A Bear's Seduction (Forbidden Shifters Book 2) (6 page)
Read A Bear's Seduction (Forbidden Shifters Book 2) Online
Authors: Vanessa Devereaux
What had I done? I couldn’t get any response out of Ali, and
I knew the consequences of calling for emergency assistance, but her life was
more valuable to me than any punishment I had to face.
I covered her with a blanket I’d found in the closet and
cradled her in my arms while I waited for Emergency Tech to arrive. Her
breathing was shallow and her pulse weak. How ironic would this be if I’d
finally found my mate and then lost her. I hung my head and cried as I heard
the sirens approaching. I didn’t think I’d let them take her from me but
realized it was the only way they’d be able to help her.
“Take the best care of her,” I pleaded with them as I handed
her over.
I leaned over and kissed her before they wheeled her out.
The Enforcement agents arrived minutes later. They threw me
up against the wall before I had a chance to say a word. One of Ali’s posters
fell to the ground and smashed. They ground my face into the wall and I wanted
to fight back like my ancestors had but I knew I was outmatched here.
“I can smell what you’ve done in this room you dirty, filthy
bear,” he spat so hard bits of his saliva went into my ear. He ripped my shirt
off my back, and the scanner was passed over me just before the metal choker
was put on me.
“Looks like you have a history of breaking the rules. Take
this piece of shit away.”
I lost track of time and how long I’d sat in the cell. I’d
been in this position before but in the earlier cases I hadn’t cared about the
women, and none of them had passed out and their lives in danger. This time,
Enforcement stripped me, spat on me, and shouted at me not to fuck their women,
before leaving me here in the cell for what seemed like hours.
Then the door opened, and a senior Enforcement agent stepped
inside holding a long taser stick in his hand.
“Sit down,” he said, pointing to the chair by the wall.
I did as I was told.
“Ali, Ms. Bixby, is she okay?” I asked.
“I haven’t heard any news because they’ve put her in
isolation but they assume it’s a reaction to your semen, and they’re treating
it as such.”
I looked down at the floor. I’d unintentionally killed my
mate.
“You do realize you’ve broken lots of rules. No permit,
having intercourse without protection, and should Ms. Bixby become pregnant…”
A baby with Ali, what a thought, what a wonderful thought…
“You could be facing life in prison,” he said.
“I can explain. You see I believe she’s my mate and…”
“You didn’t have a permit, and you’re a past offender.”
“I’d like to see a legal advisor,” I said.
“Too late for that. Tomorrow you’ll be transferred out of the
county and to the holding pens for transportation to the Forbidden Shifter
area.”
I knew what that meant. No one survived there longer than a
week. I stood. “No, I’ve done nothing wrong. And I have to see Ali.”
He struck me in the chest with the taser but instead of it
subduing me, it pissed me off, and I began my transformation into my bear half.
Yes, I was breaking another rule, no shifting inside and especially not in
public places, or in front of non-shifters, but I couldn’t stop it. I saw it as
my only way to get to Ali.
I ran as fast as I could, knowing that the nearest hospital
to where Ali worked would be Harbor General. I ran as a bear and knew that I
was being hunted as one so when I arrived in the parking lot, I willed myself
to transform back. On my way there I knew exactly what had happened to Ali, and
yes, I was partially to blame, but it had nothing to do with me being a bear. I
ran behind a tree and walked out the other side. I was naked, but I was going
into the hospital no matter what. I strolled through the doors and heard
screams when the first few people spotted me.
“Allison Bixby,” I said to the woman sitting at the front
desk. “Where did you take her? I know what’s wrong with her.”
I watched as the woman literally shook and then her hands
hovered over the keyboards.
“Level 5 Trauma Area,” she said.
I ran up the stairs hoping I wasn’t too late. Why hadn’t I
thought of it I when the emergency technicians had arrived? Because I was a
bear in love and I wasn’t thinking straight.
The trauma area was almost eerily quiet as I approached the
glass and banged on it.
A nurse picked up the phone, and I knew she was calling
security, but I couldn’t let her do it.
“Allison Bixby, I know what’s wrong with her. She is allergic
to shellfish, and I know many people with that food allergy can have an adverse
reaction to peanuts too.”
Thank God that there were a few sensible non-shifters—she
pushed the button and let me into the area.
“Are you sure she’d eaten peanuts?” asked the nurse.
“No, but I ate them when I went for a drink with some buddies
just thirty minutes before I kissed her.”
“Stay there and I’ll go tell the doctor,” she said. She threw
a robe at me and ran down the corridor.
I put it on and slumped onto the nearest chair. I would be
banished, would never see Ali again but at least I’d saved her life.
When I opened my eyes, I was confused and disorientated. My
mouth was dry, and I couldn’t remember a thing after Bear fucking me and
telling me he wanted me to be his mate.
I tried to focus but couldn’t see him. I was no longer in my
office so I assumed I’d dreamed the whole thing. Going to his house, the party,
the tango, the sex…
“Welcome back, Allison.
It was a woman’s voice. I turned my head and saw it was a
nurse, and a drip was in my arm. I realized I was in the hospital.
“What happened?” I asked.
“You had a reaction to peanuts.”
I shook my head. “I’m diligent about not eating them since I
was a kid.”
“Mr. McCready remembered eating them and then kissing you. He
saved your life.”
Bear, oh dear God no. I could imagine the trouble he was in
when I’d ended up here.
“I need to see him,” I said.
“He was taken away by Enforcement.”
I sat up. “I demand to see him, or I’m pulling this out of my
arm and walking out of here. Do you want that to happen?”
“Wait here and I’ll see what I can do,” the nurse said.
*****
They must have slipped something into my drip to calm me down
because I woke up slightly disorientated again but when I opened my eyes, Bear
was by my side.
They’d obviously beaten him black and blue, his lip was cut
and his eye swollen shut but to me, he still looked the most handsome male in
the world. I lifted my hand to him, but they’d chained his hands to the collar
around his neck. I wanted to cry.
“Hi, beautiful,” Bear said.
“What have they done to you?”
“Nothing I can’t handle. At least they let me come here to
say goodbye to you. They’re shipping me out tomorrow. As a past offender, I
don’t get another chance.”
“No, no, I won’t let them do that to you.”
He reached toward me, and our fingertips touched.
“We’ll run away together. Out of the county. I’ve heard there
are sanctuaries that take werebears in,” I told him.
“Ali, I can’t let you give up all the life you have here just
for me. How about your family and your job which I know you love,” Bear said.
“I’m your mate right?”
Bear nodded.
“Then we’re supposed to be together no matter what.”
Ted knew what trouble he could be in, but he didn’t care. He
helped Ali out of the hospital and then he and some of his friends broke me out
of the Enforcement holding area. Ted traveled with us for two days. We hid in
the woods, slept under the stars, and ate the food that Mabel had packed for
us.
“Mabel’s going to miss you,” said Ted.
“I’m going to miss her too but one day when things settle
down, you both can come see us.”
I put my arm around Ali who was shivering. I only hoped that
there was someone in the sanctuary who could marry us. At least we wouldn’t
need to fill out forms and get anyone’s permission.
“I promise I’ll take care of your house and business until
you can come back. Bears will run Benningan County one of these days,” said
Ted.
We packed up and continued to walk and there ahead we saw the
arrow scratched into a rock just like we’d been told. Werebear Haven, sanctuary
for every bear with no questions asked.
Ted threw his arms around me, and I thought he would never
let go.
“Take care of yourself old friend and be sure to name your
firstborn after me. Well, that is if it’s a boy.”
The three of us had tears in our eyes.
“Ms. Bixby, you take care too and look after this bad bear
for me.”
“I will, and I know we’re going to see you again one of these
days.”
Ted didn’t say another word. I knew he couldn’t. He simply
turned and began to walk away.
I held Ali’s hand and slung our bags over my shoulder. We
didn’t have much, just a few items of clothing and the copy of The Bird and the
Cat. We’d vowed to read it every night and then do the same with our children.
We walked another mile and then saw the entrance to the safe haven.
“This is our home for the rest of our lives,” I told Ali.
“It’s not too late for you to change your mind.”
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” She pulled my
hand. “Come on. What are you waiting for?”
I lifted her up in my arms and stepped across into an area
Enforcement would no longer be able to hunt me down and take away the one thing
I loved, my mate.
“What are you doing?” Ali asked.
“Carrying you over the threshold.”
The End.
Vanessa Devereaux is the bestselling author of eight plus
books, including Who’s the Boss, Cater to Me and Seduced by a Cowboy. Her
favorite stories to write are historical erotica and ones featuring either bear
shifters or cowboys. When she’s not writing, she’s teaching aspiring authors.
You can find out more about Vanessa at her Web site, www.vanessadevereaux.com
and follow her on Twitter @vandevereaux
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Seduced by a
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