Called by the Bear 4-6 (2 page)

C
arly

W
hile Sierra is emotionally wiped
, I know exercise will help, and I’m glad when she comes clomping down the stairs for training. Annie decided to join us, too, and I think she's curious about Taylor's abilities. My muscles pull as I stretch, and when I bend to reach for my toes, I notice the firmness of my pregnant belly.

Ian comes through the door. “Good morning, ladies. I hear we're about to get our butts kicked by the new girl.” His face is covered by a big grin, and a zipper grinds when he opens his bag. Taylor smiles back at him. I'm afraid I'm about to wipe his happiness away.

Lily begged off training at the last minute, saying she had an appointment. It's obvious to me she isn't into Ian at all if she scheduled something during a time she could be watching his finely tuned body. I'd better track her down later and assure her that we'll figure this out. Nobody is forcing her to stay, and I'm going to make it clear she's welcome to do what she thinks is best.

I say, “Lily had an appointment and couldn't make it today.”

Ian nods, and disappointment flickers across his face before he manages to hide it. But once his eyes land on Annie, his smile returns, and I watch in fascination.
Good God!
Ian's into Annie. When I look at her face, she's slightly flushed and has dropped her gaze. The faint scent of her arousal floats to my super-sensitive bear nose. My heart soars, because this is an awesome development. I talk to Sierra with my mind.
“Annie and Ian. I think there's something there.”

Sierra glances at them and then winks at me. She's not talking in her head these days, because she knows Victor is always listening. The less he knows about her, the safer she is.

Ian claps his hands and says, “Okay, Taylor, why don't you come over to the mat with me and show us what you've got.”

We spend the next two hours learning moves from Taylor, and I'm not the only one that's impressed. I sure hope she sleeps with Matt soon so we can get her on board with changing, because she would make an awesome warrior. I chuckle to myself when it hits me that I'm beginning to think like Donna.

When Ian leaves, I sidle up next to Annie. “Nice of you to join us today.” I add with a hint of sarcasm in my voice, “Nothing like a sweaty male to get your blood pumping, eh?” A towel abrades my skin as I wipe moisture off my face.

Annie closes her eyes as if she's trying to will her blushing to stop. Sierra can't help but poke a bit. “I think more than just her blood is pumping right now.”

Annie hits her arm. “Stop! He's not mine to have.”

I ask, “Oh, please. Lily doesn't seem to want him, so why not?”

She sighs and says, “Maybe, but Ian still wants her. What's a girl to do?”

Sierra swallows a mouthful of water. “I wouldn't be so sure about that. Ian spent an awful lot of time trying to catch you up to speed. Did he really need to move your body into all those positions, as if you couldn't just mimic us? I think not.” A towel snaps against Sierra's leg as she whips it down in emphasis.

Taylor is watching us and laughing. I wish she were changed, because Sierra's good mood makes me want to shift and run to the stream to fish. I decide we should anyway, and I talk in my head to both her and Annie.
“Annie, do you mind if I take Sierra for a woodland jaunt?”

She replies,
“Not at all. I think that's just what she needs. We love seeing you like this, Sierra.”

I'm excited to go, but before we do, I need food. “I’m famished, and I know there's leftover lasagna in the fridge. Anyone else hungry?”

After we get our fill of pasta, Sierra and I head out to the shed. Rain last week and a couple of days of sunshine have brought out the color, and Annie's gardens are a beautiful backdrop for the walk. Grass is moist under our feet as we strip to shift.

Sierra says, “I’m not sure what's distracting Victor today, but the last few hours with a quiet head have been wonderful.”

“Maybe he's having a root canal.”

Sierra snorts. “Or hernia surgery.”

I chuckle and add, “A colonoscopy?”

“No, a penile implant.”

Sierra's laughing so hard she's bent over, and tears stream down my cheeks. While our jokes aren't that funny, we need this, and when we finally recover, all it takes is to look at each other to start giggling again.

The bone-crunching sound of our shifting finally stops us, and I take off in a sprint. Sierra and I gallop side by side as we crash through the woods. Wind ripples over my fur, and power surges through my thighs as we move at speeds not humanly possible.

Up ahead is a cliff that drops to a deep river, and Sierra doesn't slow down as we approach. I watch her fly off, and I follow. It's not a long drop, and I hit water quickly. The sensation of swimming as a bear is amazing. Fur insulates my body from the chill, and the human sensation of having air sucked out of your lungs when hitting icy water doesn’t exist. My strokes are efficient and strong as my legs work together to propel me through the water to the rock island where I know Sierra waits.

It’s our favorite fishing spot; this is where we both like to come first. After we eat our fill of trout, we sunbathe on the rock, and the heat radiating into us from the stone makes us lazy. Unfortunately, Sierra doesn't want to talk for fear she'll get Victor's attention, so we soak up the rays in silence instead.

I'm almost asleep when a sharp sound snaps me to attention. Seconds later, another rings out, and the burning sensation in one of my thighs makes me roar as Sierra screams in my head.
“Holy fuck, someone's shooting at us. Dive!”

Finding the strength to move past pain, I snap into survival mode. I scramble off the rock into the water with Sierra. We swim under the surface, and I look beneath my body to see a stream of blood trailing behind me. Pain has caught up to my brain, and every kick of my leg is excruciating.

The need for oxygen forces me to come up for a quick breath only to hear more shots echo off the rock walls of the gorge. It sounds like multiple guns, and I know we're in serious trouble.

I remember to speak to the clan border patrol through our mental link.
“People are shooting at me and Sierra in Fishing Gorge. We're in the river and need help.”

Ducking below the surface, I speak to Sierra.
“We need cover.”

She replies,
“Follow me. I know where to go.”

There is a section of the river where rocks overhang the water, and I guess that's where she's headed. Exhaustion is setting in, and my need to rise above water to breathe comes more frequently. I'm getting weak and fear my pain is going to make me pass out.

I can’t die!
Brady’s face flashes in my mind, and I imagine my tiny babies in my belly. I must hang on. But I can’t will myself to stay conscious, and a wave of nausea confirms it as I see stars.
“Sierra. I can’t…”
My voice fades as a dark curtain falls.

L
ily

T
he way Carly's
mouth tightened when I told her I had an appointment this morning made me cringe. I'm not fooling her when it comes to Ian, and I think she'll be talking to me about it later. But I couldn't force myself to pretend at training this morning. I'm so much weaker than everyone else, and that prompts Ian to give me special attention—attention I don't want.

The truck windows are cracked open as I bounce down the road to town. Wind whistles in and blows strands of hair around my face. The idea of having no place to live and nowhere to go scares the crap out of me. Figuring that out should be my first priority, but ever since I met Victor, I can't stop thinking about him, and seeing him again is all I want to do. He's already replacing Ian in my dreams, and I can't resist my attraction to him.

The faint odor of fresh asphalt baking in the sun drifts in my window as I pull into the café parking lot. I told Annie I was going to investigate other restaurants and take some time to explore my new home. But the truth is, I'm going to see Victor, knowing he'll be at the Cat's Meow this morning. The moment I spot his car, my heart soars.

I finger comb my hair, and the strands flow through my fingers like silk. My thick, straight locks are silky soft and one of my best features. When I check under my eyes for mascara flakes, my tattoo suddenly itches, and I reach down the back of my jeans to scratch. When I do, the sensation is sexual, and my core twinges.

Whoa, that's odd.
I take a deep breath and step out of the truck. My plan is to look quickly for Victor before I ask for a table. If things go as I hope, he'll see me and invite me to sit with him. I’m usually shy in these situations and would be nervous about seeing him again, but not today. Last week when he left, his attraction to me was undeniable.

The moment I walk in the door, I make eye contact with him. Victor sat right in the line of vision from the front entrance, and I bet it was on purpose. His teeth sparkle in his smile as he comes to meet me halfway and takes both of my hands. He kisses them, and the heat that he transmits amazes me. I suspect we’re both going up in flames.

“You've caused me a lot of lost sleep this week. I can't stop dreaming about you.”

Wait. What?
“This is going to sound crazy, but I've been dreaming about you, too.”

His eyes twinkle, and his voice lowers enough that it sinks into my core. “I wonder, are the dreams anything like mine? Because you're quite delicious in them.”

The last few words are almost a growl, and my insides are trembling as they remember the wicked things his tongue did to me in my dreams.
Holy crap.
It's a good thing we're in public, because I'm not sure I could keep from jumping on him if we weren't.

I sputter, and he laughs in a way that I know is with me and not at me.

“Come, sit and have coffee with me.” Victor pulls out the chair for me and raises a finger at someone behind me. By the time he’s tucked me in, a waitress has come over.

I order a latte and a chocolate croissant, but I'm not sure how I'll eat anything, because what I want to taste isn't food. I notice Victor has a half-eaten version of what I just ordered, and I smile.

He sees my glance and says, “Apparently, we both have a thing for chocolate.”

My mind flashes to a vision of fudge sauce drizzled all over his body, and I feel a flush rise to my cheeks. Victor licks his lips slowly, and I just about drool. “It seems so.”

I'm insanely curious about him. “So what is it you do?”

“I run a paper mill.”

“Do you use the Bear Mountain Tree Farm's wood?”

He smiles and takes a moment to answer, which is fine by me because I'm focused on his chiseled face. “No, I have plenty of my own trees.”

“Oh. So you own the paper mill?” Great. I have two hundred dollars, two bags of stuff, and a crappy pickup truck, while this guy’s wealth probably rivals that of the Le Roux. My stomach clenches, because I'm afraid this is about sex for him. Growing up in a town where I was the poor girl, I know about guys like Victor.

“My family does, yes.”

“Nice.” Setting myself up to break the news that I won't be an easy lay, I slide back on the cushioned chair and let it hug my thighs. The waitress arrives with my food, and I lift the wide teacup-like mug to my mouth.

Victor must sense my coolness, because his eyes crinkle a bit, and he asks, “Is something wrong?”

“I just wonder why you're so attracted to me.” Hot liquid fills my mouth, and I let the creamy flavor make way for the bitterness before swallowing.

He leans his forearms on the table and moves his face closer. “Do you believe in love at first sight?”

A few months ago, my answer would have been no, but considering I ditched my life to move here, I'm not sure. “I… I don't know.”

I set my cup down, and Victor latches onto my hand. I gaze into his eyes, and he looks a bit like a little boy that desperately wants approval. His thumb rubs my skin, and I inhale deeply as my body hums with desire. “I sensed you were here before I saw you. The moment I did, you took my breath away. You've taken over my dreams and my thoughts. Nothing else seems to matter.”

Wow, this guy's good, because I almost believe him. “You're very charming. But I'm not interested in a hookup.” My chair scrapes on the floor as I push back to stand, and when I remove my hand reluctantly, I miss his touch the moment it’s gone.

Victor begins to stand as well. “No! Please don't leave. That's not what I'm after either.”

“Really? Because what else would a guy like you want with someone like me?”

Victor’s face falls, and his voice is stern when he says, “Did it ever occur to you that you're stereotyping? I'm not the asshole millionaire you seem to think I am.” He opens his palms to me and grins. “If I were, wouldn't I be on a yacht instead of living in the middle of nowhere, Maine?”

I can't help but smile back. “Okay, you've got me there.”

“Stay, finish your croissant, and just talk to me.” He sits and holds out his hand to me. “Please?”

I tuck my chair back in with a thump. “Okay.”

His fingers squeeze mine before he releases my hand so I can eat. “Let me tell you a little about my life, and then you can decide if I'm not your kind of guy.”

I break off a piece of croissant and answer before putting it in my mouth. “Go for it.”

“I get up at four a.m. to go into the mill by five to deal with orders coming and going. I like to be there to see the third shift leave and the day workers arrive. I take time off at midday and then return to work in the afternoon to be available for the night shift, too.”

“That doesn't sound very glamorous.”

He chortles before answering. “It's not.” Victor takes my hand again, and his gaze lands on the bit of chocolate smeared on my skin as if he wants to lick it. “On the weekends, I fish, swim, and hike through the woods. Sometimes, I like to take a picnic and a pretty girl with me.”

I did jump to conclusions and feel bad. When Victor wipes my finger with a linen napkin, it rubs at my skin, and I want to whimper with need as I imagine his mouth cleaning me instead. His eyes appear to be smoldering with the same thought when I lick my lips in frustration.

I say, “I’m sorry I judged you so quickly.”

I stay, and we spend the next two hours sharing pieces of our pasts. I didn't know it was possible to meet a man that wants to hang on my every word. I’ve never felt so cherished, and by the end of our time together, I think I've fallen in love.

We're standing by the company truck, and while I want him to kiss me, I'm not going to make the first move. I tilt my head and look up at him with an invitation instead. “Thank you. I had a really nice time getting to know you this morning.”

Victor grips my arms lightly. “I was planning a picnic this Saturday. It's a short hike, but one I think you'd enjoy. Would you like to come?”

Sun bounces off his hair, making the edges appear to be a soft brown instead of jet black. His boyish grin makes me want to tease him. “Do you always pack chocolate in the basket?”

“For you, definitely.”

A grin I can’t control covers my face, and I say, “Then yes, I think I would.”

He reaches into his back pocket and hands me his phone. “Let me have yours, and we can enter our contact information for each other.”

The plastic of his case is slippery in my hand, and I almost drop it. When I give it back, he lifts my chin with his hand and brushes his lips against mine lightly before he whispers, “I’ll be dreaming about you.”

My whole body tingles as I watch him walk toward the door his driver holds open.
Me, too.