A Dragon for December (Wiccan-Were-Bear Book 11) Read Free Page A

and went into the spare bedroom. She flopped down on the
bed and ordered her bear to let her rest. She was sure that sleep
was what she needed, no matter how enticing the idea of tumbling on
the sheets with a male was to her bear.
     
    * * *
     
    Deci woke with a start, her claws extended
and her fangs sliding from her gums. Her body was on fire, her skin
tingling and damp with perspiration. The comforter shredded as she
rolled to her knees, and her claws dug into the fabric for
purchase. Her bear rolled under her skin, and she cried out,
holding onto her humanity by a thread. The need to be in her bear
form consumed her.
    Her hands trembled as she lifted her tablet
from the nightstand, and using her knuckles since her claws
wouldn’t recede, she opened an app with a local map. She hastily
located a wooded area and calculated the distance. It was too far
for her to walk, and she knew she wouldn’t last in her human form
if she tried. The last thing she wanted to do was freak out anyone
in her bear shift. Not bothering to dress, she grabbed her car keys
from her purse and raced out of Alli’s apartment to her car.
Remembering the directions she’d seen on the app, she tried her
best to calm herself and her bear as she drove as swiftly as she
could, mindful of her claws as she curled her hands around the
steering wheel. Her vision was hazy, and her head throbbed as her
body flamed with sensation. The closer she got to the woods, the
more anxious her bear grew.
    She pulled her car onto a grassy area next to
the edge of the woods and turned off the engine. Placing the keys
underneath the seat, she climbed from the car and inhaled deeply.
She thought her bear might be placated being so close to the woods,
but instead her bear pushed harder, and Deci lost the ability to
hold onto her human body. Her shift exploded within her, and she
shouted in pain as her bear forced her to shift far faster than she
ever had before.
    Her mind went blank, and her vision darkened
as she fell to the ground, panting for breath. The coldness helped
to cool her down, and she rubbed her snout in the snow as she
closed her eyes, letting the cold seep into her flesh. She was more
at home in the woods than anywhere else.
    Giving herself a few moments to recuperate
from her fast shift, she lumbered to her feet and lifted her head.
Inhaling deeply, she sorted through the scents and couldn’t smell
any other predators. She wished she’d asked Alli if there were any
territorial shifters in the area who wouldn’t want her hunting in
their woods, but she hadn’t expected to need to shift. She didn’t
scent wolves, who could be real dicks about their territories, and
she was aware that the bear den in the area was quite far from
where she was. Deciding she would just remain vigilant, she entered
the woods, scenting for prey and wondering why her beast was acting
so nuts.
    She hadn’t ever had her shift forced on her
since she was too young to control it. Polar bears shifted at age
fourteen, and it was hard for them to control their beasts at that
age. Several times in her youth she had unexpectedly shifted,
usually because she was overly emotional.
    Scenting deer, she turned in the direction
and moved swiftly and quietly through the woods until she found the
trail they’d left behind. She followed the small herd to a stream
and watched through the trees as a large buck bent its head to
drink from the water while does followed his example. Deci eased
forward, her bear excited about the prospect of having fresh
deer.
    Drawing as close as she could and still
remain covered, Deci tensed and then rushed from the woods,
barreling into the herd and swiping at the buck. The buck bellowed
in alarm, skidding on the snowy bank as her claws sank into his
flank. He jerked his head toward her, and a sharply pointed antler
nearly took her eye. The buck escaped, bleeding from the claw marks
on his side as he raced into the woods.
    Deci wasn’t trying to be quiet