Mated to the Alpha Bear (Werebear Shifter Billionaire Paranormal Romance Standalone) Read Free Page A

and when it finally cleared, he was alone in the vehicle, his airbag
deflating. The passenger side door had crumpled inward and the seat stood at a
strange angle. He was covered in tiny lacerations from the broken window glass,
and the windshield was half gone. He realized Nora hadn't buckled her seat belt
when she'd finished; he looked at the twisted metal protruding into the spot
she had been sitting and hoped against the odds that getting thrown from the
vehicle had saved her life.
     
    He turned off the ignition and tried to open his door
but it was stuck. With a grunt, he slammed his body against it and the door
flew from the frame. James climbed from the car without so much as a single
aching muscle. For the first time, he was grateful for his affliction.
     
    James looked around; the pickup truck was gone, having
run the red light and continued on into the night after hitting them in the
intersection. There was no one else around. He spun around wildly, searching
for Nora. His heart sank when he picked out the form of her crumpled body lying
on the shoulder. He rushed to her.
     
    Nora was barely breathing, her pulse was weak, and the
way her beautiful body was twisted made James sick to his stomach. Her clothing
was soaked in blood, and he knew she didn't have much time.
     
    “Forgive me.” he whispered.
     
    James's body began to twist and elongate. His muscles
grew until they dominated his body, and thick golden fur moved in to coat them.
His hands thickened, his fingers growing claws as they lengthened. He could
smell the blood now, with senses keener than any human.
     
    A hulking brown bear stood over the still form of Nora
McMillan. Her chest barely moving with each shallow breath. The bear leaned in
and sunk his jaws into the flesh of her neck.
     
    ~
     
    Before she even opened her eyes, Nora was overwhelmed
by her senses. Scents filled her nose; clean sheets, fresh flowers,
antiseptics, rubber, and latex. She heard what sounded like a chorus of a
million birds, distant cars, and a dog barking in alarm. Then footsteps and a
new smell, familiar and reassuring.
     
    Nora opened her eyes as James entered the room. It
appeared to be a bedroom, sparsely decorated. What little furniture there was
appeared to be covered in gauze, syringes, and gleaming instruments. A monitor
sat on a cart beside her with lines moving in time with her steady heartbeat.
     
    Dr. Kent looked at her with concern, appraising her
condition. “I'm glad you're awake,” he said.
     
    Nora struggled to remember what had happened, but all
she could recall was the taste of him. The memory was so vivid; the warmth of
his pulsing flesh in her mouth, the salty taste of his seed coating her tongue.
The scent of him.
     
    Oh god, his scent , she thought as it
filled her nostrils. She had remembered him smelling pleasant on their date,
but nothing like this. She could detect his soap and cologne, which was
pleasant enough, but not the reason her heart now thumped in her chest. A
strange heat now burned within her, and he was the cause. She could smell his
sweet breath, the intriguing musk of his sweat, the faint traces of the oils on
his skin and hair. Even from across the room, she could smell it all, and it
was having an incredible affect on her. Nora's face flushed as she realized
that she was already dripping with desire.
     
    Dr. Kent crossed the room and stood beside her. The
scents grew stronger, threatening to overpower her. Confusion and panic fought
for a place in her mind, but the raw animal instincts maintained the upper
hand.
     
    “Nora,” he said. “I'm so sorry.”
     
    He gently took her hand in his own and the warmth of
his touch ignited a blaze within her. Nora's mind reeled as her body acted on
its own. Suddenly she felt as if her dimensions were all wrong; the bed creaked
beneath her as her body began to morph into something huge and powerful. Her
senses grew sharper yet as she felt her body twist and stretch, until she