“And you weren’t ever caught?”
“Nope. I always kept clothing near the back door, but this one time I was defending my werewolf friend and a bear put his mark on me while I fought with him. My protector found out then and dressed my wounds and boy, was he ever mad.” Elaina thought for a moment. “Right now it might not be a good idea since it’s not very safe, but once the danger has passed I’d love to come back to teach you.”
Peter grinned and made sure the other adults weren’t within hearing range. “It’s not that we haven’t shifted before. We’ve done it a few times.”
“Hush, Peter,” Ivan howled at him. “She’ll tell Dad and Cullen and we’ll be in big trouble.”
Elaina pounded her fist to her chest. “I would not! I wasn’t sure if you could, but now I know you can it makes me feel better. You just never know when it’s necessary, like if you’re ever in danger. Cub bears are good climbers. If you’re ever in trouble, just climb the nearest tree you find and climb out of sight, you hear?”
Peter and Ivan nodded as Cullen walked up on them. “Why all the hushed voices over here? I hope nobody is getting any bright idea about shifting. I told you boys—”
“How are they gonna learn how to protect themselves if you don’t allow them to shift? I don’t even know how to protect myself in the wild. I should have been taught how to fight, not continue to hide in my human skin.”
Cullen nodded. “I could teach you, but—”
“But Papa, please,” Peter implored him. “We won’t go far. I promise.”
Cullen put his fists on his hips and then said, “Okay, but not too long. We need to get moving soon.” He pointed out a boulder not far away. “Take your clothing off behind that big rock and then you can shift. That way your clothing won’t be ruined.”
Klesa came up behind Cullen. “I thought you said it wasn’t safe for them to shift.”
“We have three shifters here that can look after them.”
The boys ran off and within five minutes stumbled out from behind the boulder in bear form. One was completely brown and the other had a whitish spot between his eyes.”
“Which one is which?” Elaina asked.
“Ivan is the one with the white spot. Our great grandfather had one, too,” Cullen explained. “It skipped a few generations.”
“I’d love to hear more about your family, Cullen.”
“Not much to say other than what I already told you. Our ancestors escaped being murdered in Russia long ago. Our parents Anna and Lowell met when they were only children. They lived in southern Alaska, but moved to the far north to escape their parents when they were forbidden to become mates. My grandfather was a proud man and he expected more from his only daughter. He wanted her to become the mate of another royal, Akim, but she loved our father who was the son of a warrior bear that was sworn to protect the family.”
“How many of your family survived Russia?”
Only my grandparents, Ivan and Mirabelle. They lived a very secluded life, far from the reach of civilization, but had found a band of strong werebears that swore to protect them as they were royals.”
“I see. Well, it seems most parents would only want the best for their offspring. Your parents were very lucky to have found each other. Where are they now?”
Cullen’s brows furrowed and he glanced away for a moment, but when their eyes met again, he choked out, “They were killed in a hunting accident by humans.”
Elaina bit her fist. “How awful. How long ago was that?”
“Damon and I were barely of age at the time. When word got back to us about what had happened, we wanted to enact our revenge, but when we tracked them to Anchorage, there was just no way we’d be able to make their deaths look like an accident.”
“Why is that important?”
“Besides the fact that we don’t need a bunch of humans out in the wilderness searching for a murderer or a rogue bear, you mean?” Elaina’s mouth formed a big O as Cullen continued. “It took months before we were able to catch them unawares in the wilderness, but I’m sure you don’t need to hear the grisly details. Just know this; we will protect anyone from our village. I won’t allow the clan or any other shifter to harm anyone. Our children must see their way to adulthood. It’s the only way that our line will continue.”
“Why is that so important to you, besides that you obviously love your children?”
“Peter and Ivan are destined to be remarkable werebears. Perhaps even greater than their fathers. They’ll walk among the humans and attain greatness.”
Elaina fell silent. His account sounded so similar to Samson’s. Did every shifter really believe all the stories they were raised to believe? Was it really possible for any shifter to integrate with humans? Would Peter and Ivan have an easier time of it since they were part human?
Cullen left Elaina’s side and began to converse with Damon a short distance away with Klesa looking on, an indescribable expression on her face. It still bothered Elaina that Cullen had mated with Klesa, but she knew that this might be the last time either of them saw each other. She wouldn’t allow herself to feel even a smidgen of guilt about mating with Damon. She wouldn’t! Both of them made a point of telling her that she was to be shared. So let them share her if they wanted. She rather enjoyed it. Elaina refused to allow Cullen to get under her skin, even though she still favored him above his brother, but she’d never let him know it.
Elaina was surprised how different the brothers were. Damon certainly had a tender side, but was all bear on the inside. She felt sore between her legs and hoped the next time that she mated with one of them that it would ease up.
Klesa fidgeted, holding a fern in her hands, winding it around one finger when Elaina approached her. “Are you nervous?”
“Oh yes. I’ve lived quite a while at the village and it’s been a long time since I’ve been with another human.” She spied Ethan in the distance, and continued, “Plus, I’m now to be Ethan’s mate and I scarcely know him.”
“I’m sure he’ll be kind to you.”
Klesa nodded. “Yes, I’m sure. I hope it didn’t bother you that Cullen and I coupled the other day. I’m going to miss him and Damon. Did you mate with Damon yet?”
Elaina didn’t like where this conversation was going. “I-I—”
“Enjoy them, but don’t allow them to tell you what to do. If you have a chance, do what feels right in here.” She put a fist against her chest. “When the time comes, you’ll figure out which one is your true mate. In the meantime, enjoy your time with each of them, as they are as different as day and night.”
Elaina gave Klesa a quick hug and that’s when the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. In this moment, nobody had to tell Elaina what to do. The boys were not in sight—either of them. She arched her back and shifted, sprinting into the thicket. Her heavy paws pounded the ground as she burst through the undergrowth where Peter and Ivan were, facing down a mountain lion. Elaina let out a roar and motioned with a bobbing of her huge head toward a tree and the cub bears climbed the tree, leaving Elaina to deal with the mountain lion that had given no indication of backing down any time soon.
The lion hunched down and sprung back, jumping on Elaina’s back. Elaina quickly shook her massive body and the lion flew off, landing against the trunk of the tree. He glanced up to where the cubs hid high above, but before he was able to move toward them, Elaina raced toward him, and with a mighty swap of her paw sent the mountain lion airborne once again. This time he didn’t land so easily, and his back cracked against a mighty maple. The cat roared in obvious pain and two more bears raced onto the scene, but once they saw the downed mountain lion, Cullen shifted to human form and shouted, “Finish him!”
Elaina hesitated for a moment, but Cullen continued to call out the warning that if she didn’t end his suffering, more mountain lions would be here soon.
She shook her head in denial, but the lion roared pitifully as if welcoming the end to his sufferin
g, his eyes widening when Elaina stomped over and tore out his throat. Bile threatened to come forth as the metallic tasting blood consumed her mouth. She shifted as she gazed down at what she had done, of what she was forced to do. The dead lion was still and lifeless, and Elaina held back the bile the best she could. She wouldn’t show weakness in front of Cullen and Damon, or the cubs who climbed from the tree, shaking in fear. Was it from the mountain lion that caused that response, or was it because they just saw her kill the mountain lion?
Elaina shifted back to bear form and dodged away as Cullen yelled for her to stop. She ran for the longest time, through bushes and streams, until she came to a rocky bluff where she finally felt safe enough to shift back into human form, and allow herself to finally come apart. Tears blinded her vision now and she was glad that only a nearby chattering of squirrels could be heard, no preaching from Cullen or Damon. She was so worried that she had frightened the boys. Would they look at her with fear now?
Cullen strode through the bushes in his human form, keeping his nakedness hidden from her view, although showing off his naked buttocks to her as he glanced over the bluff to the valley below where a human lodge stood with a winding road leading from it that Elaina had spotted when she stopped here.
Elaina swiped at her eyes, wishing that Cullen hadn’t noticed her weakness.
“Thanks, Elaina.”
“For killing that mountain lion?” Elaina spat. “I’ve never—”
Cullen cut her off and said, “No, for saving the lives of Peter and Ivan.”
Elaina relaxed a bit. “I suppose I did that, but they climbed a tree out of reach.”
“Mountain lions are good climbers. Don’t belittle what you did. You saved them like a real momma bear would.” He smiled. “You didn’t have to be taught how to do anything, your instincts kicked in. You sensed they were in danger before any of us even realized that they boys had strayed too far, and you saved them.”
“I’ll never get the taste of the lion’s blood out of my mouth.”
“You will in time, and it’s not all that bad. My first kill didn’t come all that easy for me either, but you get used to the taste. It’s only one among many.” He turned and took Elaina into his arms. “That mountain lion had to be put out of his misery. He was injured too badly, and his cries might have alerted the others.”
“Others?”
“Shifters.”
“How can you be sure the mountain lion was a shifter?”
“I could smell his human flesh. Couldn’t you?”
Come to think about it, Elaina did smell it, clearly. He smelled of that rotgut ale that Marla served back at the Bear Claw Pub. Liam had snuck her a glass of ale once, and they both choked it back up. “Don’t shifters shift back into human form when they die?”
“No. They stay in the form they died in. It’s an unfortunate thing, but I’d rather not run into any more shifters, especially if we just killed one of their own.”
Elaina pulled slightly away. “I’m sorry I hesitated, but I’ve never killed a living thing in my whole entire life.”
“Give it time. If the clan shows up at our door, we’ll need every werebear to do their part.”
Elaina wasn’t sure if she could be that much help, but she smiled up at Cullen all the same. “I hadn’t expected you to be so kind to me about all of this. I had expected that—”
“What? That I’d be a brute just because you ran off after you killed that mountain lion?”
Elaina nodded. “Yes. I guess I don’t know you well enough to expect that you’d treat me like that. I just don’t know what to expect, I guess. I appreciate you understanding.”
Cullen leaned down and sealed his lips over Elaina’s. She stiffened for a moment until she felt weak with desire. She met his tongue with hers and they melted to the ground, ignoring the pricks of the sticks and dirt that found their most intimate of places; Elaina didn’t care. All she focused on was the taste of this hunky werebear that she wouldn’t grow tired of any time soon. She welcomed his hands, as he palmed her breasts, slipping his fingers between her legs and nudging apart her thighs with a well-placed knee.
Elaina felt his hardness moving toward her and she squirmed beneath him, wanting to feel him, every glorious inch of him deep inside her. She bolted upright when his finger found her moistness, his thumb torturing her clit as he rolled it in a circular motion.
“Please,” Elaina murmured. “Take me now!”
Cullen laughed deep in this throat. He removed his finger and sucked her moisture from it and then kissed her deep so that she could taste her own muskiness. At first it was a shock; she tried to move her head away, but he held her tight, plunging his length deep inside her. She murmured beneath his kiss as her body ached with his penetration. Instead of being gentle as he usually was with her in the beginning, he thrust deep and hard, grunting like the true animal he was on the inside. She bucked wildly beneath him, wrapping her legs around his muscular hips, meeting him thrust for thrust. Soon after, she lost all sense of herself and dragged her nails along the flesh of his back, watching in enjoyment as he winced.
Cullen pulled out of Elaina and soon she was facing the bushes as he took ahold of her wide hips and brought her hard up against him, again and again, until she cried out. She struggled to stay on her hands and knees, but the harder he thrust, she felt herself fall nearer to the ground. The only thing that stopped her was that Cullen wrapped one of his strong arms around her hips, slamming into her with such force that Elaina didn’t think she could take it as one orgasm after another then next cascaded over her until at last Cullen collapsed on her. As they rolled to the ground, he shifted his weight so that he didn’t crush her beneath it.
They didn’t stay on the ground long, though, and they shifted back into bear form and made their way back to the others.
Chapter Eight
Klesa met them when Elaina and Cullen made it back to camp, handing Elaina a frock to don as she was now in her naked human form, whereas Cullen rummaged through the packs for clothing. Once they were both dressed, Klesa hugged Elaina tight, thanking her for saving her sons.
Elaina snuck a peek at the boys and they met her gaze with wide smiles.
“You sure showed that mountain lion who was boss,” Peter said.
“I didn’t mean to. I just—”
“You acted like any proper momma bear would,” Klesa said with a wink. “Perhaps before long, you’ll have cubs of your own to protect.”
Elaina massaged her abdomen. She wasn’t sure that she wanted to become a mother just yet. She still hadn’t decided which of the werebears she preferred the most, but Cullen sure had a way of swaying her in his favor. “Hopefully, not too soon. When I get pregnant I want it to be because I found my one true mate. One who only desires me, not one who’s trying to repopulate the planet with his offspring with any other female.”
Elaina knew Cullen stood nearby, but she couldn’t look in his direction just yet. She was afraid that he’d once again tell her how she also belonged to Damon. His silence was welcome for the moment at least. He had mated with Klesa as a way of saying goodbye, and Elaina had mated with Damon to get back at him. Okay, so perhaps she was curious how it would play out with Damon, if he would stir her as Cullen had. So far, they had both been worthwhile in the mating department, but she just hoped that life would get easier, not harder, when it came to deciding between them. If that wasn’t enough, she had to deal with her feelings concerning Liam. If the brothers refused to ask the werewolves for help, she’d find the werewolves herself and ask them. How would Liam receive her? Would he be happy to see her again? She wished they weren’t on two different paths. If not for the clan, would these rules be in place?
“We need to get moving,” Cullen said. “And hopefully arrive at the lodge before more mountain lion shifters head our way. I’d hate to kill any more shifters today.”
“You didn’t, I did,” Elaina muttered.
The boys came closer and
hugged her tight and released her, gazing up into Elaina’s eyes. “I thought we were goners for sure,” Ivan said.
“I know. I’ve just never killed anything before, but I didn’t have much of a choice. I’d never let harm come to either of you boys.”
“My brother is right. Let’s get moving,” Damon said.
Backpacks were slung over shoulders and soon they were heading down the trail. “How long will this trip take?” Elaina asked nobody in particular.
“A half a day’s walk if we keep at it,” Cullen said.
Elaina did her part and carried a bag, walking alongside Klesa, who remained silent. She couldn’t blame her as it must have felt bad that she was suddenly thrust on Ethan as her new mate. What if Klesa didn’t like him? It hardly seemed like she had any choice in the matter. Is that how it would go for Elaina, too?
Hawks circled overhead and Elaina wondered if they had spotted the lion carcass. The last place she wanted to be was anywhere near it and hoped it wasn’t anyone she had seen at the Bear Claw Pub, not that she had more than a chance at a brief glance at any of the shifters there.
* * *
When the sun had passed from the east to now the west, Elaina knew they had to arrive at the human lodge soon. Cullen hadn’t said a word to her since they’d come back to camp other than to keep moving. How was that man capable of being so tender earlier, to showing only indifference now? It didn’t give her any hope of a future with him. Was it only about mating for him? Not that she didn’t enjoy it; she just wondered if she should continue to live in the village with them. Was it really her concern that they had gotten into trouble with the clan? That’s when Samson’s warning came back to her. The clan was dangerous and possibly searching for her. Perhaps it would be better for her to leave, but where to? Back with Samson? No, that wasn’t even a possibility for her now.
All day, Elaina wondered if she’d be able to find her way back to the werewolves’ den. She couldn’t let that sway her, but she’d give Cullen one last chance to make good on his earlier promise to go there himself. If not, she’d make the journey herself. While it wasn’t her war, she didn’t have anywhere else to go. That is, unless the brothers refused to resolve their stupid views of mating with anyone they choose. How long could that be entertaining for them? With Klesa and Shauna now gone from the village, surely they’d have to change their views. Or would that put more pressure on Elaina to satisfy the lust of the brothers?
Discovered, (Werebear Shifter Romance) (Clan of the Werebear) Page 5