As much as she told herself she didn’t want to see Tom again, Savannah found herself back in the woods the moment she got out of work. Keeping to her human form, she walked in a little further, sniffing the air. Tom wasn’t here yet, she could catch his scent a mile away, whether she was in her bear or not. There was something about him that was drawing him to her, no matter what form he was in. Her body stretched and groaned as the bear began to grow restless, wanting out of her body, but Savannah refused to change.

Now that she wasn’t in Lucas’s pack, she was slowly becoming used to being in her human skin more often. Savannah had always thought that only being allowed to change when the pack leader said was just part of being a pack, but now she wasn’t so sure. Was Lucas a good pack leader? Or was there a different way?

Walking a little further into the woods, Savannah let her fingers trail across the trunk of the trees. To her surprise, she was quite enjoying being in her human form. There was a sensuality about her human form that the bear didn't have. While her bear senses were definitely heightened, there was an awareness of Tom that grew whenever she was in her human skin. It was like she knew he was there, even without seeing him or hearing him. Her skin would prickle, and she'd glance around to see him just walking into the office. It was a little unnerving if she was honest, but she was getting used to it.

The only problem was that, no matter how hard she tried to get rid of her attraction to Tom, the more it grew. She knew why she was here, and that, in whatever way he chose, Lucas was going to get his revenge. The thought was starting to make her stomach churn. Shaking her head, Savannah walked a little deeper into the trees before finally letting her bear come out.

Her skin tore, bones cracked and muscles stretched, as the bear pulled itself out of her skin, making her shriek in pain. The bear didn’t like being kept away for so long. It didn’t like that she’d stopped it from running free the moment she’d stepped into the woods, and it was making its entrance in the most painful way it could.

Cursing it, Savannah gave herself a shake, finally back in her bear skin. She felt stronger now, but excitement grew as she began to search for a hiding place. Tom was going to come and find her, wasn’t he? So where could she go where he’d have to work hard to find her? And what would he do once he did?

 

Tom growled, his bear growing impatient as he lost Savannah's scent once again. She was good, this bear. She'd climbed a tree at one point, one that bent all the way over to the ground much further away – but he'd only realized that once he'd hauled his massive bulk up the tree and inched along it. Being an alpha sometimes had its disadvantages.

The bear sniffed the air again, walking a little closer until, finally, Tom realized where she had gone. Clever little bear.

Standing on his hind legs, Tom let out a loud roar, which echoed through the trees. It wasn’t a sound of aggression, but one of victory. She’d led him on a merry chase, but he’d come out on top. He’d found her.

Hearing Tom's roar, Savannah turned around and looked into the gloom, seeing Tom's bear stand on the bank. His roar of victory met her ears, making her bear snort with excitement. Reaching the bank on the other side of the lake, Savannah pulled herself up and watched as Tom's alpha bear threw himself into the water. Apparently, he'd liked the look of the water too much and, it was the quickest way over to her. Savannah watched him with bright, golden eyes as he swam over towards her.

Nice try.

She looked at him steadily. Took you long enough.

A slight growl met her ears, making her shiver but she refused to look away. An intensity was growing between them that was making her bear want to push its head into his side, but Savannah stood her ground and refused to give in to her swirling desires.

Are you coming back in?

Without hesitation, Savannah threw herself back into the water, enjoying the feel of the water which cooled her passion at once. For a few minutes, she swam silently beside him, hugely aware of just how strong his bear was. His paws cut through the water, and, as they reached the bank, his rippling muscles helped him to pull himself up on the bank with ease. She chose to stay in the water.

Heading back?

Tom glanced at her, before turning away. The things his bear wanted to do with Savannah was forcing him to leave. He couldn’t let anything happen between them, not yet. It was too soon. He barely knew her, but the way his bear was drawn to her was almost overwhelming.

He let out a long breath, which came out in a snort.

I’ll see you tomorrow.

Savannah watched his bear begin to pad up the bank and back the way he’d come, before making her decision. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the bear back down and forced her human skin to the surface. Trying not to make a single sound, she heard her bones cracking and shrinking as she finally emerged. The water made her shiver, but she forced that thought to the back of her mind as she began to swim across the lake.

Her desire for Tom was growing steadily, but he kept pulling away. Would it be so bad just to have a quick fling with him? She could do that without involving her heart and maybe it would get her bear to stop acting so strangely whenever he was around. On top of that came the quiet voice that told her that something was different about this pack, compared to the Northern Wind pack. It told her that the reason she was drawn to Tom was because he was so different from Lucas, in almost every way. He was the man – and the bear – she needed.