“Looks like your plan worked real well,” Stacey taunted. “If I turn, I have a shot at winning over the pack.”
“You’re not turning. You’ll be dead before the next moon rises.” Stacey felt a little relief with Bridgette suddenly put the gun away. “This is far enough.” Reaching back under her coat, she pulled out a long blade.
“Stabbing is better than shooting?” Stacey asked as she eyed the knife.
“Please.” Bridgette rolled her eyes. “I could rip you apart with my bare hands. But I need to place the blame on someone else. Once I break your neck, all it’ll take is two tiny puncture wounds on your neck. And Micah will never suspect. Until it’s too late, of course.” Tossing the knife down, she launched herself at Stacey.
Ready for the attack, Stacey twisted herself at the last minute. As blood and adrenaline pumped through her veins, everything felt different. Her senses were heightened. She could almost see Bridgette’s move before it even happened.
Ther tumbled onto the ground. Bridgette straddled her and attempted to her hands around Stacey’s neck, but Stacey easily bucked her off. Pulling herself to her feet, Stacey gasped for breath and circled Bridgette.
“Putting a kink in you plans?” she taunted her. “After all, what human can fend off a vampire attack? Micah’s going to see the struggle.”
Bridgette growled and threw herself at Stacey. This time, she could see the brilliant flash of blue in her eyes as Bridgette partially shifted. This time, Stacey wasn’t fast enough. She hit the ground hard. Her head struck something rough, and she saw stars.
The bear shifter was already rolling her onto her stomach. She felt the woman wrap her arms around her head, and she knew if she didn’t act fast, she would lose. Summoning all her strength, she gripped the rock beneath and hurled it behind her. Bridgette screamed and released her.
“Stacey!”
She could head Micah’s panicked voice cut through the darkness. Suddenly, they were surrounded by shifters. Micah raced to her side, but the cock of a gun stopped him cold.
Bridgette stood over them, manic in her eyes as she aimed the gun at Micah. For the first time that evening, Stacey felt true fear.
“Bridgette, what are you doing?” Micah asked softly. “You can’t kill everyone here. Give it up.”
“Travis should be alpha,” she growled.
“Travis is in custody. He’s not going to be alpha of anything,” Micah said. Stacey felt a bit of relief. At least Lynette was safe.
“No,” Bridgette wailed. “All this time. All this planning. How dare you!” she shrieked.
Everything seemed to slow down. Before she even pulled the trigger, Stacey could see the bullet exit the chamber. Everything in her body shifted, and she threw herself at Micah. Pain lanced through her as the bullet entered her, but she was bigger and stronger. Bones rubbed bones as she fell to the ground, and it was no longer the bullet hurting her. Her entire body was growing and stretching. Fear gripped her as she struggled to control her body, and suddenly, she felt Micah holding her, whispering to her. As she listened to his voice, the panic eased, and she felt the bear release her.
Her body returned to normal and everyone gaped. Blood soaked through her pants. “I got shot,” she said in a dazed voice.
Micah reached down and ripped the hole in her pants even bigger. “It just grazed you,” he muttered, relief in his voice. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“I couldn’t let you die. I love you,” she said. “So I guess I’m a bear now.”
He laughed as he held her. “My love, you are so much more than that.” He lifted her in his arms and kissed her. Around her, she could hear Bridgette wailing and the men muttering among themselves. But as Micah walked her out of the woods, all she knew was him.
Chapter Twelve
“Dr. Gratsky says if end up in his clinic one more time this month, he’s going to propose,” Stacey said as she eased herself on the couch. Her leg was still bandaged, but the pain was gone. Now she was trying to be careful not to tear the stitches. Even though she could already feel her skin healing, she was still skeptical about the process.
“If he does, I’ll kill him,” Micah growled as he propped a pillow under her. “Comfortable?”
“I’ve been shot. I’m not pregnant,” Stacey laughed as she pulled the pillow out from under her.
“You might be.”
Stacey stopped. “I’m on birth control,” she said with a frown.
“It’s not very effective in shifters,” he admitted. “Are you okay with that?”
Her jaw dropped. “Not effective in shifters? Are you kidding me? Is there anything else you’d like to tell me after the fact?”
He winced. “I should have said something. We’ve never talked about kids, but I just assumed that you’d be okay with them. We’ll be more careful until you’re ready. Most shifter conceive right after marriage, but we can wait for as long as you want.”
Stacey pulled back and stared at him. Her heart was pounding furiously. “Did you just propose to me?”
He immediately bent down to his knees. “I’m going to get you a ring and flowers and a very expensive bottle of champagne. I promise. I’ll do everything exactly how you want me too, but I love you Stacey. You have been my mate from the moment I laid eyes on you, and I intend to make you mine before anyone else tries to take you away from me.”
She leaned down to cradle his face in her hands. His eyes were filled with desperate longing. “I’m already yours, Micah. You know that. But what about the pack?”
“Sweetheart, you partially shifted before the full moon. I know you shifted so you could take the bullet, but we didn’t know even know that was possible. You beat the alpha in a challenge, and you saved my life. I think the pack is talking about overthrowing me and making you alpha. But none of that matters. I’ve already spoken to them. From here on out, the shifters can marry whomever they choose. We’re no longer going to be restricted by archaic law. And everyone agreed.”
Pure joy flowed through her. “So I can be yours?”
“Marry me, Stacey. I’ll spend the rest of my life making you happy because nothing would bring me more joy.”
She bent down a kissed him. “Yes,” she whispered. This was her man. Her billionaire. Her shifter. Her bear.
Her mate.
THE END
HUNTED BY THE BEAR
Chapter One
Usually, Jackson loved his life. He ran an outrageously successful business with one of his closest friends. He was rolling in wealth and power without actually feeling the weight of most of that power. As second-in-command, Jackson lived a pretty cushiony life. He took orders from Micah, but the life of a bear shifter was usually fairly quiet.
Until recently.
The local vampire clan had recently overthrown their leader, and Andre de’Massier was looking to tighten the alliance between vampires and shifters. It was a great idea, but the reality was much harsher. Shifter and vampires had notorious trust issues, and a treaty had to be signed by all.
Normally, pushing a new treaty on the pack was the job of the alpha. But Micah had recently married Stacey, his love and mate. They were off on their honeymoon, and Micah had three rules for Jackson. Keep the business running. Keep the pack running. Push the new vampire treaty.
Easier said than done.
Before getting married, Micah had put a huge dent in one of the older traditions of the pack. Shifters married shifters. But Micah fell in love with Stacey before she became alpha female, and so he decreed a new law. A shifter can marry whomever they pleased.
As with any new law, chaos ensued. The younger shifters eagerly embraced the rule and paraded humans, other shifters, and even witches on the territory. The older shifters were not pleased. Micah had only been gone for a week, and Jackson was fielding calls every day of people complaining. And if he had it bad, his friend and head of security Brett Jenson had it worse. He was doing his best to keep the peace and make sure no one
truly dangerous entered the territory.
Jackson was tired.
Second-in-command was supposed to be a fun gig. He had dreams of impressing the ladies with his wealth and power, and responsibility wasn’t really his thing. Sure, he had Micah’s back anytime anywhere. But Micah could take care of himself.
Jackson was getting plenty of attention for the women, but none of it was quite the attention he was expecting.
“I’m sorry Sarah, but if Ronnie doesn’t want to marry you, there’s nothing I can do about it. Micah’s rule stands. No one can enforce the arranged marriage,” he said as he massaged his temples.
“We’ve been betrothed since birth,” she hissed. “And I know he loves me. We’re meant to be.”
“Yes, but if he’s called off the wedding because he’s fallen in love with someone else, there’s nothing the pack can do. Everyone deserves a fair shot at his or her own happiness. You are a lovely woman, Sarah. I’m sure you’ll find someone who makes you happy.”
A new wave of fresh tears carried through the phone, and Jackson shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He was at work for fuck’s sake. “Sarah, please calm down.”
“Don’t you tell me to calm down! You have no idea what’s it like to have a broken heart. I’m well aware of your reputation. You don’t care about love. You’re just a heartless bastard!” she screeched before slamming down the phone.
Jackson sighed. Just how exactly had his life come to this? He glanced at the calendar. Micah and Stacey would be back in two days. And he wasn’t sure he would make it until then.
* * *
Natalie Mackleroy shivered. She was used to the warm sun of the south, and the northern winds were more than her thin windbreaker could handle. She would eventually have to stop at some point.
She’d been running for three days. She needed to put as much space between her and Paul as soon as possible. The problem was that the full moon would be up soon, and he’d be able to cover the entire distance in that night alone. Not only that, but he’d be able to track her. She needed to find safety.
She let down her hair in an effort to cover her neck. Pulling her baseball cap low, she put her head down as a few cars passed her on the lonely highway. One of their headlights briefly lit up the green sign. Two miles to Woodland.
Quaint name. Her destination had been the city just passed Woodland, but she hadn’t eaten in an entire day, and she’d found nowhere to crash. She had just enough cash to give herself one last meal and a night in a motel. So she’d just have to make it to the small town to hunker down for the night. Then she’d reach the city by the next afternoon. And she could reevaluate her situation there.
And just what exactly do you plan on doing, Natalie? You can’t hide forever. Paul is going to find you.
Her next shiver had nothing to do with the cold. She knew that once Paul got his hands on her again, that was it. There would be no one to save her.
She pushed the thought out of her mind and trudged the rest of the way into town. As she passed the town border, a strange sensation curled leisurely through her body. More than one species called Woodland their home. Natalie curled her lip in disgust. Of course she’d find shifters here. They were everywhere.
Natalie’s grandmother had been a full-blown empath. While her mother had shown no abilities at all, Natalie was able to get a few traces of humans. She connected best with shifters, and once she’d realized that, it had all gone down hill from there.
The sex had been incredible, but it overshadowed Paul’s true nature. And when she realized just how dangerous he was, it was almost too late.
A decent looking motel lay just ahead. She smiled with relief with she saw the red neon vacancy sign. She was exhausted. Deciding to save her last meal for breakfast in the morning, she paid cash for her room. The attendant was a bored little teenager who didn’t really look twice at her.
The energy of her room was faint, but there was nothing ominous about it. She fell immediately on the bed and was asleep in minutes.
Natalie awoke the next morning with a renewed sense of energy. She’d slept for ten solid hours, and even though her stomach rumbled, she had a feeling today was going to go her way. She took advantage of the hot shower and was delighted to discover that a motel included a continental breakfast. Avoiding the curious gaze of some of the other guests, she lined her purse with muffins and biscuits before scarfing down some cardboard eggs and slightly chewy pancakes. It was the best meal she’d had in days.
“It’s going to be cold tonight. Past freezing. Winter is coming early this year,” one guest remarked.
Natalie quietly groaned. Past freezing? On foot, she’d never make it to the city before nightfall. If she didn’t find a new change of clothes, she’d freeze to death.
With a sigh, she found a payphone just outside the hotel and dropped a few coins in it. She was both grateful and surprised to the find the relic still worked. Punching in the numbers she knew by heart, she felt anxiety tighten in her chest as she waited.
“Natalie?”
Natalie exhaled a sigh of relief to hear her old boss’s voice. “Terry. I was afraid you wouldn’t pick up if you didn’t recognize the number.”
“Are you kidding? I’ve been waiting for days to hear from you. What the hell is going on? Paul came by here yesterday looking for you. He was outraged when I told him that you’d quit unexpectedly. I thought he was going to shift right then and there.”
Terry owned the small boutique where Natalie used to work. She’d lost her mother not that long ago, and he was the closest thing to family she had left. She felt the tears burn behind her eyes as she heard the worry in his voice.
“Do you know if Paul is still in town?” she gripped the phone tightly as she looked around.
“Susan just called me this morning. Apparently he’d been to your old place, so he’s definitely still in town. She said he trashed it. Natalie, you’re clearly in trouble. Let me help you.”
“I’m fine, Terry, but I’m not going to be able to come back. Paul is dangerous. I wish I had seen it before. He’s obsessive and controlling and abusive. I need to be as far away from his possible when the full moon rises.”
“Abusive? Natalie, we’ve got to call the police!”
Natalie shook her head before realizing that Terry couldn’t see her. “The packs police their own. You know that. The police aren’t going to do anything. No one is going to take the side of a human. Listen, I can’t tell you where I am or where I’m going. It’s not safe for you. But I’m going to be okay.”
“Natalie,” he moaned. “At least let me send you some money.”
As much as she needed the money, she couldn’t risk it. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m going to be fine. I still have some cash on me.”
“Well what the hell did you take from him?”
“What?” Natalie’s eyebrows knitted together. “I didn’t take anything, Terry. Trust me, I don’t want anything from him.”
“He thinks you took something, darling. He kept screaming about you being a little thief.”
“Well, he’s a notorious liar. I didn’t take anything. Listen, Terry, I need to get going. I’ll call you in a few days, okay?”
She heard him protest, but she hung up the phone gently. She knew that Terry would protect her, but if Paul was having one of his delusions again, there was no telling what he would do to the people she loved.
Wrapping her arms tighter around her body for warmth, she began the long walk across the town.
Chapter Two
The last employee left hours ago, but Jackson was not ready to go home. So he brewed himself a pot of coffee in the back and settled down at his desk in hopes to getting some more work done.
He’d taken care of the weekly inventory last night, but he really wanted to revamp their emails. Micah was not very technological, and he was perfectly happy just slapping some text in the body of an email and calling it a newsletter.
Jackson wanted to ad
d a bit more finesse to it. He practiced with a few templates before he found one that was both sporty and simple.
He smelled her before he heard her.
Feminine. Scared. Desperate. He stilled at his desk and held his breath. The door closing should not have been audible, but his hearing had always been excellent. Reaching over for his mouse, he brought up one of the security cameras that covered the floor below him. Sure enough, he saw a shadow moving quietly through the store. She made a beeline for the jackets, and he watched as she glanced around furtively before slipping one on.
She was careful to keep her face away from the camera, and she had a hat pulled low over to cover her face. He grimaced before switching off the camera.
Female or not, no one stole from him.
Careful not to make any noises, he crept out of the office and slid down the hallway. By the time he made it to the showroom, she was making her way to the door. In an instant, he was on her.
Her scream pierced the air, and she immediately swung her fist around. He caught it easily and tackled her to the floor. As he straddled her body and pinned her arms over her head, the attraction was instant.
Dark hair. Big blue eyes full of anger and fear. Sensual lips that begged for him to kiss her. He could feel her shifting her hips beneath him, and he nearly groaned when he got a good look at her body.
Full breasts, round hips. She was curvy in all the right places.
“Let me go,” she demanded as she tried to twist out from under him. Afraid that she might feel his growing erection, he let her slide out from under him. She tried to bolt when she got to her feet, but he easily grabbed her arms.
“I don’t think so,” he murmured.
Her breath was uneven as she stared at him. “Please. All I took was the jacket. I’ll give it back. Just don’t call the police.”
A growl from deep within his chest escaped him, and suddenly, she stopped fighting. “Bear,” she breathed. “Of course. You fucking shifters are everywhere.”
ROMANCE: HIGHLANDER ROMANCE: Seduced by highlander (Historical Mail Order Bride Time Travel Romance) (Military Fantasy Romance Short Stories) Page 30