Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love (Adaira) BBW Bear Shifter Romance (Hope Valley BBW online dating app romances Book 6)

by Ariana Hawkes

  “Yeah?” Leigh said, looking pleased.

  *

  That night, Leigh went into town with Dalton, Niall, Timo and Frankie – all the single bears of the clan. It was a public holiday the next day, so Hope Valley was lively, and they went on a mini-crawl of four bars, finishing up at The Black Aces rock bar, which stayed open late. Everywhere they went, girls stared at Leigh. He was so big and tall, and he had those eye-catching looks. But at the same time, he had a demeanor that made even the boldest girl feel nervous to approach him. He was too shy to talk to girls and they were too scared to speak to him. So, while the reactions he got initially stirred up the envy of the other guys, they were the ones who ended up chatting to girls, while Leigh stood by himself, glaring moodily around the room.

  There was a live band in The Black Aces, and they stayed until 2am. Afterwards, Leigh snuck back to Connor and Lauren’s cabin and slept for a few hours. At first light, he gathered up the things he had to take to his cabin – a couple of books, a new blanket, some food, and a backpack full of beers – and began the long, lonely trek back up the mountain.

  His head was bursting with everything that had happened over the past few days. It was as if his quiet, simple life had been put on fast-forward, and a year’s worth of new experiences had been crammed into a single weekend. He was dying to get back to his cabin and decompress, all by himself. His shiny new phone was in his back pocket. He was a little terrified of it. Using his old phone to make calls had been bad enough, but this one was connected to the Internet –whatever that was. It was the thing that had enabled him to find Adaira, but he didn’t know much more than that. Adaira. Every time he thought about her, so many emotions charged through his body that he thought he’d burst. She was the most beautiful, perfect-looking creature he’d ever seen in his entire life. When he’d first looked at her photo, he felt dizzy, as if his veins were charged with electricity, and his bear had let out an unrestrained roar. It told him that she was his mate, and it urged him on to meet her, to mate with her. But his human instinct told him he couldn’t have her. She was too small, too perfect for him. He’d crush her with his huge body. What if I can’t control my bear around her? he’d thought, with a burst of panic. His bear wasn’t used to being around eligible women. The night before, when he’d been in the bars, it had taken all of his self-control to keep it subdued. What if he didn’t understand her emotions, and acted inappropriately around her? He wasn’t used to talking to girls either. Except for Lauren. But talking to her was a bit like talking to one of the guys. She was very kind and made him feel at ease. If I could find a mate like her, maybe things could work. He tried to recall exactly what Adaira’s profile had said. She seemed like the kind of girl he could get along with. She seemed very direct, and she said she loved hiking and being outdoors. He thought about her long, auburn hair. He’d never seen hair that color before. It was like a forest fire. He thought about it trailing over his body, caressing his skin with feather-light touches, and a burst of desire traveled all the way to his groin. His bear roared, and, since he was deep in the wilderness, he didn’t restrain it. The sound echoed around the mountains, and he grinned, pleased with himself.

  Leigh climbed all day, pausing to quench his thirst from mountain streams on the way. Gradually, the landscape changed from deciduous trees, to the dark green foliage of alpine trees, until he began to approach the top of the tree line, which is where he had his home. He ran the final mile home, desperate to drop his things off and shift. His bear yowled in joy as it raced around the woods, filling its nostrils with the well-loved smells of home, and hunting until it had satisfied its fierce hunger.

  That night, Leigh flung himself onto his familiar hard mattress, sighing contentedly. Before he went to sleep, he opened Shiftr, and gazed at Adaira’s photos again, passion and fear mingled in his heart.

  *

  In the days that followed, Leigh settled back into his quiet, safe life in the mountains, and meeting up with Adaira began to feel more and more unreal, as if he’d dreamed the entire thing. The bright lights of his phone began to make him feel anxious, and he switched it off and hid it under his bed. He looked forward to the date with great apprehension.

  When he awoke on Friday morning, a weight sat heavy in his stomach. He was now dreading the date. “Why do I need a mate anyway?” he muttered, kicking at the side of his solidly built bed. “I’m happy up here by myself, in my own company. A mate will just ruin things.” He picked up his phone and switched it on. It had 20% charge left. He plugged in one of the three portable chargers he took to Hope Valley every time he visited and charged up while he was there. He could just cancel the date. Say he was sick. Why not? He tapped on the orange paw print icon of Shiftr and scrolled to Adaira’s photo again. He tapped the little message icon. As he began to write the first word of a sentence that would inform Adaira he could no longer make it, his bear gave a fearsome snarl. Don’t you dare cancel, it meant. Leigh sighed loudly and deleted the message. But, wait – it looks like Adaira has messaged me. He tapped to open her message:

  Hey there, Leigh.

  I hope you’ve been having a good week? Mine’s been crazy, but I’ll tell you all about it when we meet!

  I’m look forward to meeting you and enjoying a good meal together tonight!

  Adaira xx

  Panic made Leigh’s hand tremble. There’s no way out now. He was just going to have to do it. He hit the home button and thrust his phone into his back pocket.

  But, as he packed the few things he was taking to Hope Valley – a change of clothes and deodorant – a thought occurred to him. Why was she messaging him? She seemed to be asking if he was having a good week. But that wasn’t a very important question. Maybe she was expecting something else from him? He took his phone out again and called Lauren.

  She answered, greeting him brightly. When he relayed the message to her, she chuckled.

  “Oh, sounds like she’s just checking in with you, since you haven’t been in touch for a few days. She’s probably making sure that the date is still happening,” she said. Leigh frowned.

  “But why didn’t she just ask me that?” he said. Lauren laughed more loudly this time.

  “Because she’s a woman, Leigh. She’s being subtle.”

  “Oh.” He was more than a little confused

  “It sounds a little negative to ask if it’s still happening, when you’ve made definite plans, so I guess she’s just gently checking, to make sure she doesn’t get stood up,” Lauren explained.

  “Ah, I think I understand,” he said. “So is she expecting a reply from me?”

  “I think she’d appreciate one.” Leigh was silent as a jumble of words tumbled through his mind. He loved words when he was reading, but creating them was a very different matter. “Hey, Leigh, put me on speakerphone, and I’ll dictate a message for you,” Lauren said.

  “Ok,” he said, full of gratitude. Lauren dictated:

  “Hi, Adaira, exclamation mark. My week has been very good, thanks. I look forward to hearing all about yours. It must be exciting being new to Hope Valley. I can’t wait to meet you tonight, and to learn all about each other. I’ll see you at the restaurant at 8, exclamation mark. Until then, Leigh. Smiley face.”

  “Thanks Lauren,” Leigh muttered as he completed the message and hit send.

  “Do you want to stop by our place and wash up before the date?” Lauren asked.

  “No, I’m good. There’s a stream right by the cave at the foot of the mountain where I sometime leave my clothes. I’ll get ready there,” he replied.

  “Ok, if you’re sure,” Lauren said, a tinge of doubt in her voice. “Make sure you pack your toothbrush and a change of underwear.”

  “Nah, I don’t need them. I’m only staying for the evening.” Lauren chuckled.

  “That may well be, but it’s good to be prepared, isn’t it?” Sighing a little, Leigh took his toothbrush out of the bathroom and wrapped it in a piece of notepaper before stuffi
ng it into his backpack. He added a clean pair of black boxers too.

  “I have to go now, Leigh, as Willow is crying, but let us know how it goes. I’ll be waiting with bated breath!”

  “I will do, thanks Lauren,” he said, and they cut the call.

  Leigh took a last look around his cabin and set out for the long hike down the mountain. Every time he left his home, if felt like he was being physically torn away from it. It was such a part of him, so central to the peace and calm he’d created for himself after his difficult experiences early in life.

  The hike went fast and Leigh judged it was around 6pm by the time he reached the cave and the stream that ran alongside it. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. It was 6:07pm. Pretty close. The low battery alert flashed up on the screen. What the – ? It should have been almost full. He’d put it on to charge this morning. But he hadn’t. After calling Lauren, he’d been so stressed by the thought of the date that he’d forgotten to reconnect it. And he’d left the portable chargers at home. He slapped his forehead. “I’m such a dumb bear sometimes,” he muttered to himself. It wasn’t really a big deal, though. There was nothing he actually needed the phone for.

  He went into the cave and looked through his things. When he didn’t need to bring anything down from the mountain, he travelled in his bear form, as it was much faster, and more convenient for catching food on the way, so he stored clothes and soap here. Everything was as he’d left it. He hadn’t expected anyone to disturb it. Other shifters and animals would smell bear, and know to leave well enough alone, while the cave was so well concealed that humans were unlikely to stumble across it.

  He stripped his clothes off. His bear was pushing at his skin, desperate to be let out, so he let it, thinking it would be easier to control later if he gave it its freedom now. He raced through the trees, endorphins flooding his veins, before plunging into the river. There were huge fish racing against the current, and he caught several of them easily in his paws and ate them in a couple of bites. He was hungry after all the energy he’d exerted today, and he was happy to fill his stomach, figuring that it would be a good thing if he wasn’t too hungry when he arrived at the restaurant. He’d be less likely to embarrass himself with his table manners.

  He climbed out and shifted on the bank of the stream, then he grabbed his soap and plunged in again, shouting out as the ice-cold water touched his skin. He lathered himself all over with natural olive oil soap, and rinsed off, before jumping out shivering and rubbing himself down with a t-shirt. He dressed in navy blue jeans, as Lauren had suggested, and he put on clean underwear and the heavy brown boots he always wore. He rubbed at his two-day-old stubble. He didn’t like to be clean-shaven; it didn’t feel right to him. He was a big, rugged bear, and his hairiness was a part of him. He went back to the cave to grab his deodorant, and returned to the stream to retrieve his backpack from a rock. But when he saw it, he gave a groan of dismay. Somehow he hadn’t balanced it properly, and it had fallen off, tipping the contents on to the ground. Including the blue plaid shirt he was about to wear. He picked it up and roared in fury. It had fallen onto some wet ground right at the edge of the water, and was now stained with a large splotch of slimy mud. Shit! What the hell am I going to do? He held it up and examined it. He’d have to wash it out. There was no two ways about it. Holding most of the shirt out of the water, he submerged the stain. Then he pulled it out and rubbed the soap over it. Relief. It was coming out. He rinsed it until it was completely gone. He held the shirt up to the light again. It was all good. But it was also soaking wet. The whole right side of the shirt was drenched. Growling and grumbling to himself, he wrung it out as best he could and shook it. What should he do now? Would it dry better from the heat of his body, or from being laid out. He decided on the latter. He tied the left arm of the shirt through the handle on the top of his backpack, and allowed the rest of it to spread over the pack and hang down. The sun was behind him, so with a bit of luck, the last of its rays should dry it out as he walked. He transferred his phone from his other pair of pants and glanced at the time. His breath caught in his throat. It was 7.15pm. He’d wasted so much time on that damn shirt! He was going to be late for the date. He needed at least an hour to get to the foot of the mountain, and then it was another 15 minutes to downtown Hope Valley.

  He started to run. And then he stopped himself. If he ran, he’d sweat, and he’d arrive at the date smelling bad. He took his phone out. I should message Adaira and tell her I’m going to be late, he thought. He tapped Shiftr and the app opened. And his phone died.

  “Damnit!” he bellowed, his voice returning to him in a series of echoes. How have all these things gone wrong? It’s a sign. A sign I shouldn’t be doing this stupid dating crap! He turned around and stared at the way he’d just come. Every fiber of his being wanted to rip his clothes off, dump everything in the cave and run as a bear all the way back home. But then he thought of Lauren, thought about what she’d say if he told her that he’d stood the girl up. It was the wrong thing to do; he knew that deep in his heart.

  Sighing, he turned back again, walking down the mountain as fast as he could without breaking into a run.

  Chapter Four

  Adaira’s first week at the university had been amazing. Everyone had been very excited to meet her, and the facilities were awesome, much more sophisticated than at her university back home. People hadn’t always been able to understand everything she was saying, but she was training herself to speak much slower, and make her vowels a little longer. She loved the research too. She’d spent hours with her research team, scrambling around in the Texan desert, hunting out rare native species of cacti, and bring them back to examine under the microscope.

  She took a late afternoon flight back to Hope Valley, full of the satisfaction of having had a fruitful week. As the plane took off, her tummy jumped with nerves and excitement. In just three hours’ time she’d be meeting her date. A huge, impossibly handsome bear. It was almost too much to believe. She wondered if he’d be chatty and outgoing. Tamika said that bears could often be shy, and needed warming up before they’d talk openly about themselves. Adaira didn’t mind too much. Her mom always said she talked enough for two people. But what if he doesn’t like me? a niggling little doubt said, but she dismissed it firmly. After uprooting her life to come here and find a partner, she wasn’t about to sabotage herself with her own fears.

  When she arrived, she went straight to Tamika’s place. Her cousin had said she could stay as long as she liked. She’d start looking for her own place over the weekend, but for now, she was very grateful for Tamika’s generosity.

  Tamika arrived home after she’d showered and was in the middle of getting dressed.

  “Good timing!” Adaira said as Tamika knocked on the door. “I wanted to get your opinion on this.” She indicated the skirt and blouse she was wearing. Tamika tucked a lock of her long, golden brown hair behind her ear and appraised her.

  “To be honest, darling, I think it’s a little frumpy. Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look a little like an English librarian.” Adaira burst out laughing.

  “Now that I could do without! And thank you for your honesty.” She frowned. “But that’s pretty much all I have that’s suitable for the occasion.”

  “Actually, I think I have something that would be simply perfect for you. It’s a little too tight for me these days, but I’ve kept it because I’m hoping it’ll fit me again,” Tamika said, running out of the room.

  She returned a couple of minutes later, carrying an olive green jersey dress.

  “Try this on, dear,” she instructed. Adaira looked at it doubtfully. It looked far too skimpy to be flattering. But she put it on anyway. And when she looked in the mirror, she smiled.

  “It actually looks good,” she said in surprise, examining herself from different angles. Somehow, the light fabric clung to her curves in all the right places, while hiding the bits she hated. It had a nice, low neckline and finished ju
st above the knee. It probably cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, she realized. That’s why it fit so well. “I’ll do my best not to spill my dinner over it,” she joked.

  “Don’t worry – I have an excellent drycleaner,” Tamika said with a wink. Adaira loved the way that Tamika looked and acted every inch the aristocratic English lady, but was actually really down to earth, with a wicked sense of humor. She blew out a long, slow breath, looking at herself in the mirror. She’d blow-dried her hair, so it hung nicely in curls, and she’d done her make-up already. She wasn’t very good at applying it, so she always kept it light – mascara, a sweep of golden eye shadow to bring out the gold in her eyes, and a peachy pink lip-gloss, which complimented the tone of her skin. Perhaps because of her healthy, outdoorsy lifestyle, she had great skin that didn’t need foundation or concealer. This week, by some amazing feat, a lot of sunblock, and a big hat, she’d managed not to get burned from the fierce desert sun. She felt inordinately proud of herself for this. Usually, when she went on vacation to France or Spain, her fair, freckly skin burned badly on the first day, and she spent the rest of the trip looking like a giant tomato.

  “Ok, I think I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” she said.

  “You look ravishing, darling!” Tamika said. Adaira laughed as if she’d said something hilarious. “I’m not joking. You’re a sexy, voluptuous woman, Adaira McKenzie. Now go out and get that shifter!” Adaira blushed beet red, but a small part of her relished the compliment.

  “I’m not busy for the next half hour. Let me drive you to the restaurant.”

  “Thanks, Tamika, if you’re sure?”

  “Of course. We can have a good gossip on the way.”

  *

  Fifteen minutes later, Adaira was sitting in a corner booth of the restaurant. It had a charcoal grill, Adaira’s nostrils noted with approval as she walked in. It was carefully decorated to look like a rustic hunting lodge, with dark wood panels and random knick-knacks on the walls, including a few stuffed animal heads. Candles in wine bottles on each of the tables completed the look.