Rose's Bear: A BBW Werebear Shifter Romance Read Free Page A

breath.
    Wouldn't I?
    "No, you wouldn't."
    He looked at her a little bit longer, watching Rose struggle in his grip. Then he let her go. Khole went back on all fours and turned to the forest again. He walked without looking back and disappeared into the darkness.
    Rose's lip trembled as tears clouded her vision. She buried her face in her hands and tried to stop herself from sobbing. That wasn't what he was supposed to do, was it?
    Then she heard him.
    Fine. I will come back. But only until my wound is healed.
    Rose laughed, wiping away her tears. Stupid bear, making her cry!
    She spent most of today waiting, hoping that Khole was telling the truth. Every little noise she heard in the forest seemed like it could have been him. Every large shadow took on the shape of a bear.
    Finally, just before dinner, Khole appeared. Just like before, Rose tended his wound. He slept in the same spot in front of the fireplace. And just like before Rose had strange dreams that woke her covered in sweat and with a wild desire burning between her legs.
    After a week, the wound healed. There was only a small scar where the knife had been. Rose was worried that this would be the end, she had no more excuses for the bear to stay. But still, he arrived that night as if it were the most natural thing. Rose greeted him with a large hug, burying her face deep into Khole's dark fur.
    Soon, Khole became part of the family. He blended into their lives as if he had always been there, and things had always come out of the forest. Every day, Rose explored a little bit more of the area beyond her glen. And every day she returned safe. What was there to worry about?
    But sometimes, Rose did have a strange feeling about her new life. Once, before leaving for the day, Khole gave her a long look. He walked up close and rubbed his large face against the side of her cheek. She was scared at first, but then she dug her fingers into his fur and pressed herself against him. There was something familiar there. Was it his touch? His scent. Before Rose could figure it out, Khole was gone.
    Another time Khole was laying by the fireplace. A spark flew up and landed on him. Khole didn't notice, but Rose was sure she had seen something before the small ember burnt out. But that couldn't be right. Why would there be gold glinting from beneath Khole's skin?
    But there were a million other questions. Rose's mother said that bears didn't speak. So why could Rose hear Khole's voice in her mind? And why did his shadow sometimes flicker in the moonlight, changing into something that didn't look quite like a bear at all?Rose tried to put these thoughts in the back of her mind.
    She had the forest. She had Khole. What was there to worry about?
    One day, Rose was exploring the forest when she heard a strange noise. A tree branch fell in front of her. She just barely avoided being crushed by the bulk of it.
    "Nice to see you again."
    The next time Rose looked, the little man was standing on top of the fallen branch.
    "Don't look so surprised," he said. He smiled, bearing those stained sharp teeth. "I know you missed me."
    Rose turned to run, but the dwarf appeared in front of her. He wagged his finger and shook his head.
    "I'm not letting go so easily, dearie. I have something to tell you," he said.
    The dwarf disappeared again and appeared so close to Rose that he could whisper in her ear. His breath was foul. The dwarf dragged his fingers over the skin of Rose's neck as he spoke, and she shivered at his touch.
    "Your bear and I, we go way back," he said. "There's something about your bear that you don't know."
    The dwarf opened his mouth and slid his tongue along Rose's ear. It left behind a trail of cold saliva.
    "He's not quite what he seems," he said.
    "What do you m…"
    Before Rose could even finish speaking, the little man was gone. She was alone again, and there wasn't a sound to be heard. Rose crouched down and held her knees to her chest. Her stomach churned.
    It took a