by T. S. Joyce
Nervous flutters filled her belly again. Was she ready to fly? Half a year on the ground had seemed like an eternity. “Hell yeah, I’m ready.”
“That’s my girl,” he said in that sexy, deep, rumbling voice of his.
She undressed in a rush and gave him a nervous grin before she let her animal have her skin. Her falcon burst from her, and she settled onto the floor by the bed. She stretched her wings, now completely regrown with long, elegant feathers, and took a couple of practice flaps. The air under her whooshed away, toppling a pair of her shoes that sat against the wall.
“Come on, Beautiful. It’s time for you to fly.” Kellen offered his arm, and she gripped it with her talons, then spread her wings to balance herself as he lifted her.
She could see everything in this body. The grain in the wooden door as Kellen opened it. And each individual, dried piece of late November grass as he walked her toward the gathering near the bonfire.
The boys were throwing her a First Flight party, but really, they used any excuse to drink beer and barbecue, no matter that it was thirty degrees outside and smelled like snow. They were currently drinking Dixie cup shots of boxed wine with Brooke and laughing at something Denison said. Brighton was strumming his guitar and was the first to see them approach. He kicked his twin brother and Denison turned.
“Aw, yeah, here she comes,” Denison called. “You still owe me twenty bucks,” he said, glaring at Haydan.
“You didn’t get her to Turn!” Hayden argued. “That Crestfall prick did. Technically, he’d get the pot. If he were still alive.”
“We had a side bet,” Denison said. “Whoever guessed her got the secondary pot.”
“You didn’t guess her,” Bruiser gritted out.
Denison’s mouth dropped open as if he was appalled. “I didn’t guess her? Are you serious right now? I guessed werebumblebee. I was the closest. I win. Pay up, suckas.”
“Good grief,” Kellen muttered.
Tagan took a swig of his beer and waved his hand. “Hold on. How the hell do you think a bumblebee is anything like a freaking dagger-clawed, dive-bombing, badass bird of prey falcon?”
Denison arched his eyebrows like the answer should’ve been obvious. “Bees fly.”
The boys erupted into more argument, and Brooke shook her head and took another swig from her Dixie cup. If Skyler could’ve laughed in this form, she would’ve. God, she loved being a part of this crazy crew.
“You can do this,” Kellen murmured as he crouched down. With a jerk of his arm, she was airborne, stretching long unused muscles as she used the breeze to lift her.
A few more powerful thrusts, and she was high above them, circling her people. They’d all gone quiet as they watched her. Except for Denison. Denison whistled a catcall. Tagan put his arm around his mate, and he and Brooke grinned up at her. Haydan and Brighton lifted their beers in a silent toast, and Kellen…her Kellen. His eyes followed her like she was the most beautiful thing he’d seen. He rubbed the bracelet on his wrist. Her declaration that he was hers for always.
She widened the loop and pumped her wings for higher altitude. Bursting through the clouds, she spun and dove, then pulled up again. Here, she finally felt like herself again. Not her old self that was weak and out of options. She felt like the self she’d always wanted to be.
As she coasted high above the piney mountains, past the clearing where she’d called Roger and told him they were through, and along the mountainside that was home to the Ashe crew’s job site, she thought of all she’d found here. When she turned back to get a bird’s eye view of Asheford Drive and the trailer park she considered home, she was filled with consuming joy.
The Ashe crew was sitting around the fire, talking, but her mate was still standing just where he’d been, eyes to the sky, waiting for her as he always would.
Kellen had been worth all of the personal growth she’d needed to go through in order to find herself. She’d put in the work and evicted her demons because he deserved the best of her.
She’d risen from the ashes of her past to give herself a shot at happiness with the man she loved.
Today, she didn’t feel like a falcon.
She felt like a phoenix.
Next Up in the Saw Bears Series
Timberman Werebear (Book 3)
Coming April 2015
Amazon
Acknowledgements
I have two giant thank yous to toss into the universe here. The first is to my editor, Corinne DeMaagd, who goes above and beyond to make these books as clean as possible, and is dedicated to hitting tough deadlines so I can get these out quickly. And the second…y’all already know…it’s you, readers. I heart you big. All of your messages, emails, reviews, and general kindness/badassery are inspiring.
You are amazing.
I write because of you.
Bear Shifter Romance Newsletter Sign-Up
For new releases, exclusive sneak peeks, and giveaways, sign up for T. S. Joyce’s Bear Shifter Romance Newsletter HERE.
Other Books by T. S. Joyce – Available Now
Bear Valley Shifters
The Witness and the Bear (Book 1)
Devoted to the Bear (Book 2)
Return to the Bear (Book 3)
Betray the Bear (Book 4)
Redeem the Bear (Book 5)
Bear Valley Valentine (Valentine’s Day Novella)
Hells Canyon Shifters
Call of the Bear (Book 1)
Fealty of the Bear (Book 2)
Avenge the Bear (Book 3)
Claim the Bear (Book 4)
Heart of the Bear (Book 5)
Wolf Brides
Wolf Bride (Book 1)
Red Snow Bride (Book 2)
Dawson Brides (Book 3)
Standalone Shifter Romance
Coveted by the Bear
Amazon
Standalone Contemporary Romance
Shelter Me Home
Amazon
About the Author
T. S. Joyce
T.S. Joyce is devoted to bringing hot shifter romances to readers. Hungry alpha males are her calling card, and the wilder the men, the more she'll make them pour their hearts out. Experienced at handling an alpha male of her own, she lives in a tiny town, outside of a tiny city, and devotes her life to writing big stories. Foodie, bear whisperer, ninja, thief of tiny bottles of awesome smelling hotel shampoo, nap connoisseur, movie fanatic, and zombie slayer, and most of this bio is true.
Bear Shifters? Check
Smoldering Alpha Hotness? Double Check
Sexy Scenes? Fasten up your girdles, ladies and gents, it’s gonna to be a wild ride.
For more information about T. S. Joyce and her work, visit her website here.
Contents
Other Books in the Saw Bears Series
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Epilogue
Next Up in the Saw Bears Series
Acknowledgements
Newsletter Sign-Up
Other Books by T. S. Joyce
Hells Canyon Shifters
Wolf Brides
Standalone Shifter Romance
Standalone Contemporary Romance
About the Author
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