Bears & Beauties - Complete (22 page)

She had a faint memory of what had happened, distant thoughts of blurred figures moving and crashing and fighting. She vaguely remembered speaking, but she didn’t know what she had said. And now, she could very clearly make out the bloodied and haggard form of an enormous bear slumped over the still and crumbled form of a wolf.

Julie blinked.

Was she really seeing that? Or was it just another delusion? Another trick of her mind?

Julie shook her head, trying to force the last bit of fuzziness out of her mind. She felt like she’d been doped up on some kind of drug. Like something had crawled around inside and tinkered with her mind. Something didn’t feel
right
inside her head. She just didn’t know what.

Ignoring the pain in her head, Julie made her way over to the where the bear and wolf were. She knew that she should have been frightened. That she should have taken the opportunity to run and get as far away from the place as possible. But she couldn’t. Something was drawing her closer and closer to the enormous beasts, and she couldn’t fight the urge. Not that she really wanted to.

As Julie neared the beasts, she continued to struggle against the ropes binding her wrists. She needed to get out of them before she did anything else. Forcing herself to leave the animals alone for a moment, Julie scanned the moonlit greenhouse for anything she could use to cut the binding. After a few minutes of searching, she happened upon a broken window and a jagged piece of glass that still clung to the frame. With some careful maneuvering and more effort than Julie knew she could expend, she managed to cut through the ropes and unbind her wrists.

Julie let out a brief sigh, rubbing her sore wrists as she walked back over to where the massive animals were. When she was finally standing over them, looking down at the savagely beaten and torn beasts, a light went off in her head, and Julie realized exactly what she was seeing.

She remembered what Cyrus had said about Anthony being a shifter and that he’d grown up with Anthony’s family. Cyrus, she realized, must have been a shifter as well. And something told her that the two enormous piles of fur in front of her were Anthony and Cyrus. She just didn’t know which was which and, for some reason, she felt an odd draw to both of the beasts.

Julie closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Calm down,
she told herself.
Breathe. You have to breathe. And focus.

Following her own advice, Julie inhaled deeply and went through her breathing exercises. One of the beasts in front of her was her mate, the other was her captor. She needed to figure out which, and see if they were still alive. From what she could tell, both of the shifters were on the verge of death, if not there already. The floor was littered with lost fur and blood, and Julie knew that the chances of either being alive were slim. Still, somehow, she found herself feeling abnormally calm. As if she belonged in that moment. As if fate had somehow transpired in such a way that she’d been put in that position on purpose. She couldn’t explain it. Couldn’t wrap her mind around it.

She just
knew
.

After stilling her mind and calming her breathing, Julie took a final step closer to the beasts and held out her hand. In that moment, she knew. Anthony was the bear. Her mate was the bear. Her fated lover was the bear.

And he didn’t look too great.

Julie ran a hand through Anthony’s fur, gently tracing her fingers against the curve of his flesh. She’d never seen a bear his size, never imagined it possible. She knew that shifters were larger than their typical animal counterparts, but Anthony’s size was incredible. He was massive, just as he was in human form.

As she continued running her hand through his fur, Julie felt for any sign that Anthony was still breathing. That he was still alive. She could feel it, faint movement as his body rose and fell ever so slightly. If she had to guess, Anthony wasn’t dead, but he was unconscious.

Ignoring any sense of self-preservation and rationality, Julie made her way around Anthony’s body toward where his head lay. When she reached it, she dropped down to her knees, and leaned against the bear’s massive frame, letting his matted fur compress against her skin.

In that moment, she felt at one with Anthony. She felt closer to him than she had even when they’d kissed. She felt comfortable.

She didn’t know what he’d done or how he’d done it, but he had come here for her. He’d rescued her, saved her life. And she was going to return the favor.

“Anthony,” Julie whispered into the bear’s ear.

At first, nothing happened and the bear didn’t stir. Then, after what felt like an eternity, the bear’s eyes flicked open and Julie found herself staring deeply into them. A look of relief flooded Anthony’s eyes and Julie couldn’t help but nuzzle against him.

“You’re…okay…” Anthony managed, his voice barely understandable in his current state.

Julie nodded against him. “Thanks to you, I think,” she said, tears starting to well up in her eyes.

“Good…” Anthony whispered.

Then, without warning, the bear was gone, replaced, instead, by the naked man Julie had somehow fallen in love with. The man that she was fated to.

Anthony stood up, flexing his hands and checking his wounds, as he backed away from the dead wolf on the greenhouse floor. Julie had heard that shifters healed fast, and that their external injuries would heal upon shifting due to the replacement of their flesh, but seeing it in person was something else altogether. Judging by the shape in which the bear had been, she’d assumed that Anthony would be broken, bleeding, and battered in human form. Instead, he was just a handsome and sexy specimen to behold.

Even in their current situation, Julie found herself biting her lip as she studied Anthony’s naked body. He was far more muscular than she’d imagined, with rock hard pecs and chiseled abs that cut to a perfect V. Beneath that V was something even more impressive, and Julie blushed upon fully observing Anthony’s manhood.

“We need to get out of here,” Anthony said, bringing Julie out of her lustful thoughts. He pressed a hand against his side, clearly still in pain from some internal injuries.

“Right,” Julie nodded. “But how?”

Anthony stared at her for a long moment, studying her. “I drove. The car is parked up the road. It’s a bit of a hike, but we should be fine.”

“Okay then,” Julie said, feeling a smile edge its way onto her face.

Anthony stretched out a hand, gesturing for hers, and she took it. Immediately upon contact, sparks of electricity shot through Julie’s mind and body. She felt a sudden warmth come over her mate began to lead her out of the greenhouse and into the clearing outside. For the first time in what felt like days, Julie felt safe.

8

ANTHONY’S EYES FLICKERED OPEN and light flooded into his world. For a long moment, he just laid there, trying to remember where he was and how he’d gotten there. He felt the soft sheets and the comfort of his own bed surrounding him, and he couldn’t help but smile. Julie. She’d saved him. She’d somehow managed to stir his bear, to keep it hanging on, and to wake him from what should have been his dying slumber. Then, they’d left the greenhouse together and driven all night to get back to the city. They’d gone to his penthouse…

And that was the last that he could remember.

Anthony shot up in his bed and scanned the room. Julie was gone. She wasn’t in there. Where could she be?

He started to climb out of bed when his bedroom door opened and the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen stepped inside holding two cups of coffee and dressed in one of his shirts.

“Hi there,” Julie said, smiling. “How are you feeling?”

Anthony took a second to examine himself. He realized then that he wasn’t even a bit sore. Thank God for his enhanced healing abilities. “Great,” he said, finally. “You?”

“Same,” Julie said, walking around the bed and handing Anthony one of the coffee mugs. Anthony couldn’t help but watch as his shirt swayed over Julie’s thighs, her pleasant flesh and luscious curves on full display. “You were pretty out of it last night. Passed out in the doorway. I took the liberty of using your phone to call Grayson. He came over and dragged you over to your bed.”

That explained that then. But if Grayson had already been by, why wasn’t she at her own apartment? Surely he could have given her a lift.

“I thought I’d stick around and make sure you were okay,” Julie continued, as if reading his mind. “Had to borrow one of your shirts, though.” She looked at him and bit her lip. Then, in a teasing voice, said, “I hope you don’t mind.”

Anthony felt his bear growl then and he realized he couldn’t take any more. His cock bulged up against the sheets, and he realized for the first time that he was still naked. Julie took notice of the sudden tent and smiled.

Then, without warning, she was on him.

Julie pressed her lips into Anthony’s, giving him a full taste of her mouth. Anthony reached around her, pulling her body closer to his, and began devouring her. Their tongues danced for a while, neither one refusing to give any ground in their struggle for passionate domination. Anthony’s hands worked over Julie’s body, his fingers clawing at her shirt as he worked to pull it off. After fumbling with the buttons for a moment, Anthony gave in and tore the shirt off Julie’s body, sending buttons and material scattering across the room. Julie let out a slight chuckle against his mouth, and Anthony threw the sheet off of his body.

For a long moment, he just held her. Her soft and wonderful skin pressed tightly against his own solid and muscular flesh. Her nipples tickled across his chest, and Anthony slowly worked his mouth away from Julie’s, arching her backward as she climbed atop his lap, her folds starting to caress his bulging cock as she rocked backward. Anthony examined his mate for the first time, truly taking in the beauty of her curves. Her voluptuous breasts spilled out in front of him, and he immediately gave them his attention. Cupping a breast in one hand, with the other supporting Julie’s back, Anthony leaned forward and slid his tongue over Julie’s nipple.

Julie let out a soft moan, and Anthony flashed a wicked grin. “You’re so beautiful, Julie,” he said, flicking his tongue back and forth across her nipple as he did. “I’ve wanted to taste you since the moment I met you.”

Anthony could already feel the moistness seeping out on his lap, and he grinned even further. Increasing the pace of his tongue as he continued to lash it out over and over again, Anthony drove Julie into fits of moaning and squirming as he took control of her body. Then, in a single fluid motion, he reached down and grabbed at her perfect ass and lifted her onto his cock, filling her instantly.

“Holy shit…” Julie panted as he filled her channel with his shaft.

Anthony just smiled, then rolled them over so that he was on top. Looking down at her, he realized just how sexy she was. Her face was flushed and her eyes were wide as he started to thrust in and out of her. Julie started to moan, but Anthony quickly leaned in and smothered her noises with his mouth as he continued to devour her. He wanted her. More than he’d ever wanted anything. And he was going to mate her.

***

JULIE MOANED into Anthony’s mouth as he continued to thrust in and out of her. She’d seen his hardness under the sheets and she’d lost it. She’d thrown all of her reservations out the window and had gone for it. She wanted Anthony. She wanted him inside her. She’d been wet for him immediately, ready for him immediately. She knew enough about shifters to realize that this unprotected sex would be enough to mate her to him. Then, she could have him forever. Could be with him forever.

Julie’s tongue twisted with Anthony’s as they tasted each other, her breathing growing constantly faster and her movements more frantic with each thrust of his massive cock inside her body. He was taking her, making her his. And she’d never been more satisfied. Never before had sex felt so
good
. So
right
.

As Anthony continued to thrust, a tightness began to build in Julie’s body. The closer she got to climaxing, the more her mind ignited with lightning and fireworks. Then, in a single eternal moment, her world exploded in a flash of color and ecstasy. As she tightened around him, Julie heard Anthony utter her name, before his body went rigid and she felt her channel fill with an unfamiliar warmth.

Anthony collapsed on top of her, exhausted, then rolled to one side. He kissed her deeply, passionately, and smiled.

“I love you,” Anthony told her. “I don’t know if that makes sense or not, but I do. I love you, Julie. And now you’re mine.”

Julie smiled at that. “I love you too. And I’m all yours.”

Epilogue

“YOU KNOW,” Grayson said, leaning against the bar. “When I gave you that money, I didn’t expect you to just lose it.”

Anthony laughed and slapped his friend on the back. “Consider it an investment,” Anthony told him. “You ended up owning a hell of a lot of shares in the company after all, didn’t you?”