by J. K Harper
Cortez. He was here! He'd come for her, like she knew he would. Hope blossomed in her.
Behind him, another bear charged forward. Shane? She wasn't sure, but she thought he looked like the bear she'd met during her first day at the lodge. Whoever he was, he was on their side. Following closely after were Abby and Quentin. As she watched, mouth open, Quentin abruptly burst out of his clothes into a huge grizzly bear, Abby erupting into a beautiful but deadly-looking wolf mere seconds after.
In the sky above her, a dragon screamed. Haley wildly looked up. Pix flew up there, her beautiful, powerful friend, a gigantic silver dragon, circling the air and shrieking with rage. Pinpointing Haley's location. Calling for help.
From the woods behind her, more roars and growls ripped out. She whipped her head around and saw a flood of bears, wolves, and huge cats. Holy shit. Friends? Foes?
One of them bared its teeth and dove straight for her, growling, jaws opened wide.
Foe! Definitely foe. She screamed again, sheer panic making her hold tight to the railing and kick her legs out at the oncoming mountain lion in a futile move born of a desperate desire to live. Cortez roared, but she could hear that he was fighting with Justin. He couldn't get to her. Wouldn't be able to help her. There was too much action, too many snarling, leaping animals everywhere. All she could do was hang onto the railing like a useless weakling and wait to be killed.
I can't rescue anyone anymore, Haley.
Suddenly, another bear was there, big, with a black coat but still clearly a grizzly to judge from the silvertipped fur and huge hump of his shoulders. He thundered over the bridge past her, meeting the oncoming cat in an explosion of sound as the enormous bodies slammed into one another at full speed. The bear growled with rage, shaking the cat by the scruff of its neck, retreating back when the screeching feline twisted around to sink its claws into the bear. Then the bear rose to his hind legs and simply dove at the cat, meeting it in a terrifying embrace of snapping jaws, hideous snarls, enormous claws that raked at one another. He managed to slice the cat open with his jaws, right on the hindquarters. The cat shrieked, then rolled over, flopping as it tried to get away. Its hind legs were half dragging as it scuttled off, badly limping and bleeding.
The bear roared after the cat, then turned and looked briefly at Haley. Shocked, she recognized the haunted eyes. Riley. It was Riley, Cortez's angry, grief-stricken brother. He nodded sharply at her, then went tearing off to engage another enemy in battle.
Even if he didn't fully trust her, she was part of his family, his bear clan, and that meant something to him. He had just saved Haley's life without even thinking about his own safety.
Overhead, Pix shrieked again, then went into a torpedoing dive towards the earth. She grabbed one of the cats, which snarled in rage and tried to claw her exposed belly. But Pix simply tossed the cat into the woods, where it slammed against a tree and slid limply to the bottom.
Another huge bear roared from behind her, the same side Cortez had come from. Haley whipped her gaze that way. He came charging up, trying to help Cortez. Maybe that was Beckett? Whoever it was, he was a friend. Okay. Friends were here.
Her mind tripped and crashed over itself, trying to make sense of everything, trying to figure out how she could help too. She had to help them! She had to help Cortez.
On the other side of her, the fiercely brawling Shane and one of the enemy cats rolled and flipped and roared, so close to her she could feel their hot breath as their lethal jaws snapped at one another. She shied away in instinctive terror. Help them? Hardly. She, the weak link here, could too easily get killed. Swinging her head around, she looked wildly for an escape route. But there was nowhere to go. She was trapped.
Quickly, she climbed over the side of the bridge and hung onto it over the creek, her arms wrapped tightly around the top railing as her feet tried to find purchase. If she slipped, she'd fall into the icy river and maybe drown or get sucked under the ice. Oh, that sounded bad. Very bad. Terror made her arms grip like steel to the bridge. She started shivering from both fear and cold.
"Haley!" came a shriek from the good side of the creek. It was Jessie, jumping up and down and waving at her. "Hold on! We'll get you!"
How? Another bear loomed menacingly near Jessie, clearly meant to defend her while also clearly wanting to jump into the fray on the bridge.
Well, it was great that they wanted to help her, but unless they planned to leap into the river and have her ride one of them out of there, she didn't see how that would happen. Clearly the same thing was going through Jessie's mind, because she looked both helpless and freaked out as she stood there, watching the attack. Just as human as Haley, just as helpless against them. And with one bear guarding her, that was one less who could help fight the intruders. Who were they, anyway?
Somehow, Haley knew it all hinged on Justin. Justin, the fucking psycho bastard who'd already ruined her life. And now he was trying to ruin not only her new life, but the lives of her friends, both new and old. Damn it, she couldn't let that happen.
She wouldn't let it happen.
Overhead, Pix bellowed again, the sound echoed by the enraged screech of what sounded like a hawk. Haley looked up. Yes, a hawk flew up there, much larger than any regular one. It dove toward one of the cats, a whistling scream tearing out of it, raising goosebumps on Haley's skin. Definitely a friend, and someone good to have on their side, even if she didn't know who it was. It seemed that the local bear clan had a lot of allies here.
Looking back at Jessie, Haley gasped and shouted. "Jessie! Behind you!"
An enormous mountain lion was running behind them, straight for Jessie and the bear with her. Jessie whirled around, but instantly relaxed. She looked back at Haley and yelled, "It's okay! He's a friend!"
Haley gave up trying to figure out who was friend and who was foe. Clearly not all cats were bad. And clearly, she thought grimly as she looked to the side where the cats mostly were, there were bad bears and wolves as well.
Beside her, Justin and Cortez battled closer, Justin trying to get past Cortez to reach Haley. Cortez attacked him ferociously, roaring and yelling. His head whipped once to look at Haley, a frustrated bellow shaking out of him as he turned back to Justin. Her heart swelled immensely. Cortez was here for her. Trying to save her. Trying to rescue her. She'd sworn to herself that she would protect him too, though she didn't know how. Unless…
Unless she chose to join as one of them and fight alongside her mate and his bear clan.
Unless she chose to become a bear.
She made up her mind before she even stopped thinking the thought.
"Cortez!" She pitched her yell loud enough to be heard above the battle of all these incredible, huge creatures around her. "Turn me. Turn me!"
Cortez's huge head swiveled toward her, his bright golden eyes catching hers. She nodded firmly, frantically. Then she said it again in a whisper, enunciating the words one at a time. “I want this. Turn. Me."
A soft noise left his throat. He had heard her and understood.
Unfortunately, so had Justin. With the eerie mountain lion scream that sent Haley's stomach into knots, Justin yanked himself away from Cortez and launched for her, his mouth ripped back in a snarl, those giant teeth coming for her. Haley gasped, reflexively yanking herself backward, almost losing her grip on the bridge railing. Cortez bellowed with rage. He moved quickly, so very quickly for such a huge, magnificent creature. One bound and he was on Justin, bringing the cat to the ground, both of them snapping, snarling.
Suddenly, a dragon scream tore through the sky above them again, this time so close the blast of it made every shifter fighting on the bridge startle. Pix swooped low over the bridge, one leg with its razor-sharp claws on the end extended. Haley held her breath. The trees were close to the bank here, too close for a dragon the size of Pix, who was enormous compared to her tiny human self. Her wings were pinioned back along her sides as she swooped through, her eyes a glaring, brilliant green. As
she raced over the center of the bridge, she reached out her foot and neatly whacked Justin's chest and shoulder, sending him spinning and toppling out of the way. Instantly, another bear leapt on him, fighting and hanging on with desperate fury to keep Justin from getting up again to stop Cortez. Haley thought it might be Quentin but she honestly didn't know.
In half a heartbeat, Cortez was in front of her, his enormous golden brown face and huge snout inches from her. Even in this form, she could see the question in his eyes. She nodded again, awkwardly clambering over the bridge and stumble-falling into him. "Turn me! It's the only way I can help. And I want this, Cortez. I've always wanted to be a shifter ever since I was a little girl. I thought I wanted to be a dragon, but no. That's not it for me. I trust you, Cortez." She caught his big, fuzzy face between her hands, simultaneously aware of how soft his fur was and how enormous his body was, whispering now. "You're my mate, aren't you? Turn me into a grizzly bear. Just like you."
Her strong, powerful mate didn't wait another second. His mouth opened, exposing his big, alarming teeth. Haley couldn't help her instinctive nervous gasp, but she tilted her head and exposed her neck for him. Squeezing her eyes shut, she hoped that being turned into a bear didn't involve severing an artery at the same time.
There was the faint scrape of something hard and rough against her neck. A tooth, running down the side of it. His touch was gentle, though it stung against her skin. Was he actually piercing it? He stayed there for a few seconds, blowing hot breath on her, then moved his mouth down until the tooth gently bounced over her collarbone. Then he pulled back.
Haley opened her eyes, looking at him. He looked back at her, blinking, huffing softly at her. With shaking fingers, she reached up to her neck. It felt wet. When she pulled her hand away to look at it, blood was streaked on it, but not a lot. He'd just barely grazed her.
Cortez was so damn gentle with her, even in his big huge bear self.
She opened her mouth to say something, though she didn't even know what. Maybe thank you.
Before she could, Cortez was abruptly yanked backward, bellowing as he went.
“No!” she shrieked. Justin again, that fucking bastard. He somehow had gotten away from the other bear holding him and leaped onto Cortez's back, his claws buried into her mate's hide, his teeth bearing down on Cortez's neck. Cortez gave a mighty shake, again and again, trying desperately to dislodge the enemy from his back. But Justin held on tight.
Haley saw red.
She.
Saw.
Red.
That was her man. Her mate. Her Cortez. Being attacked by the insane, sick bastard who had tried to ruin her life. In trying to save Haley, Cortez might die from the effort. No way. No damned way would she let that happen.
Now it was her turn to rescue him.
“Cortez!” she cried out, but her breath was stolen.
Excruciating pain crackled through her entire body as it suddenly seemed possessed. She shrieked and flung her head backward as bolts of pain and agony flashed over her. Bones cracked, broke, lengthened, shortened. Her entire body seemed to collapse and expand at once, sending white-hot shards of agony pulsing throughout her. Haley cracked and ripped open, and
She.
Became.
A.
Bear.
Her bear, a beautiful, huge golden-brown beast. Strong, enormous, powerful. Ready to defend what was hers from the enemy. Ready and more than able to stand up for herself and claim her place here, with her friends. Her new clan.
Her home.
Haley opened her mouth and bellowed out her call, roaring out the amazing truth of her existence to the wild battle going on around her. In almost instant response, other wild throats answered her, bellowing, roaring, howling in excited response. Her family.
She swung her huge head around, searching. Where was her mate?
There. Locked in battle with a monster.
She lunged toward Cortez and Justin, almost immediately falling on her face as limbs she didn't know how to use wouldn't obey her still halfway human thoughts.
Bear, she ordered herself in a fury of anxiety. You are bear!
She tried again, relaxing into this body and letting instinct take over. Yes! There it was. She could control her limbs now.
Charging forward, she managed to grab Justin's long, skinny tail with her mouth. She sank her enormous teeth into it. He ripped his fangs out of Cortez's neck and shrieked. Reaching one huge paw up over him, she gashed him across his ass, which seemed as scrawny in this form as it ever had been in his human form. He yowled in pain, his scream echoing over the woods. With a savage kick out at her, he dislodged another point of contact with Cortez's back.
It was all Cortez needed. He roared and bucked upward again, managing to get onto his hind legs and fling Justin off him, even though Justin's fierce claws left enormous gouges, tearing out chunks of fur and flesh on the way. In a flash, Cortez rounded on Justin, tremendous snarls rattling his entire body. Haley instinctively knew what he was telling Justin.
She has chosen me. I have chosen her. My mate. You will never have her.
Justin rolled after he hit the base of the bridge, immediately launching himself back, his teeth and claws extended to kill. Haley rushed toward him at the same time as Cortez did, although her mate reached him first.
Swiftly, much too quickly and more mercifully than the insane bastard deserved, Cortez broke Justin's neck.
At the other end of the bridge, by the woods, a female lion screamed, a keening yowl of grief.
It was over.
Pix's circling and calling out overhead had attracted the attention of every shifter in town, even if visiting humans couldn't see or hear her. But everyone who could, all the local shifters, had come flooding in to help. Haley, still half dazed with shock and excitement and adrenaline, looked around.
More grizzlies. More mountain lions, friends. Wolves, coyotes, foxes. Huge birds of prey, including giant golden eagles and bald eagles. Lynx, bobcats. She watched, stunned and thrilled, as a wave of shifters came to help subdue the remaining enemies.
None of the attacking others were killed, but simply held down and forced to shift back to human shapes, in which they were essentially powerless against those still in their animal form. Although several got away, the twenty or so of them who were captured quickly gave up, including the female mountain lion who had screamed when Cortez killed Justin. Haley realized she must be the woman Justin had left her for. Marisa. Now in her human form, huddled on the ground, sobbing, the woman seemed innocuous and harmless. Haley honestly felt sorry for her. She probably had been taken in by Justin's shit as well. He had used her just like he used everyone. Haley had no quarrel with her.
One of the bears shifted back into human. Shane, buck naked, who strode over to Jessie on the bank and grabbed her up in a giant hug. Haley harumphed a bear-sized snort at his nakedness. Seeing naked humans from her bear form was pretty funny, actually.
“Babe,” Shane said to Jessie, turning to gesture at Haley. “What do you think? You ready to get turned into a bear too?”
Jessie didn't pause even for a moment. “Uh-huh. I'm in. Because that was seriously the most badass thing I've ever seen. I'm ready. Haley!” she called out, her voice shaking yet overjoyed. “You kicked some serious ass. You're amazing!”
Haley whoofed back at her friend, still pumped up by the crazy rush of the battle. By the crazy rush of being a freaking bear. Hell yeah, it was amazing.
Overhead, Pix screamed, a long, triumphant cry that rang through the dull sky, somehow making it seem vibrant and bright. She dipped her silver wings at Haley, who lifted her mighty snout and roared back a booming cry of acknowledgement, a heartfelt thank you.
Her friends. They were all her friends, her fellow shifters, her community. And they were welcoming her into theirs.
Something big and warm and strong bumped up against her, firmly pressing into her side. She swung around to sniff. It was Cortez, bloody bu
t alive. She whuffled with joy. He checked her everywhere, snuffling over her, assuring himself she wasn't hurt. She rumbled a funny huffing noise from her chest, rubbing her head against his, shoving her face into his huge shoulder.
She wasn't hurt. He wasn't hurt. She was here, with him, her friends, her family, her clan. She was just completely fine.
Just like her sexy, stunning, protective mate. Cortez.
17
Cortez looked into Haley's eyes, their beautiful green now shot through with the bright gleam of the magnificent bear she had inside her. She blinked sleepily at him. Damn, she was so beautiful. Even when wearing her favorite purple T-shirt that she liked to sleep in. The one that said in big white letters, I wish I was a unicorn (so I could stab idiots with my head), with a simple drawing of a unicorn charging, head down, sharp horn pointed out apparently to stab all the idiots. Yeah, that was his woman. For sure. Haley was a keeper, wild hair, ratty orange bathrobe, crazy huge work ethic, and all.
His glorious, strong woman. Yeah, he liked that. A lot.
She blinked at him again, then rubbed her eyes and yawned. “You're staring at me.”
“Because I still can hardly believe I get to wake up with you every day for the rest of my life. Here's your coffee,” he added, gesturing toward where he'd put her mug on the bedside table. She sat up and kissed him as a thank you. He'd been doing it for her every morning that he could, even though the woman got up at dark o'clock every day to write. Except today, because she hadn't needed to.
She'd finally finished her book, sent it to the people who read it early and let her know whether or not it was good, and they'd gotten back to her last night. It was amazing, they'd gushed. A tearjerker that made them laugh and cry and wish they could be the characters in it. She'd been so ecstatic he thought she'd bounce right off the walls and float off into space.
He'd known she could do it. He didn't know shit about writing himself, and he barely ever read a book, but he knew she would knock it out of the park, because it was what she was born to do. Seeing her shine with elation when she finally really got it, finally understood, that she was good at it even without that fucking asshole ex-psycho of hers, that she was able to handle it all on her own, had made him so damned proud of her. His kickass bear shifter mate. God, how he loved her.