Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love (Jessica) BBW Bear Shifter Menage Romance (Hope Valley BBW Dating App Romance Book 8) (11 page)

Jessica got into her car and drove aimlessly for a while, repeating Tamika’s words to herself.
What did she mean by ‘looking outside the box’?
She couldn’t make any sense of it.

Not yet fully acquainted with Hope Valley, she ended up at the foot of the mountain more by chance than intention. She considered hiking, as Tamika had suggested, but she was hardly dressed for it, and the afternoon sun was still fierce enough to burn her fair skin. Instead, she drove along a narrow, winding track that led up to a viewing point a few hundred yards up the mountain.

“Wow,” she said aloud as she arrived at the plateau and climbed out of her car. The view of Hope Valley was unbelievable, all the rooftops bathed in the warm, golden glow of late afternoon. It was a very clear day, and she could see for miles, all the way to the next town. The sky was pale blue, and a slight breeze lifted the loose skirt of her dress. She had the entire viewing area to herself, and it made her want to do something crazy. She spun around, holding her arms out to the sides until she was dizzy. And then she sat down on a bench and tried to pick out the various landmarks of the town. She had an overwhelming sense of freedom, of being closer to nature up here. “The spiritual sun,” she murmured. And then she checked herself. When had she said that before? Standing up high on another hill, a long time ago? She racked her brain.

It was in London, on one of the highest hills of the city. There was an inscription on a low wall that surrounded a paved area where people gathered to look at the view. A quote by a famous poet from hundreds of years ago, about the spiritual sun. The memory came back to her, as sharp as a cut diamond.

It had been a freezing cold, yet sunny winter’s day, the sky as cloudless as it was now. The view across London was breathtaking – the skyscrapers, St Paul’s Cathedral, and the river Thames sparkling silver, far in the distance. She’d been with Christian and Lucas and they’d been trying to fly kites, but the wind wasn’t right, and they kept falling out of the sky. They were about to abandon their attempts and walk back down the hill, but suddenly the wind picked up. She snatched up one of the kites and ran with it right to the highest point of the hill, and the wind caught it and carried it up high in the sky. She held her hands absolutely still, not wanting to ruin it, and the wind lashed mercilessly at her body.

“Oh my god, I’m so cold!” she yelled. Her coat was open, but her hands were busy with the kite and she couldn’t close it. Lucas and Christian ran up to her laughing, and bear hugged her, one from in front and one from behind. Sandwiched between them, she was no longer cold at all. And the feeling of having her face pressed against Lucas’ chest, and her back resting against Christian’s chest was amazing.
It feels like home,
she’d thought. And it was such an odd thought that she’d immediately dismissed it, and put it in her mental box of long-forgotten memories. But now it blazed up in her mind again. What a perfect moment – bathed in London’s chill winter sunlight, and surrounded by the warmth of the two guys that she cared about so much.

“That’s the answer!” she exclaimed to the breeze, and all the tension of the past few days dissolved. She knew in her heart that she’d stumbled on the truth. She just needed to speak with Tamika to find out if that was what she’d had in mind.

Tamika’s eyes sparkled as Jessica described the experience she’d just had.

“That’s exactly the conclusion I hoped you’d reach for yourself,” she exclaimed, squeezing Jessica’s shoulders.

“So it’s possible?” Jessica said.

“It is. It’s not very common, but there are definitely a few here and there. Usually the result of situations like your own. I haven’t yet matched any triads myself, but I’ve always hoped I’d have the opportunity one day.”

“And Christian’s parents will agree to it?” Tamika nodded.

“An alpha-triad mating is regarded very positively in the shifter world, since it will mean that there are two heads of the clan, making it doubly strong. I can’t imagine them having an issue with it.” Jessica’s cheeks warmed at the question she was about to ask.

“And how will the guys feel about sharing me?” she said. Tamika gave a throaty laugh.

“Well, that’s one for you to think about. As you know, shifters are very hot-blooded. But as long as you can keep them both satisfied, then I’m sure they’ll be very happy with the arrangement. Shifters don’t suffer the petty jealousies that we humans are prone to. And from what I’ve heard about your two bears, they’ll see it as a far better option than not getting to be with you at all.”

*

When Jessica arrived at Lucas’ place, it was already dark. He wasn’t expecting her, but she wanted to give him the news in person. She got out of her car and walked along the pathway to his cabin. And then she screamed at the sight of a huge dark shape lunging from the darkness and coming toward her at high speed.

The shape froze at the sound, and she glimpsed sharp white teeth and glittering eyes. Then there was an earsplitting crack, followed by a series of loud crunches, a kind of whooshing sound, and suddenly, Lucas stood before her, stark naked, both hands covering his manhood. Desire fizzed in the pit of her stomach, quickly spreading all over her body. He really was a stunningly handsome man.
Could he really be mine?
she wondered.

“Jessica! I’m so sorry,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

“That’s okay,” she said with a nervous laugh. “I did turn up unannounced.”

“Come in, please, but go ahead of me and wait downstairs while I go and put something on.”

She did as he asked, sitting on his couch, legs crossed in an effort to dispel the arousal raging through her body.

He came down minutes later in a pale blue, button-down shirt and khaki pants. His hair was damp and he smelled of sandalwood-scented soap.

“Sorry for the delay. I really needed to shower after running through the woods,” he said.

“Don’t worry,” she replied, looking at him curiously. Now that she was permitting herself to see him as a sexual being, her need for him was almost uncontrollable. For his part, he was looking at her as if he wanted to eat her alive.

“Is there something you want to tell me?” he asked, leaning close to her.

“I’ve found a solution that I think you’ll both be happy with.”

“Is it –?” he started to say, but she cut him off, pressing a finger to his lips.

“I need to tell you both at the same time. It’s only fair.” He nodded.

“Christian says he won’t be back for a while. He can’t leave the clan at a time like this.”

“Then we’ll have to go to him.” Jessica took her phone out and opened the flight finder app. “If we leave right now, we should be able to catch the last flight to Collinsville.” She was already walking toward the door.

“Jessica, wait. Should we not go in the morning instead?”

“No. Let’s go. I feel bad enough at making him wait so long for my answer when his dad’s so sick.”

“Right.” Lucas was fast on her heels, and they were soon on the highway, heading to the airport.

They made the flight just in time. Jessica was surprised to feel so sleepy as the plane took off. It was all the emotional tension of the past few days, she thought, as her eyelids became heavier and heavier. She only woke as it began to descend, and discovered that she was slumped against Lucas’ chest, and his arm was wrapped around her protectively.  

She looked up at him, and was startled to see that he was gazing at her, a tender expression on his face.

“Jessica, you’re not bringing me here to break my heart, are you?” he muttered. She snapped wide awake.

“Of course not,” she replied, and was overcome with a wave of tenderness for this strong, sensitive man. “I truly think we’ll all be happy with what I have to suggest.”

*

They took a taxi to the edge of the forest at Wynter Hollow, as Jessica had done several days earlier. Then she followed Lucas through the dark woods. From time to time he paused to hold branches aside for her, or to warn her about uneven footing. When they came within sight of the property, he stopped and took a deep sniff of the air.

“What is it?

“Something’s off.”

“What do you mean?”

“Listen a moment.” She froze and strained her ears.

“I think I can hear something, but I’m not sure,” she whispered. He took her hand and walked another ten steps.

“There are intruders in the territory. I can scent another clan. Those lowdown, dirty dogs!” he spat. They must’ve discovered that Christian’s father is sick, and they’re taking the opportunity to attack when their defenses are down.”

“Are you sure?”

“I know this clan. They’re not welcome here, so it isn’t a social call. They’ll be preparing an ambush. I know how they work.” Jessica pulled out her phone. “What are you doing?”

“I’m telling Christian. Don’t worry, my phone’s on silent.”

“Good idea.”

She messaged him and he replied moments later. If he was surprised that the two of them were in Wynter Hollow, he didn’t mention it:

I thought as much. We caught wind of them a while ago. I’ve gathered the clan in the property. They’ll be relying on us being unprepared, so we’re going to take them by surprise in return. 

Jessica replied:

We’re coming now.

“Jess, you’re not going anywhere. It’s too dangerous,” Lucas said in a panicked tone. “But I can’t leave you here either.” He paused, weighing up the different options. “I’ll take you back to where the taxi left us. I’m going to shift now, so we won’t be able to speak again. But I want you to stay there until you hear from us. Don’t come back to the property under any circumstances. It’s very dangerous. If you don’t hear back within an hour, I want you to call a taxi and go stay in a motel. Can you promise me that?” Jessica was taken aback by the seriousness in his tone, and the awareness of how much danger Christian was in fully hit home.

“Yes,” she whispered, trembling in fear. Lucas’ eyes softened and he stroked her face. “Don’t be scared. We’ll be back before you know it, and you’ll be safe out by the road.” Impulsively, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. “We’ll all be together, very soon,” he whispered. And then he stepped away from her.

She watched, dazed, as he stripped his clothes off, and his bear burst out of him, huge and threatening. Its jaws opened wide in a silent roar, and its massive muscles bunched beneath its dense fur. She ran over and vaulted onto his back, and he began to move immediately, running surefooted through the woods. She clung tight to his back, comforted by the soft fur and the power of his body.

He came to a stop at the edge of the wood and she slipped off, understanding that she had to be quick and not hold him back.

“Be safe,” she called. The bear met her eyes. They were the eyes of an intelligent animal, but they were also Lucas’ eyes – gray-blue and full of depth. He gave a long, low purr, and bounded off into the woods. Jessica watched Lucas’ retreating back, hugging herself. The night was very warm, but she was shivering from fear. All kinds of awful thoughts ran through her mind. The thought of either of them being hurt made her feel physically sick. To comfort herself, she took her phone out and read Christian’s last message again:

Don’t worry, little one. We’ll never let anything happen to you.

But it wasn’t herself she was worried about. She looked into the woods, hoping for a glimpse of them, but saw only unfathomable blackness.

Lucas sprinted through the woods, his unwavering bear instinct keeping his path sure. Even though it was pitch black in the forest, he didn’t stumble or run into anything. All his muscles were tense and his senses were on high alert. He had no idea what he was going to find when he reached the property, but he didn’t like it one bit. How many of them were there? He picked up the scent of at least six individuals, but there could be many more. At least Jessica had had the bright idea of messaging Christian. Once he got into bear mode, he forgot all about the benefits of technology. All he could think about was his deep, primal urge to protect the things he cared about.

He came to a stop. The smell was getting stronger. He was no longer smelling the trail left by the foreign clan – it was their actual scent that he was picking up. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. Bikers. He knew that stink anywhere. It was unwashed bear, mixed with cannabis, engine grease and old leather. His hackles went up. They’d be very dangerous and very hard to beat. His head snapped to the side as he saw a movement in his peripheral vision. It was a tall rangy bear, moving stealthily toward Christian’s clan house. As ugly as all hell and dumb enough not to have scented him. Lucas crept up behind it, matching its steps tread for tread, so it didn’t hear him coming. Then, silently, he pounced, all four sets of claws digging into its flesh. It crashed to the ground with a scream and, with a swipe from one of his huge paws, he flipped it onto its back. His jaws clamped around its throat, biting into flesh and the hard, brittle windpipe beneath. He shook it hard with his powerful head. Within seconds, its eyes glassed over and its body relaxed.

Lucas released his hold, running his tongue over his teeth. He hadn’t killed another bear for a long, long time, and hadn’t expected to again. Killing wasn’t in his nature, but he was relieved to see that he was capable of it when the necessity arose.

He stepped over the lifeless body of his enemy and continued to advance toward the house. Adrenaline shot into his heart as he spotted more bears – a line of them, like sentries, walking in formation. Could he take at least one of them down without the others noticing? It was unlikely, and far more likely that the others would turn on him and he’d be savaged by five bears. Instead, he continued to follow them at a distance.

They reached the boundary fence of the clan’s beautiful flower garden, and leapt over it in a smooth movement, landing simultaneously in the flower beds. He waited until they’d reached the lawn before he vaulted over too. He stopped on the periphery of the lawn. There was no point exposing himself now, and he’d be more use taking them by surprise later on. His lip curled in disgust, he watched as they crawled like slugs across the lawn. His nostrils worked all the time, trying to figure out whether they represented the whole number of the enemy, or if there were more hiding someplace else. He thought that was all. Luckily, the wind was blowing toward him, concealing his scent from the enemy bears, and sending their scent in his direction.

The biker bears stopped creeping across the grass and raised themselves up to their full height. The one in the middle gave a low call that Lucas understood meant ‘prepare to attack’. And then the floodlights when on. Suddenly, the entire lawn was illuminated in dazzling white light, like at a football stadium. They froze, absolutely stunned, and Lucas couldn’t resist a chuckle. He should’ve known that Christian and his clan would have something special waiting for them. And then a series of deafening roars ripped through the air, as a dozen huge black bears leapt out from all sides of the lawn. They’d been hiding there, Lucas realized, knowing that the enemy bears would assume they were inside the house, so they could attack them from behind. The enemies’ faces displayed utter confusion as the clan launched themselves on them. They must’ve been congratulating themselves for how well they’d planned the ambush, and now they were the ones being ambushed.

Lucas leapt out from his hiding place too, and sank his claws into a broad, furry back.

The fighting was ruthless, and Christian’s clan took no prisoners. Lucas located Christian, and they moved in tandem, working together, one of them distracting an enemy bear, while the other made his attack.

There were howls and screams as the enemy were picked off, throats torn open, and bellies gashed. Blood sprayed into the air, and all Lucas could see whenever he looked up was a flurry of muscular, furry bodies and flying claws. He was hardly aware of his actions as his instincts took over, and he slashed two throats in a row with his razor-sharp claws. He picked up a few gashes of his own, but he didn’t feel them, the adrenaline charging through his body making him single minded. As he threw his full weight onto the back of the biggest bear, a huge, lumbering grizzly, he saw some more of them appearing from the side of the house. He let out a powerful roar, and Christian immediately turned and spied them. The rest of his clan dropped their wounded and perishing victims and raced toward the newcomers, surprising them with their strength. They moved in a wave, pouncing on their backs, drawing bellows of surprise and pain. Lucas bit deep into the back of his victim’s neck. With a wild snarl, the enemy bear shook him hard, trying to dislodge him, but only succeeded in tipping them both over, as Lucas had intended. In a flash, he jumped up and seized the huge bear by its throat. He clenched his jaw and shook his head from side to side until he heard a loud snap.
Another one down
, he thought grimly as he bounded across the lawn to join the assault.

The reinforcements were harder to beat than the initial attack. Lucas figured that they’d kept them in reserve deliberately. As he was struggling hard with one, fending off its vicious claws, he saw Christian flipped onto his back, a fearsome set of jaws only inches from his throat. He gave a roar, and, instantly, a large, loose-limbed bear from Christian’s clan detached itself from the midst of the fight and leapt on the enemy’s back. With a bellow of pain, the enemy bear snapped its head back, which was enough for Christian to lash out with his claws and rip its throat open. The large bear was Christian’s brother, Lucas realized. His kid brother who had suddenly become very big and very fearsome.

While he was distracted, a claw swiped at his own throat. He jerked back just in time, retaliating with a swipe of his own, slicing the enemy’s muzzle right down the middle, and spraying himself with blood. He bit down on the muzzle, cutting off the air supply until the bear collapsed. Another pair of dumb, biker’s eyes turning glassy as the miserable life drained out of them.

The roars and bellows were dwindling until, at last, they stopped altogether. Breathing hard, the clan stopped moving and surveyed the damage. Miraculously, none of them had been killed, although three of them were seriously wounded and would need hospital treatment. The rest of them were bloodied, covered in gashes and tears. A tooth had just missed Lucas’ left eye, cutting into the tender flesh above his cheekbone instead. It had swelled up immediately, and he was having trouble seeing out of that eye. He didn’t care. He didn’t care about the hundred burning gashes all over his flesh. All that mattered was that Christian and his clan were safe. Christian gave a long call and all the bears bounded over and surrounded Lucas. Christian hugged him hard and all the other bears followed suit, until they were a big pile of furry bodies. Lucas realized with surprise that they were looking on him as their savior. Christian’s brother dipped his head and looked right into his eyes with his own steady, green ones. The look was a humble expression of gratitude, and Lucas gave a purr in return. Then he turned to Christian, angling his head toward the forest. They had to go and get Jessica.

They ran fast through the woods, exhilarated at having successfully fought off the enemy attack. Lucas picked up Jessica’s scent quickly, but it was stronger than he’d expected from the distance. And it wasn’t coming from the direction of the place where he’d left her, but was off to the left somewhere. He turned his head and caught Christian’s eye. His friend had obviously noticed the same thing. They increased their speed and plunged on, into some particularly dense forest.

Jessica’s scent was getting stronger. But it wasn’t her usual sweet, delicious smell. It was the smell of fear. His heart hammering in his chest, Lucas ran full pelt. And then he heard a scream. A chill snaked down his spine. She’s terrified. Someone’s got her. Either that, or she’s hurt herself badly.

A hundred yards further and he saw a flash of white among the trees. He didn’t check himself. He was like an arrow, heading unerringly toward a target. And that target was the woman he loved, more than he’d known it was possible to love anybody.

She was lying on her back in the middle of a small clearing, a huge, naked man crouched over her, face twisted in evident enjoyment of her terror. Her skirt was high on her thighs, and her shirt was torn, exposing her bra.

“There’s no point crying. You’re mine now. And I’m going to claim you for my own,” he said in a thick, ugly voice. Jessica’s whimpers of terror were like shards of glass in Lucas’s ears. He and Christian simultaneously let out roars that shook the trees around them. And then they leapt, right for the man.

He didn’t stand a chance against two bears. He held out his hands, hoping to defend himself, but Christian clamped his jaws around his shoulder, and Lucas took his leg, and they hauled him off, out of Jessica’s sight, dispatching him swiftly, ripping him almost in two. Lucas looked down at the limp body in disgust. He wished he’d got to play with him a while, make him feel some of the fear he’d subjected Jessica to, but his main priority was getting her back to the house so they could check she was okay. They left him out in the open, food for the vultures.

Jessica was curled into a ball, weeping from shock, but she lifted her head as soon as Christian purred. Immediately, she got up, wiped her eyes on her shirt, and flung her arms around Christian’s neck. Then she ran over to Lucas and did the same to him. He gave a rumbly purr – a good enough substitute for a hug right now.

“Is he dead?” she whispered in a stunned voice. They dipped their heads in a nod, and she gave a ragged sigh.

She made to climb onto Lucas’ back, but he gently nosed her over to Christian. His back was cut up worse than Christian’s, and even her small weight would’ve been agony pressing against it.

She took the cue, and snuggled close to Christian, pushing her nose into his fur, and they trotted back to the house. The clan were still gathered outside, keeping watch, ensuing that there wouldn’t be a third wave of attack, and they cast curious glances at them. They’d speak later. None of them would be in any hurry to shift into their human forms, since the pain of their injuries would be so much worse for their human bodies to endure. Christian carried Jessica indoors and took her upstairs to a large bedroom. He crouched down by the bed and she clambered off and sat down on it, her legs shaking badly. Lucas went over to a lamp in the corner of the room and used his claws to turn the dimmer switch way down. And then both bears shifted.

It was an agonizing process, their human skin resisting all the way, and the wounds hurting as bad as when they were first inflicted. Finally, they both stood in their human forms, trembling. Jessica looked at them and her eyes went very wide. She clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle a scream.

“Oh my god, you’re both hurt so bad,” she gasped, and her eyes filled with tears.

“Don’t worry about that. We’re both tough old bears, and shifters heal real fast. You’ll see. In two days, we’ll be all better,” Lucas said. “But how are you? Did that piece of shit hurt you?” She shook her head, but let out a sob. Lucas sat down next to her, forgetting that he was stark naked, and laid an arm around her shoulder.

“It was my fault. I stepped inside the forest. You were gone so long, and I was so worried about you both. You weren’t answering my messages. I couldn’t just leave you there and take a taxi like nothing was happening. I set the GPS on my phone and was following it pretty well through the woods, when a bear appeared from nowhere. I knew it wasn’t either of you guys, so I was terrified. And then it shifted right in front of my eyes. He was such a sleazy guy. He grabbed my arm and started dragging me around, while saying that it was my fault, and little girls like me shouldn’t go wandering around the woods by themselves. He kept muttering that it was time I was mated and he was going to claim me, and all his clan was going to claim me too. I was so scared.”

“That piece of shit!” Lucas exclaimed, and his bear snarled and churned at his insides, ready to burst out of him and fight the man’s entire family.

Jessica took a deep breath, forcing her emotions under control. “But then you rescued me, just in time.” She looked from one to the other. “He was from the enemy clan, wasn’t he?” Christian nodded. “I’m afraid so. But we’ve dealt with them all. I’m pretty sure they won’t be bothering us again. I just need to speak to my brother. I’ll be back in a moment.”

When he was gone, Jessica flung herself into Lucas’ arms. He stroked the back of her head, holding her against his chest.

“You’re safe now, Jessica. We’re here to protect you. Nothing like that will ever happen to you again. She moved her head and looked up at him, squinting a little, and he realized that she wasn’t wearing her glasses.

“Oh, I lost them when that dickweed grabbed me. They fell off and I tried to pick them up, but he just laughed and hauled on my arm.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll find them tomorrow.” She looked doubtful.

“You’re going to locate them in the middle of the woods?” He laughed.