Even now, her stomach ached a little remembering the need for food that had brought her down from the tree. She hadn’t remembered to scan the land around her feet and dropped down right before a young bear.
Recalling Bernie’s small size in her lap, she realized that the bear in the woods that long ago day was a little older than Bernie. When he had risen up on his back legs, he towered over her by a foot and made a roaring sound.
Riley recalled how she’d been more mesmerized by the deep black fur and the contrasting white front paw. The bear had taken a few steps toward her, roaring more as if he was trying to scare her off.
It was the sight of the bigger bear that came barreling through the bushes that had caused her to scream. Reaching down she’d picked up a branch to protect herself. However before she could swing it, she recalled the lightening speed of the young bear as he dropped back to all fours and came between her and the adult bear. When the young bear seized her wrists in his mouth, she dropped the stick. His hold wasn’t long and Riley recalled seeing her own blood combined with his salvia on her hand that had caused her to faint.
When she awakened, she’d been in her own room with her family around her and nothing but a black void of the bear event, until now.
Chapter Thirteen
“Riley?” Jack Ruxpin’s face was filled with concern as he stared at her standing on his front porch.
Just as she’d figured, Jack was married, so he would not be out at the run. Lifting his card before him, the one he’d given her with his address on it, she smiled. “Hi, Jack. Sorry to bang on your door and disturb you and your wife.”
“What are you doing here? Not another accident?” He glanced over her shoulder and looked at her car in dusk’s light; without a dent.
“No, sir. I’m here for Theo,” she confessed.
“Theo’s not here.”
“I know. He should be at the run. I need you to tell me where it’s happening.”
Shaking his head slowly, Jack stepped on to the porch. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You didn’t take finding out about us so well. Seeing all those big bears out there just maybe your undoing.”
“I can handle it.”
“I’m not sure you can.”
Tilting her head, she asked, “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Do you understand the point of the Bear Run?” He folded rested his hands on his hips.
Did she? She had an obscure thought in her mind of a group of the large animals running the forest for fun. “Why don’t you enlighten me.”
He gave a hard nod. “It’s mating time.”
What? “I’m not trying to be incorrect in my assumptions so please explain more.” Her time with the before she’d made a lot of wrong suppositions and ignored some clear clues, she didn’t want to do that again.
“The most important part of the Frost Moon Festival is the last night, the run. It is a time when all the mature unattached male and female shifters into the woods. They allow their bear-instinct to take over and lead them to their life mate.”
Her pulse began to race hearing Jack’s words. “What happens when they locate each other?”
“The male places three bites on the willing female and claims her.”
The word claim made her shoulder and arm tingle. She recalled Theo telling her she would change unless she’d been given three bites. Three bites. “After he claims her?”
“They are mates. Husbands and wife. Nothing but death can separate the strong bond. You ready for that kind of commitment, Riley? Accepting Theo’s Bear?”
Smiling, she said, “I know what I’m in for, Mr. Ruxpin. I’m willing to face more than my fears to be with Theo.”
He stared at her, his gaze assessing her features as if he was trying to assure himself he was not sending her to her own doom.
Nodding, he said, “Fine. I’ll tell you. But, Riley, if you’re not one hundred and ninety-nine percent sure you want him, bear and all, then let him claim someone else. That Were-bear has been through enough.”
She understood the older man’s warning, he needed to protect a fellow Den member from heartache.
“I don’t plan to hurt him…again.”
“Then I wish you luck.” He gave her directions to the site.
On her way down the steps, he called her name.
Pausing, she turned to face him.
“One last thing. When you get to the site, you will see a bunch of vacant cars and a lot of clothes all over the place. You’ll be way overdressed if you go into the woods as you are.” He winked at her.
Heat flushed Riley’s face. That was something she didn’t know, or hadn’t realized that they were nude before they shifted. However, her mind recalled the night she’d spied Theo out of the guest room window; bare in the moonlight.
Waving at the old mechanic, she got back into her car and peeled away in a hurry. The sun had practically finished setting, there wasn’t much light left in the sky. Following Jack’s direction, she found the side road that would allow her to bypass the town cement barriers and then cut left to a wider road.
Three miles down the rocky road that ran along the river, she finally braked at a wide clearing. Just as Jack had said, there were vacant cars and piles of folded clothes littered the hoods. Turning off her car, she left her key in her ignition as she climbed out. It seemed so quiet. She wasn’t sure which direction to go.
Not wanting to waste anymore time, she used her inner courage to strip out of her clothes. Placing them on the front of her car, she stood there for a moment and looked around, wondering which path to take.
Only thing she was sure about was that the Great Indian Spirits had guided her this far and she would have to trust them to take her to Theo. Reaching back to her clothes, she dug out the coin from her pocket and held it in her right palm and squeezed. Opening her heart and mind, she put her faith on connecting the mind-link with Theo.
She didn’t know if it worked without him being inside of her, but she let her heart lead. When she began to feel a tug and urging in a certain direction, she went that way. Not second guessing, she took off in a run, realizing time was not on her side. Theo could have already found someone else.
Please, Raven Spirit, be my guide tonight.
~YH~
Theo was hot on the trail of the Grizwald girl, when he could have sworn he heard someone calling his name. Digging his paws into the thick soil, one white and three black, he wondered if he was hearing things. Had Shayna shifted out of bear form to call him? Surely, not.
There had been a mild attraction between the two of them, but that was the case between most available Were-males and Were-males—nothing special.
When he began to start running again, he clearly heard his name. However, this time it didn’t seem that the sound was picked up by his ears, but his heart.
That didn’t make sense. That sort of connection only happened after the second bite. So, he’d been taught. With Cindy, he’d given her all three bites when he’d claimed her that Bear Run, so everything was just there.
Lifting his muzzle, he began to sniff the air. Looking for what or who, he didn’t know. The only woman his bear had wanted was long gone. Even tonight, he had not gotten over that ache inside of him, but he knew he had to move on. So, he’d forced himself out into the forest.
It took a few moments for him to get past Shayna’s alluring scent and the beguiling aroma of the other Were-males that were traipsing and running through the woods in full heat. Then he detected one scent that called to him more than the others had.
At first, he believed his heart had wished the scent into the air, because he had been thinking of her. Closing his eyes, he inhaled slowly, isolating that one smell.
There it is. Rich and heady with the beckoning sweetness of raw honey; a delightful ambrosia that was made up of all things Riley.
Theo.
It was definitely Riley’s voice that called to him.
Please come to me.
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He didn’t know how she had come to be here, in the woods on the Westside of Den County, but he was positive she was here. Not a phantom of his mind.
Running in the direction he sensed her, his paws digging deep into the ground and rapidly eating away at the distance that separated them.
He allowed the spirits of the land to guide him as his soul called out to her. Hoping she could hear him.
After what seemed to be the most aggravating moments of his life, he saw her bare form, a silhouette in the moonlight.
She must have spotted him at the same time, because she smiled.
The first thing he noticed was that her hazel eyes were without fear and confusion as they had been yesterday. Now they were clear with recognition.
“Theo.”
Shifting, he stood before her. “Riley. Why are you here?”
“I came back.”
He felt his heart beat hard in his chest, but he refused to take anything for granted. This woman had already stolen his heart and the last thing he needed was for her to dash his hopes once again. “Just twenty-four hours ago you didn’t want to have anything to do with me and my kind. What’s different?”
She moved closer to him, her feet crushing dry leaves on the ground.
Her scent became stronger as she now stood only two feet from him. As always she aroused him, however, he disregarded the instinctive hardening of his cock.
Riley must have noticed his reaction to her. He watched her eyes darken, as her gaze trailed along his body. Her tongue darted out and moistened her lips.
Mine.
He stifled a groan and folded his arms over his chest to keep from reaching for her as his bear wanted. His bear didn’t care about why she had come back, only that it wanted to finish claiming her.
“What’s different, Riley?”
Lifting her gaze, she met his. “I am.”
Titling his head, he raised a single eyebrow. “Explain.”
“How about I tell you a story instead.”
He let out a humorless chuckle. “I might be ready to lay a willing female down and fuck her, but I’m not in the mood for a bed time story.”
There was a catch in her breath and she blinked, once and then twice, but she wasn’t deterred by his blunt words.
She continued, “There was once a little girl in the woods who came upon a young bear. A bear who took her breath away by his majestic form; fur ebony as the night with the exception of one single snow white paw.”
He swallowed.
“However, his beauty wasn’t so much in his coloring as it was in the darkness of his eyes. Eyes that shined so black in the morning sunlight they appeared metallic…gold.”
His pulse was now racing out of control and his blood began to rush through his veins.
“Do you want to hear more of this story?” she taunted.
“Yes.” Something about what she was saying seemed familiar.
She smiled. “The girl was captivated by this young bear. Watching him rise on his hind legs, imagining he invited her to dance with him. However, the two were disturbed by a great bear. Frightened, the girl wasn’t sure whether this great bear had come to do her or the young bear harm. Afraid, she overreacted, grabbed a branch, and prepared to protect herself. Her actions were halted as the younger bear took hold of her arm.”
He watched as Riley bent her arm, bringing her forearm in front of her chest and showed him the mark on her wrist. Memories from his youth that he’d categorized as insignificant unfolded in his mind.
“I don’t believe that young bear was trying to hurt me.” She took another step closer to him.
“I wasn’t.” He lowered his arms. “I was trying to keep you from hitting my father. He was angry at me because he’d told me repeatedly to stay away from humans. Then there I was a young bear, a ten year-old human, who at the first sight of a pretty little girl I was strutting and trying to impress her.”
Shaking his head, he wondered at his youthful wisdom of such antics. However, it had brought them to this point. Reaching out he took hold of her hand and kissed the old scars on her wrist. His mark.
Mine. He bear declared with pride.
“I thought you were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.”
“I was put on punishment for a month because of it.” He reached out and cupped her face, no longer able to keep himself from touching her. “I went back every year looking for any signs of you.”
Turning her face into his palm, she said, “My family never went back there after that. They were afraid that it would cause me to remember something frightful.”
“Is that how you remember it now?”
She shook her head. “No. Something wonderful.”
Kissing his hand, she rubbed her face against him as if she were trying to absorb his scent.
Lifting her head, she gazed up at him. Reaching out, she caressed his cheek and trailed her hand down along his jaw to his chin. “You shaved your beard off.”
It was more of a statement, still he answered. “I thought it was to for a change.”
“You have a very handsome face. However, I think I like you better with it. You see more free…virile and unrestrained.”
Her words had his heart thumping hard inside his chest.
“What do you want now, Riley? It can’t be for this one night and then you return to your life.”
“You are my life, Theo. You and Bernard and Auberon. I should never have walked away from you guys.”
Hearing her confess what his heart needed to hear, he pulled her into his arms. Fusing his mouth to hers, he kissed her. Not holding anything back as his hands moved from her face to caress her all over. Familiarize himself with the feel of her soft skin again; every curve. Ending his touch at her ass, he palmed the silken globes and squeezed.
She moaned and pressed herself to him. Gyrating her hips, she pressed her sex against the aching length of his cock.
Trailing kisses from her mouth to her breasts, he said, “I need you, Riley. Right here, right now.”
“Only if you promise to give me my third bite.” Burying her hands in his hair, she pulled until his face was parallel with hers.
Growling, he planted a loud kiss on her pouty mouth. “Just what I had in mind.”
“I like how you think, my golden eyed bear.” She winked at him.
Laying her down in the heavy pile of leaves at their feet, with the Frost Moon beaming down on them he aligned his body on hers. Starting with her mouth, he moved his kisses across her chin to her breasts. Taking one beaded nipple into his mouth, he sucked it and enjoyed the feel of her writhing beneath him.
Licking along her torso, he teased her navel and heard her giggle. However, when he parted her thighs and tasted the moist essence coating her sex, her laughter broke off on a moan.
Parting her labia with his tongue, he commanded her passion. Taking her to the brink but not allowing her to fall beyond the crest of desire until he wanted. He dipped inside of her pussy, tasting the unadulterated cream of her pleasure.
“Theo.” She called out to him, urging him on, and screaming his name as she begged and pleaded for satisfaction.
Her body began to tremble and buck against his greedy mouth. Taking her clit between his lips, he flicked it incessantly and guided her over the edge of euphoria.
At the same moment her climax over took her body, he turned his head and sank his teeth into the center of the tender flesh of her left thigh, just below her pulsating sex. Claiming his woman.
Epilogue
Riley lumbered slowly through the woods headed toward the river, a golden brown bear. It was the first night she and her family had been away from their property. Theo hadn’t been kidding when he said the entire town hibernated in their homes. She had enjoyed getting to know her new husband over the winter months and her two step-sons. The Fish Moon Festival would be at the end of the month and she was excited.
Theo arrived at the river first and shifted from his bl
ack bear to human form. She would never get tired of seeing all the sexy male goodness displayed before her.
“Take your time, my honey bear.” He stood on the bank waiting patiently for her.
She let out a roar, as she finally reached the moist soil of the river. It took all of her focus to shift, because it was only the third time she had done it.
“There you are, beautiful.” He kneeled before her and massaged her calves.
“I will be glad when this baby gets here.” She rubbed her protruding stomach. “I think I need Doc Paddington to do another ultrasound. I can’t be this big for only one child.”
Angling his body behind her, he joined her in stroking her belly. Enjoying his touch, she rested her back against his chest.
“I told you that the combination of our genetics causes the woman’s pregnancy to be much shorter because of the rapid growth of the baby.”
“Yes, but no one told me I’d be a grounded blimp also.”
“Well, a few more days and the boys will have a new baby sister.”
The mention of Aubrey and Bernie made her smile. They were with her husband’s parents tonight, giving her and Theo some time alone. “They are very excited. You should hear the names they have picked out for her.”
Theo kissed her on the temple. “They read them off to me this morning. Most of them come from one kids’ show or another.”
She laughed. “I like that we will decide once she’s born. See what name fits.”
“Do you still want to visit your parents at the end of the month?”
“I do.” She’d called her parents from the sheriff’s office after the Bear Run and her and Theo’s subsequent wedding, with the other newly mated couples. No one was happier than she to see Shayna had ended up with Gordon, putting that old rivalry to rest.
“Mom was excited about the baby.”
Bear's Gold (Erotic Shifter Fairy Tales) Page 14