Get Your Shift Together - Ruby Dixon

GET YOUR SHIFT TOGETHER

RUBY DIXON

CONTENTS

GET YOUR SHIFT TOGETHER Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 AUTHOR’S NOTE DOES A BEAR SHIFT IN THE WOODS GET YOUR SHIFT TOGETHER SHIFT OUT OF LUCK SHIFT JUST GOT REAL ICE PLANET BARBARIANS (Georgie’s Story) BARBARIAN ALIEN (Liz’s Story) BARBARIAN LOVER (Kira’s Story) RIDING RED by ALEXA RILEY BEAUTY SLEEPS by ALEXA RILEY WANT MORE? Also by Ruby Dixon

GET YOUR SHIFT TOGETHER I’ve been looking for a mate in all the wrong places. When the right one shows up in Pine Falls with a man in tow, I almost miss her. Caroline Abbott is a sweetheart of a city girl who is making one last stab at keeping her (dead) relationship together. When her fool of an ex takes off and leaves her alone in the forest, I’m more than happy to step into his abandoned shoes.

While I can make her shout with pleasure, I worry those screams will turn to fear when she realizes that my hidden half is a bear.

I can’t keep the secret much longer, but telling her might scare her off for good.

1 LEO

“Dude, come over here and solve a debate between my girl and me.” The shaggy-haired blond waves me over as if I’m his fucking servant. I drag my feet because the last thing I want to do is get in the middle of whatever he and his girlfriend have got going on. He’s been an asshole since the minute they stepped foot inside the Trading Store. Ordinarily on a beautiful fall day like this one, I’d be hiking in the Superior National Forest or fishing on the Boundary Waters, but instead I’m manning my friend Cole Braxton’s supply store while he is off on some camping trip with his new girlfriend. I have serious doubts they are doing jack-all but fucking like bunnies. The two of them have been making cow eyes at each other for three years, and they just recently acted on their not-so-secret lusts. I bet that they’re going to come back and she’ll be thick with his cubs. In fact, I have put money on that down at the Lodge. All the bear shifters got together last weekend, drank honey ale, ate some fucking amazing cookies the Lodge chef baked up, and then put down when we thought Cole and Adelaide would be popping out cubs. Eli, our de facto leader, was sure the seed was planted on the couple’s first night, but I like to think that Adelaide fought it off until this weekend. “What’s the dilemma?” I flash a quick smile at the surfer’s lady love. She’s a fine piece—full of curves, pretty brown hair, and doe-soft eyes. Everything I like in a woman and then some. But she’s taken, and I don’t poach. I can still look though. I give her a wink and her eyes flutter downward, too shy to flirt back. That’s good, though, because she’s with a man, I tell myself, even as I feel a tinge of disappointment. “We’re fishing today and tomorrow, and I plan to catch the biggest-ass fish in the ocean.” “They’re lakes,” she says quietly. “What’d you say, Caro?” He looks as if he’s smelled something stinky. Her eyes stay down, and her mouth stays clamped shut. Whatever she said before wasn’t meant for his ears. “The Boundary Waters are all freshwater lakes and streams,” I answer for her. “There are no oceans up here.” “Whatever. Tomato, tomato. Right? Water is water.” The little brunette sighs at the dude’s mischaracterization. “I think it’s ‘tomato tomahto’, but you’re not going to find fish up here that you’d find in the ocean, so it’s actually real different.” The dude scowls. “Look. I just want to get kitted out. I don’t need a stupid geography lesson.” “Yeah, okay. What do you need?” “Everything.” The girl finally speaks up loud enough for us all to hear. “We don’t have anything. Just a

tent and a couple of sleeping bags.” “You fish before?” I ask. She shakes her head. “No. Never.” “I’ve done plenty,” her man boasts. “But Caroline here hasn’t. I’ve been telling her that we need live bait. You got any of that around here?” “You’re in luck.” I direct my comments to her. I have no interest in helping this blowhard do anything, not even take a shit in the woods. “Fall is the best time to catch pike, and they’re probably the most aggressive fish we’ve got out here.” Nothing like standing in a stream and catching those suckers with your paws, and then eating the tasty suckers then and there. Although, I admit to having developed a taste for cedar-smoked pike and walleye. Not all cooked fish is bad. “You can use spinners instead of leeches, grubs, or nightcrawlers, but if you want to use the live bait, that’s down at the supermarket. Fred’s got some good stuff in a place behind the grocery store.” I gather up two poles, a jig, some spinners and fishing line, and then throw in a couple of life jackets. “This here will do you good.” “We don’t need these life jackets. We’re just going to be in a canoe.” The dude looks disdainfully at the flotation devices. “Bill, I think I’d feel safer with a life jacket,” Caro objects, when the dude starts to pull the life jackets off the pile and return them to the wall. I place a big palm on top of the yellow safety devices. “Rule in this shop is you can’t rent the fishing equipment without life jackets.” “That’s fucking bullshit,” Bill sneers. “It’s a way for you to ratchet up the bill. I don’t need any fucking life jackets.” “Bill.” Caro tugs on his arm. “Let’s just get the jackets. You don’t have to wear one.” “Goddammit, Caro! It’s the principle of the thing. I’m not going to be taken for a ride by this jack wagon.” He stomps out. Caro winces as the front door slams shut. “I’m so sorry about this.” She pulls out a wallet. “What’s the total?” “You sure you want this?” I tip my head toward the door. Hopefully she understands that I’m talking about more than the life jackets. “There’s a spa across the street.” She gives me a rueful smile. “I’m pretty sure I don’t, but I don’t think it would be fair to bail now. I’m the one who convinced him to come up here in the first place. We’ve been having problems for a long time, but I have a friend whose marriage was in trouble, and she came up here and said that the time away from the city made them realize how much they loved each other. So I booked this trip thinking we’d reconnect, but all it’s done is show me that I’ve been hanging on to something that was broken far too long.” She sighs. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this. I suppose because I don’t want you to think badly of me for going on a vacation with him.” Caro jerks a thumb over her shoulder. I don’t feel so bad about winking at her now. “One good thing about the North woods is that it clears your head. Come back after you’ve dumped him, and I’ll show you some good fishing spots.” Caro presses her very kissable lips together. “I’d like that.” “Do you need another tent?” I point to the rolled-up sacks of nylon behind the counter. The idea of her sleeping even one night in the same enclosed space as Bill raises all the hairs on the back of my neck. I

don’t like that idea one bit. She glances out the front windows where Bill is talking with great animation on the phone. “Yeah, that sounds like a great idea.” “If you need anything, holler. There are plenty of folks in the woods who will help you out.” “Really? I thought the campsites were fairly isolated.” “Nah. There are always hikers, fishers, stuff like that.” I shoulder the poles and tent, and gesture for her to take the tackle and other gear. “You’ll be safe no matter what.” She nods. “I appreciate that.” I’ll be nearby if you need me, is what I’d like to say, but she doesn’t need to know that.

Caro and her asshole boyfriend, Bill, drive off, and I help suit up several other campers before closing the doors at around eight. My stomach growls, telling me I haven’t fed myself in at least three hours. The mac and cheese I nuked in the storeroom microwave for a mid-afternoon snack hadn’t been enough to satisfy a bird. I want to fill my belly before I go out into the woods and look for Caro. The tavern serves decent mashed potatoes, gravy, and roast beef, and if I ask nicely, I bet there’ll be a piece of blackberry pie for me too. There aren’t too many people when I pull open the heavy wooden door to the restaurant/bar. I spot Sheriff Gant sitting in a booth by himself, and a couple of other locals. We exchange nods, and I order the special. As I’m waiting, the door opens and in walks Bill, the asshole. I turn completely in my seat, and watch him stomp up to the bar. “Vodka. Top shelf.” He slaps his hand on the bar top like he’s been waiting ten hours to be served. Everyone in the establishment swivels to watch the show because although Sandy looks like a fragile girl, she’s tough as they come. She’ll eat him up and spit him out. “It’ll be a minute.” “Is this a bar? I need a motherfucking drink. If you’re too lazy to serve me, then why don’t you get the owner out here so I can talk to him?” There’s a collective whoosh as we all suck in our breath. No one talks to Sandy like that, and not just because she’s a honey badger shifter and doesn’t take shit, but because her mate is the meanest, orneriest grizzly shifter around. And the fact he likes to hide in the kitchen all day doesn’t mean he doesn’t know exactly everything that goes on in his place. I slide an amused gaze toward Sheriff Gant who leans back in his chair and puts his feet up so he can relax while watching this show. With one hand on her hip and the other pointing toward the door, Sandy says, “If you think for a minute I’m going to allow you to drink my liquor after you’ve mouthed off like that to me, you’ve got another think coming. Now get out.” “I’m not going anywhere, little girl. I’m here to drink, so serve me.” He turns his back on Sandy, and spots me. “Goddamned woman.” “You seem to be having a bad day,” I goad, wondering what other fool things this guy can do. I’m pretty happy because I’m guessing his bad mood means Caro has dumped his ass. “Women. All they’re good for is fucking, and even then, if they have to open their mouths, they pretty

much ruin everything. The bitch I came with decided she didn’t want to fish because I wouldn’t wear a goddamned life preserver. Well, I showed her. I left her ass back at the campsite with a life preserver. See how much she loves it after a night out in the woods with nothing but that cheap-ass foam thing.” He cackles and slaps the bar stool next to him. I’m on my feet and halfway to the bar before I know it. Sheriff Gant pulls me aside before I can get my two hands around Bill’s skinny neck. “I got this,” Gant says. “You go get the girl.” I wasn’t lying when I said that there are a shit ton of folks in the forest, but they aren’t all entirely safe for a tasty morsel like Caro, particularly if she’s alone. I hie out of the tavern, and have shifted into my brown bear form before the door hits me on the ass. Behind me, I hear the squawking of Bill, proclaiming that Sheriff Gant can’t arrest him for doing nothing. It’s our town. Sheriff Gant can’t arrest him for being an asshole, but abandoning someone in the woods? That’s some kind of felony, for sure.

2 CAROLINE

Next time I think about forgiving someone, I’ll listen to my gut. When Bill said he’d changed, my gut said, “No, he hasn’t.” When Bill said he loved me still and wanted to give us another shot, my gut said, “Bad idea. Run for the hills.” When Bill said he’d stopped partying so much and was holding down a real job, my gut said, “Yeah, right.” Stupid gut, always being right. I sigh to myself as I unroll the packaging for one of the new tents. Out flops a large tarp, some rustling material, a netty-looking thing that goes over the top, some poles, and an instruction booklet. I pick it up and stare at the pictures, but my mind keeps turning back to Bill. I’m such a dummy. I know Bill is no good. In my heart, I know the type of person that Bill is won’t ever change. Bill’s a blowhard, and while it was fun at the beginning to date a guy who was so alpha and macho, it got old fast. I guess that’s why we’ve broken up seven times in the past three years. Actually, I think we’ve been off more than we’ve been on. And every time he apologizes, I take him back like an idiot. He says he’s changed, and I’m an optimist and I hope for the best, and so I give him another chance. Actually, that’s not true. I’m not as much an optimist as I am lonely. I don’t have a lot of people in my life. I grew up a foster kid, bounced around between a lot of homes. I went off to college on the state’s dime, and met my best friend…who married a guy and moved halfway across the country. And then I met Bill. I guess that’s why I’m clinging to him. I don’t have a lot of friends. Bill moved to Indiana for his job, and I followed him, and then we immediately broke up again. I didn’t want to lose the money on my lease, so I stayed. I don’t know anyone in Indiana, and I work from home doing medical transcriptions. I don’t have any pets because Bill’s allergic and the apartment doesn’t allow them. I don’t have anyone looking out for me. It sucks, and it’s lonely. Sometimes I feel so desperate for human conversation I go to the grocery store and strike up conversations with the senior citizens in the produce aisle. I guess that’s why I agreed when Bill contacted me on Facebook a few days ago and said he missed me and wanted to try things again. I suggested the tiny resort town of Pine Falls in Minnesota, thanks to my college BFF’s suggestion. The pictures were beautiful—clear lakes filled with fish; thick, green forests filled with deer; and running streams with fat bears wandering through them. It looked like a fun vacation, and so I suggested it to Bill. He agreed, and we made plans. Of course, those plans went awry the moment we reunited in the airport. He kissed me in greeting, his mouth sloppy and his breath reeking of whiskey despite the early hour. Alarm bells went off in my head, but I ignored them. I wanted this vacation. No, I needed it. It’d been so long since I’d done anything fun and adventurous. So I squashed my misgivings, and we rented a car.

Bill’s card was declined when he tried to rent the car. “This vacation together tapped out my savings,” he’d admitted to me. I’d immediately felt guilty. “Why didn’t you say something?” “Because a man has pride, Caro,” he snapped, going immediately from remorse to anger. “And you whined about this damn trip so much that I felt like I’d lose you if I said no.” He glared at me, then stormed out of the rental office. I meekly paid for the rental car because I felt like a bit of a jerk. I had pushed for a getaway. Maybe I was looking forward to a vacation more than spending time with Bill, and I’d forced him to come along with me. So I paid and said nothing about it. Bill apologized five minutes later, and we drove on to Pine Falls. I fell in love with the place right away. It was just like the brochures, and utterly charming. Wooden cabins were nestled among trees, deer frolicked at the edge of town, and there were wildflowers amid the greenery. It was so adorable. I loved everything. Bill, of course, hated everything. There was no Starbucks in town. The gas was expensive. The local shops were trying to rip us off. I think about the locals as I study the instructions for the tent. Well, I think about one local in particular—the really hot guy in the sporting goods store. The one who had raked me up and down with his gaze and then given me a smile that promised all kinds of dirty things. I’d blushed and looked away, but that flirty glimpse was seared into my brain. Bill had noticed it too. After I’d paid for our camping gear, he’d bitched about it all the way up the path, accusing me of flirting right in front of him and disrespecting him. I watched him swig out of a small flask when he thought I wasn’t looking, and I realized I’d had enough. So when we found our camping spot? I picked a fight. Bill mentioned fishing, and I insisted on the life jacket. He blew up, and five minutes later, I’d been abandoned to fend for myself in the wild. I inhale a deep breath of woodland air. Instead of being panicked, I felt…relaxed. Happy. Coming here with Bill was a mistake. I didn’t realize how stressed he made me until he’d left and I felt free. I was glad for the tents, and glad that I was now alone. I’d stay up here a few days, enjoy the rest of my vacation, and try not to think about Bill again. It’d be a bit lonely, but I was used to that sort of thing. I turn the instructions and study them. If I’m staying here, I need a tent and a fire. I’ve watched a lot of survival shows, so making a fire with a fire starter can’t be that hard, right? I’m sure I can figure it out, and the guy at the store told me everything he sold me was high-quality stuff. A hot flush heats my cheeks as I think about the man again. I don’t often get checked out by other guys. I’m a little mousey, a lot quiet, and a little heavy. Bill’s always telling me I need to lose some weight, or asking me if I really need to eat all that food. Something tells me that the guy back in town wouldn’t say something like that to me. The way he looked me over made me feel like he appreciated the way I look. I need a guy like him, I decide. Maybe if I see him again, I’ll shore up my courage and ask him out. Oh, who am I kidding? I’ve never asked out a man in my life. And I showed up with Bill. He’s going to think I’m an idiot with terrible taste in men…and he wouldn’t be wrong about the latter part. I unfurl one of the tent rods, and peer at the directions. Looks simple enough. Twenty minutes later, I have all the pieces of the tent spread out on the grass, and I snake the poles through the built-in loops of the dome tent. I manage to get the thing popped up and staked into the ground

before I realize that I have the entire thing put together wrong. The door of the tent is on the bottom, for starters. I put my hands on my hips and drum my fingers, thinking. As I do, I hear a rustling in the bushes. I turn, half-afraid of what’s going to come out. A bear, maybe? Or Bill, raring for a fight? A few moments later, a tall, familiar form emerges from the brush. It’s the ridiculously hot guy from the sporting goods store. Oh, jeez. My face heats up automatically. It’s like he heard my thoughts from up here. “Knock knock,” he says, pretending to knock on a nearby tree. He’s smiling at me, and God, he looks good. The tight shirt he’s wearing emphasizes the broadness of his shoulders, and I can practically see every muscle outlined under that thin cotton. The jeans he’s wearing are tight fitting and seem a bit awkward, but he wears them like a pro. I think the man could dress in burlap and still be sex walking. I bite my lip and resist the urge to fan my heated face. I try to think of something fun and flirty to say. Remember when you said you’d hit on that, Caro, if you ever saw him again? Fate heard you. Time to act. Unfortunately, what comes out is, “What are you doing here?” His brows go down and for a moment he looks angry. “Your boyfriend showed up in town without you. I was worried he’d left you behind.” Oh. “He did.” I carefully fold the tent instructions to give my hands something to do, and hope he doesn’t notice that I’ve put the thing together all wrong. “I…might have picked a fight with him to make him go away.” The slow smile spreads over his face again. “Did you now?” My entire body feels flushed with heat. “This was supposed to, um, be a reunion tour of sorts. Except it felt like a mistake right away.” I cross my arms over my chest, and prod a rock with my toe. Gosh, it’s hard to make eye contact when he’s so gorgeous and smiling at me. “I do appreciate you coming to look for me though. That was…sweet.” “Can’t let someone as pretty as you get eaten by bears,” he teases. Oh, God, flirting. I’m so terrible at flirting. I should laugh, right? Okay. Laugh, Caro! He’s making a joke! Laugh! A braying laugh escapes me, and I’m horrified at the sound. I clap a hand over my mouth and stare at him. He clears his throat and thumbs a gesture back to the woods. “You want an escort back to town?” “Nope,” I say brightly, and tuck a lock of hair behind my ear. I whip out the instructions again. “I’m setting up my camp. I wanted a nice weekend away from things, and it just got a lot nicer now that Bill left.” He laughs. “You want some help with that? You’ll need a fire, and it’ll be getting dark soon. I could get you some wood. Or…” he gestures at my sad tent, “fix that.” My cheeks heat. “That would be lovely, thank you. How much do I owe you?” “No charge. Just being friendly.” He moves toward my tent and immediately begins to slide the poles out of the incorrect holes that I jammed them through. “I’m Leo.” “Hi, Leo,” I breathe. “I’m Caro, um, Caroline, really, but my friends call me Caro.” “Yup.” He looks back at me. “I remember.”

He remembered my name? A girlish flutter of excitement curls in my belly.

3 LEO

I pull up the stakes and spread the tent liner on the ground. “Oh, is that what that sheet of plastic was for? I thought maybe it was like a carpet.” “Nope. Ground gets wet during the night and morning, so a liner helps keep you warm.” “The instructions aren’t very helpful,” she notes, nibbling on the side of her mouth. Her beautiful, succulent, pouty mouth, which I’d like to have pressed against me in a hundred different ways. In her late afternoon, post-tent struggle camping gear, Caroline should look worn out. But instead, happiness glows on her face, and even the light sweat she worked up in putting the tent together makes her look good enough to eat. Granted, she put the tent together wrong and didn’t have the first clue on how to build a fire, but it was the effort that counted. “We get that a lot back at the store,” I reassure her. “Are you just saying that to make me feel better?” I shake my head. “We actually have lessons in the back for the newer campers so that the first time they are putting it together isn’t out here at the site with no one around them.” When her sunny face starts to cloud over, I tell her, “I’d have offered it to you but I figured you were in a hurry to get on the road.” She fiddles with the pile of logs and sticks that I’m guessing is the start of her campfire. “You’re right. Bill wouldn’t have wanted to wait.” “What brings you to Pine Falls?” I ask, because it obviously isn’t the camping experience. By the looks of the tent, it doesn’t appear she’s ever seen one before. I give her credit for figuring out how to loop the poles in though, even if she did it wrong. I pull down the tent as she talks. “My friend Susan told me about it. Her pictures made the entire place look amazing and, well, she said it saved her marriage. And I thought…I thought it’d help repair my relationship with Bill. We’ve never had a good one, and I guess I should have let him go, but I’m getting older and I wanted a family.” She looks down again. “That’s not a very modern thing for me to say, is it?” “Nothing wrong with wanting a family. I’d like one.” It takes only a few swift motions to get the tent put back together. I set it on the tarp and start staking it. “Is that right? Bill said that—” “How about we just forget about Bill for now?” I interrupt. I want to move on from Bill. If she’s still hung up on him, that would suck. “Good idea. So you run the rental shop? The one where I got all the stuff?” Without asking, she goes to the opposite corner and pulls a corner of the tent tight while I pound the stake in. “Nah, just watching it for a friend of mine. He's off with a girlfriend probably making babies. So what kind of family do you want? A big one, little one?” “Oh, I want a big one. I want four or five kids. I want a big house full of noise and mess and hugs and kisses.”

And she wanted all that with Bill? He came off so selfish that I’d be surprised if he was able to keep a goldfish alive. I pound the last stake in and pull out my lighter. Time to get the fire going. “What about you? What kind of family do you want?” she asks, following me from the tent to the little pit in the ground. I crouch down and start taking out the bigger logs. “A big one, like you.” “Yeah?” She smiles at me. “Yeah.” I grin back. “I like everything about kids, particularly the making of them.” She blushes, and I beat back my desire to take her to the hard ground right now. I’m here to help her, not fuck her. I show her what kind of firewood we need, and she searches for it while I toss the sleeping bags on the ground. I don’t find any air mattresses or pads. It’s going to be a tough night if I have to sleep in human form. My bear body is better suited to sleeping out in the forest, but my human clay enjoys soft things like feather beds and clean sheets. The thought of my big bed back in my cabin has me conjuring up other images. Like Caroline spread out on the white sheets, her brown hair all mussed up from my hands, and her skin dewy with sweat. I have no doubt she’d taste salty and sweet at the same time—my favorite combination of flavors. The fire is raging by the time she returns with a couple of good birch logs. I readjust my dick as covertly as possible before I scare her away. The last thing she needs now is some strange bear dogging her every step. I’m here to make sure she has a good time and doesn’t get roughed up by the forest. Lots of ladies like to flirt and not take it anywhere, I remind myself. And there’s no harm in that at all. A pretty lady, some mutual exchange of admiration, a warm fire, and a honey beer? That’s a good night in any bear’s book. “I brought some brats and beer if you’re interested,” I tell her when she takes a seat on the log next to mine. “Sure. That sounds better than the meal I had planned.” She rummages in a knapsack and pulls out two smushed sandwiches, which smell like peanut butter and jelly. Yum. “I’ll take those as an appetizer. They smell great.” “Really? I thought I was the only one over thirty who liked peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Bill hates them. I don’t know why I made them for this trip.” She looks at the plastic-wrapped sandwich with confusion. Because you were already planning on breaking up with the asshole, I think. I pull out two sticks and jab the brats on the end of each one, and then set them in the little holders I’ve made so we don’t burn our faces off trying to cook the meat. “Nah. PBJ is the good shit. I like ’em even better with honey instead of jam. Although your raspberry jam smells good.” “How do you know it’s raspberry?” She hands over one. “Good snout.” I tap the side of my nose. “Really good.” She lifts the package to her own nose and sniffs delicately. And good hearing. About a mile off, I hear crashing in the forest. Some stupid bear is getting too close to my campsite. The hair on the back of my neck rises up in indignation. Hopefully, he’ll smell my tracks and veer off in another direction without a word from me. I turn my attention back to Caroline. “What do you do for a living in the city?” “I’m a medical transcriptionist. I’m not with a big agency or anything. I work for myself, and most of my jobs are delivered online. The Internet makes it so easy for us these days. I have clients all over the

country. It’s really slick.” “Sounds like you could work anywhere if you wanted to.” “Definitely. Someday I’d like to live in a cabin in the woods in a place like this. It’s so beautiful.” She stretches her arms, and I can’t help but watch her move. She’s as beautiful as the birds gliding over the clear blue waters, and my breath catches in my throat. I start to lean forward toward her to tell her how gorgeous she is, and that sleeping in the same tent tonight and not being able to touch her is going to kill me. I’d do it, but it’ll be painful torture. The words die on my tongue when the bear lumbering in the woods decides to join us. I don’t even bother to turn around. I know this bear by scent. It’s Malcolm Standard, a loner who sells wood sculptures to fancy galleries out west. He was featured in some national art magazine after one of the editors found a piece of his work at the Trading Store several years back. Apparently, his pieces sell for a fortune, but he lives like a hermit. “Leo Prufuchs, mind if I join your fire?” Yeah, actually, I mind a hell of a lot. Caro starts in surprise. “Is someone there?” Fuck. I push to my feet and confront Mal. “What are you doing out of your den?” “Smelled something good,” he grunts. When he comes close enough to be illuminated by the firelight, I see that he’s wearing clothes from one of the caches we bears hide in the woods. We all take turns resupplying them for just this purpose—running around in bear form and coming upon humans. But as I look closely, it appears he’s wearing…fuck, those are my clothes that he’s wearing, and that’s my woman he’s taking a seat next to. Wait. My woman? I sniff the air again, and the scent of strange male testosterone is invading the perfect harmony we were just enjoying. My heart starts thudding, and the urge to break out my claws itches the back of my hands. A low growl rumbles in my throat. “There’s nothing for you here,” I snarl at Mal. Across the fire pit, he smirks at me and extends his long legs so that they’re lying way too close to Caro’s. “Um, it’s okay. I have some more food in the…” Caro’s voice trails off when I stalk forward and kick that asshole’s boot away from the fire. “I repeat. There’s nothing for you here.” The animalistic desire to defend my territory is overwhelming everything else. I can hardly believe what is happening to me. I’m the original good-time guy. Ladies all over the Boundary Waters know that if they need a companion, I’m a phone call away, but here I am, ready to rip a friend limb from limb for having the audacity to sit within five feet of my mate. If Malcolm doesn’t move his ass, Caroline is going to get an eyeful of fur and fighting. “So you found her? You lucky bastard.” Malcolm sighs and gets to his feet. “I didn’t smell the mate bond so I figured it was just another tourist.” “Mate bond? What’s going on?” Caro interjects, but both Malcolm and I ignore her. I can’t take my eyes off another predator when my mate is near, particularly because Malcolm is right. There’s no bond between us yet. Her scent is completely undiluted by mine. A true mate would be smothered in my seed and my scent. “We just met,” I answer stiffly.

“Like I said, you’re a lucky bastard.” He shoves his hands into his borrowed jeans, and with a nod toward Caroline, starts walking down the same dark path he came from. His dejected look has me trailing after him. “I didn’t know you wanted a mate.” “Always have. Just because I live alone doesn’t mean that’s how I want it for the rest of my life.” He stops and turns back to the fire where Caro stands, hands on hips, looking confused. “You going to miss your bachelorhood?” I look at him like he’s nuts. “Are you kidding? I’ve been looking for her my whole life—that’s why I’ve been mucking around all over the place.” “And she just falls into your lap? Shit, Leo, everything comes easy for you.” “Easy?” I object. “I’ve spent years in all the wrong beds. I’m sorry that I didn’t wait until she came around. I kept thinking, maybe this girl will be the one, but she never was. Fuck, I didn’t even realize Caro was the one until you showed up. I almost fucked it up.” He gives me an impatient glare. “You only get one mate. Don’t screw up.” With those not-very-comforting words, he disappears. I walk back to the fire where Caro has gone from confused to a mite angry. She probably wants an explanation, and I’m not sure what to say that won’t have her running into the woods. Oh, by the way, I’m a shapeshifting bear and you’re my mate. Hope you don’t mind.

4 CAROLINE

“So…who was that?” I frown at Leo as he returns to the fire, without our new visitor. This is all so strange. I went from camping in a remote spot with my ex Bill, to no Bill and two hot guys dropping by my campsite. I’m starting to feel like the locals are messing with me, and the fact that both men are wearing clothes that don’t seem to fit them properly isn’t helping. But Leo’s gorgeous, and his smile is friendly as he returns to sit across from me at the campfire. He flops down on the grass and crosses his legs like he camps with strangers every day, and begins to spit the brats on one of the sticks we’ve prepared. “That’s just Mal.” “Did he want to stay for dinner?” “Nope. He just wanted to make sure you were okay.” I soften a bit at that. This town seems to be full of friendly people. “That was nice of him. You sure he had to go? I thought he said something about a mate.” “Date,” Leo corrects quickly, and hands me a spitted sausage to turn over the flames. “He said he had a date tonight.” “I’m pretty sure I heard ‘mate’—” “Date,” Leo affirms. “You have mustard?” My brows draw together. Is he trying to change the subject? “I don’t think so.” He grunts and twirls his brat in the flames, crisping the exterior. “Guess I’ll have to bring some next time.” Next time? This is all feeling very strange to me. I brush a lock of hair back from my face and scoot closer to the fire, since it’s getting later and the biting bugs are coming out. “Look, Leo, I really appreciate you coming up here to help me, but I’m fine now. I think I can handle things if you’re ready to go home. I’m sure this is annoying for you to have to spend your day fixing up my campsite for me.” He snorts and turns his stick with a twist of his wrist. “Not bored in the slightest. I like the company.” “You…do?” “Yeah.” I try to remember what-all we’ve talked about. Families, future children, and tents. Those aren’t exactly hot conversations for sexy single men. Actually, the ‘future children’ conversation should have made him run for the hills like his buddy Mal. “Really?” “Why is that so hard to believe?” He grins at me, and I immediately feel all flushed and bothered. It’s just strange to think of this gorgeous man enjoying hanging out with me. “Because we don’t know each other all that well.” “That’s an easy fix.” He moves over to my side of the fire and takes my stick from my hand. “Here, let me do that. You’re holding it too far out of the fire to cook it.”

“Oh. Sorry.” I’m not really paying attention to my dinner at all. I’m paying more attention to Leo. There’s something about the way he moves—all easy grace despite his big form. It’s fascinating. If Bill moved his body like that…well, I wouldn’t have had to fake orgasms. Then I blush for even thinking about that. “Don’t apologize. I’m just an expert at campout food.” He smiles at me, and I feel my entire body tingle with awareness at how close he’s sitting. Then I realize what he’s saying, and my enthusiasm deflates a bit. “Do you come and rescue lots of ladies, then?” “Nope. Just you.” Somehow that makes me feel worse instead of better. “Because I’m the only idiot to get stuck in the woods alone?” “Or could be that you’re the only one I bothered to come after.” A warm flush suffuses me, and I feel shy and embarrassed, and okay, a little excited at the thought of Leo being worried about me. I put my hands on my knees and stare into the fire for a while to calm my rapidly whirling thoughts. I’m attracted to him, and I’m sure he’s just being nice…I think. Gosh, I wish I was better with men so I could know what he’s thinking right about now. “Here,” Leo says after a bit. He pulls my sausage out of the licking flames—it’s nice and blackened on the outside, and juice sizzles on the skin. “Looks ready.” “How am I supposed to eat that?” I eye the steam coming off it and hold a hand out for the stick. “I’ll feed you,” he says, and before I can protest, he pulls out a pocket knife and nips the end of the sausage, cutting off a slice. He holds it out to me, the bit of meat neatly tucked between his thumb and finger. I stare at him. A low pulse begins to build between my legs, and I press my thighs tighter together. Is he…trying to feed me? Really? I fight the urge to lean forward and lick the juices off his fingers. The mental image of that is vivid and sends another bolt of desire rocketing through me. Hoo boy. I imagine if I do that, Leo’s going to sorely regret coming on this rescue mission. I pluck the bit of food from his fingers and pop it into my mouth, chewing briskly. “Thank you.” He arches an eyebrow at me, and then offers the knife. “Guess I should have suggested you could cut it yourself.” He pauses. “Not much fun that way, though.” A small chuckle escapes me, and I take the knife from him. “Isn’t it every man’s fantasy? To be fed by a woman instead of the other way around?” “You’re right.” He points at his mouth. “I’ll take a bite, then.” I should have known better than to tease this man—of course he’s going to call my bluff. I’m blushing as I cut a chunk of my sausage off and offer it to him. There’s grease on my fingers, and I don’t have any napkins. Somehow, I don’t think it matters. The moment feels strangely intense as Leo leans in. He looks directly at me and instead of taking the bit of sausage in his hand like I did, he plucks it from my fingers with his lips and tongue. I can’t help but freeze in place as he chews, watching his every movement. I feel pinned in place by his gaze, and when he grips my wrist and then licks the grease off my fingers? It feels like he’s licking me…everywhere.

I gasp and jerk out of his grip. “Um, you want a drink?” I shove the knife and the sausage back at him and briskly jump to my feet, heading to the cooler. I could swear I hear a sigh on his breath. “Yeah. Sure. What have you got?” I get a couple of beers and offer him one, then take one for myself. Whatever weird, tense thing was happening between us is gone now, and the conversation turns to easier things. We talk about Canadian beer versus American beer. We talk about the local wildlife and the weather, and he tells me a funny story about hunters he ran into last spring. The conversation devolves into a discussion about hockey, and I spend a good deal of time ribbing him about the poor performances of his favorite team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. There is a gleam in Leo’s eye as we joke, and I feel so easy with him. So comfortable. It’s fun to needle him too. He doesn’t lose his shit and get mad. He laughs at my jokes and pokes a few of his own, and I can’t remember the last time I’ve enjoyed a conversation so much. Actually, I can’t remember when I’ve had a more fun night. We go through several more beers and hours of conversation, and before I know it, the crickets are chirping and the night sky is full of stars. Our fire is down to nothing but coals. Oh, no! I’ve kept Leo here so late he can’t possibly go back to town tonight. Even as I feel a stab of guilt, I also feel a bit giddy with excitement that this big, sexy man is stuck up here with me. I finish my last beer and put my can in the garbage bag I’ve brought for the mess, and wobble on my feet. “Hey now,” Leo says, and his voice is warm and husky and flows over my skin like honey. He is suddenly right behind me, his big body dwarfing mine. “Did you drink too much on me?” His chuckle makes me press my thighs together tightly again, and the mental image of him licking my fingertips goes through my head, over and over. “I’m just sleepy, that’s all.” I yawn to demonstrate. “And I kept you too long. I’m so sorry, Leo. Were you planning on heading back to town?” I squint up at his big body. He smells so good—like the woods and something else I can’t identify. “Leave you out here by yourself? Nah.” His teeth flash white in the moonlight. “But…won’t someone be waiting for you back at town?” “You asking if I have a girlfriend, Caroline?” “Of course not,” I say primly. But I’ve also got several beers in me, so I add, “But if you did, she’d be waiting for you, right?” He laughs. “She would, and I don’t, Miss Nosy.” Leo leans in. “And if you want to know anything about me, all you have to do is ask.” All I have to do is ask, hmm? He’s leaning so close that I can see the glint of firelight in his eyes, the hint of beard stubble on his chin. I have to fight the urge to lick it just to feel the rasp on my tongue. Oh, man, I have never been this oversexed with Bill. Actually…I kinda hated sex with Bill. The times we were together were not good. A burst of pure relief flares through me, and I clasp my hands together so I don’t fling them around Leo and thank him for coming back for me instead of demanding that Bill return. “Thank you,” I tell Leo. He tilts his head. “Thank you?” “For offering to come and rescue the damsel in distress, even though I wasn’t in that much distress.” He laughs. “No?” “Nope. I’m all good.” “I’m glad,” is all he says, and I feel that warm flush move through my body again.

Tension and silence hang in the air, and I fight the urge to lean in and see if he’d meet me halfway if I try to kiss him. I’m not sure if that’s the beer talking, or if I’ve suddenly grown bold, but I love the thought of it. I glance over at my tent. “You should go to bed,” Leo says, voice low and husky. “I’ll bank the fire.” I swallow hard. “Where are you going to sleep?” “I’ll throw a sleeping bag on the ground. Don’t worry about me. I’m used to roughing it.” The night air is crisp and cold, and there’s a hint of mist. It’s not bad in my warm clothes, and my sleeping bag will be cozy, but out here? I can’t imagine it’ll be comfortable. “You could come sleep with me.” “Oh?” That syllable carries a ton of meaning, and I feel flushed and excited all over again. “There’s room for two sleeping bags.” And I wonder what will happen if I cuddle up next to him in my sleep. Will he push me away, or push me down onto the floor of the tent? I feel my nipples harden under my shirt, and a shiver moves over my skin. And I wait to see if he’s going to turn me down or accept my invitation.

5 LEO

My mouth is suddenly dry, and I feel like a cub on his first foray into the wilderness alone. Fuck. The woman is my mate. I’ve never really had sex that mattered. It was all fun and games and of no more importance than shitting in the woods. But if I don’t get it right, if I hurt her, turn her off, don’t make her come, then I’m doomed. I’ll have failed my mate before I can even get her to form a bond with me. “If you’re sure,” I say. My voice sounds like I swallowed ten frogs from one of the nearby creeks. A slight blush highlights the apples of her cheeks, but she doesn’t hesitate to nod. “I’m sure.” My cock swells to about five sizes bigger than normal. Stiffly, I walk over to the tent and pull the flap open. “After you.” Her tight nipples are pebbling against her top, and the desire to rend her shirt into a dozen tiny pieces so that she’ll never be clothed again gallops through me as she saunters toward me. Her fine breasts sway and bob under the fabric in a way designed to torment all males, but me in particular. The tent is small and she has to duck to enter, which places her round ass sun-up for my perusal. A nice guy would avert his eyes, but mine are glued to those curves. Her ass is round, a definite handful. Perfect for my big paws. I bend down and crawl inside after her. The scent of her arousal fills the small space. It’s hard not to jump on top of her. The need to devour her, to taste every inch of her gorgeous body consumes me. Mate. Mate. Mate. The word thrums through my blood. I cup her cheek, smoothing my thumb over the pink flesh to feel the bone underneath. This is Caroline. My Caroline. Softness over strength. I place a small lantern in the corner, and take a moment to appreciate the vision before me. “You’re too beautiful.” “Too beautiful?” She laughs self-consciously and turns her face slightly to hide against my hand. “I don’t think there is such a thing, and even if there was, I’m not it.” “You are to me. Look, my hand’s shaking, I’m so crazy in lust with you right now. I’m so hard right now I could come in my jeans.” My hand is trembling. It’s a combination of lust and a little bit of fear. She’s not ready to hear she’s my mate, so I don’t tell her. There are so many things that she doesn’t know, but if I tell her that the two of us having sex means that she’s bound to me for life, I have a pretty good feeling she’ll run from the tent screaming. “You don’t have to say those things to me, pretty it up, I mean,” she explains at my confused look. “I

want to have sex with you.” She blushes again, in direct contrast to her straightforward words. God fucking damn, she is so adorable. I have to have my mouth on her. I can’t wait another second. “I feel like I should warn you that if I have you, I’m probably going to get addicted. You aren’t going to be able to shake me after I get a taste.” “You don’t have to say things like that.” She dips her head and draws a circle on my knee. My whole body tightens. I swear my control is completely gone, and so am I. “No, I do. You need to know what you’re in for,” I say hoarsely. “Maybe it’ll be me hooked on you,” she informs me. “I hope so.” I’ve given her every chance, I reason with myself. Her palm comes up to smooth the hair that always falls into my eyes. “If you do get addicted, I give you full permission to stalk me.” Groaning, I capture her mouth. Her sweet essence fills my lungs with every breath I draw. She tastes better than wild honey, and I can’t get enough. I push her backward, angling my head to get deeper access. Her hands come up to clutch my shoulders and pull me closer. I slip my hands up her top to cup her ripe breasts. Her nipples poke into my palms and beg for my mouth. She moans, a needy, erotic sound. “Your nipples sore, baby? You need me to suck them?” Her answer is to reach for the bottom of her shirt. Together we draw it over her head. “Oh, shit. You are the hottest thing this side of the equator.” Her rosy breasts are covered with light green lace, the color of new spring. Under the lace, her nipples strain at the fabric. “You say the most outlandish things,” she says. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a man like you.” No, you haven’t. Because I’m not a man. A twinge of guilt tugs at me. I’m going to make this so good for her, she won’t care what I am. “Caroline, telling the truth about how hot your body is and how much you turn me on isn’t crazy.” But maybe her experience hasn’t been full of this. Bill came off as a self-absorbed prick who wouldn’t be able to see past his own nose to realize what a prize he had in Caroline. She shifts on the sleeping bag. “I’m just saying you don’t have to say these things. I…I want you, too.” “I have to say them.” I flash her a quick smile. “Because I believe in speaking the truth and nothing but the truth. This is the most gorgeous set of tits that I’ve had the privilege of viewing, and my mouth is fucking watering at the prospect of sucking those bits into my mouth.” I lean forward and let my breath wash over said tits. She braces herself on her hands and arches upward like the sweetest offering nature can provide. I suck at one breast through the lace and then the other until her nipples are diamond-hard peaks. “Ohhh,” she says, “that feels good." “Only good?” I mock growl. “Is that some kind of challenge? Because if so, I accept.” I reach behind her and undo the clasp of her bra. She watches me with careful eyes as I unwrap my new present. Her tits bounce playfully as they escape their lace bindings, celebrating their freedom. I dive right in, latching onto one tit and thumbing the other. Like I thought, the taste of her bare flesh is like a drug. I’m never going to have enough of her.

I slide down her body, kissing a line from the valley of her breasts down to her belly button. Her waistband is a reminder of all the clothes between us. “These need to come off.” I tug at her shorts. “Yes. Yes,” she pants. Together we unsnap, unzip, and push her shorts off her legs until all she has on is a pair of lace panties, the same color as her bra. An unhappy thought occurs to me. “Did you wear these for Bill?” She looks up, surprised. “My underwear? No, I just like nice stuff. Bill doesn’t really care about this. He’s too busy—” She breaks off. “Getting his own rocks off,” I guess. She shrugs unhappily. “We didn’t have the best sex life.” I cover her mouth with my hand. “Only rule I have is that you can’t talk about sex and another man with me. Got it?” She purses her lips to hide a smile. “Got it.” “Good, now lie back because if I don’t get my mouth on your pussy in the next second, I’m going to explode.” “You don’t have to.” She tugs on my hair. “I know I don’t, but I want to. And, Caroline, your panties are soaking wet, so don’t tell me you haven’t been thinking and fantasizing about my head between your legs.” She turns cherry red. “I, ah, I, I know guys don’t like doing it though.” “That’s it,” I declare, and turn her over so she’s ass up. Sweet little ass, I think, and then slap her hard. She yelps. “What’s that for?” “You broke rule number one, baby.” I rub a hand over her ass to soothe the sting. “Jesus, your ass is fine. These panties need to come off so I can see your pussy. I bet your pussy is prettier than a flower.” “I don’t think—” My hand comes down immediately. “I didn’t break rule number one,” she pouts. “New rule, Caroline. No talking bad about your body.” I pull her panties down and then lift the soaked fabric to my nose. I take a big breath, and nearly come in my pants. She smells like fucking nectar of the gods. “Ass up, baby.” I tuck her knees closer to her chest, and then shoulder her legs apart so I can get a good look at her cunt. Her lips are swollen and the little clit is puffed out like a berry. “You look delicious. Can’t wait to see what you taste like.” I’d like to be able to take my time, lick her really leisurely until she comes about five times and is so weak she can’t hold herself up, but I’m too jacked up. This first time I’m going to devour her. I attack her pussy like I’m a starving man at his first buffet. “Damn,” I groan after I take my first lick. “I’m going to need this every morning and about three times during the day and a half-dozen times before bedtime.” She might have said something, but the blood is roaring so loudly in my ears, all I can hear is the thud

of my heartbeat. On my tongue and sliding down my throat is the tastiest damn juice I’ve ever had the pleasure of imbibing. I lick her from her cunt to her clit to the tiny puckered opening between her ass cheeks. She shudders and tries to pull away, but I clamp my hands on her hips and drag her back. With both hands, I hold her against my marauding mouth so I can suck and lick her tender, swollen skin until her thighs shake like jelly next to my cheeks. Her moans turn to pants, which turn to pleas for me to never stop. Oh, I won’t, baby, I will not stop until I’ve sucked you dry. The tremors in her body increase, and she’s soon flooding me with her come. I drink her down, not wanting even one drop to escape. I could live off her body. It’s all the sustenance I’d ever need. But now that she has come, the dull roar of need becomes a tsunami threatening to overwhelm me. I’ve got to get inside her tight channel. I am desperate for my cock to be engulfed by her hot, juicy cunt. I push to my knees and turn her over again. Her face is flushed and red from her orgasm. “Baby, I need to be inside you.” I cup myself through my jeans. “My cock is hard and aching, and you are the only relief for my pain. You ready?”

6 CAROLINE

This is…the most glorious misunderstanding ever. I pant and stare up at Leo, dazed as he shoves his jeans down around his hips. His enormous, thick cock springs free. And a new moan escapes me. I hadn’t intended for this to happen. Not really. My offer for him to join me in my tent was platonic. I thought we’d both snuggle up in our sleeping bags, and I’d maybe rub up against him in my sleep, and that’d be the end of things. I’d spend the next few months tormented about how I didn’t make the extra leap to let him know how attracted I was to him. That was how I thought it’d all go down, but the moment I made the suggestion he join me in my tent, I could see that he thought it was something more. And my mouth had gone dry. He wanted me, too. Then there was no more thinking about things. There was just licking. Lots of licking, and caressing, and the best orgasm I’d ever had. My brain feels wrung out as I gaze up at him in a total daze as this gorgeous, sexy man strips the rest of his clothing off so we can have sex. Oh, God, I hope he doesn’t regret this in the morning. Is he drunk? Is that why he wants to sleep with me? “How…” I lick my lips, still breathless from my orgasm, and then try again. “How many beers did you have, Leo?” He frowns down at me, his brows pulling together in a scowl. “You think I’m drunk?” “I just…don’t want you to regret things. That’s all.” I lick my lips and point out, “I mean, you haven’t even kissed me.” “Is that what I need to do to convince you? Kiss you? I thought my tonguing of your pussy was commitment enough, but I’m more than happy to lick other places.” His cocky grin returns, sending my heart fluttering. “Well…it’d help.” “Then allow me to kiss you, Caroline…” He pauses. “What’s your last name, baby?” My eyes widen in horror. He doesn’t know my last name, and I don’t know his. I struggle to sit up. “Maybe we should stop—” His hand goes between my breasts, and his gaze is intense. “I’m not stopping just because I don’t know one tiny thing about you. This is how we get to know each other.” “By asking basic questions?” “In between fucking, yes.” A shocked giggle escapes me. “You’re serious?” “Dead serious. Now.” He leans in and his nose brushes against mine. “Wanna tell me your last name, or do I need to get between your legs and give you some more convincing?” My body feels all flushed with excitement. I’d actually like that…but I want a kiss more. “Abbott,” I

tell him, breathless. His lips are so close to mine I can see the wet gleam of them in the moonlight. They’re wet from licking me…all over. Oh, mercy. “Caroline Abbott.” “That’s a pretty name,” he says, and then his lips brush over mine in the lightest of kisses. “How do you do, Miss Abbott?” My nipples prickle. “Really good,” I breathe. His lips brush against mine again, and this time I feel the tip of his tongue graze my mouth. “I’m Leo Prufuchs. But you can call me ‘Yours’.” I snort-giggle. “That is the corniest thing I have ever heard.” He looks a little wounded, and I realize he was serious about being mine. Oh. I’m ruining the moment with my low self-esteem, and that’s the last thing I want to do. So I fling my arms around his neck and press my mouth to his. It’s the right thing to do. Leo groans, and his big body presses me down into the mess of blankets again. His skin feels delicious against mine, incredibly warm. His chest has a sprinkling of crisp hair across his pectorals, and I shiver when it grazes my nipples. But mostly, I’m lost in the kiss. Because holy hell, Leo can kiss. His tongue strokes between my parted lips, and the faint taste of beer and my own musky come flickers into my mouth. His kiss is slow, but utterly possessive, his mouth claiming mine as if he’s determined to watch me melt into a puddle right before him. And each questing, delicious slide of his tongue against mine makes my pussy clench with need, until I’m rocking up against him, my mouth locked to his as the kisses go on forever. When he finally pulls away, I stare at him, utterly dazed. “Fuck, you’re so pretty like this.” He leans in and nips at my lower lip again. “Like how?” I murmur. My brain isn’t functioning at high speed at the moment. “In my arms, drowsy from my kisses. Weak from the orgasm I gave you.” His hand knots in the tangled hair at the back of my head, and he slowly tilts my head back so he can give me another slow, lingering kiss. “Never thought a good tongue-fucking would be so satisfying.” A little moan escapes me at that. It’s exactly what he’s doing—he’s fucking my mouth with his tongue. No wonder it makes me so achy and needy between my legs. “I want you, Leo,” I breathe against his lips. His nose nudges against mine. “I’ve got a small problem, baby, and I don’t know if you’ll believe me when I say you need to trust me.” “Trust you?” “I don’t have condoms on me, but I promise I’m clean.” He leans down and tongues the seam of my mouth again, sending shivers through my body. “Didn’t think this would happen tonight.” Oh. I’m on the pill, but I’m also not dumb. Every girl in the world has heard “baby, I don’t have a condom on me” before. “I’ve got a condom with me.” He stiffens, and his arms get tight around me. “For Bill?” He practically growls the words out. “Um, no. I always carry a condom on me. It might be expired, though. It’s been in my change purse for a long time.” I tap his arm with my fingers. “And you need to get over the Bill thing. I promise that the moment we ran into each other again, it was a mistake. You need to trust me on that.”

Leo’s gaze searches mine, and I see a lot of possessiveness there—which startles me—and a little vulnerability. It’s almost like he worries that he’s not enough for me… …Which is a joke, right? He’s the most perfect man I’ve ever seen, and I’ve already come harder than I ever have before. I lean in and give him a quick kiss. “Let me up long enough to grab my purse?” He sits up and I crawl over him toward the corner of the tent, where I’ve left my purse. The moment I dig out my coin purse, though, Leo grabs me by the hips and settles me down into his lap. His cock presses up against me and one hand roams to my breasts. I moan, leaning back against him. His fingers flick at my nipples, and he bites at the side of my neck as I writhe against him. “You find that condom yet?” “Distracted,” I say breathlessly, and try to concentrate on opening my change purse while he teases my nipples into aching points. “You’re a beast.” He stiffens against me. “Oh?” I’m not falling for his distractions again. My searching fingers locate the foil square and I hold it aloft. “Got a flashlight? I need to check the expiration.” “I don’t care if it’s expired,” he says, and nips at the side of my throat again. “That condom is going on.” He’s got a point. And I’m on birth control, so it’s not like it matters, right? I hand it to him, fling my coin purse aside, and then turn my face for another deep, searchingly wet kiss. “On your back, Caroline,” Leo murmurs against my mouth. “Or I might lose control very soon.” His cock presses against my hip, evidence of just what he’s referring to. I nod, biting my lip. I’m eager for him, and waiting any longer seems torturous. I wiggle out of his grasp and slide down onto the blankets. His big body immediately covers me again, and he kisses me before rearing up on his knees to slide the condom on. Even though it’s dark inside the tent, I admire the outline of his form. He’s just so…delicious to look at. I want to run my mouth over every inch of him. In the morning, maybe, when I can admire him by daylight. Right now, I just want him back on top of me. As if he can read my mind, Leo leans back over me, and I feel one of his big thighs nudge between my legs. He leans in to kiss me, and as I wrap my arms around his neck, he puts a hand to my knee and parts my legs. His cock presses against my pussy, and then he rubs the head of it through my slick folds. I moan against his mouth because that feels amazing. Each time the head of his cock grazes my clit, I nearly jump out of my skin with pleasure. Then he pushes inside me, and I gasp at how big he feels. “Leo!” “I’m right here, Caro,” he murmurs, nipping at my jaw with tiny kisses. “I’ve got you, baby.” He continues to whisper sweet things even as he begins a slow, delicious rhythm, stroking in and out. I raise one leg and lock it around his waist as he pushes deep into me. The force of his thrust shoves us over the blankets, and I gasp. “Too much?” He asks, freezing over me. “No! Keep going!” I slap a palm against one thick, sweat-dewed arm.

He growls low in his throat, almost animalistic, and then the fucking goes up a notch. If I thought Leo was fierce in the sack before, I’ve seen nothing before now. His every stroke makes my entire body jiggle with the force of his thrusts, and I’m clinging to him for dear life, soft cries escaping my throat. An orgasm begins, low in my belly, and I’m startled because I’ve never come without a bit of clit stimulation from a boyfriend, which means I usually don’t get to come. But Leo’s cock is hitting me in all the right places, and each thrust seems to wreck me, inside and out. I dig my nails into his skin and scream, head thrown back as the orgasm blasts through me, my entire body clenching and stiffening with the force of sensation. He growls again, and his thrusts become wild as he anchors me against him and fucks me harder. “Mine,” he snarls low in his throat. I want to agree with him that I’m all his, but all I can do is choke out a gasping response, still locked in the throes of my orgasm. When he comes, he snarls my name, and I feel a curious sort of possessive pleasure to hear that. His weight pins me down to the blankets as he catches his breath, and I slide a hand up and down his sweaty back. I just like touching him. He feels so…solid. Physical. I love it. He leans forward and captures my mouth in a fierce, quick kiss. “I’m going to get rid of this condom and then I’ll be back.” “Okay.” The moment he leaves the tent, I contemplate getting a towel out of my bag, wetting it, and cleaning myself up. I’m sticky between my thighs, and I really hope the condom didn’t break. But Leo returns quicker than I anticipated, and the moment he does, he pounces on me, all kisses. “I should clean up,” I say breathlessly, even as he pulls me against him, his big arms locking around me. “Nope,” Leo says. His hand goes between my legs, sending aftershocks of pleasure skittering through me, and I gasp when he pushes two fingers inside my swollen tissues and strokes them. “I like you covered in my scent.” “You’re a strange man,” I say with a chuckle. “You have no idea.” He kisses my temple and snuggles me against him, but I notice that his hand stays between my legs in a possessive gesture, as if he’s guarding what belongs to him. “I want you to come stay with me for a while. You said you can work from home, right? Come work from my home.” Oh, wow. “You don’t think we’re going too fast?” He snorts. “Not at all. I’m not about to let you get away.” Strange, indeed.

7 LEO

I’m poleaxed. Caroline waltzed in and shook up my life like it was a snow globe. It was the kick in the ass I needed. I’d been cruising along thinking that sex was how I was going to find my mate, but that wasn’t it at all. Sure, mate sex is amazing and once we bond, we’ll probably release enough pheromones into the wild to trigger half the county into procreating, but it’s way more than that. She gets to me on a real elemental basis. Her spirit speaks to mine without either of us saying a word. As she snuggles next to me I wonder if she understands that or, as a human, she feels like it’s a passing euphoric feeling. The problem with humans is that they look at life through only one lens, and a short one at that. I worry that she’s going to leave Pine Falls and look back at this as a nice memory of fucking a guide while she went on a little vacation. I’m going to have to put a stop to that way of thinking right away. Going too fast. Hell, if it were up to me, we’d be at the Lodge right now, asking for Eli’s blessing. He doesn’t really relish the position as our leader, but someone’s got to keep our bear asses in check. In fact, it’d be great to parade her around in front of the other shifter males while she was smothered in my scent so that they’d know who she belonged to. I don’t want anyone touching my mate. I might have to fight a few of my packmates once they get a whiff of how sweet she smells. My arms tighten around her. I’m not known for being a fighter, but for Caroline? Yeah, no one is taking her from me. We just gotta work out all the details. I grew up in Pine Falls, and all my den mates are around here or up in Canada across the border. Caroline says she works from home, but it doesn’t seem real fair for me to ask her to move, particularly after I drop the oh-by-the-way-I-shift-into-a-bear-whenever-I-want-hopeyou-don’t-mind bomb on her. “Where do you live?” I ask. “In Plymouth,” she says groggily. “Is that out in the country?” I’m not real familiar with the area. Hopefully it’s near some woods. She rubs her cheek against my arm and scoots backward, her ass coming up against my cock. “No, it’s in the city. There is a park near my townhouse, though. I walk around it before I go to bed.” Her ass twitches again, and my interest in her living conditions wanes. I find the sweet spot on her neck and give it a lick. “You tired, baby?” “Mmm, what were you thinking?” I rock my hips against her ass, appreciating the way her fine curves hug my hardening cock. “That we should have round two.”

The hitch in her breath is the only answer I need. I lift one of her legs and fit it over my thigh. “You don’t have to do a thing but lie there and enjoy this.” My fingers delve into her wet cunt to gather some juice for my cock. I spread her honey all over my shaft. With no condom, I’ve got to be innovative. One of these days soon, I’m going to take her bareback with nothing between my cock and her wet, hot pussy. She reaches back to hook her arm around my neck, and I hold her taut and stretched while I stroke my cock in the crevice of her ass. “You ever have someone here?” I nudge the tip against that puckered entrance during my next slide forward. “No.” It’s a breathy, gasping sound. “Never.” I smile with satisfaction. “You’re going to have me here. Soon.” “Will I like it?” “Oh, yeah.”

We’re both exhausted. Turns out we can both be pretty creative. She was real creative with her tongue, and then I got creative with her tits, and we innovated the fuck out of each other until we were too satisfied to do anything more than crash next to each other in a sated stupor. Dawn comes and goes, and I would have been fine lazing around in the tent, finding more ways to fuck each other without a condom, but something awkward and graceless is lumbering around in the woods near the campsite. It’s not another bear because no self-respecting animal makes that much noise. Wait. There is one sort of animal who sounds like they are stepping on every branch on the forest floor—a human. Not all humans are like that. There are a couple of hunters around here who can creep along like a good shifter. The noise rouses Caroline. She yawns and stretches in a real enticing manner. Suddenly I don’t give a damn what human is rummaging around outside. There’s only one human who needs my attention and she’s lying right in my arms. “Morning, baby.” I slide down her body to nudge her legs open. “I’m hungry and need some breakfast.” She props herself up on her elbows, her hair falling adorably into her face. “You have the stamina of a horse.” “No,” I correct. “It’s bear. I’m a bear.” She cocks her head to the side. “I didn’t know bears had stamina.” I open my mouth to tell her the truth—that she was fucked six ways to Sunday by a shapeshifting bear, but I can’t find the words. Hey, so I go furry sometimes—usually every few days. No worries, though. You won’t have cubs…at

least, I don’t think you will. “Caroline?” We both turn toward the tent opening when we hear her name yelled. I’m irritated, because I haven’t had my breakfast yet. Frowning, I look down at Caroline’s pretty pussy, all ready and waiting for a good lick. But then she scuttles back, closing her legs and taking the sexy vision away from me. “Do we have to answer that?” I know who it is now, and I don’t have any desire to leave our little love nest to go talk to the jack wagon outside. Her face takes on a cute pink hue. “I think we do. After all, I invited him up here.” “And he abandoned you to go drink in the tavern in town while you fended for yourself out here,” I point out. She sighs. “I know, but I kind of kicked him out, and then,” she gestures between the two of us, “we did this, so I can’t say I was the victim here.” I harrumph, but don’t prevent her from dressing. I come to appreciate the low ceiling in the tent as I watch her crawl around in an effort to find all the bits and pieces of fabric she calls clothes. Her boobs sway and her ass ends up pointed toward my face more than once. “I hope you’re appreciating the self-control I’m exerting here,” I inform her as I draw on my own jeans and T-shirt. “Your ass is begging for a hand all over it.” She peers over her shoulder in an unintentionally provocative movement. “I can’t believe you still have any energy. I feel like you’ve wrung me dry.” “Hmm.” I slip my fingers up the tight opening of her shorts. “Doesn’t feel dry to me.” “Leo!” she admonishes, and scoots away. “Bill’s outside,” she hisses at me. “So he is,” I sigh. The sooner we get Bill on his way back home, the better off we’ll both be. “Shit!” I hear her curse behind me. I turn back to see her slumped on the sleeping bags we all but destroyed last night. “What’s wrong, baby?” “We drove up together.” “You and Bill?” She nods miserably. “That’s three hours back to the cities with him and me—” She sniffs her collar. “I need a shower.” Her problems are my solution. I need more time with Caro and here’s the perfect opportunity. “I’ll drive you down and bonus, you can even shower at my place.” “Oh, no.” She shakes her head immediately. “I can’t let you drive me all the way from Pine Falls back to the Twin Cities. That’s too long!” “Not at all. I planned on going down there next weekend anyway,” I lie. “There’s a new, ah…” I try to think of some specialized piece of equipment that I need, “a new outrigger at REI that I’d like to take a look at. Moving it up to today is perfect.” She looks uncertain, wanting to believe me, but not wanting to impose. “Are you sure?” I cross over to her and cup her cheek. “Remember how I said you aren’t getting rid of me?” She nods, rubbing her soft cheek against the calluses on my palm. “I’m taking you back. Bill can go on his own.” She giggles. “Bill hates to drive.”

“Bill hates a lot of shit,” I answer, and pull her out of the tent to face the disgruntled visitor. “Caroline, I’ve been calling your name for ten minutes. Why didn’t you answer?” “I was getting dressed.” Bill’s slow, but he’s not dumb. His narrow eyes take in Caroline’s rumpled clothes and her I-had-sexa-dozen-times-last-night hair and the satisfaction that oozes out of her every pore and comes to the right conclusion. “Jesus, did you fuck this guy last night?” He jerks a thumb in my direction. Caroline’s mouth presses into an unhappy line. He’s pissing me off. “Don’t talk like that in front of her,” I snap. He turns to me. “What kind of guide services do you offer? A two-for-one special? A hiking trip and a dick up your cunt for the price of one?” he sneers. “Stop it, Bill. Just stop it. You want to be mad, be mad at me. Leo doesn’t deserve your anger. He came out here last night because you left me.” Caroline tries to step forward, but I shove her behind me. If anyone gets to hit Bill, it’s going to be me. “I left you because you wouldn’t stop harping on me about every little thing in this campsite.” “I wanted you to be safe, Bill,” she protests. And this time when she moves, I don’t block her way. After all the grief Bill has put her through, Caroline probably deserves first shot at him. But I’m going to stay close to make sure the fight is fair. Although, by the way Caroline’s hands are fisted at her sides and the fiery look in her eyes, if I was Bill, I’d be worried. But Bill’s dumb as shit, so he just rants on. “No, you wanted to be in charge. You always want to be in charge. Do this, Bill, do that, Bill.” “Oh my God, seriously?” A deep flush creeps up Caroline’s neck. “I only suggest things because you can’t ever make a decision!” “Bill, maybe you oughta find your balls and get out of here. Doesn’t look like you’re wanted,” I suggest in a mild tone. The bear inside me is scratching to get out and chase the weak human down the path. It’d be a fun, albeit short, hunt. “Yeah, get out, Bill.” Caroline tosses the car keys at him. Bill lets them hit his chest and drop to the dirt. “You expect me to drive?” he asks in an incredulous tone. “You know I don’t like driving.” It occurs to me that maybe Bill doesn’t have balls. I’m done with his crap, though. He’s ruining my morning with Caroline. I squint at the sun. Scratch that, it’s near noon. I reach into the dirt and scoop up the keys. Shoving them in his hand, I grab his collar and turn him toward the trail that will take him out of the lot. “The car is at the Lodge,” Bill objects. “How am I supposed to get there?” Eli or one of his workers must have dropped them off. “Walk, buddy.” I shove him down the trail, but he doesn’t move. “Caroline, are you really going to make me walk all the way back to the Lodge? Can’t you call someone to pick me up?” I turn to Caroline and she flushes again, this time in embarrassment over being connected to Bill’s

whiny ass. I leave him at the edge of the trail and return to her. “We’ve all made decisions we regret,” I whisper, before kissing her lightly on the lips. “What are yours?” “So many that it’d take a year before we get to them all.” With an arm around her shoulders, I swipe my phone from my pocket and make a distress call to Eli. He needs to meet my mate anyway.

8 CAROLINE

Bill comes back to camp three more times, whining, before Leo finally chases him off. I almost feel bad for him. Almost. Except he’s a dick and he abandoned me and I’m so, so glad our reconciliation trip died a swift and painful death. Leo insists on feeding me breakfast, and I nibble on a Pop-Tart as he breaks down camp. I offered to do it, but he wants me to relax and save my energy for later. Which, of course, makes me blush. I agree that I need to save my energy, though—Leo has seemingly limitless amounts of it, as evidenced by last night and the umpteen rounds of sex we had. So…my plans have changed dramatically in the last twenty-four hours. I’m no longer having a weekend alone in the woods. Now, I’m about to head back to Pine Falls to stay with Leo for a few weeks and have more sex. Lots and lots of sex. I find it a little strange that he and I have fallen for each other so quickly. I’m actually a little worried he’s going to wake up at some point, look over at me, and realize that he can do a lot better. I also worry it’s all a scam, and I’m going to wake up and find Leo’s cleaned out my checking account or something. Really, I’m just a bit paranoid all around. Leo finishes packing up the campsite in record time, though, and shoulders the gigantic pack. “Sorry if we’re cutting your vacation short, baby. I promise I’ll take you on a real trip this next weekend, with better gear. And you can fish and hike all you want.” He smiles at me, utterly sexy and devastatingly handsome, and leans in for me to kiss him. And I feel guilty that I was even worried.

We take a roundabout way back to town. It’s another mile or two of a hike through the forest, but the scenery’s gorgeous and we avoid Bill, so it’s a double bonus. When we get back to town, though, instead of heading toward Leo’s cottage, he squeezes my hand. “I need to head up to the Lodge and talk to Eli before we head out. That okay with you?” I touch a hand to my tangled hair. After last night’s sex-a-thon, I probably look (and smell) rougher than usual. “I should probably shower if we’re meeting anyone…” “Nope. You’re beautiful just the way you are.” He kisses me fiercely. “Just let anyone try to tell you that you’re not gorgeous.” It’s hard to argue with that. The Lodge itself manages to mix rustic with hotel amenities well. There’s a large fireplace in the center of the lobby, and the mantel is decorated with photos. There’s no fire due to the warm weather, but I point it out to Leo. “Why don’t I wait for you over there?”

He gives me a grateful look and kisses my brow. “I won’t be long.” He sets the pack down and then heads to the front desk. I wander over to the fireplace and work on fixing a few flyaway hairs in my reflection in a photo before I realize who is actually in the photo. There’s several men, all as gorgeous as Leo, and just as built. They look like they’re on a fishing trip together. One of the heads wearing a baseball hat in the back of the photo is Leo. He’s in another photo, holding up an enormous fish as another guy points at it. As I stroll down the long line of photos, I see that Leo’s in a ton of them, along with a lot of the same guys. He’s a big deal in this town, apparently, and I feel warm at the thought. It’s a far cry from my own apartment out in Plymouth where I barely know anyone but the maintenance man. I notice pictures on another wall of the Lodge and head over there, and as I do, I hear the sound of voices down the hall. One sounds like Leo. I sidle a bit closer, curious. I’m pretty sure I hear the word ‘bare’. Bare what? Bare skin? I check my shirt, but I’m not revealing anything. My hand slides to my zipper. Nope, it’s up. Weird. It sounds like they’re arguing, too. “You’ve got to tell her,” someone says. A sigh. “Fine,” Leo replies. “I’ll break it to her tonight.” A cold feeling washes over me. Tell me what? My mind spirals to the worst-case scenario immediately: Leo must be married. Ugh. Maybe he’s one of those guides that gives free screws with each new camping tour, selecting one hot piece to spend the time with, and then ditch her when the trip is over. Is this why he wants me to stay with him for a few weeks? An easy booty call? I feel sick to my stomach at the thought. I cross my arms over my chest, practically hugging myself for comfort, and head for the Lodge exit. The need to get out of here is overwhelming. I feel used and miserable. Have I fallen for someone who might be worse than Bill? Is there even such a thing? I step outside and head down the wooden stairs of the Lodge. I’ve got my purse on my shoulder, but the rest of my gear is in the backpack that Leo carried. Fuck it, I’ll ditch it all. I no longer care. I just feel an overwhelming need to escape. To hide out in shame. Maybe I can go to a nearby store and call a taxi or a shuttle bus to take me to the nearest airport. I’m sure not driving back with Bill, and it doesn’t feel like I can stay here. Behind me, the door swings open. “Caroline?” Leo’s voice bellows out on the street, causing a few tourists to turn around. A hot flush touches my cheeks, and I clutch my purse tighter, storming down the sidewalk. Immediately, I hear Leo’s feet thumping down the stairs as he comes after me. “Caroline, where are you going, baby?” When his hand touches my arm, I jerk away from him. “Don’t touch me!” He looks utterly shocked at my words. “What’s wrong? Baby, what’d I do?” His lips pull back in a snarl, and he glances up and down the street. “Did that fuckhead Bill come back and bother you? Do—” “It’s you,” I say, my fists clenched. My heart feels broken. It’s stupid to fall for a guy in less than twenty-four hours, but what about me and Leo has been normal? “You’re lying to me, aren’t you?” A devastated look crosses his face. “Caro, I can explain—” “Explain?” The word chokes out of me. I punch his arm with one fist, and then wince at how much it hurts. “You’re a jerk, Leo! I can’t believe you have a wife and didn’t tell me!” “I…what?” His eyes widen, and then a look of pure relief crosses his face. “Oh, damn. Baby, you

scared me for a minute there.” At my sound of incoherent rage, the burgeoning smile disappears off his face. “No wife, I promise.” I resist the urge to scream at him, because now I’m just confused. “Then what are you lying to me about?” He glances up and down the street, then moves closer to me. “Can we go to my place and talk? I need to explain a few things and I can’t do it here on Main Street.” I glare up at him, trying to judge if this is a trick. I desperately want to believe him, but I’ve made bad choices about men in the past, haven’t I? Maybe this is just another bad one. “I don’t know—” “Please,” he murmurs, then leans in. “Unless you’d rather I sling you over my shoulder and carry you off so I can sex you into submission?” A titillated gasp escapes my throat. I hate that my body immediately responds to that. I hate that a bevy of mental images—some from last night and some from my imagination—flutter through my mind at the thought. “I’ll walk with you.” He grins and pulls me under his arm, apparently completely happy once more. Now I’m just confused.

I hate that Leo’s cabin is so damn charming. It’s utterly adorable. It’s rustic and masculine, with a big beat-up couch mostly hidden by a red tartan throw and a pair of antlers over the doorway. The walls are wooden, and there’s a cozy bedroom off the tiny kitchen. It’s not a very big place—perfect for two people, but it’s definitely not a family home. I’m also pleased to see there are no photos with other women or anything of the sort anywhere on his walls. Leo sets down the backpack in the entryway, and then takes my purse from my shoulder and sets it next to the backpack. He then takes my hand and leads me toward the couch, nestled in front of a wood stove and directly across from an enormous window that allows an unfettered view of the woods outside. It’s tucked away from the main part of town, and all I see are trees and greenery and the occasional squirrel. It’d be lovely to stay someplace like this permanently. If the owner wasn’t a lying jerk, of course. I slide my hand out of Leo’s and cross my arms again. “Talk,” I say stubbornly. “I’m not married.” “I don’t believe you.” “Here’s my wallet,” he says, reaching over me to grab a billfold on an end-table. “Look to your heart’s content.” I snatch it from him and flip through it. Driver’s license, a credit card or two, a hunting license, and a few crumpled bills. There’s a ticket stub tucked behind one card and I pull it out, hoping it’s not Josh Groban or something date-ish. Nope. It’s for the Maple Leafs. Dammit. I slap the wallet shut and hold it back out to him. “Now do you believe me?” “No,” I say stubbornly, and put my hand out. “Give me your phone.”

He reaches over me again—what guy doesn’t carry his phone or his wallet with him, I wonder—and pulls a small flip phone off the table. It’s the oldest, jankiest phone I’ve ever seen. I frown at him. “Is this a burner?” “What’s a burner?” “Never mind.” I flip it open. There’s no way he’s texting anyone on this ancient thing, so I flip through his phone contacts. There are a few buddies and work numbers, and that’s it. Actually, there are no female numbers in here at all, which worries me anew. I give him a skeptical look. “You’re not gay, are you?” Leo looks offended. “What? No!” “Then where are all your female phone numbers?” I shake the phone at him. He rubs his head and looks sheepish. “So, uh, I’m not the kind who normally calls girls back. All of my hook-ups usually happen at a bar and don’t last beyond dawn.” “I don’t know whether to be relieved or horrified at that confession.” “Both?” he offers. “I’m not exactly proud of it myself, but that was before.” “Before…?” “Before you,” he says seriously, and takes my hand in his. “We do need to talk, Caro, because I didn’t tell you the entire truth of who I am.” My stomach clenches uncomfortably. Oh, God. Here it comes. “Just spit it out.” “I’m a…bear.” When he doesn’t continue, I prompt him. “Bare what?” “No, I’m a bear. A bear shifter.” His handsome face is solemn, no trace of his normal laughing grin. “You’ve heard of werewolves, right? I’m like that, except my people turn into bears.” I’m silent for a long moment, digesting this. “Well?” he asks. I resist the urge to punch his arm again. “I think you should quit telling me lies and just admit the truth, Leo! What’s this big secret?” He sighs and rubs his forehead. “This is harder than I thought.”

9 LEO

I didn’t think that when I confessed, Caro wouldn’t believe me, but she apparently thinks I’ve made up this story to cover a bigger sin. I take a deep breath, and then decide the only way to convince her is to actually shift. The process isn’t painful, but a human watching it for the first time might freak out. What if she runs away? It’s all so new for both of us. I should have kept my mouth shut because now Caro is standing there, arms folded, looking at me with a lot of suspicion. I’ll lose her for sure if I don’t tell her something, if I try to make up a lie now. But I might lose her if she sees the real truth. “You promise you won’t leave if I show you something, right?” I ask finally. “Depends. If a girl jumps out of the back of your cabin, proclaiming that she’s your girlfriend, then I’m not going to be happy and I’ll definitely leave.” “I don’t have a girlfriend,” I insist. There’s no point in jabbering about this anymore. I’m merely delaying the inevitable. “Okay,” I sigh. I pat the back of one of the kitchen chairs. “Sit here and…” What? Don’t freak out? Don’t run outside because I’m going to want to chase you? Don’t leave? The last one is the only important one. “Promise you’ll give me a chance to explain after?” She takes a seat and nods carefully. “I promise I won’t run out on you.” “Great.” I move away. If I stepped in front of the door, no one could really blame me, right? I’ve found my mate and I want to keep her. It takes no effort to shift. It’s as innate to me as breathing. I was born knowing how to shift. The change comes from within. Starts in the heart and moves outward. The heart, the soul, the spirit—it all remains the same. I am the bear and the bear is me. I hope that Caro can recognize that, beneath the fur and claws and teeth. When the shift is complete, I drop to all fours and peer at Caro. She’s stuck to her chair with her hands glued to the side. Her eyes are big and…I can’t tell if that’s fear or fascination. I try to make my fourhundred pound body as small as possible. I was pretty cute as a cub. I remember my mom telling me that. I don’t need to be cute, but I’d be happy if I came off as non-threatening. I pad slowly and softly over to the chair, and then hunker down by her feet. I still dwarf her. “Leo?” Her voice is small and tremulous. I cringe and nod slowly. A delicate human hand drops tentatively on my fur, just behind my ear. I tilt my head into her touch. Her nails lightly scratch behind that spot, and I rumble in appreciative response. And I hear her laugh. It’s high and thready but it’s not a scream of fear. I shift back and rise to my feet. When a bear shifts, he comes back naked. I hustle back to the clothes lying on the floor, and pull my pants on just in case I need to chase her out of the house. Then I return to kneel again by her side. Her laughs have turned to hiccups. I place a wary hand on her

knee. “Caro. I’m a bear shifter,” I don’t know why I say it. She saw what I could do, and I take it as a promising sign she didn’t burst out of here, running after old Bill. “I thought you were lying.” She shakes her head in wonder. “But you actually were a bear there. Or it was a magic show.” “No magic. Or at least not the sleight of hand kind. I suppose being part-bear, part-human is some kind of magic.” “So, no girlfriend, huh?” she says, a true smile starting to tug at the corners of her mouth. “No, unless you count yourself, then absolutely yes.” I slide my hand from her knee up to her thigh. “Okay then.” She smooths a palm over my shoulder and down to squeeze my biceps. “I can’t believe it, but I’m okay with it. I have lots of questions like, will I…I mean, do women have cubs or babies?” I hide my smirk at her unintentional reveal. “Babies. But they’ll shift right away from baby to cub after you give birth. It’s pretty cool.” “My goodness!” She pats her chest. “I’m glad you had me sit down.” “You ready for more information?” “If it involves you shifting into another animal, I think we should hold off,” she laughs weakly. “No, but I’m not the only one. This town is full of shifters.” “Really?” She cocks her head with interest. “Who else? Is that one guy who stopped by the other day a shifter too?” I nod. “Yep, also Sheriff Gant, Eli the Lodge owner, Dent who runs the tavern. The lady who owns the spa is the new mate of another bear shifter.” “Mate.” She tests out the word. “What does that mean?” “Girlfriend, basically,” I reply. For life, I add in my head. “Let me get this straight.” She moves so she can look directly into my face without torquing her neck. “You have a special gift, and you live in a town where all your friends and family live with this special gift, but you were willing to come stay with me in the city?” “Pretty much.” I don’t see why this is a problem. “Leo, that’s beyond sweet.” She cups my face. “But I could never ask you to leave everything behind for me.” “If it’s you or this stack of sticks here,” I gesture around us, “I’m picking you every time.” “You say that now, but what about a few weeks from now?” Worry colors her face. I’m heartened that the bear thing hasn’t turned her off. This I can fix. “Hey.” I draw her into my arms. “I swear to you that as long as I’m with you, I’m going to be happy. If you leave me, you’re going to end up with a sad, mopey bear following you around. Neither of us wants that.” “Are you threatening me?” she asks with a smile. I shake my head. “Think of it more like a promise. That sounds better.” “The thing is, Leo, I’m mobile, and if you like it here in Pine Falls, then we should live here.” Her face is tipped backward, and the bright morning sun is shining in. I’ve never felt happier. It’s all clicked into place. My mate’s here with me. She doesn’t care that I turn furry, and she likes my town.

I sweep her into my arms and carry her into the bedroom because all of the good feelings she’s generated have migrated to my cock. “Oh, by the way, you’re my mate.” “What?” I toss her on the bed and proceed to prove exactly what it means to be a bear shifter’s mate. It involves lying back and allowing me to lick her until she creams all over my tongue, and then shafting her until she is too exhausted to ask more questions. And because she’s my mate, I’m worn out too. We fall asleep, wrapped around each other, our hearts in sync like we’ve been together for a hundred years.

AUTHOR’S NOTE Dear Readers, I’m a big fan of Alexa Riley’s smutty novels and she loves shifters. Me too! We agreed that we would write a few shifter novellas for each other. This January, please enjoy the four Bear Bites novellas. After January, I'll be returning to the big blue aliens we all know and love. Stay tuned! Lastly, if you enjoy the books, please, please leave a review. Tell me what you think and who you’re hoping to see in future books. Tell me if you want more books and what kind! I want to know your thoughts and leaving reviews helps me as an author in so many ways.

— Roo

DOES A BEAR SHIFT IN THE WOODS

I’m a loner for a reason. I don’t have much in the way of social skills. I’d rather sit on my deck and watch the sunset than hit a tavern with coworkers. My idea of grooming is to trim my beard with a straight blade when it hits my collarbone. I can’t put two words together in the company of a pretty woman…and they don’t come much prettier than wolf-shifter Madison Thorne.

She’s everything I’m not—outgoing, easy on the eyes, and sweet. There’s no way I’m convincing her to come home with me. Fortunately I don’t have to. Maddie seems to like my gruff, unpolished self. At least, she likes me enough for one night.

The problem is getting her to stay forever. BUY NOW • FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED

GET YOUR SHIFT TOGETHER

I’ve been looking for a mate in all the wrong places. When the right one shows up in Pine Falls with a man in tow, I almost miss her. Caroline Abbott is a sweetheart of a city girl who is making one last stab at keeping her (dead) relationship together. When her fool of an ex takes off and leaves her alone in the forest, I’m more than happy to step into his abandoned shoes.

While I can make her shout with pleasure, I worry those screams will turn to fear when she realizes that my hidden half is a bear.

I can’t keep the secret much longer, but telling her might scare her off for good.

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SHIFT OUT OF LUCK

There are few things that are off limits to the were-bears of Pine Falls, but humans are one of them. Which is a real pain, because I’ve had it bad for curvy Adelaide Laurent ever since she sashayed into town. The fact that she’s forbidden fruit just makes my fantasies all the sweeter.

But when she signs up to go on a weekend camping trip with the town’s biggest player, it’s time for a bear to step in and claim his mate.

I don’t care if it breaks the rules. She’s mine, and it’s time she knew it.

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SHIFT JUST GOT REAL

Life’s given me the short end of the stick on looks – I’m big, ugly and brutish. Normally I wouldn’t care about the packaging except for the fact that the woman of my dreams is Ryann Brown, a human half my age and so lovely she makes my body ache. What’s a were-bear to do in this situation?

Whatever he can to forget her, of course.

Except Ryann’s not taking no for an answer. And when she catches me watching her one night, she gives me a show I’ll never forget. Did I think I’d be able to walk away and not touch her? Not claim what’s mine?

Not a chance.

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ICE PLANET BARBARIANS (Georgie’s Story) Book 1 – now available on KINDLE UNLIMITED! Click here to borrow. You'd think being abducted by aliens would be the worst thing that could happen to me. And you'd be wrong. Because now, the aliens are having ship trouble, and they've left their cargo of human women including me - on an ice planet. And the only native inhabitant I've met? He's big, horned, blue, and really, really has a thing for me...

VEKTAL

My mate, the resonance of my khui, my new reason for existing, has just planted her tiny, strange foot in my chest and kicked. It’s almost as if she does not want to mate. Her strange, dead eyes are wide with fear, no comforting glow in them. I want to tell her that she’ll be fine. That she’s mine now and I’ll take care of her. That we’ll take down one of the monstrous sa-kohtsk and pull a new khui from its depths so she will no longer suffer. But I’m puzzled as to why she would hurt herself. I rub my chest where her tiny foot landed. Without her leathers, her body seems even smaller, and she’s soft and ridge-less. She seems to have forgotten this, too, as she gives me an indignant look, then howls with pain and clings to her foot. I don’t understand her. Maybe her lack of khui is affecting her senses. “I will not harm you,” I say to her slowly, because she looks terrified. “You are my mate, now.” “Tht hrt dmmt!” “Let me see your foot,” I demand. If she has no khui, she probably does not heal as she should, either. When she continues to give me a frightened look, I reach forward and place my hand on her ankle. She bellows something and thrashes at me again. Her hand curls into a fist, and she smacks it into my face, knocking my lip against my teeth. A flash of pain shoots through my mouth, and I snarl. She immediately goes quiet, flinching backward, her hands raised to shield herself. I am sickened at her reaction. This woman, this small creature who has half the stature of a sa-khui is my mate. How can she possibly think I would harm her? But she is cringing back even now, as if expecting a blow to fall. Rage fills me, because this is not a normal response. Someone has hurt my mate in the past. I reach forward and turn her pale face toward me. She fights, but her eyes close again, and she begins to tremble. I gaze at her small, flat features. Her skin tone is regular, except for mottled bruising along one side. There is the evidence I suspected.

“Who did this to you?” I ask.

BARBARIAN ALIEN (Liz’s Story) Book 2 – Now Available in KINDLE UNLIMITED! Click here to borrow. Twelve humans are left stranded on a wintry alien planet. I’m one of them. Yay, me. In order to survive, we have to take on a symbiont that wants to rewire our bodies to live in this brutal place. I like to call it a cootie. And my cootie’s a jerk, because it also thinks I’m the mate to the biggest, surliest alien of the group.

RAAHOSH

My khui is an idiot. It must be. Why else would it ignore the women of my clan and the moment we enter the den of the dirty, ragged humans, it begins to bleat in my chest like a quill beast? Or that it chose the frailest of the sick humans to select as my mate? A mate that glares at me with knowing, angry eyes and refuses to eat the medicinal broth that I bring her? That pushes aside my hands when I try to help her to her feet? Who scowls when I bring her water? It's clear that my khui is full of foolishness. "Did you resonate for anyone?" Aehako asks at my side. He stuffs a fur into a traveling bag. We are preparing the humans' cave for travel, since they are too weak to do so. Everything must come with us, Vektal says. It does not matter that it is stained and filthy, or useless. The humans have so little that he is sure they will treasure whatever they have, so it must come. Two of the hunters that resonated for females have been sent off to get furs from the nearest hunter caves, because the humans are poorly equipped to face the harsh snows, and they have no khui to keep them warm. This will be remedied shortly, however. A sa-kohtsk is near. The large creatures carry many khui, and we will hunt one for its meat and ensure that the humans will not die of khui-sickness. I think of the hollow eyes of my new mate and how miserable she looks. Most of the human hides are a pale color, but my human is paler than most. That must mean she is sicker. I will insist she be one of the first to get a khui. Aehako repeats his question. "Raahosh? Did you resonate?" I don't like to lie, but i also don't want anyone to know, not when my mate is glaring at me as if she is furious. Raahosh is scarier than most. Her words cut. She is smooth and pale and weak, and yet I am the one lacking? I shrug and shoulder the pack. "It matters not. We will see what happens when the khui are in the humans." "I didn't resonate." Aehako looks glum, his broad features downcast. "Do you think more will resonate when they come into season? Perhaps they're not in season." He gives me a hopeful glance.

"Do I look as if I know human seasons?" I snap. "Finish your bag. We need to hurry if we are to get the humans close enough to the sa-kohtsk to hunt it." Aehako sighs and returns to work. I tell myself he is young. In fact, he might be the youngest hunter in our clan. He will get over his disappointment, or another human will resonate for him later. Or even a sakhui woman, perhaps one not yet born. All I know is that I am resonating for one of the dying humans, and if she dies, she takes all my hopes and dreams with her.

BARBARIAN LOVER (Kira’s Story) Book 3 – Now Available on Kindle Unlimited! Click here to borrow. As one of the few humans stranded on the ice planet, I should be happy that I have a new home. Human women are treasured here, and one alien in particular has made it clear that he wants me. It's hard to push away the sexy, flirtatious Aehako, when all I want to do is grab him by his horns and insist he take me to his furs. But I've got a terrible secret - the aliens who abducted me are back, and thanks to the translator in my ear, they can find me. My presence here endangers everyone...but can I give up my new life and the man I want more than anything?

AEHAKO

There are tracks in the snow, and I follow them out of the caves and onto the nearby ridge, where Maylak's healing plants grow in abundance. They are wedged into a small valley, buffered from the worst of the winds. Kira is here, grabbing leaves off of a plant angrily, a scowl on her face. She turns and glares at me as I approach. Am I the recipient of some of her anger? I grin to myself. Her cheeks are flushed with that unusual pink color that some find ugly in humans. I find it charmingly adorable. She's so many interesting colors - pink and brown, and her eyes are the vivid khui blue courtesy of the symbiont. "Hello, my small friend," I call out in greeting. "Not your friend," she mutters. "And I'm not small." I chuckle at that. "You should pull a few of the intisar plant there," I tell her. "It's good for eyesight." She shoots me another glare. I don't mind. I prefer her angry expressions to the sadness in her eyes that is so often there. "I don't need herbs for my eyesight," she tells me. "No?" I tease and move to her side, then point at another bush. "That one is for potency." She gives me a shocked look, and the pink returns to her cheeks. "I do not need it, of course," I tell her. "My cock can stay erect for many hours without flagging. It is mostly for the elders or men that have been ill for a long time and wish to couple with their mates." The noise she makes is strangled. "I don't want to hear about your...penis." She shoots me another vicious look. "Maybe you should go and talk to your friend about it more. She seems interested." "Are you jealous?" I ask, pleased. I've tried to make it clear to Kira that I am interested in courting her, but she's rebuffed me at every turn. Has she changed her mind? I admire her fine brown hair as it blows in the wind and imagine it spilling over my chest. And then I have to adjust my breeches again. "Jealous? Ha! Why should I be jealous? I'm ugly, remember?" She taps the shiny metal shell attached to her ear. "I heard every word of your conversation!"

I cannot keep the delighted grin from my face. She did hear me speaking to Asha. And she is jealous. This pleases me greatly. Perhaps Kira is not so aloof after all. It's time to present her with my courting gift.

RIDING RED by ALEXA RILEY BUY NOW • FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED Gray Ridge, Colorado is a quiet town, but this Halloween there's a mating moon, and the shifters' need to breed their fated mates runs strong.

Ruby is the proud owner of Red's Goodie Basket, and as the new girl in town, she's looking for business. But when the local sexy sheriff, Dominic Wolfe, keeps the customers away, she finds it's hard to stay mad when burning with desire.

Dominic is a shifter, and his wolf wants Ruby. Since the second he laid eyes on her, he's been fighting the need to mark her as his. But when the mating moon is full, he won't be able to control his wolf any longer.

Tricks and treats are the last things on his mind when the mating heat takes over, and his obsession is put to the test.

Warning: This story is a sexy twist on a classic fairy tale, complete with a red cape, a basket of goodies, and a hungry wolf.

BEAUTY SLEEPS by ALEXA RILEY BUY NOW • FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED Xavier has watched Gwen for years, sneaking outside her window just to watch her sleep. She calls to him in a way he doesn't understand.

After he loses his mom and his sister in a tragic accident, he disappears into the woods and lets his wolf take over.

Gwen has been waiting around for her knight in shining armor to show up, but years have passed since she reached her mating age, and he still hasn't come.

When Xavier makes his way back to Gray Ridge, one scent captivates him like no other...

He's on a mission. Claiming Gwen as his mate is all that matters, even if she doesn't remember him.

What he isn't prepared for is Alpha Stone keeping them apart.

Warning: This fairy tale contains a hero in desperate need of his sleeping beauty, a heroine who wants to mate with her beast, and an alpha trying to keep it from happening. This is meant to be over-the-top, extra sweet, and lots of fun. Come roll around in it.

WANT MORE? For more information about upcoming books in the Ice Planet Barbarians series (or any other books by Ruby Dixon), like me on Facebook or subscribe to my new release newsletter.

Thanks for reading!

<3 Ruby

Also by Ruby Dixon BEAR BITES Does a Bear Shift in the Woods? Get Your Shift Together Shift out of Luck Shift Just Got Real

ICE PLANET BARBARIANS Ice Planet Barbarians Barbarian Alien Barbarian Lover Barbarian M ine Ice Planet Holiday

BEDLAM BUTCHERS Off Limits Packing Double Double Trouble Double Down Double or Nothing Slow Ride