Hansel's Bear (Erotic Shifter Fairy Tale) (24 page)

Seymour’s eyes stretched wide and lit
with joy as he gazed at the key.

The people around them murmured with
excitement.

“
I don’t know who you are,
but thanks.” Seymour smile.

Holding the man’s gaze, Hansel said,
“You’ll thank me by all of you finding new avenues of employment,
legit circuses if you’ve a mind to continue in the business. This
one has been permanently closed down.”

“
You got it.” A woman
called out.

Giving them a nod, Hansel headed with
his friends to the long trailer filled with various caged animals
loaded and ready.

Approaching Theo who stood by the
driver side door, Hansel shook his hand. “You all work
fast.”

“
We can say the same about
you three.” Theo teased.

“
What the fuck are you
wearing, Dainton?” Gordon walked with a group of Weres.

Dainton shrugged. “My clothes got
ruined so I took what was available to me.”

Theo laughed. “Just couldn’t keep from
shifting could you?”

“
Hey, those bastard’s had
my cousin…I only did what I felt was right.” Dainton
smiled.

“
Understandable.” Gordon
faced Hansel. “My contact at the zoo is waiting on these animals,
so I best head out.”

“
I’ll ride down. Follow
you.” Turning to face everyone with clear vision, Hansel’s chest
filled with pride. “I don’t know how to say thank—”

“
Then don’t.” Rorke cut
him off. “I told you, you’re a part of a sleuth. It’s what we
do.”

Keeping his words to himself, Hansel
patted Rorke on the back.

It took them less than thirty minutes
to return to their vehicles hidden in a clearing through the woods,
to say good-bye and for Hansel to return on his Stateline to follow
Gordon down to Sacramento.

He and his bear were anxious to return
to Greta and make things right, but he knew that he had to close
off all the open doors in his life before he could commit to her
and a life in Den.

After he completed the job with the
zoo, there was one last thing he had to do. Something he’d put off
for too long.

Chapter Eleven

“
Greta, are you sure you
want to do this?” her cousin Dainton walked over to where she stood
at the hood of her truck as they waited for all the other
participants to arrive.

Pressing her elbows against the warm
hood of her truck, she stared into the thick forest that led to the
river about two miles away. It was the place of the Bear Run.
Taking a deep breath she faked a wide smile that she truly didn’t
feel. “Yes, I’m going to do this.”

“
What about
Hanse—”

She shot a look at Ebony whose car was
parked next to hers, cutting her friends words off. “If Hansel was
going to come back, he would have been back. Both the parade and
the festival went on without him.” That wasn’t completely
true.

Even though she had told him don’t
bother to return, in her heart she had hoped that he would. At
least come back and try and show her he was okay. However, the rest
of the group had come back, even Gordon drove into Den the
following afternoon after taking the animals to the vets at the
zoo. But, no Hansel.

“
I’m sure there’s a
reason. A good reason.” Dainton couldn’t even finish his sentence
without shaking his head, evidently unsure of his own
words.

“
See. You can’t even pull
that off.” Greta pushed away from her truck and began to remove her
heels as she noticed the clearing was packed full of vehicles and
the Run would begin soon. Like a fool she had bought a pretty dress
and had dolled herself all up, trying not to give up hope that she
hadn’t meant a damn thing to Hansel. Not really.

“
What did Rorke say to you
when he stopped by your house?” Ebony moved closer to
her.

Greta focused on the menial task of
placing her shoes on top of the hood. It was those words that had
made her hope. Hope that maybe her foolish, hastily spoken words
hadn’t forced the male she loved away. Looking over her shoulder,
she met the steady gazes of Ebony and Dainton. “Rorke said that
Hansel would be back. That there was something he needed to do
first.”

“
See.” Dainton declared
placing a hand on her shoulder. “Just don’t do this.”

“
Please.” Ebony’s eyes and
voice were both pleading.

However, Greta couldn’t give in. Not
again. “A week. I’ve waited a week. No more. Not when there are
Were males who have had no problem letting me know over the last
few days they are willing to overlook my two marks and still give
me all three tonight.”

Her heart throbbed, as well as her
shoulder and ankle—Hansel’s markings. Greta’s bear wasn’t too happy
about her decision. It shifted restlessly inside her
core.

Lenny Gobi chose that moment to wave
at her from his dark blue SUV as he pulled in and
parked.

Greta offered him a smile and
swallowed, attempting to rid herself of the ill feeling.

“
Not feeling well?”
Dainton taunted.

She shot a look at her cousin’s smart
remark. If she didn’t love him so much she would wipe that smirk
off his face with a knuckle sandwich. “Discomfort in the beginning
is to be expected since I have two marks. It will pass.” She spoke
the last three words through gritted teeth.

“
You hope.”

Rolling her eyes at her cousin, she
was glad when the First Frost Festival MC, Jack Ruxpin, the owner
of Fill and Fix It mechanic shop, stepped into the center of the
clearing.

“
Unmated Weres are you
ready?” Jack called out, his voice loud and full of
bass.

Roars, cheers and lust-heavy
pheromones filled the clearing.

Dainton and Ebony returned to their
cars. Greta continued undressing, keeping silent as she fought the
thoughts and concerns running through her mind.

Standing nude and unashamed, she
waited for the announcement.

“
Go get your mates!” Jack
commanded.

Males and females ran and shifted
mid-step as they dashed into the woods ready for the chase and
being chased. As she moved toward the edge of the woods she saw her
cousin give her a nod as he lounged nonchalantly against the hood
of his truck. Ebony had already taken her bear form and raced
off.

Even from her distance to him, Greta
could see the calm patience of his face and the joy in his gaze.
He’d waited a long time for this moment. Dainton would finally be
able to place the third mark on Ebony and claim her as his mate
completely.

She envied their happiness of having
the person you love yours for eternity. Resolute, she shifted and
took off into the woods. Immediately she scented several males
within her vicinity, but she didn’t give head to them and continued
her journey through the lush foliage. Even though she and Lenny had
an understanding, she wasn’t in pursuit of him. Not just yet. She
was enjoying just the freedom of the run. If he happened upon her
at some point, fine, but part of the fun was eluding the male that
pursued you. It wasn’t supposed to be an easy catch.

Although she passed by more than a
couple Weres already entwined in passionate embrace.

As her paws dug deep into the dirt as
she ran, her ears picked up on a sound that didn’t seem to fit the
surrounding. It was a roaring noise. However, not one of any
animal.

Her bear paused. She sniffed, not
picking up on anything different. Straining her ears, she listened
more intently.

The distinct resonance became louder,
grew closer. Her heart quickened as she realized why the
reverberation was so familiar, it was a motorcycle
engine.

There was no need for her to wonder
who would go against the rules of not bringing a vehicle into the
woods during the run, because only one Were she knew was that bold
to disregard decorum. Hansel.

Without pondering her actions she took
off, in the opposite direction. Her heart was pounding out of
control. She could barely breathe as she struggled with her bear
that wanted to turn back. Locked in on the male that had marked her
twice, but she forced her beast to keep moving.

Then he was there, before
her.

Her paws skidded along the underbrush
as she came to a hasty stop mid-flight. Back peddling to create
distance between her and the big male and his ride.

It was practically evil for a male to
look that good. He and his bike fit perfectly together, as one. He
wore his normal style of jeans and leather riding boots, but
instead of his jacket and t-shirt he sported a white tank. His
thick, dark brown hair was wind-blown, only adding to his damn good
looks. She wanted to shift and bury her hands in it and mess it up
even more—remind herself of its silky texture.

Still straddling his running
motorcycle he stared at her. Not moving, just keeping his magnetic
gaze on her.

The woods became overwhelmingly filled
with the earthy, erotic scent of cashmere. The intense smell caused
her body to tremble and things around her to become tinged with
gold. A whimper of need began to roll up her bear’s
throat.

“
Grr.” She forced her bear
to growl and snarl, flashing all canines. No way was Hansel just
going to show up like he’d gone to the market for honey and
returned.

“
What are you doing here,
Greta?”

Digging her claws in the dirt, she
scratched around—a warning. Watch out, an attack is imminent. Of
course she would have to force her bear to even consider harming
Hansel, but she could still exhibit the threat. Hopefully that
would be enough and he’d go away.

After he killed the motor of his ride,
he swung his leg off the back and stood tall and broad before
her.

I know you heard
me.

She closed her eyes and turned her
head, trying to ignore the thought he shot into her
mind.

“
What are you doing here?
I sent Rorke back with a message for you. I doubt he forgot to pass
it on.” His sexy, mouthwatering strut brought him
closer.

“
Grrrrr…” She moved back,
one paw at a time as she kept her gaze on him. Greta didn’t
consider it as retreating, more like self-preservation. It would be
detrimental to her for him to be within reach. She snapped at
him.

“
You want to bite me,
Blackberry?” Low and sultry his words came out. “Mark me as
yours?”

Who speaks to a bear like
that? Damn.
She kept that thought locked
in a private corner of her mind.

He pulled his shirt over his head and
tossed it back to his motorcycle. “I won’t stop you. Isn’t that
what this Bear Run is all about?” After he unfastened the top two
buttons of his jeans, tempting her with the glimpse of his lower
abdomen, he squatted down before her.

Leave me alone,
Hansel.

“
Why? So, you can allow
some other male…the opportunity to mark you?” A red spark flashed
in his gaze and his words came out slow, methodical. “Fuck, no.” He
cupped her chin, his fingers giving a light scratch to the under
jaw of her bear, gentle even though his words were
harsh.

Her bear closed its eyes, then
stretched its muzzle forward enjoying the touch and begging for
more.

Greta shifted. Quickly she rose to her
feet. “Go back to wherever it is you came from.”

She disregarded the fact that his hand
was still hovering mid-air from where seconds ago he had been
petting her bear. It was now hip level to her. No matter how hard
she tried, her mind flashed an image of what was close to his hand
that she would enjoy him ‘scratching an itch’. She stepped
back.

He rose. Resuming his full height
before her, she saw the golden flecks in his eyes. No one had to
tell her that he’d caught a glimpse of her thoughts.

The smirk on his lips declared it
clearly.

“
There was something I had
to do.”

“
You were gone for a
week.” She folded her arms under her breasts, inadvertently lifting
her bosom higher.

Admiring them, then taking
in all of her nude form, he inhaled loudly.
You’re beautiful.

Keep your eyes on my
face.

His gaze made a slow crawl along her
form, when they finally met hers they were so gold that the onyx
color was now flecks.

“
I can smell your desire,
Greta. Intense. Heady. Beckoning. Wildflowers
wet
after a rain.”

More wetness flooded her sex at his
words.

“
Grr.” A low-timbre growl
came from him.

“
Why did you bother to
come back?” She asked trying to keep the focus on the conversation
and not on her lust.

“
There was never an
intention not to return. Even though you told me that. But you
wanted me back, didn’t you?”

Rolling her lip in she bit into it as
she glanced away, staring into the night and trying to block out
the whimpers and passionate sounds echoing through the woods. “What
I wanted was for you to stay.” She met his gaze, allowing him to
see her hurt.