Bite of the Moon: Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance Boxed Set (39 page)
Read Bite of the Moon: Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance Boxed Set Online
Authors: Michelle Fox,Catherine Vale,Elle Boon,Katalina Leon,Erika Masten,Bryce Evans
Author’s Note
I’m often asked by wonderful readers how they could help get the word out about the book they enjoyed. There are many ways to help out your favorite author, but one of the best is by leaving an honest review. Another great way is spread the word by recommending the books you love, because stories are meant to be shared. Thank you so very much for reading this book and supporting all authors. If you’d like to find out more about Elle’s books, visit her website, or follow her on FaceBook, Twitter and other social media sites.
Other Books by Elle Boon
Erotic Ménage
Ravens of War
Akra’s Demon’s, Coming Soon
Shifters Romance
Mystic Wolves
Paranormal Romance
SmokeJumpers
A SmokeJumpers Christmas
Mind Bender, Coming Soon
MC Shifters Erotic
Iron Wolves MC
Xan’s Fiesty, Coming January 26, 2016
Contemporary Romance
Miami Nights
Miami Blaze, Coming Summer 2016
Katalina Leon
Dedication
MacBrun, Bearly a Nip
is dedicated to the lovely Michelle Fox. I’m so grateful for her friendship, generosity, and support.
Chapter One
Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, California
Thunder growled on the ridgetop. Rain gushed from the heavens with the force of a burst fire hydrant. Most sane drivers would say,
for God’s sake, it’s time to pull over
, but not Andi—she bravely drove on.
The windshield wipers flicked back and forth at a galloping tempo, failing miserably to keep up with the downpour. Everything a hundred feet beyond the windshield remained a mystery. Road signs warned the snaking mountain pass was prone to seasonal rockslides. Even for the most devoted daughter in the world, the conditions for a memorial pilgrimage were lousy. Yet she headed toward the mountain summit, determined to face the elements in all their raw power.
Before embarking on this expedition, an insensitive coworker had hinted that it was crazy for a…
ahem
… plus-size lady, used to sitting at a desk all day, to attempt such a challenging trek into rocky wilderness.
Her reply had been that the journey to the scenic roof of the Sierras provided a dose of the positive kind of crazy and was good for her soul.
Actually, the CrossFit fanatic coworker, who doubted her mountaineering skills, had used the annoying words, “plucky undertaking,” and “highly-admirable effort,” which she’d interpreted to mean, “big softie sure to die above the tree line.”
Mr. CrossFit wasn’t the only one who’d questioned her preparedness for this trip. When others in her office expressed similar disbelief in her ability to tackle the elements, she’d laughed confidently and shown them her new custom-made orthotic wafflestomper hiking boots.
Her coworkers said no more. A wise move on their parts, because she was the boss and no one sasses the boss lady to her face.
No one.
Yes, it seemed nutty for her to buy an off-road vehicle, despite the fact she did 100 percent of her driving in stop-and-go city traffic. Or buy a professional-grade backpack and camping equipment then head into the mountains at the first signs of spring, when she’d never shown the least bit of interest in anything outdoorsy. But that was where her mother wanted to be.
It had been her last wish.
Andi glanced at the plastic box nestled in the center of the passenger seat and gave it a gentle pat. The rectangular case with a tight-fitting lid contained her mother’s ashes. “I’m sorry, Mom. I don’t think we’re going to start the summit today.”
Mud trickled down the canyon walls. Pebbles hit the asphalt and bounced into the air, scraping the paint on her new SUV.
Ping, ping, ping
.
“Damn,” she muttered. “I haven’t even had the truck for two weeks and it’s going to look like I buffed it with a chainsaw.”
A sign loomed ahead: RANGER STATION. TURNOUT. ONE MILE.
Hallelujah. The moment of truth approached. In a few hundred yards, she could turn around and go back the way she came, risking a dark slippery highway as crooked as a dog’s hind leg, or stop and ask the ranger about road conditions ahead. With luck, the ranger might grant her permission to sleep in the truck without receiving a citation for camping without a permit. Even though she was prepared to do it, she really didn’t want to sleep in the backseat. What she wanted to hear was that a secret full-service spa lay ahead with a fully stocked wine cellar and a handsome boy-toy masseuse on call.
It had been ages since her last massage and even longer since her last sexy adventure. Right now, both sounded pretty damn good.
Squinting through the windshield, she lifted her foot from the gas pedal. “Where the hell is the turnout?”
A tremendous rumble from the cliff face above brought a stream of mud onto the road. The hillside shifted. Large rocks bounced onto the pavement, smashing the windshield in a spiderweb of crackling glass.
Her heart raced. Avalanche!
Stomping on the gas, she clutched the steering wheel, hoping to outdrive it. An ominous growl roared from above. A huge boulder tumbled down the hillside and rolled in front of her truck. Andi slammed on the brakes and gave the wheel a sharp crank. The truck skidded sideways with squealing tires.
The boulder came to rest in the middle of the lane and then bolted upright. It reared onto its hind legs, snarling.
Holy crap! The boulder had transformed into a towering bear. The enraged creature stood in the center of the highway.
The brakes locked, the truck swerved. The front bumper almost clipped the bear.
With fangs bared, it swiped a broad paw at the side mirror as she zipped past.
The truck hydroplaned across the road and spun. First the back tires careened off the shoulder, then the front. The SUV slid over the side of the steep embankment and struck a rocky outcrop with a jaw-snapping jolt.
Boom!
The air bag detonated in her face. The plastic shield flew past, scratching her forehead. Eternity froze. With detached fascination, she had all the time in the world to watch the creamy pillow burst open like a giant kernel of popcorn. The explosive cushion pinned her to the seat. With jarring speed the truck tipped onto its side and rolled.
Crunch. Thunk. Crunch. Thunk.
The SUV struck a ledge, hovered midair for a second, and then plunged down the slope, landing on a riverbank. With a rocking motion the vehicle settled onto the soft earth. Rushing water thundered nearby. The smell of gasoline hung in the air. She and the truck were trapped belly up with the fuel tank leaking on top of her.
Andi pushed against the air bag, but it remained inflated. Reaching for the seat belt, she released the latch and tried to wriggle from behind the bag with no success. She flicked the door handle, but to her dismay, the dented frame prevented the door from opening.
The muddy bank gave way. In a heart-stopping motion, the SUV lurched onto its side and drifted into the river. Frigid water trickled in through the cracked windshield. She slammed her shoulder against the door to escape, but no matter how hard she shoved, it didn’t budge. The inflated bag held her tightly in place. The morbid thought dawned: the same device that had saved her life now threatened to drown her. She panicked.
To add to the tragedy, her mother’s ashes had been knocked off the seat and were lost beneath the swirling waters in the flooded half of the vehicle.
“Help!” she shouted, hope faded. “Help!”
A growl echoed above the roar of the river. The bear appeared at the driver-side window. It hunkered down and stared at her through the shattered glass. A spark of fire shone in its dark eyes.
Too terrified to scream, she froze. This had to be the ultimate unfair break. She’d been spared death by rockslide, driving off a cliff, a leaking gas tank, and possibly drowning, only to face a brutal animal attack. Where the hell was her fairy-fucking-godmother when she needed one?
The bear batted at the partially open window. Using its powerful forearm, it broke the pane free of the frame and reached into the cab.
“Oh, God!” Her throat tensed.
Here it comes—death by mauling.
“Make it quick, bastard. Snap my neck first!”
The bear pounced on the air bag. Its claws shredded the material and it deflated with a
pop!
A powdery haze of accelerant hung in the air.
Cowering, she tried to slide under the dashboard. “No!”
With a hardy shove, the bear stuck its head inside the cab and looked around. It placed its huge paws on the frame and violently rocked the SUV until the jammed door opened.
The motion dislodged the SUV from the shallow eddy and set it free. The vehicle took on more water as it drifted with the current. With her teeth clattering, she tried to climb out of the floating ice bucket that was her car, but the damn bear blocked her way.
So, it’s to be death by drowning after all.
The bear made soft, grunting sounds as it grabbed hold of her collar with its teeth and dragged her from the cab. The edges of its sharp fangs nicked her skin, but didn’t do a fraction of the damage she’d braced for. The creature’s forearms wrapped around her and pulled her close to its shaggy belly. Gripping her in its paws, it stood on powerful legs and lifted her to its chest. Had it not been so terrifying to be locked in the arms of a vicious predator, she might have taken comfort in being held against a large, heat-radiating body.
Standing on its hind legs, the bear lumbered through the rushing river, holding her safely above the chilly current. With her eyes squeezed shut in horror, she squealed the most desperate, high-pitched scream of her life, while the bear carried her with surprising tenderness, as if she were a cherished cub.
The obvious question was, how long would the bear’s gentle treatment last? When the hulking omnivore reached the bank, would it dash her against the rocks, gut her with its dagger-like claws, and then begin to feed?
The bear stepped onto the bank. Its warm breath flooded over her face. They approached a flat boulder. She cringed in fear that the rock might be the bear’s favorite place to dine. Convinced the final moments were near, she mumbled a prayer, hoping the beast would kill her with a clean blow and not leave her to writhe in agony.
Bowing forward, the bear set her carefully on the rock, then dropped to all fours and stepped back.
She stared in suspense, waiting for a massive paw to lash out and strike her down, but no threatening moves were made. The bear remained still, seemingly serene. In the low light, a sheen of raindrops glistened like diamonds on its coarse fur. It opened its muzzle, exposing ivory canines, and growled. The booming sound resonated deep in its chest and echoed through the ravine.
The bear didn’t lunge or threaten. Instead, it cautiously sniffed her clothing.
Gazing into the creature’s calm face, she became convinced it would not attack—at least, not yet. Perhaps not ever. A reassuring expression glowed within its sparkling, maple-syrup-brown eyes. The full impact of the moment hit at the same second her body slipped into shock. The blood fled her limbs and left her fingers tingling. With her mind racing, she collapsed onto the rock, unable to move.
Padding a step closer, the bear hovered over her. A glint of intelligence in the creature’s eyes hinted at the possibility it was attempting to communicate an important shred of information. As if by telepathy, she sensed the bear was male and was as surprised by this intense encounter as she.
“Are we sharing a thought?” She almost laughed hysterically at the incomprehensible situation. Hot tears trickled down her cheeks. “Maybe I’m already dead and just imagining this?”
The bear touched its wet muzzle to her face. A snort of what might have been concern crossed its lips. A wave of dizziness overcame her, and the world around her faded as she blacked out.
She woke up wrapped in a thin sheet of lightweight material, which rustled every time she moved. Andi opened her eyes just enough to glimpse a steel-gray evening sky. Icy drizzle and body aches proved more than she could cope with. At the first chilling sight of reality, she instantly retreated into the security of the dream state, and dozed off.
“Miss, are you okay?” A man knelt beside her. His callused hand brushed her cheek. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”
A half-hearted groan was all she could muster.
“Open your eyes.” The voice comforted her, and all she wanted to do was curl into a ball and sleep.
“Nope. I’m not letting you slip away.” He gave her cheek a brisk tap. “Time to get up. We can’t stay here.”
Like a siren’s song, oblivion called to her. She ignored him.
The tap became a light slap. “Lady. Wake up!”
She awoke with a gasp. “What? What do you want?” The silhouette of a large man leaned over her. Viewed against the drizzling gloom, his shadowy face appeared featureless.
“Do you know where you are?” A rich bass voice, dark and heavy as molasses, flooded her senses.
Shifting on the rock, she saw a foil emergency blanket was the source of the rustling sounds. Raindrops hit the taut surface.
Plink, plink, plink
. “I’d say, I think I’m dead, but every inch of my body aches.”
“You are definitely alive.” He sounded worried. “Do you remember what happened to you?”
She glanced around. During the fall, she’d banged her knees on the dashboard, and bitten her lip, but other than the faint taste of blood in her mouth, miraculously she was still in one bruised but functional piece. “I’m on a riverbank. I had an accident involving a rockslide and a bear.”
“A bear?” His clipped words were businesslike. “What’s your name?”
“Andi Brunell.”
“Andi.” With a softer tone, he spoke slowly. “I’m going to check for broken bones, and if I don’t feel any, I’m going to ask you to trust me and be very brave.”
The name
Andi
meant brave, but she wasn’t in the mood to live up to her name. “Uh-oh. Why do I think this is going to be bad?”
“We’re at the bottom of a narrow gorge and the river is rising fast. At sundown, the temperature will drop. I have to get you out of here, and it’s just me. The road below is covered in mud. Emergency helicopters can’t fly after dark in this weather. Do you understand what I’m saying? With possible injuries, it’s unwise to move you, but we don’t have a choice. Do I have your permission to check for injuries?”