A Date For The Bear: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Bear Brides Book 2) (7 page)

“How are you feeling,
Terri?” he asked hoarsely.

“I feel...”
Terri stretched and yawned. “Like a bear. I'm going to
hibernate right now. I need a good, long nap.”

With that, she turned over
and fell into a deep slumber. Before Tony could pull her into his
arms, she was already snoring.

Terri let Tony wrap her
snugly in a blanket and carry her down the stairs. She raised her
head from his shoulder to glance around his house. It was a very
nice, double-story terrace house, neat and cozy.

It was almost as nice as her
apartment back in the city. Well, a little nicer, she admitted
grudgingly to herself. Tony was a neat freak. Everything was clean,
in its place, with not a speck of dirt anywhere. She, on the other
hand, found cleaning to be the most boring, mind-numbing chore in the
universe. Terri knew some people cleaned, scrubbed and polished
religiously, sticking strictly to schedule. Every other day, twice a
week, or even every day without fail. Terri's place got cleaned when
it got cleaned. She had loads of other things to do with her time.
Like go out and have fun. Or hang around her best friend, Abby's
place and eat takeout and junk food.

But Abby had moved to
Moonstone Creek, so they wouldn't be hanging out quite so often. The
thought made Terri sad, even though she was really happy for Abby.
Her friend had finally found true love and happiness.

Tony descended the stairs
slowly, careful not to jostle Terri unnecessarily. He carried her
like she weighed nothing. Terri almost giggled. She was no stick
insect. She certainly weighed something, but being made to feel so
light and delicate was something she could get used to.

Tony reached the bottom of
the stairs where Cole and Abby were waiting for them. Terri smiled
at them, and flashed them the thumbs-up. “I made it. I'm
still alive. I've been Turned.” Terri frowned and added
uncertainly, “I think.”

Abby came to hug her.
“You're amazing, Terri! I can't wait to see you in bear form.
I just know that your bear will be as beautiful as you!”

“B-bear form?”
Terri sputtered.

Cole stepped forward. “You
have to shift as soon as you can after your Turning. You have to
learn to control your shift, control your bear. Don't worry. The
rest of the clan are waiting for you near the woods. Your bear has
to learn to recognize the other bears in the clan. They will shift
with you and guide you. Your bear will need to gradually establish a
bond with the rest of the clan.”

Terri blinked at Cole. He
had spoken to her gently, conversationally, but she instinctively
recognized the command and authority in his words. He was her Alpha,
and he had just given her an order to shift and train with the other
Nightfire bears.

Was she really part of the
Nightfire clan now?

Cole nodded, answering the
silent question in her eyes. “Yes, Terri, you belong to the
Nightfire clan. You have been Turned by one of our bears. You will
forever share a bond and connection with Tony, and with the clan.
Welcome to the family, Terri.”

If Tony wasn't carrying her
in his arms, Terri would have reeled back, tripped and fallen on her
ample rump at Cole's pronouncement.

She was a Nightfire bear.

She had been a harried, human
secretary in the city, and now she was a werebear, a member of a
powerful bear clan in Moonstone Creek.

She had really gone and
fallen down the rabbit hole.

But what a ride.

Terri found the corner of her
lips twitching up. “Thank you, Alpha,” she said
automatically. “But...I don't know how to shift.”

“The clan will guide
you. And Tony will be with you, every step of the way.”

Tony pressed her closer to
him as he gave his Alpha a nod.

Abby came up to embrace
Terri. “Cole and I will stay here, in case anything crops up.
A few members of the clan have also stayed behind, just to stand
guard. We're on sentry duty.” Abby grinned. “Go with
Tony, and let your inner bear out.”

Terri's eyes rounded.
“You...sentry? But—you're the Alpha's mate!”

Abby kissed her on the cheek.
“Yes. And I will look out for all my bears. I love them, and
I love you, Terri. Go on now. Have fun! Run and roar and rampage
through the woods!” Abby punched her on the arm and cheered,
“Go wild, go bear!”

Terri squirmed a little as
Tony carried her through the quiet streets. Two Nightfire clan
members escorted them, acting as bodyguards but being very discreet
about it. They fell back a few paces to give Tony and Terri a
semblance of privacy. Nobody seemed to comment on the fact that she
was completely naked under that silly blanket. She knew that
shifters were more comfortable with nudity than humans. They were
used to shifting between skins, running free and wild.

Tony reached the field and
turned back to nod at their two escorts. His clan members grinned
and turned back to resume their patrol of their territory. Tony
placed her gently on her feet in the middle of the field and said
softly, “Whenever you're ready.”

Terri clutched the blanket
around her shoulders and watched the bears emerge from the shadows.
The brown bears prowled silently towards her, then one by one, they
stood up and shifted to human form.

“Hello, Terri!”

“How are you feeling?”

“Ready to play?”

They were all grinning at
her, and she saw the relief and happiness on their faces. They had
all been so worried for her, and the joy they felt at her successful
Turning was heartfelt and undisguised. Their concern and camaraderie
touched her deeply. This was a clan she was proud and glad to be a
part of. They were warm and fun and supportive. Terri glanced round
the circle of smiling faces and saw Amanda. Amanda's silver hair
whipped around her face in the wind, and she seemed to stand taller
and straighter even though she was buck naked. She had even left her
cane at home.

Amanda winked at her and
said, “This is how you do it, dear.”

With that, the little
great-grandmother shifted smoothly into a growling bear and bared her
fangs at Terri.

Terri stumbled back but Tony
caught her securely and held her. “Amanda is showing you that
your bear is a powerful, lethal predator, not a fuzzy, cuddly,
toothless ball of fur,” he whispered into her hair. “Your
bear is a deadly killer. It can rip your enemies to shreds, and it
can claw your insides to a bloody pulp if you let it. You have to
control your beast. Don't be afraid, but don't be complacent
either.”

Terri gave a shaky nod. “Got
it.”

Tony released her gently.
“Watch,” he said. “See what you can learn from
each of them.”

Terri nodded again. Amanda
was off chasing a rabbit, and Terri watched with wonder as the
sprightly old bear gamboled across the field and vanished into the
woods.

“Amanda...”
Terri pointed.

“Don't worry about her.
She's having the time of her life,” someone laughed. “We
don't let her eat too many rabbits. Bad for her cholesterol.”
Terri turned to see two handsome young men grinning at her. They had
Amanda's stunning green eyes, and her winsome smile.

“We're her
great-grandsons,” one of them said. “He's Curtis. I'm
Connor, the more handsome twin.”

Terri grinned back. “Your
great-grandma is a tough act to follow.”

Curtis and Connor swept their
hands up and bowed dramatically. “We'll try our best.”

Terri watched the twins shift
simultaneously. Their shift was even faster than Amanda's, and in a
blink, two imposing, hulking bears stood before her.

They nodded at her, then
turned and went after their great-grandmother. Probably to stop her
from gorging on rabbits.

One by one, the Nightfire
bears shifted in front of her. Terri saw some bears emerge more
slowly, while other burst from their human skins in a flurry of fangs
and claws. She saw all of them take a deep, calming breath before
their shift and their eyes narrowed in intense concentration.
Shifting may look effortless, but she could tell it wasn't. These
shifters had trained and practiced calling forth their bears
countless times. Some dropped to their hands and knees for the
shift, while others remained standing. They did what felt
comfortable to them. There was no one way to shift. Everyone did it
their own way.

Terri turned to Tony. Only
the two of them were left. The others were still around, but they
didn't want to crowd her. They moved some distance away to give her
some space. They milled around at the edge of the woods and busied
themselves among the trees and the insects. This being her first
shift, they understood that she might feel shy or awkward shifting in
front of them.

“Take your time,”
Tony told her. “Do you want me to go first?”

“Y-yes, please.”

“Okay. Relax yourself
as much as you can, take a deep breath if you must and let your bear
come to the surface. You'll feel it. Don't be scared of your beast.
It's a part of you. Its animal instincts and senses are sharper
than your human ones. It will protect you and warn you of danger.
Trust your bear. But control it.”

“I'm not sure...”
she began.

“You can do it, Terri.
I know you can.” His smile seemed to boost her confidence. He
really did believe in her. The pride and faith shone in his eyes.
He was proud of her, even though she hadn't even done anything.

Tony leaned forward and
kissed the side of her mouth. Then he backed away, keeping his gaze
locked on her and shifted. His brown eyes never left hers throughout
his shift. Terri found herself staring into the same pair of deep,
brown eyes, only now they were peering at her out of a bear's face.

Tony stalked forward and
nudged her gently with his massive, furry shoulder.
Your turn
.

Terri gulped. Here goes
nothing.

She dropped the blanket from
her shoulders and stood with her fists at her sides. She squealed
when Tony licked her hand and nuzzled it.

Unclench your hands.
Relax.

Terri frowned at him. She
seemed to understand him, with her mind—or was it her heart?
Perhaps this was the bond, the link they were talking about. He
Turned her. There would forever be a link, a connection between
them. The knowledge assured her and strengthened her. Tony would be
with her, every step of the way. She wasn't alone, ever.

Terri inhaled deeply and
closed her eyes. She let her mind go blank and immediately felt her
bear rising. It was a powerful, menacing presence, and for an
instant, Terri felt a sharp spike of fear. Her bear rammed against
her shields, sensing her weakness and she heard a deafening roar in
her ears.

She felt strong, human hands
holding her firmly, and Tony's voice cut through that frightening
animal roar to reach her. “Terri! Terri, listen to me. Focus
on my voice. Don't be scared. Your bear can sense your fear and
wants to explode out of your body to protect you. It thinks you're
frightened because you're in danger. It's ready to kill, to
eliminate that danger. You're not in any danger, Terri. Breathe,
just breathe. Slowly, steadily, and get acquainted with your bear.
Feel it, know it, control it. Open your eyes and look at me, Terri.
We'll do this together.”

With a whimper, Terri forced
her eyes open and stared up into Tony's handsome, human face. He
gave her a quick smile and took both her hands in his.

“T-together?” she
asked. It wasn't a question. It was a plea.

“Together,” Tony
said firmly.

She gasped when she felt the
heat from his body slam into her. His body temperature seemed to
shoot up and the heat from his hands seeped into her skin, spiraling
through her cells and sparking a change. Terri blinked hard, but
continued staring into Tony's eyes. She didn't want to break the
connection. She didn't want to be alone. She wanted to be near him,
beside him, with him. With a start, she realized how much she
trusted and needed him.

Tony smiled and leaned
forward slowly. She closed her eyes as her skin prickled and burned.
The sensation wasn't unpleasant, but it wasn't like anything she had
felt before. She felt her entire body shuddering as lights exploded
behind her eyelids. When she opened her eyes, Tony was touching his
nose to hers. He licked her stubby little bear nose and chuffed.

Terri opened her mouth and
heard a growl.

Hers.

She had just growled, as a
bear.

Terri twisted round to stare
at her thick, brown coat. Her fur was rich and luxuriant, a deep
shade of brown. The other bears came to gather around her, nudging
her and sniffing her. They were recognizing the sight and scent of
their new clan member, and letting her get used to their bears.

Terri chuffed out a joyous
laugh. She was a bear! A beautiful, brown bear! She rolled and ran
through the field, excited and exhilarated. The other bears ran with
her, leading her towards the woods. Terri raced with them, taking in
the smells of nature and learning to distinguish the various tracks
and scents. This was so amazing. She learned quickly and she
concentrated when one of the bears stopped to show her something.
They were trying to teach her as much as they could, and she
appreciated their kindness. She ran and played with her clan
members, but when Amanda offered her a rabbit, she declined politely.
She wasn't ready for that, yet.