She smoothed on some lipstick and smacked her lips together in an alluring pout, and she flicked her hair over her shoulders. The way she had done her smoky eye makeup made the cool blue of her eyes stand out even more and they pierced through the dark as she looked into her mirror.
He would be arriving any moment, if he hadn’t already.
She wasn’t going to tell her parents where she was going, she had intended on just slipping out the back door, onto the veranda and down onto the driveway. She didn’t even know if they were home, and she wasn’t going to go and check. She would quite like to keep an air of mystery about her life with them, and after all, they didn’t need to know every single detail.
She slipped her feet into a pair of high court shoes and then pulled on her coat. As she looked back at her reflection for the final time, she smiled to herself, acknowledging how far she had come in such a short space of time.
“You are finally becoming the woman you want to be,” she told herself, almost like a mantra.
She opened the veranda door and stepped out onto the decking. The night sky was clear of clouds and billions of bright stars twinkled overhead. The scent of pine was heavy in the air and the chill told her more snow would soon be on its way. Ahead of her, she heard a rustling in the trees and when she looked and squinted to try and see through the dark, she was sure she could see something in there, walking slowly toward her.
“Bodhi?” she whispered, not wanting to disturb her parents in case they were home.
But no answer came, the only noise that came back to meet her was a low, dark growl.
Natalie took a step backward and pressed her back flat against the wall of the house. She thought that by stepping into the shadows, whatever was potentially out there wouldn’t notice her. But she was soon to learn she was wrong. Another growl rang out around her, one so vicious it made her jump and a little squeal escaped her lips.
She saw the outline of the wolf stepping out of the trees and into the moonlight, and her heart began to race so hard that the heartbeat in her ears was overpowering. Its eyes were yellow and fierce, and it was full of menace. It was baring its teeth as if it were ready to attack, and her skin turned to ice when it took a step closer and she truly realized how massive it was. It was like no wolf she had ever seen before. It was like some kind of super wolf. Huge and muscular, and its fangs were dripping with spit and rage.
“Oh my God,” she whispered as she reached behind herself for the door handle and turned it slowly.
As she opened the door, trying not to make a sound, her jaw sagged open and her heart sank as she saw more wolves stepped out of the shelter of the forest. There were four of them in total, all snarling, all of their eyes gleaming, and all of them so big and frightening that she was literally shaking.
Natalie knew she had to get back inside before one of them took a running jump onto the veranda, but she was frozen in terror. She gripped the handle of the door and could feel her shaking hands knocking it into the side of the house, but she still couldn’t move.
One of the wolves howled at her and took another step forward, and it was this that broke Natalie out of her stupor. She quickly threw herself backward and slammed the glass door closed behind her as she stared back at them and quickly dove into her bag to look for her cell phone.
“Bodhi,” she said. “He’s going to walk right into them.”
She searched frantically for his number only to remember she didn’t even have it. They had never exchanged digits, despite being on several dates and going into business together. It was almost like they didn’t need to know each other’s phone numbers because they could read each other’s minds. Well, Natalie really hoped he was reading hers now.
“God, Bodhi…” she hissed as the wolves took another few steps closer to the veranda and began to circle around the base of the house.
She had never seen anything like it. It was as if they were trying to keep her trapped there, they were keeping her a prisoner in her own home. She had never seen animals behave that way, and in the many years she had lived in Lost Creek, she had never seen anything as bizarre as what was happening now in front of her.
Suddenly, through the dark, a thunderous growl roared from deep within the woods. The wolves all stopped circling for a moment and recoiled onto their hind legs, all of them baring their teeth wider than ever and snarling back at whatever was approaching them.
Natalie crouched down and clung to the door handle. She was behind a thick pane of glass, but she didn’t feel safe. It was as if all of the wolves could turn and hurl themselves at it at any moment.
The roar came again from within the woods, and she quivered as she watched the wolves all begin to howl and screech up at the moon. She felt the ground move before she saw what was heading her way. And when the big, hulking beast stepped out of the trees and into the moonlight, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.
The bear was so big, it was like something out of a movie. Its paws were the size of tires and its body half the size of a house. Natalie’s jaw dropped open as it reared back on its hind legs and stretched up high. It was almost as tall as the highest trees, and its silhouette began to block out the moonlight.
“What the fuck…” she whispered as she clung to her cell phone.
She trembled as her finger hovered over the keypad, ready to dial 911, but her instincts were telling her to hold on. For all the bear in front of her was a complete monster, it was there to scatter the wolves. And she watched as one by one, they slinked away, howling as they went.
The bear lashed out at them all as they passed, slashing them on the backs of their legs with its big, sharp claws and thumping them to the side with his enormous paws. The wolves growled and disappeared back into the forest and the bear turned and locked eyes with Natalie. Her heart was racing, and she felt rooted to the spot, but the bear took another great, hulking step forward and made the earth shake beneath them both.
It was staring at her deeply, and she didn’t dare move. Its growls had quieted, and she could tell it was calm. But something flashed across its eyes. Something familiar. And it was then that Natalie clutched her chest in fright.
“No,” she whispered. “You can’t be…”
She remembered back to the conversations she had had with Bodhi, about himself and Arlo, about the other gang in Lost Creek who were determined to cause them trouble.
“Whenever you’re ready, bear…”
The man with the scar down his face had said that to Bodhi as they were stood in the street the previous evening.
And how many times had Bodhi referred to the wolves…
“Surely, this can’t be happening,” she said aloud. “You’re imagining it all.”
She reached down and pinched the skin on her forearm. She must be having a nightmare, none of this could be real. The animals were too big and powerful to be anything but a figment of her imagination. There was no way they could exist out there in the forest around her home and for them to not have been hunted. For her father not to know about them, he was a logger for crying out loud! He owned much of the forestland around Lost Creek, surely, he would have seen or heard something about these super bears and wolves…
But the bear…
His eyes really were familiar.
Natalie stepped forward and pressed her palms and nose against the glass and watched the beast intently. She wasn’t afraid anymore, something inside her had given over to a wave of calm. Maybe it was the familiarity, or maybe it was because something was telling her she was now safe. But she knew she didn’t have to fear the creature in front of her. In fact, there was something about it that made her want to be closer. She wanted to run her hands through its thick fur and let it pull her close.
The bear roared once more and Natalie jumped backward. They were still locking eyes, but as it started to shake and roar again, she knew something big was about to happen. She watched in part horror and part fascination as the bear’s fur tore
open, it’s huge frame trembled and ripped, shrinking in size as its fur gave way to smooth, tanned skin.
Even from the distance she was standing, she knew who it was before he turned around. The bear had turned into a man in front of her very eyes. His muscles were heavy and pronounced, his shoulders wide, his thighs even wider. And his incredibly thick and long manhood was shining under the light of the moon.
The bear was Bodhi.
She had always known there was something different about him. But now it wasn’t just that he was a twin. He wasn’t all human, she had been right all along. He was also part bear.
A werebear…
Her heart skipped a beat and her hands trembled.
“Bodhi,” she panted as she reached for the handle and threw open the door.
“Stay back!” he said as if he was pained. “Don’t come any closer. The beast is still at the surface.”
Natalie stopped in her tracks, even though all she wanted to do was run to him and let him sweep her up in his arms.
“The moon,” he growled. “It makes the wolves insane.”
His voice was deeper, gruffer than before. She hadn’t thought he could sound anymore masculine, but with the bear ripping below the surface of his skin, he was so much more.
“Who are they?” she whispered.
Bodhi’s eyes slowly turned back to the deep, engulfing brown that she knew so well, and had fallen for, and she could see that he was himself again.
“And who are you, Bodhi?” she panted. “What the fuck have I just witnessed?”
“I’m a werebear, Nat,” he said. “I never would have wanted you to find out like this. But I had to come and protect you.”
Her skin tingled.
“I’ve been protecting you ever since I laid eyes on you on Main Street days ago. I was pulled to push you out of the path of those cars. And ever since I’ve been joined to you. You’re the other half of me. I’ve imprinted on you and I can never let you go.”
Her mind was spinning, but it was so romantic. No one had ever looked after her before, so the thought of having such a powerful protector was almost too much for her to take. It was overwhelming and she felt the tears rising up within her, along with her lust and want for his body.
He stood there naked, looking every inch the perfect man, and Natalie couldn’t stay away any longer.
“A werebear?” she said in disbelief. “I didn’t even know such things existed.”
“Well, we do,” he said. “And we’re right here in Lost Creek. And have been ever since the town was settled. My ancestors founded this town, we are The Unbroken Bears. And as you may have gathered by now, everything was a lot simpler before The Lost Alphas showed up and started causing trouble.” He sighed.
“The Lost Alphas?” she asked.
“The wolves,” he growled. “They’ve been slowly driving this place into the ground and trying to take it over. At first, we co-existed side by side, peacefully and happily, but our feud now runs deep. There is a lot of bad blood.”
“And why were they here tonight?” she asked with fear.
“I think they were here to send a warning,” he said sadly. “They’d seen me with you, and they are using you as a pawn in their game. But don’t worry, Nat, they can’t hurt you, and they never will. They were only trying to send a message to me. And now they’ve done nothing but enrage me further.”
Bears… wolves… long standing feuds… It was as if she had stepped into some kind of twilight zone. But she had seen it with her own eyes, and she could tell that every word was true.
Bodhi held out his hand and beckoned for her to join him. He was still standing there naked and his breathing was heavy and his muscles heaved. Natalie’s whole body was tingling with desire, and she wanted nothing more than to fall into his arms. Even through all of the confusion, that was something she was still certain about. Werebear or not, she was meant to be with Bodhi. He was right, she was the other half of him.
She stepped forward and slipped her hand into his. His skin was red hot, full of fire and rage. He pulled her close to him and breathed her in deep. He sniffed the air between them, and she saw something wicked flash over him. Something raw and powerful. He pulled her forcefully toward him and led her back into the camouflage of the forest. The trees were thick above them, concealing them from view, and when they were right amongst the thick pines, and completely hidden, Natalie knew she couldn’t take it any longer, she had to have him. Her pussy throbbed and she bit her lip. The feeling of his rough hands at her waist was turning her into a quivering mess.
She wrapped her arms around Bodhi’s neck and he grunted as he pulled her close to him. His big, thick hands were settling on her tiny waist and she gasped as he pushed her backward and against the trunk of a tree. Her cunt was engorged with desire and he hadn’t even touched her. She had longed for this moment since the second she had set eyes on him, and every moment since had been nothing but foreplay. Every time he had looked at her, every time his fingertips had brushed against her skin, every kiss… It had all been leading up to this moment. And it couldn’t have been any more perfect.
Bodhi looked deep into her eyes and she could still see the bear lingering within him. She knew he could tear her apart if he wanted to, but that only made her want him more. She hitched up her knees and Bodhi gripped onto them, lifting them high and wrapping them around his waist. Her dress had shifted up and exposed her black, lacey panties and it was with one quick rip that he tore them straight off and threw them on the ground. She gasped as she felt his power once more. She was completely at his mercy, and knew she would let him do with her whatever he wanted.
He grunted as he leaned forward and kissed her neck hard, pressing his teeth into her delicate skin.
“Bodhi,” she gasped.
It felt so incredible already, and she hadn’t even taken him yet. She bit her lip and ran her hands through his hair, and moaned as he slipped a hand down between them and gripped his huge, throbbing cock. She could feel him pressing it against her, and he teased her with it, rubbing his helmet up and down her soaking wet slit. She was such a mess of desire, she couldn’t stand him to keep her on the verge that way. She wanted him. She needed him. She had to have him.
She opened her legs wider and pulled herself as close to him as she could, and when he pushed in the tip ever so slightly so she gasped and clung to him even tighter.
“Do you want me?” he growled.
“Yes,” she gasped.
With one huge, agonizing thrust, Bodhi pushed himself inside of her. Natalie’s whole body spasmed with pleasure as he held onto her hips tightly and fucked her hard and slow, as her back rubbed against the bark behind her and he growled into her neck.
He was so strong, he was like nothing she had ever known. He held her so effortlessly it was as if she was weightless, and with each thrust into her, it felt as if they were being joined forever. His thighs were so tensed and wide, he was like a machine, banging her into the roughness of the tree and making her whole body shake with passion. She was hot and glistening, and with each powerful thrust inside of her, she felt him hit new spots she had never even known. He pinned her hands high above her head at the wrists and looked deep into her eyes. He was so big and strong, he did it with such ease, and it made her even more at his mercy. If he wanted to, he could tear her apart, just like he had done with her panties.
She gripped him tightly with her legs and felt an intense heat rising up within her. She knew it wouldn’t be long before she would unravel at his touch, but she tried with all she could to hold on. Bodhi growled again and thrust himself hard inside of her. And Natalie’s whole body spasmed as she came hot and hard, and screamed into his neck. Bodhi groaned as his own release was building and his thighs tensed even more, his cock jerking inside of her as he pumped his red hot seed right into her cunt. She felt each powerful burst of him as he hit her inside walls, and Natalie shivered as she was completely consumed by him. He had her completely.
They both collapsed onto the forest floor, their bodies heaving with exertion and Natalie’s pussy still twitching with the aftermath. She could still feel him inside her and it was exquisite.
“Bodhi,” she panted. “That was incredible.”
“I knew it would be,” he said. “You’re the one I’ve been waiting for. We fit together perfectly.”
She ran his hands through his hair and kissed him on the chest. Even with the cold snow all around them, the heat coming from Bodhi’s body kept them warm and safe. He looked down at her and traced a fingertip along her jaw.
“Your father knows about The Unbroken Bears,” he said, almost in a whisper.
“What?” Natalie leaned up on her elbows, confused.
“I didn’t realize at first when we met, but after I followed you back here and I saw whose house this was, I realized you had to be JJ’s daughter.”
Natalie’s eyes were wide. But the revelation didn’t concern her, it excited her.
“My dad?” she asked. “But how?”
“He works the forest,” Bodhi said. “We have a treaty with him. He helps us out, and we help him.”
She had thought when she had initially seen the wolves and huge bear step into the clearing outside of her home that surely, her father must know about them if they were real. And now Bodhi had confirmed it. Her dad was affiliated with the bears in some way. He cut down and maintained the forest and had done so for decades. He had kept Lost Creek’s biggest secret and for that, she knew he must be trusted by Bodhi and the rest of The Unbroken Bears. It made her feel proud to be his daughter, and even more proud that she had felt the need to return home. Lost Creek really was the place she was supposed to be. She was destined to be here, and now she had found her mate for life.
But even in all the joy, her head was still spinning. So now she had learned that all of the secrets of Lost Creek had been closer to home than she ever could have realized.
Shifter Romance: BODHI (LOST CREEK SHIFTERS NOVELLAS Book 4) Page 9