Bear Mountain Bride: Shifter Romance

by Sky Winters

  “You ever been on a motorcycle before?”

  Hunter paused, his face frozen like a deer in headlights. He certainly didn’t look the type to have been on a motorcycle before, and Bronson had to bite his tongue so he wouldn’t say what he was thinking out loud.

  “No…not really.”

  “Not really?” Bronson asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Well, there was this one time on a carousel…” Hunter trailed off. If it wasn’t so dark, Bronson was sure he would be able to see a bright red glow around the boy’s cheeks. It was kind of cute.

  “Well no better time than tonight. Look at the moon.”

  Hunter’s silver-blue eyes followed the swift arch of Bronson’s arm as he pointed up into the sky, and widened when he saw the beautiful night. There was a meteor shower due for some time that night, and Bronson had been hoping to catch it.

  “Wow,” Hunter breathed.

  “Are you going to get on my bike or not?” Bronson asked. He couldn’t help the commanding tone in his voice. It made him feel kind of bad, knowing a boy like Hunter would probably have a hard time resisting his Alpha tendencies. But his curiosity won out over his guilt.

  “I…” Hunter pursed his lips before finally blurting out what was on his mind. “I don’t feel comfortable with that. I don’t know you. I don’t know anyone here. And to be honest with you, something really creepy happened to me on the way out here that made me want nothing more than a very strong drink, but now that I’ve had one and you’re offering to take me out on your bike, it just seems like a little too much. So if it’s all the same to you, I’d really rather not.”

  “Ah…”

  Bronson took a second to mull over what Hunter had said. Something creepy happening wasn’t a good sign. The outskirts were dominated by the mountain lion shifters, and they were known for the mind games they liked to play on innocent people. People like Hunter, who had license plates from way out of town and who looked like sweetness itself.

  “I know some thugs who like to mess with people who aren’t from around here,” Bronson said, looking Hunter straight in the eye. “If it felt like somebody was trying to scare you, it might have been those assholes.”

  “What assholes?” Hunter asked.

  His face was handsome in the moonlight, Bronson noted. His body was lean, but athletic and capable, and Hunter’s golden hair seemed to carry the glow of the sun, even in the dark. There was just something about him that made him want to protect him…maybe claim him. Which was ludicrous of course. But at the very least, he’d just be happy to carry on their conversation forever. Either way it was a dangerous feeling. Especially when he had work to do. Work that involved finding someone for him to breed with.

  “It’s just a group of guys who get up to no good around here. They’re kind of rivals, really.”

  “What kind of rivals?” Hunter asked, his eyebrows furrowing in concern.

  Without even realizing it, Bronson and Hunter had begun walking together with an easy stride. Where they were going, Bronson didn’t know nor care. They simply walked; out past the back of the bar and down a comfortably lit path. He had been there a few times before, and as they walked, Bronson vaguely acknowledged that the trail they were following led to a conservatory that also functioned as a park for the younger generations, a place where they could play outside without much adult supervision and still feel safe. Feeling safe was important in Dire.

  “Just some guys who think they’re better than everybody else. They like to drive people away. Very territorial.”

  “I understand…” Hunter said. “I’m not really that kind of guy.”

  No, he wasn’t, Bronson acknowledged. That was partly what attracted him so fiercely to Hunter. He was ignoring all of his responsibilities just to try to get some time alone with this man, not sure exactly what his own motivations truly were. He’d never done anything like this before, and although it was thrilling, it was also unnerving. Just what was going on in that brain of his? Or was he thinking with something else entirely? That seemed more likely to be the case.

  “You can see the sky really well from here,” Bronson said, glancing up at the stars.

  He hated to be confined in a building too long, especially at night. He found he missed the sights and smells of nature, especially the stars. They were right where he’d left them, and he felt a distinct sense of security upon taking them in.

  They had wandered onto the foot path in the conservatory, and seemed to agree at the same time that this was the place to stop. Hunter and Bronson sat down at one of the benches. It creaked beneath their weight, and Bronson felt a sense of peace he had never known before. As if everything was right and was going to remain that way.

  But that was a trick. He knew better than to believe it. Feelings were just feelings after all; they weren’t rational.

  “It really is beautiful out here,” Hunter said. His gaze flickered from the stars back to the ground. It was almost as if the image had upset him, but that was silly. Who could be bothered by the stars? “That’s why I came out here.”

  “Where are you from?” Bronson asked, eager for anything he could get from this alluring stranger. If he was going to ignore his duties anyway, he might as well go all out, right?

  “Seattle, Washington.”

  Hunter took a moment to answer, as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to be forthcoming with the information. In fact, he didn’t seem to give much in the way of replies. It was a little bit offensive, really, but Bronson realized that it was probably because Hunter didn’t trust him yet. Bronson couldn’t blame him. A lot of people were iffy around strangers. Especially when they came from situations where they didn’t feel like they could trust anybody else. Safety was important to everybody, after all.

  “Seattle, huh?” Bronson said with a low whistle. “That’s pretty far away. You came here just for the sky? Most people would hang around at the campground for that.”

  Hunter lowered his eyes to his hands and didn’t answer. Bronson got the distinct feeling he’d said something wrong, but he wasn’t sure what.

  “Well… I just mean most people wouldn’t be hanging around town if they were just passing through.”

  “I’m not passing through,” Hunter said with a sudden firmness. Bronson liked the strength in the man’s voice. There was something gratifying when people who seemed weak were actually steel on the inside. It demanded respect. “I’m here to stay. I just need to figure out my next step.”

  “What, you mean you’re moving here? To Dire?”

  Hunter hesitated. “I’m not sure if I’ll stay here exactly. But I want to be close to the area. I can’t live in Seattle anymore.”

  “What, you on the run?” Bronson teased, nudging Hunter’s arm. That brought a wry smile to the boy’s lips, and Bronson couldn’t help but feel lit up from the inside out when he saw it.

  “Nah,” Hunter said. “And maybe yes, in a way.”

  Bronson raised his eyebrows as he sensed that Hunter was loosening up around him. Whatever kind of story he had to tell, Bronson was sure that it was going to be interesting.

  Chapter 8

  Hunter sighed inwardly. What was he doing with this man? And why couldn’t he shake his attraction toward him? Most baffling of all, he was starting to feel comfortable with him, when only twenty minutes earlier, he’d been sure that this man and the lot of his friends were anxious to tear him apart.

  “What kind of thing does a guy like you run from?” Bronson asked, interrupting his thoughts.

  Hunter could feel his cheeks burning. He knew he wasn’t the most aggressive of men, but was it so unlikely that he would have a dark past? There were a lot of crimes he could get away with, being lean and quiet, unassuming. Identity theft for one. But that wasn’t his crime. His crime was his tender soul and the scandalous gender of the person he’d taken to love. That was too difficult to talk about though. He just wished there was a faster way to get over the pain.

  “From m
y mother, if that counts for anything.”

  “Of course it does,” Bronson said. Hunter braced himself for the mocking to begin, but was surprised when Bronson quickly processed the answer and moved on to more questions. “Why do you want to get away from your mom?”

  Hunter pursed his lips. There was no way of knowing how well a perfect stranger would receive the truth about his sexual orientation, and Hunter usually tried not to talk about it with men who looked like they could kill him within seconds of hearing it. Even if they weren’t capable of hurting him, it was usually a lot easier not to talk about being gay with people he had just met. Especially men who were as intimidating and muscular as Bronson was.

  But for some reason, Hunter felt like he could trust him. He had made it a habit his whole life to trust his own instincts, no matter how hard it could be, so he took a deep breath before taking the plunge.

  “She doesn’t agree with who I am.”

  “Who you are isn’t her business to agree or disagree with,” Bronson said, his expression puzzled. “That doesn’t make sense.”

  “Well a lot of people think they have the right to judge a man for who he is and what he cares about. Who he cares about…” Hunter trailed off. It was still hard to explain. Even if he could trust Bronson, he couldn’t trust himself not to break down about Tyler. He just wasn’t ready to talk about it.

  “Sounds like you were right to leave, then,” Bronson said. His voice was surprisingly soothing, and Hunter turned to look at him. The man’s beauty was unreal, as if an ancient god had walked right off the page of a history book and sat down on the bench beside him. It almost made him forget what he was so upset about.

  “I guess so,” Hunter said. “But she’s been trying to make me feel guilty about it. I just couldn’t stay there anymore! It’s so—”

  “Hey,” Bronson said, laying his warm, heavy hand on Hunter’s shoulder. “You don’t have to justify yourself to me. Or to anyone else for that matter. It doesn’t matter if it’s your mom or your maker. We all do what we do for a reason. Reasons change, people don’t. At least, not so much. If someone can’t accept you for who you are, you shouldn’t hide who you are to make it easier for them.”

  “Well, I made it this far,” Hunter said with an exasperated shrug. He had been waiting so long to be accepted. Only Tyler had ever made him feel that way. Even when he couldn’t accept himself, Tyler had been there to hold his hand and help him; Tyler had made him feel like they could face anything together.

  “Hell yeah you did!” Bronson exclaimed. “And you should be proud of yourself for it. Don’t go beating yourself up so much, man. I know you have no reason to do anything for me, but promise me you won’t fall into that trap, all right? It doesn’t do anybody any good.”

  “Yeah,” Hunter said, smiling shyly up at Bronson. “Okay.”

  “Good.”

  When they locked eyes, Hunter was shocked by a surge of power, a static that crackled almost like electricity. It made him feel hyperaware of everything surrounding him. Bronson’s dark, beautiful eyes. The way the man’s broad chest rose and fell with his breath. The dark contours of Bronson’s muscular arms testing the limits of the materials trying to confine them. And his own heart drumming wildly as a deep thrill of excitement began to pulse inside of him.

  He hadn’t felt anything akin to arousal since he’d lost Tyler, and he was overwhelmed by its raw power. He had to swallow forcefully as his cock grew hard against his leg. He’d lost all ability to be turned on after his loss, but somehow just a simple look from this mysterious stranger awoke a deep, pent-up frustration that had quietly been begging for release. It had been so long since he’d been with anybody. Even if his heart wasn’t ready, his body was tired of waiting.

  Bronson seemed to sense the shift in Hunter’s mood, and stood up from the bench. He offered Hunter his hand, his face serious and his eyes dark. They had been beating around the bush all night, Hunter realized. This whole thing had been a kind of a game, whether they realized it outwardly or not. Two perfect strangers looking for something meaningful in the place they were least likely to find it. But somehow they had stumbled upon each other. And maybe it was exactly what they both needed.

  Chapter 9

  Bronson’s entire body buzzed when Hunter took his hand and stood to face him, the man’s angelic face inches away from his own. The energy shift between them had been sudden, and Bronson seemed to understand in a single instant that the reason Hunter was leaving home, looking for freedom, was because he was gay.

  It made sense, very rapidly, that Bronson would put off his duties to spend time with this man, whose vulnerability and courage were at odds with each other and made him a very intriguing specimen. As Bronson studied Hunter’s face, he gritted his teeth as huge waves of sexual energy radiated from the smaller man. His features were delicate but firm, and there was something familiar about him, something that he just couldn’t seem to place. But it was thrilling to be so close to him. Hunter’s body was awakening something unquenchable within him.

  Hunter let out a quiet gasp when Bronson pulled him close to his body, grabbing his hips so that their waists were touching. A surge of ecstasy coursed through him when he felt the rock-hard mound of Hunter’s cock pressed against him, and when he thrust his own shaft against it, holding Hunter’s hips firmly in place, Hunter bowed his head to the ground and hissed with pleasure. He liked it, Bronson could tell, but he was resisting. Maybe he should stop.

  But when he started to pull away, Hunter’s clear eyes pierced into his own and Bronson knew they were too far gone for either of them to stop. Without wasting any more time, Bronson shoved his hand into Hunter’s pants and wrapped his hand around the man’s swollen cock, stroking it; gently at first, and then more aggressively as his own massive erection began to protest being trapped inside his denim pants.

  Hunter was losing himself in the pleasure. Bronson could tell it had been a long time for him, but he didn’t ask any questions. Instead, he did his best to gingerly remove Hunter’s swollen shaft from his jeans and unzipped his own pants to unleash his own throbbing member. They didn’t kiss; neither of them really seemed to be looking for that type of intimacy. This was bare-bones fucking, because they both needed it. They had both waited so long to give in to what they wanted.

  Hunter moaned as they grinded into each other, their cocks glistening with precum and glittering in the moonlight. Bronson had never been this aroused before, and it took all the self-control he had to be gentle with the boy. He was afraid of unleashing his full power on a human, which would inevitably end badly. The last thing he wanted was for any of this to end at all.

  He had to stop that line of thinking. They were both just getting off; it didn’t have to mean anything. In fact, it couldn’t. Bronson needed to find the hybrid to mate with. This was just to get all of his desire for other men out of his system. Anything beyond that would be detrimental to his pack.

  Bronson closed his eyes, trying to ignore his mind as pleasure engulfed him. They were playing a game of cat and mouse; Hunter’s swollen cock touching and sliding along the length of Bronson’s shaft; their lips both nuzzled into each other’s necks as they slowly pushed and pulled away from each other, only to be drawn back in by their immense longing. Bronson hadn’t known his body was capable of such sensuality. But then, life was full of surprises.

  Finally, Hunter seemed to tire of the game and looked up at Bronson with fire in his eyes. He didn’t have to ask what the expression meant. Hunter was ready; he was going to submit.

  Bronson spun Hunter around, gripping the man’s hard shaft in his palm and grinding against the firm but gentle slope of his ass. He could feel Hunter tensing up as he began pleasuring himself in the warmth of Hunter’s body, slowly rubbing the head of Hunter’s shaft as he prodded his own against the tight space between the man’s legs.

  They slowly writhed like that for what felt like eternity, drinking in the sensual pleasure of it like wine, until
Hunter turned around and looked Bronson in the eye.

  “Please…” he whispered. “Don’t make me wait.”

  A switch seemed to flip in Bronson’s body and he grinned as all of his self-control disappeared. They were just going to have to find out the hard way if Hunter could handle him or not.

  Chapter 10

  Hunter turned back around, his eyebrows drawn in confusion. When he’d asked Bronson not to make him wait any longer, he could have sworn that he’d seen the man’s eyes change somehow. Their color had grown lighter, almost golden, and goosebumps prickled all over Hunter’s body. This place sure was full of strange people.

  He was quickly distracted from the thought when a hot pleasure suddenly erupted in his body. Bronson had pushed the head of his cock inside of him, and he uttered a guttural moan as sweet tendrils of bliss overpowered his body. He almost came right then. The only thing stopping him was the bizarre memory of Bronson’s eyes changing color.

  But Hunter had had a long night. He was probably just seeing things because he was so stressed out. He closed his eyes and chose to focus on the feeling of Bronson’s firm, warm fingers as they slid up and down his cock, wave after wave of hot pleasure consuming him. Bronson’s other hand had moved from Hunter’s hip to his shoulder, and he cried out in shock and ecstasy as the huge man plunged completely inside him.

  Most of the time, Tyler had been the submissive one in bed, so it was strange, yet oddly comforting, to be the one to submit. Bronson seemed to know exactly what he was doing, and Hunter’s entire body tingled as the man’s huge shaft plunged inside him again and again, dragging against the hot walls of Hunter’s body and pausing to stay buried. Every tiny movement of Bronson’s cock inside him sent a shocking pulse of ecstasy through him.

  When he began rocking his hips against Hunter with increasing speed, Hunter was sure he was done for, but somehow he managed to hold out as Bronson began to unleash a furious torrent of thrusting inside of him. Nobody had ever fucked him so hard, but it was thrilling and left him on the brink of climax again and again.