Bear Love

by Belinda Meyers

  “My ex.”

  “Oh.” His bear, which had reared its head higher, calmed somewhat, and he was able to remove his hand from the wall and support himself. He scowled, confused. “Why is Andrew what’s wrong? Do you still love him?”

  She let out a long breath. It sounded like it had been pent up inside her for years. “I’m not sure I ever did, to be honest.”

  That’s because you’re my mate, he wanted to say. We’re fated to be together. Only sometimes fate had other plans.

  “Then why were you with him?” Mike said.

  “I thought I was in love. We just seemed so right together. We looked good together. We wanted the same things.” She gave a bitter laughed. “We had the same taste in furniture.”

  He allowed himself to smile. “Solid reasons.”

  “Yeah.” She started to reach out toward Mike’s face, but then her hand dropped away. He grabbed it, though, and put it to his cheek. “You’re so warm,” she said. “I can’t believe it. You’ve lost so much blood, and you’re still so warm.”

  He rolled his huge shoulders. “So if you don’t love him, and you never did, why is Andrew what’s wrong?”

  She groaned. “Back to this?”

  “Back to this.”

  She pulled her hand away, and his bear raged inside him at the loss of her touch. Her fingers had been so silky, so delicate.

  “I haven’t been with anyone else in, well, forever,” she said. “And before you ask, yes I mean sexually, but emotionally, too. As for sex, we haven’t, you know, done anything in over a year. I’m practically a virgin all over again. And when we did do it there wasn’t any passion there.” She grimaced. “Sorry. I shouldn’t be talking about this with you.”

  “No. I want you to tell me everything about you.” He longed to run his fingers through her silky hair, to kiss her eyebrows and plunge his tongue past her lips, but he held himself back. “So—what you were saying …”

  “I just mean, I haven’t been with anyone—you know, romantically, not physically, if that makes sense—maybe ever. And I want to.” In a smaller voice, she added, “With you.”

  Now he did reach out and stroke her hair, but again she pulled away. Stung, he pulled his hand back, feeling his bear gnash its teeth inside him.

  “I can’t,” she said, as if in apology. “Don’t you see? I’ve never really been with anyone, but at the same time I’ve been with Andrew for ten years. I can’t just jump from him to someone else so soon. I can’t be that kind of woman. I want to stand on my own two feet.”

  My own two feet. She said the phrase mechanically, he noticed, as if it’s something she’d been telling herself a lot lately.

  “I need to earn some self-respect,” she added, and again her voice quivered.

  Mike yearned to wipe the tears away with the ball of his thumb and kiss her trembling lips, but he knew she wouldn’t let him. Doing so just might make things worse.

  “I respect you,” he said quietly.

  She blinked. “You do?”

  “Of course. Look how brave you are. I knew it when I saw you in the bar. I could see the strength in your eyes. It’s what drew my bear to you, I think. And I saw it again, on the road, when you were standing up to Bryce.” He grinned. “You were one badass momma bear.”

  She smiled. “You think?”

  He tapped his chest over his heart, although she probably couldn’t see it. “I know.”

  Slowly, she reached out a hand and touched his leg. He almost gasped at the touch of her cool, soft fingers. She let her fingertips trace the thick muscles of his calf and run through his body hair. He hoped she would continue exploring—if she did, he would start exploring her body, too—but after only a few seconds she pulled her hand back and let out another sad little sigh. It was too soon. He could almost hear her think it. Making love to her would have to wait, he realized, if it happened at all. But she was worth it. Oh yes, she was worth everything he could give and more.

  She shivered, and he realized she must be freezing. His shifter blood kept him warm, but there was no heat in the cabin. The girls must be freezing. If he concentrated, he could hear Suzy’s teeth rattling a couple of rooms over.

  “Maybe I could wrap an arm around you,” he said. “We could, you know, cuddle. Body heat will keep you warm.”

  “What about Suzy? No, I couldn’t be warm if she’s freezing.”

  So noble! he thought, and smiled in pride. His bear had chosen well. “But it’s snowing out there,” he said. “It’s below freezing. You could die.”

  “And Suzy? No, I’ll find her and we’ll cuddle, Suzy and me. That will keep us warm enough.”

  She started to rise, and he let her, but he stood, too, and when she made to edge around him, he laid a restraining hand on her arm.

  She raised her eyebrows in question.

  “I have a better idea,” he said.

  Chapter 8

  Jess opened her eyes, yawning. Luxuriant black fur surrounded her. She felt so warm and rested that it was difficult to believe she’d been on the run and in fear for her life only a few hours ago. A couple of feet away, on the other side of one of Mike’s immense bear-legs, Suzy was opening her eyes, too, and stretching.

  They smiled at each other and gripped hands, still besties. Mike seemed to be asleep, snoring big bear-snores from time to time. When he twitched a leg, Suzy giggled and said, “He’s dreaming.”

  Jess giggled, too. “Think he dreams of catching fish?”

  “Or maybe eating honey.”

  That cracked Jess up. She was laughing so hard it woke Mike up, and he jerked suddenly, spilling both Jess and Suzy to the floor. That plus the sleepy, confused look on his bear-face only made Jess laugh even harder. Suzy laughed, too. It felt so good to feel joy again after all they’d been through, after the roller coaster of emotion and danger they’d been on. Relief spread throughout Jess’s body, warming her as much as the morning sun pouring in through the windows and gleaming on Mike’s dark fur. It shimmered and started to fade as he shifted back into human form, and in seconds he was fully human once more, looking confused at the still-laughing women.

  “What’s so funny?” he said, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

  “Nothing,” Jess said. Her eyes swiveled to Mike’s cock, which was huge and hard. She hadn’t noticed it before this morning; it must have been hidden under a bear-leg. It was so enormous that for a moment she wondered if he had fully transformed back or if he might still be part bear, but nope, that was really all him. Could I get that all inside me? She felt her cheeks burn, and turned to see Suzy very deliberately looking at the ceiling. Her cheeks had flushed, too.

  Mike grinned. “Just a little morning wood, ladies. What, ladies don’t get a little tingly at sun-up? A little dew on the lily?”

  Jess felt a little tingly now, that was for sure. “I don’t think this is an appropriate conversation,” she said, though the truth was she just didn’t want to talk about sex in front of Suzy. Or at least not talk with Mike about sex in front of Suzy. She and Suzy could talk about sex all night, and had on many occasions.

  “Anyway,” Suzy said to Mike, her voice formal and her eyes still averted. “Thank you very much for what you did last night, Mr. Buchanan.”

  Jess nodded. “That was a great idea, shifting like that.” It had been surreal at first, allowing herself to get so close to a bear, then actually touching and cuddling with one, but somehow Mike had made it seem natural, and Suzy had been around to lend her courage. “It really kept us warm,” she added.

  “No problem,” Mike said. “Now let’s see if we can get out of here without being mauled by lions.”

  That sobered Jess up fast. “Think they’re still out there?”

  “I doubt it,” Mike said, moving to the window and peeking out. Apparently not seeing anything, he cracked the window and sniffed the air, his nostrils flaring. “I don’t smell anything,” he said. “But I can’t say for sure. At least it’s stopped snowing. But that
will make it easier for them to see and smell us.” He turned back to them, and Jess was relieved to see his hard-on was fading. Almost animal-like, he still didn’t seem concerned about his nudity. “I don’t think you ladies should go home,” he said.

  “What?” said Suzy. Now she did look at him, alarm in her eyes.

  “Bryce and his merry band could come calling on you.”

  “You mean, you think they’ll still come after us?” Jess said.

  “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “I won’t live in fear,” Suzy said, crossing her arms across her chest and jutting out her jaw. “Besides, how will Bryce and his goons even know where I live?” She didn’t need to add that Jess was staying with her; they’d told Mike that last night. “We never gave them our last names.”

  “They could’ve looked in your car,” Mike said simply, and that was true enough that Suzy cast Jess a worried look. “No,” Mike said, “till we know more about what they’re up to, I suggest you stay with me. I’ll take you to my crew up at the resort. Maybe my alpha can shed some light on just what the hell’s going on. It could just be some random attack, but … well.” Again he shrugged his massive shoulders, slabs of muscle moving over each other as he did. God, he was so sexy. Jess could eat him up with a spoon.

  Speaking of eating, her stomach chose just that moment to rumble. As if it were contagious, Mike’s belly rumbled, too, a long loud complicated sound.

  “I could eat an elk,” Mike said, and she wasn’t entirely sure if he was joking or not. “Let’s make tracks.”

  “Breakfast is on me,” Suzy said.

  It was a long slog back to the road where the tree had fallen, and when they drew close to it Mike consented to tying Jess’s jacket around his waist to hide his manhood, which was at least not erect anymore. His wounds had healed further, but he was still pretty clawed-up, and broad swaths of lion marks could clearly be seen on his chest, neck and torso. The cold finally seemed to begin affecting him, and his nipples had hardened and gooseflesh spread on his arms and legs. Snow (it had begun coming down again) settled in his wavy black hair and thick chest hair, then melted, making him glisten with moisture. Jess wanted to lick it all off of him. Down, girl!

  “Shit,” Suzy said when they reached the road.

  The tree was gone, but so was her car.

  Jess slapped her forehead. “They must have towed it when they cleared the tree from the road.”

  “I bet they sent search parties out to look for you two,” Mike said. “They probably thought you were hurt when the tree came down.” He nodded, as if confirming something to himself. “The searchers must have scared off Bryce’s pride.”

  Jess had been frightened the whole way here. Every moment she had half-expected Bryce or one of his hellions to leap out at them, snarling, and she could still feel that fear hanging over her. Apparently she hadn’t been the only one worried.

  “Where did they go?” Suzy said. “The cops, I mean?”

  “When they couldn’t find any footprints, they must have left,” Jess said. “Maybe they kept a car along the road in case we returned, but we must have slept too long, and it left.” With a sheepish look to Mike, she added, “It was pretty comfortable.”

  Suzy gave a small smile but didn’t say anything. She obviously knew Jess and Mike had a thing going and wasn’t going to intrude upon it, even after Jess had repeatedly turned Mike down. Jess felt love swell inside her, love for her oldest and dearest friend. BFFs till the end. Bitches Forever Fucking, as Suzy sometimes said. With other people, anyway.

  “Well, what now?” Suzy said. “Our phones were in the car.”

  “Maybe someone will come along to give us a lift,” Jess said.

  “We need to go back to the bar,” Mike said. “That’s where my car is, and my clothes. I put them there before I Shifted last night. Only …” He grimaced.

  “What is it?” Jess said.

  He lifted a foot so that she could see the sole. Seeing it, she gasped. The snow had encased it in ice, or turned it into ice; even his bear-heat hadn’t been enough to resist Mother Nature forever. Frostbite was beginning to settle in.

  “I’ll have to Shift back,” he said. “You two travel along the road and I’ll move in the woods just off to the side. I’ll still be close, just in case. But I wouldn’t recommend getting in a stranger’s car.”

  Decided, they set off up the road. Several cars passed, and two slowed down to offer the women rides, but Suzy and Jess declined, as Suzy didn’t recognize the drivers.

  “I can’t really believe any of them are friends with those asshole lions,” Suzy said, “but hell if I’m taking a chance, either.”

  Jess agreed. She cast a glance to the right, into the trees, but she couldn’t see Mike. She could feel him, though, that great black bear stalking through the silent, icy forest, steam coming from his mouth. My brave bear, she thought, then realized what she’d thought and corrected herself. He’s not mine. I’ve given up my right to him. Her eyes burned at the realization, and her chest felt tight.

  They reached the bar an hour later. It was just opening up for lunch. Jess and Suzy found Mike’s pick-up truck—he had told them where it was—and Jess rooted around for his spare set of keys, which he kept in the magnet container behind one of the tire wells of his pick-up, and unlocked the vehicle. She found his neatly-stacked pile of clothes, grabbed it and took it to the edge of the forest. Mike had been waiting for them. Naked and in human form, he emerged from the conifers and slipped on his jeans, boots, flannel shirt and jacket.

  With a smile, he said, “Now let’s eat.”

  Suzy had said she’d pay, but Mike insisted that it was his treat. After they had ordered, Suzy moved off to use the pay phone and berate the guys at the impound lot, and when she returned she said, “Mike, I hate to ask anything else of you, but could you give me a ride to the lot?”

  “Sure thing,” he said.

  Lunch arrived—or breakfast for them—and they tucked in enthusiastically. Jess ordered the Denver omelet (breakfast was served all day) with a short stack of pancakes, an extravagant meal for her, while Mike chowed down on a massive, greasy bacon cheeseburger. Suzy ordered the fish and chips. They topped it off with a round of beers.

  “To surviving a lion attack,” Jess said, and they clinked bottles.

  Sipping, Mike said, “I meant it, ladies. I want you two to return with me to the resort. My crew will keep you safe while we figure this shit out.”

  Jess just wanted to go home, and she knew Suzy did, too, but she imagined returning to Suzy’s house to find Bryce and his pride lounging on the couch and chairs, and she shivered.

  “I guess,” she said.

  Suzy groaned. “Fuck it.”

  The truth, though Jess never would have admitted it aloud, was that she kind of wished Suzy would find some other refuge, at least for awhile. Part of her really wanted to be alone with Mike. Desperately wanted to be alone with him. He had been naked in front of her for what seemed like ever, and it had all been one giant tease that had gotten her wetter than she’d ever been, and at some point she was going to explode if she didn’t get some satisfaction. On the other hand she was very glad to have Suzy around as chaperone so that she couldn’t give in to that feeling. That weakness. She was her own woman, damn it, not some man’s woman.

  Then she saw his blue eyes watching her from over his beer bottle. Something went soft and hot inside her. He just radiated masculinity. Sex. More than that, he genuinely seemed to care for her. He wanted to protect her, to comfort her, to nurture her and be with her as a partner. A mate. She longed to let him do it. It was madness to say no.

  And yet …

  She averted her eyes from his. In her peripheral vision, she could see his enormous chest heave with emotion. I’m causing him pain, she thought. How can I do this to him?

  After their drinks, they bundled into Mike’s truck, and he drove them down the mountain to the impound lot, where the guys released Suzy’s ca
r without any fine. She gave the manager a saucy smile and pinched his bearded cheek for the niceness, then turned back to Mike and Jess leaning up against the truck.

  “Okay,” she said. “I’ll follow you to the resort, damn it.”

  Jess hadn’t been to see the ski resort yet, and she was very curious about it. Pine Ridge was a small community that had big ambitions, and the ski resort had been developed a century ago by a certain family who didn’t have much of a budget to work with, but they had big dreams, and they’d done their best they could with what they had, Suzy had told her. So the ski resort the bear clan had bought to use as their face to the world couldn’t be very big or fancy.

  Still, Jess loved to ski, and the idea of a bunch of sexy bear shifters running a secluded ski resort had her super intrigued, and not a little turned on. She would be embarrassed to show off her poor skiing skills in front of Mike, though. If he was skilled enough to be the resort’s instructor, he would probably just laugh at her antics. Like a seal on sticks, Andrew had told her more than once.

  “What’s wrong?” Mike asked when they were en route to the Pine Ridge Ski Resort. Jess was uncomfortably aware that it was the first time they’d been alone together, really alone, in, well, forever. Last night in the room didn’t count. Suzy had pretty much been in the next room, after all. Now Suzy was behind them in her own sedan, a whole world away.

  “Nothing,” Jess said, then confessed, “I’m not a very good skier.”

  Mike laughed, his great big booming laugh. The sound both reassured and vexed Jess. He was almost too jovial. Somehow, though, she sensed that was a front. There were deep pools in his eyes when he didn’t think anyone was looking, and his face would grow very solemn. As soon as he sensed he was being watched, though, he would laugh or smile or crack a joke.

  “Me, either,” he said now, still laughing, but this time she sensed genuine amusement. His blue eyes twinkled.

  “What?” she said. “But you’re the ski instructor!”

  “One of them. There’s another. I’m better than Mason is, though, at least for now. He’s learning.”