Lost Bear (2 page)

The next few seconds seemed to unfold in slow motion.

Seth said something, and the bear turned to attack her predator. He and Gage came to a halt as blood splattered across the trees, and the bear roared in anger. Face to face with her attacker, she backed up unsteadily, gasping for air.

Gage held up his hands, and took a measured step forward.

“Emma, it’s me, Gage,” he took another step toward her. “He’ll be all right. He heals fast, just like you.”

The bear looked at Gage and then shifted into her human form.

“Gage?” she asked.

“Yeah, it’s me, and that’s Seth,” he nodded toward his brother.

She glanced at Seth and tears streamed down her face.

“He’ll be fine. Come over here, I’ve missed you.”

She walked over and gave the big man a hug.

Dave watched as the bear shifted into her human form. In an instant, the bear was replaced by a fully clothed, short, curvy woman with long, curly blond hair. The curls were tiny and wild, and instead of looking like a wild animal, she looked like a woman who had been thoroughly fucked and pleasured by her man.

Her dark green eyes were unmistakable, and if there had been any doubt she and the bear were the same, her eyes would have given her away. He wanted to warn her against the dangers of letting strangers too close while in her bear form, but he suspected she had years of experience with the issue and knew how to behave as a bear better than he did.

She’d swiped Seth across the chest and face with her paw, and though they both knew he would heal quickly, he ached for her when she noticed the damage. Her tears broke his heart, and he fought the urge to console her. She didn’t know him, and though the bears had the ability to recover quickly, he did not.

Dave glared at Gage as he hugged the woman and whispered comforting words as she cried into his chest. When her tears subsided, he pushed her away with a final nod and introduced them.

“Emma, this is my good friend, Dave Yeager. He’s the deputy here, and an ally to the clan. He’s the only one in town that knows about us,” Gage said. “Dave, this is our cousin, Emma Thompson.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Emma,” he said, and took a step toward her with his hand outstretched. She looked at the limb for several seconds, then took a deep breath and placed her hand in his.

Electricity surged up his arm, and it seemed as if the whole world stood still. In that moment, nothing else existed except for him and Emma. The overwhelming feelings startled him, but he knew she’d felt them too. Her eyes widened and a silent gasp escaped her lips.

Minutes, hours, days…they could have stood there forever. He had no concept of time, or space. Only she mattered.

“Oh geez, I can’t believe it,” Seth said, laughing. “All right, break it up you crazy kids. I’m bleeding all over the place here.”

Her cousin’s words broke the spell and she let go of his hand.

“Oh Seth,” she said, facing the wounded man, “I’m so sorry.”

At six foot, seven inches tall, Seth looked tall and menacing next to her. Still, even as he complained about being injured, the big man bent down and let her kiss him on the cheek.

“Don’t worry about it, Short Stack. I’m glad you’re back, we’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you guys, too,” she said.

“Why don’t we go in the house?” Dave said. “Seth can clean up, and then you all can talk.”

“Yeah, and you can meet my mate,” Gage said. “Kate has been waiting for us.”

“Is she the one who’s carrying the energies?” Emma asked.

“One of them,” Gage said. “Kate has been carrying the longest, in fact she’s due this month, but Aaron’s mate, Sara, is also carrying. She’s one month along.”

“Aaron Williams?” she asked.

Dave couldn’t help the surge of jealousy that swept over him when she acknowledged the other man. Aaron was happily mated, and a friend, but the thought of him and Emma together sent his heart racing. Had they ever dated before? How did she know him?

“Yep. Hard to believe, huh?”

“Wow, I never thought I’d see the day,” she admitted.

“Me neither,” Gage laughed. “Let’s go inside and get caught up.”

They’d only known each other five minutes, and yet he felt drawn to her in a way he couldn’t explain. He knew his feelings were irrational, so he kept his mouth shut, and led the way back to his home.

He wanted to growl and rip Gage’s arm off when he pulled her into the house, and dragged her into the living room. He held her hand in the same way he held Kate’s, and Dave couldn’t stop the sneer that formed in the direction of his friend’s back as he entered the other room.

“Hey, I need the first aid kit,” Seth said, walking in behind them.

Dave heard his voice, but he had no idea what the other man had said.

“Oh, man. You’ve got it bad,” Seth said, laughing again. “This is going to be fun to watch. Hello, Dave?” he felt the man tap his shoulder. “Dude, where’s the first aid kit?”

“Sorry,” Dave said, looking at his friend’s wound.

He shook his head and led Seth into the bathroom. The first aid kit had been hiding under the sink, and he pulled it out and placed it on the counter. He also took two washcloths out of the linen closet and placed them on top of the box, along with an extra t-shirt.

“Do you need some help?” he asked.

“Nah, it’s already starting to heal. I think she recognized me mid-strike, because she definitely didn’t use all of her strength,” Seth said. “Go on out there and get to know her. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

“Okay, let me know if you need anything.”

“Sure thing, now get out of here.”

Seth closed the door in his face, and he went to join the others in the living room. Emma pretended to ignore him when he walked in the room, but he wasn’t fooled. The air between them seemed to crackle, and she stammered when he sat down next to her on the couch.

***

Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!

The moment she slid her hand in his, she began to doubt her plan. She’d never had such a strong reaction to a man, and she knew their chemistry couldn’t be fabricated.

Up close, he was even more handsome than she imagined. His strong face looked like it had been carved from granite, and his dark brown eyes seemed to look straight into her soul. She imagined staring into his eyes as he slowly pleasured her and she nearly melted into a puddle. Their connection seemed unbreakable, as if they were the only two people in the forest, and she wondered if, when the time came, she’d really be able to let him wander into the arms of another woman.

Thankfully, Seth served as the antidote for the spell she’d been under.

His jealousy had been tangible as she hugged Gage, and she felt it again as they followed him back to his home. Gage’s hand served as an anchor as she maneuvered through the forest on two legs instead of four, but she reveled in the possession emanating from Dave.

She and Kate became instant friends, and being so easily accepted by her cousin’s mate filled her with pride. She hadn’t seen Gage or Seth in nearly sixty years, and it saddened her to hear about their falling out all those years ago. The two of them were more like brothers to her than cousins, and she hated to think of either of them in pain.

Her thoughts of the past reminded her of Seth’s present injuries and she winced.

“Do you think his mate will be mad?” Emma asked Kate.

“Yeah, but not at you,” Kate laughed. “She’ll be mad he snuck up behind you, not that you defended yourself. Besides, those gashes weren’t that deep. He’ll be healed by tomorrow morning.”

“I hope you’re right,” Emma said, worrying her lower lip.

“She usually is,” Gage said, and kissed his mate on the forehead. “Now, tell us about you. Why have you been living as a bear for the last ten years?”

“I found out my boyfriend had been cheating on me, and it’s happened with so many men, I couldn’t take it anymore. I quit my job, packed up my stuff, rented a storage unit and moved out of my apartment. You’re one of the lucky ones, Kate, because most men can’t be trusted.”

In that moment, Dave walked back into the room and she momentarily paused. Had he heard about her heartbreak? Would he figure out her plan? Though it wasn’t her fault, she didn’t want him to know how many times she’d been cheated on and taken advantage of. She wanted to be the one with all of the aces in her pocket for once.

She tried to ignore him when he sat down next to her on the couch, but his presence made her want to rip off her clothes and lay over the coffee table like a buffet. He could eat until he got his fill and she wouldn’t complain.

“I…I had to get away,” she continued, “and so I shifted. The freedom felt so good, I saw no reason to shift back. I came to Bear Mountain because of the energies, but even so, I still wasn’t sure if I would shift back or not. I had no idea who the shifter was, and I definitely didn’t want to see my parents.”

“That’s understandable,” Gage said.

Dave moved like he was going to speak, but he stayed silent.

“What are you going to do now?” Gage asked.

“Well, now that I have shifted back, I kind of like it,” she admitted. “I think I’m going to stick around for a while, if that’s okay with you.”

She looked at Gage to test his reaction and both he and Kate had huge grins on their faces. She had a feeling they knew about her plan to solicit their friend, but they didn’t question her motives for staying.

“I would love for you to stay forever,” Gage said.

“So would I,” Kate agreed.

“Me too,” Seth said as he entered the room. He’d washed away the blood and put on a clean shirt. The material stretched across his chest, proving it was at least a size too small, and she smiled at the sight.

“I’ll definitely stay until after the babies are born, and then we’ll see what happens,” she said. “First, I need to find a place to stay.”

“You’re more than welcome to stay with us,” Kate said, “but there’s also two hotels, one of them a five star, and a bed and breakfast in town. The bed and breakfast is owned by Aaron’s mate, Sara.”

“You could also stay here,” Dave blurted.

She looked at him for the first time since he entered the room, which seemed to be his intent, though he seemed as shocked about his outburst as the rest of them.

“I’m just putting it out there,” he said, coolly. “I have an extra bedroom, and the rent is cheap.”

His offer was akin to admitting he wanted her as much as she wanted him. The declaration only made her want him more, but it was also the reason she had to decline. For her plan to work, she needed to have a place to go and get away from him when necessary.

“Thank you, Dave,” Emma said, “but I think I’ll check out the five star hotel. I haven’t been in my human form in a long time, and I’d like to pamper myself a bit.”

“Well, I had to offer,” he said, tense after her refusal. “Especially since you’ve been hanging around outside for the last two days.”

Everyone laughed and his shoulders relaxed a bit.

She admired his gumption, and she wanted to stay with him, but she needed time to be a girl again before she moved in with a man. She needed to shave her legs, soak in a hot bubble bath, dance around the room naked and paint her toenails.

Her hair was always big and wild, with an occasional strand flying around haphazardly, but she could only imagine what the rest of her looked like. She glanced down to her jeans and t-shirt and grimaced. Dirt laced the hem of her pants and her t-shirt was worn, faded and dirty. How could she have entered his house looking the way she did?

Embarrassment rose to the surface and she stood, effectively silencing everyone in the room.

“I’m sorry, but I’m really tired. I’d like to go now, if that’s okay.”

“I have to get Katie home to rest, too,” Gage said. “We’ll drive you down to the hotel, Emma, and let you get situated.”

“Thank you,” she said, “and thank you, Dave. For the burger, and well…everything.”

He followed them to the door, and held it open as they all filed out.

“You’re welcome,” he said. “I’ll see you soon.”

His voice held something more than a command, it held determination. Her time away from him was limited. She knew he’d come for her sooner than later.

Dave stormed into the sheriff’s office and hastily crossed the room when he saw the sheriff sitting behind his desk. He placed his palms on the wood and leaned over, hovering over the man. If he had been anyone else, his threat would have been immediately acknowledged and returned, but Gage didn’t even flinch. His actions proved their relationship went beyond that of mere coworkers.

“Your cousin is avoiding me,” he huffed.

“Really?” Gage laughed.

“Yeah, really. Did you tell her not to go out with me?”

“What? No,” Gage said, all teasing gone from his voice. “Why would you think that?”

“I don’t know,” Dave said. He sat down at his desk and sighed. “Maybe because I’m not a bear, or you don’t think I’m good enough for her.”

“Emma’s parents are both bears, and so are mine, but shifters usually mate with humans, and I’m mated to a human, so that’s not an issue. Whether or not you’re good enough is for her to decide, but I’d be happy to have you as her mate.”

His friend’s easy acceptance pushed away some of his anger, but his frustration lingered.

“Mate? I can’t even get her to go out with me,” Dave said.

“She won’t go out with you?”

“No, she’s been avoiding me like the plague for two days. Yesterday I went to the hotel to invite her to dinner and she wouldn’t even open the door. Today, I called to ask her for lunch and she said she’s having lunch with you. When I offered dinner instead, she said she had plans for the evening.”

“I don’t know about yesterday, but she does have plans today. Katie invited her over for lunch, and then they’re going shopping. I’m sure she wants to get some stuff of her own; she’s been borrowing from Kate since she shifted back.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” he sighed. “I guess I overreacted. I just thought…,” he trailed off.

“Thought what?”

“I thought she was into to me, too. When our hands touched, it was…never mind. I don’t want to talk to you about this. It doesn’t help that I made a fool out of myself on Wednesday night, and everyone knows it. I think I put too much stock in an already stressful situation.”

“I think you need to give her some time,” Gage said knowingly. “She said she wanted to pamper herself, and she probably needs some time alone in her human form. I’m almost positive she wanted to accept your offer, but the reason she stayed a bear so long might have something to do with it. I’ll let her give you the details, but I will say that she hasn’t seen a whole lot of good from any of the men she’s dated.”

“That’s probably because she’s only dated assholes.”

“We know that, but I don’t think she does,” Gage said. “Do you still want to go to the city tomorrow night?”

“Hell no! Right now, all I want to do is take Emma out to dinner.”

“How about giving her a ride home?”

“Huh?” Dave asked.

“Why don’t I invite her to dinner tomorrow night? We can have a barbeque, let her meet everyone, and then work it so you have to drive her home. I’ll send everyone home early, and,” he waved his hand between them, “you know, I won’t be able to do it because Kate will need me or something. Then you come in and save the day. You’ll have a few minutes alone with her, and that’s when you ask her out. I have a feeling she won’t be able to say no once you’re face to face.”

“That might work.”

“It might, and even if it doesn’t, you can talk to her during dinner. You’ll get to spend time with her, and get to know her better, too.”

“Okay, let’s do it. Do I need to bring anything?”

“No, just your charming self,” Gage said, then laughed hard and loud.

“Very funny, asshole.”

“I thought so,” he said, a smug expression on his face.

Dave shook his head and proceeded to continue the report he’d been working on earlier. He’d already made his morning rounds, but the paperwork he’d put off for the past few days still waited.

He pushed Emma from his mind, even when Gage left for lunch with her and Kate, but hope drove him to work diligently to rid his desk of paperwork. If he could convince Emma to go out with him, he didn’t want any reasons to stay at work longer than necessary.

When it was time for his evening rounds, the only things left on his desk were his empty basket, computer and nameplate. Gage came back from his afternoon errands and stopped in his tracks.

“Whoa, you weren’t kidding.”

“What are you talking about?” Dave asked.

Gage glanced back and forth between their two desks and laughed.

“You’ve got it bad.”

“Whatever,” Dave said. He tried to play it cool, but from the look on Gage’s face, he hadn’t succeeded.

Dammit!

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, defeated.

“Come over at six,” Gage said, “and don’t be late. Emma already agreed to come.”

He was sure Gage hadn’t meant to put dirty thoughts in his head, but for the whole drive home, all he could think about was Emma coming around his cock, and screaming out his name as he pleasured her in every way imaginable.

He pulled into his driveway, shut off the engine, and groaned when he thought about the long night ahead of him.

***

Emma briskly walked down the dimly lit streets until she reached Dave’s home. All of the lights were off and she hesitated before racing up the driveway and hiding under the overhang in front of his door.

She’d been in hell the last two days, and after refusing his dinner and lunch invites, she’d stayed away from him as long as possible. She wanted him, and he seemed to want her in return, but she’d tried to prolong the inevitable and now she was sneaking around like a thief in the night.

Lunch with Kate and Gage had been pleasant. She’d missed her cousin, and his mate was perfect. Their obvious love for each other threatened to resurrect buried dreams from the past, and she’d had to fight hard not to allow herself to wish for a love like theirs. She refused to raise her hopes, only to fall victim to a cheating man. Again.

Men couldn’t be trusted, and sooner or later they all cheated. She thought about Gage and realized maybe
all
was too broad a term, but then justified it by claiming him an oddity.

Gage had invited her to a barbeque the following day, and mentioned Dave would be there as well. Spending the night making small talk and dancing around what they both obviously wanted seemed ridiculous.

After a long drive into the city, followed by a surprisingly successful shopping trip, she’d decided to save them both a lot of awkward moments and break the ice with Dave tonight.

If he went along with her plan, they could ease some of the sexual energy surrounding them and enjoy the barbeque rather than thinking about sex all night. Granted, she’d probably still think about it, but it would be easier to face him knowing she’d be able to touch him later with no strings attached.

If he goes along with your plan!

She pushed the doubts out of her mind and took a deep breath. She’d never admit the truth out loud, but Dave was her mate. He was the one man on earth made especially for her. The chances of him not wanting her were slim, and besides, what man turned down free sex with no commitment? He’d have to be crazy to decline her offer.

Mate or not, sooner or later he would find someone better, and when he did, she would have the memories of their perfect time together. They would carry her through the many long and lonely years ahead.

She let out the breath she’d been holding and rang the doorbell.

Minutes passed and she raised her hand to ring the bell again when she heard movement on the other side of the door.

“Emma?”

He turned the lock, opened the door and pulled her inside.

“What’s wrong? What are you doing here?” he asked as he pushed her behind him.

He scanned the area in front of his home, and then closed the door, shutting them inside.

“Is everything okay?”

He stood before her wearing only his well-worn jeans. He’d left the top button undone and she could see a thin trail of hair leading down below the zipper. His bare, muscular chest flexed as he waited for her answer and her pussy ached to be filled by him. She adjusted her stance and pressed her thighs together, but it didn’t quench her need.

“I had to see you,” she said. He stood close enough for her to touch and she couldn’t think straight. The words she’d rehearsed on the way over died in her throat.

“Why? What’s wrong? Are you in danger?” he fired off the questions as if he were interrogating a criminal. His natural need to protect filtered through his every word.

“No, I’m fine. I’m sorry it’s so late, but I really wanted to see you. Tonight,” she said.

“Why are you out of breath?”

Because you’re standing too close and I want to touch you all over.

“I walked from the hotel.”

“You
walked
here? Alone? At this time of night?”

“It’s Bear Mountain. I think it’s safe.”

“If you thought that, you wouldn’t be out of breath. Why did you want to see me?”

“I have a proposition that couldn’t wait.”

He raised an eyebrow at her, no doubt on to her reason for showing up on his doorstep after midnight, but he didn’t say a word and motioned for her to precede him into the living room.

“Do you want something to drink?”

“Water would be great,” she said, her throat suddenly dry. She’d practiced her speech, but she hadn’t really thought about delivering it to his face. Now that she had him where she wanted him, panic threatened to consume her.

What if she’d made a mistake and misread his intentions? What if he laughed in her face when she voiced the suggestion? She stood, ready to retrace her steps to the door when he reentered the room carrying a bottle of water.

“Going somewhere?”

“No,” she cleared her throat, “just stretching my legs.” She turned the cap on the bottle and gulped down a few swallows of the cold, clear liquid. The cool drink pushed away some of the warmth that had started to spread up her chest, neck and ears, and she sat back down, the courage to voice her needs restored.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but as I said, I have a plan—”

“You’re not bothering me,” he interrupted. “I’ve been thinking about you all day, and I’m happy to see you again, especially here in my home. What’s the plan?”

“Well, I like you, and I think you like me, too—”

“I do.”

“But relationships never work out, so I’d like us to be
friends with benefits
.”

“You want us to be fuck buddies?” he asked, his features hard. He seemed mad, almost insulted by her proposition, but she didn’t understand why.

“I wouldn’t say it like that, but yes.”

“So we agree that we share this amazing connection, but instead of giving a real relationship a go, you just want to be friends.”

“Friends that have sex. I don’t really see the problem. Most men would be happy to have this kind of relationship.”

“I’m not most men.”

“So your answer is no?”

“I didn’t say that,” he interjected, “but what happens if one of us decides they want more?”

“Don’t worry. By the time you’re ready to move on, I will be happy to let you go.”

“So I’m not your mate?” he asked.

He almost seemed disappointed, but then she remembered he knew about her shifting abilities and the perks of being mated to a shifter.

Shifters were immortal. They could be seriously injured, and feel pain, but they couldn’t die. When a shifter found his or her mate, their bite, combined with orgasm during unprotected sex, granted the mate the gift of eternal life.

He’d surprised her when he asked about being her mate, but she couldn’t tell the truth. He’d want immortality, and then leave her when the next pretty girl came to town.

“No, you’re not,” she lied.

He studied her for several minutes, and she nearly cracked under his scrutiny. She wished she had the power to read minds, because she desperately wanted to know his thoughts. She had a feeling he knew about her lie, and the realization made him more dangerous.

If she wasn’t careful, her plan had the power to ruin her.

“Okay, so how does this work? Can we go out on dates? Hang out whenever we want? Or are we only allowed to see each other in the bedroom?”

His face remained stoic, but she answered his questions with hope.

“We’re friends, so we can hang out whenever we want, with the added bonus of sex whenever we want.”

“That sounds like a girlfriend, boyfriend relationship to me,” he stated.

“The difference is that when you—or either of us—finds someone new, the sex ends with no hard feelings. We’re just satisfying each other until the right person comes along. In the end, nobody gets hurt, and everybody wins.”

“Somehow I doubt that,” he said. “I’d prefer to call you my girlfriend, but if this is what you want, then I’m willing to give it a try. I hope you’ll change your mind though, and give us a chance at something more.”