Waking the Bear (Shifter Wars) (21 page)

“Wow.” She held her head in her hands. “I feel like I’m in a movie. A bad one.”

“I know.” Griff got up and grabbed a log off the pile and shoved it on top of the fire. “It all sounds crazy.” He took the poker and moved the log into position then added another log and put the poker back.

“I still don’t understand why you can’t share the healing lake with the lions. It’s not like the power will run out, will it?”

“No, but the lake only fully heals the shifter group that is in control. So right now, that’s bears. Shoshannah takes the form of a giant white bear. If the lions had control over the cave, she’d be a lion, and lions would be healed in the waters, not bears. We’d only get a little relief.”

“So complicated.” Amy tucked her feet under her. “I can see how that would cause bad blood between the two groups. The cave would be a huge asset to have control over.”

“Exactly. The lions never play fair. They cheat, lie, steal and do anything they can to try to win. We have to keep them from regaining the cave.”

“The lions sound a lot like some of the people I worked with at ADvert.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“It’s over.” Amy smiled. “I’m not sure I believe all this, but I’m trying to process it. Of course I would’ve never believed in shape-shifting humans if I hadn’t seen it.”

“I can understand. If I were in your shoes, I would have a hard time believing it, too. So, there’s more.”

“Go on.”

“Well, there’s a bear law. Kind of a code of ethics among our clan. If someone messes with our mate, we’re allowed to hit back hard. That is one reason I went after Evers like I did. Sure, we had the history, but it wasn’t until he hurt you that I went ballistic. Still, I took it too far and killed him in anger, but Shoshannah said that was lifted from my heart by my bringing him to the cave. If I hadn’t taken him there, his death would have rotted my heart, because I killed him in anger.”

“Are you saying...?” Amy didn’t move. Her facial features were completely blank, as if frozen.

“Yes.” He steeled himself for rejection. He had to tell her. “You’re my mate.” Thank goodness he wasn’t projecting his thoughts.

She blinked, but didn’t move. Griff waited for her to bolt out the door, but she remained seated.

Finally, she spoke. “What? What do you mean, I’m your mate? What does that mean?”

“It means we’re meant to spend our lives together.” Griff sighed. “We’re meant for each other. Fated, if you will.”

Amy shook her head then stared into the fire. Griff tried to be patient. Not to push. But he wanted her to understand that she was more to him than just a fated mate. He found joy in her laughter, her love of art, even her pink towels. He wanted to be with her all the time. Protect her. Love her. Make love to her. Have children and grow old with her.

Now it was up to her.

“I—I don’t know. I certainly feel something for you. I might even call it love.” She twisted the ends of her hair. “This is a lot to throw on someone at once. To be honest, it all sounds a little crazy. What tells you that we are mates? Do you mean like soul mates?”

The fire popped and she jumped.

“Yes, it is a lot to take in at once. But you wanted all the truth and I am trying to lay it all out for you. Like I said before, I think you feel our bond, too. What about last night? What about when you were scared in the car during the rockslide? Didn’t you feel my presence deep inside in those moments?” He leaned forward. Would she give him the chance to prove himself? Or had all the information been too much? “I’ve known since I met you. For obvious reasons, I couldn’t spring it on you. You’d have been right back in Atlanta the next day.”

“I do feel something, Griff.” She moved to sit beside him on the couch. “I know I enjoy being around you. I think about you a lot. But this is a lot. Not to mention the whole bear thing. I am still finding that hard to believe.”

“Being mates
is
a bear thing. That doesn’t mean we have to rush into anything we aren’t ready for. For me, knowing we are mates is the same as knowing who my parents are. It’s something I just know. I’d imagine it’s different for humans.” He paused. “You asked for the truth and I am telling you everything.”

“I guess that makes sense.” She rubbed her palms on her legs. “I want to be near you, and I feel a lot better about Evers now that you’ve explained some of the bear stuff. I have mixed feelings about him being dead, though. I’m sad he was so unhappy that he had to hurt other people, though.”

“Yes, some people are like that. I’m not sure he was ever happy after his parents died.”

“So where do we go from here? I’m not going to be here much longer.” She pushed her hair behind her ear. “I want to give us a chance. But I’m afraid of the war you’re talking about and I’m afraid of how I would fit into this as a human.”

“Do you have to leave?” Griff ached to hold her. His bear cried out.

“I don’t have a job here, and I don’t know if I could get one since Oakwood is so small. I don’t have the money to stay a long time.”

He waved her off. “That’s no problem, we can figure it out. As for the war, I’ll tell you what I know. We aren’t going to let them win without a fight. This is our land, and where our clan belongs. The Sen Pal mountain lion pride is brutal. They raze things that get in their way. They once attacked Henredon at night, leaving several dead humans in their wake. All because they wanted fresh grain.”

“Wow. That’s barbaric.”

“They take what they want and they think the rules don’t apply to them. It’s my duty to protect the citizens of Oakwood, plus all the people that come to the forest.”

“‘Cause you’re a ranger.”

“That, and I care about the people in town. I feel responsible for their safety—at least as far as making sure their homes and the forest are safe for them.”

“So Evers was a member of this mountain lion pack?”

“Yes. We think he was an Enforcer, though he was acting like a rogue. He didn’t seem to be doing anything that hinted at organized information gathering or even intel on positions of our sentries.” He stroked her hair. God, she smelled divine.

“But he’s dead.” She sat up. “Does that mean...”

He nodded. “Yes. More are coming. They will try to get to anyone who is close to a bear. Like you. They will come for you if you are still here. If you stay, you’ll need my protection.”

He felt her tense in his arms. God, he hated to scare her, but telling her to stay out of the woods hadn’t helped a bit. She kept getting into trouble every time he turned around. “That is why I told you to stay out of the woods. I was worried for your life.”

“Yeah. I see that now. So what are we going to do?”

“You’re going to stay with me.”

She sat up and looked at him. “What?”

“It’s the only place where I know you’ll be safe.” He ran his fingers along her cheek. I have a spare bedroom if you need it. I’m not expecting anything. I just want you to be safe.”

She put her head back on his chest. “I don’t know. I need to think. So much has happened.”

“Yes. How about you stay tonight? Tomorrow, we’ll figure things out. I’ll have time to talk to my den-mates and we’ll see what they found out about what the Sen Pal are up to right now.”

“Sounds like a plan.” She yawned. “Thank you for asking me to stay. I’ll take you up on the offer for tonight, and then we can talk tomorrow about the rest of the plan.”

“Hey, none of that.” He lifted her face. “No sleeping. Not yet.” He pressed his lips to hers and tingles shot through him.
Ahhhh
.
Mate of mine.

“I need one more thing, Griff.”

“Anything.”

“I wanna see you as a bear.”

“Tomorrow?” He wanted kisses, dammit. What if his bear scared her and she changed her mind about staying?

“No, now. Please. For any of this to make sense, I need to know it’s all true. I feel in my heart that it’s true, but I need to see it.”

His mouth went dry. Was he ready for this? Showing a human his bear and them not knowing he was a shifter was one thing, but her knowing? That added a level of worry. “Okay, give me three minutes, then look out the door. I’ll be in the yard.”

“Why not here?”

Griff rubbed his hands together. “I don’t want to freak you out.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Okay...why?”

“It’s not pretty. In fact, I feel ugly when my body contorts. I can’t control it once it starts. Maybe one day I’ll be comfortable shifting in your presence, but not this time, okay?” His heart hammered. Would she accept that answer? It was the truth. “Plus, my bear is big.”

“Sure. I understand.”

“Three minutes.”

He walked out onto the porch and then into the yard. The night sky, sprinkled with a zillion stars, domed over the cabin, and the dark woods surrounded the clearing. He moved quickly, shedding his clothes and focusing on his bear. The frigid air enveloped him and he raised his arms to the sky as he felt the change coming.

He growled, pawing at the air as his body morphed and changed. Shifting didn’t hurt, but the sensation was like no other he’d ever felt. Stretching and pulling, every part of his body morphed.

Bigger. Stronger
. He sliced at the air with his claws.

His bear breath came in small puffs in the cold night air, and he peered at the cabin. Silhouetted against the window stood Amy.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Amy pressed her hand to the glass. The bear that strode in front of the cabin was huge and dark, its eyes glistening in the night. It was the same bear she’d seen at the creek. The one that fought with the mountain lion. The same bear that had been at the rockslide with the other bears. The one trying to keep the mountain lion from getting to her.

Griff is a bear
.

She moved to the front door and went out onto the porch. She barely registered the cold air, intent on going to Griff.

He sat, his large bear body settling into the grass, then he lay down on his side.

Wobbly from fear, Amy forced herself to walk to him. Griff wouldn’t hurt her. He’d said they were mates.

As she approached, the bear turned to look at her. She saw nothing but kindness in its eyes. She knelt in front of him and stroked his forehead, the fur softer than she had expected.

The bear yawned.

Amy sat down and he moved his head into her lap. He was warm. She rubbed his ears and stroked his forehead. The bear closed his eyes.

She could get used to this. If Griff was a bear, then so what? Stranger things had happened, and Griff always treated her well.

Suddenly, the bear leapt up and stood over her. She pushed down a twinge of panic and looked up to meet his gaze. He winked, then took off running, heading toward the underbrush.

Amy stood up, chilled, and brushed the dirt off Griff’s robe. He’d be back. She headed into the cabin.

* * *

Amy stretched out on the feather duvet Griff had spread in front of the fire. She still wore his robe, but her hair had dried, and tiredness weighted her movements.
He really is a bear
. Oddly, the thought didn’t terrify her, especially since she’d been able to sit with him a minute.

“I’ll toss your clothes in the dryer in a little while,” Griff said. “When the washer is done. You’ll have clean clothes tomorrow. Tonight you don’t need them.”

“Thank you.” Amy blushed at the thought of Griff handling her underwear. The clothes she’d worn to the cave were muddy and had needed to be washed. “I did bring more.” She pointed to her bag.

He smiled. “Well, you won’t be needing those, either.”

“Says you, the giant bear. I’d imagine you don’t get cold with your built-in fur coat.”

“Not usually.”

“Yeah.”

Griff settled on the duvet beside her. “I didn’t scare you? When I shifted?”

“No. Not really. Not after all I’ve seen today. It’s been one long series of crazy events.”

“I’m glad. I was worried.”

“In an odd way, it feels right.”
He wants me to stay here with him.
She didn’t know which was scarier—staying with Griff or being alone in the cabin with mountain lions hunting her. Him being a bear wasn’t even on the radar as far as things to worry over. If anything, his protective nature was charming
.
Maybe she really was crazy, but she was falling in love with a bear.

One who already called her mate.

“It’s warm.” Griff pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. “Aren’t you hot in that robe?”

I am now.
“You trying to tell me something?” She stared at Griff’s chest—muscled and thick—like someone who did a lot of heavy lifting and manual labor. A patch of hair grew up high, and a heavy trail of hair snaked from his belly button into the top of his jeans. It’d been somewhat dark when they’d had sex before, but in the firelight, there was no mistaking his build. She wouldn’t get lost on that trail.

Griff smiled and she turned away, her face heating.

“Don’t be shy,” he said. “It’s all for you.”

Amy turned to him. The whole evening had been leading up to this. Her and Griff. Why was she balking now? Maybe the whole day had really been a dream—shifters and mudslides and bears and now Griff.
No
. She deserved this happy ending to a very rough day. She wanted him right now, and right now was all that mattered.

She ran her fingers over his abdomen, his skin soft and pliable. His flesh quivered, but she continued stroking, stopping at his waistband.

“Go ahead.” He lay back to give her access.

She tracked over the top of his jeans and down the zipper, tracing the prominent bulge contained there. She wasn’t sure whose breath intake was stronger, hers or his.

He took her hand and placed it flat over his cock. She felt it surge as it hardened more. When she didn’t move, he pressed her hand firmly against him and lifted his hips, pushing into her hand. “Feels so good.”

She nodded. Brave now, she bent to kiss his bulge. The groan that escaped him made her bolder, and she slipped the zipper down. He grunted, then slid his jeans and boxers off.

Amy sat back on her heels. His thick cock stuck out from a dense patch of coarse hair. She moved closer, kissing his upper thighs gently as she made her way to his cock. She gave the head a quick flick of her tongue.

He moaned. “Oh gods, yes.”

She wrapped her fingers around his girth and slipped the head into her mouth, swirling her tongue over the sensitive underside. He held her head and tried to pump into her mouth. She slid up and down, letting him hit the back of her throat while she gently squeezed his balls.

He thrusts became stronger and she worked harder to take him all in.

He pulled back. “Stop,” he said, breath ragged. “My turn.”

She scooted away.

“Oh no, you don’t.” His gaze had darkened with arousal and he licked his lips. “My turn,” he repeated.

She giggled and tried to move, but he grabbed her by the ankles. He held her with one hand as the other ran up under the robe and over her bare pussy. She flinched as pleasure zinged through her.

“Oh.”

“Be still.” He rose over her, untying the robe in one motion. “Off.”

She sat up and slipped the robe off her shoulders. By the time it had dropped to the duvet, he had her flat on her back and his face between her legs.

“Impatient?” She panted.

“No, just wanting what’s mine.”

She giggled as his mouth hit a ticklish spot on her knees.

Little moans escaped unbidden as Griff nibbled his way up her thighs. She tried to close her legs but he held her open. Vulnerable. When his wet mouth closed over her clit, she came apart, her legs falling open and her head back, inhibition forgotten.

“Mmm.” He looked up at her and licked her then his lips. “So fucking good.” He licked her clit then tongued it hard. “Mine.”

She wanted to agree with him, but she couldn’t find her voice. He slipped one finger inside, then two, and began pumping them in and out, hitting all the right spots. She pulled his head closer and he rewarded her with hard licks and nips.

She wasn’t sure she felt the orgasm building as everything felt so amazing, but when it slammed into her, she arched her back and cried out as he finger fucked her into her oblivion.

* * *

Griff tried to hold back the urge to claim Amy. Her orgasm had about been his undoing. He counted his breaths, trying to give her time to recover. And to pace himself. His dick ached so bad.

“Oh my god, that was fantastic.” She sprawled across the duvet, legs and pussy shimmering with wetness in the firelight. Open and ready for him.

“We’re not done.” He stood. “I’m going to put a log on the fire, then I’ve got some wood just for you.”

Amy snickered. “Really? Did you really say that?”

“Hey, no sarcasm,” Griff said. “Only orgasm.”

She rolled her eyes and he stepped over her, aware of the show he was putting on for her as his dick bobbed over her.

He chucked two large logs on the fire. “That should last a while. At least as long as I do.”

Amy propped up onto her elbows, and he dropped to the floor beside her, putting one leg across hers.

“Condom?” she asked.

“Don’t need one. Now that you know I’m a bear, I’ll tell you I can’t get human diseases.”

“I’m clean. I prefer feeling the real thing. I’m on the pill.”

Griff smiled and he was sure his dick was smiling, too. Nothing like a bare dick. As nature intended. “Good.” He leaned in and kissed her. She felt so small under him. He caressed one breast then the other. He’d have plenty of playtime with them later. Right now, he needed to be inside his mate. The drive to claim her had intensified and become more important than his own pleasure.

He looked down at her beneath him. Her eyes had glazed over, and her lips were swollen.
Beautiful.
He’d never tire of her.

Mate. Mine.

“Amy?” he whispered.

“Yeah?” She looked up at him with wide eyes and acceptance.

“I’d like to claim you as my mate. That means forever.” His voice strained on the last sentence. If she said no, how would he cope with the rejection?

“I thought you already had.”

His heart pounded. “No, this will bond our souls together. But you have to agree.” He leaned on his elbow.

“Of course.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. “I’m yours, Griff. I was meant for you.”

“Are you sure?” He took a sharp intake of breath to control the dizziness that suddenly came over him. “I have to bite you.”

“Bite me?” Her eyes widened.

“Not hard. You’ll barely feel it, forgive the pun.”

She giggled. “Bite me, then.”

“I love you, Amy Francis.”

“I love you, too, you big bear. And I want to be yours forever.”

He positioned himself over her, wanting the moment to last forever. It took every ounce of willpower he had to be gentle and not rush. He didn’t want to scare her with the force of his passion.
Breathe
. She lifted up to meet his advance, and he closed his eyes and pushed in.

This time, he would claim her.

Fucking your mate was supposed to be the greatest pleasure on earth, and now Griff believed it. He’d never felt so alive, so in touch with the here and now. He glided in and out, trying to time his thrusts with Amy’s groans. Her pussy held him tight, and he lowered his lips to her shoulder.
So warm. So good.
When her moans changed from intermittent to near constant, he pushed deeper and harder. Tension built in his balls, and he thought he would burst from the pressure.

He slid in and out of her again, slowly building to a deeper thrust. Inside, he saw blue trails of mist winding through his consciousness and toward Amy. He opened his eyes. The mist danced over them like an aurora, surrounding both of them.

“What is it?” she whispered, never losing her pace. “It’s beautiful.”

“The bonding.” He thrust faster. “It’s begun.”

The mist circled both of them, wrapping them in cords of light. Tingles of electricity shot through him as the cords bound them together and Griff grunted as he grew closer to release. Amy was so soft under him, so perfect. So wet.

She tensed.

She cried out and he came hard, nipping at her shoulder and claiming her as his, always, and the blue cords tightened then released and swirled above them in a mini tornado then flew straight up through the roof.

Griff laid his head on Amy.

She sighed. “That was amazing.”

“
You
are amazing.”

They were mated and Griff couldn’t have been happier.

* * *

He watched her sleep, her eyelashes fluttering as she dreamed. Hopefully, she dreamed about him and their future. The fire had burned down to barely a flicker, and the sky outside was on the cusp of dawn, rosy as a fresh camellia blossom. He’d not been able to sleep a bit, not even after another marathon sex session.

His heart filled with love for his mate, even more than before. Sure, they had things to work out, like where she’d live. How many cubs they’d have, though he suspected it was too soon for that conversation. The fact that they were bonded was enough for him for today, though Elijah would want to know more.

What was to come in the next weeks or months?

The Sen Pal were still out there. They’d stop at nothing to reclaim the Cave of Whispers. The fight for control of the forest would be long and bloody, but he’d make sure his mate was safe through it all. He stroked her hair.

“Mmmm,” she whispered. “Griff?”

“I’m here.” He bent and kissed her cheek. He could stare at her forever.

She didn’t open her eyes. “I had a dream.” She smiled.

He chuckled. “I hope it was about me.”

“Yes. We had a cub. A daughter. We named her Charlotte. That’s possible, isn’t it? And safe?”

“I’d really like that, Amy.” Tears formed in his eyes. “And it’s as safe as a human birth. Lots of bears have human mates.”

“And we lived in your cabin.” She opened her eyes, slow-blinked, then closed them again. “The one I’m living in, not the ranger cabin.”

“I’ve told you how special it is to me.” He was in love, for sure. “I’d like lots of cubs.”

“I think you can count on it. Especially if you keep up these love-making sessions.” She curled up.

“Anytime. Wake me up if you’re in the mood for more.”

“Isn’t it dangerous to wake a sleeping bear?”

“Not this one. Especially not when it’s for sex.”

He swatted away the pillow she lobbed at him then lay down beside her and pulled her into his arms. She snuggled into his chest and within minutes, snored softly.

He was so glad she’d come to the mountains.

She was worth waking up for.

* * * * *

To purchase and read more books by Kerry Adrienne please visit Kerry’s website
here
or at
http://kerryadrienne.com/books/
.

Coming soon from Carina Press and Kerry Adrienne

Read on for a sneak preview of what happens next in the
SHIFTER WARS
series, with an excerpt from
PURSUING THE BEAR
.