Hansel's Bear (Erotic Shifter Fairy Tale) (2 page)

Stepping up to the tree, he
investigated the four slashes. Leaning in, he sniffed the marks and
around the tree. “A Were.” He declared and frowned.

“
From Den?” Someone
questioned.

That would have been strange if a Den
Were had been on this side of the lake and not participating in the
competition. Not only that, but where was the bear?

“
A drifter .” A deep voice
called out.

Everyone turned in the direction of
the person who had spoken. Theo Kodiak stood with his arms folded
over his wide chest and a frown creasing his face, mirroring
everyone else’s.

“
True.” Cord gave a hard
nod. “Everyone catch the scent and fan out by twos. Let us know if
you find anything.” Fixing his gaze on her, the mayor said, “Greta,
head back to the others on the shore and let them know what is
going on.”

“
Okay.” She gave him the
appropriate response, however, she felt as if she couldn’t move,
her feet felt rooted to the ground like the tree before her. The
icy water from her hair, bound in a high ponytail, dripped onto her
bare shoulders and rolled along her back becoming warm as it
collected the temperature of the elevated heat of her
body.

She was hot, not because
she a Were and her bear gave her an internal temperature of over
one hundred degrees, but the heat in her blood had spiked. It raced
like a flame on a kerosene line. Something was happening to her.
Her body was responding as if she were about to go into mating
lust. An ailment that had
never
happened to her.

Everyone dispersed and moved around
the tree in various directions on the hunt. She was thankful they
were distracted by the situation and that none of the males had
picked up on it. The last thing she needed was to be
explaining.

Greta stared at the claw marks. Four
of them, ripping deep into the tree to the point the reddish-blonde
of the inside of it showed clearly through the dark red-brown bark.
It wasn’t the markings that had her stuck in place, but the smell.
The identifying scent of the Were.

Even though she was standing about two
feet away from the marred Redwood, the fragrance of a woodsy
cashmere crossed the distance and wrapped around her—like a vise.
The memories that flooded her mind were memories she had buried so
deeply over the years that they were twisted visions of fantasy and
reality. Some good, most bad.

Her first step was a tentative one
back, away from the tree. She shut her mind down on whatever images
were attempting to resurface. One step became two and soon she
turned and was high-tailing it back across the stream.

She told herself she was only rushing
because her mayor had given her a job to do and she wanted to
perform it quickly. However, the truth followed behind her like a
ghost from life past.

“
Greta, what’s going on
over there?” Rena moved to her first, followed by the remaining Den
residents, mostly females, children and the older generation that
had not participated in the competition.

Inhaling deeply, she filled her lungs
with the crisp air that wasn’t saturated by the Were’s fragrance
across the way. Feeling calmer, more clear-headed and stable of
body, Greta filled them in on what had happened.

“
What? Some wild shifter
is stalking around?” A shiver shook Ebony’s body as she wrapped her
arms around her waist. There was a shadow of apprehension in the
new shifter’s gaze that only was reflected in the smaller Were’s
eyes.

Greta knew this was all new to Ebony.
The only thing the new resident and shifter knew were the friendly
inhabitants of Den. But Greta was all too aware that there were
dark dangers that lurked too close at time to the county border.
Barely more than five years ago, a violent werewolf pack had
attacked Theo’s first wife. The Were-bears of Den had rallied
together and gone after them, killing off most of them and chasing
away the few that were left with a warning. And that had only been
a few years since the incident that had happened to her.

“
Whoever it is will be
found and taken care of if it is needed.” Now Greta was the one
trembling at her own words, but she balled her fists tight and kept
her response to herself.
What in the hell
is going on with me?

~YH~

It was her. It was
her.

Racing blindly through the woods, he
finally reached the clearing where his motorcycle was parked. He
wasn’t running because someone was pursuing him, but because of the
feeling of possessiveness and rage that had come over him.
Squeezing his eyes shut and shoving his hands deep into his hair he
battled with himself—bear and mind.

His response to what he had seen
before him was uncalled for. He wouldn’t be surprised if he’d
brought that entire sleuth on his trail. As a lone Were, he wasn’t
ignorant of the rules and guidelines that others lived by, clung to
for security. Experience had taught him over the years that it was
best for him to go it alone. Not to depend on the aid of others. He
had his own back and that was the only thing that mattered. That
and his mission.

He needed to get out of there. This
detour had not been a part of his plan. For years he’d been set on
a solitary goal. It was finally so close that he could feel it in
his grasp. There wasn’t time for side trips.
Distractions.

That’s what she would be to him, even
after all these years.

His bear hadn’t forgotten her. It was
the reason his bear had led him off the main drag of the highway
and into the forest as soon as he’d picked up a trace of the scent
that seemed all too familiar. All because his bear was chasing the
scent of wildflowers and raindrops. Not just any raindrop, but the
natural robust smell they took on once they settled in the heart of
a prairie. Her scent was sweet, refreshing and earthy. No one else
compared.

But, it was time for him to go. Leave
her be. After all this time it should not have grated his soul to
see her in the arms of another. She deserved a good and peaceful
life. During the time she had been absent from his life he’d wished
for her happiness and thought about her swollen with cubs. He just
never gave a face to the mate that would be with her, by her side.
Now he knew and that ripped a hole in his heart. And that feeling
had pissed him off more than seeing her excited, and radiant as she
was held in another’s arms.

Getting on his Stateline from the left
and taking hold of the handlebars, he balanced the weight of the
softtail as he knocked the kickstand up with the heel of his boot.
Moving with an automation that had been a part of his travel for
years, he pulled the clutch then started up his classic ride with a
flick of his right thumb over two buttons.

When it roared to life, pounding his
body with heavy vibrations, he wasted no time to head off. The area
needed to be dust in his side mirrors and sealed in past memories
he only allowed himself to recall on nights he was too exhausted to
fight them.

Less than a mile down the road his
view was drawn to one of his mirrors as the sight of multiple bears
and men broke through the forest and onto the road in full sprints
after him. He might be on a reconditioned Honda but it was faster
than even a bear could run.

He’d disturbed their celebration and
it didn’t take genius for him to determine they wanted answers and
possibly his pelt. The honorable thing would be for him to stop,
pull over and provide answers. If he did that, he might get to see
her. One more time. See up close how she had changed over the
years.

Was she one of the shifted
bears in pursuit of him?
The raging wind
blowing past him hindered him from picking up her scent. He knew it
was for the best.

His bear clawed at his gut to turn
around, go back. But he didn’t. Couldn’t.

That kind of thing wasn’t his style.
If he wanted something like that, he would have located his old
sleuth instead of continuing on his solo path. With a twist of his
right wrist he accelerated until the group was just a speck in the
distance.

Keep on task. You’re too close to
achieving your goal. Over and over again he reminded himself, not
willing to risk allowing his bear a moment of space to change his
mind.

~YH~

“
Did you all find him?”
Riley questioned as she walked up to her husband, Theo, with their
three kids in tow behind her.

Theo shook his head and pulled his
wife to his side as he stared toward Cord.

Greta watched the mayor strut from the
water, his face showing deep lines of concern. “We got eyes on the
rogue Were, but he got some distance on us because he was on a
motorcycle.”

When Rena moved closer to him, he took
hold of her hand but kept his gaze scanning the faces of the Den
residents.

“
Do you think the Were is
out to cause harm?” Someone called out in the large
crowd.

“
I’m not sure. However, he
was headed away from town. That leads me to believe the possibility
that he’d stumbled upon us and isn’t interested in anything
further.” Cord’s dark gaze was shadowed.

Greta’s core began to ache at Cord’s
words. She knew it was for the best that the person stayed away.
However, even as she thought it, the restless bear inside of her
didn’t seem to agree.

“
What do you want us to
do, Mayor?” Rorke asked, standing off from the group with his back
supported by a large tree.

“
I’ll head back into town
and meet with the sheriff. I want everyone to keep an eye out and
increase your routine property checks. After I get with Sheriff
Smokey, send out information on the CBs.”

Multiple responses of agreement and
understanding went out as people began to disperse and gather their
families for home. The arrival of a stranger had placed a damper on
the event and Greta could feel the concerned energy coming off the
inhabitants in waves.

No one was more concerned than
she.

“
Greta, you
alright?”

She recognized Dainton’s voice, as he
moved up alongside her. She turned to face her cousin on her
father’s side. “Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”

He must have picked up on something in
her voice, because he lifted an eyebrow at her then lowered his
gaze to her arms.

It was at that moment she realized she
was briskly rubbing her hands up and down her arms. She had been
feeling chilled to her core since the group had returned. Unaware
of her own actions, she’d been attempting to warm
herself.

Dropping her arms, she shrugged.
“Everyone is a little thrown off by what happened.”

“
Of course.” Thankfully,
Dainton allowed his question to drop. Like everyone else in town,
her cousin knew part of what had happened to her when she was
younger. “Look, I’m going to head into town with Cord.” Pulling his
hopefully soon-to-be-bonded mate to his side with an arm around her
shoulder, he continued, “Do you mind if Ebony heads to the house
with you and your parents?”

“
Not at all.” Greta looked
at her new friend and the newest employee at the consulting firm
she and Dainton ran. “Don’t worry, Ebony, everything will be okay.”
It made her feel more calm acting as protector for another. Every
word she told Ebony, she told herself three times over.

“
I believe that.” Ebony
fingered the damp lock behind her ear as she gazed over the raging
stream toward the other bank and the forest beyond. “It’s just that
it has only been a few months since I even knew what a Were was and
that I was one. Now, to discover that there are wild, vicious ones
out there…” A quake rocked her voluptuous form.

“
Daunting. But we don’t
know that he’s vicious, just not one of our sleuth.”

Ebony stepped in closer. “Did you hear
that roar?” she whispered.

Oh, yeah.
Greta thought as her bear whined from within.
“Come on. My mother makes the best honeyed bananas foster in Den
County. I think it is just what we both need.”

Smiling Ebony nodded.

“
Thanks, Greta.” Dainton
kissed Ebony, whispered some private words in her ear and then was
off.

By the golden flecks in Ebony’s gaze,
Greta could only assume it was something naughty. Shaking her head,
she looped her arm through the other woman’s and headed to a path
through the woods. “Come on, Ebony. Let’s go get you something
warm, sticky and sweet.”

“
Sounds good to
me.”

To Greta as well. She was anxious to
get home and be secured in her parent’s house surrounded by things
that brought her comfort. Now more than any other time she needed
it.

Chapter Two

What the fuck am I doing
here?
Hansel sat on his bike two hundred
yards away from a sign that read Den County. TRESPASSERS
UNWELCOME.

Almost fifteen hours ago he’d had this
area in his side mirror as he continued on his quest. However, he’d
made it to a small city about twenty miles away and stayed out
under the stars in the park. He could have gotten a room at one of
the hotels, but he needed the open air to think. There was a war
going on inside of him. A struggle between him and his bear, an
unrest. He could almost feel the animal prowling around his
core.