Shifter Wonderland: Twelve BBW Paranormal Holiday Shape Shifter Romances

by Christin Lovell

  Grabbing her hand, I lifted it to my lips, kissing her fingers. I was in awe of her. She was sexy and strong and smart. She worked fulltime and went to school fulltime for four years straight. Since she’d lost her grandmother on Christmas, she volunteered at a soup kitchen every year during the day before spending the night with her best friend. If that alone didn’t showcase her beautiful soul, then I didn’t know what would.

  She covered shifts at work for single moms when their kids were sick. She donated everything she couldn’t use or didn’t want. She was quick to reply to my messages most of the time, and didn’t play games. She was one of the few people in this world who treated everyone like they were a person with feelings. She was nothing short of amazing.

  And seeing her today only made me want her more than I already did. Knowing what I did about her combined with her gorgeous curves, soft eyes, and pouty lips. Fuck! I was freefalling right now.

  Being sick was the only thing keeping me in line. Hell, it was probably a blessing. I was on the verge of jumping her with a cold. God only knew if my control would have snapped by now had there been no risk to her health.

  My bear clawed at my insides, causing me to move a few steps away from her. Smacking him down, I barely suppressed his roar.

  Plastering a smile on my face to hide my irritation with my beast, I glimpsed at her. “Let’s go inside, beautiful.” I held out my hand, waiting for her to take it.

  For once, I was grateful she didn’t act immediately. It gave me a few more second to compose myself and ensure my bear was contained for the moment.

  Chapter Nine

  December 19th

  Lora

  His home was reminiscent of a mini mansion in the woods. The two-story brick house had a good size front porch, complete with a swing. The landscape was minimal, but sufficient for the setting, as it was surrounded by forest. He had a true front and back yard that was insulated by oaks, pines, firs and many other types of trees, an eclectic mix, their trunks acting as a frame around the property.

  Despite having an older, traditional style of architecture, the house itself looked newer. If I had to guess, it was built within the last five years.

  Accepting his outstretched hand, I closed the car door and let him lead me inside.

  Stepping across the threshold, the air felt warmer than outside, but it was obvious the heat wasn’t on. Crossing my arms over my chest, I looked around, not journeying deeper insider. I was taken aback by the cathedral ceilings. It turned out, he didn’t have a two-story house; he had a single story home with extra tall ceilings. It made the space seem larger, grander, and barer.

  The open concept design had little in the way of décor. The kitchen countertops were sparse aside from a toaster and a massive bottle of vanilla protein powder. The walls didn’t have a single photo on them. Perhaps the most obvious, though, was his lack of a Christmas tree. Even though I had no one to celebrate the holidays with, even though Sharon was the only one who saw my apartment aside from me, I still decorated. It added a layer of warmth that made you want to go home at the end of a long day and curl up on the sofa in comfortable clothes with a cup of something good. It made me feel like I wasn’t as alone as I truly was.

  “Make yourself at home.” He closed the front door and walked to the oversized kitchen island. Opening a drawer, he pulled out two folded pieces of paper. “We only have two places that deliver in town: a Papa John’s knock off or semi-decent-on-a-good-day Chinese.”

  Rolling my lips, I considered him. Pizza sounded better, but Chinese food was the best option for him probably. He could order soup and veggies or soft lo mein noodles. Those could be swallowed easier than potentially crunchy crust pizza. “Roll the dice with Chinese?” I cocked a brow. Just because I thought it would be good for him didn’t mean he wanted it.

  Shoving one of the menus back in the drawer, he whipped his cell phone out. “Worst case scenario, we order pizza after.” Stalking towards me, he handed me the tri-folded paper. “What do you want, beautiful?”

  God, that smile. He was breathtaking. It took effort to peel my gaze from him. I wanted to pinch myself. Was this real life? Was I really here, with him, in his house?

  A nervous chuckle escaped me. “There’s no way to eat Chinese food and be sexy.”

  His laugh turned into a cough. He quickly covered his mouth. He sucked in a deep breath. “Babe, you’re sexy. There’s nothing you could do that would make you less sexy.”

  As a nurse, many scenarios came to mind, but I didn’t offer them up. Instead, I savored his compliment. This handsome, powerful male thought I was sexy. “Thanks.” I cast a fast glimpse at him, fully acknowledging his words.

  Browsing the limited selection, I passed the menu back to him. “Small chicken lo mein with broccoli.”

  “You got it, beautiful. Now go make yourself comfortable.” He jutted his chin towards the living area.

  I should have been uneasy. I should have hesitated. In the past, I would have hesitated. That just went to show, once again, how different things were with Stone. His home wasn’t filled with the touches that welcomed you in, but I found myself sauntering to the leather sofa, without a second thought, pulling off my Ugg knock-offs, setting my phone and keys on the coffee table, and sitting Indian style on one end of the couch.

  A large, flat screen TV was mounted on the wall across from me, above the fireplace. No wires or boxes were visible. I’d always hated the mess behind electronics. It was why I only had one television in my entire apartment and a laptop rather than a desktop computer. That single piece gave me a newfound appreciation for his minimal décor. He didn’t have a lot, but he still paid attention to the finer details.

  Sitting patiently, I listened to him order a massive quantity of food. Based on his size, though, he probably ate a solid three to five thousand calories a day, as he worked out an average of two hours a day, focusing on weights and strength training. Being a business owner kept him busy as well.

  Part of me secretly wished I could gorge myself regularly, but that would be the opposite of what my body needed, especially at five feet two inches. I definitely indulged, but typically it was only with Sharon on the days we were both off together, which were few and far between.

  It’d been a few months since we’d done a full girls’ day, complete with pedicures, Starbucks, good food and juicy gossip. I missed those. I could seriously use one soon, too.

  I jumped as a blanket came down across my lap. My hand flew to my chest, a nervous chuckle escaping me.

  “Sorry to scare you, beautiful.” He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. Strolling over to the fireplace, he flipped a switch and blue flames appeared in the hearth. Pushing a stone, he revealed a drawer from which he retrieved a remote control. Moving to the center of the fireplace, he pressed another set of stones and they folded down, revealing a slim compartment with all of the boxes.

  Walking back to the sofa, he lifted the blanket’s excess beside me, sat down, propping his feet on the coffee table, and laid the blanket across his upper thighs. “What do you want to watch, babe? I have access to almost any movie or channel.” Clicking the remote, the TV turned on.

  “Hm.” I worked my bottom lip. What did you choose when you could choose anything? Better yet, what did you choose when you were pretty sure your tastes were the opposite? I knew from our conversations that Stone liked action movies, especially when they involved boxing, as he wanted to go pro at one point, and a few comedy movies, but not stupid-funny ones. I, on the other hand, liked what most women did, aside from Sharon: romantic comedies and period dramas. The only commonality was comedy, but most of the current titles leaned towards over-exaggerated humor, which meant classics were the way to go.

  A wistful smile curled my lips and I thought of Gran. Every year we watched the same holiday movie, because she was a big Chevy Chase fan. She thought he was an “adorable hoot.”

  Looking at Stone, I was caught off guard by the intensity of his g
aze as he took me in. Heat turned his usually brown eyes into molten honey pools that seemed to pierce me. There was something striking about him, almost otherworldly. He was beautiful and mesmerizing. I wanted to get lost in his depths. I wanted to get lost in him.

  But that wasn’t a good idea while he was sick. It was the surest way to ruin my holiday plans.

  Grabbing hold of that logical part of myself, I broke the trance, turning my focus to the television. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”

  A little laugh escaped him. “That was unexpected, but, then again, you’re full of wonderful surprises.”

  I heard the approval in his tone. I liked that he thought I was different. You always wanted to be different than the women in his past, because things didn’t work with them for a reason. “It’s a tradition in my house.” I shrugged my shoulders, aiming for the admission to be nonchalant, but the catch in my voice betrayed me.

  He didn’t comment. He didn’t say anything to sway the moment. He simply wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close, pressing his lips tenderly to my head. The act was sweet, romantic even, and utterly perfect.

  Before I could stop it, hope swelled in my chest. For so long I’d wanted this, someone like him. Half of me wanted to scream in celebration, the other half of me wanted to run in fear. Because, chances were, if he seemed too good to be true, he likely was too good to be true.

  But darn was I praying hard for him to be the exception. Every woman only needed one man who was the exception, one to come along and change their luck, end their losing streak, one to make her forget every reject and rejection before him.

  I only needed one.

  And I wanted that one to be Stone.

  But you couldn’t alter fate. I knew, if we were meant to be, we would be. If not, someone even better was waiting for me down the road, as hard as that was to fathom.

  Chapter Ten

  December 19th

  Stone

  The hours passed like minutes. We watched a marathon of classic holiday comedies and ate two rounds of Chinese food. All the while, I couldn’t help but think that I was the luckiest man alive. I had never been so content to sit around on my ass all day.

  Looking down at her sleeping form, curled into me, my heart was full. I didn’t know how or when, but she’d captured my heart and filled it to the brim with joy. I was the happiest I’d ever been, even while sick, and it was because of her. I never wanted to lose her. Hell, I didn’t even want to let her go now, and she’d been asleep for half an hour already.

  The tickle in my throat worked into a cough. I cringed inside, holding as steady as possible, trying not to jostle her. My throat screamed with irritation. I couldn’t wait for this cold to be gone. I had so much more to look forward to with her when it was.

  Gently scooping her into my arms, I stood and carried her to my room. I’d always liked bigger women, probably because they were nearly non-existent in the were community. Our metabolism didn’t allow for it. It took an average of a thousand calories merely to shift into our other form and another thousand to turn back.

  From a psychology perspective, it was more likely because I wanted someone who was the opposite of my mother. She was nice, but far from nurturing.

  I could tell, just in how she was with me today, that Lora wouldn’t be like that. She accepted every hug, didn’t shy away when I coughed or my snot ran, and, on several occasions, she reminded me to drink more fluids, to ensure I stayed hydrated. I’m pretty sure she would have done more than that if I let her, but it was bad enough that being sick prevented me from taking her on a proper date. I definitely owed her one when this crud ran its course.

  Shifting her weight, I pulled back the covers and laid her down. She looked like my dream version of Sleeping Beauty: plush, curvy, soft and utterly breathtaking.

  Dammit. Covering her full figure, I rushed to the kitchen. Snatching a napkin from the drawer on the island, I blew my nose. Why couldn’t weres be immune like the books made us out to be?

  Opening the upper corner cabinet, I grabbed my meds. I hated taking them but I was desperate. Downing my doses with a glass of water, I washed my hands at the same time as the cup and put it away, not bothering to dry it.

  Abruptly my bear rose up, roaring at me. He’d been nudging me randomly throughout the day, wanting his freedom.

  But I refused to give it to him. Not while she was here. I couldn’t risk it.

  That didn’t stop him from trying, repeatedly.

  I felt the familiar burn in my muscles as he fought to break free. Gripping the edge of the counter, I rebuffed, growling back at him, dominating the unruly animal until he submitted, if only temporarily.

  He felt the same as I did. He wasn’t immune to the aches in my body that came with illness, but, for some reason, he wanted to pester me.

  Giving one last warning snarl, I shoved away from the counter and headed back to her. I hadn’t expected her to stay the night, but I damn sure wasn’t about to wake her up. Because it would be cruel. And because I was a selfish prick.

  I didn’t want to let her go yet. I wanted her for as long as I could have her. And, after today, I was hoping that would be for eternity.

  Chapter Eleven

  December 20th

  Lora

  Snuggling deeper into the warm, fuzzy blanket, I breathed easy. I’d never found a more comfortable spot in my bed.

  Oh crap!

  My eyes flew open as yesterday came rushing back to me. I barely tempered my scream as I saw exactly what I was cuddled against. Anxiety shot through my veins, my heart taking off like a racehorse.

  Swallowing hard, I angled my weight on one arm, carefully extracting my other from around the large, brown Grizzly bear.

  I took tiny breaths, trying to control my instinctive panic, doing my best not to do anything to awaken the animal. I was almost free when one paw pressed to my upper arm, holding me in place; its claws inadvertently brushed my skin.

  Oh, God. My breathing became more labored as I wracked my brain for an escape.

  Suddenly, I remembered Stone. Where was he?

  Moving only my eyes, I looked around the room, a squeak erupting from me at the sight of his tattered clothes beside me, around the bed, and on the floor, too, I was sure.

  My nerves quadrupled. Closing my eyes, I fought to remain calm and collected. But damn if my heart didn’t feel ready to pound through my chest cavity. And my lungs didn’t want to expand normally, fear slithering through every organ.

  Something wasn’t adding up, though. Bears injured humans, could kill them from injury, but they didn’t devour them like a meal. We weren’t appealing to them in that way. So where was Stone’s body? The remnants of his clothes were here, but he wasn’t.

  Opening my eyes, I weighed my options. In the end, I decided to risk it. In a loud whisper, I called for him. “Stone.”

  The bear’s eyes shot open, and I swore it looked directly at me.

  I felt my features twist as I attempted to stifle my reaction, to be deathly still.

  Abruptly the bear rolled out of bed. The moment he landed on his paws, I leapt to my feet and backed away until…

  My jaw slackened, my heart beating faster as I watched in utter shock and horror. It couldn’t be. It can’t-

  I gulped for air, my eyes widening as he stood, no longer a bear, but a full fledge, sexy as hell, man. My man. The man I’d spent all day with yesterday, the last three months chatting with, and the night sleeping beside.

  I kept gasping for air, but nothing was happening. My lungs refused to work. My heart refused to stop thundering. My pulse created an echo between each rapid heartbeat. My brain couldn’t-

  I couldn’t-

  I had to be dreaming.

  The room began to spin as I stumbled forward, seeking leverage, something to help hold me up, but everything blurred before me. I was certain I would collapse at any second.

  But then I felt him. He hoisted me into his arms effortles
sly. He cradled me to him.

  Ironically, the very person I was afraid of moments ago was the very person making me feel safe and protected now. He was the one who had my heartbeat regulating and my lungs operating properly. One part of him stirred my soul; the other soothed it; the perfect simulation of man and beast.

  A thousand questions flew through my mind, and yet, I found myself content to simply let him hold me. For now. Until I was no longer shaking. Until I was confident enough to face him, to ask him.

  How could I be equally frightened and comforted by him? How could I be equally horrified and mesmerized by him? How could he be man and bear? How on Earth did a relationship with someone like him work?

  Burying my face in his chest, I inhaled him. He smelled of sandalwood, musk and pine with a hint of cinnamon. Knowing both sides of him, his scents suited him perfectly, a combo of nature and warmth.

  He held me until I told him to. He remained steady, his muscles never sputtering beneath the weight of me, until I asked him to set me down. His heartbeat in my ear as he clung to me reassured me of one important thing: he had feelings. This was a big secret, one that probably unnerved him as much as it did me at some point.

  Running his fingers gently along my cheek, he drew my gaze to him. His brows furrowed ever so slightly in concern. “Let me put some shorts on and then we can talk about whatever you want.” His voice was the softest it’d ever been, albeit still a bit hoarse from being sick.

  Silently, I shook my head in agreement. As he turned towards the dresser, I saw the tattoo covering seventy percent of his back. It was the same bear that was on his business, the same bear he also was, or had inside him. I wasn’t certain of the correct terminology. The artist did a good job. It was striking, commanding one’s attention, attention to the wings of muscle across his broad back, down to his narrow waist and then further to his buns of steel. He was exquisitely built.

  And he was a bear. Dear God.