by Clara Moore
Marcus didn’t get a chance to explain more. A roar sounded from outside. “Stay here,” he ordered, and he left to check it out.
He obviously didn’t know her well if he thought she’d obey. She followed him out onto the porch. A grey bear stood nearby, standing on his hind legs, roaring into the night. His roar was weak, but he was not injured. He was old. It was obvious in the way his fur shagged off of his lean body.
“It’s the old man,” Marcus stated. “The one I saw in the woods, right before I was stabbed with the spear. He’s here for you.”
Without another thought, he shifted into a bear and leaped off the porch to attack. The bear bodies clashed together, ripping at each other. Though the grey bear was old, he defended himself well against Marcus, clawing at him with vigor, well trained in combat. But he was no match for the much younger colossal black bear. Marcus bit into his neck, paralyzing the old man in his place.
That’s when Cecelia saw it – the hurt and regret that haunted the old man. “Stop!” she shouted. When Marcus refused to let go, she ran to him, tugging at his arm. “Let him go!”
Both of the men changed back to their human forms, and the old man fell onto the ground, catching his breath. Cecelia went to him to see if he needed healing, but he seemed okay. There would be a bruise on his neck in the morning, but that was all.
“What are you doing here?” Marcus rumbled, mistrustful.
“I came to warn you,” the old man said, looking at Cecelia. “I know what you are.”
“How?” she asked.
“My gift is to sense other gifts. That is why the Bear Hunters kept me captive. They’re collecting bears, using us against our own people so that they can grow stronger.”
“Why would you oblige?” Marcus snapped.
“Because they don’t kill those they capture, but they would have killed me if I didn’t do as they asked. I was traveling with the Bear Hunters to the coast. Along the way, I sensed the presence of a healer nearby. I wasn’t going to tell them, but the cougar – he has a gift of his own. He knew I was hiding something. He always knows. So I directed them towards the cabin.”
“But they didn’t take me because I wasn’t a shifter.”
“Yes,” he confirmed. “There are four of them in this band of Bear Hunters– three wolves and a cougar. One of the wolves is female, the rest are males. They carry spears as weapons when they are in human form.”
“As I learned,” Marcus said coolly.
“And the Johannssons?” Cecelia asked. “What of them?”
“They are tied together in a cave, heavily sedated so that they don’t shift. I think the Bear Hunters are waiting for backup before they wake them. They don’t yet know that none in the family is the healer. I managed to escape before it became an issue.”
Marcus zeroed in on the old man. “If you were able to escape, why didn’t you save the Johannssons as well?”
“Because my bones are slow and cracking. I shifted and slipped away while the Bear Hunters were preoccupied with the family. It was my first chance at escape I’ve had since being captured.”
“I don’t buy it,” Marcus said.
“I do,” Cecelia argued. “He risked his freedom coming back here. He could have just gone home, wherever that is.”
“Far,” the old man said. “Very far. And I can’t return home. They will only find me again.”
Marcus surrendered. “Fine. You can stay here. Rest in the house. I don’t know if you’re safe here, but at least you’ll be out of the woods.”
The old man nodded, grateful.
“What is your name?” Cecelia asked.
“Henry,” he answered. “I am Henry, the Grey Back.”
***
While Henry slept on the couch, recovering from his ordeal, Cecelia guided Marcus into her room where they could chat in private. “We have to go,” she told him. “Tonight, while it’s still dark. The sun will rise soon.”
“No,” Marcus said firmly. “We don’t know these woods. We need the light.”
“But what if their backup comes before then? We can fight off a band of four Bear Hunters, but no more than that. Not when it’s just us.”
“I want it to be just us,” he declared, caressing her cheek.
Before she could respond, he kissed her. She wanted to resist, but she couldn’t. Having Marcus near was the only thing holding her sanity together. There was something different in his kiss this time. It was hot, but there was an affection in it, an affection he refused to show her before.
It made her want him even more. They tore of their clothes the way they tore off their vulnerability. This was no longer just sex. Marcus meant something to her. That was the déjà vu she kept feeling when she was around him. It was an awakening. She wasn’t a bear, but he was her mate. She knew that now. It gave special meaning to the night.
Marcus set her on the bed. His cock was already fully erect, but he was in no hurry. He kissed her stomach gently, seductively, gliding his hand along her thigh as his lips touched her flesh. It was like a feather being dragged slowly across her body. Every kiss tantalized and aroused her. The closer he got to her core, the wetter she became. She wanted him to drink her in, to use his bear tongue to taste her.
When he finally did, a shock of electricity shot through her. His tongue was strong and warm, reaching the part of her clit that pleasured her the most. She grabbed his hair, struggling not to scream as he bobbed his head up and down, circling his tongue against her pink folds, igniting the spot within her that made her body hot with bliss.
Ready for him, she lifted his head to her and kissed him, leaving her core free for their bodies to connect. With his muscular, tattooed arm, he spread her legs apart wide, and he entered her, filling her core with his cock. As he pushed himself inside of her, they continued to kiss, their lips inseparable.
She began to pant, the heat within her rising with every thrust of his cock. He brought her to the edge, and then he sent her over, freeing her body into a haze of pure, golden bliss. They came together, their destinies united. He was her mate, and she was his. She was always his.
***
She slept naked by his side, wrapped in his arms. It was only for a few short hours, until the sun rose to light their path, but she was grateful for what time they had together. Her sleep was deep, anchored by her exhaustion. There were no nightmares this time. There was only peace.
When Cecelia awoke, she tried to turn towards her lover, blinking against the sunlight that poured in through the window, but she couldn’t. Something held her back, restrained her. Bleary, it took her a moment to realize her hand was tied expertly to the bed. And that she was no longer naked. Her flannel had been carefully buttoned around her to keep her warm.
“Marcus!” she called.
He didn’t answer. She knew he wouldn’t. He had done this to protect her, leaving to face the Bear Hunters alone.
***
Chapter Six
Marcus
The old man had been telling the truth after all. Marcus had suspected it was all lies to trap them in, but the Bear Hunters were as Henry told – three wolves and a cougar. They circled him in his bear form, leering at him as they guarded the cave that held the Johannsson family. The wolves had transformed, it would take wolves to fight a bear, but the cougar remained in his human form, holding a spear high, waiting for a chance to strike.
He didn’t regret tying Cecelia to the bed. It was something he’d very much like to do again, if he survived. It had to be done. She wouldn’t have let him leave without her, but he refused to allow her to risk herself, even for the lives of the family that slumbered in the cave.
A wolf attacked, snapping its jaws against his neck. His fur was thick, shielding him from the bite, but the weight of the creature dragged him down, allowing the other wolves to pounce. Growling loudly, he shook one of them off, but it came back, more vicious than before.
Cecelia, he thought, ignoring the pain as one of the wol
ves finally penetrated his fur with its teeth. I have to protect her. If I die, she becomes their captive. I can’t let that happen. I love her.
It was one thing to recognize a mate. It was another to fully accept her into his heart, removing the barbwire he had put up after the war. His strength renewed, he fought back against the wolves. He fought for her.
It wasn’t enough.
His will held strong, but his momentum faded, and he began to black out. He stayed conscious long enough to see Cecelia stand in the sunlight, his last vision of her before he lost to the wolves.
***
Cecelia
“Marcus!” Cecelia shouted as he fell to the ground.
She wanted to run to him, but she couldn’t. The wolves blocked her, turning their attention to her. She could almost see the humor in their eyes. To them, she was only a human, nothing special. Confronting them was a joke.
I’ll show you who the joke is, she thought, full of rage.
Henry had set her free, leaving her with strange words before she left. You are more than what you seem. Where there is power to heal, there is power to destroy. Help him. Help them all.
A wolf sprang towards her. While it was midair, she flung her hand towards it, imagining its leg breaking in half. The wolf yelped and missed her, landing on its side. When it rose, it stood on only three legs.
The other wolves froze, uncertain. Now they knew what she was. And so did she.
Where the wolves faltered, the cougar took their place. He dropped his spear and charged at her, changing as he did into an enormous cat. She willed the air to be knocked out of his lungs, and he collapsed to the ground, panting.
It wasn’t a fight. It was a massacre, and they knew it. The wolves darted away, the injured one limping behind. As soon as the cougar regained his breath, he did the same, sneering at her briefly before running into the woods. She would have chased them, made sure they never hurt another family again, but she had to see to Marcus. He was badly injured.
She made a transition of her own. The peace and light she needed to heal overcame her rage, calming her blood, and she set her hands on Marcus. It didn’t take long before he was sitting up in his human form. Without hesitation, he wrapped her tightly in his arms.
“What were you thinking?” he asked solemnly. “I could have lost you.”
“I was thinking that there was a family to save. And a mate to learn more about, a mate who brings out the light in me.”
Together, with their hands held tightly around each other, they went into the cave to wait for the Johannssons to wake. Cecelia was relieved to see the family slept serenely and without injury.
“It won’t be easy,” Marcus said. “They’ll tell the other Bear Hunters about you.”
“Let them,” Cecelia professed, unafraid.
Marcus squeezed her hand. “I know you’re this super soldier now, but I’m still going to protect you. I cannot not protect you. You’re a piece of me, Cecelia. The best piece of me.”
“I’ll let you,” she said, “because I can’t imagine you not in my life. I’m sitting in a cave after the most hellish day of my life, and yet I’m happy. I’m so happy.”
Marcus kissed her hand, sealing their promises to each other, just as Michael stirred.
The little cub sat up, rubbing his eyes. Upon seeing Cecelia, he grinned brightly and spoke. “Hello, angel.”
***
THE END
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Here is sample from the second book in the series:
Chapter One
Northern California
Cassie
“Did you hear the news?” Jessica asked, her eyes bright in the dark laboratory, much like the bioluminescent cells Cassie was studying. “They’ve brought in a white lion.”
Normally, Cassie Judd paid little attention to what Jessica considered news – usually unpleasant gossip from around the zoo where they both worked as research scientists – but this time, Jessica earned her full attention. In shock, Cassie stepped away from the lab table.
“What do you mean they’ve brought in a white lion? You can’t just bring in a creature like that out of nowhere. There’s paperwork and preparations that have to be made–”
“I don’t know,” Jessica said, cutting her off. “The deal was done last night. It’s a surprise to everyone. They’re loading him into his den now.”
Intrigued, Cassie hurried out of the lab, giving Jessica her freedom to continue spreading the word. As she rounded the familiar paths, bypassing the aquarium and the gorilla enclosure, she removed her lab coat from her curvy frame and pulled loose her pony tail, allowing her glossy mahogany hair to pour down her voluptuous back. She wanted to appear more casual. If she called attention to herself as a scientist, she’d be inundated with questions about the animals at the zoo. Right now, her only focus was the white lion. She had read about the rare genetic mutation that made a small number of African lions so pale, and the superstitions surrounding them, but she had never seen a white lion up close.
That changed as soon as she turned into the lion’s den, a sheltered area behind the public enclosure. Behind the gate was a magnificent creature with strong, bulky muscles, a mane thicker than most male lions, and alarming grey-green eyes that stood out against his snowy coat. His eyes captivated her, much more than the novelty of his color. As he paced in his cage, those eyes spoke of a sadness. Cassie believed animals capable of emotion, but the depth of his sadness unnerved her. It was unnatural. And heartbreaking.
Briefly, the lion stopped pacing and looked at her. Something within her, something primal, told her it was not out of curiosity, but with intent, as if he were trying to communicate something to her.
“Where did he come from?” she asked the zookeeper handling the lion’s arrival – an older man who had worked at the zoo for most his life. At twenty-four and only starting her career, she had a lot of respect for the man.
“Don’t know,” the man answered, rubbing the sweat from his forehead. In the dead heat of the summer, the lion’s den was sweltering. “Got a call from the director this morning to say a new lion was on its way. Something about an emergency transfer. I was to move the other lions outside and prepare the den for this one. Never imagined he’d be a white lion. He seems like a pretty tamed fella, but there’s something about him that seems... odd.”
Cassie nodded her head. She couldn’t agree more. Tenderly, she put her hands against the metal gate that separated her from the beast. “What have they done to you?” she asked.
***
In the aquarium, Cassie tried to focus on the bioluminescent jellyfish, which looked like an infestation of tiny parachutes floating in the giant floor-to-ceiling tank, but her mind kept wandering back to the new lion.
Out of fear he wouldn’t interact well with the other lions, he’d been given his own enclosure. The public was delighted, fawning over him like bees to honey. The gift shop sold out of white lion plush toys his first day out of his den. He was the star of the zoo. But to Cassie, his newfound celebrity made his situation all the sadder.
“Another late night?” Doug, the security guard, asked as he passed through the aquarium.
“Night time is the best time for a researcher,” Cassie replied with a smile. “I’ll check in with you before I leave.”
“So sunset, then?” he surmised, familiar with her routine. “I’ll have the coffee waiting.”
“Thanks,” she called as he left, leaving her alone to observe the behavior of the hundre
ds of glowing turritopsisdohrnii.
“Another time,” she said to the jellyfish and went to see the lion.
With the zoo closed, he was back in his den behind the enclosure, lying in a corner with his head tucked in his paws, defeated, but as soon as she drew near, he stood and moved closer to her.
This was not the first time she’d visited him. It was one of many nightly visits. She felt drawn to the lion, as if he had some meaning to her life. It was her hope that if she spoke with him nightly, if they became friends, the sadness in him would recede. But it didn’t. If anything, he seemed to be getting worse.
“You’re not happy here, are you?” she asked, sitting on the ground with her side against the gate. He edged closer to her, the bulk of his body twice the size of a human’s, but he didn’t come too close. She got the sense he didn’t want to scare her off.
“You know, white lions have a place in mythology,” she told him, strumming her fingers along the gate. “They are believed to be children of the Sun God. You’re a gift to Earth. I’ve done a lot of reading since you’ve arrived. A lot. You’ve been a distraction,” she teased. Then she sighed. “But no books can tell me why you look so haunted. None of the scientific ones, anyway.”
Suddenly feeling tired, she closed her eyes and began drifting into sleep, staying awake long enough to feel his fur stick between the gate as he laid beside her.