Idle Bear: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Bear Mountain Book 4) (4 page)

“I'd never think that,” she said. She took a step closer to him and linked her hand with his. “I know you've been hurt before, but I'm not her. Trust me, Aaron. You don't have to hide from me. I love you. Please don't go.”

He squeezed her hand, and in that one, fleeting moment she thought everything would work out. In the next moment, he broke her heart.

“Ugh, what is wrong with you?” he asked, disgusted. He pulled his hand out of hers and crossed the room, putting as much distance between them as possible. “I'm an animal, Sara. I know you like to fuck every man that comes through town, but are you so hard up that you'd fuck an animal?”

His hateful words left her speechless, and the shock of his attack left her immobile. Tears filled her eyes as she realized what they shared meant more to her than it had to him. Their attachment had been visibly one-sided.

“I…,” she cleared her throat. “You’re right. I am delusional. I fooled myself into thinking I meant something to you. Please excuse me.”

She opened the door and ran past Gage who stood on the other side. He called her name, but she didn’t look back or slow down. She raced out of the hotel parking lot and ran home. As she raced up the steps, Gage stopped his patrol car in front of her house, but he didn’t intrude or humiliate her further by trying to apologize for his friend. He drove off once she entered the building.

She locked every door, raced upstairs to her darkened bedroom and collapsed on the bed. Her sobs filled the room, but she didn’t try to stifle them. She allowed herself to cry for her loss, and then vowed to never cry over Aaron—or any other man—again.

Chapter Five

Aaron would never forget the look on his mate’s face when he said the disgusting words that would push her away forever. Shock had been followed by pain, betrayal, and ultimate sadness. He’d said the words, and then watched as her heart, and her trust in him, broke into pieces. He’d wanted to sever their ties, make her hate him, and he’d succeeded.

Unfortunately, watching her run away had the opposite effect he’d hoped for. His bear roared inside and fought for control over the man. A cold sweat covered his skin, and the magic of the bear thrummed through his body causing him to tremble. If he didn’t move quickly, he’d never make it to a safe place to shift.

The sheriff stepped into the open doorway and blocked his exit. He didn’t have to see the man’s glare to know the clan leader, both the bear and the man, had lost faith in him.

“I know you’ve struggled with what we are for a long time, but this is the first time I’ve ever been ashamed to call you my friend,” Gage said. “That poor girl deserves so much better. You’d better get out of here. You look like crap and I don’t feel like explaining the sudden presence of a pathetic grizzly walking the streets of my town. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

With those final words, the sheriff turned and left him alone in the room.

Aaron put on his backpack and raced out of the room toward the street. Goose bumps covered his skin, and the tiny hairs that covered his body rose, signaling the change. He didn’t take the time to check-out of his room. He knew Gage would handle it, and he had to get to a safe place before the tiny strand of control he held onto snapped and his bear roared to life.

He ran down the street in the direction of the two-lane highway that led visitors in and out of town, and hurried into a patch of dense trees that lined the road. He continued running toward the interstate, desperate to get as far away from his mate as possible.

As soon as he was hidden, his control shattered. He instantly turned into his bear form and continued running south, fueled by anger and heartache.

Resentful of being ignored for nearly a century, the animal side took over and ignored the human. They were two parts of the same magical spirit, but they dueled for superiority. The bear was stronger and continued to run.

He had no concept of time, and no concept of distance. The only thing he recognized was the feel of the ground beneath his paws. Hours later, after the sun had set, he grew tired of running and found shelter in a hollow cave. He spent the night in his bear form, unable to convince the bear to turn back. The animal was determined to stay on four legs for as long as possible and Aaron gave up the fight in exchange for rest.

As he drifted off to sleep, his mind focused on his beautiful mate. The way her soft curves fit perfectly against him, the smile she only shared with him, and the horrible things he’d said to her before she ran out of his life forever.

Gage had been right, she deserved so much better, but he couldn’t help wondering how he would continue to live without her.

***

Sara woke to the piercing beep of her alarm and sat up quickly to turn off the annoying noise. Her eyes were caked with dried tears and she could barely see as she walked to the bathroom. The wound on her arm ached, and flashbacks from the previous day filled her mind. Joy and amazing revelations were soon replaced with pain, her forgotten prescription, and Aaron’s hateful words.

She detested the fact that she’d mistaken his friendship for something more. Even after he shattered her heart and embarrassed her in front of the sheriff, she couldn’t make herself dislike him. She wanted to. She wanted to hate him more than anything, but she felt a pull toward him she couldn’t explain. She shook her head as she showered and desperately tried to forget the special moments they shared. They weren’t special. Other than an easy fuck with the small-town fatty, she meant nothing to him.

The truth hurt, but she had to face the facts. They were nothing more than two people passing the time together.

After a shower, a cup of coffee and a quick pep talk, she walked down to the café to pick up the muffins and sweet rolls for her guests. Luckily, she had a standing order for Sunday morning and Randy, the café owner, would be expecting her.

When she arrived at the eatery, Kate let her in and locked the door behind them. A pang of longing shot through her heart when she saw her friend, but she pushed it away. Aaron had revived her long buried feelings of having a family again, but she knew her fate and that dream needed to die and never resurface. She had to accept the fact that she’d probably grow old alone.

“Can you stay for a cup of coffee?” Kate asked.

“That sounds great,” Sara said, sitting at the counter.

She felt bad about letting her friend wait on her, especially since she was six months pregnant and most likely carrying twins, but she knew not to intervene. Gage was the only person in town who could convince his wife to rest and take it easy, though he hadn’t persuaded her to quit her job yet.

Kate set a cup and saucer in front of her, then filled it with the coffee pot she held in her other hand. She returned with a bowl filled with little containers of cream and a glass of water. Sara absently ripped the sugar packets and prepared her coffee as she waited for her friend to join her at the counter.

“Thank you for loaning me some clothes,” Sara said when her friend sat down. “I’ll get them back to you soon.”

“Don’t worry about it, there’s no rush. Just get them to me when you can,” Kate assured her, and then took a drink of water. “How are you doing? Do you want to talk about it?”

“I’m okay,” she lied, but in the silence that followed, she decided to tell some of the truth. “I mean, I’m hurting, of course…and I feel really embarrassed…but life goes on, right?”

“Yes, it does,” Kate agreed. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about, though. Gage really believed Aaron was going to stick around, or he wouldn’t have encouraged you to give him a chance.”

“I know, but it’s not that, and it’s not his fault. I’m the one to blame. I thought Aaron felt something for me, something more than he did, and I was wrong. I made my own choices, and now I have to live with them.”

“Oh, Sara,” Kate half-hugged her. “I think he does feel something for you, but he doesn’t know what to do with those feelings. They probably scare him because he’s been hiding for so long.”

“It doesn’t matter. He’s moved on, and one day, so will I,” she said.

“I’m so sorry you’re hurting.”

“Thank you,” Sara said, desperate to change the subject. “Hey, Gage isn’t worried about me saying anything is he?”

“Not at all. He knows he can trust you,” Kate assured her.

“Great.” She didn’t want the sheriff to worry about her sharing his secret. She’d never tell. “I guess I’d better get going. Thanks for listening.”

“Anytime. Do you want to do something later? That huge craft fair is going on today. We can drive over and check it out?”

“I can’t leave until eleven, but that sounds great.”

“Good. I’ll see if Darcy and Sam can join us,” Kate said, getting up from the counter. “Oh, I almost forgot. Gage picked up your prescription last night, but I wouldn’t let him take it over in case you wanted to be alone. I hope you weren’t in too much pain without it.”

“Thank you, Kate. I appreciate it,” Sara said, gathering up her box of sweets and the medicine. “I definitely needed the alone time, and I forgot about the pain until my shower this morning, so I’m grateful to have it.”

“We’ll pick you up at eleven, okay?”

“Sounds good. See you then.”

“See you.”

Sara walked back to her home and mentally planned her day, grateful Kate had suggested the outing. Hanging out with the girls would be the perfect distraction to keep her from thinking about Aaron. She couldn’t wait until eleven.

***

Aaron stood on Main Street and surveyed the town.

It had been a week since he’d left Bear Mountain, but he’d needed the time to work through his issues. Waking up in the cave in bear form had been an experience, and so had hunting for breakfast.

He’d opted for fish almost every day, because chasing down the rabbit his bear wanted had made him queasy. When he’d finally given in and agreed to find something red-blooded, he immediately decided he didn’t want to do it again. He still preferred his meat cooked medium well.

His bear had only let him shift twice, once to pick up some human food, and another to test their newfound compromise in a crowded mall.

He agreed to accept his bear, and shift and run at least once a week, and his bear agreed not to randomly shift—even if their mate were in danger. The human form controlled all of the shifts, as it should be, but the bear wouldn’t be hidden anymore.

The second half of their compromise included claiming their mate and becoming part of the clan. Bears were mostly solitary creatures, except when a shifter mate became pregnant. The energies from the cubs caused the bears to congregate and surround the expectant couple. With other bears around, it would be easier to embrace everything his animal had to offer. 

Gage had tried to help him in the past, and he hoped the invitation still existed, but his mate came first. When he embraced his full self, everything became crystal clear.

Sara had been the missing piece all along.

A mate soothed a shifter in several ways, but the most important involved balance. A mate would complete him, keep him grounded, and never let him turn his back on his bear again. All of the knowledge he’d gained over the past week proved how much he needed her, but they weren’t the reasons he came back.

He came back because he loved her, and the thought of living one more day without her nearly drove him insane. He’d never met anyone he’d wanted as much, not even his ex all those years ago. Sara was kind, smart, beautiful and most importantly, she loved all of him. She’d been honest about her feelings in the hotel room. He had to be honest about his.

He knew he had a lot to make up for, and a large amount of groveling would be in order, but he’d never give up. Now that he’d found his mate, he’d never let her go.

Chapter Six

Sara woke when the sun leaked through a crack in the dark shed, signaling another morning. She tried to adjust her hands, but the knot the hunters made wouldn’t budge. The rope dug into her skin and she could see where the rough binding had broken through. Dried blood colored the rope and her dirty wrists.

The smell of the dirty bandana between her teeth made her want to gag, and it was tied so tight it cut into the corners of her mouth. Her stomach rumbled and her throat was on fire. She needed water, though she knew she would never get it.

Dried tears lay in rows down her face, but she had no more tears left. She’d been missing for three days, and she knew no one would ever find her. The hunters waited for the bear to save her, but she knew he wouldn’t come. How much longer would they wait before they killed her?

She closed her eyes and thought back to a week ago, the day she went out with the girls. They drove into the next town over for the huge craft fair, and there she’d seen the table of bear paraphernalia. Tucked in between the coloring books and figurines, lay containers of bear claws and bear teeth. She’d picked up a business card right before the hunter who shot her returned to the table.

He’d recognized her immediately.

“Hey, it’s the bear whisperer,” he sneered. “You cost me money that day, sweetheart.”

“Grizzlies are a threatened species. It’s illegal to hunt them,” she replied.

“That is none of your business,” he spat back.

“You made it my business when you shot me,” she said, “and if I didn’t intervene, he would have killed you.”

“Not likely. I would have shot him first,” he retorted.

“You can believe that if you want to, but I saw what happened and you would have been dead. Did you get these teeth and claws off of other bears you’ve killed?”

“You bet. People pay top dollar for this stuff, especially if it’s from a grizzly. You should hunt with us. You can lure in the bears and I’ll give a cut of the profit.”

“You’re crazy. I’m not going to help you; I’m going to report you.”

He leaned across the table and crowded her personal space.

“Do it and you’ll be sorry,” he seethed.

“Sara, there you are,” Kate said behind her.

She knew the stuff on the table would upset her friend, and she didn’t want the slimy man anywhere near the pregnant woman. She turned and blocked the woman’s approach.

“Sorry, I got sidetracked. Are you guys ready for lunch?” Sara said, steering Kate toward the exit.

“Yeah, I’m starved,” Kate said, laughing.

Sara laughed too, but over the course of lunch, and the drive home, she couldn’t shake the feeling she was being watched. The hunters had seen her in the woods before, and it would be easy to figure out she lived nearby. She decided to report what she’d seen the minute they got back into town.

The girls dropped her off at the sheriff’s office, and she shared her findings with both Gage and Dave, the deputy. They’d both warned her to be careful, and Gage escorted her home.

Three days later, she was ambushed on her daily walk. She’d been so stupid. She honestly thought the hunter would run, but instead he and two of his friends kidnapped her and tried to use her for bait. Every day the bears didn’t come, the hunters became more agitated.

She’d been threatened with rape, but so far they’d only abused her with their hands and feet. Her face hurt from several slaps to the face, and her thighs were bruised from their boots. They withheld food and water, and left her out in the cold after dark with nothing more than her sweatshirt for warmth. As their patience waned, she feared the unknown and what would happen next.

The door to the shed opened and two men entered the tiny dwelling. One of the men she recognized as one of her three captors, but she’d never seen the fourth man before.

“Oh good, you’re awake. This is Jimmy. He’s the one I told you likes the fatties. Maybe he can convince you to summon the bears.”

She looked up at the two men, and Jimmy had a smirk on his face.

“Well aren’t you pretty? Are you ready to have some fun?” he asked. To his friend, he said, “Leave us. You’ll know when I’m done.”

When the other man left, he cut off her gag and offered her a bottle of water. For a moment she relished the cool drink as it soothed her parched throat. She continued to drink as he looked on and encouraged her to take her fill.

“Drink as much as you need to,” he said when she almost reached the bottom of the bottle. “I have a reputation to uphold, and those bears need to hear your screams.”

***

Aaron walked to Sara’s home, but when he got there, he found a sign on the door directing all patrons to the sheriff’s office. He knocked on the door anyway, but he was met with silence.

A sinking feeling shrouded over him and for a moment he couldn’t move. Had something happened to her? The thought of losing her left him numb. If he’d declared himself sooner, and marked her as his own, she’d have the same protection he did. She’d never die. Instead, he’d left her vulnerable and alone. He’d never forgive himself if something had happened to her.

He turned on his heel and ran to the sheriff’s office. Inside, Gage, Dave and Seth hovered over a map laid out on Gage’s desk.

“Cade and Collin went here, just in case they decided to go south. The craft fair was next to this lake, so it’s possible they’ve taken her there,” Seth said.

“Taken who?” Aaron interrupted.

The three men turned toward him, and Dave and Seth dispersed, leaving Gage alone behind his desk. Dave went to stand behind his own table and Seth moved to the window.

“This is police business,” the sheriff said. “It doesn’t concern you.”

“The hell it doesn’t. Where’s Sara?” Aaron demanded, stepping closer to the sheriff.

“Again, this doesn’t concern you,” Gage said. “Get out of here, Aaron, and don’t come back.” Gage dismissed him and spoke to his deputy.

“Dave, have you checked out the Old Mill, yet?”

Blinding, white-hot rage surged through his body. Something was wrong, and he would not be ignored. Aaron no longer feared releasing his bear, he’d mastered controlling the animal, but he couldn’t say the same for the man.

He charged the desk and leapt over it, pushing off the center of the wood for more power, and landed in front of Gage. He pinned the sheriff against the wall with his forearm under his throat. Dave and Seth raced over to pull them apart, but Gage stopped them.

“Don’t,” Gage warned. “It’s between him and me.”

Both men took a step back, but watched intently. They would protect their leader if necessary.

“Where is she?” Aaron said, pressing against Gage’s windpipe.

“What do you care?” Gage taunted, struggling for breath.

“She’s my mate.”

“No, she’s a woman you fucked,” Gage said, and pushed him back into the desk. The map, phone and several papers scattered to the floor, and Aaron roared.

“She’s mine!”

“No, she’s not,” Gage yelled back. “You pushed her away and left her in pieces. That’s not the way to treat a mate. I wish I knew another shifter I could introduce her to so she’d never think about you again.”

“Don’t you dare,” Aaron said. He rushed him again and pinned him back against the wall. “I know I fucked up, but I’m back and she belongs to me.”

“You plan on sticking around this time?” Gage asked, unaffected by his rage.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Aaron ground out.

“Good. I’m glad you’re back,” Gage said honestly.

Aaron stared at his friend and realized the man had been testing him. Though they were both alphas, Gage could take him if he wanted to. The clan leader had let him mend their rift with dignity, and earn his place in clan.

He pushed away from the sheriff, and laughed.

“You son of a bitch,” Aaron said.

“Welcome to Bear Mountain,” Seth laughed with them. He and Dave started picking up the items from the floor, and Dave clapped him on the back.

“It’s good to see you again, man,” Dave said.

For a moment, the camaraderie overwhelmed him and he took a few deep breaths.

“Thank you,” he said. He voiced the sentiment to the group, but he looked pointedly at the sheriff. The man nodded once and moved to stand beside him, gesturing to the map.

“Okay, now that we’ve got that taken care of, we have a bit of a problem.” Dread filled him as he waited for the sheriff’s next words. “I know it’s difficult, but try to remain calm.”

“Is she alive?” he asked, unsure whether or not he wanted to hear the answer.

“Honestly? We don’t know. Seth, Cade, Collin and I have patrolled in bear form, and Dave and I have been on foot. Aaron, we can’t find her.”

“How long has she been gone?”

“Three days.”

“Three days?” he roared. “What the hell happened?”

“The girls went to a craft fair on Sunday and she had a confrontation with the hunter who shot her. They were selling real pieces of grizzlies—teeth, claws, that kind of thing—and offered her a cut if she helped them. She denied, vowed to report them, and he threatened her. She filed the report that night, and I alerted the game commission, but that’s all we could do. I warned her to be careful, and things were uneventful until Thursday. She never opened her kitchen for breakfast, and when guests couldn’t find her to check-in or out, they came here.” Gage said.

“After we confirmed her disappearance, I put up the sign. Dave, Seth and I have been taking payments and helping with confirmed reservations, while Sam and Darcy have been cleaning the rooms. We're keeping things running, and accommodating everyone the best we can, but…,” Gage trailed off.

“Soon we’ll have to close the business.”

He’d said the words the man hadn’t wanted to say, and Gage nodded.

“Okay, show me where you’ve been, and I’ll shift and do a patrol.”

“Take Seth with you. Those men will be shooting to kill. Even though you can heal, if you get hurt, you can still be knocked out of commission. One of you can run for back-up if needed.”

He agreed and listened as Gage and Dave filled him in on where they’d already searched. Because he hadn’t marked Sara, she’d be harder for the other bears to scent, but he shared a special connection with her. He felt confident he’d be able to find her.

Seth drove him through Gage’s property until they reached the border of the National Park. They got out of the truck and walked through the trees until they felt safe to shift, and then they ran.

They raced through the forest, and covered a lot of ground, but it seemed as if she’d disappeared without a trace. His legs burned, but he couldn’t give up. There were several hours of daylight left, but he’d search all night if he had to. He didn’t expect the same from Seth. The man had a mate to take care of, and he needed rest.

Seth shifted back to human form before he had the chance.

“Don’t even think about it. If you stay, I stay. Let’s keep looking.”

Seth shifted back into bear form and motioned for him to lead the way.

Aaron sniffed the air and relief flooded over him when he caught Sara’s scent. It mingled with dirt, blood and something rancid, and he understood why the others hadn’t been able to find her. He raced toward the location of the smell with Seth on his heels.

The man got in front of him and forced him to slow down.

Seth sniffed the air again and encouraged him to do the same. This time he scented Sara, plus four others. He assumed they were the hunters.

They lumbered toward the scents carefully, and hid in the trees on the top of a hill to assess the situation.

The first three men were easily spotted.

They were each stationed against a tree surrounding an old, dilapidated shed used by rangers in the early part of the century. The tiny dwelling had one boarded up window, and the building looked like it would fall over if a strong wind hit it.

He hated the thought of Sara sitting alone in the dark room.

Their plan was to knock out—not kill—the hunters, and then rescue his mate, but every plan went out the window when Sara’s bloodcurdling scream filled the air.

Aaron charged the building.

***

Sara held the empty water bottle in her still bound hands and glanced at her captor. As much as she didn't want to look at him, she needed to mesmerize his face in case she got away.  She didn't think she'd make it till tomorrow alive, but she wouldn't give up without a fight.

“Okay, time to stand up. I don't want to get dirty.” He pulled on the rope holding her hands together and yanked her toward him. He smelled like he hadn't showered in days and she didn't miss the irony in his statement. She turned her head as she slammed against his body, and he laughed as he sniffed her hair.

He turned her around and pushed her toward the wall of the shed. He pressed her face against the wall with one hand, and used the other to run his hand over her ass. The old, weather beaten wood scraped the skin off her cheek and he pushed her harder against the wood when she winced.