His to Protect (11 page)

I
t had only been
two weeks since Harper had decided to stay with him on Grizzly Ridge, but it felt like a lifetime. A lifetime of joy because Axel had never been so happy or felt so complete as he had now that Harper was by his side. She’d fit right into life at the Ridge, as though she’d always been meant to be there. With her knowledge in public relations, Harper had already proved to be invaluable with marketing efforts, and combined with Nina’s article, Grizzly Ridge was booked solid for the next six months. Business was booming, and their relationship was thriving. Even his brothers had admitted that having Harper around was a good thing.

Now if he could only convince them that maybe they should look for mates of their own, they could all be as happy as Axel was. But he couldn’t focus on that now. His focus was entirely on his own mate and the night he’d promised her.

She didn’t say anything as they left the Den after enjoying dinner with Luke, Kade, and their guests. In fact, she didn’t say anything until they stood on the porch of their cabin. She turned and pressed up against his chest.

“It’s a beautiful night.”

He kissed her long and slow until she made that sweet little moan that made his cock throb. “Not as beautiful as you are, babe.”

She grinned with the compliment, but she was not to be swayed. Not that he wanted her to be. “Are you still going to keep your promise?”

“Absolutely. Are you ready?”

Harper nodded, so he took her hand and led her back down the steps. Instead of following the path, he turned and led her into the woods. With the full moon, it was a bright night, but in the thick of the trees, it was dark and the shadows danced all around them. She squeezed his hand tighter, but he knew she wasn’t scared.

If anything, he was more nervous than she was, but there was no way he was going to let her know that. They walked in silence until they reached the small clearing that he knew was far enough from the main lodge and any prying eyes—not that any of their guests would be wandering around in the middle of the night, particularly so far out. Still. It was better to be safe.

Axel turned to her and pulled his mate tight to him. “Ready?”

She nodded against his chest. “I am.”

“Are you nervous?”

They’d spoken a few times about the idea that maybe Harper might be able to shift. He never would have thought it possible considering she wasn’t a full-blooded shifter, but the more they were together, the more her own bear rose to the surface. And she was strong. When she asked him about it, he was more than willing to test the theory.

“I’m not,” she said. “Should I be?”

He shook his head and his lips curled into a smile. “Not at all. Remember what we talked about?”

She nodded.

“When do you feel your bear the most?” He already knew the answer, but he liked to hear her say it.

“When we’re making love.”

His cock twitched. He’d never get enough of her. But that would have to wait. Harper’s bear approached the surface when they were together, but it wasn’t ideal for shifting. So he had a different plan. He reached for her, drawing her back to him again, and kissed her. It was mere seconds before he felt her melt into his arms. She was always so ready for him, so giving of herself.

Without breaking their kiss, he slowly and carefully stripped her of her clothes, pulling away only long enough to pull her sweater over her head. When she was naked, he let his hands travel the length of her, caressing and stroking all her luscious curves.

Then she had her hands on him, tugging at his clothes. He complied by helping her relieve himself of his jeans and t-shirt, but he wouldn’t give her what she wanted. Not totally. Her neck where he’d bit her was mostly healed, but the silver scars that would remain as his mark gleamed in the moonlight.

His.

“I need you, Axel.” She rubbed closer to him, pressing herself enticingly into him. It took all his self-control not to give her exactly what she wanted. What he wanted himself.

Instead, he moved one hand down her side, cupped her ass briefly before sliding between her legs. His fingers nudged her thighs apart and found their goal. He slipped through her wetness and pressed against her nub before sliding easily inside her.

Just the way he knew she would, Harper threw her head back and was immediately and completely consumed by the sensations he gave her. She was so unbelievably receptive to him and his touch. There was nothing hotter than watching her come so completely undone. Except for maybe one thing…

Axel increased the pace of his fingers, driving them home again and again until Harper screamed out her pleasure. Her nails dug sharply into his back, and he knew her bear was close. “That’s it, babe. Let it out. Give in to it.”

And then she did. So easily and beautifully, just like everything else about her. Axel took a small step back to give her the space she needed to shift, and there in front of him was easily the most beautiful brown bear he’d ever seen. Her light, almost golden, fur shimmered in the moonlight. He hadn’t been sure about what type of bear she was until that moment. She was perfect.

An instant later, Axel shifted into his bear and nuzzled into her thick fur.

“You’re beautiful,” he communicated.

“You can—I can—”

“We’re mates.” A simple explanation, but it was all that was needed.

Being that it was her first time, and she was only a half-blooded shifter, Axel didn’t know how long she’d be able to keep her bear, so he planned to take full advantage of it.

“Ready?”

She nodded her beautiful golden head, knowing exactly what he was asking. Taking the lead, Harper turned and as if she’d been doing it her whole life, let her bear run.

Axel matched his mate, running side by side with her along the ridge. The cool night air flowed through their fur as their bears ran free and later, when she couldn’t sustain it any longer, and they collapsed on the forest floor together, looking up at the stars, Axel held his mate and stroked her hair while she fell asleep on his chest. Right where she belonged. Perfectly content and protected in his arms.

I
f you enjoyed
His to Protect you’ll love Luke’s story, His to Seduce, coming SOON. Read on for an exclusive raw sneak peek! And for more free books and exciting news make sure to
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P
lease enjoy
this exclusive
raw
unedited
excerpt from His to Seduce, the second book in the Bears of Grizzly Ridge Series,
coming late winter 2016!

**Please note: This excerpt is raw and unedited and subject to change.**

F
or Chloe Karrington
there was nothing better than walking through the forest. The way the sun danced and played in the branches of the pines as she walked, the cushion of the needles beneath her feet, the fresh, crisp air she inhaled deeply into her lungs.

No. There was nothing better than a walk through the forest.

Unless it was a run.

She glanced around. She was alone.

She could shift into her bear. The need to release her animal bristled just below the surface, but she pushed it down. There were certain things she could do, and certain things she couldn’t. And letting her bear loose in an unknown forest was most definitely in the
couldn’t
category.

But maybe…

She let her mind drift as she checked our her surroundings.

There was no one around. And she already knew there were bears on Grizzly Ridge. Beside the obviousness of the name, it was well known in the bear community that the Jackson brothers had been exiled from their clan and had settled on the ridge instead. Besides, no one would see her if she was careful.

“No.” She stamped her foot to make her point. “Pull it together, Chloe. You’re working.”

She straightened her shoulders, and flipped her dark braid over her shoulder. If there was one thing Chloe prided herself on, it was her professionalism. As an environmental impact researcher, she took her job extremely seriously. Especially since the very thing she always seemed to find herself researching was the very habitat she craved the most. That, and if she did screw up, the ramifications could be very serious. Maybe even life threatening. Chloe flipped open her leather bound notebook and stared at the newspaper clipping she’d taped into the cover as a constant reminder.

Her fingers traced the faded photo of little Jordan Adams.

Only five years old.

Yes,
she reminded herself. There were consequences to making mistakes. Mistakes she’d never make again.

She liked to be reminded of the past, but only to the extent that it kept her on her toes. Mostly, Chloe was happy to put the past behind her.
Way
behind her. She tucked the book back into the canvas cross body bag she always wore and continued walking.

It was more than just a recreational hike, but more of a recognizance mission as she made her first journey out onto Grizzly Ridge. Later that afternoon, Chloe would drive up the road, park in front of the buildings and formally introduce herself to the Jackson brothers that ran the adventure tourism lodge on the ridge, but for the moment she was enjoying the peace and allowing herself to form her own opinion of the operation. It was a technique she liked to use whenever she had the opportunity. Besides, there was a chance that as soon as she made it known that she was there to investigate complaints of environmental disruption, she might not be Grizzly Ridge’s most popular guest. And the opportunity to investigate the area on her own would definitely be gone.

She walked for a few more minutes, letting her mind clear. It didn’t take long for Chloe’s bear to sneak up toward the surface of her consciousness again. How long had it been since she’d run?

Weeks? Months?

Too long.
Way
too long.

Ironically, she’d originally taken the job because of the ability to be outdoors. It had seemed like a good way to satisfy the animal inside her. What she hadn’t anticipated was that despite the time outdoors, there was less time to let her bear out than she’d thought. But, as it turned out, there were other benefits to the job. Like being alone. Her family would like nothing more than to see her settle down and have her own cubs. Chloe was lucky her parents weren’t traditional in their thinking. They were more than happy for her to pick her own mate.

As long as she picked one.

She shook her head.

The last thing she needed was someone tying her down, telling her what to do and keeping her barefoot and pregnant.

No thanks.

Ever since she was little, Chloe had been fiercely independent. She could handle herself, and that’s exactly what she did. She saw the way her older cousins and sisters changed themselves for the males in their life. Becoming giggly and stupid, pretending they couldn’t open jars of pickles.
What was that all about?
She could open her own jar of pickles thank you very much.

No male needed.

Not that her parents understood that. Which is why her career was perfect. She moved around so much from one job to the next that she’d effectively made herself a very undesirable partner. After all, not many strong, alpha males liked a woman with a serious career. At least none she’d found.

It was the perfect explanation for her mom and dad and for the most part they seemed to understand, even if they couldn’t totally wrap their heads around the idea that Chloe was choosing to be alone.

The thing was, as much as she didn’t want to admit it, even to herself…Chloe didn’t want to be alone. Not really.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts as she walked, Chloe hardly noticed that the thick pines were thinning. Not until she stepped out onto the ridge. The blue of the sky stretched out before her, the view of the mountain range took her breath away.

“Wow.” Was all she could manage to say. It was woefully understated, but there was no word to describe the incredible beauty mother nature had laid out before her.

Stunned into silencing her mind, Chloe stood frozen on the ridge and took it all in.

After a few moments of admiring the view, she made a split second decision. It wasn’t the most responsible thing to do, but…screw responsible. She needed to experience this amazing place in all the glory it really had to offer. And there was only one way she knew to do that.

She was careful to fold her clothes and her tuck her bag next to a tree. Then, naked, Chloe took a step and stretched her arms up overhead. The moments before she shifted into her bear had always been the only time Chloe was comfortable in her curvy human body. Her thick thighs, and ample chest were nothing but a hindrance in her daily life, but in those moments, they felt almost sensuous. And then, a second later, Chloe exhaled and started running. As she moved, her body morphed seamlessly into a strong, beautiful black bear.

Chloe pushed every thought from her mind and let her lean muscles stretch with the exertion of the run. The cool wind on the ridge whipped through her fur and the feeling of freedom that flowed through every fibre in her body made her feel alive in a way that nothing else had in months.

Soon, she veered from the ridge and into the cover of the trees where she scratched her back against the trunk of a tall pine before rolling in the fragrant forest floor. She was so caught up in herself, she didn’t hear the animal approaching until it was too late.

L
uke Jackson stared directly
into the bluest eyes he’d ever seen on a black bear. Not that he saw many black bears on his ridge. Or, any at all.

The bear hadn’t heard him coming but the moment she had, she’d flipped over from where she was rolling in the pine needles like a cub and stared him down, baring her teeth to him with a snarl. The fact that there was a strange female black bear who was maybe half the size of his own massive grizzly, and that female was standing her ground against him, intrigued Luke. A lot.

But not as much as the scent of her. Fresh and crisp like the pine trees they were surrounded by. But something else, too. A white musk that filled the air, and his senses.

Which is why it took him a moment to react the way he should have immediately. Finally, his senses caught up with him. With a roar, Luke reared up on his hind legs in a move that was more threatening than predatory, but he knew it would serve his purpose and scare the intruder away, which is exactly what it did. By the time he’d dropped to all fours, the black bear was gone and to his shock, Luke was disappointed.

Very disappointed.

L
uke’s role
at Grizzly Ridge, the eco-adventure lodge he and his two brothers had opened a few months before, was to lead the hikes and outdoor activities. A perfect fit for him since he’d always felt more at home in the woods that anywhere else. It also meant that he could legitimately sneak away to shift into his bear and run free as frequently as he needed too. Especially now that it was autumn, also known as
bump season.
There weren’t many guests for the next few weeks, and the few they had at the moment seemed to be more interested in staying close to the main lodge, also known as the Den.

With his free time, he was supposed to be working on a new fly fishing tour they were going to start offering to guests, but that afternoon Luke couldn’t resist the urge to let his bear run. As soon as he’d shifted and his senses were heightened, he recognized that something was different. There was an unrecognizable scent. Another bear. He knew the woods better than anyone. Every sound, every shadow…every scent.

And the scent of a female was definitely unusual on Grizzly Ridge. A few months earlier his older brother, Axel had taken a mate. Luke had recognized right away that Harper was at least part bear, but she’d been totally unaware of it and had never shifted before until after she and Axel had mated. Once she’d discovered her bear, there was no keeping her away from it. Axel and Harper spent a lot of late nights running through the woods. But the scent Luke was picking up on was definitely different than Harper’s slightly sweeter smell.

This female was different. His blood ran hotter with every breath in. She filled his senses.

It hadn’t taken long to track her. If she’d been trying to hide, she’d done a bad job of it. Luke approached quietly, stalking her. It was always best to tread lightly until one knew what he was dealing with. But when he saw what he
was
dealing with—a black bear who for all intents and purposes looked like she was
playing
. He wasn’t sure how to handle it.

And she wasn’t just any black bear. She had the most magnificent, shiny dark fur that he’d ever seen. It almost appeared blue where the sun hit it. But not as blue as her eyes. Never before had Luke seen a bear with blue eyes and when she finally noticed him and her gaze locked on his, those eyes flashed with electricity. But it wasn’t fear. It was almost a challenge.

A challenge he’d accepted. Although moments after he reared up and roared, causing her to run, he’d regretted it. It was probably for the best. At least that’s what Luke kept telling himself as he turned and lumbered back in the direction he’d come from. Back to the Den.

Nothing good could come from a female bear. Particularly one that clouded his senses so quickly and completely the way that little black bear had.

No. It was definitely better that she’d run off.

**
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