Bear Fire: Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (BBW) (Pine Ridge BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance Series Book 4)

by Belinda Meyers

  “Well, shall we?” Jackie said, and Matt admired her courage.

  “Let’s do it,” he said.

  Tannenbaum let out a sound that might have been a sigh and visibly straightened his back. Like a soldier going into battle, the mage stepped across the threshold.

  Jackie looked up at Matt. “Ready?”

  “Ready.”

  Together they stepped across and onto the green grass of the hill. Instantly Matt went from feeling Tannenbaum’s cool-ish house to basking in the warm breeze rolling over the hills. He and Jackie stood on a beautiful grassy hillock ringed by ancient-looking stones that reminded him of Stonehenge, with a gorgeous blue sky overhead.

  “A place in Ireland,” Tannenbaum explained. “Quite romantic, and surprisingly sunny for this time of year. Must be the ley lines.”

  They stepped deeper into the circle of stones, and Matt turned to see the door they’d entered by framed between a gateway made out of the stone blocks. Through the gateway he could still see Tannenbaum’s mansion. Weird.

  In the middle of the circle of stones, a gentle spring bubbled up into a pool of clear-running water, and a small stream ran off from it and plunged over the side of a short chalk cliff.

  Tannenbaum stepped forward, around the pool, and gestured to the bases of the stone columns. The grass there was dotted with huge gray mushrooms, or what looked like mushrooms. They didn’t glow, but the air seemed to blur, just a bit, around each of them, and Matt knew they were somehow magical. Tannenbaum hadn’t been bullshitting them. That was something, at least.

  “All right,” said Tannenbaum. “Let me just harvest a few ‘shrooms and add their spores to my bowl, and I will complete the spell.”

  “Bowl?” said Jackie.

  The mage reached into his fanny pack and produced a stone bowl; it looked to Matt like the sort of bowl Mexican women ground corn in to make tortillas, but smaller. Tannenbaum had a little stone tool for mashing, too. A pestle?

  Tannenbaum reached into his fanny pack again, sorted through some pouches in there, and sprinkled one element after another into the bowl, muttering to himself as he worked: powder of this, leaf of that, eye of something else—Matt hardly listened. He was looking all around them, making sure nothing was about to pounce on them.

  “You’ll need this,” Jackie said, and handed Tannenbaum the ring containing her fire.

  The mage accepted the ring, then looked up from where he’d been grinding the elements together. “Jackie, my dear, would you be so kind as to bring me three mushrooms? Make sure their edges have a green frill.”

  “On it,” Jackie said, and Matt didn’t miss the excitement in her voice—the longing. Here she was, about to get that missing piece of herself back after all these years. He thought she was even shaking a little with emotion. Her excitement was infectious, and he felt a thrill run through him. When she turned to flash him a smile, Matt grinned widely back at her and shot her a thumbs-up.

  Almost bouncing, she approached a patch of the real-life magical mushrooms (not the hippie kind) and reached out a hand—

  “No so fast, you harlot,” boomed a voice.

  Matt whirled to see a newcomer standing in the stone circle framed against the doorway they’d come here by. Before the figure stood the two giant golems, their eyes blazing with fire.

  The man who had spoken was elegantly attired in a black tuxedo, as if on his way to an opera or something. One of his arms rested in a silken sling. He looked younger than Matt would have supposed, no more than thirty, and was actually a pretty handsome fella, in as much as Matt could reckon such things, with brown hair and gray eyes. Of course, his age was deceptive, Matt knew; Walsh, if it was he (and it just had to be) was really hundreds of years old. As handsome as he was, coldness danced in his gunmetal gray eyes, and there was something cruel around the corners of his full lips.

  “Walsh, I presume?” said Tannenbaum.

  The mage placed the stone bowl on the ground and took a step forward, as if to confront the evil wizard. Jackie, her hand half-raised to a mushroom, dropped it to her side and faced her enemy, too. Her jaw hardened and her eyes narrowed.

  “You bastard,” she said, and Matt admired the courage he heard in her voice. His mate sure had some guts.

  Matt gave Walsh his full attention. The bastard’s eyes were locked on those of Tannenbaum. He obviously thought the other mage the biggest threat. Matt was fully prepared to teach him the error of his thinking. Matt slapped a fist into his palm and grinned, imaging the wizard’s bones breaking under his blows.

  “You won’t steal my woman’s fire again,” Matt said. “In fact, pretty soon you won’t be doing much of anything.”

  Walsh glanced at him, and there was a sneer on his lips. “Quiet, beast. Yes, I can see plainly what you are. When I want to speak with an animal, I’ll talk to my dog, thank you.”

  Matt felt a growl begin deep in his chest and work its way up, rattling from his mouth in a terrible wash of sound.

  Jackie reached Matt’s side and together they faced off against the evil sorcerer. Her cheeks were pale, but her eyes were filled with defiance. Matt’s love for her burned hot in his chest, as hot as he imagined her fire would burn in her own chest soon. She may have lost her flame, but he had heat enough for both of them.

  “Don’t do anything foolish,” Tannenbaum whispered to them, joining them and then taking a step beyond them, closer to Walsh, as if volunteering to be the target of the fire-stealer’s wrath. Matt had to admire the man, if only a little, even if he was a mercenary who only worked for money.

  To Walsh, Matt said, “What’s with the tuxedo? On your way to pull a rabbit out of some hat? Maybe at a children’s birthday party?”

  Walsh gave a small smile. A very small smile. “I was at a ball, actually, when my assistant sent word that this lead had panned out.”

  “Your assistant?” Jackie said. “That would be the torturing weasel Jeremy?”

  “That’s right. I don’t see him here, so I presume he’s dead.”

  “Actually, no. So that would be two things you’re wrong about.”

  Walsh’s eyes lost their mirth. “You know, it’s interesting. As I was passing through your little town on the other side of the door, I felt something …”

  “What?” said Matt.

  A strange look passed across Walsh’s face—almost of glee. “I’ve been searching for something for a long time. A long, long time. And I think—yes, I know—that at last I’ve found it. There’s something on this mountain, something that holds the key to a puzzle I’ve been trying to solve forever …”

  Matt’s voice was a growl: “You’ll never get it, whatever it is, you bastard.”

  “We shall see.” Walsh’s voice became a whip. “Return the ring, girl, or you all die.”

  “Easier said than done,” Jackie said.

  “Fine,” Walsh said. “Then I’ll retrieve the ring from your corpses.”

  He raised his good hand, as if to work a spell, but Tannenbaum spoke a word under his breath and a strong wind was hurled against Walsh, throwing him backward. He landed on his feet, but tottered and had to lean against the wind. A curt motion of his hand and he walked forward nonchalantly, untouched by the gale that still seemed to rage all about him. Even the golems had to lean a bit against it.

  “Shit,” said Jackie.

  Seeing that the wind no longer had an effect, Tannenbaum released the spell and the gale quit blowing. As he prepared another spell, Walsh raised his hand and a bolt of lightning shot out—red-white lightning, huge and hot. It made a sound like a bug zapper as it lanced toward Tannenbaum at light speed. The bolt smashed into Tannenbaum’s chest, throwing him off his feet and back ten yards to crash against the side of a stone column. He slumped down it, seemingly unconscious.

  “Double shit,” said Jackie.

  “Don’t worry,” Matt said. “I’ve got this.”

  He let his bear burst loose, erupting out of him and bounding, all muscle and fa
ng and fury, toward Walsh, who turned to meet him. So did the golems.

  Chapter 11

  Jackie gasped when Matt’s bear came forth, and she marveled at the eight hundred pounds of densely packed grizzly muscle charging toward the enemy. Admiration and love (she knew it, could feel it strongly) swept through her. Matt was badass. And so brave, to be taking on Walsh and his constructs all by himself.

  Well, maybe not. Jackie knew a few spells, didn’t she? She could help Matt. It wasn’t like she was some innocent helpless maiden. Ha, she wasn’t any of those things.

  Narrowing her eyes, she lifted a palm toward the golem bringing its combined fists down on Matt’s furry back, a blow that might have crushed his spine. “Yavath!” Jackie said, and green ice encased the golem’s arms—just for a moment. Almost as soon as she had spoken, the ice cracked, damn it all.

  It slowed the thing just enough, though, for Matt to barrel into the creature with a terrific smack! Jackie could hear the noise from here.

  Matt drove the golem back—and back some more. He was driving toward the cliff that the stream plunged off of. If he could throw the golem over the edge, the thing would shatter into a million pieces below, just like the first one had in the mansion’s lobby. The creature smashed and flailed at him, and blood coursed down Matt’s mighty flanks. Growling fiercely, Matt slammed the golem even further backward, and back again.

  The second golem lurched forward to pummel Matt from behind.

  As Jackie searched for a way to help, she heard Tannenbaum stirring behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw him shaking his head and blinking his eyes.

  “Thank God,” she said. “T, can you hear me? We could use your help.”

  Tannenbaum blinked again. Something at the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he reached up—to grab a mushroom. Then another.

  Suddenly excited, Jackie spun to see bear-Matt battling the two golems.

  She began another spell to help Matt, but Walsh stopped her. He stepped forward and raised his palm. Red energy gathered on it.

  “You brought this on yourself,” he said.

  Before she could raise a defense, Walsh blasted her with a red bolt. Pain suffused her, and she was only dimly aware of flying through the air. She landed hard, the breath exploding from her lungs. When she could think clearly again, she was on the ground, her palms and lower back ablaze with pain. Beside her Tannenbaum was grinding the mushroom spores into his bowl.

  “Almost there,” he whispered to Jackie. Sweat dripped down from his eyebrows.

  “Give me the ring,” Walsh demanded, coming closer.

  He strode forward, giving Matt, still battling the two golems, a wide berth but coming near to Jackie.

  Jackie groaned and sat up.

  “Give it,” Walsh demanded, coming closer.

  “Never,” she said, and spat in his general direction. Unfortunately, she was weak and the spit landed on one of her boots. Great. Real tough display there, Jackie. “Get bent,” she added.

  Walsh loomed over her. “Tsk tsk. You didn’t even put up a sporting defense. Oh well, I suppose I wouldn’t have wanted you to damage my tux at any rate. I had to stand for half an hour while my tailor measured me.” He lifted a hand. Crackling red energy gathered in his palm, and Jackie could feel its heat. Hell. At this range, she had no chance of surviving such a bolt.

  “Fuck you,” Jackie said.

  The amusement completely faded from Walsh’s face. His voice turned sinister and lethal, and she could hear the grim enjoyment in his voice as he said, “Goodbye.”

  The red energy on his palm grew—

  “Restora mavala!” cried Tannenbaum.

  Jackie gasped. Something hot erupted inside her chest. Something burning.

  Walsh’s eyes widened. “What? Did you—how—?”

  His mouth tightened. The energy gathering on his palm grew hotter, as if to compensate for her new power.

  Jackie opened her mouth. Smoke poured out of it. Smoke. Could it be … ?

  Only one way to find out.

  Feeling new energy course through her, she shot to her feet, causing Walsh to stumble backward.

  “Yes, goodbye,” she told him, and … breathed.

  Fire shot out of her mouth and enveloped him. He screamed and said a word of power. The fire dimmed, then faded. She sucked in a breath then let it out again in a great whoosh. The fire rushed around him even as he made arcane gestures. The fire wreathed him, encased him like a cocoon, but she could see through it; it wasn’t burning him. Somehow he was using his powers to protect himself.

  She grinned. Maybe he could hold off a small amount of her fire, but he couldn’t hold off a lot.

  She drew in an even deeper breath and shot another plume at him. It enveloped him, the fire shooting high over his head now as though he were a living torch. Through the flames she could see him grimacing and fighting to keep his concentration—to keep the flames at bay.

  “Too bad,” she said. “You wanted my fire. Well, you can have it!”

  He screamed. Ha! The fires had eaten through his shields. With a sudden girlish shriek, he ran toward the springs and flung himself into the water. Smoke rose up, and when he stood again he was naked, his clothes burned away, and covered in soot.

  Dripping wet and utterly ridiculous-looking, he started to leave the water.

  Matt, who had knocked both golems off the edge of the nearby cliff, casually ambled over and roared in Walsh’s face, spraying spittle. Walsh paled and stayed where he was. Grinning, Jackie helped Tannenbaum to his feet and they crossed to the springs and stood over Walsh. Jackie ran her hands through Matt’s fur and leaned her weight against him.

  “You’re finished,” Tannenbaum told Walsh. “Do you surrender?”

  Walsh glared at them for a moment, then sagged. “I surrender.”

  Tannenbaum snapped his fingers and a pair of magical handcuffs appeared around Walsh’s wrists. Another snap and a glowing gag appeared over his mouth, preventing him from speaking any spells.

  Tannenbaum paused. To Jackie, he said, "I know this is illegal, but I would like to give you the right to achieve satisfaction."

  "Satisfaction?" she said.

  "That's right. Walsh stole your fire. In my book, you have the right to avenge yourself if you want it. To kill Walsh."

  Jackie switched her gaze from Tannenbaum to Walsh. The evil wizard's eyes widened and he said something pleading against his gag. For a moment Jackie was tempted to do it, to avenge herself, or maybe ask Matt to do it. Walsh had killed her grandmother and her father, and probably many others, too. He deserved it if anyone did.

  Jackie glanced to Matt, and his bear eyes bored into her. She could feel his support, his understanding. He would go along with whatever she needed.

  At last she sighed. "No. I won't let Walsh make me a killer. He's done enough to me. He won't do that. And if he's dead he can't face justice. T, send him to the big house."

  Tannenbaum grinned. "It will be my pleasure. I will transport you to the holding cell now,” he told Walsh, who narrowed his eyes but didn’t fight it. He was probably relieved not to have been roasted. Tannenbaum spoke a few words and Walsh vanished. Tannenbaum turned to Jackie and Matt. “Now I’ll alert the Council and have him and Jeremy tried. You may have to appear as witnesses at some point, but maybe not.”

  “Thank you for everything,” Jackie said. “And you,” she added to Matt. “I never could have done this without you.”

  He nuzzled her with his wet black nose, and she kissed his furry cheeks.

  Running her fingers through his fur, she said, “I … love you.”

  His liquid black eyes stared into her, and she could feel something inside her stirring. It was … it was her dragon. It was roaring out its longing for Matt and his bear. It had found its mate and recognized it. A wave of happiness washed through her, and she leaned against Matt and breathed out a contended sigh.

  With a blur, he released his bear-self and stood be
fore her, tall and naked and gorgeous. Jackie threw her arms around the former SEAL, or at least as far around him as she could get. He was huge. She was all too aware of his manhood pressing against her, thick and heavy.

  Swallowing, she stepped back and stared up into his eyes. “You were so brave,” she said, hearing the choked quality of her voice. “The way you charged Walsh like that, without a care for anything else. The way you took on those golems single-handed.”

  Matt grinned tiredly. One of his arms slipped around her waist, pulling her back against him. Just like before, action was turning him on, despite everything. She could feel his shaft hardening against her.

  “I had a little help,” he said.

  Tannenbaum cleared his throat. “About that payment …”

  Ignoring him, Jackie ran her palms along Matt’s taut abs, and she kissed the flesh around one of his abrasions. The golems had really done a number on him.

  “Does it hurt?” she said.

  “I’ll be fine,” Matt said. “Just need something to eat.” He grunted. “A beer wouldn’t hurt, either.”

  “For a small additional fee, I have some healing spells available,” said Tannenbaum, ever the businessman. He seemed to study them pressing up against each other. “And, er, well …”

  “Yes?” Jackie said.

  Tannenbaum cleared his throat. “Normally I would tell you to get a room, but for one time only I’m prepared to offer a special bonus. A free bonus, for saving my life.”

  “Yeah?” said Matt.

  Tannenbaum snapped his fingers, and a covered silver dish appeared in mid-air.

  Matt inhaled deeply, then ripped the silver dome off to reveal a succulent roast chicken surrounded by delicious-looking Spanish rice, complete with utensils and after-dinner mints. Ignoring the utensils, Matt tore off a leg and began munching enthusiastically. As he did, Jackie could practically see his wounds beginning to heal.

  “I put a touch of healing juice in the dish,” Tannenbaum said. “Gluten-free and entirely organic.” To Jackie, he said, “When you two have, ah, finished enjoying the sights here, just walk through the gateway and you will arrive before the courthouse in Pine Ridge. I suggest clothing Matt before you cross over, so as not to be arrested.” He snapped his fingers again, and a blue sweat suit appeared from thin air. Matt grabbed it with the hand not holding the remains of the chicken leg—there wasn’t much left—and tossed the clothes over his shoulder. Tannenbaum slipped Jackie a piece of paper with a number on it and said, “Just mail me a check for that amount within a week and I will call our business concluded.”