Forbidden Love: A BBW, BWWM Paranormal Romance (8 page)

“It’s
sore, but I thought it would be a lot worse.” Alice looked down
at her bandaged thigh, thankful once again that Alex had found her.

He
hadn’t released her yet, so she looked up at him. He stared at
her. The hand that had been stroking her cheek slowly slid down her
body to cup her bare breast. He leaned in for a kiss, kneading her
large breast. She lifted her face to accept the kiss, and moaned when
he leaned in to her and she felt his hard cock against her thigh.

Alice
pulled away, shaking a finger at him admonishingly. “And that’s
why I didn’t want you watching me dress.”

Alex
growled playfully at her and stepped away. “I can’t help
it. I want that sexy body again. I may be addicted.”

Alice
laughed as she slipped the maxi dress over her head. It fit snugly
over her curvaceous body. “You’re a naughty one, that’s
for sure.”

“Damn,
girl! You look good in that dress!” Alex wolf whistled at her,
causing her giggle to erupt again. “You keep this, and I’ll
replace it for the owner later.”

“I
couldn’t do that. I’ll clean it and return it as soon as
I can. But don’t worry, sexy ass, I’ll buy one to wear
just for you.” She ran her hand down his chest, a seductive
look in her eyes.

“All
right, dammit, stop it or I’ll rip the damn dress off you,”
he joked. “It’s already killing me to know that you’ll
be sitting across from me at breakfast with nothing on underneath
it.”

“Across
from you? We aren’t eating in here?” The prospect of
eating surrounded by the werewolf pack worried her.

“Of
course not. I want you to meet some of my cousins and friends,”
Alex told her. When he saw her bite her lip in nervousness as she
glanced at the tent flap, he said, “Don’t worry. They’re
decent people. Not all of them are like my dad.”

She
looked at him and nodded, still worried. He tilted her head up and
gently kissed her lips.

“Stop
worrying. They’ll treat you like they’d treat any other
woman I brought here.”

Alice
lifted an eyebrow. “Exactly how many women?” She narrowed
her eyes playfully at him and asked, “Are you a slut?”

“Only
for you, now, sweetheart.”

She
wrinkled her nose at him and tapped his nose with her finger. “You
charmer.”

He
took her hand and pulled her out of the tent into the bright morning
sun. Alice blinked her eyes to clear her vision as Alex led her to
the tables. He motioned her to take a seat with his father and mother
while he grabbed their plates. She looked at Shara first, then at
John. Shara smiled at her knowingly, while John refused to make eye
contact.

“How
does your leg feel this morning?” Shara asked politely.

“It’s
sore but not as bad as I expected,” she answered, smiling at
her nurse. “Thank you again for taking care of it last night. I
wouldn’t have made it home in that condition.”

“Thanks
aren’t necessary, Alice. Despite what you’ve heard,
werewolves don’t torture other species for fun,” Share
said jokingly.

Alice smiled at her. “Yes, I’ve heard those
rumors. But I’m sure you’ve heard the same about our
clan.”

“
Of course! If any of those rumors were true, the
pack and the clan would have died out ages ago,” Share claimed,
chuckling. John glared at her, unhappy with her discussion. She
looked at him, waiting for a comment, but he made none. “We’ll
get you back to your clan as soon as you’ve finished eating.”

Alice opened her mouth to reply, but John beat her to
it. “We’ll drop her ass off on the road close by. And
good riddance.”

Shara kicked him under the table, but Alex responded.
“Dad, I will take her as far as she’d like me to take
her. She’s injured and can’t shift right now, or walk too
far.”

John stared at his son. “You will not take her
back. I’ve already asked one of your cousins to do so.”

“
I will take her back,” Alex replied through
clenched teeth. He placed one of the plates in front of Alice and sat
next to her. She whispered a thanks. Then silence. Everyone was
uncomfortable.

Shara watched the small exchange between her son and the
werebear human. Her eyes widened when they leaned to each other and
whispered. When Alex touched her hand briefly as they spoke, her
heart fell. Something had happened in the tent between them last
night, and that something was continuing here in front of the entire
pack. Shara glanced at her husband, who watched the pair with
narrowed eyes and a disapproving frown.

Before she could stop him, John’s temper exploded.
“What the hell is this? Love Connection?”

“
What?” Alex asked, looking up at his
father. He realized how angry his father was. “Why are you mad?
We’re just talking.”

“
And touching and sitting so close there isn’t
any room between you!” John fumed. “The entire pack can
see you acting like some lovesick puppy rather than the werewolf you
are!”

“
No one was paying any attention to Alice and me
until you started screaming like a fool!” Alex yelled back.

“
She’s a werebear!” John reminded him,
pointing accusingly at Alice as if she were standing trial for
murder. “Those disgusting creatures are our enemies!”

Alex and his father had both risen, drawing the
attention of every pack member, even the ones who hadn’t been
at breakfast. At the insult, Alice also rose, holding her hands up as
if deflecting a rock thrown at her.

“
Hey, listen. I’ll get out of here,”
she told John. “You don’t have to be an ass about all
this.”

“
Shut up, were-whore!” John yelled. “You
seduced my son last night, didn’t you?”

Alice’s eyes had widened at the insult, but she
hadn’t even formulated a reply before Alex’s menacingly
low voice responded.

“
Do not call her that.” John stared at his
son, whose eyes were unrecognizable. Shara attempted to step between
them, but Alex held his arm out to prevent her. “I’m in
love with her, Father.”

Everyone gasped, but none louder than Alice. She had no
time to react; John had transformed into a wolf and stood growling at
her. Alex transformed as well and moved between his father and Alice.

Shara yelled at the two of them, “Stop it! Now! We
need to settle this without ripping each other apart!”

The men took no heed. Alex leapt high and tackled his
father to the ground. Horrible sounds accompanied the fight. Alice
screamed at them to stop, as did Shara, but the two were beyond
words. Alex would not let anyone, even his father, speak to Alice
that way, and John would not allow his only son to get mixed up with
a werebear.

So the fight escalated.

*****

Cammie, Riley, and Susan stood on the outskirts of the
werewolf camp, listening to the sounds of a dog fight. They’d
her Alice’s voice but hadn’t been able to understand her
words.

“
Is that how they settle things? With a fight?”
Susan grumbled. “How barbaric.”

Cammie smiled at her snobbery, but it fell quickly when
Riley said, “I think we need to intervene. I would bet my left
leg they’re fighting about what to do with Alice.”

He looked at his mother, who nodded deferring to his
judgment. She’d slowly been handing her duties over to him.
Just this morning, she’d told him he’d take lead in this
battle, should there be one.

“
Just remember the plan, everyone,” Cammie
said. “Riley and I will walk into camp as humans to discuss
first. All of you will remain in bear form as back up.”

Everyone nodded their understanding and shifted, Susan
included. Cammie had asked her to stay at home, but she’d
refused.
She’s so brave
,
thought Cammie.
She
looked at Riley and nodded, and they moved in the direction of the
camp.

*****

A guard werewolf howled when he saw them coming, a
warning signal to the camp that strangers were in their territory.
Shara heard the warning and hissed loudly at her son and husband, who
paid her no heed. She grabbed a pail of rain water and hurled it at
them. They ceased their fight, breathing hard, both glaring at the
woman. She didn’t flinch.

“
Someone is coming into camp. Jack howled the
signal.” Shara turned to Alice. “The poachers may have
tracked you and Alex here. We have to hide you. There could be a
fight and you’re already injured.”

Alice looked at Alex for confirmation, and he nodded at
her. His eyes pleaded with her to go. She nodded at him and touched
his head, rubbing his fur. Shara pulled her away and hid her in the
closest tent, out of sight, then turned back to follow her husband
and son, the leader and future leader of their pack.

As they approached the clearing, a roar like thunder
echoed through the woods. John, who had returned to human form,
looked down at Alex, still a wolf. They rounded the last tent. John
halted in astonishment.

Bears stood in ranks, glaring at his pack. All had
shifted, ready for a battle. John recognized Cammie, the clan leader,
and her son, whose name he couldn’t recall. He knew the boy
would be the next leader, and as Cammie followed his lead rather than
the other way around, John assumed he’d be dealing with him
today.

A werewolf lunged forward, feinting at one of the
werebears. In retaliation, the werebear swung a huge paw at the wolf,
who didn’t fall back in time. The paw connected with the wolf,
who was knocked sideways several steps. Another wolf took this for
aggression on the bear’s part and launched himself at the bear.
The two fought, and already blood was mixing with the sand.

“
Susan!” Cammie screamed. She rushed to the
grappling bear and wolf, yelling.

Riley yelled at the others to hold rank. “Stay
where you are, bears!”

John also saw the potential for a war and called to the
wolves, “It’s not our fight yet, wolves. Let the two of
them fight it out.”

Cammie turned on John in a panic. “That’s my
daughter, dammit! You already have one! Get him off her! He’s
killing her!”

Alex yelled at the wolf to get off, stepping close to
Cammie. When a natural break occurred, he stepped between them,
risking losing a limb. He shoved the wolf back.

Cammie moved to Susan’s aid. She lay on the
ground, bleeding heavily from several cuts on her snout and a bite on
her neck. She looked at the wolf, who bore huge claw marks down his
shoulder. Although she was furious with her, Cammie was proud of the
way Susan had defended herself against such a large wolf. But this
was not the time for such sentiments.

Cammie turned to verbally attack John, but Riley was
already speaking calmly to him. She reined in her temper and allowed
her son to take the lead. She knelt beside Susan again, soothing her
with her whispered words.

*****

“
Shara, can’t you hear it? That’s a
bear fighting a wolf!” Alice screeched. Shara was blocking her
from leaving the tent. “We have to go out there! They’re
here for me!”

“
I understand that, Alice, but you’re
already injured. I’m not going to let you out there unless you
promise to stay out of the fight.”

“
Why do you care?”

“
Because my son does.” Alice froze at her
words. She stared at Shara, unsure how to proceed. “Listen,
Alice. Let’s walk out there together to show your clan that you
aren’t hurt.”

“
Ok, yeah,” Alice replied quietly. She
touched Shara’s arm before she left the tent. “I care
about him too, you know.”

Shara looked at her and smiled. “Honey, I wouldn’t
have stopped you. Now let’s go stop this nonsense.”

Shara took Alice’s hand, and together they walked
out of the tent and towards the center of camp. The sounds of a
battle had dissipated. They could hear growls and the occasional yap
over the calm voices of two men. Alice recognized her brother’s
voice before she saw him.

“
John, we have got to settle this peacefully.
Where is Alice?” Riley asked.

“
I’m here,” Alice called. Cammie rose
with a hand on her chest, happy to see her daughter relatively
uninjured.

Riley also noticed she held the hand of Shara, the
matriarch of the pack. His brows drew together when he spoke, his
voice filled with barely controlled anger. “What the hell is
going on, Alice? Why are you holding her hand like you’re best
friends?”

“
Riley, please listen before you judge,”
Alice asked. She turned to her mother and apologized. “Mom, I’m
so sorry for worrying you. I tried to leave last night, but they
wouldn’t let me.”

“
WHAT?!? Why?” Riley yelled, glaring from
John to Shara to Alex, looking for an answer.

“
Calm your blubber,” John insulted. Riley
growled menacingly at him, eliciting several growls from the wolf
pack and answering growls from the bears.

Alex raised his hands defensively and said, “Ok,
ok, guys, let’s all calm down. No need for insults.”

“
Male bravado aside, why didn’t you let my
daughter leave?” Cammie interrupted.