by Rayne Reilly
It felt so good, being with him. She put her fingers to her mouth at the memory of their lovemaking. She recalled that as they climaxed, Bern had brushed her hair aside and had bitten her shoulder. She had barely noticed, as she was in the throes of her own orgasm at the time. His expert fingers had seen to that.
Afterward, the bite had bled for a few minutes. Bern had taken care of it and staunched the bleeding for her. The joy that she felt at being his mate, forever...it was incredible.
She smiled to herself as she finished her shower and turned off the water. She wanted him all over again and her groin ached for him. Reaching for a towel, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest. For a moment her breath caught and she worried that she was having a heart attack. Just my luck. I find the man of my dreams, only to die too young.
She stepped out of the huge two person shower and reached for the bathroom counter. Her wet hand slipped and she missed it, falling to her knees on the floor. Her entire body began to feel as though it was splitting in two. Her bones felt as if they were being smashed from the inside. She felt as though her limbs were lengthening.
"Bern!" she screamed, as she fell backwards onto the floor. Her head felt as if it would explode. She closed her eyes.
Suddenly there was a female voice in her mind that she hadn't heard before. Her eyes opened wide in shock.
"Finally," it said as her body contorted and writhed on the floor. Bern rushed into the bathroom, stopping to stare at her in shock. His eyes as big as saucers.
"Help me, don't just stand there. What's happening to me?" she cried, as she rolled over and pulled herself to her knees. The pain in her body was agonizing; she was terrified. Bern moved closer and put his hands on her.
"Don't be afraid. You're going to be okay," he said calmly.
What does he mean I'm going to be okay?
"This hurts like hell. What's happening to me?"
"You're shifting...it's going to hurt a little but it gets easier. Don't fight it...can you get up?" he asked as he reached to take her arm.
She looked down to see fur sprouting on the arm he was holding. Bern pulled her to her feet as she squirmed. Her body jerked and she gave over to the sensation that was accompanied by the female voice in her mind.
"It's okay. Just let me out. I want to meet our mate too," the voice said reassuring her.
Amara felt as if she was going to faint. She closed her eyes again. Bern had warned her that she might shift when he bit her. Did she have the special gene for the change to happen? Obviously she did.
What the hell?
"How do I control it?" she pleaded. Her body moved of its own accord, changing on its own.
"The first time, you can't. I want to get you out of the bathroom so you have space to finish changing. Come on," he said as he picked her up in his arms and ran with her naked body, through the house, down the stairs and to the back door.
Putting her mostly-changed bear body down, he opened the door and carried her outside. By the time she hit the ground again, they had both changed into bears. Before Amara-bear stood a beautiful eight-foot-tall brown bear. She looked down at her own body, which no longer felt like her body at all. She saw glistening black fur and stood almost as tall as Bern-bear.
Her Bear's personality began to overshadow her own and while she could feel and see what the bear saw, it had a mind of its own and it wanted the brown bear in front of her. As she felt her bear-self pounce on Bern-bear, she could feel herself becoming aroused. They rolled around on the grass clutching at one another, both of them making soft grunting sounds. When her female bear had enough play time, she let Amara shift back to her human body. Amara sat back on the grass, her naked butt feeling cooled by the earth.
"What the hell?" she said, somewhat bewildered but filled with exhilaration and adrenaline. It was unlike anything she could ever imagine.
"What a rush!" she exclaimed as Bern helped her to stand. He laughed as he pulled bits of grass from her matted hair.
"It's pretty great...and it will only get better when you learn to control it. I can help you figure it out and get used to shifting. I hope you're okay with becoming a shifter? I must say, you make a beautiful bear!"
Amara laughed and threw her head back, "This is going to take some getting used to, but I think I'll be okay with it. Just when I think that life with you can't get any better, it does. Oh, my God Bern. That was amazing!"
Bern brought his lips to the top of her head and hugged her tight. He hadn't expected his bite to turn her into a werebear and he would have been happy with her being just a human woman.
Maybe this was Fate's way of rewarding him for being so patient. Either way, he was the happiest werebear on earth. He swept Amara up into his arms and went back into the house. They were both going to need another shower.
Purrfect Mate
Shifter Series Volume 3
By:
Rayne Reilly
Chapter One
It was twilight and Dayna reluctantly started her car to head for town. The quiet country road was not one that she minded driving. She just hated to drive it at night. She was surprised by how often she saw large animals cross the road when she was driving. She knew that many were probably shifters, but could not tell for sure.
Tucking her hair behind one ear, she reached to turn up the volume on the car stereo. She pulled out of her driveway humming to a pop song as she turned onto the road that led to the highway into town.
As the music blared, she focused her attention on the road in front of her and tried not to think about her situation. It was bad enough she was single and living alone. Her recent circumstances made it impossible for her to have any kind of love relationship and the idea that she had to remain that way was frustrating, making her regret ever doing the right thing.
There were no other cars on the road, making travel through the heavily forested area a little eerie. By day, it was a stunning scenic route, reminiscent of safety and solitude. But by night, well, it felt more like a horror movie.
Absentmindedly tapping the steering wheel with her fingers, suddenly something caught her eye. Was that movement in the trees? Glancing to the left side of the road up ahead, her breath quickened as she eased off the accelerator, expecting an animal to dart onto the road. When none appeared from the woods, she picked up speed and turned up the radio a little more. Seconds later, two huge shadows ran out of the woods as one werewolf chased another straight into the path of Dayna's car.
There was no time to slow down. She slammed on the brakes and cranked the steering wheel hard to one side in an attempt to avoid hitting them. But her reflexes weren't fast enough and with a sickening thud, her car struck the second one, ending its pursuit in an instant.
The car swerved and with a final thump, swung off the road into the ditch, with the rear of the car sticking up. With her mind racing, she paused a moment in shock at what just happened. Without thinking about it, she reached down to turn off the radio and then the car engine. Her headlights remained on, dulled from being pushed up against the bank of earth into which her car had slid.
What the hell just happened? Did I really just see one werewolf chasing another?
Her stomach clenched. She worried what this might mean. Had they found her?
She put her palms to her face and rubbed it, then smoothed back her light brown hair. Her hands were shaking slightly as she reached for her phone that was inside her purse next to her.
I should call him before I call anyone else.
As she began to dial the phone she looked in her rear-view mirror to see a police cruiser pull up on the other side of the road. She ended the call and put her phone back in her purse.
Reaching inside her purse she clasped the grip of her pistol. With her left hand, she reached around her full figured body and undid her seat-belt. She waited. Her breath was starting to even out but she could still feel the effects of the adrenaline in her body. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she opened them
at the sound of a male voice.
"You okay in there?" The voice called from the road.
She looked out her passenger window but could only see the man up to his hips before her vision was obscured by the angle of the car. She leaned down further to peer at him as he began to walk down the bank toward the car. Before she could get out, he was at the drivers' side, opening the door.
Startled by his swiftness, she looked up at him. Her mouth was slightly agape at the sight of a very tall and handsome police officer.
"Are you okay?” he asked with obvious concern. “Are you hurt? I was going by and saw your tail lights.”
She didn't feel he was threatening but she wasn't going to let down her guard. Not that easily.
"I'm okay. I hit something. It...they ran across the road," she said looking more closely at the man standing next to her. He had one hand on the top corner of the driver's door and he offered the other to help her out of the vehicle. She let go of the gun that was hidden in her handbag and removed her hand. Grabbing her purse, she pulled it to her side. Rather than take his outstretched hand, she used her left hand to grasp the door frame to give herself leverage and pushed herself up and out of her seat to stand face-to-face with the stranger. The angle of the car made it hard to move gracefully and she silently cursed being a tall plus-size woman in that moment.
Stepping back, he smiled as she got out of the car and stood inches from him. Standing so close, she could feel the warmth coming from his body. Holding her breath for a moment, she released it again as she took in the sight of the man in front of her. He was solidly built with a sleek and muscular body. It was too dark to make out the finer features of his face but she could see that he had very blond hair. She didn't doubt for a moment that he could harm her if he felt so inclined.
As she took him in with her eyes, he tilted his head to one side and looked back at her. It was clear that he was sizing her up. There was a moment or two of awkward silence before he spoke again.
"Let's go up to the road. I'll call a tow truck for you," he suggested. He reached out to help her move away from the car, his hand barely touching her shoulder. She felt a jolt of electricity rush through her at his faint touch. Swallowing hard, she pushed past him, away from his grasp. It was overwhelming to be standing so close to the man. That alone surprised her. It had been a long time since she'd had any kind of attraction to any man. She wasn't going to give this guy the wrong idea just because his mere touch and good looks made her feel something akin to excited. She scoffed at the idea of love at first sight and wasn't going to read anything into this situation that could complicate her life any more than it currently was.
Dayna moved carefully along the side of the vehicle and climbed up onto the road on her own. By the time she reached the road she was a little out of breath from the exertion. Turning to look behind her for the policeman, she noticed that he had turned off her car headlights and was making his way up the bank of the ditch behind her.
"Oh. Thank you," she said as she nodded toward the car.
"No problem. No point in killing the battery."
He smiled at her and stood with his hands on his hips.
"Now, you say you hit something? Do you think it was an animal you hit?" he asked.
She nodded and hugged herself.
"I think I saw two wolves...they were large...I hit one. I'm sure of it."
The officer looked up and down the road intently. Then walked over to the other side of the road and inspected the ditch.
How can he see anything without a flashlight? Dayna thought to herself as she watched him.
He turned and walked back over to her, his hands at his sides. Standing in front of her, he shrugged.
"I don't see anything in the ditch or the trees," he announced.
She shivered slightly as she looked up at the tall uniformed man. He grinned and put out his hand toward her.
"I'm Jake Braeden by the way,” he offered, putting out his hand.
“I'm with the Pleasantville police."
"I'm Dayna," she said.
Shaking his hand, she was surprised that it was so warm. His handshake was firm. She wasn't used to the tingles that ran through her body once more. She put it down to the fact that the night air had set in and she was cold. Looking back down at her car, she realized that she'd left her sweater inside.
Jake tilted his head again when he saw her hugging herself and looking down at her car.
"You cold?"
She nodded.
"I left my sweater inside the car."
"I'll get it," he smiled.
He was at the car door before she could object.
How does he move so fast?
"Thanks," she said as she watched him grab the sweater from the back seat and run up to her again.
She pulled the sweater on. He smiled and stood up tall. His voice took on a curious tone.
"You from around here?” he inquired. “This is a long way out of town."
He eyed her face as he spoke.
She wasn't expecting to come across anyone and her mind was still reeling from the timing of everything that had just happened. Without giving it another thought, she blurted, "I'm not from around here...well wasn't, until a few months ago. I live about ten minutes down the road," she said. "I was headed into town to get some groceries. I guess it will have to wait now...you mentioned something about a tow truck?"
She wanted to get away from the scene as quickly as possible. If one of those werewolves came back this way, they might recognize her and she couldn't risk it.
"Sure, I'll call someone," he said.
She waited while Jake called a tow truck. Folding her arms across her chest, she wondered what she was going to tell Tim. He would be furious that she'd gotten herself into this situation. She pursed her lips and stared at the ground in front of her. When Jake had hung up his phone, he looked around and then back at her again.
"It could be a long wait. Why don't you let me take you home and I'll see that your car gets to you as quickly as possible?" he said politely.
Dayna could tell that he was trying to be nice. But she wasn't in the mood to deal with that. What was the point? “Nice” never got her anywhere. She glanced up at his face, wishing that they were anywhere else but on the road. It was hard to see him with any great detail in the low light. Anyone could see that he was handsome. His voice was gentle and comforting. His short golden blond hair glistened in what little light there was. She didn't relish the idea of standing around for God knew how long, waiting to get her car towed. The less contact with townspeople, the better.
"Fine," she grumbled. She adjusted her purse over her shoulder and wrapped her sweater more tightly around herself. Jake's brow shot up and he shrugged as he turned to walk toward the police car. She hadn't intended to be quite so brusque with him but she didn't want to give him any ideas either. She couldn't trust anyone, especially the police.
Getting into the passenger side of the police cruiser, she buckled up and turned to face the windshield.
He put the car into gear and turned to head back down the road.
"You're lucky I came along. There isn't a lot of traffic out this way," Jake said as he pulled away.
I wouldn't call it luck, she thought. Recalling the evening's events in her mind, she was sure that she had felt the car hit one of the werewolves. She wondered if he knew about shifters but then remembered both his ability to see in the dark, and the speed at which he moved. He was likely a shifter himself. She was curious now; why was he there? Was it just a coincidence that brought him along at that moment?
"Why were you out here? Where were you going?" she asked him curiously. Her eyes flitted over to him, taking in his profile. His features where pretty much perfection. She tried to ignore the attraction she felt for this stranger.
A stranger you can't trust.
Jake looked puzzled over her question. He answered with a slight grin on his face.
"On my way back
from interviewing someone about a werewolf sighting... It should be me asking the questions though," he smiled widely, turning his head quickly to catch a look of surprise on her face. She averted her eyes and bit her lip. Taking a breath and releasing it, she hoped he was not sensing her concern.
"You know about them?" she asked, trying to sound casual.
"Shifters? Of course I do. Pleasantville has a lot of them… I don't usually come out of town so far unless something happens though. Like I said, you're lucky I came by when I did. You could have been waiting for ages."
Keeping his eyes on the road, his face looked relaxed and calm. She turned her head just enough to watch him put one hand on his thigh. The other hand remained on the steering wheel. She noticed the size of his hand with its long fingers and then she saw his musclebound thigh flex as he moved his foot a little on the gas pedal. She stifled a gasp.
"What brings you to our small town?" he asked after a few moments of silence.
Shit.
She didn't really want to play “Let's get to know each other” with the guy.
"Just getting away for a while. My parents passed away recently," she lied.
"Oh? Your family was from the area?"
"Uh, no...I just like the area and I needed some time alone," she added quickly.
Jake bristled slightly and she could tell she had aroused his suspicion. She bit the inside of her cheek, hoping he wouldn’t ask any more questions.
Jake nodded very slightly and glanced first toward her and then back to the road. "Sorry to hear that."
They drove in silence for the rest of the ten-minute journey. As they approached Dayna's small cabin, she motioned with her hand. "There. That's me," she said.
Jake pulled into her driveway and surveyed the small wooden cabin. It wasn't much to look at; she was aware of that. The idea was to fly under the radar and not be noticed. This cabin achieved that with its weather-worn wood and peeling paint on the trim.