Bears of Burden: WYATT

by Candace Ayers

  With images dancing in my head of Alex having sex out there with some floozy up against a tree, I let my pregnancy hormones drive me. I crept through the woods, a small trail of tears streaming down my face—angry, scared, hurt tears. I’d been so sure of our connection just minutes before, and there I was, creeping through the woods in an effort to catch him with his pants down. Off. His pants were already off. I’d catch that bastard in the act.

  I heard movement up ahead and stepped behind a big tree. I knew I looked crazy and I felt even crazier, but something wasn’t right.

  After a few seconds, I peeked my head around the tree and let out a blood-curdling scream. Standing less than six feet from me was the biggest bear I’d ever seen. The only bear I’d ever seen, face to face anyway.

  It just stood staring at me. There was something about its face that made it look annoyed, but that had to be more of my hysteria. I was going to die, and I blamed Alex’s. If he’d only kept his pants on, things would’ve turned out differently.

  Trembling, I made a move to step backwards. The bear grunted at me and reached its paw out. I suddenly feared, not for myself, but for my unborn baby. I snapped. I reached out and slapped its paw away. “You are not eating me. Not today. I have a baby in here and I will beat your furry ass to keep him safe if I have to.”

  It backed up a step hoping to slowly make my getaway, but suddenly, the bear was gone, and Alex appeared in its spot, naked and grinning. “You’d beat up a grizzly bear for our cub?”

  CHAPTER 17: Elizabeth

  I blinked a few times. Was I still alive? Oh, no, was I hallucinating?

  “Wha… what just happened?”

  Alex looked sheepish. He ran a hand through his hair and blew out a long, slow breath. “No more secrets.”

  I leaned against the tree. My mind was slowly trying to make sense of what I’d just seen. If I didn’t know any better, I would have sworn that there was a bear in front of me who had just… become Alex.

  One second, bear. Next second, Alex.

  “I’m sorry, Elizabeth. I didn’t want you to find out like this. My bear just smelled you and came towards you. He smelled you sad and angry and came running.”

  “Your…bear.” Funny thing is, I knew what he meant. He didn’t mean it as in, the bear that he keeps around these woods as a pet. No, he meant it as in, the bear that he is.

  I shook my head to clear it and then stared deeply into his golden brown eyes. Alex, the guy that I’d somehow fallen in love with in a matter of hours. Alex, the bear-man. Man-bear? Something in my brain snapped back into place and I reached out and smacked him.

  “I thought you were cheating on me! I saw your clothes and your truck and thought I was going to find you out here with another woman!”

  He raised an eyebrow. “I just revealed that I’m a bear shifter and you’re pissed because you thought I was cheating?”

  “You… you scared the hell out of me. I just verbally whipped your brother for even suggesting you didn’t care about me, and then I come out here and thought I’d find you… the way I did Sam. I was scared. Terrified.”

  “Which one?”

  “Huh?”

  “You had words with my brother? Which one?”

  “Matt. He’s an ass.”

  “Did he touch you?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Does it matter? Can we get back to the issue at hand? What the hell is a bear shifter? Am I dead? I feel like this whole thing is surreal.”

  Alex caught my shoulders and pulled me against his naked body. He wrapped his arms around me and held me tight. “I’m a bear shifter. And no, you’re not dead. Feel my heartbeat?”

  I pressed my ear to his chest and listened to it racing. “Why is it going so fast?”

  “Because I’m afraid you’re going to run from me again.”

  I leaned away from him and shook my head. “I’m still here.”

  “I’m a shifter. I can turn into a bear…”

  It actually all made sense. As much something like this could make sense. I’d seen his eyes take on an inhuman glow multiple times. I knew there had to be something special about him that would explain that. I just never in my wildest dreams could have imagined it would be—this. I’d watched True Blood like half of the rest of the country. I knew what shifters were. I just didn’t know they actually existed. Like in real life. “Do it again.”

  He moved away from me and in a blur of movement, his body contorted and he was a bear again. He huffed and went down on all fours so he was closer to my height. He was huge. Ginormous.

  I reached out and slowly rested my hand on his head.

  “Holy shit.”

  He made a sound that was so similar to laughter that I couldn’t help but laugh myself. I stroked his head and neck, feeling the coarse hair beneath my fingertips. This was either real or it was hands down the most vivid dream I’d ever had.

  “This is amazing, Alex. Can you understand me?”

  He huffed again and nuzzled his face against me. A small flutter in my stomach surprised me and I looked down at it with shock on my face.

  Alex was instantly standing next to me again. “What’s wrong?”

  “He just kicked, I think. It’s early, though. When you put your face against my belly, he moved.” I laughed. “Is he going to come out a bear?”

  He looked appalled. “Of course, not!”

  I laughed even harder. It was all so crazy. “I’m kidding, Alex. He will be like you, though, right?”

  He nodded and watched me curiously. “He will. And one day he will feel the same pull towards someone as I feel towards you. My whole family is like this. I’ll explain everything better later.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, you will.”

  “How are you taking this so well?”

  “I don’t know. I think all of this has just been crazy enough that I’m more stunned than anything. Maybe I’ll freak out later. Maybe I won’t. How do people normally take this news?”

  He touched my cheek. “People don’t normally find out. That’s why the town was so closed up when you got here. It’s a big secret to keep.”

  I pouted. “But they were nice to Sam.”

  At the mention of Sam’s name, Alex growled and pulled me into his chest. “Mine.”

  I nipped at his chest. “Were you trying to eat me earlier? Is that a thing?”

  His laughter rang out loud and clear through the forest.

  “No. We do not eat people. There is something I wanted to explain to you, though. About mates.”

  “Mates? Bailey used that word. Are we mates?”

  “Yes. Mates are just like they sound. Soulmates. You were meant for me and I was meant for you. I could feel it the very first time I laid eyes on you at the rodeo. I knew you were mine.”

  I kissed him then, desperate to feel something solid. “What does it mean?”

  He kissed me back. “It means that we’re going to be together for a long time. It means that I love you, and that my heart belongs to you.”

  I grinned up at him. “This is all so insane and I’m sure you’ll have to explain it all a million times to me later, but right now, I just want to be close to you. As close as I can get.”

  He ripped the straps of my dress and pushed it off my shoulders. With a predatory look on his face, he pushed me against the tree. “As close as possible?”

  My body reacted instantly, the same way it had this morning and three months ago. Maybe it was the mate thingy, or maybe it was just how hot Alex was. I couldn’t be sure, but either way, I wanted him. “What did you want to explain to me about mates? I have about two more minutes of listening before I’m tackling you and having my way with you.”

  He pushed my dress up over my belly and hips, over my head, and let it fall to the ground. His fingers cupped my sex and his mouth landed on my neck. “This. Mates claim each other. I wasn’t trying to eat you earlier. I was fighting the instinct to claim you as mine. Everything in me is screaming at me to mark you so no on
e else ever thinks they can touch you again.”

  His lips felt amazing against my skin and I was ready to agree to anything. “Is it a hickey?”

  He flicked his tongue over the same spot. “No. It’s a bite. It’s a bond between us.”

  “Will it hurt?”

  “Probably. It’ll be worth it, though.”

  I rocked my hips against his hand, trying to get him to rub my clit. “Do you still want to?”

  He scraped his teeth there and made me gasp with pleasure. “Fuck, yes. I’ve wanted to mark you as mine since that first night. It took everything in me not to do it.”

  I tilted my head farther to the side. “I want you to mark me. I want to be yours. Do I mark you?”

  He yanked my panties down and easily lifted me until my core hovered over his dick. “When I mark you, Elizabeth, everyone will know that I belong to you. You own my heart, little one.”

  I cried out as he dropped me slowly onto his shaft and pinned me against the tree. I dug my nails into his shoulders and held on. I wanted him more than anything. Nothing else mattered.

  Alex drove into me again and again, filling my body until I thought I couldn’t take anymore. “I’ve missed you so much. Never leave me again.”

  “My bear, make me yours.”

  My body was close already. Alex seemed like he was right there with me. His thrusts were erratic and his grip on my thighs punishing. I tilted my head to the side, inviting him to claim me. I wanted to be tied to him forever.

  Alex let out a roar louder than anything I’d ever heard and then sank his teeth into my neck. Stinging pain lasted for only a second before blinding pleasure filled me and I tumbled into the strongest orgasm of my life. I ripped my nails across his back as the pleasure shook me. Alex jerked into me once more before I felt his seed filling me.

  I felt him licking my neck but my head was so light that it just rolled back. My body felt like all my bones had been removed. I slumped against the tree behind me and mumbled his name.

  Alex held me tightly in his arms and lowered us both to the ground. He laid me on his chest and held me tight. “It’s okay, little one.”

  I lost track of how much time we’d been there, recovering, but the night had fallen without my noticing. I idly played with Alex’s hair and pressed kisses against his chest.

  “How do you feel?”

  I lifted my tired head to stare at him and gave him a satisfied grin. “Like I should’ve stayed here five months ago and kept doing that.”

  He grunted. “I should’ve tied you up and made you stay.”

  I flicked my tongue over his nipple. “You should’ve, mate.”

  Alex hardened under me and shifted us so that I was straddling him. “Are you too tired?”

  I grabbed him and then lowered myself onto him, filling myself with my mate. “Never.”

  He reached up and wrapped his hands over my breasts. “I love you like this. Ride me, Elizabeth.”

  Who was I to deny my mate? I leaned over him and kissed him long and hard. “I love you, bear.”

  “Always.”

  THE END

  SCREWED

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  I hate Jett Lang.

  I’ve hated him for six years- ever since college. I was a shy, awkward freshman and he was a cocky, arrogant football star.

  A.K.A. the a-hole who made my college days a living hell.

  It figures he would be the one to come to my rescue

  Now he’s a better-paid, cocky, arrogant NFL star.

  Still steaming hot, panty-meltingly gorgeous. Still an a-hole.

  And, here he is in front of me with a proposition that I’m in no position to refuse.

  Damn him.

  ***************

  Claire Donnelly.

  Sweet, mousy little Claire Donnelly.

  My bad boy rep is hurting my career and Claire is just the sweet thing that can help me change that.

  Besides, she makes my d*ck harder than any woman I’ve ever known.

  I will do anything to get me a piece of Claire.

  The one thing I didn’t expect was to fall head over heels in love with her.

  Chapter 1 CLAIRE

  Another night, another bar. Jesus Christ.

  I blow my hair out of my eyes, and wrap both arms around my drunk boyfriend. The idiot is, as usual, totally shitfaced, which means I got a call at home from the bartender about 10 minutes ago hollering about Aaron picking fights with some poor college freshman over a game of darts, and how I needed to come pick him up.

  “Get that asshole under control, Claire.” the bartender barks at me as I drag Aaron, still screaming, out of the bar.

  Yeah, I want to shout back, I’ll get right on that.

  No one can get Aaron under control when he’s been drinking, which is pretty much all the time anymore. Tonight I have no doubt I’ll be repaid for the kindness of keeping him from pounding those scared kids into the floor with a lovely black eye that everyone at work will avoid asking me about.

  My co-workers have already heard all the stupid, repetitive lies; they aren’t interested in hearing them again.

  “Aaron, please try to calm down,” I try to talk comfortingly. I’m too exhausted to be scared of what I know is coming when we get home. I never thought I’d feel this exhausted at the age of 24.

  “Those little fucks cheated me out of my money!” Aaron bellows, still scrambling to get around me and back into the bar. “They fucking hustled me!”

  I lean into his body trying to nonchalantly block him with mine. The car is in sight. “I know, baby,” I lie, placating him, “but you can’t just go after them. The bartender said we have to leave.”

  “I can’t?!” Aaron whips around to face me, his eyes wild and bloodshot.

  Oh crap! I said the wrong thing.

  “Did you just tell me what I can’t do, you little cunt?”

  Oh, God. I hoped he would have at least waited until we were in the car. “No, baby, that’s not…”

  “Not what? Not what?” He grabs my hair and starts yanking me around by it, bringing me to my knees. “Not you trying to fucking control me? You little lying bitch, that’s all you ever do. You just want to fucking control me.”

  “No, I swear,” I can feel eyes on us from all over the parking lot. No one will intervene. No one will try to stop him - they never do. Most will look away or leave. Some will watch in disgust. Those who watch will be more disgusted by me taking a beating than by him giving me one. I will just have to endure it, as always.

  “I’m not trying to control you. You’re in charge, okay, baby? You’re the boss. Please, let’s just go home, I’ll give you a massage and you can relax -”

  My words are cut short by a slamming punch to my jaw. I’m sent reeling backwards, knocked flat on the ground. I lie sprawled out on the pavement with Aaron ranting and screaming above me, but I’m not listening. I want to fucking kill him, the tears in my eyes are from humiliation rather than pain, although my jaw throbs. But I know my 5’2” frame springing up and throwing lame punches at him won’t diffuse the situation, it will make it worse for me.

  Just keep breathing, I remind myself, trying to swallow the fear that crawls up my throat like bile. I’ve been through this before, and I will make it through this time.

  Just keep breathing, stay still, don’t fight back, don’t talk. Don’t make this last longer than it has to. You’ll get past this. I wince when I feel his kicks on my back, legs, and stomach, but I just curl into a ball with my arms over my face.

  $623.52.

  As the kicks continue, sharp painful blows with his boot, I just keep reminding myself of the $623.52 that I have stashed under the false bottom of my sock drawer. Soon I’ll have enough to get away from this psycho-asshole, to go somewhere else, start a new life, become a new person.

  I just need a little more money.

  I am suddenly aware of another male voice, and the kicks abruptly cease. I peek out from beneath m
y arms. A heavily-muscled man with dark blonde hair has Aaron by the shirt collar. He delivers a vicious punch to Aaron’s stomach.

  “The fuck is wrong with you?” the guy bellows, his voice is deep and smooth but I detect an underlying tremor of rage. “Think you’re such a big man, beating up on a little woman, you piece of shit? That make you feel strong?” The larger man throws Aaron against the hood of my car. “Come on, man, show me how tough you are now!”

  Aaron doubles over, coughing, and I almost feel like laughing. Aaron is an intimidating presence, but this guy is huge. His back is to me but from the way it looks, he is solid muscle. I don’t think of myself as a particularly vengeful person, but knowing Aaron will have bruises tomorrow too feels unbelievably satisfying. Unfortunately, it will also mean he’ll become more enraged, and more rage means more taking his anger out on me.

  With Aaron reduced to a groaning pile on the gravel parking lot, the big guy turns and reaches out a hand to help me up.

  “Hey, lady, are you oka- ” He freezes mid-sentence, and when our eyes meet, I know why.

  Jett Lang.

  Jett fucking Lang… Lord, this can’t be happening to me!

  “Claire?... Claire Donnelly?... Is that you?” he asks.

  I groan. Of course, the one guy who so honorably comes to my rescue has to be Jett Lang, who used to be the biggest fucking douchebag college football player, and is now the more famous, better-paid fucking douchebag NFL player. Also known as the asshole who made my college days a living hell.

  When will I catch a break?

  “Yes, it’s me,” Using the hand he offers, I pull myself to my feet, and dust off my jeans. “Hey, Jett.”

  “Holy shit, I can’t believe it’s you.” He motions with his thumb at my mess of a boyfriend. “Who the fuck is that guy?”