Grizzly Lover: Purely Paranormal Pleasures

by C. D. Gorri

  No. She would not give in to darkness now. She pushed that other thing deep down inside of her and focused on her two boys. They were her whole heart, she realized quite suddenly. Regret filled her as she saw the hard lines in his face. The untrusting glint that had never been in his eyes before. Damn, she had caused that.

  She was responsible for the sorrow lines that creased his brow. But no more. They were together and she would do her best to smooth them all out, if only he’d let her.

  Yes, something inside of her spoke.

  Teresa ignored that other voice and focused on him. After all this time, she would never love another. Just him. Her Ollie. Like it had always been, but different, better, stronger now for everything they had both experienced.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?” he said quietly.

  “Nothing,” she returned, “I just, I feel strange.”

  “It’s okay,” he soothed and went to touch her shoulder, but stopped suddenly.

  The sound of twigs snapping had all three heads turning to look. Oliver moved in front of both her and Thomas, shielding them with his big body. Teresa felt every muscle inside of her clench and strain. Prepared for something, though she hardly knew what. The need to protect her son was paramount in that moment.

  It only let up the moment Oliver relaxed his own stance. Trusting him implicitly, she waited for him to explain. Of course, patience was never one of her virtues. Curiosity got the better of her, so she peeked around him.

  It was a woman, she soon realized. A lovely woman. And, much to Teresa’s rising anger, she was not a stranger to Oliver. She watched as he smiled warmly at the stranger with her long straight hair. Locks that Teresa had always envied for her own unruly waves were certainly a bitch to tame at times.

  The stranger had big amber eyes behind rather stylish glasses, and they too, smiled up at her Ollie behind thick lashes. She was tall and lean, more slender than Teresa at any rate, but it was her easy grace and confidence that she belonged there, with him, that stuck in her craw.

  Jealousy surged, irrational and misplaced, maybe, but she couldn’t help it. In fact, she seemed to not be fully in control of her emotions at all.

  “Mommy? You’re rumbly like my grisle!” Thomas said.

  She looked at her cub and panic had her hyperventilating. A deep, gnawing rumble started in her chest, and Oliver whipped his head around to catch her in his curious stare. He lifted Thomas out of her arms when she thrust him towards his father.

  “Thomas,” she said the boy’s name and dropped down.

  Her body tensed, a flash of pain shot through her stomach, like a cramp, but much more direct and acute. The pain seemed to grow as quickly as it had come on, but she hardly noticed it in the face of the raw jealousy that had threatened to consume her.

  Teresa was scared for her son, but something inside of her told her she would never harm the child. No, not the child, their child, their cub. Whatever was happening, it was happening now. Every inch of her burned with hurt.

  “Resa?” Oliver’s eyes went wide.

  He motioned for Thomas to move behind him, which thankfully the cub did.

  “I’ll take him,” the strange woman said, and that really pissed off the thing inside Teresa.

  She snarled and snapped at her. Burning, itching, gnawing pain shot through every cell inside of her. She felt as if she were being torn into pieces. Loud snapping, tearing, cracking noises echoed in her ears along with the sound of her blood thundering in her ears.

  “It’s okay, Thomas, go sit by Jennifer,” he said and Teresa snapped her jaws around teeth that weren’t hers, “Teresa? Look at me, don’t fight it, baby, it’s okay,” Oliver dropped to his knees in front of her.

  Poor man. He looked as though he were the one in pain, being torn apart but it was her. She was being eaten, consumed, ravaged by whatever monstrous demon her father had injected her with.

  “Thomas,” she growled around her misshaped mouth, worried for the safety of her son despite the thing’s insistence he was safe.

  “He’s fine. I’m worried about you, love. Listen to me, you have to stop fighting. Trust me, it is not what you think,” he said, and she saw the Bear bleed into his eyes.

  That beautiful, strong, dominant Grizzly of his was staring at her. Suddenly, Teresa stilled and quieted. She did as he asked and stopped fighting. Then, the most marvelous thing happened.

  Mate, she heard a voice inside her head.

  Her whole body though wracked with pain, seemed to heed that distant whisper. It was as if the sound was reaching for her through some sort of thick, hazy fog.

  She turned to Oliver for help, only he didn’t look like himself. His facial features contorted under her watchful gaze as more of his Bear leaked through. Something inside of her responded to it almost violently. No, not violence. A rapid succession of emotions filtered through to her. The most urgent were need, desire, and most of all love, she realized.

  Mate, the voice repeated more clear than last time.

  It wasn’t scary this time. It felt right. Teresa relaxed her body and embraced the fire inside. In doing so, she felt as if her skin was being touched and stroked by the softest of hands. An electric hum seemed to fill her ears and the fire grew in intensity for the briefest of moments.

  Magic, the voice whispered, let me in.

  Teresa felt as though she were being ripped in two. She had only one choice and she chose to trust in Oliver. She acknowledged the power flowing through her and prayed to God and whoever else was listening to keep the ones she loved safe during whatever was happening to her.

  “That’s it, Resa, let her in,” Oliver coaxed and she heard the wonder in his voice and relished the scent of faith and love that all seemed to come from him.

  Finally, she willed herself to relax. She closed her eyes and groaned, commanding the muscles in her body to unclench and loosen. Only it wasn’t her body. Not her usual one anyway.

  Teresa stood on shaky, powerful, fur-covered legs, four of them to be exact. What the ever-loving hell just happened to her?

  A roar erupted from her mouth, and she opened her eyes to see that the world looked different to her somehow, it was sharper more acute. She blinked rapidly to see Oliver standing in front of her with his arms wide as he directed her focus to him.

  “Look at me, look at me, Resa,” he commanded and she did, reluctantly.

  She did not want to obey her mate. She wanted to run, to play, to hunt, maybe even fish. Oh yes, Bears loved to fish!

  Bears? Me? A Bear?

  Rawr! Her answer flowed from her maw and Teresa fell backwards onto her big furry butt.

  “You’re so beautiful, baby,” Oliver grinned wickedly and took a cautious step forward,

  Damn right he should be careful. She was a Bear! Not just any bear, but a full grown Grizzly Sow!

  “You’re a Shifter,” he said once more with awe in his voice.

  “Mommy’s a grisle,” Thomas said.

  Teresa turned to see the strange woman holding her son and she saw red.

  Grrr.

  Chapter Eight

  Teresa chuffed and snorted angrily. She pawed the ground, but Oliver stepped between her and the stranger who dared touch her cub.

  “Easy, baby, she’s a friend.”

  Easy? Oh no, he didn’t. She tried to yell at him to tell him she wanted that slut away from her baby. A few other choice curses filled her head, but she couldn’t talk. She tried again and heard more growling and snarling.

  “Don’t panic, use your mind not your mouth to speak to me,” he instructed.

  Oliver! She screamed his name in panic inside her mind’s eye.

  “I hear you, baby,” he answered and shook his ear.

  Oops. So, she yelled a little bit too loudly. But she needed answers. She dropped to all fours and stomped her feet.

  “Easy, love,” he approached cautiously, “may I?”

  Hands raised in her direction, Teresa nodded at him.

  Mat
e, that inner voice chuffed happily and Teresa found herself rumbling pleasantly as Oliver stroked his big, strong hands through her fur.

  Fur?

  Yes, answered the voice, we have magnificent fur.

  “Sweet mate, you do have a lovely coat,” he said and brought his forehead to hers.

  “You’ve been cooped up a long time, haven’t you?”

  A deep, mournful growl sounded from her Bear’s lips and Teresa felt shame fill her. But how could she have known? Her mother had died in childbirth and her father was a normal.

  Not our father, her she-Bear growled.

  Suddenly, she knew the truth. Teresa was not the daughter of Mathias Witherspoon. He didn’t have the right scent. But why had he claimed she was his daughter?

  “We will find the answers, love, but for now, want to run with me?”

  Her Bear’s happy rumble cut short when she snorted in the direction of their cub.

  “We won’t go far. Jennifer is a friend. I swear to you. She would never harm our son. Jennifer?”

  “We will walk back to your cabin and wait there for you, alright?” the woman, no, the Owl Shifter, said, and Teresa watched her go with a warning growl.

  “Come on,” Oliver removed his clothing and within seconds he stood before her a magnificent Grizzly Bear, much larger than her own.

  Together they ran through the woods, over the budding shrubs and patches of snow, down to the rocky shore on that side of the lake just behind the cabin. She took a moment to admire her handsome Grizzly before he shimmered back to a man before her eyes.

  “Will you change back now, beautiful? Let me have my, mate,” he told her.

  Wow. Teresa caught sight of her reflection in the water. She had fur, and claws, and huge teeth.

  Gulp. Okay. She could live with that. But that wasn’t what had her reluctant to change back. No, it was the fact that he had just called her mate. That word alone meant everything to her.

  “That’s it, sweet, your cub and your mate need you to change back,” Oliver cajoled.

  Be with our mate now, her Bear suggested and she closed her eyes and willed her human body forward.

  “Wow,” she said as Oliver waited a beat before putting his arms around her.

  They stood in three feet of freezing lake water, and suddenly she felt a tad conspicuous out in the open with nothing at all covering her body.

  “You’re lovely, Resa,” he said and claimed her mouth in a searching kiss that she was desperate to explore.

  After some time, however long, she was unsure, Teresa opened her eyes. Oliver had lifted her shivering body out of the cold water and held her against his warmth while plundering her mouth. Her inner Sow reveled in his possession. Patches of snow still littered the rocky shore so he carried her to a large tree and used it for leverage while covering the bark with his hands.

  “Need you,” he grunted, but waited for her hands to travel between them.

  She gripped his heavy cock in her hands and placed him at her slick entrance. The tree was rough under her bare ass, but she did not care. All she wanted was him.

  “That’s actually kind of funny,” Oliver said as he allowed just the tip of his dick to pierce her slick heat.

  “Why funny?” She asked.

  “Because love, a moment ago you actually had a Bear ass,” he grinned and instead of fear or disgust she saw utter joy in his gaze.

  “Please,” she rolled her eyes and begged him, ignoring her accidental pun.

  She needed him now, desperately, and she wasn’t too proud to show him just how much. Her body throbbed and ached in places she’d neglected for far too long it would seem. Being with him again sparked her senses, ignited her heart, and fanned the flame of desire she’d thought extinguished.

  Mine, her Bear whispered inside her mind and she welcomed the thought.

  “Mate,” he grunted as if in response and all traces of humor fled his gaze.

  Oliver needed no more coaxing after that. She clung to his shoulders as he made love to her beneath the setting sun. The cold went unnoticed as her magnificently muscled mate moved fiercely, passionately over her, giving her pleasure that only he could deliver.

  Oliver mashed his lips to hers. He didn't stop kissing her, not even when stars exploded behind her eyes and the whole world spiraled out of focus.

  “Ollie,” she gasped his name, trying to catch her breath as tiny little aftershocks continued to tremble between them from the place where his body still possessed hers all the way to that muscle that was pounding furiously inside her chest.

  When they were both finally sated, Oliver kissed her gently. He carried her princess style up the steps he must’ve had carved into the stone, leading to his back porch.

  “I’m too heavy,” she started.

  “You’re light as a feather,” he snorted.

  “They’ll see us,” she sat up when she heard Thomas inside the cabin giggling brightly.

  “No worries, love, you go shower and I’ll bring up a tray.”

  A while later, Teresa wandered back downstairs to where Oliver was chatting with Jennifer while he prepared dinner.

  “Hi,” his eyes found her and she smiled at him a little shy since she her new senses told her this woman was a Shifter and she would know what they had been up to in the woods just behind the cabin.

  “Well, I think proper introductions are in order,” the stranger said brightly.

  Teresa’s eyes snapped to the woman’s oval shaped face. It was strange now, but she felt her Bear deep within her assessing the situation. The animal inside of her might’ve been in a rage of jealousy earlier, or maybe her Bear saw this person as some sort of proprietorial challenger, but not now. Now, she was the woman who had taken care of Teresa’s cub and for that she was grateful.

  “Thomas? Why don’t you come over here and let your mom see you’re alright,” the stranger spoke up.

  It was a good idea. Yes. Teresa wanted her cub. She scooped up her son and felt Thomas cling to her. Immediately, the animal within stopped her grumbling. Scaring her cub was not on her list of things to do that day.

  “Mommy,” Thomas squealed when he ran to her, pumping his chubby little legs as he did.

  He’d been playing on a plush throw rug in the center of the large living room that was visible from where she stood. She could make out the box of crayons he’d upended everywhere, a few coloring books, his new cars, and a few of the dolls he had brought with him. The place was a mess, but the good kind, she thought fondly.

  “Hello, my sweet boy,” she dropped a dozen quick kiss on his forehead, nose, and cheeks all while cuddling him close.

  Thomas liked it when she did that and he laughed out loud. He smelled like forest and sunshine, and yes, just beneath that, a hint of fur. Her little whirlwind squirmed after a moment or two, and she released him. He was a happy and healthy cub, anxious to get back to his toys.

  “So, Teresa,” a voice interrupted her musings and she turned back to the two adults, “I’m Jennifer.”

  “Hello,” she answered.

  Oliver walked over to her wiping his hands on a dish towel before he reached for her, tugging her close to his big, hard body. She loved the sheer size and strength of him, leaning into his touch she inhaled his scent and savored it before releasing her breath.

  He brushed her lips with a soft hello kiss and pressed his forehead to hers with one hand on the back of her neck. The touch was welcomed, cherished in fact by woman and Sow. It was quite something for her to admit these things, to feel them so fully now that she had embraced her true self.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I’m adjusting quickly actually, but I guess I’m sort of confused.”

  “I can only imagine,” his concern shone through his dark eyes as he brushed a curl behind her ear, “What did that bastard father of yours do to you?” He growled.

  “Yes, I’d be curious as well,” Jennifer interrupted from her perch on one of the sturdy chairs
in the dining room.

  Teresa’s eyes flicked to the woman, but before she could respond Thomas ran straight to Jennifer from the living room. She watched in shock as he climbed on the woman’s lap and whispered something in her ear. Jennifer laughed brightly before letting him down again. Teresa watched the harmless byplay, but she was unable to fully control the growl that built up inside her.

  “Easy, she-Bear, I have not harmed your cub,” Jennifer said and nodded in Thomas’ direction, “he is safe and well, see?”

  “I swear to you, Teresa,” Oliver interjected, “I wouldn’t have left him with her if I didn’t trust her. She’s a friend.”

  That only made the growl grow that much louder. Uh oh. She shook her head to try and regain some control.

  “Well, this the whole family then?” Jennifer nodded in Teresa’s direction and she found herself smiling at the other woman.

  Okay, it was more snarl than smile, and Teresa immediately stilled. What the hell was wrong with her?

  “I see,” Jennifer laughed, “well, would it help you to know that I am not interested in Oliver that way,” she cocked her head and stared at Teresa with piercing predatory eyes before warming them.

  Her birdlike gaze darted to young Thomas, who was watching them with a concerned expression on his cherubic face.

  “Maybe we can be properly introduced now that Mommy isn’t going to fight her Bear anymore?”

  “Mommy’s grisle!” Thomas said from the other room.

  “Yes, Thomas that’s right Mommy’s a Grizzly, just like your Daddy, and you. Teresa, allow me to welcome you officially to the world of Shifters,” Jennifer gave a little bow.

  Chapter Nine

  Teresa might have been under the influence of a certain green-eyed monster a few hours ago, but looking at the warm smile on Jennifer’s face, she and her Bear came to a decision. If Oliver trusted this woman, then so would she.

  “Why don’t we all sit and have a chat?” she suggested.