow and controlled as he’d approached. She marveled at his movements, even as he retreated. His heart was kind, but he wasn’t an idiot. The gesture made her heart melt. She wanted him more than ever.

  When he made it back to his porch, he sat back down and took a long drink of his beer. She saw the condensation drip from the bottle, and couldn’t help but wonder what he would look like dripping wet.

  The light evening breeze picked up, and the smell of the burger attacked her senses. She reached out one large paw, grabbed the edge of the plate with her claw, and pulled it toward her behind the bush. She didn’t want him to see her eat, because in her bear form, she also ate like a savage.

  The burger was gone in one bite.

  She licked her lips, wiped her face with her paw, and pushed the plate back to where he’d left it.

  “Good girl,” he said. “Did you like it?”

  She sat back up and nodded her head, confused by her behavior. The desire to please him overshadowed all of her instincts.

  He opened his mouth to say something else, but the sound of the phone ringing cut him off.

  “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back,” he said and disappeared into the house.

  Again, she obeyed his command, but this time she thought about running. Had she been so intent on meeting her mate that she let her guard down as an animal? She scanned the area, but aside from a family hiking on the other side of the hill, the forest was quiet.

  She strained her ears to listen, but she only picked up a few of the words drifting out from inside the house.

  Bear. Female. Kate. Come over. Shift. Hamburger. Soon.

  Panic filled her at his jumbled words, and she fought the urge to run. She needed to access the situation before she ran wildly into the forest. She surveyed her surroundings, then backed into the trees, keeping a close watch on the back door of the home.

  Oh god! She’d acted so stupid! Over a man!

  In those few, anxiety filled moments, she’d completely forgotten her reason for visiting Bear Mountain. Her safety became her number one concern.

  Who had he been talking to on the phone? Did he know about shifters? Who had he invited over? Who was Kate?

  The man raced out onto the porch, waving frantically.

  “Don’t leave,” he yelled. “Your friends are on their way.”

  Friends?

  She didn’t have any friends. Somehow he must have figured out her secret, and he was going to turn her over to some freaks that would perform experiments on her or something. Her heart ached as she widened the distance between them.

  She continued backing up until she bumped into a tree.

  Another man joined Mr. Sexy and together, they ran toward her. The other man looked familiar, but she couldn’t place him. Friend or foe? She didn’t know.

  The two men rapidly approached, and she worried over whether to run or not. She didn’t sense any danger, but was it a trap?

  “Well, I’ll be damned. It’s little Emma Thompson.”

  Suddenly, the tree behind her spoke, and she turned to attack.

  ***

  Dave felt certain the bear hiding behind his bushes was a shifter. When the animal popped its head up over the plants, something inside him sparked to life. He instinctually knew the bear was a female.

  Like the rest of Gage’s clan, she was a large grizzly. Her size alone emitted power and strength, and demanded respect, but she was small compared to the men. Her light brown coat reminded him of a warm summer day, and her eyes captivated him. From a distance they looked brown, but up close they were a dark emerald green.

  He didn’t like the fact that she hid from him while she ate, but he knew she had no reason to trust him. She had to protect herself against all threats, including him.

  The phone rang, breaking their one-sided conversation and he knew he had to answer it. Gage would be on the other end, confirming their plans for Saturday, and providing the perfect opportunity to tell the sheriff about the bear.

  “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back,” he said, and ran into the house.

  He hoped she stayed. He wanted to talk to her again, and see what she looked like in her human form. He felt drawn to her both physically and mentally, and he wondered if it were because of his current state of loneliness, or if it could be something more.

  Or maybe you really are insane and she’s just a bear!

  The thought made him pause. Was he so desperate for a relationship that he’d created a shifter in his mind? If a female bear appeared and claimed him, all of his problems would be solved and he’d live happily ever after. Of course, that would only work if they were mates. She could easily be destined to be with someone else. Could he have created signs that didn’t exist?

  He decided to proceed with caution.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Saturday night is a go. I’ll drive. Let’s leave around five and get dinner first,” Gage said.

  “That sounds good,” he said, looking through the screen door. The bear still sat on the other side of the hedges. “By the way, have you sensed another bear in town?”

  “Yeah, but it comes and goes, and I can’t track it. How did you know?”

  “Because there’s a bear out back, and I think she’s visited me before. I also think it’s a female.”

  “A female?” Gage asked. “Really?”

  “I think so. Maybe you and Kate should come over.”

  “Did you encourage her to shift?”

  “No, I figured you’d want to do that, but I gave her some of my hamburger. She gulped it down in one bite,” he laughed. “It seemed like she hadn’t had one in a long time.”

  “Is she still there?”

  “Yeah,” he looked out the screen again and noticed her agitated movements, “but she seems nervous, almost like she’s going to run. You’d better hurry.”

  “We’re on our way.”

  “Okay, see you soon.”

  Dave hung up the phone and hurried back through the house. He saw the bear backing up and knew she was getting ready to take off.

  He waved his hands frantically in the air.

  “Don’t leave,” he yelled. “Your friends are on their way.”

  She backed away faster, so he waited for Gage. A moment later he saw Seth approach her from behind and Gage joined him in the yard. They both raced toward her, but she continued to retreat until she backed into Seth.

  The next few seconds seemed to unfold in slow motion.

  Seth said something, and the bear turned to attack her predator. He and Gage came to a halt as blood splattered across the trees, and the bear roared in anger. Face to face with her attacker, she backed up unsteadily, gasping for air.

  Gage held up his hands, and took a measured step forward.

  “Emma, it’s me, Gage,” he took another step toward her. “He’ll be all right
. He heals fast, just like you.”

  The bear looked at Gage and then shifted into her human form.

  “Gage?” she asked.

  “Yeah, it’s me, and that’s Seth,” he nodded toward his brother.

  She glanced at Seth and tears streamed down her face.

  “He’ll be fine. Come over here, I’ve missed you.”

  She walked over and gave the big man a hug.

  Chapter Three

  Dave watched as the bear shifted into her human form. In an instant, the bear was replaced by a fully clothed, short, curvy woman with long, curly blond hair. The curls were tiny and wild, and instead of looking like a wild animal, she looked like a woman who had been thoroughly fucked and pleasured by her man.

  Her dark green eyes were unmistakable, and if there had been any doubt she and the bear were the same, her eyes would have given her away. He wanted to warn her against the dangers of letting strangers too close while in her bear form, but he suspected she had years of experience with the issue and knew how to behave as a bear better than he did.

  She’d swiped Seth across the chest and face with her paw, and though they both knew he would heal quickly, he ached for her when she noticed the damage. Her tears broke his heart, and he fought the urge to console her. She didn’t know him, and though the bears had the ability to recover quickly, he did not.

  Dave glared at Gage as he hugged the woman and whispered comforting words as she cried into his chest. When her tears subsided, he pushed her away with a final nod and introduced them.

  “Emma, this is my good friend, Dave Yeager. He’s the deputy here, and an ally to the clan. He’s the only one in town that knows about us,” Gage said. “Dave, this is our cousin, Emma Thompson.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Emma,” he said, and took a step toward her with his hand outstretched. She looked at the limb for several seconds, then took a deep breath and placed her hand in his.

  Electricity surged up his arm, and it seemed as if the whole world stood still. In that moment, nothing else existed except for him and Emma. The overwhelming feelings startled him, but he knew she’d felt them too. Her eyes widened and a silent gasp escaped her lips.

  Minutes, hours, days…they could have stood there forever. He had no concept of time, or space. Only she mattered.

  “Oh geez, I can’t believe it,” Seth said, laughing. “All right, break it up you crazy kids. I’m bleeding all over the place here.”

  Her cousin’s words broke the spell and she let go of his hand.

  “Oh Seth,” she said, facing the wounded man, “I’m so sorry.”

  At six foot, seven inches tall, Seth looked tall and menacing next to her. Still, even as he complained about being injured, the big man bent down and let her kiss him on the cheek.

  “Don’t worry about it, Short Stack. I’m glad you’re back, we’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you guys, too,” she said.

  “Why don’t we go in the house?” Dave said. “Seth can clean up, and then you all can talk.”

  “Yeah, and you can meet my mate,” Gage said. “Kate has been waiting for us.”

  “Is she the one who’s carrying the energies?” Emma asked.

  “One of them,” Gage said. “Kate has been carrying the longest, in fact she’s due this month, but Aaron’s mate, Sara, is also carrying. She’s one month along.”

  “Aaron Williams?” she asked.

  Dave couldn’t help the surge of jealousy that swept over him when she acknowledged the other man. Aaron was happily mated, and a friend, but the thought of him and Emma together sent his heart racing. Had they ever dated before? How did she know him?

  “Yep. Hard to believe, huh?”

  “Wow, I never thought I’d see the day,” she admitted.

  “Me neither,” Gage laughed. “Let’s go inside and get caught up.”

  They’d only known each other five minutes, and yet he felt drawn to her in a way he couldn’t explain. He knew his feelings were irrational, so he kept his mouth shut, and led the way back to his home.

  He wanted to growl and rip Gage’s arm off when he pulled her into the house, and dragged her into the living room. He held her hand in the same way he held Kate’s, and Dave couldn’t stop the sneer that formed in the direction of his friend’s back as he entered the other room.

  “Hey, I need the first aid kit,” Seth said, walking in behind them.

  Dave heard his voice, but he had no idea what the other man had said.

  “Oh, man. You’ve got it bad,” Seth said, laughing again. “This is going to be fun to watch. Hello, Dave?” he felt the man tap his shoulder. “Dude, where’s the first aid kit?”

  “Sorry,” Dave said, looking at his friend’s wound.

  He shook his head and led Seth into the bathroom. The first aid kit had been hiding under the sink, and he pulled it out and placed it on the counter. He also took two washcloths out of the linen closet and placed them on top of the box, along with an extra t-shirt.

  “Do you need some help?” he asked.

  “Nah, it’s already starting to heal. I think she recognized me mid-strike, because she definitely didn’t use all of her strength,” Seth said. “Go on out there and get to know her. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

  “Okay, let me know if you need anything.”

  “Sure thing, now get out of here.”

  Seth closed the door in his face, and he went to join the others in the living room. Emma pretended to ignore him when he walked in the room, but he wasn’t fooled. The air between them seemed to crackle, and she stammered when he sat down next to her on the couch.

  ***

  Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!

  The moment she slid her hand in his, she began to doubt her plan. She’d never had such a strong reaction to a man, and she knew their chemistry couldn’t be fabricated.

  Up close, he was even more handsome than she imagined. His strong face looked like it had been carved from granite, and his dark brown eyes seemed to look straight into her soul. She imagined staring into his eyes as he slowly pleasured her and she nearly melted into a puddle. Their connection seemed unbreakable, as if they were the only two people in the forest, and she wondered if, when the time came, she’d really be able to let him wander into the arms of another woman.

  Thankfully, Seth served as the antidote for the spell she’d been under.

  His jealousy had been tangible as she hugged Gage, and she felt it again as they followed him back to his home. Gage’s hand served as an anchor as she maneuvered through the forest on two legs instead of four, but she reveled in the possession emanating from Dave.

  She and Kate became instant friends, and being so easily accepted by her cousin’s mate filled her with pride. She hadn’t seen Gage or Seth in nearly sixty years, and it saddened her to hear about their falling out all those years ago. The two of them were more like brothers to her than cousins, and she hated to think of either of them in pain.

  Her thoughts of the past reminded her of Seth’s present injuries and she winced.

  “Do you think his mate will be mad?” Emma asked Kate.

  “Yeah, but not at you,” Kate laughed. “She’ll be mad he snuck up behind you, not that you defended yourself. Besides, those gashes weren’t that deep. He’ll be healed by tomorrow morning.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Emma said, worrying her lower lip.

  “She usually is,” Gage said, and kissed his mate on the forehead. “Now, tell us about you. Why have you been living as a bear for the last ten years?”

  “I found out my boyfriend had been cheating on me, and it’s happened with so many men, I couldn’t take it anymore. I quit my job, packed up my stuff, rented a storage unit and moved out of my apartment. You’re one of the lucky ones, Kate, because most men can’t be trusted.”

  In that moment, Dave walked back into the room and she momentarily paused. Had he heard about her heartbreak? Would he figure out her plan? Though it wasn’t her f
ault, she didn’t want him to know how many times she’d been cheated on and taken advantage of. She wanted to be the one with all of the aces in her pocket for once.

  She tried to ignore him when he sat down next to her on the couch, but his presence made her want to rip off her clothes and lay over the coffee table like a buffet. He could eat until he got his fill and she wouldn’t complain.

  “I…I had to get away,” she continued, “and so I shifted. The freedom felt so good, I saw no reason to shift back. I came to Bear Mountain because of the energies, but even so, I still wasn’t sure if I would shift back or not. I had no idea who the shifter was, and I definitely didn’t want to see my parents.”

  “That’s understandable,” Gage said.

  Dave moved like he was going to speak, but he stayed silent.

  “What are you going to do now?” Gage asked.

  “Well, now that I have shifted back, I kind of like it,” she admitted. “I think I’m going to stick around for a while, if that’s okay with you.”

  She looked at Gage to test his reaction and both he and Kate had huge grins on their faces. She had a feeling they knew about her plan to solicit their friend, but they didn’t question her motives for staying.

  “I would love for you to stay forever,” Gage said.

  “So would I,” Kate agreed.

  “Me too,” Seth said as he entered the room. He’d washed away the blood and put on a clean shirt. The material stretched across his chest, proving it was at least a size too small, and she smiled at the sight.

  “I’ll definitely stay until after the babies are born, and then we’ll see what happens,” she said. “First, I need to find a place to stay.”

  “You’re more than welcome to stay with us,” Kate said, “but there’s also two hotels, one of them a five star, and a bed and breakfast in town. The bed and breakfast is owned by Aaron’s mate, Sara.”

  “You could also stay here,” Dave blurted.

  She looked at him for the first time since he entered the room, which seemed to be his intent, though he seemed as shocked about his outburst as the rest of them.

  “I’m just putting it out there,” he said, coolly. “I have an extra bedroom, and the rent is cheap.”