Bearview Bride (BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance) (2 page)

But by next winter, this mountain might not be his to roam anymore.

Cade swiped at the ground, his claws gouging the earth. How could they all be so shortsighted? Who could want money when they had everything a shifter could ever need just beneath their selfish feet? Cade would give anything to keep his mountain. The next buyers might actually appreciate the treasure they had, and keep it forever. Once Mount Bliss was sold, his family might never get it back.

Cade shuddered.

He loved his mountain, his lodge. He had never been anywhere else, and felt no need to leave. He already knew where the best corner of the world was. It was right here, in Yonder, Wyoming. He had been born on Mount Bliss, and he had planned on being buried here. He had assumed that he would work at Bearview Lodge his entire life, eventually buying out his parents’ and brothers’ shares if they found something better to do. But besides his ten percent, he didn’t have a dollar to his name. And by the time he had anything of worth, the lodge might already be sold.

Mournfully, he looked back in the direction of Bearview. What would he even do without it?

He continued on, pacing through the forest. Rather than easing his mind, every tree, every rock, every flower was a reminder that this might be the last time Cade saw them. If his family wanted to, they could probably sell the lodge within the month.

Shaking his head until his ears flopped, Cade set into a run. The mountain stream would still be cold. Maybe a dunk in it would clear his mind.

The sound of running water filled his ears. Cade felt himself breathing more easily. Maybe, if only for a few seconds, he could find peace here.

Click. Click. Clickclick.

He twitched an ear, annoyed. What was that infernal sound? Near the edge of the trees, he looked toward the noise.

It was a camera. But when he saw the woman holding the camera, Cade’s annoyance vanished instantly.

She was standing on a rock in the middle of the stream. Looking down at her camera, she frowned, absently tucking her honey-colored hair behind one ear. Her oversized waders couldn’t hide that she had stunning curves in all the right places. Cade wondered who had loaned her the waders. A boyfriend, perhaps?

His hackles rose at the mere thought of a boyfriend, though Cade forced them back down. He didn’t even know this woman. He couldn’t get possessive over someone he had never met.

She’s ours,
his bear growled.
Ours.

Cade shook his head, trying to rein in his grizzly. The beast wanted to charge forward and claim his mate. Cade couldn’t allow that. Her footing looked precarious enough as it was. A charging bear would probably send her tumbling into the stream.

He watched as she aimed her camera up at the peak of Mount Bliss. Cade’s heart swelled with pride. He wondered if she found the mountain as captivating as he did.

Though his bear ached to move closer, Cade forced them to stay put. He could see her well enough from here. Carefully, he studied her face. Was she a guest at the lodge? They had so few right now that Cade doubted it. Besides, she didn’t have the kind of face he’d easily forget.

If she wasn’t a guest, that meant she was trespassing, but Cade couldn’t bring himself to care. One thing he knew was that he had to talk to her. There was something about her that made him forget all his worries in a way that the wilderness could not today. Cade backed up. He had a stash of clothes around here somewhere. He would simply shift, cover himself, and then wander into her shot. She’d have to notice him then.

Cade was just turning around when a yell cut through the cool summer air. He whirled, instantly alert. The woman had lost her footing, and her efforts to regain her balance were in vain. Cade winced as she dropped her camera, and again as she fell into the stream. Swollen with the recent rains, it quickly swept her away. The woman struggled as her waders filled with water.

Cade charged forward. He didn’t care if she saw him as a bear. He had to save her.

But he might not have acted fast enough—she was heading straight for a group of rocks. Cade heard the dull smack of flesh against stone as he plunged into the water. If he was too late to save her, he’d never forgive himself.

She was sinking to the bottom, the stream drawing her away from him. Shifting, he dove. He didn’t even feel the cold, only the stabbing fear that he wouldn’t reach her in time. She was a few yards from him, a cloud of hair covering her face. Her limbs hung limp in the water as her left side dragged along the rocky stream bottom. Kicking his legs, Cade arrowed toward her.

He caught her by the wrist, but she gave no sign that she felt his grip. Cade’s stomach churned as he wrapped his arms around her.

Another rock loomed in front of them. Without the use of his arms, Cade couldn’t avoid it, but he could shield her body with his. He grunted as his ribs smashed against stone. They needed to get out of here. Launching off the stream bed, Cade kicked up toward the surface. As their heads broke into the air, he willed her to breathe. Her head lolled. Cade felt his heart drop as he pulled her toward the bank. She had to be okay. She had to be.

Heaving her onto the shore, he laid her on her back. Water gushed out of her waders as he lowered his ear over her mouth and nose. He heard nothing, and was about to put his hands over her chest when she let out a mighty cough. She sat up, hacking, then gulped in air. After a few shaking breaths, she swung around to stare at him. Her dark amber eyes were the most startling thing he’d ever seen. Cade held his breath. She was so close to him. He wondered if she’d thank him with a kiss.

Twisting, she looked back toward the stream. “My camera!” she cried.

“I’ll get it,” Cade said. Suppressing a grin, he waded out into the chilly water.

He grabbed the camera, looping the strap around his wrist so he wouldn’t drop it. From the bank, the woman watched him, biting her lip.

“Here you go.” He placed the camera in her hands. Her hair was wet and disheveled, an angry knot was forming on the side of her head, and most of her was covered in rubber. How did she still manage to be so irresistibly beautiful?

The girl groaned. “No, no!”

“What is it?” He crouched beside her.

“The lens.” She showed it to him. Cracks spread from one side like a spider web.

She sat back with a sigh. “At least it wasn’t an L lens.”

Since Cade had no idea what that meant, he just made a sympathetic noise.

The woman turned the camera around, intent on the back display. “It still works. And the pictures came out okay. I guess that’s what matters.”

Cade glanced over her shoulder. On the tiny screen, he saw the rushing stream and the peak of Mount Bliss, but they seemed heightened somehow, larger than life.

“You took those?” he asked. The words sounded stupid as they left his mouth. Of course she had. He had seen her click the shutter.

“Yeah,” she said offhandedly, as if making photographic masterpieces was an everyday occurrence. For her, maybe it was.

“You know those are good, right? Like, incredible?”

“I hope so.” She turned the camera off.

“Do you work for a newspaper or something?”

“I wish. I’m freelance. Though I guess you could also say I’m unemployed.” She sighed again, putting her head between her knees. “I need someone to buy these photos.”

Cade wished he had money. He’d buy her pictures. And a new lens, too.

The woman looked up at him sharply. “You’re naked.”

“It took you that long to notice?” He laughed. “I was about to go skinny dipping. I’m sorry, I didn’t think anyone would be out here.”

“Me neither,” she murmured, shivering slightly. “Thanks for saving me, by the way.”

“Don’t mention it.” He looked at the puddle that was forming around her. “Do you want help getting those waders off? Or do you want to slosh down the mountain?”

“Get me out of these. The water’s still freezing.” She swiveled, giving him access to the belt at her waist.

Cade unfastened it. “Maybe you should get some in your own size, and stop borrowing your boyfriend’s.”

“They’re my father’s.” She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”

Infinite relief flooded through him as she wriggled out of the rubber. Her soaking clothes stuck to her skin.

She looked at him, eyebrows drawn. “Where are your clothes?”

“They’re around here somewhere…” He waved a hand in the vicinity of the woods.

“Did you forget where you put them?”

“I might have, in all this excitement. I did hide them. I didn’t want bears or bobcats to get them.”

“Bears?” She sat bolt upright. “There are bears on this mountain?”

“There might be some grizzlies.” He watched her reaction carefully. No matter how much his animal wanted her, it wouldn’t work out if she was terrified of bears.

She leaned over, looking up and down the stream. “Do you think there are any around here? Where would be the best place to find them? Oh, I wish I’d brought my telephoto lens.”

He laughed. “You want to track down a grizzly?”

“It was my dad’s dream to shoot a grizzly in the wild.”

Cade flinched.

She rolled her eyes. “I mean with a camera, you know. Not a gun. He took pictures of so much wildlife over the years, but he could never catch a grizzly in his own backyard. He’s not here anymore, so…” Her voice broke. “I want to get one for him. One perfect grizzly picture.”

“We could probably find you a bear,” Cade said. In fact, he could guarantee it.

“You could?” Her eyes shone. “That would be amazing.”

“Come back any time,” he said. “I’ll take you on one of the trails where we sometimes see them.” Maybe he could coax Ethan into posing for her.

“You’re here a lot?”

“My family owns this mountain, and the ski lodge down there.” For now. Cade’s stomach twisted. He hoped she would come back soon.

“I guess I’m trespassing, then.” Redness crept into her cheeks. “Sorry about that. I usually try to find the landowner and ask permission before a shoot, but the light was so lovely.”

“It’s fine,” Cade said. “Just warn me the next time you want to take photos, and I can make sure you don’t fall in any streams.”

She smiled. “I’m Tess, by the way.” She held out a hand.

“Cade,” he said as he took it. Her hand was so small in his, so delicate and wonderful. As he touched her skin, an electric spark seemed to pass between them. He looked into her amber eyes, wondering if she had felt it.

Tess pulled her hand away, fumbling in one of her pockets. “Forgot to put the lens cap on,” she said, producing a wet circle of plastic and popping it on her lens. “I don’t think it could get any more damaged, but you never know.”

Cade wished he could have held her hand longer, but he didn’t want to scare her. He had to rein in both his bear and himself, it seemed. But her smell was so intoxicating, a mix of larkspur and wild meadow grasses—he wanted nothing more than to run his hands over her skin, press himself to her. It would be fine if they were both shifters. Two bears wouldn’t mind giving in to their animals.

She’s not an animal
, he told his beast sternly.
So don’t get any ideas.

He had another problem, one growing larger between his legs. Jumping up, he strode away as quickly as he could without being too suspicious.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“To get my clothes,” he called. “I’ll be back in a second!”

As he headed for the trees, he could feel her eyes on him. He wished she wouldn’t stare at his retreating ass. It was only making his problem worse.

Chapter Three

C
ADE WAITED UNTIL
he had entered the woods, then broke into a run. He didn’t want to leave Tess alone for too long, and he wasn’t sure how many places he’d need to search for a cache of clothes. Though he was good about washing and replacing what he used, his brothers knew his best hiding places and weren’t afraid to take what they needed.

He wouldn’t have minded, but they hadn’t remembered to return the clothes to where they’d gotten them even once.

Coming to a huge oak with a sprawling root system, Cade knelt at its base. Trying not to throw up too much dirt, he dug under the roots. The task would have been much easier with claws, but he didn’t want to risk it.

His fingers hit what he was looking for. Cade exhaled as he removed a bulging plastic bag. Shaking off the dirt, he uncovered the clothes inside. Quickly, he pulled on the faded pair of jeans. He had never been happier that his parents insisted they keep these caches around.

“You hid that really well.”

He whirled to find Tess behind him, camera strap over her shoulder and sodden waders in her arms.

“Your clothes, I mean,” she continued. “Do you lose them often?”

“Often enough.” If only she knew.

He threw on the white t-shirt, curling his lip as he realized how tight it was. Was this one of Sawyer’s old shirts? It would barely fit any of them now. The shirt was tight against his skin, and his biceps threatened to tear the sleeves with his every movement.

Cade sighed. He appreciated that someone had finally decided to help replenish the cache, but couldn’t they have thrown in a bear-sized shirt? He must look ridiculous.

Tess was waiting for him to finish getting dressed, and she was looking everywhere but at him. He grimaced. Yeah, he must look absurd. He bundled the plastic bag under his arm. At least he could change soon.

“Would you like to swing by the lodge?” he asked. “I can offer you a hot shower, and the use of our dryers. That way you won’t be quite so… damp.”

She flushed. “That would be nice. Thanks.”

“That’s the least I can offer, after our stream tried to drown you.” He gestured toward her waders. “Let me carry those for you.”

“Really?” She handed them over happily. “They’re harder to carry now that they’re so slippery.”

“I think I can handle it.” He slung them over one shoulder, unconcerned about the mud that splattered his shirt. It wasn’t like anyone would be wearing it again anytime soon. “This way.” He motioned her onto a path, and they began walking.