Bound To Her Bear (Bear Bluff Clan 1)
Bound
To Her
Bear
(Bear Bluff Clan)
(Book One)
*
Note from the author:
My books are written, produced and edited in the UK where spellings and word usage can vary from U.S. English. The use of quotes in dialogue and other punctuation can also differ.
***
All rights reserved. This book, or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written consent of the author or publisher.
This is a work of fiction and is intended for mature audiences only. All characters within are eighteen years of age or older. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, actual events or places is purely coincidental.
© 2015 Harmony Raines
Silver Moon Erotica
Kindle Edition
Eirik walked out of the meeting with the council and stood looking longingly at the mountains surrounding Bear Bluff. He had so much to do, so many of his father’s old papers to go over. He hated that so much scrutiny had been put onto the affairs of the man who’d raised him. However, after his father had signed the sacred lands of Bear Bluff over to a bear from Bear Creek, his judgement had been called into question.
Even though everything had been resolved and there had been no foundation in fact to the claim on the land. It had left the council shaken and his father’s memory tarnished.
“You, my old friend, need to let your fur down,” a voice said behind him. A well-meaning arm went around his shoulders and led him towards the trail, which wound its way up into the mountains.
“I have so much to do, Ben,” Eirik answered wistfully.
“Doctor’s orders,” Ben grinned wickedly at Eirik. “Seriously, if anyone thinks you are shirking off, then I will tell them I prescribed it. You look too stressed out to work. Take a break, come run with me.” He looked at his watch. “I don’t have a patient for another hour. It will do us both good.”
“What, you have to get away from all the women in Bear Bluff trying to come on to you?”
“If you had this face, you wouldn’t laugh. I cannot exactly tell all the human women that I am waiting for my true mate. I think that would make them worse. Think they could somehow tame me into loving them.”
Eirik laughed. “Don’t expect me to feel sorry for you, Ben.”
“At least I’ve made you laugh, Eirik. You have been so caught up in this business with your father, you have forgotten that there is more to life.”
“I’m afraid I don’t have the same problem as you. No women chase me. I don’t have your boyish charm and good looks.”
“I didn’t mean females. I meant the mountain. She will be our mistress for the next hour.”
“You missed your calling in life, Ben. You should have been an actor with all that drama.”
“I already have women falling at my feet. I don’t need any more.”
Eirik stood for a moment and breathed in the scent of the heather on the lower slopes. He loved this time of year. Summer was just giving away to autumn, the leaves would soon begin to turn, and he would miss it all if he didn’t leave Bear Bluff.
“OK. I have to put these papers away first.”
“I’ll come with you,” said Ben.
“I can manage; it’s not as though I am going to get mugged for them.”
“Ahh, but you will. By your conscience. You will go into your office, place the papers on your desk, and then think that you should just look them over before going out. Before you know it, dusk will fall and you will think you should go and visit your mom.”
Eirik laughed again and shook his head. “I was wrong; you should be a mind reader instead. Come on.”
She watched the two men walk away laughing. It had been a long time since she had felt any happiness. Her life was a series of dramas linked together. If it wasn’t her job, it was the washing machine breaking down or some other disaster. And threaded through all this, was the constant worry about her father and his drinking.
Slipping out from behind the library, where she had hidden from the doctor and Eirik, she ran across to the track leading up onto the mountain. There really wasn’t time in her hectic day to let herself run free, but she owed it to herself. Or more precisely, if she didn’t allow herself some freedom, she would go insane.
As she climbed the first part of the trail, she breathed in the freedom of this moment. Ever since her mom had died, her dad had been so consumed with loss that he had hit the bottle and never found the bottom. She gingerly touched her eyebrow, feeling the slight swelling and soreness there. Her father’s temper, brought on by grief, got the better of him all the time. It had gotten him fired, meaning he had more time to mourn his mate and more time to drink.
She had to stop thinking about it. This was her time, and she wouldn’t taint it with thoughts of her dad, who was now snoring loudly, passed out drunk. Turning round the bend that took her out of view of the town below her, she went on a little further, holding her bear in check. It scraped at her mind, wanting to be released from the cage she had to keep it in.
Drew always had to be in control, always had to be the grown-up. With her mom’s passing, she had been catapulted into the role of carer, sole provider, and often nurse. She cleaned and cooked, trying to keep the house up together, for no other reason than it was what her mom had done all her life. And Drew missed her, more than words could ever express. Her heart ached for the chance to be held by her again, to feel loved and secure. It was why she always forgave her dad. If she missed her mom that much, how could her dad bear the loss of his true mate?
That was one thing she had no intention of finding out. She had enough on her plate right now, so she never actively looked for her mate. And he never looked for her. It was already obvious that none of the bears in Bear Bluff were her soul mate, and not many visitors came here. And she liked it that way. There was no more of her to go around; she spread herself thin enough already.
Turning, she looked to see if there was anyone else nearby. Occasionally, hikers came up this way, and she couldn’t let a stranger find out about her secret. She stopped and listened, her human senses not as good as her bear’s, but she was satisfied there was no one to see her almost magical transformation. Just to make sure, she disappeared beneath a tree to give herself maximum seclusion.
Closing her eyes, she imagined her bear, struggling to control the change. Her bear, so frantic to be released, took a run at the edges of her mind and sailed right out into the open. She hated when the change happened so fast: it left her feeling odd, like her body wasn’t quite put together right. Or that her head was on backwards. Sitting down, she tried to gather herself together. What a funny sight she must look, a bear with her head between her paws.
Finally able to stand and walk in a straight line, she moved out from the trees and began the rest of the climb up the hill, aiming to follow the lower edge of the trees before turning to climb high up into the wild mountain. She stopped. There was someone else coming. Damn. It was Eirik and the doctor. With a great breath she leaped onto a boulder and then down into a small valley, hoping she would be able to stay out of sight. She might have been able to outrun them, but she would prefer to be on her own and amble along, enjoying the peace. These two, on the other hand, were fit and would no doubt run up the mountain in a testosterone-fuelled race. She only hoped they would be too preoccupied with outdoing each other to see her.
Standing silently, wisps of their conversation came to her on the air.
Come on, hurry up
, she thought. They were checking for anyone around, luckily their human noses would not be able to scent her. She was safe for now. The two men, now satisfied they were alone, were about to go into the small wood. But before they could, the doctor’s pager began to buzz.
“Sorry, Eirik. Have to go. A bear is about to be born and I have to help deliver it. One of the best parts of my job, seeing another of our kind being born into our clan.”
“I’ll come back down with you,” said Eirik.
Yes, go, go
, she thought encouragingly.
Leave me in peace
.
“No. I insist you go and run some of that stress off. It will do you more good than you could imagine. You need some time to yourself. Time away from the council. You will come back afterwards and get more done than if you went back to work now.”
“I’ll make sure to blame you all the same,” Eirik said.
“I have broad shoulders. Now run, while I go and do my job.”
The doctor went back into town; Eirik stood still and watched him go before disappearing into the trees. Drew flattened herself to the ground, hoping he would take off up the hill and not give her any notice. But as a bear, he would be able to scent her. She could roll in mud and try to disguise herself. No, no time. She decided to stay where she was. There was no reason an important clan member such as Eirik would ever take notice of her anyway.
In her human form, she simply faded into the background and had done all her life. Although he used to speak to her when they were younger; they had even been friends to a certain extent. But since he had inherited his place on the council he had not said much to her, and she felt small and insignificant. Maybe that was how she liked it. She never had been overly confident, not when she had inherited her mom’s curvy body. Still, sometimes it might be nice to fantasise about a big, strong bear sweeping her off her feet and giving her a better life.
Fantasy yes, real life? No. She didn’t live in a fairy tale. Things never worked out that way.
She felt a frisson of energy fill the air—he had changed; now she would find out if he had discovered her whereabouts. Or, if he did scent her, whether he would ignore her anyway. A rustle in the undergrowth told her he had broken cover; she heard his heavy paws thud along the ground as he moved away from her. He didn’t even know she was there. Then he stopped. He lifted his short snout and took in her scent, there was no way he could miss it. Lowering his head, he continued on his way. Yes, he knew she was there and had ignored her.
That smarted, as though he had slapped her across the face. But what did she expect? And, despite her hurt feelings, she tried to convince herself it was better this way. She wanted to be alone anyway.
Confused, he made his way up to the high mountain plains where he liked to breathe the fresh, clear air while running full tilt across the springy grass. Why had she hidden from him?
He hadn’t scented her at first; only as he moved away from the trees did he get that tingling sensation in his nose that told him to stop. Taking a deep breath, he had allowed her scent to reach him, pulling it in over his taste buds.