Big Bear Blunder: BBW Werebear Shapeshifter Suspense Romance (Sweetwater Brides) (6 page)

S
ara was burning
a hole in the carpet, nervously walking back and forth in her room while staring at her phone. Everett had told her to wait inside, but what if he needed her help?

And what are you going to do against a bunch of werewolves?
Sara thought, admonishing herself for being stupid.
You’re not exactly Buffy.

The best she could do was stay out of Everett’s way.

A roar ripped across the parking lot in front of the motel. Sara rushed to the window, straining to see what was going on.

A huge grizzly bear stood amongst the parked cars, facing two snarling wolves.

Holy shit, is that Everett?
Sara thought, mouth agape.

She watched as the bear took down the attacking wolf with ease and chased the other into the woods. Sara stayed near the window, wanting to see when Everett returned, and also to keep an eye on the wolf, to make sure it stayed down. Adrenaline rushed through her system, making her feel keyed up.

After a while of no movement, either from the wolf or the woods, Sara told herself to calm down. She sat down on the bed, feeling useless once more. What if this was all part of some plan to lure Everett into the woods and into an ambush? She scrolled through her phone, looking for the number for Everett’s shop.

She dialed it, hands shaking from nervous energy. The voice that answered was somewhat familiar.

“Grimpaw Auto Repair, how can I help you?”
it said.

“Noah, is that you? It’s Sara, the one with the truck,” she said, rushing over the words.

“Oh, hey. Yeah, it’s me. Everett’s not in right now –”
Noah began before being cut off.

“I know. Look, I think Everett might be in trouble, can you get me Evan’s number please?” Sara asked, rummaging the motel desk for a pen and paper.

“Sure, just a moment,”
Noah replied, the sound of rustling papers in the background.

Noah dictated the number while Sara scribbled it down.

“Thanks!” she quickly exclaimed, before hanging up on Noah and calling Evan.

“This is Evan,”
a gruff voice answered after what felt like an eternity.

“It’s Sara. Everett was just attacked by two wolves out on the motel parking lot. He followed one of them into the woods about fifteen minutes ago. I thought I should let you know, I didn’t know what else to do,” Sara said, feeling panic rise inside of her.

“It’s okay, he’s probably just tracking the wolf. But I’m coming over just in case. Try to stay calm, Everett can handle himself,”
Evan assured her, offering Sara some relief.

“Thank you,” she said softly before hanging up.

Now there was nothing left to do but wait. Minutes ticked by with no sign of Everett or Evan.

A knock on the door made Sara jump up from the bed.

“Everett?” Sara called out, rushing to the door.

Her hand remained hovering on the lock when no response came. She looked into the peephole to see Keith standing on the other side of the door.

“What do you want?” Sara growled, anger rising in her belly instead of the panic that had been there before.

“You’re not going to invite me in, Miss Sawyer? How rude,” Keith said menacingly, a chuckle in his tone.

“I suggest you leave before Everett wipes the floor with you. Again,” Sara hissed, her anger fueling her boldness.

“I just came to warn you. We don’t look kindly on thieves around here,” Keith’s voice sounded through the thin wood, almost sing-songy.

“I’m not a thief! We both know there was nothing missing from your shipment,” Sara said, hands balling into fists.

“Who’s gonna believe you, stranger?” Keith laughed, banging his fist against the door.

The hinges shook. Sara backed away, anger giving way to fear.

“Step away from the door,” a voice thundered from the hall. Sara recognized it as Evan’s, her body slumping in relief.

“Why? I have legitimate business with the lady here. Pack business. Stay out of it,” Keith countered angrily.

“Her business is my business. I won’t repeat myself,” Evan noted matter-of-factly, his voice sounding closer now.

“Is that so?” Keith asked, feigning interest.

Evan was silent.

“This isn’t over,” Keith called out towards the door after a moment of silence that had felt like an eternity.

Footsteps started, heading towards the parking lot.

“Sara?” Evan’s voice rumbled.

Sara opened the door and let Evan in, before rushing to the window. She watched as Keith got in his car and drove away. The wolf that lay on the pavement was gone.

“Thank you,” she said to Evan, sinking onto the bed.

The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving her spent.

“No problem,” Evan replied, looking around the room, concentrating on the door.

“They’re really pressing hard on the whole missing shipment angle. If Everett hadn’t gotten here when he did, there might’ve been three wolves at my door, instead of just one,” Sara murmured, considering the scenario with a shiver.

“I’d like to say that I’m shocked by them attacking a defenseless woman, but I’m really not.”

“Hey, I’m not defenseless!” Sara protested, before realizing how absurd it was.

What was she going to do, kill three werewolves with the bible in her bedside drawer? Or maybe she could read scripture to them, the whole ‘
thou shalt not kill’
part springing to mind as particularly relevant!

“You know what I mean,” Evan chuckled.

“Shouldn’t you go and find Everett?” Sara asked, raising a brow at Evan.

Evan sniffed the air before responding, “No need. He’s already back,” before taking a seat at the rickety desk, his hulking body looking far more relaxed than Sara’s.

As if on call, Everett stormed in through the open door, eyes scanning the room wildly.

“I smell him. Where is he?” he demanded, before realizing it was only Sara and Evan in the room.

“Mind closing the door?” Evan asked, pointing behind Everett, who looked confused, aggravated and ready to rumble.

Everett did as he was asked and sat down on the bed next to Sara, slicking a hand through his hair.

“I shouldn’t have chased that wolf, I should’ve stayed here and made sure you were safe,” Everett said, running a hand down Sara’s cheek.

“Hey, not a shrinking violet here, remember? Did you catch him, the wolf?” Sara asked, glad to see Everett safe and sound.

She leaned into his touch. A little part of her wanted to agree with him – tell him to never leave her – but thankfully she still had some of her senses.

“He gave me a little runaround before growing tired and deciding to stand his ground and fight,” Everett said, something unfamiliar to Sara glinting in his eyes.

“And?” she asked, already sensing the answer.

“He won’t be bothering us anymore,” Everett assured with steel in his voice.

E
verett watched
as Sara turned slightly paler than usual. Fighting, death – this was a part of life for shifters. Normal rules did not apply. There was no sense in shielding Sara from it when she was already so involved.

You take a swing at a bear, you better not miss
, Everett thought grimly, the sound of bone breaking fresh in his mind.

“What are we going to do now?” Sara asked, her voice a bit shaky.

“You can’t stay here,” Evan said. “Anything more than a tap and that door is off its hinges. Not to mention the windows,” he continued, assessing the room from a tactical viewpoint.

“She’s coming home with me,” Everett spoke up, the decision clear in his mind. “We’ll be safe at the cabin until her truck is fixed. I’ll have the advantage there if they dare try anything else,” he said sternly, planning to keep Sara well in his sights.

“Do I get a say in this?” Sara piped up from the bed.

Both brothers turned to look at her with brows raised, as if saying ‘
you have a better idea?’

“Right, cabin it is,” Sara mumbled, finding her lap very interesting all of a sudden.

“Okay then, I’ll leave you to it. Call me if you need anything,” Evan said, pulling Everett into a quick embrace. “And I mean it. Anything. Both of you.”

“Want me to help you pack?” Everett asked after Evan had left.

“Don’t have a whole lot. I’ll be fine,” Sara answered, already emptying the drawers into her backpack.

Everett couldn’t help but notice she was avoiding looking at him.

“Are you okay? The whole thing with Keith must’ve shaken you up,” Everett said as Sara continued to dash around the room, collecting her personal effects.

“Yup, totally okay,” she muttered without looking up.

Everett stood in front of her, forcing Sara to a stop and look at him. He was no Romeo, but he could read a woman well enough to know something wasn’t quite right. Well, he could read
this
particular woman, at least.

“Hey, you don’t have to lie. Whatever it is, I can take it,” he said, gently grabbing hold of her shoulders.

Sara finally looked at him, her eyes glistening.

“You had to kill someone because of me,” she sniffed, her voice choking with emotion.

Everett sighed, shaking his head.

“It wasn’t because of you. The Clearponds are always looking for excuses to cause trouble. That wolf had a choice and he made the one he thought was right. Don’t take that away from him. He knew what the consequences might be. We live in a predatory world, that is the hard truth. There’s no time for blame and regret,” Everett said forcefully, hoping the words penetrated.

Sara was silent for a second before nodding and giving Everett a brief smile.

“Okay,” she said, straightening up and squaring her shoulders.

“That’s my girl.”

Everett smiled and helped Sara shove her toiletries into a bag. They stopped at the grocery store before heading to Everett’s cabin. Evan’s wife, Karen, had given Everett some cooking lessons, and he planned to wow Sara with his culinary skills.

Boiling pasta is a skill, right?

The sun was already starting to dim a bit when they finally arrived, the sky taking on a pinkish hue. Sara went to take a shower as Everett unpacked the groceries and started on dinner. It felt comfortable and familiar, a routine one could easily fall into and enjoy.

Everett whipped up some spaghetti Bolognese, the sauce still simmering when Sara emerged from the bathroom. She was wearing a tank top and pajama bottoms, her hair still damp. She smelled like the air right after rainfall. The scent was clear to him, even over the smell of garlic and tomato. Everett tore his eyes away from her, needing to concentrate on the food.

“Relax on the couch over there, food will be ready in just a bit,” Everett said, stirring the rich red sauce.

He could hear a soft rustle of fabric as Sara sat down. She didn’t say anything, but Everett’s keen senses could feel her eyes on his back.

“You know I can tell you’re staring at my ass, right?” he finally commented with a laugh.

He turned around to see Sara sitting cross-legged on the couch, hands on the backrest, body angled towards the kitchen.

“Caught me,” she said, biting her lip.

Everett turned back to the food, chuckling. He got two plates and loaded them up with pasta and sauce, walking over to Sara and placing them on the coffee table in front of the couch. Then, he went back to the kitchen, grabbing two beers from the fridge before sitting down next to Sara.

“Dig in,” he said, handing her an ice-cold bottle.

Sara made appreciative noises as she ate, giving Everett a thumbs up in between bites. Everett went back for seconds, and thirds, while Sara groaned on the couch, patting her stomach.

“Where do you put it all?” she asked, staring incredulously at Everett’s stacked plate.

“I’m a bear, remember?” Everett replied, spreading out on the couch so that his body touched Sara’s.

His skin hummed the same old tune at the contact.

“I for one am stuffed,” Sara noted, sipping her beer. “You want me to clean up?” she continued, glancing at the kitchen.

“It can wait. I think we’ve earned some rest and relaxation.”

Everett grabbed a remote from the coffee table and turned on the TV. Sara settled into his shoulder as they flipped through the channels together, talking about their favorite movies and TV shows.

“How can you
not
like
Kickboxer
?” Sara demanded, pulling away and sounding like Everett had just said he ate kittens for breakfast after they’d been talking and channel surfing for a while.

“I never said I
didn’t
like it, I just think there are better Van Damme movies,” Everett said, laughing at Sara’s crossed arms and offended expression.

“Name one,” Sara huffed, challenge in her tone.

“
Universal Soldier
?” Everett offered, hoping the answer wouldn’t trigger Sara’s wrath.

She considered it for a moment.

“I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion,” she said diplomatically, snuggling back into his side with a yawn.

“Are you tired? I can make up the couch,” Everett offered.

Sara grew still.

“The couch?” she asked cautiously.

“I just didn’t want you to think that since you’re staying here you’re obligated to share a bed with me,” Everett said, his pulse quickening at the thought of Sara tangled in his sheets.

It was a sight he wouldn’t have minded seeing in person as soon as possible.

“I don’t have a problem with sharing, do you?” Sara noted, shifting to face him.

“Not at all,” Everett agreed, sliding a hand under Sara’s hips and pulling her on top of him.

Sara straddled him, giving into the invitation easily and wrapping her arms around his neck. Everett reached out, running his hand through her hair and pushing it to the side. Sara leaned in to him, her body warm and soft against his. Need erupted in Everett as their lips touched.

His tongue snaked into her mouth, probing, caressing, demanding. Sara matched his fervency until they were lost in each other, a tangle of roaming hands and breathless moans.

Sara started moving her hips back and forth in his lap, sliding over Everett’s cock through his jeans. Hunger consumed Everett’s mind, pure and wild.

Finally, they were alone, nothing stopping him from exploring every inch of her.