Kyle Anderson stopped and sniffed the air. In his bear form, he could pick up even the faintest scent from a mile away. The scent tugged at him, and he started towards it, his bear growing increasingly excited and agitated as he pushed through the woods.
Kyle knew that his bear had been angsty and uneasy lately. He’d had to release his bear and let the beast out into the forest to run and hunt. It was the only way to exhaust his beast and spend the pent-up energy that was building up inside of him.
Kyle had been going to work earlier than usual, but even though he worked like a maniac, he just couldn’t tire his bear out. It was a busy time at The Maverick Mechanics, and work was plentiful and satisfying. Kyle owned The Maverick Mechanics, an auto repair business with his two best friends, Shane and Ian.
Going into business with his two buddies was the best thing Kyle had ever done. Shane and Ian were skillful mechanics, and they were hard workers with a good business head on their shoulders. All three of them were bear shifters, and their strength and speed served them well. Ian had once towed a car back to the garage on his own without waiting for the tow truck. And when he arrived at the garage, he’d given Kyle and Shane a shit-eating grin and declared, “That was the best power walk ever!”
Kyle chuffed when he thought of his two friends. Those two often challenged each other to do some real crazy shit. But they were good guys and Kyle had known them since they were pimply, gawky teenagers. They were now big, strong, strapping men in their thirties but they still horsed around and yanked one another’s chains just for the heck of it.
Kyle raised his head and inhaled deeply. The scent was both enticing and unsettling. He moved silently between the trees, tracking the source of the scent. The scent was sweet and intoxicating, but there was a sharp edge to it.
He sniffed the air as he pushed through the woods. A low, deadly growl rumbled out of him.
His brain finally connected the dots and reconciled the conflicting notes in the scent. It was the scent of a woman, and the scent of terror.
From her scent, Kyle knew that the woman’s fight-or-flight response had been triggered. This physiological reaction was a direct response to a harmful event, attack or threat to survival.
This female was under threat. She was being attacked and was fighting for her survival. The woman’s scream cut through the woods and reached his ears.
Kyle locked on to the female’s scent and started to run. He could hear voices now.
Male voices and cold, taunting laughter.
A hard, cruel voice barked, “Dan, Ron, hold her down. You can have your turn after I’m done.”
A horrific scene came into view.
Kyle saw a red-haired woman thrashing violently on the ground. Two men were holding her arms and legs, but they were having trouble keeping her down.
The woman refused to be subdued. Her green eyes were flashing with fury as she continued to fight them. She was twisting on the ground, screaming curses at them and trying her darnedest to bite them.
“Let me go!” the woman shrieked at a stocky, beady-eyed man with a buzz cut. “Let me go right now! Do you call yourself a man? You don’t deserve to be the Beta of the pack, Jasper. You’re not a leader or a protector. You’re just a coward and a bully! Get away from me, you piece of shit!”
Jasper gripped the woman’s face and snarled, “I’m going to fuck your filthy mouth to shut you up, Hollie. Pin her down, make sure she stays still for me,” he ordered the other two men.
“I will bite your fucking dick off,” Hollie snarled back.
Jasper drew his fist back to punch her but stopped at the last minute.
“I won’t mess up your face just yet,” he said. “You’re a pretty girl, Hollie. Real pretty.” Jasper smiled as he stroked her red curls. “I don’t want to hurt you. But you’re too stubborn for your own good.”
“Fuck off, Jasper!” Hollie spat.
“If you submit to me, Hollie, I may just spare your life,” Jasper drawled. “You just have to be fucked into obedience.”
“Fuck you, Jasper! Fuck all of you!” Hollie screeched, struggling harder.
With a cruel laugh, Jasper lunged at Hollie and grabbed her. “I’m going to enjoy this. I always knew you’re a feisty, lusty little bitch.”