Simply Bears: A Ten Book Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance Collection

by Simply Shifters

  Maybe if she opened her eyes, she could look deep enough to see the village where Walter grew up. She could imagine people like him, tall and lean with muscle, dressed in clothes both traditional, and not so traditional.

  She could imagine children playing, running between the trees and whispering stories to each other at night when the rest of the world was asleep. Stories of the world outside of the village, stories of their ancestors, animals, their families and folklore that Ursula couldn’t even begin to imagine.

  “I’m so sorry for all of this.” Walter’s soft voice woke Ursula from her imagination.

  “Why are you sorry? I should be the one who’s sorry.”

  “But you didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “No, but I did judge you too quickly. You were trying to warn me, and I kicked you out before you could explain.”

  “But it’s far-fetched, it’s alright. If I didn’t know better, I would have called BS on it as well. It’s hard to imagine a human being turning into an animal. It’s surreal on many levels.”

  Ursula glanced up at him through the shadows of his room. He hadn’t turned on any of the lights, and his shutters were drawn shut. In the shadows, she could see how simple his apartment was, but there were still indications of his past from the tribe, trinkets littered around here and there, and some paintings of the woods hung on the walls.

  Walter watched her back, his eyes reflecting in the dim light . He stood a few feet away from her, tensed, as though waiting for her to walk out on him like she had before. Would she?

  No. Ursula knew she meant it, and she wasn’t going to go back on that. Or him, for that matter. Not again.

  “Walter, tell me everything. I want to know. I mean it.” She took a step towards him. Walter looked her over, hesitation in his stance. Ursula held her breath, not wanting to say anything that would make him change his mind about telling her. It would be hard to believe, but she had to hear this. What happened at her house was not some bad daydream; it was very much real, and she had to accept that. To accept who... no, what he was.

  “The legend goes that the village had fallen to disease, a sickness that even the Shaman of the time couldn’t cure. People were dying left and right, and the elders could only sit and watch with no hope of helping the people they were supposed to

  heal.

  “When the Shaman died, a young girl decided to take matters in her own hands. She decided to stray from the village, and head to the holy land higher in the mountains. There she fasted and prayed to the spirits.

  “She suffered through the elements until one day she felt the connection she was looking for. She called to Neahkanie, the god of creation. She asked him why he left the people who worshiped him to die. He told her that the people had lost the meaning of their existence, and he was not pleased with how shallow they had become.

  “She told Neahkanie that the people did have strong faith in the spirits, and could not turn their backs on what it meant to be alive. She told him of all the wonderful things her people did to celebrate not just life but the dead as well, that their culture and beginning was still rich in the depths of their souls.

  “Satisfied with what she had told him, Neahkanie told her that he would cure her people on one condition. He told her that in order for them to survive, they must become one with nature’s creatures in order to never fully forget who they were and where they came from. They would forever be shifters, people who could turn into the animals that lived in harmony with them.

  “The girl promised Neahkanie that her people would take honor in the power he would give them, and that her promise would forever be written in the heart of her people.

  “Pleased, Neahkanie turned the girl into a bird, and she flew back to the village where she found her people happy and healthy. She turned back into a girl before their eyes and told them of her journey and explained to them their newfound life.

  “The people took great pride in their new power, and vowed to appreciate their ancestors, the spirits, and would forever keep the spirit of the shifters and Neahkanie alive and well.”

  Ursula waited for him to go on, but he didn’t. She blinked, the story replaying itself in her mind. “But isn’t that just a myth?”

  Walter only shrugged. “No one knows if it is or not. The elders deeply believe in it, but the story is centuries old, if not older. But shifters still exist. I suppose it could be made up to give us an explanation about why we are the way we are, but the story is good enough.”

  “And the girl?”

  “She passed on her teachings from one daughter to the next. The girl replaced the Shaman and also became the midwife of the village. Her daughter took over when she died, and so on and so on. The midwives tend to live on the outskirts of the village and away from the rest in order to practice their magic and healing powers that we believe Neahkanie had given to her sacred ancestor from the beginning.”

  “Do you have a midwife at your village now?”

  “We do, but I don’t like her. Her name is Isabella, and I’ve always felt as though the isolation had stopped her from understanding the closeness of the village. It’s about family and sticking together, and she takes it to an extreme. She was the one to send Timothy and Rebecca for your child. She doesn’t understand that there are other, less extreme ways to deal with something like this.”

  Ursula nodded and glanced down at her stomach. “So will she send more villagers to come after me until they have my child?” She glanced back up at Walter. This time, he didn’t flinch.

  “I don’t know. But knowing her... there’s a good chance.”

  Ursula could only nod, dread filling her senses.

  “But I won’t let them hurt you or the baby while I’m around.”

  Ursula glanced up at him and smiled. “And you can change into a bear? Does everyone only change into bears and wolves?”

  “No, some can also change into birds, like the girl in the story, along with rabbits and snakes. We make up the cycle of life in nature’s kingdom. We prove that we can all live in harmony, despite who we are and the creature that we are attached to.”

  “Walter, why did you leave the tribe?”

  “Well... I left because I didn’t feel like I fit in. I’ve never been one for rules, and I always felt as though our society was so... stuffy about this and that and what was and was not okay. Technically, I should be fully kicked out as a member.”

  “And why aren’t you?”

  “Because my father is the leader of the tribe.”

  Ursula felt her mouth drop open. She tried to hide her shock, with no luck.

  Walter shifted and looked away. “My father would never fully banish me. I’m his only son, and I’m slated to become the next chief. I guess I wanted room to choose my own destiny, and that was to move into the city and start anew.”

  “Did you find what you wanted?”

  Walter licked his lips, his eyes squinting in concentration. After a few minutes, he turned to her with honesty in his eyes. “No. I thought this was what I needed, but it wasn’t. I realize now that no matter where you go, life is going to have rules you won’t always be happy with. And that’s okay. Experience comes with breaking away and seeing the world, and as much as I had felt trapped in the village, it makes me feel comfortable knowing I do have a place to go back to. The village was and is still my home, but I wanted room to grow on my own. I’ve always been a loner, and it took me a few years on my own to realize that company is still okay.”

  They both looked at each other, and the minutes seemed to tick away. Ursula had never expected to hear words like this in her life, but after weighing her thoughts, she believed she knew the honest answer to the unasked question buzzing in the air.

  “Walter, I believe you. It’s fantastic, but I just watched you turn into a bear and attack two people who could turn into wolves. I either am having a seriously long, weird dream, or I’m facing something that I can never fully begin to understand.” She paused.
“But I’m willing to try.”

  She shyly smiled at him from her spot, and after a moment, Walter slowly smiled back. She took a few careful steps until she was in front of him.

  In the dim light, he was even more ruggedly handsome. His face was shaded with stubble, his black hair falling messily into place around his head like a dark halo, his eyes sucking her into a beautiful place inside his mind.

  Ursula traced the definition in his muscles down his arm, lightly tracing with the tip of her finger. Walter sighed, took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her knuckles lightly.

  Walter traced the kisses up her arm, one slow caress of his lips after another. When he got to her neck, he pressed a lingering kiss against the nape of her neck before continuing and hovering his lips over her own.

  Ursula leaned in and connected her lips with his, drawing him in for a sweet kiss. Walter placed his hand on the back of her head, and she could taste all the things that Walter was.

  He was sweet and tangy, his lips wild but honest. Ursula wanted to breathe him in and never let him go. Her hands found his face and cupped his cheeks, the stubble tickling the sensitive skin of her fingertips.

  Walter slid his arms around her waist and lightly leaned back, leaning against the wall, his tall frame hunched over to kiss her. Ursula leaned into him, dragging her fingers gently from his face and down to the softness of his shirt, and found the buttons that kept it closed.

  One button at a time, her fingers slid from one to the next as they gracefully undid the clasps. Soon, the fabric came undone and his toned torso was exposed.

  He took the opportunity to flip their positions, pushing her against the wall. He kissed her passionately, sucking at her lower lip as she slid back his shirt.

  Ursula touched his shoulders and dragged her hands gently down his torso, taking in every scar and toned muscle her fingers lingered across. Even with his scars, he was beautiful. Each one told a story she desperately wanted to know more about.

  Walter pushed his arm away from the wall and let his shirt drop. He grabbed Ursula by her waist roughly, making her gasp, but didn’t break the kiss. He walked back, dragging her along with him until the back of his legs touched the fabric of his bed and, in one swift move, turned her around so she fell back onto the bed.

  He leaned over her, holding her hands above her head and trailed kisses along her throat.

  His skin was warm against hers, and Ursula shivered. Walter let go of her wrists and quickly took off her shirt.

  Her clothes were lost to the darkness, and Walter slid his hand under her back, unclasped her bra, and then it was gone as well. Their skin melted together, him hugging her curves and dragged kisses along her flesh.

  They became a tangle of limbs, fighting each other as though to prove who loved each other more. The night was filled with gasps and muffled moans as they moved together.

  Every rock, every breath, every moment lost to the darkness was another step forward to a bright future that both lovers could hardly wait for. It was the blessing that they both were looking for without realizing that it was the thing they had always wanted all along.

  ***

  Through the darkness, Walter could see the outline of the curve of Ursula’s side. He traced the hills covered in his sheets with delicate fingers.

  Her eyes barely were illuminated in the soft light that shone through the bedroom’s blinds. In that light, her eyes resembled gems catching the early morning light. But in his head, her eyes would put all gems to shame.

  Ursula’s eyes seemed to roam his face in the dark, or at least tried to through the thickness of the night. What would she find? Behind the light scars, stubble, sharp features and light eyes was a man Walter didn’t know existed. It was the man his father had told him he would grow up to be when he was a child, but Walter never believed him. That was, not until now.

  In the darkness, Walter reached over and found Ursula’s hand amidst the darkness and softness of his sheets. Her hand was tiny in his, and he clamped his fingers over hers gently, lightly rubbing his thumb over the knuckles.

  “Ursula?” His voice came out in a gentle whisper.

  “Yes, Walter?”

  He paused, knowing she probably couldn’t see him as well as he could see her. In the dark, Ursula’s brow furrowed and an amused smile sat gently on her lips.

  “...do you think I could be a part of this child’s life? Our child’s life? I know this is all sudden and new for you, but—”

  “Yes.”

  “What?”

  She scooted closer to him until their bodies connected and hugged each other perfectly, like the correct pair of jigsaw puzzle pieces. Ursula found his ear and grazed her teeth and lips over the tip. “I said yes. There’s nothing more that I want from life than for you to be the father our child deserves.”

  Her breath was hot on his ear, and Walter couldn’t help but let out a shuddering sigh as he wrapped his arms around her lower waist. He pressed his forehead against hers and shut his eyes. “Damn you, woman. I’ve fallen for a vixen.”

  Ursula let out a smile and kissed his nose. He could feel her pause. “So what does this mean?”

  Walter knew what it meant, and he was ready to accept the fate he had run away from.

  “I’m going to take you to meet my father. I think it’s time I come home. And I want you to be there with me.”

  He expected Ursula to argue. After all, it was a place she wasn’t familiar with. She was an outsider, a human. She would never fully fit in, but Walter knew that once the tribe members gave her a chance, they would love her almost as much as he did.

  “ I would love that, Walter.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really. Walter, my parents are dead. Besides the shop, I don’t have very much else to live for other than the child. And now that you’re in my life, that you’re the father... where you go is my home. I couldn’t be happier. I’m sure it’ll take time to get used to, but with you by my side, I know I can do it.”

  She found his lips and lightly kissed them. Walter kissed her back, and sighed from contentment, and pure happiness. He couldn’t ask for anything better.

  *

  Walter guided Ursula through the unknown territory of the woods, through trees, shrubs and grass. His body moved with the soil and earth so naturally, Ursula almost found herself hypnotized. Even after having been gone from home for so long, it was just in his blood to be one with the earth.

  Her backpack was a light weight on her back, only the necessary things weighing her down from the life she was about to leave behind.

  In a way, they didn’t need to talk. The silence was beautiful as it was, and neither one of them wanted to disturb it. Not that it bothered Ursula. It left her free to wonder what life would be like, who the people would be, but most importantly, how they were going to accept her and their future child.

  Soon, the shrubs and trees melted away to reveal a modern tribe. There were a mixture of tents and cabins, the people coming in and out wearing simplified versions, and more modern takes on the clothes that their ancestors had once worn.

  Everything seemed to have been handmade, from the clothes to the goods to the homes. When they appeared, some people stopped to stare. Some out of curiosity, others out of judgment. Ursula tightened her grip on Walter’s hand, and he drew himself up to his full height.

  Soon, the whole village seemed to be staring at them. From the left, a movement caught Ursula’s eye, and she made out a man coming towards them, weaving his way through the people. He finally stopped in front of them. He was Walter’s height, if not a little taller. His hair was longer, but not shaggy like Walter’s. It was neatly combed and tied back, exposing his sharp features and light, yellow-brown eyes.

  Ursula realized that the man before them was Walter’s father. Now that she had a good look at both men, Ursula realized that Walter really was a spitting image of his old man.

  The chief held his son’s eye contact, hope a
nd fear in his eyes. Underneath the chief’s confident stance, Ursula saw a sad man longing for his child to come home. It broke her heart that Walter had done that kind of damage to someone who just wanted the best for him.

  “Dad... everyone... this is Ursula. I... know I’ve been gone for quite a while, but I’m back. And I don’t plan on leaving again. I want you all to welcome Ursula. She will be my wife and the mother of my child.”

  Ursula looked up at him and couldn’t help but smile, some of her bangs falling in her eyes. Walter glanced down at her and smiled back. “I know she is considered an outsider, but if you just gave her a chance—”

  Ursula wasn’t ready for the hug that the chief pulled her in to. His strong arms held her gently, and with a fatherly love she hadn’t felt in too many years. She hugged

  back, letting out a pleased laugh. The chief let her go and looked at her fondly, a kind and relieved smile seeming to emanate from his whole being.

  “You will always be welcome here, my daughter. Never forget that. The person my son loves is someone my village will love as well.”

  Ursula looked over his shoulder, and realized that the villagers gazed upon them with the same look of happiness and content.

  These people were her family now, and she would never turn her back on them. She and Walter would raise their child, maybe a few more, and continue to strengthen what it meant to be, not just a member of the tribe, but a shifter as well.

  CHAPTER SIX

  The field was a brilliant shade of green that Ursula Davis had never seen before, and the smell of the woods around her overwhelmed her senses. Between the soft ground beneath her feet, the musky smell of morning dew on the plants, the breeze that brushed against her face... she never knew how much she had been missing out by living in the city her whole life.

  Ursula looked down and realized that her baby bump was gone. She crinkled her nose, not remembering giving birth. Despite the confusion, shock wasn’t setting in nor did a sense of panic.