Lost Bear Read Free

commanding voice sent an electric shock to her core. He demanded her compliance and she couldn’t deny him.
    She took a deep breath and sat up straight. Her head and shoulders were exposed over the hedge, but he didn’t flinch when he saw her.
    “I think you’re the reason all of the animals have disappeared,” he said smiling.
    She agreed with a small growl and watched him carefully. He appeared to be unfazed by her presence, and she wondered if he had experience with grizzlies. The species was near extinct, and they usually lived solitary lives, but his house was nonthreatening and bordered the National Park.
    “Are you hungry?” he asked, offering her his plate. He still stood in the middle of the yard, but she had a feeling he would move closer if she invited him too.
    She nodded her head and he moved carefully down the path in her direction. When he reached the end of his yard, and the break in the greenery, he bent down and slid the plate off of his property and out into the forest.
    He kept his eyes on her the whole time, and backed away as slow and controlled as he’d approached. She marveled at his movements, even as he retreated. His heart was kind, but he wasn’t an idiot. The gesture made her heart melt. She wanted him more than ever.
    When he made it back to his porch, he sat back down and took a long drink of his beer. She saw the condensation drip from the bottle, and couldn’t help but wonder what he would look like dripping wet.
    The light evening breeze picked up, and the smell of the burger attacked her senses. She reached out one large paw, grabbed the edge of the plate with her claw, and pulled it toward her behind the bush. She didn’t want him to see her eat, because in her bear form, she also ate like a savage.
    The burger was gone in one bite.
    She licked her lips, wiped her face with her paw, and pushed the plate back to where he’d left it.
    “Good girl,” he said. “Did you like it?”
    She sat back up and nodded her head, confused by her behavior. The desire to please him overshadowed all of her instincts.
    He opened his mouth to say something else, but the sound of the phone ringing cut him off.
    “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back,” he said and disappeared into the house.
    Again, she obeyed his command, but this time she thought about running. Had she been so intent on meeting her mate that she let her guard down as an animal? She scanned the area, but aside from a family hiking on the other side of the hill, the forest was quiet.
    She strained her ears to listen, but she only picked up a few of the words drifting out from inside the house.
    Bear. Female. Kate. Come over. Shift. Hamburger. Soon.
    Panic filled her at his jumbled words, and she fought the urge to run. She needed to access the situation before she ran wildly into the forest. She surveyed her surroundings, then backed into the trees, keeping a close watch on the back door of the home.
    Oh god! She’d acted so stupid! Over a man!
    In those few, anxiety filled moments, she’d completely forgotten her reason for visiting Bear Mountain. Her safety became her number one concern.
    Who had he been talking to on the phone? Did he know about shifters? Who had he invited over? Who was Kate?
    The man raced out onto the porch, waving frantically.
    “Don’t leave,” he yelled. “Your friends are on their way.”
    Friends?
    She didn’t have any friends. Somehow he must have figured out her secret, and he was going to turn her over to some freaks that would perform experiments on her or something. Her heart ached as she widened the distance between them.
    She continued backing up until she bumped into a tree.
    Another man joined Mr. Sexy and together, they ran toward her. The other man looked familiar, but she couldn’t place him. Friend or foe? She didn’t know.
    The two men rapidly approached, and she worried over whether to run or not. She didn’t sense any danger, but was it a trap?
    “Well, I’ll be