by Kim Fox
“Follow the mountain,” I whisper to myself as I look up at the mountaintop. There’s nowhere I’d rather go than in the opposite direction of that grizzly bear, but if there is something I can do to help Caleb and my brother, I have to try.
With a deep breath, I say a little prayer and then run after them.
Two bears? Oh, great there are two bears now. And no sign of Caleb.
My chest is burning and I’m out of breath when I finally catch up to them. It’s chaos as Bryce’s lion and the new grizzly bear fight with the huge grizzly bear who Caleb called Kneecap.
I really wish Caleb was here. There’s nothing I can do about this.
The new bear slams his shoulder into Kneecap as Bryce’s lion jumps on his back. Kneecap roars out in anger and frustration, launching the lion off with a shake of his shoulders like Bryce was a pesky toddler.
I’m leaning against a tree, trying to catch my breath as more bears come charging over.
What the hell?
Three more grizzly bears come bursting through the forest and crash into the fight, sending bodies flying and trees snapping. I gasp as a tree falls in front of me, landing with a slap only a few feet away.
It’s hard to tell what’s going on with all of the brown bears roaring and colliding with Kneecap, who is definitely the largest. He looks furious. Bryce is somewhere in the middle of it all, getting squished by the enormous bodies.
All of a sudden, the five bears stop. Their heads lower as they all turn in the same direction. I look where they’re looking and hold my breath when I see a new bear walking over. He’s big—not as big as Kneecap, but bigger than the others—and authority just radiates off of him in waves.
My stomach hardens as I watch him stride through the forest like he owns the place. He’s a brown grizzly bear like the rest of them, only he has a silver strip of fur over his right ear.
The five bears are instantly submissive in his presence. Even Bryce’s lion has sensed a change in the air and he’s not as aggressive as he was before. He’s hunkered down, watching with curious eyes.
He must be the alpha bear.
I watch in wonder as he takes command of the situation, walking amongst the other bears like a general inspecting his troops.
Something is happening, but I’m not sure what. The bears are communicating in grunts and groans and through their body language.
I start to feel uneasy—not that something is wrong. More like I’m watching something intimate. Like I’m eavesdropping on a family fight or seeing something that I have no business watching. But it’s hard to turn away.
The alpha bear struts up to Kneecap and the larger bear reluctantly submits. After a minute of grumbling, the terrifying bear turns and stumbles back into the woods.
One by one the bears start shaking and I stare in shock as they begin bursting into humans. First, the two similar looking bears explode into the twins, Tito and Ronin. The bear with the silver strip bursts into Maximus. The next bear changes into Lachlan, and the last bear explodes into Caleb.
My mouth is hanging so far open and I only realize when a bug flies into it.
Caleb is a bear shifter? I can’t take my eyes off him. Partly because I’m so shocked, but mostly because he’s so naked.
His muscular body is spectacular. His abs are ripped, his chest is jacked, and he has a long gorgeous cock hanging down below his thick thighs. I’m practically drooling while watching it until I remember about his wounds.
His chest— It’s fine. His wounds have somehow healed into pink lines across his muscular chest, and even those are starting to fade. He is Superman.
Bryce’s lion is the only animal left. He looks panicked as his eyes dart from naked guy to naked guy.
Nerves start to hit me when I think he might attack, but thankfully he doesn’t. With a shake of his body, he turns back into my brother.
Caleb points to him with a smile on his face. “This crazy kid attacked Kneecap!” he says with a laugh.
“What?” Ronin says, looking shocked. “And he’s still alive?!?”
“I saw one lion stand up to Kneecap before,” Tito says, shaking his head in disbelief. “Kneecap pooped him out three days later.”
Bryce is standing a little taller with his chest puffed out with pride as the men marvel at him. I’m smiling so hard as I watch them.
“Way to go, kid,” Lachlan says, slapping Bryce’s shoulders hard. Bryce winces but manages to hide the pain. “I hope you bit a chunk out of that grumpy bear’s ass.”
Bryce’s cheeks go red as he laughs.
“Kneecap was about to remove my head from my body when this guy came to the rescue,” Caleb says, propping my brother up. “He came launching through the air and jumped on his back.” The guys are laughing as Caleb acts it out. Bryce looks so proud.
It’s so nice to finally see him filled with pride, rather than with embarrassment, guilt, and shame.
I could kiss Caleb for putting that smile on Bryce’s face.
“It looks like you saved the day, Bryce,” Maximus says with a grin. He’s leaning against the tree, watching with a smile on his face. “You’re a real fighter.”
Bryce smiles shyly as the alpha praises him.
“Oh, yeah,” Caleb says, putting an arm around his neck. “This guy is a badass now, but he’s going to be a real beast when he’s fully grown.”
I haven’t seen Bryce this happy, well, ever.
And it’s all thanks to Caleb. Technically, this situation was all Bryce’s fault, but they’re not blaming him for any of it. They’re helping to build his confidence, which he desperately needs.
Caleb lets Bryce go and turns to him. “You just fought the scariest grizzly bear in Redemption Creek,” he says with a grin. “And you lived to tell about it. Do you feel like a badass now?”
Bryce grins back at him. “A little bit.”
“A little bit,” Tito says with a laugh. “Exactly what a badass would say.”
There’s nothing more I would like to do than to rush over there, wrap my arms around Caleb’s muscular neck, and press my lips to his, but I can’t. I don’t want to ruin Bryce’s proud moment with the guys by having his big sister show up. He definitely earned some time in the spotlight after everything he’s been through so I sneak away in the opposite direction.
I keep my eye on the mountaintop as I walk back, but the only thing that I’m seeing is the image of Caleb’s naked body.
And imagining myself climbing it.
9
Abigail
Somehow I get back to the camp before the guys do. Jessie has taken over the cooking and I walk over to help.
It smells so freaking good. My stomach is moaning in hunger.
“Hey!” she says with a big smile on her face. “I was wondering when you guys were going to get back. I don’t want to burn the trout.”
I stare at her in shock as I drop down on the stool at the island in exhaustion. She just saw my brother turn into a lion and all she’s worried about is the trout? Things really are different in Montana.
Jessie laughs when she sees my shell-shocked face. “Don’t worry, hun,” she says as she grabs an empty glass of wine. “You’ll get used to the weirdness around here.”
My mouth waters as she places the glass in front of me and fills it with the open bottle of red wine.
I down half of it in one gulp. God, I needed that.
Jessie giggles as she fills it back up. “You look like me when I first showed up,” she says. “What did you see out there?”
“Bears,” I say. “Lions. Naked guys.”
It still seems so surreal. There are more people like Bryce? More people who can turn into wild animals?
“Keep drinking,” she says, nodding to my glass. “It will make you feel better.”
My mind is a jumbled mess of every crazy thing that’s happened today. I’m trying to put it all together but it’s like trying to do a puzzle with your eyes closed.
I think bac
k to the bounty hunters and the strangely large men at the bar, trying to make sense of it all.
“So, is like every guy in this town a shifter?” I ask.
Jessie smiles as she checks on the fish. It’s grilling slowly in foil paper on the large barbecue. I want it all in my mouth immediately.
“Not everyone,” she says.
“But most of them.”
“Yeah,” she says with a shrug. “Most of them.”
“Wow.” I still can’t believe it.
“Hungry?” she asks with a chuckle when she sees me staring at the fish. Or, maybe she sees the drool dripping down my chin. She hands me a bowl of chips and I start attacking them with a ferocity that would scare those bear shifters back there.
“They make great boyfriends,” she says with a sly smirk on her face.
“Chips?” I say, smirking back at her. “I would make love to these chips.”
“No,” she says with a laugh. “Bear shifters.” Her eyes go all dreamy as they float up to the thatched roof. “They’re incredible. Loving. Sweet. Attentive. They’re the perfect mates.”
Mates?
“Did you and Lachlan… bond?”
Her smile widens as she nods up and down. “There’s nothing like it. Nothing can prepare you for that swell of emotions. It’s amazing.”
“Well,” I say, looking down at the bowl. “The only thing I’m bonding to are these chips. They’re amazing.”
She laughs as she tops off my glass of wine. “We’ll see.”
The guys are back and I turn to the forest when I hear them laughing. They’re making fun of each other as they grab their jeans and shirts that are hanging on the branches. Bryce and Caleb are already dressed in their ripped up clothes.
Bryce is looking up at him with a look of pure wonder on his face. He’s finally found a place where he can belong. He’s finally found people like him.
I see how well he’s fitting in and I can’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy hoping that I’ll fit in here as well as he will.
“I’m going to go see if they’re okay,” I say, never taking my eyes off Caleb.
“Uh huh,” Jessie says with a knowing smirk. She turns back to the fish with a giggle.
“Are you hurt?” I ask as I quickly check Bryce over.
“I’m fine,” he says, squirming away from me. “Don’t worry so much. I can handle myself.”
He follows the other guys into the outdoor kitchen.
“Did he just blow me off?” I ask Caleb.
He laughs. “Totally.”
“Teenagers,” I say, shaking my head in disbelief.
“He’s a good kid,” Caleb says.
I turn to him and look at his chest through his shredded up t-shirt, pretending to inspect for wounds, but totally inspecting his muscles.
“You’re healed,” I say, separating the ripped fabric. His skin underneath looks so soft. If my fingertips didn’t have Dorito crumbs all over them I would touch it. “Even the pink lines are gone.”
He shrugs with a grin on his face. “One of my many talents.”
That sexy grin is making my body tingle. It’s been so long since I’ve been with a man and I’ve been so worried about my brother that I haven’t even really thought about it.
Until now.
Dirty thoughts are penetrating my mind and they won’t go away. I want Caleb. And I want him now.
He starts talking about Kneecap and then dinner, but I can’t focus on any of that. I’m just staring at his sexy lips as lust and arousal swirl through me, taking me over.
I was attracted to him before, but seeing how sweet and patient he is with me and with Bryce, has made him irresistible.
My mouth becomes moist when I put my hand on his thick forearm and look up at him with bedroom eyes. “Why don’t you show me your cabin?” I say, cutting off his rambling.
His eyebrows raise as he looks down at me. I’m biting my bottom lip, my cheeks are flushed, and I’m looking up at him like I’m a hungry carnivore and he’s a piece of meat. I couldn’t be making it any more obvious that I want him unless I had a blinking neon sign on my forehead that said Fuck Me!
He swallows hard and nods. “Okay.”
I slide my hand down his forearm and grip his hand, pulling him toward the cabin. I’m not usually this forward, but I’m not usually in front of a sexy bear shifter either, who I want to fuck his brains out.
“That one yours?” I ask, pointing at the cute log cabin by the woods.
“Yeah,” he says, struggling to keep up.
“Good,” I say, pulling him along.
My body is craving him. I can’t get there fast enough.
I charge right up the steps and yank open the door, not even waiting for him to open it for me or even to be invited in.
“So, do you want a tour?” he asks after I pull him inside. “We can start in the—”
I spin on my heels and crush my lips against his, kissing him like I’m drowning and he’s the air I need to breathe.
My whole body shivers in a good way as he slides his big arms around me and holds me close as we kiss. His silky tongue slides over mine and I moan into his mouth at the deliciousness of it.
He tastes so good and he feels even better.
I slide my hands from his round shoulders to his hard biceps. I touch his ribs and run my fingers through his dirty blonde hair as we make out. My hands go to all the places that I’ve dreamt of touching in the past few days.
We’re both breathless when we finally pull away from each other. He’s staring at me as intensely as I’m staring at him.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time,” he says, never taking his eyes off me.
“And?”
He leans down and kisses me again. Deep and slow and fucking perfect.
My breasts are aching. My pussy is so wet. I press my body even closer to him and moan when I feel his hard cock press against my stomach.
I let out a moan as I slide my hand down to it.
He’s so hard and I’m so wet. I just want to skip all of this and get to the good part.
More and more heat is rushing to my core with every passing second, filling me until it feels like I’m going to burst.
“Abigail,” he says in a throaty voice as I slide my hand inside his shorts. He groans as I wrap my fingers around his thick shaft.
“Caleb,” I say back to him when he can’t find the words to continue. His eyes are clouding over with lust as I stroke his dick. “I want you.”
He swallows hard as he tries to compose himself, but it’s hard when my hand is moving up and down on him like this.
“I want it to be…” his words fall away from his mouth when I swirl my thumb over the pre-cum oozing out of his dick. “…romantic.”
There’s no way I’m stopping now. And I don’t know how strong he thinks he is, but he’s practically panting—he’s not stopping either.
“Romance later,” I whisper in a low, gritty voice. “A hard fuck now.”
Any self-restraint that he was clinging onto snaps, and he grabs my hips with a firm grip. I gasp as he spins me around roughly and pushes me down, bending me over the kitchen counter.
My heart is pounding with excitement. This is exactly what I wanted.
“Romance later,” he grunts and then yanks my shorts down my trembling legs. He rips my wet underwear off and tosses it to the ground like it’s a worthless piece of fabric. And maybe it is. I don’t think I’ll ever wear underwear around this guy again.
My clit is aching as he spreads my legs apart and grabs an ass cheek with one hand.
Faaaaacccckkkk. My head drops back as he slides the thick head of his big cock up my soaking folds.
Without hesitation, he reaches my hole and slides it in, thrusting up with one perfect stroke.
I cry out a little too loud as he pushes all the way in, slamming his hard pelvis against my ass cheeks. He’s so big. I’ve never felt so full in all of my life.
&n
bsp; My eyes drift closed as he starts thrusting in and out, hitting every craving that I have for him.
I’m gripping the counter, focusing only on his cock as he fucks me with a beautiful urgency that is bringing me closer and closer to the edge.
His thrusts become harder. His grunts become louder.
I’m right there with him, my whole body tense with the need to orgasm.
Without warning, he squeezes me tight, roots his cock in deep with one hard thrust and fills me with his warm seed.
With a cry, I explode next with an intense orgasm that tears through me. I throw my head back and clutch the counter so hard that it feels like it’s going to snap as my body twists and shivers from the heated waves flowing through me.
Dark spots dance in my vision when the most intense part is over. Caleb slides out of me and turns me around. He picks me up off my trembling legs and holds me close to his chest like he’s never going to let go.
My body feels so good. So content. My pussy feels like it’s glowing with satisfaction.
He holds me close for a few minutes until we’ve both recovered.
“So,” I say with a grin when he finally puts me down. “This is the kitchen. It’s nice.”
He laughs. “Are you ready for the tour now?”
“One second.” I grab my shorts off the floor and put them on. “There. Now I’m ready.”
Caleb laughs again and the beautiful sight of it makes me lightheaded. He puts on his shorts and smiles. “Come,” he says as he takes my hand. “I’ll show you the bedroom.”
“Oooh,” I say with a mischievous grin as I follow him on my tippy toes. “I can’t wait for that!”
10
Caleb
The soothing smell of smoke coming from the campfire mixed with Abigail’s warm scent next to me is making this the happiest night of my life.
The fire is crackling and popping in front of us while the night takes over the sky overhead. Beer bottles are clinking together as Lachlan opens the cooler and hands them out.
“Umm,” Abigail says when Lachlan hands a cold one to Bryce. “Are you twenty-one?”