“Remind me again why we’re going back into a forest that is crawling with werebears and werewolves,” Mike asked.
“Because I want that wolf. And that bear. They’re together somewhere. We just have to track them from the clearing,” Bud replied, focused on the road so he didn’t miss the turn. He remembered exactly where the clearing was and knew he could track that damn werewolf with little difficulty, especially if it had saved the werebear.
“It’s getting dark. We won’t be able to see anything.”
“I have spotlights. We can’t let the trail go cold,” Bud replied.
“Hey, listen, man. Let’s go back in the morning. I don’t want to be out there after dark,” Mike said. He didn’t like the idea of going back at all, but in the dark? No thanks.
“Don’t be a damn wuss. We’ll follow the trail and find out where they’re holed up, then go back in the morning and get them.” Bud wasn’t missing this opportunity. Two pelts, a werebear and a werewolf, would bring him a ton of money. He’d give Mike a share, of course; ten percent.
He turned onto the road and parked close to the trail they had followed to get back to the truck from the clearing. He grabbed his gear out of the back, including his gun, a big spotlight, and a back pack filled with the hunting essentials. Mike gathered his stuff as well and they headed into the forest.
*****
Riley and Susan had reached the clearing and returned to their human form. They could both smell the blood and knew it was Alice’s. The scents of the poachers was clear, but a third smell confused them both. They scoured the area for a stronger scent when Susan yelped.
“Riley, get over here!” she shouted. “I smell something over here I’m not familiar with.”
Riley walked over, sniffed the area, and jerked back. The closer smell revealed the distinct stench of a werewolf. He looked around the area to be sure they were alone.
“Susan, keep your eyes open. Alice ran into poachers and a werewolf.”
“Oh my god,” she whispered. “Do you think she’s ok?”
“She was alive when she left the clearing,” he said, kneeling close to the ground. “Look here, her footsteps disappear here, like she was carried.”
“I see it, I see it,” Susan said. “What do we do?”
Riley studied her curious face, lost in thought. What do we do now? he wondered. Alice was obviously in trouble, injured and who knew where, but he didn’t want to put Susan in danger. He couldn’t make a decision. He looked at Susan again.
“Riley, what are we going to do? We have to find her,” Susan said, putting her hand on his arm. “She’s hurt.”
“I know, but I don’t want to put you in danger,” Riley replied. “But I guess we don’t have a choice.”
“No, we don’t. She needs us. And I’ll be careful and do whatever you tell me,” Susan promised.
They transformed into werebears again and picked up the trail of the werewolf that had taken their sister.
*****
“Perfect.” Bud had been standing behind a tree, just barely able to hear the werebears discussing their sister.
“What do you mean, perfect?” hissed Mike.
“They’ll lead us right to the camp. We don’t even have to do any tracking,” Bud replied. “We can come back in the morning and the wolf pack will be ours for the taking. Maybe a werebear or two as well.”
“How are we going to follow them? They’re faster than us and they might hear us.”
“They’re too worried about finding their sister. They’ll never know we’re here.” Bud watched them transform and run in the opposite direction. “Come on.”
Bud ran after the two werebears, with Mike trailing behind him.
*****
Riley and Susan arrived at the werewolf camp only fifteen minutes later. They transformed back into their human forms and circled the camp, looking for signs of their sister.
“I can’t see her,” Susan whispered. From the vantage point they’d chosen, they could see the entire camp. Alice was nowhere in sight.
“Me either,” Riley replied. His swift eyes took in every detail of the camp. Susan could hear the anxiety and anger tainting his voice. “She’s here, though. I can smell her.”
“Me too. I hope she’s ok.” Susan touched his hand so he’d look at her. “We have to get the others. We can’t do anything tonight by ourselves.”
“I agree. Dammit, where is she?” Riley’s fury exploded briefly, but his calm returned quickly. “Ok, we know where she is. We’ll go home and bring back the clan to get her.”
“You think she’s been kidnapped?”
“Must have been. She wouldn’t stay here unless she had to.”
“You’re right,” Susan replied. “Let’s go.”
Riley looked at the camp again, hoping to see his sister. He turned to Susan and nodded, they transformed, and ran north.
*****
“Did you hear that, Bud?” Mike had forgotten his fears in his excitement. “Werebears and werewolves in the same place! We’ll be millionaires!”
“Calm down.” Bud’s thoughts were racing. How could he take down a werebear clan and a werewolf pack without more help? “Let’s get back and make our plans. Tomorrow, we come back and get us some pelts.”
Chapter 4
Alice could hear Alex’s breathing as it deepened into sleep breaths. She smiled, comforted by the sound, although she knew she shouldn’t be. She touched her lips that were swollen from his kiss and traced the path his hand had followed along her waist and across her stomach. I shouldn’t be feeling this, she admonished. He’s a wolf, I’m a bear! Our parents will kill us!
But then she remembered she was an adult, more than capable of making her own decisions. Many females left the clan for another once they chose a husband, if he was from a different clan. Some males would switch clans as well, joining his wife’s clan. Usually the couple decided that based on which group they got along with better.
Alice knew she could leave the clan if she married, or she could invite her husband to join hers. She snorted and heard a disruption in Alex’s breathing. She put her hand over her mouth and giggled. She glanced down at him to make sure she hadn’t wakened him. He murmured sexily and changed position, but did not wake.
She returned to her thoughts. Marrying a werewolf isn’t exactly what that rule was made for, she reminded herself. And why was she even contemplating marriage anyway? They’d kissed, that’s all. But something inside her called to him, craved him, and she was sure he felt the same way. His eyes had told her when she’d stopped the kiss. That hadn’t been just lust in his eyes or on his face. He was falling for her as hard as she was falling for him.
Why had she stopped him? Why? Because you’re the responsible one blah blah, she thought. Yes, she was an adult, but she didn’t want to hurt her family through her actions. God, the Romeo and Juliet reference earlier was so accurate.
She sighed heavily and peeked over the side of the bed at Alex’s sleeping form. His hair showed starkly against the white pillow case, only slightly disheveled due to his shifting positions in his sleep. She hadn’t asked him yet what tribe his clan belonged to, but his Native American heritage was clear in the chiseled lines of his jaw and cheeks as well as in the beautiful tanned skin she’d seen so much of earlier when he’d changed from werewolf to human form. His bare chest rose and fell with every breath, and she longed to trace the outlines of his muscles with her finger, or maybe her tongue.
She blushed at the thought and silently criticized herself for her nasty mind. But then her gaze fell on his stomach and slowly lowered to the V men in his superior physical condition have that guides a woman right to the good stuff. She remembered ‘the good stuff’ clearly from what she’d seen in the forest, and the memory was enough to get her blood boiling.
What would it be like with him? she wondered. She’d had other lovers, both werebear and human, but none of them had kissed her like Alex had, and none of them had r
emained in her mind the way he did. Just looking at him while he slept had aroused her more than she’d expected.
After only a few hours, she mused. She lay back on the bed, her thoughts in turmoil. How could she fall in love with him in such a short time? It seemed absolutely ridiculous, but she couldn’t deny what she felt. But could he really want her? By nature, werebears are born plump and remain so throughout their lives, regardless of attempts at weight loss. She’d been a size sixteen since puberty, and she’d always loved the way she looked in clothes and out of them.
Werewolves, though, were naturally muscular, even into old age. Alex’s body was positively chiseled from marble, so perfect he could have been a renaissance statue. Or a stripper. She giggled at the thought of him gyrating on a stage in front of dozens of women waving around dollar bills. Why would he want her when he could have a model-sized werewolf from his own pack?
Oh, good lord. I’ve never worried about my figure before. I’m not starting now! No man is worth that.
She rolled over on her side and looked down at him again. She watched him breathing, and before she could stop herself, she reached down and brushed her fingers over his cheek. He didn’t move, so she traced his jaw lightly with her finger, then moved it across his lips. They were shapely, the bottom fuller than the top, and she knew they fit perfectly with hers. As if they had been meant to spend their lives kissing, she thought, and again admonished herself for her silly thoughts.
She realized she was still touching him when he shifted toward her hand, resting his cheek in her palm.
He awoke slowly, opening his eyes, shutting them, and opening them again to look at her. His smile awakened the beauty of his face, and Alice sighed because, for right now, that smile was for her. He raised his hand and put it over hers, holding it to his cheek. She hoped he would kiss the palm. But he just watched her, waiting for her to make a move, to say something. She watched him, wondering if she should follow her instincts, her heart, or follow her head.
Her heart won.
She ran her hand down his arm slowly, caressing every inch of his bicep and forearm gently, until she reached his hand. She tugged it lightly, a sign that she wanted him to join her on the bed. He raised his eyebrows at her in a question, and she remembered what she’d said earlier when she’d stopped their kiss. She smiled seductively and tugged his hand again, this time more forcefully. The smile he awarded her was like the sun rising over the horizon.
He rose from the floor to lay down on the bed next to her, his arm sliding under her neck to pull her closer. His other hand rested on her waist, gently massaging her soft skin. He looked into her eyes, held them for a long moment before kissing her. When their lips touched, butterflies erupted in her stomach; if she’d been standing, her leg would have popped up Disney-princess style.
Their tongues danced together to a music created eons ago, the music of lust, desire, love. She ran her hands over his chest, memorizing the perfection that was his body. He moaned when her hand grazed his belly and continued down. She ran her hand over his jeans, admiring the immense bulge straining against his pants. She worked at the button so she could touch his flesh, but he stopped her. She looked up at him, questioning, and he shook his head playfully at her.
So he wants to go slow, she mused, smiling at him. She lifted her hand away from his fly and let him take the lead. She’d take it back if he faltered.
He raised up above her and moved his body so that he was between her legs. She still wore her tee shirt and panties, and his jeans were only unbuttoned, but she was pretty sure she could push them over his hips if she tried hard enough. Her desire for him soared when he lay on top of her, their bodies connected as their lips fused again. She lifted her hands to run them through his hair and pull him back down to kiss her, and he let her. She squirmed as his jeans rubbed against her most sensitive spot, and he smiled against her lips.
He’s driving me crazy on purpose! she thought. Ok, two can play at that game.
She ran her hands down his back, scratching his skin lightly as she did. When she reached the waistband of his jeans, she pushed her hands into them and scratched the skin of his oh-so-sexy ass. He groaned into her mouth, breaking the kiss to move down her neck. He kissed and licked her throat until she moaned, then he lifted up and jerked her tee shirt over her head, baring her breasts to him.
Alice covered herself self-consciously, wondering how she looked in his eyes, but he looked into her eyes and shook his head slowly, smiling sincerely at her. He took her hands and placed them above her head, then raised up to look at her.
“You’re beautiful.”
She smiled and shrugged his hands off her wrists so she could pull him down to her again. He kissed her, his smooth chest pressing into hers. He slowly moved his mouth down her throat again before latching on to her nipple. She shivered as he suckled her, and she moaned loudly when his other hand caressed her other breast. She sighed as he lavished her with pleasure.
As he gave her breasts his attention, one hand slipped down and into her panties. He touched her clit with his thumb, and she shivered in response. He knew he’d found the right spot and pressed it, moving his thumb in circles until her moans grew in volume. He put his mouth over hers to quiet her, loving the taste of her moan as she climaxed.
Alice couldn’t believe how quickly she’d finished; no one had ever been able to do that to her. She grasped his waist and pulled him closer to her, her eyes practically begging him to enter her. She pushed her hands inside his jeans, shoving them down so she could grasp his cock. Her eyes widened at the girth, and he smiled at her knowingly.
He lowered his body, kissing her as he moved down, pulling on her panties. He pulled them off and discarded them. He stood and removed his pants, then bent as if to lay down again, but she stopped him. His erect cock was almost daunting in its length; Alice’s eyes feasted on his body. She reached up and grabbed his hand, yanking him down to her. With laughter in her eyes, she maneuvered her body and guided his cock to her waiting, wet pussy.
He hesitated at the entrance, looking into her eyes. What he saw there, lust, desire, love, pleased him. Alex kissed her and thrust swiftly into her. She gasped in pleasure, as did he.
Alice was lost in the sensations building up in her body. No one had filled her like Alex did. She looked up at him, wanting the eye contact as he thrust into her again and again, building the pleasure for both of them with every move. Alex held himself aloft with his strong arms so as not to crush her. He wanted to watch her as she climaxed. She closed her eyes; he slowed his momentum, causing her to open them again. He thrust into her vagina, and she understood: he wanted to see her eyes.
They moved as one, kissing as they made love. She put her legs around his waist, using them to pull him deeper. His thrusts became more frantic as he approached climax, and she wrapped her legs and arms around him, encouraging his thrusts.
As one, they cried out, bodies tensing in pleasure.
*****
Riley and Susan had reached the bear camp quickly, immediately searching out their mother to report what they’d found. After hearing their tale, Cammie called a meeting with the elders for a decision.
“Thank you for rising from your beds, everyone. I apologize for the late hour,” Cammie began. “Riley and Susan went on a scouting mission to find Alice. As you all know, she left this morning to wander the woods.”
Some of the elders chuckled, one mumbled grouchily. They all knew Alice’s penchant for wandering off, but they also knew she was incredibly responsible and would never worry her mother needlessly. Everyone had agreed sending Riley and Susan out had been a good idea.
Cammie smiled and waiting for the chatter to die down. “I’m going to let Riley tell you what they found.”
Riley rose and cleared his throat before speaking. “Again, sorry for the late hour, everybody. Ok, Susan and I went looking for Alice and followed her trail through the woods pretty easily. At some point, she was injured, shot b
y poachers from the looks of it. She’s lost a lot of blood. We followed a trail of it to a clearing, where there was a skirmish of some sort. A werewolf was involved.”
Several of the elders gasped loudly at the mention of a werewolf, assuming the werewolf had attacked the wounded Alice and dragged her somewhere.
One asked, “Is she ok? Did you find her?”
“We didn’t actually see her,” Susan commented.
Riley continued the story. “The poachers ran off in one direction, and it looks like Alice left with the werewolf.” He paused and looked at Susan, who nodded at him. “We’re pretty sure the werewolf carried her. We are positive he took her to the werewolf camp.”
Shouts from the gathered elders interrupted Riley this time. Cammie raised her hand for silence. Although she was more terrified than she could express, she was still the clan leader and had a job to do. “Guys, let him finish before we start yelling.” They quieted, giving Riley the respect and quiet he needed to finish.
Riley smiled at his mother, who smiled encouragingly at him. Cammie knew her son would one day run the clan, and watching him now, she knew he’d be a wonderful leader.
“We tracked them to the werewolf camp, where we picked up her smell again, as if he put her down. We didn’t see any more blood, though, so I don’t think her wound is that serious.” He paused and looked around at the group. “We couldn’t see her. We have no idea if they’ve done anything to her, but I’m almost positive, and Susan agrees with me, that Alice is still alive. We could still smell her.”
Susan nodded and added, “We know how to reach the camp, but that’s about it. We don’t know what tent we might find her in or who the leader is for sure.”
Cammie interrupted. “I know who the leader is. Cruel man named John. Yells a lot.”
One of the elders, a large, hairy man, asked the question all of them wanted to ask. “So what are we going to do, Cammie?”
“My suggestion is to use a diplomatic approach first. Riley and I will lead a group into the wolf camp. He and I will be in human form and will address their leader, John.”
Forbidden Love: A BBW, BWWM Paranormal Romance Page 4