Red's Bear (Erotic Shifter Fairy Tales)

by Hines, Yvette

  Her bear whined at the thought. Rena understood clearly the message. It was no longer her destiny to leave Den. The life she’d once known was gone.

  However, before she could move forward to her future she had to clean out the cobwebs from her past.

  Opening her eyes, she left the back office.

  Her grandmother glanced in her direction when Rena opened the door. “Did you talk to her?”

  “Yup.” Rena walked to the seat beside her grandmother.

  Sheriff Smokey stood quietly leaning his shoulder against the wall.

  “What did she say?” her grandmother asked.

  “Not much once I told her I wasn’t talking to her unless she came here to Den.”

  Genma patted Rena’s leg. “Good for you. Oh, to have been a bird on Lillian’s windowsill and seen her reaction.”

  Rena knew how her mother looked when the topic of Den County came into the conversation. It had only taken Rena one time after she’d graduated from high school and she wanted to spend the summer with her grandmother before she left for college. Lillian Hoodman had gone ballistic. Stomping around the house, lecturing and fuming about honor and a daughter’s responsibility to honor the wishes of her mother.

  It would have been foolish of Rena to point out how her mother was not honoring her own mother by keeping her grandchild away from her. She learned to keep her peace. Over the years, Rena had wondered how her father, a patient and scholarly man, had dealt with her mother’s tantrums. Her mother had a tendency to be controlling and self-centered, wanting things her way or no way.

  After her father’s death, her mother had focused every ounce of her energy on Rena. The reason that after she had completed college she took the first job away from her mother she could find.

  “What do you want to do in the meantime?”

  “If she comes.” Rena fell back onto the wall behind the bench.

  “Oh, she will, Red. She will not be able to resist.”

  Standing, Rena said, “How about we grab food at Gobi’s.”

  Genma stood and smiled. “Sounds like a plan.” Heading toward the door, she paused and looked over her shoulder at the stoic lawman. “You care to join us, Sheriff?”

  He pushed away from the wall with a look of concern on his face. Rena wondered if he believed her inviting her mother back to Den was going to cause a lot of upheaval in his orderly town.

  “No, I need to make the rounds at the grounds. I’ll see you two back here later.” He followed them out.

  “Would you like us to bring you something back? Rolls with homemade sweet butter?”

  He gave her a small smile. “Not necessary. I’ll grab some delicious treats from one of the booths.” Waving them off, he turned and headed across the street toward the festival.

  Linking her arm through her grandmother’s she asked, “Do you think the sheriff is acting odd?”

  “It’s a day away from Bear Run, every single male and female bear is behaving out of sorts.” Her grandmother chuckled as they continued on to the diner.

  Smiling for the first time all day, Rena said, “Bear Run? Hmm, I think I just discovered what we shall talk about over food.”

  “Which is perfect because that will lead into the discussion of marking…like the one on your shoulder.”

  ~YH~

  “See, what did I tell you, Rena? Your mother wouldn’t have to worry about the town barriers. Lillian would remember how to find her way in.”

  Anger contorted her mother’s face as she raced across the sheriff’s front office toward Genma with an accusing finger aimed at her. “You! I should have known you were behin—”

  Genma’s growl was low, but piercing.

  “No, Mother, I’m the one you’ll need to be talking to.” Rena rose from Stacey’s empty chair behind the desk and approached her mother. She’d never seen the beautiful woman appear so frazzled. Rena could imagine the last minute plane ride from Massachusetts to California. Her mother’s black hair was normally perfectly twisted into a bun at the top of her head. Today it was wild and floating like an ebony cloud around her shoulders.

  Staring from Genma to her, Lillian said, “Rena, we need to talk—”

  Calm and in control, just as her mother had taught her, Rena stood before her. “Yes, we do.”

  “Not, here.” She glanced around, seeing the sheriff and then looked back at Rena. Holding her arms out at her side, Lillian said, “See I’ve come, just as demanded. Now let’s go home.”

  “But, this place is perfect, Mother, for you to answer for your crimes.”

  Folding her arms over her chest, Lillian asked, “What supposed crimes have I committed? Being a good mother? I was a single parent for most of your life and raised you to be a bright, well-adjusted young lady.” She shot another look at Genma. “Until now.”

  Rena guffawed. “Attempted murder.”

  Lillian’s head whipped back around, pinning her with a stare. “Really, Rena, such theatrics? You should know better than this.”

  “I would have thought the same of you. But I was so wrong,” Genma said.

  Stalking to the bench, Lillian dropped onto it. “See, this is why I kept you from her. I knew they would one day poison your mind against me. Without giving me a chance to defend.”

  Genma stepped before her daughter, and stared down at her. “You have always been a selfish and willful child. Always having to have things your way or you leave without considering the ramifications of such actions.”

  Slapping a hand against her chest, Lillian cried, “Rena was my child. Mine to deal with how I saw fit. Underestimating you was the only consequence to my actions.”

  “What about your father?” Genma’s voice lowered. “Your father had gone out to search for you. He wanted to bring you home. But way beyond our territory he’d been killed by a hunter.”

  For a moment Rena witnessed her grandmother appearing to become the elderly woman her human age indicated. It concerned her. Her grandmother always seemed so strong, invincible. But, Rena realized that the old woman had been carrying around too much hurt and pain, too many secrets.

  Stepping to her, Rena wrapped her arms around her grandmother. She leaned against her.

  “That wasn’t my fault. I didn’t know he would look for me. I…I just needed to get away.” Lillian’s voice no longer held the condescending tone as before, it had become hollow and broken.

  Her grandmother sniffed. “He loved you. We loved you. Of course we would have searched for you.”

  Her mother glanced away, staring at the front door as if she wanted to flee with the same haste as she’d entered the office.

  The room grew silent.

  Glancing over at the sheriff, whose face was a blank mask but whose onyx eyes were swimming with hidden emotions, Rena found herself choked up by the revelations she had heard. She could imagine this big bear of a man felt something too, even as a bystander. “Sherriff Smokey, can you please take my Grandma into your office?”

  With a sharp nod, he said, “I will.” Moving to Genma, he slipped a careful arm around her grandmother.

  Rena watched as he led her away.

  Stopping at the door, Genma looked around his broad shoulder. “It’s time for the truth, Lillian. No more secrets.”

  Her mother didn’t respond to her grandmother’s words.

  She waited until the door was secure before she turned back to her mother. At the moment, with her grandmother in a fragile state and her mother pouting in the seat, Rena felt like the only mature one in the place.

  Taking the few steps to reach her mother, Rena sat beside her, not touching, just sitting there. She allowed the silence to stretch as she waited to see if her mother would speak first.

  Giving up, Rena began, “Waking up and finding yourself trapped and looking out through the eyes of a bear does something to a woman.”

  Two beats later, her mother gazed over at her. However, she was still quiet.

  “I was so afraid. I didn’t
know what was happening to me.” Rena became choked up recalling that morning and seeing Cord shift from a bear to a man and back to a bear as he followed her through the woods. “Then when I found out that I was a Were, some kind of bear-shifter and no one had told me, because you didn’t want them to. I became angry and for a moment I hated you, mother.”

  Her mother gasped. “Rena, I wasn’t trying to—”

  “Please don’t speak…” Rena let out a ragged breath. “Unless you’re prepared to tell me the truth, don’t say a damn word.”

  Crossing her arms, her mother turned her back to her. “I will not sit here and take—”

  Rena’s head bobbed up and down. “Oh, yes you will. You will sit and you will listen, because you almost ruined my life…kept me from the man I am supposed to be with…almost killed me. Why?” Too many emotions were toppling over inside of her for her to hold back the scream that erupted out of her with that one question. Why?

  Her mother stood slowly and walked away. Rena thought she would keep walking out the door, never to be heard from again. But, her mother stopped in the center of the room, not looking at her.

  Watching her shoulders rise slightly as Lillian took several deep breaths, Rena waited.

  “Weres of this town raise their cub-children with fanciful stories about love and being with one’s true mate. They teach us that being someone’s life mate makes them strong. That two people become one soul, sharing dreams and thoughts and babies. Filling our heads with the notion that there is no greater love.” Her mother turned and faced her, her face wet with tears, her eyes empty and lost. “But they don’t tell you how to find them, just that you will know when you do.”

  Her lips curled back in a sneer. “Well, I thought I had. There was a guy who was my friend, but I fell for him hard. Made a fool of myself trying to prove to him we should be together.” The chuckle that came out was humorless. “My mother kept telling me to let it go. ‘You just can’t force these things, Lillian’ she would say. So, I stepped back.”

  Breaking eye contact, her mother looked away toward the sealed door of the back office then said, “Jasper was a few years older than me. He’d gone away for a while to search out the world, become a more independent man and stronger Were-bear. Mom told me to let him go, that it was possible he wasn’t meant for me, but I knew she was wrong. Two years later, the year I graduated, he returned. As soon as I learned he was back, I drove over in the new car my parents had given me. I wanted to impress him with the woman I’d become.” She gazed down at the floor. “When I got there it became real clear that he wanted someone else. I saw Jasper kissing Charlotte Ruxpin, the mechanic’s daughter. Not just kissing. His teeth were sunk in her wrist, marking her. I screamed and when they glanced over at me both their eyes were golden. I just reacted. Went home and packed. When my parents tried to tell me to take some time, that there was a Were for me, I waited until they were asleep and left.” Glancing over at her, Lillian said, “All I could think about was the same thing happening to you. Those Bjorn men, as well as all the other men in Den, can’t be trusted not to play with a woman’s heart.”

  Rena shook her head at her mother’s words. Her own experience in town had been completely opposite. “Did dad know before he died?”

  “No. It was too unsafe.” Her mother shook her head and sighed. “I ended up in West Virginia and enrolled in a local college. All those trees and mountains allowed me space to roam when I needed to. After I found out what happened to my dad, not knowing he was looking for me when it happened. I knew I wasn’t ready to return to Den.” In front of her again, Lillian said, “You have to believe me when I say I didn’t know my father went looking for me the weeks following my leave.”

  Holding the sad gaze of her mother, Rena did believe her. With all of the things her mother may have done, it was evident in her voice that she loved her father.

  “I do believe you. But why didn’t you ever come back before I was born?”

  “I was still hurt and licking my wounds.” Exhaling, her mother sat beside her again. “Larry was one of the professors at the college. A kind older man who wanted someone to care for and I needed to be cared for.” She shrugged. “It worked for us.”

  Rena thought of her father, a sweet absentminded professor type. He’d loved them both up until he had a heart attack at work. She missed him. Soon after his death, her mother moved them to the small town of Adams, Massachusetts, by Mount Greylock and Rena now understood why. They began to visit Den County for a week in the summers.

  “Then when you were born, I knew there was a chance you wouldn’t have the gene. I hoped that you would be full human.”

  “You raised me with fears of foods? You restricted my diet—”

  “Just to make sure.” Her mother placed a hand on her leg then removed it as if she was unsure if Rena wanted a connection with her. “If I’d known the gene was latent or that your sickness was due to your bear trying to fuse with you…” This time she touched her shoulder and didn’t move her hand as she stared into Rena’s eyes. “I would have never done it.”

  Giving her a small smile, she said, “I believe you.” She did. Her mother may be a lot of things but evil wasn’t it.

  Sighing loudly, her mother leaned back against the bench.

  “There’s just one last thing I need to know, Mom.” Rena kept her eyes trained on her mother.

  “What is that?” she asked, cautious. “I thought I answered everything.”

  “Not quite. What happened the last day we were here? What was the argument with grandmother about?”

  “I had enjoyed each summer with Grandma. Then in an instant it was all gone and you wouldn’t even let me talk about it.”

  “I know you did like coming here. You hadn’t shown any Were traits, so I thought it was fine to bring you here and I would keep a sharp eye out, protect you. However, I guess I didn’t keep you sheltered enough because Jasper’s son still got to you.”

  Now that Rena understood, thanks to her grandmother, more about being a bear shifter and how they are led to their mates, she knew that Cord hadn’t ‘got to her’ he’d been drawn to her. Unable to stop that kiss if he’d wanted to. But Rena held her tongue, it was evident that her mother had never known that bonding kind of love.

  “Anyway, I got angry when your grandmother said that it was possible that the Great Spirit didn’t place me with Jasper because he had plans for his son and my daughter.” Lillian huffed and rolled her eyes.

  “That part is true mother. Very true.” Rena held her mother’s gaze, black as night, evidence that Lillian belonged to Den County, even if she didn’t want to admit it. “Cord is my mate. Even then, with my gene being suppressed he still found me.”

  Placing a hand on her arm, her mother said, “I just hope you’re right. I want you to be happy. That was all I ever wanted.” Leaning into Rena, she embraced her.

  Rena couldn’t hold back the tears that fell from her eyes. This was all she’d ever wanted from her mother. To have her understand and accept that Rena was her own person, able to make decisions for herself without all the subterfuge and control.

  They heard the door open to the back office. Turning, they saw her grandmother walking out first. A few steps away, Genma gazed down at her daughter. It shocked Rena to see the uncertainty on her grandmother’s face. The older woman had always been so strong and confident since Rena had known her, now she looked unsure.

  Moving away from Rena, her mother rose and took a step closer to her grandmother. “Mom, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know that dad would follow me. I just wanted to get away.”

  Closing the gap, Genma wrapped her arms around her daughter. Hugging her, Genma said, “He loved you so much. We both did. All we ever wanted was the best for you, for you to find your mate.”

  Rising from the bench, Rena’s heart swelled as she saw the two most important women in her life finally coming together and healing the past.

  Kissing her mother on the cheek, leaning
back she said, “I was very content, Mom, with Larry. I don’t think the Great Spirit has a mate for me—”

  “You were always looking in the wrong direction.” Sheriff Smokey’s voice rumbled deep and brought the conversation to a halt.

  All three women turned and faced the only man in the room. Up until this point the lawman had been a silent observer who was willing to stand back and let the females handle their family issues. Rena was beginning to believe she’d perceived the big guy’s actions all wrong.

  “That was apparent and the reason I left,” Lillian said.

  He pushed away from the wall, where he’d been leaning since he escorted her grandmother back into the room. Moving closer to her mother, he continued. “Did you ever think, Lillian Berend, that maybe the day you hightailed your sweet ass out of Den that you snatched away the possibility for you to find your mate and his opportunity to declare himself to you?”

  Her mother lifted a shoulder, saying, “Who knows, the past is the past. I’m Hoodman, now.”

  Rena watched the big bear of a man strut across the room, slow and purposeful. He stopped directly in front of her mother. “It should have been Smokey.”

  The shocked gasp coming from her mother’s mouth was the perfect sound to Rena’s own response. With wide eyes she stared at the couple before her. Her grandmother stepped back beside Rena, a knowing smile on her lips.

  “What are you saying, David?” Using his given name, something Rena hadn’t heard anyone do since she’d been in the county. She noted how transfixed her mother’s gaze was on the sheriff’s face, seeming to search it for the truth in his words.

  “You’re not getting away from me again. I plan to make you mine as I’d planned to do the day after our graduation.” His hand reached up, cupping Lillian’s face. “Don’t make me live without you again.”

  Rena didn’t expect her mother’s reaction.

  Stretching up on her toes, Lillian kissed him. When they parted, Rena heard her mother sigh and the low growl coming from the male Were, accompanied by the flecks of gold revealed in both of their ebony eyes.