by Leela Ash
They were Finn’s.
“Finn?” she whispered as she moved closer to the bear and held out her hand.
The bear rose onto its hind legs and roared up towards the moon. It was so deafening she clamped her hands down over her ears and whimpered with fear. But when she looked up the bear was looking at her tenderly and she knew in that moment that she was right.
In a flash of white fur and rippling muscle, the beast in front of her turned from majestic animal to handsome human, and as Finn stood in front of her, completely naked and covered in sweat and streaks of blood and snow she felt something trigger inside of her that she had never felt before.
She was speechless… but all she wanted was for him to come for her and to strip her naked. She held her breath and watched the rise and fall of his chest as he caught his breath.
“Take me,” she whispered.
Finn lunged at her through the dark and pulled her close to him. As he tore at her clothes she had never been at someone’s mercy so much in her entire life, but it had never felt so right. This man, this beast, this powerful creature, had chosen her. He had protected her and saved her from Damon, and now she had seen him shift back to his incredible human form and he was going to devour her in his own way right there on the forest floor, in the snow and under the moon.
As he thrust his powerful unsheathed cock inside of her warm folds Chloe moaned with ecstasy and gripped onto him with all of the strength she had. She wrapped her legs around him and opened up fully to him as he pumped in and out of her and she knew she wouldn’t be able to hold on for long before she unraveled in a wave of pleasure.
As she came she screamed up at the stars, savoring every second of a pleasure she had longed for and needed for so very long. As Finn felt her pussy quiver around him he too exploded and emptied his hot, thick load inside of her and collapsed down onto her chest.
She had been claimed. She was now his and she wanted to be his mate for life. She knew in that moment that she would do anything for him. She wanted to give Finn everything.
He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her lightly on the forehead. She shivered but it wasn’t because of the cold. The reality of what had happened with Damon came flooding back and the panic set in.
“My mom!” she said as she sat up and grabbed at her clothes, pulling them around her.
“It’s okay,” Finn soothed. “She’s safe.”
Chloe looked down at him as he traced his rough hands across her soft, smooth, plump skin.
“How do you know?” Chloe was so confused.
“Because…” Finn began… “I was sent here to protect you…”
She looked down at him and took his hand in hers.
“Your father sent you here like Damon said… but he’s no fool Chloe… he hired me to make sure you and your family were safe.”
“What?” she couldn’t believe it.
“My military background… special ops… He hired me to take care of any problems should they arise and keep an eye on you all… And good job, hey?” he winked.
Chloe couldn’t believe what she was hearing. He’d been hired?
“So this?” she said as she wrapped her coat around her chest… “I take it this was part of the job description?”
Finn laughed and shook his head.
“Chloe, the last thing I bargained for when I took this job was that I’d fall for the girl I’m supposed to be protecting.”
All of the anger and confusion she had started to feel quickly evaporated. Finn was falling for her. And she certainly knew that she had fallen for him.
“White bears, Polars, shifters… whatever you want to call us… we know when we find the one,” he smiled.
He took Chloe’s hand in his and kissed it softly.
She had never been so happy in her entire life.
“Come on,” he said as he helped her get dressed and then began his walk back to the woods to find his clothes. “I better get you back to the lodge, your father is on his way.”
As they left the woods and walked back across the mountain Chloe couldn’t believe how much her life had changed in the space of a few days. She had lost one boyfriend, but gained something much more… she had found her mate for life. There were only a few days to go until the holidays and now she had Finn she knew it was going to be the most special Christmas she had ever had. What could be more incredible than spending it out at their log cabin in Colorado with her wonderful family and the man of her dreams?
They held hands and walked into the night, as the moon shone brightly above and the sky seemed to jingle with stars…
Happy Holidays, Chloe thought.
THE END
A Baby for the Bear
Samantha Leal
Copyright ©2015 by Samantha Leal. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic of mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Thank you so much for your interest in my work!
Chapter 1
Freya stood and stared at herself in the mirror. It was still early morning, but she couldn’t sleep. She had far too much on her mind. She ran her hands through her hair and sighed. Her eyes were glistening back at her, azure blue and piercing white, and she wished that the bags beneath them would disappear before her first day but knew she was out of luck.
Behind her the clock ticked and flashed 6:00 am. She hadn’t set the alarm for another hour at least, but there was no way she could go back to bed now. She looked over at her closet and at the outfit she had chosen. It was hung up on the outside and looming over her. A pair of jeans ripped at the knee, a tight white t-shirt and little flats. It wasn’t anything special, but she’d needed to keep her mind clear and know what she was going to be wearing in advance. She had so much riding on her college experience, and she didn’t want to ruin her first day by stressing last minute about what she should wear.
Somewhere outside a bird began singing. The sun had yet to rise, but the dawn chorus started up across the quad, making her feel better. She was a college girl now and she had all the freedom she could ever want. She needed to embrace it, not fear it.
Freya had always been a timid girl and kept to herself. Growing up, she had a select, loyal set of friends and feared that leaving her hometown security and being away from her family would be difficult. She had now been at college a week and found herself settling in. She had made acquaintances, and even though they weren’t the sort of people she would generally choose to hang out with, they seemed nice and had been fun for a few nights out. She just knew there wasn’t going to be a lasting friendship there. Everything was so new and exciting, and she had to keep her feet on the ground as to not get swept up in it all. She didn’t want to be one of those people who completely changed the second they went off to college and ended up screwing up their future with a lack of commitment to the real reason they were there in the first place. She was going to ace all of her classes and exams, and she was going to go places. No matter what happened or who she met, she would always put her education first.
The sound of the trash men filtered up from the street and Freya walked over to the window. The sun was beginning to rise and she decided to open it and let in a cool blast of air. It helped her feel more awake, and as she stretched her arms over her head, she knew it was the right time to stop pacing her dorm room and finally get showered, dressed and out there, ready to start the day.
“I’m so glad I didn’t have to share,” she smiled to herself as she looked around at the double room she had all to herself. “Imagine having to work around someone else all full of nerves!”
The idea of sharing a room with a complete stranger had never appealed to her. Freya knew that no matter how strange and alien a place was, she would always prefer to have her own space, somewhere she could unwind and have some privacy. Though this ha
d also meant she was at a disadvantage. She saw roomies who had bonded quickly, and Freya felt slightly out on a limb, as if she was going to be denied a close girlfriend that she so really wanted.
She pulled her towel from the back of the door, and as she made her way into the corridor, she was very aware that not one other person was stirring.
Maybe I’m going to have to lighten up, she thought. I should probably party more and worry less.
She giggled to herself as she pushed open the door to the communal girls’ showers and turned on the light. To her complete surprise, there was another girl in there, wrapped in a towel and about to go into one of the cubicles. They stood staring at each other for a moment before Freya smiled and shrugged.
“I guess you couldn’t sleep, either?” she asked.
“Nope,” the girl replied, seeming nervous too.
“I’m Freya,” she held out her hand and the girl shook it.
“I’m Julie,” the girl nodded. “It’s good to know I’m not the only one who wasn’t out partying all night.”
“Yeah,” Freya laughed. “I want to make a good impression, you know?”
“Sure,” she said, flicking her long black hair over her shoulder. “I would have hated to be hungover on my first day in classes… For some reason, I just feel like it would set me on the course to fail!” she laughed.
“I felt exactly the same,” Freya grinned. “I don’t think I’m cut out for the binge drinking, hard partying side college has to offer.”
“I know what you mean,” Julie said as she took another step inside the shower before turning back and smiling again. “I’m in room 5C, we should hang out sometime… if you want…?”
“I’d like that,” Freya smiled, trying not to sound too enthusiastic.
The girl nodded and waved before she ducked into the shower and closed the door. She was the first person Freya had met who seemed like the type of person she would have been friends with back home. She could see herself striking up a friendship with Julie. After Freya showered and left the bathroom, she called “Bye!” over the sound of the water jets.
“Catch you later, Freya!” Julie called back.
Freya smiled. She had officially made her first real college friend.
Chapter 2
At the end of a long day of navigating her way around campus, meeting her new teachers and trying to keep on top of all of her work and ever-expanding reading list, Freya staggered back to her dorm room, opened the door and collapsed on the bed.
It was only 4:00 pm, but she felt like it was the middle of the night. She reached over and pulled her cell phone out of her bag. The only message was from her mother, asking her how her first day had gone. She smiled and texted a quick reply.
She was already overwhelmed with the amount of work, but she wasn’t going to let it deter her. She knew she could handle it. She opened up her diary and looked at the scrawled reading list. There were at least thirty books on it, and even though she knew she would never be able to read all of them, she would have to try to read at least half.
She was about to crawl under her duvet and try to sleep when there was a light knock at the door. She silently debated ignoring it, but when the tap came again, she slid from the bed and dragged her feet across to the door. She opened it and was instantly glad that she had.
“Hey,” Julie smiled with a wave. “I thought I’d come and see how you did today.”
“Oh, hi,” Freya smiled, stepping back so the door hung open. “Do you want to come in?”
Julie didn’t answer her but smiled and walked past her into the room. She sat down at the chair next to Freya’s desk and rested her hands on her knees.
“So, how did you find my room?” Freya asked with an impressed laugh.
“Oh, I just asked a couple of people,” Julie smiled. “It’s not exactly hard to find anyone in this building, especially with a name like yours… pretty unique!”
“I guess,” Freya sat down on the bed next to her and looked around the room, unsure of what to say next.
“Listen,” Julie said, as if she could tell there was a slight tension in the air. “I was just wondering really if you felt like getting off campus tonight and going for something to eat… Sort of like a celebrate the first day at college type of thing?”
“Sure,” Freya sat forward. “That would be great.”
Julie smiled back at her, and Freya had the feeling there was something else on her mind that she was holding back.
“Is everything okay?” she asked her finally.
Julie shrugged and smiled. She was staring at Freya, taking in every feature on her face and sizing her up.
“Everything’s fine,” she said. “You just remind me of someone, that’s all.”
“Oh?” Freya asked, but Julie waved her hand as if to bat away the conversation.
“So, tell me all about how you did,” she said instead. “I’ve got a mountain of books to buy. What about you?”
“Oh, totally the same,” Freya laughed, “I think I’m going to be glued to books for the foreseeable future.”
“Yes!” Julie laughed. “Me too! Good job we’re not into partying, huh?”
“Well, I guess we’ll have to let our hair down at some point,” Freya shrugged. “All work and no play makes Freya a dull girl… or something.”
Julie threw her head back and laughed. “I’m glad you said that before I did,” she grinned. “Everything in moderation, I guess.”
“Definitely,” Freya nodded.
“What are the other people like?” Julie gestured to the rest of Freya’s corridor.
“Wild,” she rolled her eyes. “I went out with them last week, but to be honest I didn’t really gel with any of them.”
“I don’t think I’ve even really met anybody else apart from you…” Julie said quietly. “To be honest, I’m pretty selective about my friends.”
Freya nodded, knowing exactly what that felt like.
“So,” Julie jumped to her feet. “Can I come back around seven?”
“Sure,” Freya stood up to and walked over to the door with her. It hung open still and they could see other girls and guys coming back from their own lectures and seminars. “I’ll be ready!”
“Great,” Julie smiled as she started on down the hallway and turned back and waved.
As she walked away, Freya had a suspicious feeling. There was something in Julie’s eyes that Freya couldn’t put her finger on… It was as if she wanted something from her, but didn’t dare ask. She shook out her shoulders and told herself to stop being paranoid. Both the girls obviously had trouble making friends, and they had found each other and instantly clicked. Maybe Julie just couldn’t believe her luck that she’d found someone in the craziest dorm on campus who liked spending her evenings more chilled out than girls gone wild. But as she started to get ready and curled her hair, she couldn’t shake the feeling. When Julie came back for her later, she was determined to find out what was going on. She would just have to tread carefully.
Chapter 3
At seven o’clock, Freya re-opened her dorm room door and turned off her mp3 player. The hallways were crammed with people going out for the evening and arranging parties. One of the guys she had met on one of her first days there ducked his head in and asked her if she wanted to go to a kegger with them, but she shook her head and said no thanks. He shrugged before turning on his heel and going back down the hall. As he turned the corner to head towards the stairs, he did a double take at the short, pretty brunette walking in the opposite direction. Freya instantly recognized Julie and got to her feet and waved before she stepped out into the hall, slamming the door behind her.
“You’re right, it is crazy down here,” Julie laughed as she turned and took in the scene around them. Girls were in six-inch heels and tiny mini-skirts, tottering along the hallway with bottles of vodka in their hands and their lips over plumped with shiny red gloss.
“It’s even worse at three am,” Freya jo
ked as they started down the stairs. “Don’t you see any of this though, I mean, if you’re in 5C?”
“Have you seen where my room is?” Julie looked up at her. “I’m right at the end of a private corridor, part of the perks of being in my family.” She rolled her eyes and laughed.
“Oh?” Freya asked, interested.
“My dad donates a lot to the college,” she said, “so I was kind of given preference over the most private room, which also happens to be the biggest.”
“Lucky!” Freya laughed. “I wish I was out of all of that.”
“Well, you can stay any time,” Julie shrugged.
Freya felt herself blush and smiled. She was embarrassed to have such a crappy room when Julie obviously had their dorm’s equivalent of the penthouse.
As they stepped out into the warm evening air and crossed the quad, Freya realized she hadn’t even asked Julie where they were going.
“Oh, it’s just this little diner on the outskirts of town,” Julie said as she walked briskly in the direction of the parking lot. Freya jogged to keep up with her and felt her mouth drop open as she saw Julie flick her car keys and the flashy red sports car’s lights come to life.
“Is this yours?” she said as she ran her hand down the glistening metal.
“Yeah,” Julie shrugged. “Again, my dad…” She looked embarrassed this time.
They climbed into the car, and Julie started the engine with a loud roar. Freya laughed.
“So did your dad go here or something? How come he donates so much to the college?”
Julie shook her head and cranked up the stereo.
“No,” she began as she reversed and then put the car into drive. “We live close by…” She swung out of the parking lot and onto the main road out of campus.
“How come you live on campus then?” Freya asked, confused.