Shared By The Alpha Bears - Complete Read Free

what?”
     
    “It’s like I rule over the other bears in my territory. Shifter or garden variety.”
     
    My eyebrows went up. “No shit?”
     
    “No shit.”
     
    “So what, you’re like a bear king or something?”
     
    He started to laugh. “That’s right, I’m the king of this cabin in the woods. No, I just kind of command authority. We’re not really social animals, but when we do meet, I tend to win arguments. That’s the best way I can describe it.”
     
    “So when that other bear backed off, it was because he didn’t want to challenge the boss?”
     
    “You could say that. Anyway, I’m not even the only alpha bear in the area. There’s another one named Max who lives a couple miles away.”
     
    “Really?” I said. “And here I thought the only ones around for miles were animals.”
     
    He shrugged. “Well, you weren’t wrong.”
     
    I laughed. “So what, is he your rival who you vie for control of the mountain with or something?”
     
    “Nah, he’s more like a neighbor I occasionally visit for beer and football. He’s cool. Not half as good a sight as you, though.”
     
    I smiled. “Hey,” I said, “Speaking of beer, you wouldn’t happen to have some around here, would you?”
     
    He cocked an eyebrow. “First iced tea and now beer?”
     
    “Call me spoiled.”

CHAPTER TWO
     
    So a beer followed and more conversation. With a little lubrication, I started smiling and laughing more than I already had ben. We got to talking about our childhoods; I told him about my youth growing up in the children’s shelter while he told me about his youth growing up with mama and papa bear. We talked about our former lovers: I talked about the boys I dated in college, from Tom the Pre Med who never had time for me, to Ethan the political science major who would make annoying victory sounds after sex and he talked about some “sweet” she-bear who used to hang around by the river down the way, who he had some good times with before they grew bored with each other and she wandered off to parts unknown.
     
    After a while, I happened to look out the window and realized it was already dark.
     
    “Wow, look at that!” I said. “We’ve been here all day!”
     
    “Hey, you’re right!” he said. “How did that happen?”
     
    “I think it happened when the sun went down,” I snarked.
     
    He poked me in the ribs. “You’re too cute for your own good, smart butt,” he said.
    “Do you need to get back to the world tonight?”
     
    “I was going to camp out in my SUV tonight and head back tomorrow.”
     
    “In the middle of the woods, by yourself?”
     
    “Better that than having to be around people for another day.”
     
    He studied me for a moment. “Well I’m not going to let you spend the night in a lonely SUV in the middle of nowhere. I’ve got a guest bed, why don’t you spend the night here?”
     
    The corner of my mouth turned up into a smirk. He sounded like he had some ideas in his head. And I was intrigued. “Okay.”
     
    “I’ve got some steaks in the fridge I was going to throw on the grill. Might be nice to have someone to share them with.”
     
    “Yum yum,” I said.
     
    “How’s your leg?”
     
    Hell, I had nearly forgotten about my leg. Looking down, I saw that the bruise was still visible, but it didn’t hurt the way it had before. Cautiously I raised my leg, and slid it down off the couch, pressing my foot to the floor. I tried to stand up slowly, pleased to find that I was able to support myself on it. “I think it’s okay.”
     
    “There’s a weight off my chest,” he smirked.
     
    He went to put on an apron—the first and only thing I had yet seen him wear—and got started cooking. I spent most of the time watching that meaty, well-toned ass. I started becoming very conscious of the fact that I was still wearing my hiking clothes while he was naked. My smirk widened as a thought came to me. “You know,” I said, “call me crazy,