Claimed By The Military Bear: BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance Standalone (Paranormal Shifter Romance, BBW Shifter Romance, WereBear Romance) Read Free

eyes turned away when he finally disappeared, and she took in the sight of this small haven.
    She was in the living room. Sitting on a wide couch that hugged the wall behind her and faced a comfortable fireplace. A large rug took the space on the wooden floor, approaching the hearth before stopping short at the rocks that held the burning logs.
    Even at the distance, Melissa could feel the heat of the fire against her chilled skin, feeling its stare like a burning touch.
    Around the fireplace were a myriad of weapons hanging securely. Serrated knives decorated a majority of the space as well as several handguns. Several shotguns were secured in casings and she even spotted a few machetes. The make and the types of guns and weapons fell from her knowing, only vaguely recognizing the marks of some and the style of others.
    Camouflage designs hugged the covers of the weapons, and some silver blades shone bright beneath the flickering light of the fire. By the weapons, Melissa noted a few plaques.
    She recognized some of the stars on them, knowing them to belong to the Army.
    No doubt now, this guy is military. Her mind flashed to when she saw the dog tags around his neck and Melissa wriggled further into the cushions and into her blanket.
    The chills were slowly leaving her body, dragging her limbs into a languid heat that drooped her eyelids and made her breathing slow.
    Her eyes opened once, glancing over to the threshold where her savior had disappeared into and she caught a hint of an electric light source—a cool white contrasting the vibrant glow of flames.
    Melissa leaned her head back, feeling her body throb and ache, yet there was relief and contentedness in her heart.
    She had escaped… she was safe. And she had found protection.
    Knowing these three things, Melissa soon drifted off, her head lolling to the side as she succumbed to the warmth and the fruits of her survival.

 
    Chapter 2
     
    There was a warm light over her face when Melissa stirred from her sleep. When she blinked, she was nearly blinded by the light of day, cascading over her face through a crack in the window behind the couch.
    It was a fairly small window, but blinds that swayed and moved quietly by an unfelt breeze covered it. Melissa let out a soft groan, feeling something against her face that wasn’t there before.
    She touched her cheek gingerly, fingertips tracing over a wide band-aid. Beneath it, she could feel her skin ache—a cut. The branch…
    Pushing herself up, Melissa took in her surroundings once more.
    There was a warm smell, like breakfast, in the air that felt faded. Judging by the strength of the sunlight, it must be mid-morning…
    Melissa took in another breath, registering new smells with some welcome curiosity. There was a peculiar musk; masculine, strong, but not unpleasant.
    It hugged the spaces between the blanket and the cushion of the couch, making Melissa feel somewhat strange since she was not in a familiar space.
    It took some time but eventually, she pulled her legs out of the blanket. Her boots were missing as well as her socks.
    The flames of the fireplace were gone now, and the smell of burnt firewood was sharp prick in her nose. She sneezed, feeling her head throb with the following motion.
    Her body felt tired, fatigued beyond belief.
    Melissa rested her back against the couch for a moment, registering all these new sensations and sights with slow composure. Her nose felt stuffy, her throat burned and ached, and her body felt heavy.
    Great…
    Another sneeze built behind her nostrils and Melissa ducked her head into a sleeve. The blow was powerful and made her headache intensify.
    She felt horrible… and hungry.
    Eventually, the need to check her surroundings overcame her desire to stay in the warm couch. She stood, dragging the blanket (which she noticed was knitted and had very curious designs over it) over her body to keep her safe from the cold. As she maneuvered around, her eyes beheld more.
    This house