Hansel's Bear (Erotic Shifter Fairy Tale) (8 page)

“
Where’d he come
from?”

“
How do you know
him?”

“
What does he want from
you? Why is he here?”

The three females fired off questions
so fast Greta wasn’t sure who asked what. It didn’t matter because
if she had it her way, she wouldn’t be answering any of
them.

Rubbing her face, trying to buy time
and sober her mind, she sighed in frustration. Why did everyone
want to talk about him? Couldn’t they just leave it all alone, he
was gone now. Situation over.

“
It’s complicated.” She
lowered her hand and walked to the water’s edge.

“
Is he dangerous?” That
soft, light voice was Riley’s.

The answer to that easily tumbled out.
“No.”

“
Okay. Did you know he was
coming to Den?” Ebony came up alongside of her.

“
Hell, no. If I did I
wouldn’t have been here.” She faced the trio.

“
Your history with him is
that bad, huh?” Ebony touched her upper arm.

Sympathy was evident on all their
faces. She recalled that since all of them were transplants from
other places way outside of Den they weren’t aware of the situation
that had happened when she was younger. Most of the time she was
grateful for that, because she never enjoyed the watchful gazes and
sympathy of the townspeople when they looked at her. However,
tonight with all the inquiry she could easily lump her three
friends into the same pile with everyone else.
Curiosity.

I just want to leave it
all alone. Forget about Hansel and everything else. It’s best that
way.

“
It’s complicated.” It
seemed like she couldn’t get past that one statement, nothing else
clever would come to mind, especially with it sauced on honeyed
wine. Human alcohol didn’t have a lot of effect on Were’s, so she
had been told since even the idea of her taking her ‘wandering
years’ after her earlier absence was not even a remote possibility.
Be that as it may, fermented with a hint of apple juice was a
completely different situation that could muddle a Were-bear’s
brain easily. Greta moved away, a little unsteady on her
feet.

She started making sure all of the
remnants of their snacks and wine were put back into the basket
Rena had brought. Rising with it in hand, she stared at her
friends. “Honestly, I don’t know what to think right now. My mind
is all over the place. Hansel is from a time in my past when I
didn’t know if I’d ever see Den County again. “My parents, my
friends….everything I knew had been lost to me. Hansel was the only
person—” She had to correct herself, recalling they had only
shifted to human form once back then. “Bear that I could cling to.
He was my saving grace in too many ways for me to list without
allowing that part of my memories full reign in my mind. I refuse
to do that.” Taking a deep breath she walked back to the place by
the lake where they still stood.

“
I know it’s not much, but
I thank you all for tonight. I needed it. Now, I’m going to find my
bed, I hope,” she giggled. “And put the last couple days in the
past.”

She hoped they understood and would
share with their mates that this discussion was now
closed.

“
We can respect that.”
Rena hugged her, then took the basket from her hands.

“
Life doesn’t always
follow the straight line we draw.” Ebony embraced her next. “Hell,
I’m a perfect example of that.”

They all laughed.

Riley stepped to her last. “If you
need me, I’m always up for a couple hours away from the animal
farm.”

Greta shook her head and smiled. She
knew Riley loved being with her kids and the ones she taught at the
school. Her friend was a child magnet.

“
I’ll remember that.” With
an arm around Riley’s wide waist she headed back to the opening at
the end of the path that led to this remote side of the
lake.

All the ladies got into their
individual vehicles and started them up.

“
Aren’t you headed out,
Greta?” Ebony leaned over the open door of her sports car. It was a
vehicle that didn’t fit in Den County any more than Ebony did when
she had first arrived months ago.

“
In a minute. I feel like
a run.”

“
One day that will be me.”
Ebony’s voice held hope, but her eyes tilted down a little with
sadness.

“
Yes it will. I’ll see to
that.” Greta gave her a thumbs up.

After a wave, all her friends drove
off, leaving her and her truck in the clearing.

Taking a breath, she filled her lungs
with the cool night air. She hoped that shifting would shake off
some of the uncertainty in her mind, maybe even give her some
much-needed direction for her life.

If Hansel’s appearance had done
anything, it had made it evident to her…possibly all of Den as
well, that Greta Armel’s life had been in a stasis, on pause since
the moment she’d returned to the secure embrace of her
family.

Yes, she’d grown up and
was a responsible adult Were with a job, but other than that she
hadn’t progressed in life. She still resided with her parents and
was promptly at the table most nights for dinner. When she was off,
she helped her mother around the house, gardened, and baked and
canned items for hibernation time. A moment like this, when she was
alone in the woods would
never
have taken place, before Hansel.

She’d always told herself she wasn’t
afraid to be out in the Redwood Forest by herself. Running free
through the big trees. However, deep inside she knew it wasn’t
true. Even now her mind played tricks on her telling her that if
she shifted someone would materialize out of the trees and get
her.

Gulping down the anxiety
she moved to her truck and began to undress. She needed to do
this.
Had
to do
this. Today was the day she would prove to herself that she could
let the past go and that she was ready to move forward. Maybe luck
would have it and she would participate in the Bear Run. Maybe it
was time for her to allow an unmated male to catch her.

Hansel
.

She ignored her bear—that door was
closed. Once she’d left her office, she hadn’t seen him or his
motorcycle anywhere in town. That Were was long gone by
now.

Sweater, shirt, bra, boots, jeans,
panties and socks all went in a neat pile on the front seat of her
truck. It was a clear sign to anyone who happened by her truck that
she had shifted on her own and was out and about in bear form. It
was unlikely that anyone would be around on this side of the lake,
even those out doing night checks would have no reason to search
out this area. Maybe Sheriff Smokey because it was still a part of
Den County, but nothing much was on this side of the lake across
from Genma’s cabin.

“
No more stalling.” Just
as she’d told Ebony, calling her bear was as easy as
breathing.

By the time she exhaled she was on all
fours. The tingling of her skin and the burn of her shifting bones
were only a distant sensation.

Growling and pawing the dirt her bear
rejoiced at being out. Digging her claws deep in the rich, heady
soil she showered the front grill of her truck with broken
earth.

Starting out at a steady pace, she
allowed her bear senses to take over her liquored-up
brain.

The smell of pine and the sweet spice
of mulch greeted her as night birds called out to their mates. She
could hear small animals scurrying about hoping not to get picked
off by evening predators. At that moment an owl hooted and Greta
knew it had located its prey.

The rich, woodsy must of the redwoods
would always smell like home to her. Racing to one of the tall,
thin, but thick trees, her bear aligned her back against the firm
spongy bark and pushed up and down. Nothing like a good deep
scratch along her spine.

She was thankful that her bear didn’t
get too into the base tree rubbing, because she could have been
there until sun up.

Lowering her front paws to the ground
she began a steady trot. Greta didn’t even attempt to determine a
path, just enjoyed the cool breeze caressing her dense bear
fur.

Catching a whiff of a scent, her bear
began to pick up speed. Paws pounding only the forest floor as if
on some single-minded mission.

Greta rejoiced inside, loving moving
through her county without fear or hesitation. She may have to make
a night or early morning run her weekly thing.

When her bear came to a sudden halt at
the end of a path, Greta’s heart began to pound, hard.

Her bear sniffed the air.

Trembling started deep in her core for
two very different reasons. She couldn’t recall the last time she
had been to this place, maybe months before her abduction. She’d
played out there frequently with other young Weres.

It wasn’t the small cabin, now
appearing fresh and rebuilt, not like the dilapidated place it had
been when she was smaller. Back then, they had worried that the
roof and walls would cave in on them at any time. Then that
frightful day happened, a day that was worse than wood slats
falling on her head. She would have much preferred that over what
did take place. A game of hide and seek had gone wrong. A
glacier-like bead of sweat sliced along her spine. She
shivered.

Even as the chills almost paralyzed
her there was warmth that spread through her body and melted her
from the inside out. It wasn’t the cabin that sent her body into
overdrive, but the woodsy cashmere scent that did.

Her bear inhaled a second time, slow
and long as if pulling in the aroma in like needed
oxygen.

The heat took over and caused every
fiber of her being to respond with a throbbing ache.

A grunt and a snort.
“Whooh…whooh…”

Immediately she responded, shifting
back to human form to silence the call of her bear. Why would it do
something that?

Naked, agitated and still a little
tipsy she turned to escape.

“
Greta?”

The deep male voice caused her
movements to freeze. She prayed that her body was hidden enough by
the shadows, maybe he would just believe she was a figment of his
imagination.

“
Your beautiful skin may
be brown and dark, but it isn’t the color of night.”

Oh, damn.

Instead of turning to face him, she
darted behind a nearby tree and peered around it at him. “Hansel,
what are you doing here?”

He stood in the arc of the light from
the porch. She could see him clearly. He had a full satchel slung
over his shoulder and his arms folded over his massive chest. The
male’s presence was too overpowering for words.

The tall, sexy, trim bear of a male.
He wasn’t as huge or wide as some of the were-males in Den. But, he
had no less imposing of a form. No one would look at him and see a
weak Were or easy prey. Most likely the dark intensity of his gaze,
the crease deep set between his dense eyebrows or the tight
position of his strong square jawline would convince them he wasn’t
one to be messed with.

However, none of his ‘back off or I
will shift on your ass’ looks were a distraction for her to keep
her gaze from roaming. When he had been younger, his dark brown
hair had just reached his shoulders in oily disarray. There had
been smudges of dirt along his face and chest. Now his hair went
way beyond his shoulders and shone healthy in the light, appearing
soft…touchable.

“
Please come out,
Greta.”

“
Why are you
here?”

“
I was getting ready to
settle down for the night, before the gift of your
presence.”

She could hear the light tones in his
voice even though there wasn’t any hint of a smile on his
lips.

Why did I think about his lips? Her
gaze settled on his mouth. They were not anywhere as thick and wide
as her own, his own perfect shape. Slightly on the thin side, but
well-shaped in a stretched bow. They had a pale pink tint that
complimented his golden tanned skin very well. The coloring of his
skin this late in the year was evidence that he spent long hours
outside, most likely on his motorcycle.

“
I’m no gift to you.” Her
hands gripped the rough trunk of the tree. “This is private
property of Den County…you’re still trespassing. I suggest you hop
on your bike and ride out of here…all the way out of the city
limits.”

“
I don’t think I’ll do
that.”

Frustration heated her blood as she
stomped her foot onto the soft soil. “Hansel, don’t be obstinate.
Sooner or later the males will realize you are holed up out here
and there will be trouble.” She tapped her forehead against the
tree and sighed. “I don’t want to see you hurt.”

“
You care about my
well-being?” The seductive texture of his voice drew
her.

Peeking around at him, she shook her
head. “I don’t even really know you.”

He took a step in her direction. “Yes
you do.”

“
No. I don’t. But, I owe
you…my life. So, this is my repayment. Leave from here.”