I found myself moving closer, unable to stop myself from going to what was mine. When I broke through the tree line, she slowly stood and set her bowl down. I didn’t miss the gun she had in her hand. She’d gone into the tent an hour before, rustled around, and had come back out empty-handed. She must have been hiding the weapon. I couldn’t blame her though. I wanted her to be safe, to feel safe.
I didn’t like that she was out here all alone for God knew how long. It wasn’t safe in the woods, and even though this was property that belonged to my family—belonged to her, because she was my mate—that didn’t mean it was safe. The elements, the wild animals. She could get hurt, lost.
And when I finally stepped into the clearing, staring at her, watching as her throat worked when she swallowed, smelling her nerves, her anxiousness, I hated that I was the reason she felt this way. I lowered my gaze to her hand, where she held the gun. Her fingers were wrapped tightly around the butt, her hand slightly shaking. She was trying to appear strong, and although she was nervous, she wasn’t afraid in the face of clear danger.
Although I wasn’t dangerous to her per se, she didn’t really know that. Maybe she didn’t know I was her mate. Maybe she didn’t know we belonged together irrevocably.
She was half-bear, so in hindsight, those kinds of instincts could’ve been dulled, muted. But the way she looked at me and the scent of her curiosity had this need telling me she felt something more. It might not be as ingrained in her as what I felt, this undeniable bond and irrefutable love I felt for her.
But she would.
I would never walk away from her, no matter what.
Chapter Five
Mena
In front of me stood a massive eight-foot grizzly, his fur dark-brown, almost black in color. His body was powerful. I could smell the Alpha come from him. The realization he wasn’t just an animal but a shifter who no doubt lived in these woods made me… warm. I held the gun tightly in my hand, knowing I wouldn’t actually use it but having it for show, as well as letting him know if it came down to it I would protect myself at all costs.
“Why don’t you shift back? I assume you have something to say to me, because that’s surely why you’ve been lurking in the woods by my campsite this whole time.” I was trying not to show him how anxious I was, that his massive size and presence put me on edge. But even so, I didn’t feel like he would hurt me. I didn’t feel any kind of anxiety that I was in danger.
In fact, I felt the opposite. I felt safe around him, as if anything that tried to harm me, he would come up against as my massive protector. And that was a strange thought given the fact that I didn’t know who this person was, who the shifter really was beneath the fur and the power and the height and weight of his bear.
He didn’t move for long moments, and I didn’t even think he breathed. But then he finally let out of huff, air blowing out his nose as if he were sighing, maybe nervous himself.
I felt the air change, become thicker, hotter. I felt electricity move over me, causing the hair on my arms to stand on end. I watched as his body morphed, shifted from a powerful grizzly bear to the man who stood in front of me. He was still big and massive, his human height close to six and a half feet. He had muscles stacked on each other, and his skin was covered in tattoos. So much ink that I actually felt this tightness pool in my belly. Never had I felt such desire. Never had I thought a man covered in tattoos would be so incredibly sexy.
In fact, I never thought any man was remotely attractive, had never had any desire. And although it was a little strange if I really thought about it, a twenty-something-year-old virgin who had never wanted a relationship, it had never really bothered me, because it had felt right to be alone.
But I looked at this man and all I felt was desire, arousal, and so much need I couldn’t breathe.
What was it about him that made me feel this way?
I refused to lower my gaze down to the intimate part of him, but it was hard. It was really damn hard.
And then despite myself saying I wouldn’t, I looked down, felt my throat tighten, my eyes widen. There he stood in all his naked glory, hard muscles packed upon each other, tattoos trailing along his abdomen, down his hips, and over his thighs. There was so much ink, more tattoo than his tanned skin.
I felt my body heat, my face blush. My nipples hardened, pressing against the material of my shirt. And my pussy… God, I was getting so wet. And his dick—his dick was massive and long... as thick as my wrist.
My mouth dried.
He was starting to get hard, and I felt my eyes widen even more. This was obscene, me staring at him, him getting aroused. And still I couldn’t look away.
I lifted my gaze back up, trying to keep my cool, like there wasn’t some naked shifter standing right in front of me getting a hard-on. I blinked a few times and snapped back to reality, looked behind me at my tent, and started walking backward until I could reach down and grab a blanket. I tossed it to him, and when he caught it effortlessly, not saying anything as he wrapped it around his waist, I breathed out slowly. The material was tented in front from his growing erection, and I could see his brow lift at me in maybe curiosity, or almost a challenge.
I gathered my resolve, pushing everything away. The fact that he was gorgeous and naked made me want to go to him and throw myself against his body. I was acting insane, my bear pacing inside me, wanting out for the first time in her life.
“Why are you hiding in the forest just watching me?” I had to give myself credit. I thought I was handling my shit pretty damn well, not freaking out, even though I wanted to. He said nothing, didn’t respond, didn’t even move. I watched as his massive chest moved up and down slightly as he breathed, his focus trained right on me.
I lifted up the gun to show him, even though I knew I wouldn’t use it, and he probably did as well. “This is fully loaded and I’m not afraid to use it if need be. So why don’t you tell me what you want, why you’re lurking in the woods like a fucking creep, and then we can both be on our way.” My voice was hard and even. I should’ve won an Emmy for how brave I was acting.
I saw the way the corner of his mouth kicked up in a smirk, and despite how I was acting all collected and calm, my emotions gave me away. He inhaled deeply, this slow sound leaving him. I was afraid—not of him or that he would hurt me, but of this unusual situation. It wasn’t that I was a sheltered little girl, but then again, I’d never been up against a massive grizzly shifter before, not counting my father.
I was out of my element and nervous of the situation. And my default setting was to act tough even though I really wasn’t.
“You have some fire in your veins, don’t you?” His voice was deep and husky and sent an unusual feeling throughout every single part of my body. “I like it.” He took a step closer. “My bear fucking loves it.”
God. What was happening right now?