But Max had liked every bit of me, just the way I was. Who cares if I barely knew him? I knew in my gut that he was a good guy. I knew that he wasn't going to cut and run.
No, I'd done that.
And now I would never get to see him again.
I'd never get to tell him how much I liked him. Even if he was a little high handed. And prone to nudity. I liked him anyway.
My hands gripped the furry paws on the creature who held me in it's grip. It roared in answer to the other beast and then turned and ran.
In the other direction.
For a split second I thought maybe, just maybe it would drop me.
No such luck.
I couldn't see the monster in the dim light but I could smell it. It wasn't as big as the bear-like thing I'd seen the night before. It was more cat like somehow. But still, at ten feet tall, it was clearly not an ordinary animal. I heard it snarl as the other creature caught up to us.
And then I was flying through the air.
I hit a tree and held on.
But it was too late. I started to fall. I felt my arm break as I hit a branch and started to shriek. That's when I bumped my head on the ground.
Then I slid into darkness.
<3<3<3<3<3
Twelve ~ Max
I attacked the interloper. I could smell the fear on its pelt as it turned, flinging my woman into the trees. I roared my anger and slashed at it with my claws.
I'd never fought one of my kind before. But that wasn't the only thing that was different this time. For one thing, I was more aware of what was happening than during the change that happened with the full moon.
For another thing, I was acutely aware that Cassandra was in danger.
There. A human word.
A name.
Cassandra.
I held onto that thought as I drove the creature further and further back into the forest. I injured it, but at the last minute decided not to kill it. Perhaps it too had been drawn by her scent. Perhaps it too had been driven by lust.
It whimpered in fear and supplication and I had an altogether human emotion: mercy.
I stood over it and stared down at it.
Even in my animal state I knew that it was like me: half man and half something else. A mountain lion from the looks of it. I'd never smelled that particular scent before. I didn't like it.
I growled but made no move to attack it further. Slowly it edged away from me, finally turning tail and running blindly into the dark woods. I waited until I could smell it no more.
Then I ran back for my woman.
I was changing as I ran so that by the time I found her I was once again human.
Well, mostly.
I lifted her up and sniffed her. She was injured. Being around me could extend her life and speed up healing. But it couldn't prevent it entirely. I kissed her forehead, feeling my teeth shrinking back from sharp fangs that pressed against the inside of my lips.
It was odd, but I'd never experienced the change while aware. I'd never changed at will like this before. It was exciting and fascinating all at once.
And it was all because of her.
I knew that I had a lot of explaining to do when she woke up.
If I wanted her to stay, I'd have to make her understand.
I'd have to make her love me.
I pressed her against my chest and ran back up the mountain.
<3<3<3<3<3
Thirteen ~ Cassie
Delicious smells wafted past my nose. I cracked one eye open and peered up at the ceiling. It looked unfamiliar.
It wasn't the ceiling in my apartment in New York.
It wasn't the ceiling of the hotel I'd stayed in the night before my expedition.
It wasn't the ceiling of the tent.
It was his ceiling. Max's. And I was in his house.
And he was definitely not what he seemed.
I looked down and saw that I was wearing a beautiful white silk nightgown. It fit me flawlessly and even had fitted cups to support my D cups. I glanced down and saw a matching robe draped over the foot of the bed. I turned my head and saw a glass of water on the bedside table and a pair pink floral slippers by the bed.
Gingerly I sat up and took a sip of the water. My mouth was very dry. I started to gulp it.
"Easy. You've been out a few days."
I looked up and saw Max standing in the doorway. He looked different. First of all he was wearing clothes. A crisp button down shirt tucked into a pair of old worn in, extremely well fitting jeans. Not too tight. Jussssst right.
Kind of like him.
Max was freshly shaved and his hair looked damp. He must have just showered. I glanced at the bathroom door. He'd been right there. Keeping an eye on me.
I swallowed nervously as he sat down next to me. He had an oven mitt in his hand which he was playing with nervously. I looked at his face. I wasn't imagining it.
He was nervous.
This big, beautiful, very very rich man was nervous about something. Suddenly I had a crazy idea about what it might be about. He was about to tell me about the monster.
He cleared his throat and looked into my eyes.
"I owe you an explanation."
I nodded.
"About me. About this thing between us. About the... thing in the woods."
I couldn't quite seem to catch my breath.
"I'm not normal."
He blinked at me, his huge eyes earnest. I nodded, encouraging him to continue.
"I mean, I'm not human. I'm three hundred years old. And I've spent all that time looking for you."
All the breath left my body in one big whoosh. It all sounded crazy. But somehow, I believed him.
"My people- we're half animal. Half human. Shifters. That's what you saw in the woods. That's what came after you."
He lowered his head, as if he were afraid to look at me.
"It's my fault. I should have warned you. Your scent is irresistible to our kind. You are- destined to belong to one of us."
"Belong?"
I was outraged at his choice of words. Of course, it wasn't lost on me that it was a weird thing to be upset about, under the circumstances.
"To be mated with. If you let me, I would give anything to belong to you too."
Well. That sounded a whole lot better. But still... I wasn't sure I believed in destiny.
"So it was you. In my camp."
He nodded, relief flaring in his eyes. He looked thrilled that I wasn't screaming my head off. Or running.
"You didn't hurt me."
He shook his head.
"I couldn't. If you hadn't been a match for me- mate wise that is- well, you wouldn't be alive today. No matter how beautiful you are."
I looked away.
"I'm not beautiful. I'm fat."
He took my hand, and turned my cheek so that I faced him again.
"You are beautiful. And you are going to get a whole lot bigger."
My mouth opened. Did he really just say what I think he said?
"You're already carrying my child."
"What?"
His beautiful brown eyes crinkled up at the corners.
"It's true. I can smell it. Aren't you happy? It's meant to be you know."
My mouth must have dropped open because he gently reached out and gripped my chin, closing my lips. Then he kissed me softly. I exhaled, feeling myself giving into the delicious feelings coursing through my veins.
It just felt... right.
<3<3<3<3<3
Two Years Later ~ Max
I walked in the door and jumped back out of the way. Just in the nick of time. Benjamin, our first born cub, was racing around the house at top speed.
His sister Josie was right behind him.
As shifters, their development was exellerated. Their motor skills, their speed, their strength were... not human. To say they were a handful was an understatement.
To say that they were adorable was also an understatement.
I followed the smell of coffee into the kitchen. I'd been out prowling. I did it every few days now, just to make sure our family was safe. Of course I'd learned to stash clothes at various points around the compound. Not that my lovely wife ever seemed to mind it when I showed up buck naked and covered with pine needles and dirt.
She was a very understanding woman.
Not that she didn't keep me in line.
Hell, she kept us all in line.
"Breakfast!"
I scooped up one cub under each arm and carried them into our kitchen. My wife was bent over the stove, her gorgeous red hair curling around her face from the heat coming off the griddle.
Pancakes.
Bless her, the woman had made pancakes.
She knew how much I loved them.
I set the kids down in their seats and went up behind her, my mouth finding the sensitive spot behind her ear without fail. She gasped, slapping my arm as it snaked around her. I couldn't resist a quick fondle of her luscious breasts, or a quick pinch on her bottom.
"Oh you!"
She turned in my arms as I was hoping she would, leaning up for a kiss. I let myself go, tasting her as if it were the first time.
"Max! It's time for breakfast!"
"As long as I can have desert afterwards."
She turned beet red. It only served to make her prettier than she already was. Her eyes flashed at me.
And then she nodded shyly and pushed me away.
It was a fine day to be a bear.
A fine day indeed.
The BEARchelor
Daphne Davis
Copyright © 2015 by Daphne Davis
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher