Stranded With Her Bear: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Bear Bluff Clan Book 3)

by Harmony Raines

  “OK,” she said weakly

  “You are in expert hands,” he said. “You’re mine now.”

  “And if I want to leave?” she asked quietly.

  His expression softened and he almost purred as he said, “Oh, honey, once you know what a good man you have as a mate, you will never want to leave.”

  Chapter Thirteen – Trent

  Did that sound too cocksure? He meant it; he was going to make sure that when she eventually wound up in his bed, and she would, make no mistake, she would never want to leave. Or so he hoped. Because he wanted her in his life forever. All the other women, like Pamela and Carol, were nothing compared to her. His heart and soul belonged to her. It was as if she had him on a leash.

  He got up from the table and waited for her to put her coat on. Then he followed her out of the bar, guiding her to the entrance with his hand, which barely touched the small of her back. And yet fire shot through him, his veins pumping hot blood around his body, waking up his bear. Soon, he told it, soon.

  The cold hit them as soon as she pushed the door open. Not the chill brought on by a biting mountain wind. This cold penetrated your bones and pushed through into your subconscious, to scrape its brittle cold fingers against your mind. A cold that made your blood stop mid-flow, leading to a fatigue which begged you to lie down in the snow for one long minute. A minute that would stretch to eternity.

  “Let’s not hang around here too long,” Trent said, ignoring any protests she might have and wrapping his arms around her. “Once you change, the cold won’t bother you.”

  “Really? Because I have trouble believing that I will ever feel warm again.” She burrowed into his warmth, and he had to admit he liked the idea of prolonging their stay out in the cold, just so that they could stay like this. Maybe when they went back to their rooms, she would be so cold, he could offer to warm her up, bare skin against bare skin.

  He put his sensible head back on; he needed to concentrate, to make this as easy as possible for Willow. “Wait until you change into your panther. Then you’ll be warmer.”

  “I’ll take your word for that,” she said, her teeth chattering now as the cold took hold.

  He moved faster through the streets; luckily, they had been cleared after the snowfall, and with the addition of grit, there was no danger of slipping. Turning quickly to the left, he took her down a narrow alleyway. When they emerged on the other side, they were opposite the edge of a small wood, which led up onto the mountain.

  It was here he took her, the temperature perhaps a few degrees warmer under the shelter of the high branches. As they walked, each time they brushed against a tree, a sprinkling of snow would fall, giving the night a magical quality. Dreamlike, that was how he would describe it. He turned to look at Willow. His dream had come true, and he wanted his fairy-tale ending.

  Damn, he sounded like a sap. “Here,” he said in his deep voice. All male: no fairy tales here, no nonsense either. This was his future wife, and she needed his help to accomplish the thing she was born to do. Change into her animal. In the hope that, by making her complete, she might finally understand the bond between them and stop fighting it.

  “You’re sure about this?”

  “Absolutely. Now first, I am going to change. Watch how I do it and then, when it’s your turn, I’ll talk you through it. OK?” he asked, noting the paleness of her skin. He had never seen anyone so scared before.

  “What if I lose control?”

  “You won’t. Before you change I’ll tell you how to come back to yourself.”

  “OK,” she nodded.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  She nodded once, and he decided that he would be quick, to stop her having time to change her mind. He pictured his bear, and had to fight it to stop it bursting from him. Instead, he used his concentration to step into it, allowing his human form to leave the world for a fraction of a second before the bear began to materialise. Slowly, or else he would be left completely disorientated, he allowed the bear to stand and look at their mate.

  In the eyes of his animal, she was even more beautiful. His bear appreciated her voluptuous figure, the span of her womanly hips and the swell of her breasts. At a base level, all his bear wanted was to procreate. His sole aim was to put a cub in the belly of his mate and raise cubs with her.

  Carefully, watching in case she decided to run, his bear took one solid step forward. Pausing, he watched the fascination sweep over her face. Then she came to him, not afraid at all. Her hand was outstretched, but before she touched him, she asked, “Do you mind if I stroke you?”

  In answer, he took two steps forward and let her hand brush along his shoulder. His bear shuddered in delight, lifting his head and breathing her scent into his bear snout. Opening his mouth, he roared in delight at finally having her in his life. The search was over; the next stage of his life was about to begin. And both forms of Trent could not be happier.

  “My turn,” she said.

  She was brave, too. What a fine mate to have. The fates truly had smiled on him. Reluctantly, his bear allowed his human form to return. It was time. Time to awaken the knowledge that had been buried inside Willow. Knowledge that would make her desire him as a mate.

  Chapter Fourteen – Willow

  “Can we go over it one more time?” She was so excited, it was a struggle to keep the process straight in her head. The thing that had scared her for so long was close to being under her control, thanks to Trent’s patience.

  “When you are ready to change back, keep an image of yourself, your human self, in your mind. As if you were looking at yourself in the mirror. Then you step into it. No matter what your panther wants, you hold onto that image. It takes some practice. But we have time.”

  “Got it,” she said, but she didn’t know how much time they had; she was freezing. If she didn’t change soon, she would have to go back inside to warm up. Along with her body, her mind was beginning to slow, her thoughts a little foggy. Not something she could deal with while trying to control changing into a panther. The thought made her tremble in excitement, but she saw the look of worry flit across Trent’s face.

  “Are you sure? I know how cold you are.”

  “I need to do this now,” she said firmly. “OK. I’m ready.”

  “Right. So do it slowly, do not let your panther take control. You always need to be the one in charge. Don’t worry: the more you do it, the easier it becomes.”

  She nodded. Then she allowed the creature inside her to come forth, to fill her brain with its image, with its essence. Willow could feel it, its sleek black fur, its whiskers and its long, twitching tail. All became so crystal clear she thought that it must be real, that she could reach out and touch it. And she did, her body almost sucked from his world to be suspended in limbo for seconds, before the panther began to take over. They were one, a human and a big black cat combined.

  Slowly, she let her body settle, so low to the ground, she felt disorientated by the need to stand on four paws. Her vision had changed too, everything sharper, more in focus. Then she noticed her hearing. It was acute; she could hear the thumping beat of Trent’s heart, almost sense the flow of blood through his veins. She was so aware of everything about him. A combination of pine needles and musk, he smelt like a bear in a way she couldn’t understand, but entwined with this was the smell of fear. He was afraid. Of her.

  No, she looked at his eyes and saw he wasn’t afraid of her, he was afraid for her. Maybe scared that the panther would take control, that he would never see his woman again. To ease his fear, she slid along his legs, her tail in the air, twitching slowly as she moved clumsily. This would take some getting used to, walking on all fours. But the thought was exhilarating. Imagine running like this, jumping, leaping from log to log, rock to rock. The panther flexed its paws, wanting to test itself, test this body she had freed from her subconscious. Willow decided to play it safe and return to her human body before she lost control.

  Now she was t
he one who was scared. What if she was stuck as a panther? Would it be so bad? At least Ollie would never find her, but then she would not be with Trent either, and right now that was what she wanted. Her green eyes looked up at him, seeing his concern and reading in his expression how much she meant to him. He was her mate, that all fell into place now. She could fight it, but she would be fighting her own fate, and that was something she could not win. Her panther wouldn’t let her.

  OK, you can do this, she thought, and made the image of herself in her head. Was that what she looked like? As the thought crossed her mind, the image wavered and then disappeared. Willow tried again. She could do this. How many times had she looked at herself in the mirror? Enough to know what she looked like. Better than anyone else on the planet.

  There. She had it. Now, before she lost it again, she stepped into the image, knowing that was who she was. The world shimmered out of existence and for a fleeting moment the feeling of being suspended in time washed over her. Then she felt the cold ground beneath her feet. She was returning to herself, but the cold came as a shock, making her stumble forward, gasping for breath.

  “Hey, it’s OK. You did it,” Trent said, catching her. Scooping her up, he carried her sure-footedly to the narrow path along the street. He took her straight back to his room and laid her on the bed, trying to warm her up as she slipped out of consciousness once more. This was becoming a bad habit.

  When next she woke, his body was next to hers, the familiar heat radiating from him. So warm, so cosy in his arms. She lay and enjoyed it for a few moments before she allowed her excitement to brim over.

  “I did it!” she said, turning to look at him.

  “You did. Exceptional control,” he said smiling, his eyes caressing her happy face, making her squirm with desire. He had to be one of the most perfect men she had ever met. Maybe she should pinch herself to check she wasn’t dreaming.

  “Thank you,” she said, lifting her hand to stroke his cheek, feeling the way his body responded to her. Then she leaned forward, and very lightly kissed his lower lip, waiting for his response. He froze.

  “I thought you wanted me.” Her voice and her confidence wavered.

  “I do, more than anything, but I don’t know if I can stop myself once I let myself respond. Think carefully, Willow, and if you want to go back to your room, I’ll take you.”

  She shook her head. “No. I’ve made my decision. Before … well, it sounded ridiculous that you would want me. But now, having seen you as a bear and then turning into a panther, I have to believe the other side of it. Don’t I?”

  “I hope so,” he said with a groan, his hand threading through her hair and pulling her to him.

  That first kiss scared her; it gave her a glimpse of the power of his love. He was a force, one that, now loose, took control of her body. Turning her onto her back, he quickly unbuttoned her shirt, dragging it from her body. Then her bra parted company with her breasts, his hands so quick she couldn’t understand how he moved so fast.

  “How?” she asked, as she grabbed his hand.

  “Another one of our many gifts. But don’t worry; I’m going to go real slow now.”

  She gasped as he sucked her nipple into his mouth, no buildup, just wham, shockwaves through her body. Reacting to that, she wanted to curl up, to protect herself from the onslaught of his hands and mouth. So many sensations jumbled around in her head as his hands moved lower, stroking her between her thighs. Trying to think coherently, she kissed his neck, then used her hands to stroke his skin, feeling the warmth spreading through his body.

  His mouth worked on her breasts until she was gasping for breath. His tongue rolled around the hard bud of her nipple, then, with it flat, he licked it like a popsicle. Fresh waves of need pressed on her senses; she wanted to be naked beneath him, with him deep inside her. Her sex grew wetter at that thought, while his fingers rubbed her clit, making her sex ache with its own need.

  Trent moved his hand higher, his fingers deftly undoing her jeans. Sitting up, he pulled them down over her thighs. Willow lifted her bottom off the bed to help him, feeling mortified when her panties went with her jeans, down her legs and over her feet, to leave her naked before him.

  However, when he took this opportunity to remove his own clothes, she forgot all about her own embarrassment. Instead, she allowed her eyes to roam every inch of his well-muscled body. Tanned and toned, his muscles flexed as he moved, his hard chest exposed when he drew his shirt up over his head.

  She had expected him to lie back down next to her, to touch her breasts once more and maybe make love to her. Instead, he slipped between her thighs, easing them open as he lowered his head to kiss her skin there. She tensed, knowing what he was about to do, and dreading it. He would look at her intimately. Taste her intimately. What if she was a freak down there too?

  Yet as soon as his mouth came into contact with her heated flesh, she didn’t care. The only thing she cared about was that he didn’t stop. His fingers slipped inside her, while his tongue flicked over her clit. Probing deeper, he crooked his finger and made her sex contract around him, and a sigh escaped her lips.

  In and out, he stroked her inner walls, her climax building while his tongue licked her clit and then his mouth sucked her. When she was so close to coming she could see stars, he pushed his tongue deep inside her sex, using his fingers on her clit instead. The change in sensation sent her crashing over the edge. His fingers didn’t let up on their torture of her swollen clit, while his tongue pushed in and out of her sex quickly, licking and suckling her outer lips until she thought she would pass out once more. Her head lolled from side to side, her hands fisting his hair as she cried out his name. She couldn’t believe he could make her feel like this. No wonder all of those women had practically been lining up for him to make love to them.

  And making love was the next thing on Trent Savage’s agenda.

  Chapter Fifteen – Trent

  Always a confident man, it was hard for him to accept the nervous feeling that came over him. He was about to make love to his true mate for the first time. His prowess in bed was well renowned; it was why so many women wanted him to sleep with them. Yet faced with his true mate, his confidence had vanished. He felt as though he was fumbling around like a virgin. OK, he had made her come with his fingers and mouth, but what if she didn’t like it when he actually penetrated her? He might be too rough, or not rough enough. Had his foreplay prepared her for what was about to happen? Or would he shock and hurt her?

  She lay beneath him, looking up at him with trust; what if he betrayed that trust or couldn’t please her? What if she didn’t climax? A wave of insecurity swept over him, and he felt, for the first time ever, his erection fade.

  “Make love to me, Trent,” she said, her hand stroking his cock. Her touch was like an aphrodisiac; his cock immediately came back to life, begging to be inside her. But first, he let her stroke him, enthralled by the sensations of her small hand on his bare flesh. He closed his eyes, allowing the sensations to flood his senses.

  Her touch, her scent, those little sighs in his ear. They were parts of her that he would treasure, little signs that she was uniquely his. In danger of coming before he entered her, he stilled her hand, guiding his cock towards her. The first touch of his skin against her outer lips made him pause. Damn, he would have to fight for control. Easing forward again, he breached her outer lips, pushing deeper, feeling her slick heat around him, accommodating him.

  “Ahhh,” he groaned as he pushed deeper, feeling her yield to him. Yet she was so tight around him, he could almost sense her stretching for him as he pushed inside her inch by inch. She gasped, and clutched him close to her, burying her face in the hollow of his collarbone. He had broken her, so easily, and yet she tensed around him. Slowly he moved back out of her, and then flexed his hips to plunge into her harder, wiping the pain away with pure pleasurable sensations, which made her gasp.

  In and out, his hips moving in a slow steady rhyt
hm. Once he felt her relax, he stroked her hair from her face, kissing her pale cheeks and then her red lips. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Here beneath him where she belonged, her black hair strewn across his pillow, while her green eyes sought his for comfort, for reassurance, he knew he was the luckiest man alive.

  His hand stroked her breasts, his mouth found hers, and with every part of him he worshipped her body, bringing her to an orgasm which left her trembling around him. She cried out, her voice in his ear while he moved deeper and deeper inside her, his cock erupting to send his seed deep into her womb. His need for a little bear cub was almost overwhelming him. She was his, and she would be the mother of his children

  Leveraging his body, he thrust into her, hard now as he let his bear free. His bear needed to take her in the most primal way, to jerk hard and deep into her, while her sex throbbed and pulsed around him. His bear wanted her to know who ruled her body, who it was that would accommodate her every desire, her every wish. And when her climax eventually subsided, leaving her breathless beneath him, he knew by the look in her eyes that he had finally made her understand that.

  Chapter Sixteen – Willow

  She woke up next to him. This time she didn’t try to move away from him, in fact she pressed her body closer to his. “Good morning,” she said, for once not scared of what the day might bring.

  “Good morning to you.” He kissed her head and then sat up. “I hate to rush you, but the sun is shining. I think we could make a run for it.”

  “You mean leave here?” Her good mood disappeared. “And go where?”

  “I have to get back to Bear Bluff,” he said, then saw her worried face. “It’s my home, so now it will be your home.”