Bear Shifters: Hunt Collection #2

by Ava Hunt

  “Extortion is unethical too,” Justin insisted, playing devil’s advocate.

  “Yes, but I think the two are on totally different levels.”

  “Well, what if we could convince her that she wanted this? When I was trying to stall her by keeping her interested in dating me, I explained that the bear was the reason I had become so rich and powerful. She liked that idea, and I’m sure she would love it if she didn’t have to be dependent on a wealthy boyfriend anymore.”

  They sat in silence for a few moments, each trying to decide what lengths they were willing to go to. Justin could feel that Kimber was leaning towards the idea. The way she wanted to protect Justin was nearly as fierce a mother bear defending her young. But he knew she would come to regret it someday, and she might even resent him for it. He knew he had to be her guiding star when her judgement was so clouded.

  “We can’t, Kimber. It would just be immoral. We wouldn’t be able to live with ourselves if anything went wrong,” he said.

  Kimber was quiet for a while longer. She knew he was right, and he could feel that she was talking herself out of it. He gave her the time she needed. Eventually, she said, “Well, I didn’t know science fiction was fair game. I have a few more ideas. Memory wipe. Brainwashing. Alien abduction.”

  Justin chuckled, mostly just happy to have his sweet, blameless Kimber back after she had considered going down such a dark path. “How exactly would you orchestrate an alien?” he asked.

  “That’s your job. I came up with the idea, you carry it out.”

  “Carry it out and dump it in the garbage,” Justin muttered.

  “Excuse me, some of us are trying to figure this out. If you’re going to make lame jokes, I’m out of here,” Kimber teased. She stood to leave, but Justin threw his arms around her waist, begging her not to go. She enjoyed the embrace for a while, then asked, “Are you going to behave?”

  “For now,” he replied, moving his eyebrows up and down suggestively.

  Kimber sat back down, thinking, I love this. I hope he’s always this happy when we’re together.

  “Me too,” Justin concurred. “And I hope the same for you.”

  A lightbulb switched on in Kimber’s head. “That’s it! We’ll use your superpower. She can’t outsmart us when you can read her mind. Does she know about the mind-reading?”

  “No. We would definitely have the upper hand, but I’m not sure I follow how it would all play out.”

  “Well, let’s think this through. We can either eliminate her, which we’ve already discussed, or we can eliminate the evidence. She could still claim that you’re a shapeshifter, but I’m sure we could convince the world that she’s insane as long as there’s no proof.”

  “Right,” Justin said, beginning to catch on. They talked through a plan, put a few integral pieces into place, and with deep, steeling breaths and kisses for luck, they went together to meet with Elle.

  “Oh, how sweet. You brought your pet,” Elle said when Justin walked into the deserted warehouse with Kimber at his side.

  “She’s my girlfriend now,” Justin snarled, “and if you reveal any details about this transaction while she’s here, the whole deal is off and I’ll have you arrested.”

  “Fine. Do you have the money?”

  Justin held a briefcase horizontally in one arm and popped it open with the other hand, revealing piles of money. “Ten million dollars. Just as you requested,” he said, spitting out the sarcastic word.

  “Excellent.” She held up her phone, with which she had recorded the incriminating video. She let Justin and Kimber watch as she deleted the file permanently. “And I think we have a deal,” she said.

  “Did you make any copies of the video? Did you back it up to the cloud?”

  Glaring at him, Elle accessed her data cloud from her phone. Begrudgingly, she deleted the video once again. “There. Are you happy now?”

  “Only if the video doesn’t exist anywhere else.” Justin stared at her, concentrating on her thoughts to be sure he wouldn’t miss anything. He saw the video file saved on her laptop, and he watched the images in her mind as she made a copy on a USB flash drive. He knew she kept her laptop on her kitchen counter, but he needed more direction if he was going to find the second copy. “A flash drive, perhaps?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t use such prehistoric technology,” she lied. It was enough though. She had pictured the location, and Justin was sure he could find it in her nightstand.

  “Alright,” he said, handing over the briefcase. “Ten million dollars in exchange for your silence.”

  Elle sneered at him triumphantly, but before Elle could take even one step away, the city’s head detective and her partner stepped out from behind a pallet stacked high with boxes. Elle looked as if she might explode with fury, and Justin could feel her grasping at straws, trying to think her way out of her unfortunate situation.

  “Very well done, Mr. Woods, Miss Haze,” said Detective Ferguson. “That should hold up quite nicely in court. Elle Sucar, you are under arrest for extortion. If you would kindly drop the briefcase and put your hands behind your head.”

  She did as the detective suggested, but she wouldn’t go down without attempting to take Justin with her. “You’re arresting the wrong person. That man can turn into a bear. He’s dangerous. He’s the one who needs to be imprisoned.”

  “Miss Sucar, you have the right to remain silent,” began Detective Ferguson’s partner, putting her in handcuffs and forcefully leading her out of the warehouse to their vehicle.

  “Thank you, Detective, for meeting us here on such short notice,” Justin said, shaking her hand before she followed her partner out.

  “It’s no problem. You do know, though, that she might still have copies of that video. I know you watched her delete them, but it might not be wise to take her word for it.”

  “I appreciate your concern, but I’m pretty good at knowing when she’s lying,” Justin said confidently. “I think we’ll be fine.”

  “A bear, huh?” asked Detective Ferguson. “That’s a new one. I suspect she’ll be seeing a psychiatrist in the very near future.”

  CHAPTER 16

  That night, Justin and Kimber sat on his back deck, snuggled up underneath a warm quilt on the patio sofa. They had just gotten back from Elle’s house, where they had used Justin’s key to let themselves in. It had been simple enough to delete the video on her unsecured laptop, and after they had found the flash drive upstairs in her bedroom, they’d plugged it into the laptop and deleted the last copy.

  Now, they sat peacefully, watching the ethereal Northern Lights dancing in the sky, yet another effect of the continuing solar storm. Kimber was thinking about the eventful day and all that she had learned about Justin. Curious, she thought, Can you hear me?

  She enjoyed the feeling of his chest rumbling underneath her hand as he chuckled. “Yes,” he answered.

  How long do you think this will last?

  “I assume it will go away when the effects of the solar storm clear up. Ken and Gretchen seem to think it will be a few more days, about a week total.”

  I can’t decide whether I like it or not.

  “Well, it definitely worked in your favor this week. I’m not sure I would have been motivated to change my ways if I hadn’t found out that everyone hates me. Except for you, of course.”

  But it didn’t work in Elle’s favor. What if you use it against me?

  “I would never,” Justin said, turning his head so he could kiss her on the forehead, loving the way she was always kidding around, even in her mind.

  Kimber’s thoughts wandered again until eventually she asked, “What does it feel like? When you change? Does it hurt?”

  “Not really. It’s a little uncomfortable. Kind of like a combination of growing pains and cracking your joints. I don’t mind it at all.”

  “Is there anyone else like you?”

  “Not that I know of. There are legends, but I don’t know of anyone
personally.”

  “Do you wish there were other shapeshifters like you?”

  “Sometimes. I mean, I used to all the time. I felt so different and lonely. As I got older and more mature, I realized how much it benefitted me, and I didn’t mind as much. But it wasn’t until I told you that the desire went away entirely. I guess I needed someone to understand, but that didn’t mean they had to be exactly like me.”

  Kimber paused before asking, “Do you think you’ll commission the human experiments?”

  “You are just full to the brim with questions tonight, aren’t you?” Justin asked, giving her a loving squeeze. He sighed. “I don’t think so. Not now, at least. I mean, there’s no denying that I’m curious, but I don’t feel like it’s worth the risk at this point.”

  After a few seconds of silence, Kimber said, “I have one more.”

  “Lay it on me.”

  “If we knew for sure that it was safe, would you want me to become like you?”

  Justin gave the question the careful consideration it warranted before answering. “I honestly don’t think it would matter either way. If you wanted it, I would tell you to go for it. But unless you really wanted it, I would never ask you to do that for me. I like you exactly the way you are, and the only reason you should ever change is if you sincerely want to.”

  Kimber’s heart swelled with adoration as she said, “I really appreciate that, Justin.”

  “Are you all out?”

  She laughed. “For now.”

  “Then I have a question for you.”

  “I’m ready.”

  “Would you like to go to Maui with me next week?”

  Kimber’s initial reaction was to sit bolt upright, but then she tried to play it cool, but Justin felt gratified to know that inside, she was freaking out. “You don’t have to do that, Justin. I’m not after your money.”

  “I know. You have definitely proven that over the years. I just want to get away from it all and spend time alone with you. Is that okay?”

  Kimber shrugged. “I guess so.”

  “You know that I can read your mind, right? I prefer the reaction in your head to this one.”

  Laughing, Kimber started to bounce up and down, clapping her hands excitedly. “I’ve never been to Hawaii! I would love to go with you! Thank you thank you thank you!”

  “That’s more like it,” Justin chuckled, pulling her in again. He held her tight and kissed her deeply, making up for all the years he had been missing this.

  He leaned in to hug her as they lay there on the couch. She tried to move in unison to him but ended overcompensating and hit his wine glass, causing the ruby red liquid to spill down the front of his favorite sweat pants.

  Without a second thought, her hands flew to his sweats, trying to brush the wine away. She didn't know if it would help or not, but it was her first thought. Her second thought after she began was that he was naked underneath the sweats, and his bulge was bigger than anything she'd felt before.

  After admitting to her he was a little turned on, she didn't need any more conversation. She snaked his cock out of the sweats, and held it, caressing it between her fingertips. She wanted to feel his growth while she teased him.

  She sat there, stroking his cock slowly and gently, letting her freshly manicured fingernails graze the head of it. After a while and a few soft, subtle moans from him, she stood and undressed, letting the clothes fall where they may. She sat beside him again, leaning over and taking him fully into her warm mouth. She licked the tip, and swirled his cock deep into her throat, gagging a bit on its length. She sucked with a fervor, wanting him to have the best night of his life.

  She felt his hand go down her back as it started to rub her clit from behind. His agile fingers teased and toyed with her, causing a low moan to form around his cock as she continued to suck.

  As he lightly fingered her, she would build up his climax, only to stop and start again with more tenderness. Each time he came close, she'd stop.

  "Baby girl you're killing me, you've got to give me some relief." he managed to squeak out.

  "Relief? You're not cumming before I do, old man."

  "Old man, eh? We'll see about that, Kimber," he replied as he flipped her back onto the couch and slide inside her with one solid motion.

  Kimber gasped as he entered, not knowing that sensation ever before. She felt him stretch her and work inside, going deeper and deeper than she'd ever been entered. His hand went back to her clit to pinch and rub it as he fucked her, making her weak. She tingled all over with the sweet sensations filling her.

  Justin's heart beat faster and his mind went racing. His bear was screaming to take her as his mate and without thought or hesitation Justin spun Kimber around. His hands pawed at her hips and brought them back to his own as he struggled to ride the edge between his human and his bear. Bringing his own pleasure right to the surface as he maintained a delicate balance between shifting and staying in the moment.

  "God baby you're so tight, it isn't going to take me long."

  Justin couldn't take it as he uttered those words, pushing into her harder and harder than ever, gripping her hips with his hands. He pistoned inside her over and over, until he cried out and exploded. She could feel him spilling into her, filling her up, stream after stream of his hot white goodness.

  He then released her, his cock flopping out of the warm wetness with a casual indifference.

  "You're so special to me Kimber, you know that right?"

  And she did, down to her toes. "Yes, Justin, I do."

  "Get used to saying that phrase, that answer will come in handy later," he said, as his heart began to slow and his bear began to quiet.

  Chapter 17

  One year later...

  Justin heard the elevator ding through his open office door. He had been waiting for this all day. He jumped up from his desk, dashed past his new assistant, and was standing outside the elevator doors when they opened to reveal Kimber.

  “Hey,” she greeted him, beaming. “How long have you been waiting there?” She could tell her was slightly winded, which meant he had probably come running from his desk, but making Justin laugh was still one of her favorite things to do.

  He did laugh, saying, “Since noon! You could have told me you were going to be late! I could have gotten a lot of work done!”

  “I called and left a message with your assistant. Didn’t she –”

  “She did. I’m just messing with you.”

  Kimber shook her head, acting like she was annoyed even though she was more amused than anything. “Are you ready for lunch?”

  “I was just about to send off an email. Come with me into my office for just a minute.” As they walked, Justin asked, “How has your day been?”

  “It’s been pretty good. Gretchen and Ken have been conducting some experiments on rats to see if they can simulate the effects of a solar storm and induce animal telepathy. If they figure it out, you could get a dose whenever you want. You could read minds whenever you wanted. This is basically your superhero origin story.”

  “Awesome! I vow to use my powers only for good, never for evil,” Justin joked. “Actually, I’m not sure if I would even want that. It’s kind of stressful being in everyone’s head. Most people have no tact in their internal dialogue, and it kind of makes me never want to be friends with anyone ever again. Plus, I feel like I’m invading their privacy, and it’s not like I can ask for permission.”

  “Well, that’s fine. I support you in that. Oh, hey, how was your meeting with Vivienne?”

  “It went really well. She’s got a good head for business, and I expect that she’ll start to turn a profit before the year is out. She has some great, high-end clients lined up. Including me.”

  Kimber smiled. “I’m sure she appreciates that.”

  Justin finished up his email, sent it off, and said, “Alright, then. Let’s get out of here. As Kimber turned to head out the door, Justin swiftly opened his desk drawer, p
ulled something out, and slid it into his pocket. With a big grin on his face, he followed Kimber back to the elevator.

  The doors opened soon after Kimber pushed the call button, and the couple stepped into the elevator together. As they descended, she sighed. “Do you ever wish the power would go out when we’re in this elevator together?”

  With that, Justin abruptly reached out and pressed the emergency stop button. “Almost like this?” he said, moving towards her. He took her in his arms and kissed her passionately, backing her into the corner of the elevator. After several moments, the two of them were breathless, and Justin pulled away.

  “That’s only going to make it worse,” Kimber teased. “Now I’m going to want to push that button every …”

  She trailed off as Justin stepped back and got down on one knee, a huge grin smeared across his face. He slipped his hand into his pocket and produced a little box, which he popped open, revealing a gorgeous yet simple diamond ring. Kimber’s hands flew to cover her mouth in surprise.

  “You have been the most important person in my life since the day I met you. You have constantly encouraged me and expected me to be the best version of myself without ever making me feel like you were trying to change me. You’ve accepted me for who I am, bear and all, unconditionally. I love you more than I ever thought was possible. Kimber Haze, will you marry me?”

  Tears brimmed in Kimber’s eyes, and she thought her face would crack from smiling so widely. “Yes! Nothing would make me happier!” Justin removed the ring from the box as she extended her left hand. As he slid the engagement ring onto her finger, he didn’t have to read her mind. He knew she had fantasized about this moment many times. He was only glad that he could make it a reality for the woman he loved.

  EPILOGUE

  I run as hard and fast as my bear legs will carry me. It’s exhilarating, especially because it’s been weeks since I’ve shifted. I slow down long before I’m tired, turning to look back, standing on my hind legs for a better view. I see a woman, the love of my life, strolling down the trail, soaking up the warm sunshine. She stops to examine a cluster of wildflowers, perfectly at ease in the forest.