Releasing the Bear: BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (The Callaghan Clan Book 2)

by Meredith Clarke

  I didn’t need another signal. I let the bear rip out of my chest and grunted when my four paws hit the ground running. I’d been pretty sure that I could outrun her, but watching Scarlett’s wolf dash in and out of tree branches hovering close to the ground, I feared she might just best me.

  I let out a roar and somewhere over a small hill in front of me, Scarlett howled. Chase. Must chase. Must catch. My bear loved this, and from the sounds Scarlett was making, she loved playing the prey.

  Perhaps this relationship could work after all.

  Brennan couldn’t catch me. Grizzlies were fast and powerful, but wolves were quick and cunning. I heard him crashing through the woods behind me, knowing exactly where he’d be stepping next. I scrambled up a steep embankment and jumped onto a large boulder overlooking the animal path I knew he’d follow. When I saw his golden bear rip through the trees, I crouched low and watched. He skidded to a top, nose in the air, sniffing. Then he focused on the ground and quickly caught my trail.

  From the top of the boulder, I barked at him. Still too slow, she said, egging him on. Brennan huffed and tried to climb up the hill. But his large paws kept slipping in the leaves and moss littering the ground. I laughed, even though it sounded more like a grunt. Brennan looked up at me and showed his teeth. His golden-yellow eyes almost glowed in the darker part of this forest, and it surprised me to feel how much he affected me. Shivers ran through my body, my wolf shaking her ass as a tease. And when Brennan roared again, I pushed off my feet and jumped over his head.

  He didn’t swipe at me. Instead he watched in awe. Probably shocked by my boldness considering most wolves would avoid getting that close to a grizzly when alone. Brennan continued chasing me, the hot air from his breath teasing the tip of my tail. I could smell his bear filling the air around me. He was more dominant than I knew, and my wolf loved it. She was always up for a challenge, and releasing Brennan’s inner grizzly to its fullest potential seemed like the perfect task for her mate.

  I smelled the lake before I saw it. Rushing through another meadow and dodging under a downed pine, I got to the edge before Brennan did. But when he reached my side, he continued pouncing along until his whole body was splashing around in the water. I barked at him from the shore and he swatted water in my direction. Bobbing his head underneath the surface, he looked so happy playing in the shallows and rolling around like a cub. Having never seen him act so carefree, my human heart and my wolf instincts melted for him. My mate could let go, and my equal could relax every once in a while.

  Brennan shook the water from his massive neck and huffed in my direction. I replied with a bark, asking him what he wanted. But instead of a reply, he turned back toward the center of the lake and watched. Frozen and on the hunt, I admired his technique. His eyes moved back and forth, following something, but his muscles didn’t even twitch. Then, with impressive speed, he jumped forward, dove his jaws into the water, and emerged with a large fish hanging from his teeth. He blew out water from his nose and trotted over to me on the shoreline. Stopping in front of my face, he wiggled his catch proudly.

  Yes, I see you, mate. I sat on my hunches, acknowledging the gift he’d just given me.

  Brennan set the fish down, a trout I think, and in two seconds flat, he’d skinned his prey and pushed the carcass over to me. The bears liked the skin. Wolves liked to scavenge. So a red-muscled fish killed by another was certainly all right with me. I dig in, pulling off the muscle fist before chomping down on the head. Brennan simply watched me enjoy the meal. It had been a while since I’d hunted as a wolf and the burst of energy I got from the raw meat only excited her more.

  When finished, I rolled the side of my face against the fish. Back and forth. Back and forth. And then I walked over to my mate. He dwarfed my height when standing, but Brennan had relaxed onto the ground while I feasted. So I could put my face right into his. As an alpha female, I expected those in my pack to expose their necks when I did this. And even now, I wondered what Brennan would do. Had he ever dealt with pack laws before? Did the bears follow similar dominance rules?

  My questions were answered when a rough, long bear tongue licked the side of my face. My wolf growled while my human laughed. Brennan continued to surprise me. I stayed still in front of him as he cleaned the fur around my mouth, an almost purr-like sounds escaping my lips. Brennan’s giant bear paw swiped at me from the side, knocking me down beside him. He licked my jawline and then moved down to my stomach. His nose nestled against my chest and then he rolled onto his back. Snout to snout we still touched each other as we played around along the grassy shoreline. Should a human see us now, we would certainly have some explaining to do.

  As if on cue, a branch snapped in the distance and a flock of geese took off into the air from a swampy area we hadn’t seen. We both jumped to our feet and searched for unwelcomed intruders. But there was nothing there. Just me, and Brennan, and the little bubble of a world we’d created around us.

  I looked up into the sky and noticed that the sun was directly above us. Somewhere in my hazy human mind, I knew that we needed to keep moving so that we could get settled in Anchorage. But my wolf wasn’t finished teasing yet. She wasn’t going to be satisfied until this bonding moment ended in a mating. And if I was being honest with myself, the human side wanted to feel the human Brennan inside of me again.

  So, with a flirty bark and a tail lift, I signaled to Brennan that it was time to play again…if he could catch me. I took off full speed and raced back toward his truck. It was easy to follow our scent trail to the original meadow but this time, Brennan stayed close on my heels. I wondered if he liked the view and a surge of hormones raced through me at the thought.

  He is your mate.

  Yes, he was. And mates should enjoy all of their time together.

  I spotted the truck parked along the side of the meadow, and when I got within twenty feet, I quickly shifted back into human form. It was a talent only me and my uncle had within our pack and we’d been told it’s because we were the alphas. Shifting on the fly, so to speak. Still running forward, I sprinted back to the truck knowing Brennan wasn’t too far behind.

  I turned just in time to see him shift back. He’d had to stop but he was closer to me than I realized. His beautiful, naked body put everyone else to shame. Large and wonderful, his biceps alone could kill. Then the defined abs caught my eyes as I followed those long muscles that accentuated the path to his dick. His thighs twitched when he walked, highlighting every working muscle. Leaning up against the back of the truck, I sucked in a deep breath.

  “Holy hell,” I mumbled, taking him in and feeling like a lovesick teenager.

  Brennan laughed and sauntered my way. When he got close enough, he lifted his arm but then reached past me to the handle on the tailgate. Lowering the piece of metal covered with a bed liner, he continued to bore his gaze into mine. Then he scooped me up into his arm and set me on the back. Stepping away from me, he gazed at my naked body.

  “You are so fucking hot,” he growled.

  I slid back a few inches and spread my legs a little wider. When Brennan’s erection grew, I reveled in that power.

  “Lean back,” he demanded. I did. “Now,” he continued, “show me more.”

  Arching my back, I lifted my hips and showed him all that I was made out of. I loved watching his reaction, but when he jumped forward and pressed his lips against my clit, I let my head hang back in pleasure. His tongue darted back and forth as his hands pushed my thighs further apart. Each flick of his soft, yet warm skin against me sent shivers all over. He sucked and pulled and moaned against my sex. I called out his name and pushed the back of his head deeper into my folds. Brennan certainly knew what he was doing and I certainly intended on letting him finish.

  One of his large hands reached forward and he pinched my swollen nipple between his fingertips. I grabbed his hair even harder in response. With his other hand, he slipped first one, then two fingers inside of me. Moving in a slow and s
teady rhythm, he matched the speed of his tongue on my clit with the pulsing of his fingers. When he looked up at my face and used the heel of his hand to rub me, I almost lost control.

  “Don’t hold back,” he whispered, biting down on my inner thigh before returning his mouth to my moistened folds.

  “I want you,” I begged.

  “Not yet,” he teased.

  Another pinch and another flick of the tongue was all it took before the powerful waves of my orgasm had me screaming his name into the air. I pressed his face against my sex again, enjoying each pulse that radiated to my toes. Brennan let out a deep rumble from his chest and grabbed my hips. He continued to use his tongue in the most masterful way, eliciting an orgasm from me that must have lasted minutes.

  When the pulses slowed, I pushed myself up to sitting. Brennan stood on the ground, his erection pushing firmly against me. I could feel the moisture between us and I wanted all of him. Now. With one tiny movement, I lifted my hips just high enough to slide onto his impressive cock. Brennan sighed and pulled me close enough that he filled me completely and so that our pelvic bones touched.

  “I can’t get enough of you,” he groaned.

  Arching back, my breasts bounced in the air as he pounded into me. Brennan buried his face in them and that gave me the opportunity I was looking for. With my wolf strength, I wrapped my legs around his back and used my arms to push us away from the tailgate. Brennan stumbled back, his dick still firmly deep inside and as he began to fall, I set my legs down and controlled our momentum. With grace, I lowered both us to the ground—Brennan on his back and me straddling his hips.

  He laughed below me. “Well, then.”

  I bent forward and kissed him hard. Lips smashed against each other, I could seem to think straight anymore. Until he lifted his hips. Letting go of his face, I planted my arms on either side of his head and started to ride him. Slowly at first, resisting his motions that tried to speed things up. My wolf let out a growl, telling him I was in charge and the smile on his face let me know he understood. With each thrust, I allowed him deeper inside, digging my fingers into the grass and enjoying each hit as it pressed against my already swollen clit over and over.

  “I can’t hold on,” Brennan moaned. “Fuck, woman.”

  I loved having this kind of power over a man and I wasn’t ashamed to admit it. Picking up speed, I slammed my hips into him and ground my pelvis against his. The sign of another pending orgasm began again, heat pooling between my legs and moister lubricating his cock.

  “You’re so tight. So wet,” he whispered.

  “I know,” I breathed and he chuckled.

  “I want to fuck you all day,” he responded as I felt him growing harder inside. “All day,” he repeated.

  And then he tensed as the first wave of his orgasm filled me up inside. I let go as well, feeling my own pleasure escalate at the sound of his. Digging his hands into my hips, Brennan slammed me into him several more times with each release. He moaned and growled and ground his teeth together. I watched him, hair surrounded by green blades of grass and wildflowers and felt something tear inside of me. The thought of losing him broke me. We were mates. And no matter what, we had to make this work.

  I collapsed on top of him once we were finished. “You can’t leave me,” I whispered.

  He kissed my head and rubbed his hands slowly over my back. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Promise?”

  “Promise.”

  “Even if our alphas say otherwise?”

  “Yes.” Brennan shifted slightly beneath me so that he could pull out. “They can’t deny us.”

  I didn’t want to look at him since the tears were already leaving my eyes. “I hope they won’t. I love you, Brennan.”

  I expected those words to scare him away. I didn’t know why, but most men wouldn’t have been receptive of that kind of commitment so soon after meeting. Thankfully, Brennan wasn’t most men. “I love you, too.”

  We lay in that meadow for another hour, laughing, napping, and talking. It felt so comfortable being with him. I wished we could stay here forever and forget about everything else. I loved seeing Brennan relaxed and talkative. He wasn’t like this around others. And I loved how he made me feel inside…like I was the only person who mattered and not because I was the alpha female or the pack’s enforcer. I was simply Scarlett right now.

  As the mid-afternoon sun began to move closer to the horizon, Brennan made us sit up. “We should go.”

  “I don’t want to.”

  He chuckled. “Neither do I but we can get our business finished early and enjoy our night in Anchorage.”

  I thought about that and smiled. “I haven’t been there in a while.”

  “Perfect.” He jumped to his feet and pulled me up off the ground. We were both still naked but that didn’t bother either of us. “I know where I want to take you, then.”

  “Where?”

  “It’s a surprise.” Then he winked at me. “Plus, I know you like seafood so I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”

  I slapped him playfully on the arm. “My wolf would never refuse a carcass as a gift.”

  With a laugh, he walked me to the passenger side where my clothes still lay. “I’ll remember that.” He kissed me, nice and slow, and sweet. His fingers never stopped brushing against me. “Okay. That’s it. We need to go.” I kissed him again and then he gently pushed me away. “For real now.”

  He walked around the back of the truck and I pouted. I’d never acted this way around any man before and I still couldn’t believe how connected I felt to Brennan. Finding a mate was like discovering a new flavor, hearing your favorite song, and tasting something delicious all at once. I’d never known how incomplete I’d been until now.

  Brennan was truly my mate in every sense of the word. No matter what anyone else had to say about it.

  Using my phone to find the hotel Bo had booked for us, I was surprised when it led us to one of the only luxury hotels in the city.

  “Well, this is nice,” Scarlett mused.

  I heard the sarcasm in there. “I know you’d probably be happy sleeping naked and free in the woods, but I thought we’d splurge on tonight.”

  She punched me in the shoulder. “Okay Mr. Callaghan Clan bear. Not all of us require luxury living when we travel.”

  The truth was, I wouldn’t have booked this for myself. All the more reason why I suspected my brother was up to something. And when I checked in and picked up the one room key, I knew what he’d done.

  “The honeymoon suite, huh?” Scarlett stated as the bellhop set down our small bags.

  He left with a nod and I took in the room. King sized canopy bed, a small kitchen and sitting area, and a fully stocked dry bar. A vase of fresh red roses sat on both end tables next to the bed, a towel in the shape of the swan welcoming us to the space.

  “Did you plan this?”

  The love in her voice made me want to lie. But I couldn’t. Not to my mate. Shaking my head, I walked over to the bar and poured us each a glass of champagne that was already chilled. “No, I didn’t. This would be the interference of my brother.”

  “Bo?”

  “How’d you guess?”

  She grabbed her glass from my outstretched hand. “Brandt doesn’t seem like a romantic and Bo has a reputation,” she said with a smirk.

  “He sure does,” I said as we clinked our glasses together and took a sip. “So…what’s my reputation?”

  Scarlett bit her lips and scrunched up her face. The way she looked, like the cutest girl in the world, had my body physically reacting again. “Serious. Cold. Perfectionist.”

  I raised my brows. “Well, that doesn’t sound very appealing.”

  She shrugged. “It does to someone who wants to do business with you and your family. Everyone knows you’re the one to come to.”

  My pride swelled with her comment. “But Brandt is the clan alpha.”

  “Yes, he is. But that just means you have
more time to focus on the business outside of the clan.”

  I thought about that and realized she was right. Out of the three of us, I’d always been the business brother. The one who worked a zillion hours to make sure all of our relationships, human and shifter, ran smoothly. The problem solver. The go-to man. The one who didn’t have time for relationships…

  “And what about me?” Scarlett sidled up against my side and gave me her best flirtatious face.

  “What about you?”

  “What’s my reputation.”

  I hesitated and she caught it. When I laughed, I got punched again. “Okay, okay. Let’s see,” I lifted my chin into the air like I was thinking. “Super hot. Long legs. And a drop-dead gorgeous smile.”

  She kissed my cheek. “Thanks, but I know that’s not true. Most shifters won’t even look me in the eye.”

  “That’s because you’re dominant. Your powerful. But you’re also respected by almost everyone.” I clinked my glass with hers again and downed the rest of my drink.

  “Almost everyone?” she questioned.

  “Hey,” I said, squeezing her ass, “you can’t please them all.” Just then, my phone buzzed with a message and I reluctantly took a look. “It’s Derrick. He said the humans are online right now.”

  “How does he know that?” Scarlett opened her duffle bag and pulled out a pair of skinny jeans and a leather jacket.

  As I watched her change, I could barely form a thought or a cohesive sentence in my head. “He has ways to track people’s activity online through backdoors and search engines.” She stared at me with a blank look. “Derrick’s a computer genius. That’s all I know.”

  “Okay, and he’s sure that they’re online now. On their website that the video was uploaded to?”