Love to Bear: A Werebear Shifter Romance (16 page)

I looked up. Heart pounding, all my confused senses
sprang to life, ready to defend against a sound like the earth
splitting in two.

Fuck! This can't be happening. They always said the
spirits would return to earth one day...but I thought it was just a
myth?

Sam froze alongside me. Her mouth dropped and her hand
went up, pointing as the source of the noise soared into view.

A dark helicopter passed narrowly over the tree tops, a
huge search light mounted on it spilling into the forest. These were
no spirits, but men.

We heard the commotion behind us instantly. Shifters
caught us along the path and ran past in a panic, trying to escape
the wandering spotlight. Everybody just wanted to go home, to get to
safety, and didn't care if they were in human or bear form.

I looked up, hoping the strong light wouldn't cut
through the ether concealing us.

I turned and held up my hands, urging them to slow down.
But there was no stopping the stampede.

Wrapping my arms around Sam, I hugged her tight and
pulled her into the shallow ditch along the side. Thunderous
footsteps slapped the ground as the flight continued, on and on, the
Elders shouting after them.

“
Go home, everyone! Get to your cabins and stay in
human form until we know more! Go now!”

I recognized Franklin's voice, but I'd never heard him
sound so scared. Sam peered down, meeting my gaze.

Her eyes looked like they were seeing the world for the
first time. She laid on top of me and I wrapped my arms around her,
seeking the comfort only our bodies could provide.

Under any other circumstances, having her beautiful body
on top of my naked flesh would've led to something wonderful. But
just now, we pressed our foreheads together, silently praying the
mystery chopper would turn and leave us alone.

“
Unbelievable! To think that they'd come here,
hovering over our clan, all because of some lost boy. And on our
sacred night!” Emmerick pounded his fist on the table.

The
emergency session had been going for an hour. As expected, the Elders
focused their interrogation on Sam. I shot the darkest, most menacing
looks I could muster whenever their questions became
too
pointed.

You fucking idiots. Mainly just you, Emmerick. If you
think there's any conspiracy here, after all this time, then maybe
Sam should go and I should leave with her...

Of course, they'd never allow that. They wouldn't even
let me scout in Kalispell after the helicopter buzzed away.

“
It's
not that uncommon!” Sam snapped, at her wit's end. “Look,
my people search for missing persons all the time – especially
when they're minors.”

Rufus had returned with news about what happened.
Apparently, a boy in his teens had gone missing while camping with a
small group that night, vanished without a trace in the cold
mountains.

My beautiful mate paced across the room as suspicious
eyes followed her. Mine were the only ones that wanted to bathe her
in a protective shield, hiding their horrible looks, their dangerous
lies.

“
Others have disappeared in what you call Glacier.
Men never sent out search crews like this,” Genevieve said,
followed by her trademark sniff. “Why him? Why now? If you
really have nothing to do with it, then these should be easy
questions.”

“
I told you already. Things have changed a lot in
ten years since the last person went missing. We've got the web,
alerts on text messages, the Amber system. You're making a big
mistake if you think holding onto these things and keeping your
secrets is going to help you.”

Sam's face twisted in disgust as she waved toward the
table. I followed her gesture, staring at the torn, bloodied bits of
a backpack, tent, and wallet several shifters had found in the
forest, just outside Horseshoe Creek's borders.

“
Sam's right,” I said, moving to her side.
“I know you don't trust us and you don't want to hear it. The
ether may have kept us safe from human searchlights for now –
and that's only speculation – but more of them will come. Men
on foot will come deeper into the woods, searching for this kid, if
we don't turn over what we have.”

Franklin looked at Rufus over his spectacles. “One
more time. You're telling us there was absolutely no sign of the boy?
Not even a stray piece of flesh or bone?”

“
No, Elder. But I can tell you his outlook isn't
great. Not with the puddle of blood we found next to this mess...”
Rufus shook his head.

We were used to nature's violence. But the idea that any
sentient being, especially a young one, might have been devoured by a
wild grizzly filled everyone in the chamber with loathing.

Everyone, perhaps, except Emmerick. He sat perched on
the council bench, quietly fuming.

Look harder, buddy, but look at me – not my
Samantha. And just where were you last night, anyway?

“
Then it's settled. It seems to me we only have
one option, however unsavory. Do we need a private vote?”

Shifters behind us in the pews began to talk quietly
among themselves. Genevieve’s face flushed and she slammed her
gavel.

“
I think we need to make this public, and fast.
It'll go a long way toward restoring confidence with an
understandably shaken public.” Thomas gave Genevieve a wry
smile and she nodded back.

Friends in justice. And in the bedroom too, if what I
saw them doing in the brush last night was any indication, before
that chopper swept in.

I pushed the sickening memory of the Elders' old flesh
twisting, smacking, and writhing together out of mind. The day was
rough enough without imagining these two having sex.

The crowd grew deadly quiet. Sam and I shared our
anxiety in silence as we stood next to one another, waiting for the
final word.

“
All in favor of the motion to send Don Flood and
this human female into Kalispell to turn over the evidence, raise
your bones and say 'aye.'”

There was a clatter. Three of the Elders reached beneath
the table, grabbed the long white slivers of long slain grizzly bears
they used to formally vote, and lifted them over their heads.

“
Aye!”

“
It's
settled. Three to one.” Genevieve shot a quick glance at
Emmerick, whose stony silence gave way to red faced rage. “Execute
the mission and come back to us soon, Flood. And I mean
with
the female. If either of you fail to show up, I'll send others out to
drag you back here, no matter where you go.”

“
We'll be back,” Sam said smartly. “Count
on it.”

We were well past the clan's borders when we heard the
noise in the trees. I turned around to face Sam, one finger pressed
to my lips, ears perked up at the commotion.

“
It's probably just hikers,” I whispered.
“We're getting close to the road now. Hope it won't take too
long to hitch a ride.”

She nodded. I hoped I was right. If it was anything
else, she was in no condition to run with the big backpack strapped
to her, carrying the remnants of the disappeared teen we had to turn
over to the police.

An exasperated hiss left my mouth as the huge grizzly
wandered into view. My heart slammed into my ribs. Twice as fast when
I raised my hand and saw no look of recognition in the bear's eyes.

Damn! Who the hell's way out here? Someone the Elders
put on my tail to make sure we do our job?

“
Stay back,” I said quietly.

Sam was already taking several steps behind me, putting
a little more distance between herself and the bear. I moved forward,
waving more firmly now.

“
You're not supposed to be out here. I swear,
Emmerick, if that's you I'm going to –“

The bear lunged. It charged me, a thousand pound boulder
covered in matted brown fur, snarling and opening its jaws.

I barely had time to shift. The noise of my clothes
shredding seemed to buy me a couple more seconds. The bear slowed,
more angry and confused than ever at the way I'd just taken its form
in front of it.

It wasn't until the grizzly crashed into me that I
realized it was truly wild. Its foul breath poured onto my snout,
grim death contained in a horrible roar. I pushed my claws against
its arms, holding back the murderous onslaught aimed at my throat –
but just barely.

Its eyes had no consciousness, but a different kind of
wilder, purer fire.

The bear went straight for my shoulder with its mouth.
Sharp teeth sank into my furry flesh and held on. I screamed, roaring
with all my might as I pushed into it, forcing my claws into its
sinewy muscle.

It was enough to break the savage attack. The bear
flipped its head back, sniffed the air, panting against my skin. It
was staring past me, looking at Sam.

Now, I was really pissed.

You're not making a meal of her!

I pushed into its meaty bulk, forcing my claws deeper,
so hard I swore my joints were about to snap.

The grizzly roared again, but this time it was a more
pathetic sound. It wasn't pushing back as much, and finally crashed
onto all fours.

I went after it. The bear began to run, racing for the
dense brush in a headlong retreat.

You monster. I'll kick your ass all the way to
Missoula and make sure you never get anywhere near her again!

I crashed into the brush, sucking in heavy, cool air. My
shoulder throbbed painfully, but the bite wasn't the worst thing I'd
ever taken. Didn't hold a candle to the time a hunter got his knife
in my back.

The bear slowed, staggered, clawed its way deeper into
the forest. I was almost on top of it and about to sink my claws into
its beefy back when I saw the jagged wounds – bare scratches
too low on its big butt for me to have made.

I stopped, planting my paws at the ground as I landed
with an “umph!”

The grizzly ran on. I watched it in silence, trailing
its dank scent and the fading noises it made as it disappeared deeper
into the woods.

“
Don? What the hell happened? Are you okay?”
Sam was several feet behind me.

I turned to her calm, scared voice. She watched me
shift, eyes wide when she saw the blood running down my shoulder.

“
Jesus! Let me dress you up.” She ran
forward and held me tight.

“
I don't understand why that bear was wounded,”
I muttered, sitting on a half-buried rock and holding my breath every
time she rubbed the antiseptic across my skin. “It was
confused, pissed off. Something or someone had already hurt it.”

“
Just
be glad it ran. For a moment, I was torn...I didn't know who to
protect.” She paused, and I
watched
her suck her lip into her mouth, fighting back tears. “I'm
sorry, Don. Everything is so messed
up.
Hold still.”

Despite her shaken state, she managed to bind my bite up
in gauze. Luckily, it was an old bear with duller teeth, and so
confused in its wounded state it hadn't ripped into me with full
force.

“
You're okay. It's probably half a mile from here
by now. But we need to keep going. Where are my clothes?”

Smiling, she reached into the side compartment on her
backpack and pulled out a fresh change. We'd come prepared, packing
several outfits in case I had to shift.

Her eyes beamed love and desire. She watched me dress,
and when I only had my shirt left to button I turned to her.

“
And hey, what did you mean about who to protect?
I'm the only other person here. Did you meant he evidence?”

“
No,” she said quietly.

Fear returned to her eyes, but something else danced
with it. It looked like happiness, uncertainty, enjoyable surprise.

I reached for her shoulders and clenched my fingers
tight. My heartbeat picked up before she opened her lips to speak.

“
I'm...I'm pregnant, Don.” She looked up,
met my eyes, and it was my turn to tremble a little.

Her words nearly sent me to the forest floor, booming
and unreal as the helicopter's spinning blades had been. Then my
deepest instincts fired, and the bear stood up inside me, roaring its
approval.

“
My fated mate!” I lifted her high, sweeping
her off the ground.

I rested her along my wounded shoulder. It hurt, but I
didn't care.

Her tears evaporated against my lips, kissed away,
paving the way for gentle laughter. We renewed our love in the forest
with long caresses, stopping only when we noticed the sun sinking a
little too low behind the horizon.

You don't know how badly I want you. Even when I've
claimed you in the deepest way a man can, I still want you. I always
will. Always.