by V. Vaughn
I climb the impossibly large granite steps to the front door and search for a doorbell that doesn't exist. It's apparent they don't need one when the door opens. I see a girl with dark blond hair and beautiful blue eyes that captivate me for a moment.
I say, "Hi. My name is Josie, and I'm looking for Max."
The girl blinks, and then her brow wrinkles as she narrows her eyes at me.
"Shan, who is it?" Another girl I can't see calls out.
"It's her." My greeter snarls at me as her eyes flash with something not quite real that I assume is her bear. I jerk back when she slams the door in my face.
Her anger makes me chuckle. As if I can be turned away that easily. She doesn't know the evil at the Le Roux doorstep isn't going anywhere. Oh no, honey, it's only just begun.
Eleven
Audrey
One of the drawbacks of being the daughter of an alpha is you can't ignore them when they give you an order. And that's why I'm about to strip naked in front of Max as he does the same so I can take him to the river to fish for salmon. My mother suggested the idea to us over breakfast this morning as if Max was a guest enjoying a holiday in our home. When I balked at her idea, she ordered me.
The September sun is warm on my shoulders as I lead the way outside to behind the shed where we have hooks for clothing. Being forced to spend time with Max certainly makes it easier for me where my true-mate attraction is concerned, because the only thing I want right now is to be with him, and if I weren't, he's all I'd be thinking about. While my physical attraction is still going to be a struggle, the fact my usual bodyguards, Nick and Evan, are waiting for us should help.
"Hey guys," I say to the warriors when we get to the shed. "This is Max." Evan and Nick are clearly on my father's side when it comes to Max, and they let out a low growl to warn him of how fierce they are. Max doesn't seem the least bit fazed by it all and grins at me as he removes his shirt. He says, "I've never had Atlantic salmon."
My god, he's even sexy when he's making small talk. "It’s got a milder flavor," I say. "I hope you like it."
"I'm sure I will."
Evan says, "You should take him to the falls."
Nick says, "Yeah, Audrey. Remember how great they were last time?"
I sure do. Only Nick and Evan were pissed as hell at me for taking them on the death-defying wild ride. But I think I know where they're going with this. They want to test Max's claim of being the heir to his alpha. And since I'm still upset with Max for kissing Josie, I'm willing to have a little fun at his expense too. I smile as I step out of my pants. "That's a fantastic idea. Should I go the same way I went last time?"
"Definitely," Evan says with a grin.
I'm down to my underwear, and Max is about to take his pants off, but before I see him completely naked, I turn my back to him and the guys to finish undressing. I'm not trying to be polite, because nobody cares. It's so I don't have to fight the physical desire my bear will send crashing through me from revealing myself to Max. However, I have no intention of making this easy on Max. The familiar sounds of shifting tell me the guys are bear now, and I turn around to face them before I shift too. I give the grizzly bear version of Max, which is a sight to behold, a smirk. I know the affect my naked breasts are having on him. Hey, if I'm going to be tortured, I might as well make the best of it and make Max suffer too. But if he picks Josie after all this, I'm so going to kill my mother.
I shift and then shake out my fur to welcome the freedom I feel when I'm in bear form. Unless you're with your alpha or bonded true mate who can communicate with you telepathically, there's no talking. Everything as a bear is physical, and assuming the form of a powerful being reliant on strength is great head space for me to think clearly. After the past few days, this is something I desperately need. I drop to all fours and begin moving at a run to lead Max to the river.
He follows close by my heels even when I speed up to a sprint. I smile to myself when I recall the way I launched off the edge of the cliff the last time I ran, and I prepare to do it again. While I don't think it will shock Max much, there's bound to be a split second of panic when he goes flying into the air to fall to a depth unknown.
I'm steps away when I flex my powerful legs and spring off the edge of the cliff into the air. For a couple seconds, I freefall before I splash into the river below. Usually I like to take my time and savor the cool water by swimming beneath the surface for a while, but this time I want to see Max's reaction, so I pop up quickly to search for him. He comes up quickly too and swims over to me. He lets out a roar I take as the bear version of a whoop.
Evan and Nick swim up behind him. Satisfied Max is cut out for what's next, I swim toward the falls. The water tugs me harder the closer I get as the coolness begins to penetrate my fur. The river is swollen from the recent rains, and the sound of the water rushes in my ears I turn back to look at Max. He tilts his head at me as if he's wondering what I'm doing. Warning bells have to be going off for him, but if he's really an alpha there's no way he'll back down from my challenge. I nod toward the falls and swim in that direction.
Even though I've done this a few times, I still get a huge adrenaline rush before going over the edge, and I have a feeling Nick and Evan are cursing in their heads too. When I'm almost at the edge I take a deep breath and relax to let the water take me, and my stomach lurches into my throat as I fall.
It's about a three-story drop, and when I land I plunge deep into churning water. It's easy to get disoriented, and there are plenty of rocks to get caught up in. But werebear are hardy creatures who heal quickly, and any scrapes or even broken bones aren't a big deal.
I wait out the churn as it propels me to quieter waters, and I break the surface once I get there. I search for Max, and after a few seconds Nick pops up. Evan follows, but I still don't see Max. It's possible he decided to fight the churn, so I wait a little longer for him to surface. But when Nick and Evan both turn around to swim toward the bottom of the falls, fear begins to send its icy flow through my veins. Max?
I imagine him stuck under a rock, and I too dive down again to return to base of the falls to search for him. Underwater is a world of dark with water so thick with bubbles of air I can't see my paw in front of my face. I extend my front legs and sweep them back and forth with the hope I'll hit something. The more frantically I search the more my need for oxygen makes my lungs burn, and I have to rise up to breath. As I suck in oxygen, I twist around, searching for Max. He's nowhere to be found, and now my fear is full-fledged panic. I let out a roar that is louder than the falls.
When the werebear of a clan are in an emergency situation, they often use their alpha as a go-between to communicate. My father's voice comes into my head. "Nick and Evan have the falls. Swim downstream in case he's washed up on the shore too hurt to alert you."
"Dad!" I catch myself before I act like a scared girl instead of the alpha I'm supposed to be. "I'm on it."
I swim with my head up and scan the shoreline of both sides searching for Max. I don't see anything, and when I reach water calm enough for my human side I decide to shift so I have the power of my voice. The moment my transformation is complete I scream out, "Max!"
Two warriors come crashing through the woods and pause as my father says, "Get out of the water, Audrey and walk back toward the falls to search for him on land."
"No!" He must know that is the last thing I want to do. I want to turn back and search for my true mate alongside the warriors. I want to be the first to get to his body and save him. Oh, god. If I—
"Let the warriors do the water search and walk the land. Now."
My father just alpha ordered me, and I have no choice but to comply. I let out another roar of frustration and swim to the shore. I know he's doing this for my safety, but it's the last thing I'm worried about. Pebbles scrape at my shins when I scramble out of the river to climb ashore. Rough terrain pokes and penetrates the soles of my feet as I jog along the side of the river and scream out, "Max!
" so loudly my throat hurts.
I reach the falls again, and the rush of the water is painful in my ears. My throat thickens with the urge to cry, and I sink to my knees as despair fills me. "No." A sob escapes from me. This can't be happening! Did I— I lift my face to the sky and let out a roar that is loud enough to shake trees. "Dad. Mom. I think I—I killed Max. I killed my true mate!"
Josie manages to get the attention of the Le Roux clan while Madison learns what being a werebear is really like in Loved by the Bear - Part 4…
More from V. Vaughn
Check out V.’s world of shifters:
Called by the Bear
Tempted by the Bear
Desired by the Bear
Rocked by the Bear
Bewitched by the Bear
Winter Valley Wolves
Smokey Falls Wolves
More Paranormal Romance:
Witches of Night Meadow
Called by the Vampire
Greenville Alien Mail Order Brides
You can see all her published books at www.violetvaughn.com
About the Author
V. Vaughn lives on an island in Maine and spends as much time outdoors with her two Portuguese Water dogs as she can. She may have seen a bear or two….
www.violetvaughn.com
Follow me on Amazon (click the yellow banner under my picture)