Loved by a Bear (Sample)

Prologue

The man took a seat at the counter of the roadside diner. It was late, there was a chill in the air, and it had been drizzling on and off all day long. In other words, just another typical day in the Pacific Northwest. But he was used to it. As a truck driver, he'd made the run up and down through Washington, Oregon, and California more times than he could count.

But in all his trips up and down the West Coast, he hadn't ever passed through Black Salmon Falls before. He was on his way to Olympia and this popped up as a shortcut that would save him a few hours. So, the man, always looking to do less work than necessary, decided to give it a shot.

“What can I get you?”

The man looked up from the menu at the cute, perky little waitress who was husting over to where he was sitting.

“They got you workin' late,” he said.

She shrugged. “It's quiet,” she said. “Gives me time to do some homework.”

The man nodded and looked the girl up and down. She was pretty – had a wholesome look to her, with her long blonde hair and milky white skin. She probably wasn't more than nineteen or twenty. Fresh faced and with a girl next door appeal.

And the man was suddenly in the mood for something – it just wasn't for food.

But the man was subtle. Sly. He'd had more than enough practice over the years and all of his trips up and down the left side of the country to know that he needed to bide his time and wait for the opportune moment. He was patient and he was deliberate – skills he'd spent years honing.

“Homework, huh?” he asked. “What are you studying?”

She smiled and he thought it made her even prettier. “Nursing,” she said. “I want to be a nurse.”

The man nodded. “A nurse, huh?” he said. “I bet you'll make a good one too.”

The girl smiled and her cheeks colored. She had a sweet, quiet way about her. Definitely the girl next door type. Definitely his type. The man felt that familiar surge of energy in his body he got whenever he was on a hunt – whenever he found his quarry.

And he had definitely found his quarry.

“So, what can I get you?” she asked.

He sighed and looked at his menu. “I'll take some coffee. And give me the chicken fried steak special. Fries instead of mashed potatoes, and wheat toast, please.”

“Sounds good,” she said. “I'll go get your coffee right away.”

“Thank you –” he squinted and looked at her name tag, “Aubrey.”

She smiled at him. “Of course.”

The girl turned and punched his order into her computer. She was a good-looking girl and the man smiled to himself. He hadn't intended to stumble upon this little treasure trove, but he thanked his good fortune for it. He hadn't had a woman in a few weeks and he'd been feeling a little restless. Aubrey had come along at just the right time.

The man smiled to himself again – apparently, the gods were rewarding him. He wasn't sure what he was being rewarded for, but he'd take it.

She came back and set his mug of coffee down in front of him. “So, you just passing through?”

He nodded. “Yup, got a run up north a ways yet,” he replied. “Thought I'd stop in for a little fuel for the last push.”

“Good idea,” she said. “The last thing you want is to fall asleep on the road.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.”

She flashed him another smile and then turned and walked off. She checked on two guys at a table in the corner. He felt a surge of anger rush through him as she laughed and flirted with the two guys. The girl belonged to him. And he didn't like the way she was throwing herself at those two guys.

A few minutes later, she returned and set his plate down in front of him with a smile. “One chicken fried steak special.”

“Thanks,” he said and then looked over at the men in the corner booth. “You know those guys over there?”

“Yeah, they're regulars,' she said. “Local guys. They usually come in for pie and coffee a few nights a week.”

The man nodded and couldn't completely stuff down that surge of dark anger inside of him. “Yeah? So, which one you screwin'?” he asked. “Both of 'em?”

The girl froze in place and looked at him, eyes wide, her mouth agape. “Excuse me?”

“Just a question,” he said. “You seem pretty friendly with 'em. Pretty familiar.”

The girl let out a sound of disgust and turned away from him, storming off to the other end of the counter. It wasn't his smoothest move, but the man didn't care. She belonged to him. She was his property. And he didn't like the thought of his property being handled by anybody but him.

The man dug into his meal, keeping on eye on the girl, who was trying to concentrate on her books. But judging by the look on her face, she was having trouble doing it. He'd obviously rattled her. Which wasn't a bad thing. It was part of his routine – he usually just set it up a little bit better. But he relied on his quarry being rattled and upset. It clouded their thinking and kept them off balance.

And that was exactly how he wanted them. Needed them.

He drained the last of his coffee and raised his cup, indicating he wanted a refill. Still looking angry and upset, Aubrey closed her book, grabbed the coffee pot, and walked down to his place at the counter. She didn't smile, make eye contact, or speak to him as she refilled his mug.

“Listen,” he said. “I'm sorry about before. I just –”

“It's fine,” she said, her tone telling him it was anything but fine.

She turned to go, but he grabbed her by the wrist. She cried out in pain as he forced her to turn around and look at him.

“I'm trying to apologize,” he hissed. “The least you could do was have a little respect.”

“Please,” she said, struggling to break free of his grasp. “You're hurting me.”

“I said I was –”

The man stopped talking when a hand fell onto his shoulder, gripping him tightly. He turned and looked at the man whose hand was on him. Standing behind him were the two guys from the corner booth – the local boys. The two guys his property was probably banging like drums.

“There a problem here?” the guy with his hand on the man's shoulder asked.

“No problem,” the man replied. “Just trying to make a point.”

“Yeah, you can probably make your point without manhandling her,” he said and then in a tone practically dripping with ice, added, “so take your goddamn hands off of her. Now.”

The man looked at him, fighting back the rage that was bubbling up inside of him. Now, was not the time to let it out. He'd be able to extract his pound of flesh later. On a field of his own choosing. He let go of Aubrey's wrist and she immediately held it close to her chest, rubbing it like it was sore.

“My apologies,” the man said. “It was a simple misunderstanding.”

“Yeah, well,” said the guy behind him, “I think it's time for you to go.”

“I haven't finished my meal yet,” he said.

“And you're not going to,” the guy said. “You can get another meal somewhere else down the road.”

The second man stepped in and took the plate off the counter, walking behind the counter and dropping it in a tub of dirty dishes with a loud clatter.

“Looks like you're done,” he said.

The man smirked and wiped his mouth off with his napkin. He didn't like the idea of being told he had to leave. But at the same time, he didn't want to make any more of a scene than he already had. He didn't want to be memorable. He'd let his temper get the best of him and now, discretion being the better part of valor, he knew he needed to retreat and regroup a little bit. Standing up, he reached into his pocket for his wallet.

“Don't worry about it,” the first guy said. “Your meal's on us. Just go.”

He looked over at Aubrey, who refused to look at him. She simply leaned against the counter, clutching her wrist, tears rolling down her face. The man sighed and turned to the two men who were looming over him. They were both big men. Thick through the shoulders and chest. Typical jock types. He may have been able to take one of them. But two? The man was smarter than that.

He cleared his throat and pulled his hat lower. Without another word, he walked out of the diner and into the chill of the night air. Discretion was the better part of valor. He'd already screwed up once, he wasn't going to make another mistake. Instead, he would get his head back on straight and move forward from there.

He climbed into his truck and looked back at the diner. The two jocks were still standing in the front windows, watching him. The rage within him swelled as he fired up the truck and he imagined himself driving straight through the front of the diner, crushing both of the jocks beneath the wheels. It would have been grisly, but satisfying.

Instead of doing that though, he pulled out of the lot and headed off down the highway a bit. He recalled seeing a sign for a rest stop half a mile down the road and when he found it, he pulled in and shut down.

Taking a few moments to collect himself, the man closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. He concentrated, trying to slow his heart rate and clear his mind. He'd let the two jocks get under his skin. He'd let his control slip. But the girl was his. His property.

And he was going to have her. Nobody was going to stop him. Least of all, a couple of jock frat boys.

Feeling more grounded and centered, the man grabbed his bag out of the sleeping compartment and climbed out of his truck. He surveyed the lot and saw only two other trucks parked at the far end. The night was dark and the lights in the rest stop were dim – the bulbs in the lights were obviously on their way out. There was more shadow than pools of light, making visibility difficult – something that worked in his favor.

The man took it as another sign of divine approval.

Knowing he had about a half mile hike back to the diner, he pulled the dark knit cap over his head, slung his pack on his shoulders, and started the trek back to claim his property.

~ooo000ooo~

The man hunkered down in the bushes along the treeline that separated the forest from the diner's parking lot. From his vantage point, he could see straight through the front windows of the place. The jocks were gone, but the girl was still in there. And it looked like she was getting ready to get off her shift.

Yet another sign of the divine approval he seemed to be enjoying.

The night air was growing colder and his breath came out in plumes of steam. The man slipped on his pair of gloves and flexed his fingers, feeling the rush of excitement that always came before he claimed his prize.

He watched her through the windows as she looked to be finishing up all of her side work. About fifteen minutes after he'd arrived, the girl pulled on her sweater as she walked toward the front door. He smiled and felt the adrenaline surging through him as she walked through the darkened and mostly deserted parking lot.

And as luck would have it, she was heading straight for him. He hadn't known it at the time, but the car in the lot in front of him was hers. His smile stretched across his face. It was fortuitous. It was divine. How else could he explain the run of signs pointing to the inescapable conclusion that the gods approved of this?

His mission, came directly from the gods themselves. He never touched an innocent. Never. All of the women he'd claimed had been bad people. Had done bad things. Drug addicts. Child abusers. Whores. They all had some secret they were hiding – something the gods didn't approve of. Something dark, something terrible. And he was their salvation.

Obviously, this girl, as wholesome and sweet as she appeared to be, had some dark skeletons in her closet. Otherwise, the gods wouldn't have led him to her.

Step by step, she drew closer to him and his excitement grew. When she stopped at her car and started to unlock it, her back was to him and the man stepped out of the bushes. He was on her before she realized what was happening. His hand clamped over her mouth tightly, his other arm around her waist, he dragged her back into the bushes with him where he had his kit set up and waiting.

With a well practiced skill, the man got a plastic zip-tie around her wrists and cinched it up good and tight. He pushed her to the ground and straddled her. She struggled and fought, but he was too heavy for the petite girl to move – and he had the duct tape over her mouth in a heartbeat.

The girl’s eyes were comically wide, tears streaming down her face. The man just smiled down at her.

“I told you that you should have had a little more respect,” he said.

The man hauled the girl to her feet by her hair. Slipping a long knife out of the sheath on his belt, he showed it to her and then pressed the flat of the blade against her throat. The girl stopped struggling immediately and stood there sniffling, too terrified to move a muscle.

“You shouldn't fight this,” he said. “The gods brought me to you for salvation. I don't know what you did in your past, but you can call me your karmic retribution. Now, we're going to walk back to my truck. If you try to scream or try to run off – well – you won't like what happens to you. Or what happens to your pretty little face.”

The girl stared at him in absolute terror and he smiled. He ran a hand long her smooth thigh, slipping it up underneath her skirt and patted her butt, giving it a rough squeeze.

“Firm. Nice,” he said. “I like it.”

The girl's body shook with sobs and the man delivered a vicious backhand that knocked her off her feet. She landed on her backside with a grunt.

“Stop crying,” he hissed. “I don't like it when girls cry. Makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong. But I'm not. I'm saving you.”

She looked at him, her eyes still flooded with tears. He held the knife up again, pointing the blade straight at her.

“I said, stop crying,” his voice was smooth, low. “Or as that old saying goes, I'm going to give you something to cry about.”

The girl's body shook, but she was choking back her sobs. Or at least, she was trying to. When he felt that she'd gotten herself sufficiently under control, he got her back to her feet again.

“Now, you and me are gonna take a little walk through the woods,” he said. “I'm taking you back to my truck and we're gonna go for a little ride. If you're good and accept my salvation, I'll let you go home. But, if you're bad – well, let's just not think about that. You look like a good girl. You're gonna be good, right?”

The girl nodded her head eagerly and the man smiled at her.

“Promise?” he asked. “Cross your heart, hope to die, and all that?”

The girl nodded again and muttered something beneath the tape over her mouth.

“Excellent,” he said and pointed the way he wanted her to walk with her knife. “Now, go. Walk.”

The girl hesitated and looked back toward the diner as if hoping that somebody would come rushing in to save her. The man gave her a disapproving frown.

“Nobody's coming for you,” he said. “And you promised that you were gonna be good. Don't forget your promise, now.”

She turned and walked into the darkness of the forest with the man right behind her. The clouds had cleared slightly, casting the world in a silvery light. But deep in the forest, with a thick canopy overhead, only spears of that ghostly light filtered through.

Still, it was enough for the man to get a decent view of the girl's backside and he really liked what he saw. He admired the way it swished back and forth beneath her skirt. Liked the way those shapely legs of hers moved. The girl was gorgeous and the man felt himself growing aroused as he watched her walking.

That fire of need burned brightly in him as he watched the girl and he knew that he had to have her – and he didn't think it would wait until he got back to his truck.

“Stop,” he said.

The girl stopped but didn't turn around. She stared straight ahead into the darkness, obviously not even wanting to meet his eyes. The man grabbed her and roughly spun her around to face him. He planted a soft line of kisses up her neck and he felt her body tensing beneath his touch.

“Do you want the salvation I'm offering?” he asked softly. “Do you want to be saved?”

The girl didn't move, didn't give him an answer, one way or the other, to his questions. She simply stood there, rooted to her spot, her body tense, frozen in fear. And to him, that was very arousing.

He pushed her back toward a fallen tree. Kept her walking back until she bumped into it. Fresh tears sprung from her eyes, so the man turned her around, not wanting to see it. He bent her over the fallen log and ran his hands down her back, sliding them up her skirt, fondling and squeezing her from behind. With a savage growl, the man tore her panties right off of her and rubbed them all over his face, moaning low as he did.

The girl's body was spasming and the man knew she was crying. But he didn't care. He started to unbuckle his belt when he heard a twig snapping some where out in the darkness of the woods. He stopped and held his breath, waiting and watching. But he saw nothing out there.

“Probably an animal,” he muttered.

The sound of a choked sob escaped the girl he had bent over the fallen tree. He stepped forward and continued with his pants when the sound of another twig snapping caught his attention. But his blood really ran cold when the sound of whistling drifted out of the darkness.

“Who's there?” he called. “Show yourself.”

He waited. Nothing.

The man drew the knife from his sheath again and turned in a slow circle, looking for the source of the sound. It could have been an animal, he reasoned with himself. But deep down, he knew that what he had heard – and was hearing – was the work of man.

The man turned and turned, growing frustrated as the whistling continued. “Come out and face me, coward,” he called.

The girl started to stand, but he quickly and roughly forced her back down over the log again. Looking at her for a moment, he stepped closer to her and put the tip of his blade down on the back of her neck. He had no idea if whoever was out there was trying to save her or not, but he didn't have many options, so he rolled the dice.

“Come out or she dies.”

The whistling stopped abruptly and the silence that followed lent a far more sinister and ominous feeling to the atmosphere in the forest. The man opened his mouth to call out the person walking around in the darkness, but the only thing that came out of his mouth was an agonized scream.

A hand had clamped down around his wrist from behind and turned it roughly. The man screamed as his attacker bent his wrist back at an unnatural angle – and kept bending it until the man felt and heard the bones in his wrist snapping at it shattered.

He dropped the knife and clutched his wounded hand to his chest. Spinning around, the man found himself face-to-face with one of the two guys from earlier in the diner. There was a vicious, predatory grin on his face.

“Hi,” the guy said. “Remember us?”

Emerging from a dark pool of shadow was the second guy from the diner and the man had to look twice. Somehow, the guy's eyes seemed to be glowing in the darkness. The man shook his head and the other guy's eyes were normal again. He attributed the fact that he was seeing things to the agony he was currently in.

“Y – you broke my damn wrist,” the man howled.

“You're lucky that's all I did,” he said. “Considering what you were about to do there.”

The second guy helped the waitress to her feet and put a comforting arm around her shoulder. He walked her a small way off, speaking in quiet tones. The man watched as the girl scampered away into the darkness, the sound of her sobs seeming to fill the woods all around him.

“I wasn't doin' anything,” he said.

The second man scoffed and the first man just shook his head before he spoke. “You know,” he said. “We love this town. We love it very much, in fact. This is our home. Where good, decent people raise families –”

“Look,” the man said. “I was just passing through town. That waitress and I – what we were doing was just having a little fun, y'know? Totally consensual fun.”

“Not what it looked like to me,” the second guy said.

“Me either,” said the first guy.

“Yeah, well, that's what it was.”

The first man sighed and shook his head again. Then, both guys began circling the man. His heart raced, his wrist throbbed, and sweat dotted his brow. He wasn't used to feeling nervous – he was always the one in control. But he realized that in this situation, he was very much, not in control. And he knew, by the look in their eyes, that things were about to get really bad for him.

“Look guys,” he said, licking his lips nervously, “we can work this out. This is all a misunderstanding.”

“Like I was saying,” the guy said, “this is our home. And we don't appreciate trash like you coming in and making a mess of things. We work hard to make sure our peaceful little town stays that way.”

“I'll leave,” the man said quickly. “I'll leave and never come back. You'll never see –”

“Oh, I think we've passed that point,” the second guy said.

“A long time ago.”

“It doesn't have to go this way,” the man stammered. “Let's just part ways –”

The two men stopped circling suddenly – one in front and one behind him. They were silent for a long, tense moment and the knot in the man's stomach constricted painfully. His body was tense and his eyes surveyed the forest around him, looking for an escape route.

The first guy clapped his hands, the crack echoing around the woods. “Tell you what,” he said, a broad smile on his face. “Just to prove to you that we're not bad guys and can actually be pretty reasonable, we're going to give you a chance.”

“A – a chance?”

The guy nodded. “Yup. A chance,” he said. “In life, a chance is all we can really expect, right? It's what we do with that chance that matters.”

The man shook his head. “What are you talking about?”

They two guys shared a look. The man watched as slow smiles spread across their faces and thought it was like they were communicating telepathically or something.

“Here's what we're going to do,” the first guy said. “We're going to give you a head start. If you can make it back to your truck, it's all good, bro. If we catch you though – that's when things are going to get fun.”

“At least, for us,” said the second guy.

“Wha – I don't know what –”

The guy looked pointedly at his watch. “If I were you, I'd start running, bro.”

“But, wait –”

“Tick tock,” the second guy said and laughed. “You're burning up that head start we're giving you.”

“Seriously,” the first guy said, his tone turning icy cold. “Run. Run now.”

The man stared at him for a long moment and watched as the guys eyes seemed to light up – from the inside. It wasn't the moonlight reflecting off of them. It wasn't some other trick of light and shadow – the guy's eyes glowed.

With a jolt of adrenaline coursing through him, the man turned and ran into the darkness of the forest. Clutching his busted wrist to his chest, the man ran as fast as he could, doing his best to avoid getting tangled in the brush or tripping over anything. It wasn't easy, but he wanted to live, so he gritted his teeth and ran.

The sound of laughter echoed around the forest. He hated to admit it – even if only to himself – but, hearing the disembodied laughter of the two guys chasing him, trying to kill him, was terrifying. His heart was beating a staccato rhythm in his chest and the current of fear washing through him was so thick that he wet his pants as he ran.

But he didn't care. He just wanted to get back to his truck and get the hell away from that town. He wanted nothing more than to put it in his rear-view and never darken the doorstep of Black Salmon Falls ever again.

The man came to a screeching halt on the path. Standing in front of him, about fifty yards off was one of the guys. He could only see his silhouette, but the man knew it was one of them. But how had he gotten so far ahead of him?

The sound of footsteps in the brush behind him sent a wave of fear through the man. He was cut off from the most direct route to his truck, so he turned and plunged deeper into the forest. He hoped that he'd be able to lose them among the trees and then circle back around to the rest area where he'd parked.

His breathing was labored and his legs burned. He wasn't in very good shape to begin with and wasn't used to that kind of exertion. But given the fact that it truly was a matter of life or death, the man had no choice but to keep running.

When he entered the clearing, he tripped over a rock hidden in the tall grass and was sent sprawling. Acting on instinct, the man threw his hands out to break his fall – and instantly regretted the decision. The shockwave of pain that radiated through his entire body from his busted wrist was enormous. Unlike any pain he'd ever experienced before. The man screamed, his voice echoing out into the night.

The pain was so intense that tears streaked down the man's face as he got to his feet. And when he raised his head, he couldn't immediately process what he was seeing. Six men in dark robes, their hoods pulled low over their faces, stood in the clearing facing him. A couple of them held torches, casting the field in an odd, flickering light.

The man didn't know who they were, but he didn't think they were there to help him. The sound of footsteps behind him made him turn and when he saw the two guys who'd been chasing him, his heart dropped into his stomach. His legs turned to jelly and he fell to his knees.

“Looks like we caught you,” one of the guys behind him said.

“Yeah, what a shame,” said the other.

A long moment of silence spun out and the man knew he was in trouble. Knew he was going to die. He didn't know how it had all gone so wrong, so quickly. Not that it mattered anymore. It had gone wrong and he knew that he was going to pay the price.

“Well, it looks like it's time to take out the trash, huh?” said the guy behind him with an enthusiastic clap of his hands. “DJ, would you do the honors?”

One of the men in front of him stepped forward. He dropped his robe to the ground, revealing his naked body. DJ was enormous. Easily six foot three and a very solid, muscular, two hundred and sixty pounds. It was obvious the man worked out and took good care of himself.

As DJ advanced on him, the man wondered if he was going to be beaten to death. It sounded painful and he hoped it wouldn't last too long. But as he watched the man coming, he saw something that he could not comprehend – the man started to change.

His skin bulged and rippled, bursting open in places as DJ dropped to his hands and knees. He let out a noise that sounded like a deep, booming growl as his body continued to transform into – something else. Something not human.

The man's eyes widened and the knot in his stomach was twisting so hard, he thought he might be sick. He did not know what he was seeing. Couldn't understand it. And yet, in a matter of moments, the large, muscular, naked man was gone. And in his place was one of the biggest bears the man had ever seen.

The roar of the bear was so loud that it felt like the ground beneath him was shaking. It stood up on its hind legs, its eyes boring into him. And as it stared him down, for the second time, the man wet himself. He cried and shook his head, trying to deny what he was seeing. Deny what was happening.

But with the bear standing mere feet from him, its breath blowing in his face, the man knew that denial was impossible at that point.

The man stared into the eyes of the bear as the creature opened its mouth and roared. All he could see was the creature's gaping maw, filled with teeth he knew would slice through his soft flesh.

It's mouth still wide open, the bear closed the distance between them and the man knew no more.

Chapter One

Rose

It had been years since I'd been to my aunt's home. Not for any particular reason, and it wasn't that I didn't want to, it was just that as I'd grown and took on adult responsibilities, it became harder to find the time to make the trip. I loved my aunt and missed her – and now regretted not having made the time to see her.

I had a boatload of fond memories of visiting her as a child. I'd just never gotten around to building on those memories as an adult. Which was a shame. Actually, it was something I was ashamed of, if I were being honest. The drive from Seattle to Black Salmon Falls was a long one, but it gave me plenty of time to reflect on my life as well as everything I was leaving behind.

As I pulled into her driveway, I couldn't help but smile. It was so different out there in a small town like that – so different than the big city I'd grown accustomed to. Black Salmon Falls was quaint. Charming. It was everything the city wasn't. The trees, the fresh air, the clear sky – all of it would be good for my soul. My wounds were many and they were deep. And my hope was that being in a place that had nothing but positive memories and associations for me, would allow me to heal.

As soon as I pulled up, I saw my aunt sitting on her front porch, lemonade in hand. It could have been fifteen years ago, it was such a familiar scene. When she saw me, she stood up and walked, slowly, over to my car.

“Don't get up on account of me,” I said, rushing over to her.

She looked fragile and I could see that she wasn't walking very well. I cringed as I watched her, afraid she might fall trying to get over to me.

“It's been years since I've seen you, Rose, don't you tell me to stay put,” she said, her face lighting up. “Now, get over here.”

She looked older – much older – than the last time I'd seen her. What hurt my heart though was knowing that the reason she looked so much older had very little to do with her actual age. It was mostly, the cancer eating away at her body.

“Sassy as always,” I joked. “I guess not much has changed.”

“I've gotten older and weaker, but my mind is still intact,” she said and then winked at me. “For the most part, anyway.”

She pulled me in for a hug, and in that moment, everything was peaceful. Everything was right in the world again. Paula was like a mother to me. Had been ever since my own mom had died when I was a little girl. And hugging her was like hugging a parent, it made me feel like everything would be okay again. Even though I knew that to be a lie. But it was a lie I was willing to believe in that moment.

“Glad to hear it, Paula,” I said. “I'm so glad to be back here.”

“You must be tired from the trip,” she said, ushering me toward the house. “Let's get you settled in so you can rest up for a while before dinner. They say that naps do wonders for the soul.”

I had to admit, a nap sounded absolutely delightful.

We walked into Paula's rustic cabin and the smell of pine took me straight back to my childhood. I closed my eyes and inhaled the sweet scent, remembering some of the best days of my life had been spent there in that very cabin. I'd never been unhappy there and when I was with Paula, I remember being happy. I remember feeling a lot more – alive. Things were far simpler. And she had a way of making things just make sense. Helped me to see things from a different perspective – one that usually gave me a ton of clarity. Clarity I often needed. She didn't ever coddle me. Paula always gave it to me straight. But she just knew how to do that with that spoonful of sugar that made everything go down much easier.

Why, oh why, had it taken me so long to get myself back there?

“Your room is the same one you used to stay in,” she said. “Decorated just the way you liked it. Though, we might need to update it a bit now that you're a grown, adult woman and all.”

I smiled and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. In other words, the room was decorated just how I left it – with my Jonas Brothers posters still on the wall, stuck there with scotch tape, and my favorite blanket – a thick rainbow-colored comforter with a big unicorn on it – tossed over the twin sized bed.

“I figure we'll get you a bigger bed and more updated furnishings. Make the room a little more suitable for you,” she said. “I would have taken care of it myself, I just didn't know what you wanted.”

“It's okay, Paula,” I said. “I don't know what I want these days either. Don't you worry about it, I'll just go and find some things that appeal to me.”

She gave me a small smile. Paula was doing me an incredible favor by letting me stay with her to begin with. The last thing I wanted was to put her out any more than I already was. Plus, I knew she had no way to go shopping for things to update the room. Not in her condition.

“It's perfect,” I said with a smile. “Takes me back in time, actually. Reminds me of a simpler, happier time.”

I walked over and picked up the piggy bank on my dresser and smiled. I shook it and found that it still had a few pennies rattling around inside of it. Left there by a child who'd planned to come back to claim her prize – someday.

“God – how long has it been?” I asked.

“Too long,” she said with a sigh. “Come on, let's catch up. You can unpack the car later.”

I didn't argue with her. I was tired and part of me wanted that nap, but the bigger part of me wanted to spend some time with Paula more than anything. I'd have plenty of time to sleep – I only had so much time to catch up with my aunt.

I followed Paula out of the bedroom and into her kitchen, the rich aroma of fresh brewed coffee saturating the air – yet another familiar and fond memory. No matter what time of day or night, my aunt was always drinking coffee. She'd been the first person to let me drink the stuff. Which was why I held her partially responsible for my coffee addiction to that very day.

She poured two cups and put one in front of me, preparing it just the way I liked it, too. A little cream, a little sugar, but mostly black. The same way Paula drank hers. I didn't even think about it until that moment, but as I stared down at my cup, looking into the dark brew, I realized how many of my habits and preferences had been shaped by the woman sitting across from me. Though, it made sense, given the fact that I'd lost my own mother so young and had kind of clung to Paula like a life preserver in the stormy sea of my life.

“I hear you had a rough time back in the city,” she said, taking a sip from her cup. “I'm sorry to hear about your ex.”

“Yeah, me too,” I said. “Never saw that coming.”

“You never do,” she said. “Why do you think I've been single ever since your uncle passed?”

“Well, Raymond was a good man,” I said, speaking of my uncle. “A very good man. Men like that are hard to find these days.”

“You can say that again,” she said with a sigh. “Speaking of which. I know you're single now, but don't get any ideas about the local men here. Or at least, be very careful around them. Especially, the big, tall, good-looking ones? All bad. Not a single good one in the lot. Trust me on that.”

I laughed. “Trust me, after Jason, I'm not interested in dating again,” I said. “Not for a long while at least.”

“Good,” Paula said. “Because as tempting as it might be, these local men are nothing but trouble.”

“Aren't they all?” I said with a laugh.

“I'd like to think not all men are terrible,” Paula said. “I had a good one, once. Maybe you can find one too. They're definitely out there, sweetheart. You just have to open your heart and be patient.”

“Yeah, maybe,” I said with a shrug. “But I'm really pessimistic about it all. I don't know if I'll ever be able to trust another man again. What Jason did to me was bad. Really, really bad, Paula. He ruined my whole life, pretty much. He destroyed my career, everything. All gone. All because I wanted to leave him.”

Paula reached across and took my hand in her tiny, frail ones, giving me a soft smile and a gentle squeeze.

“I heard about all that, and I never believed it for a second, Rose,” she said with absolute conviction in her voice. “You're a good woman and you were a damn good teacher. I don't care what Jason said, you would never do – what he suggested you did. Never in a million years. And anybody who knows the first thing about you knows that.”

“Thank you, Paula,” I said with a heavy sigh, the bad memories surfacing in my mind. “I finally cleared my name, but there was no way I could go back to the district ever again. My name was dragged through the mud, parents hated me. I'm not sure I can ever teach again. Even though I was proven innocent, that kind of thing stays with you. No matter what. There are some people who will never believe me. Never believe that I'm actually innocent.”

She patted my hand before getting up to refill her cup, wheezing a little bit as she stood up.

“It'll all work out, Rose,” she said. “And in the meantime, I appreciate you staying here with me. God knows, I hate to ask for help, but I need it.”

“No, thank you for having me, aunt Paula,” I said. “I really appreciate it.”

I knew she hated asking for help – and knew she did need it -- and I was more than happy to help her. She was the one person in my entire family who'd never abused my kindness, or who'd never taken me for granted. And for that, I was thankful. More than thankful, really.

So, to see her in such poor shape, to see her declining, and to know she was dying, tore me up inside. I might not be able to go back in time and make up for all the years with her I'd missed, but at the very least, I could be with her now.

And while I was there, I could give myself a fresh start. Considering everything I'd been through in the last few months, I needed that. I needed that more than I'd ever needed anything in my entire life.

Chapter Two

Asher

The sheriff pushed a photo of man across the table, a look of expectation on his face.

“Look familiar to you?” he asked.

I didn't even look at the photo. Didn't need to. I already knew who he was.

“Should he look familiar to me?” I asked.

Sheriff Dean Richards stared back at me, and I could see the hate in his eyes. But I knew my eyes looked exactly the same staring back at him. We never did get along very well, not even back in school. And now that he was in a position of power, well, he thought he could lord that over me. Thought he could intimidate me. Right. Like a shiny tin badge and a gun could intimidate me. Dean was a moron. Always had been, always would be. And for some reason, he'd always had a hard on for me.

“His name is Leonard Peters,” Dean said. “He's a long-haul trucker from Eureka, California and was last seen in Black Salmon Falls. His truck was found in town, but he's nowhere to be found.”

“Interesting story, but I'm a little confused here,” I said, arms folded over my chest. “What does this have to do with me?”

Sheriff Richards scowled at me from across the table. Even though we were the same age, you wouldn't have guessed it. The stress of the job had apparently done a number on him. Premature balding, a beer belly and two ex-wives who hated his very existence. Given all that, it was probably no wonder he hated me so much – I was living the life he thought he should have had. The very thought of it made me chuckle.

“What's so funny, Asher?” he asked me.

“Nothing,” I said, leaning forward across the table. “I was just thinking about how you were a miserable twat in high school and that not much has changed. About the only difference is that you have less hair.”

Dean slammed his fist down on the table with a growl, doing his best to intimidate me – but it wouldn't work. It only made me laugh at him.

“Listen, I know what you are,” he growled. “And I know what you do. I know what all of you do. I'm the law in this town, not you. Me.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about, sheriff. Was this guy a criminal or something? Did he do something wrong? Or is he just a missing person? And if so, what do you want from me? As you said, you're the law in this town.”

“He's a rapist, actually,” Dean said. “With multiple alleged victims, up and down the coast. By all accounts, he was a bad, evil man. But that doesn't give you and your guys the right to kill him.”

I let out a low whistle. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up there a minute, Dean. Who said anything about killing anybody?” I asked. “Are you actually accusing me and my family of being murderers? Personally, I wouldn't spend a whole lot of time or money on finding a serial rapist, but that's just me.”

“You're not the law here, Asher. I am.”

“Obviously,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I'm well aware of that. So, now that we have that all cleared up, are you done with your little power trip? Can I go now? Because, correct me if I'm wrong – and given that I'm not the law, I could be mistaken – but I don't believe you have anything to hold me on.”

“No, not right now I don't. But trust me, Asher – the Feds would be really interested in hearing all about the curiously high number of people who go missing in Black Salmon Falls. It's really strange how many people go missing for such a small town, isn't it? But I know the Feds would be interested. Although, personally speaking, I'd hate to get them involved.”

“Oh yeah? The Feds, huh?” I asked, the tone of my voice one of amusement. “And I'm sure the Feds would really give a damn about a bunch of missing drifters, rapists and child molesters.”

I chuckled, rolled my eyes, and shook my head. As far as threats went, that one was pretty weak. He had absolutely zero evidence that tied me and my guys to any disappearances, let alone murders.

“We are going to nail you and your guys, Asher. It's only a matter of time,” he said in a tone that was supposed to sound confident of his statement – which actually sounded like anything but confidence.

With one last menacing glare at me, Dean took the picture of the man back and placed it in the file folder. A moment later, he stood up to walk out. But I stopped him before he hit the door.

“I wouldn't count on it, Sheriff,” I said nonchalantly. “And you better be careful out there. As you know, the woods are pretty thick outside of town and apparently, people go missing all the damn time around here. It's dangerous.”

Richards stopped, turned to me and sneered. “Are you threatening an officer of the law, Asher?”

I shrugged. “Not at all, Sheriff. No reason to threaten you. No need for this to get all hostile,” I said. “I was just saying. Making an observation, that's all. But if I were you, I'd be careful about which side you're on – defending the rapists and pedophiles won't make you particularly popular around these parts.”

~ooo000ooo~

“Asher!” a voice called out to me as I exited the police station.

I knew that voice well and I cringed inwardly – even though I suppose I should have been happy to hear the voice of my betrothed.

“Asher!” she called. “What was that all about? Are you okay?”

I turned to face her, and she didn't look happy to see me. At least not there, at the police station. She grabbed my arm, digging her perfectly manicured nails into my skin to stop me from walking away from her.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, running a hand through my hair.

“I heard you were called into the Sheriff's office,” she said. “And given that I'm your future wife, I thought I should find out what's going on. Does this have anything to do with that man that went missing the other day? I heard some people mentioning it, but I wasn't sure what it was all about. Was it about that guy?”

I shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?” She shot me a look of death.

“Yeah, fine, they wanted to know if I knew anything,” I said.

“And do you?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

I shrugged.

“Answer me, Asher.”

“No, I don't. Why would I?” I snapped. “Listen, I just spent the last few hours getting harassed by our wonderfully uptight, angry sheriff – I don't need to hear it from you too.”

Mariana looked hurt, but I knew it was just an act. She wasn't nearly as sensitive as all that and me snapping at her a little wasn’t likely to hurt her feelings. No one in her position would survive if she was a weak, emotional little thing. Which she was little – petite and thin with long brown hair and bigger than average hazel eyes – but I knew better than to let her looks deceive me.

I knew what she was deep down. I knew her better than anyone, besides her own parents perhaps. What she was, was a master at playing a role. At manipulation. About using people's underestimation of her as a weapon she could then turn around and kill them with. Mariana was a lot of things, but weak, emotional, and easily hurt were not among them.

She grabbed hold of my arm again and tried to get me to stop, but I yanked free from her grasp.

“Asher, please – can we go somewhere and talk?”

I sighed and looked off into the distance. All she wanted was a conversation. I owed her at least that much – I knew I did. Not by my choice, but she was to be my wife. I needed to talk to her, to let her into my world. My thoughts. I may not have picked her, but I was going to have to learn to accept her for who she was. But that was hard, considering who she was.

“If you're in trouble with the law, it's going to have an impact not just on your clan, but mine as well,” she said. “Since we're supposed to be married and our clans tied together, what you do impacts me, just as what I do impacts you. And I need to know how to proceed.”

Again, she was right. Didn't mean I trusted her or her clan, but she was right. Our clans had been bitter rivals for as long as I could remember. But technically, we were supposed to be united together with our marriage. And given that fact, deep down, I knew that I should trust her. I should probably also learn to love her – but that was something that would either come in time or it wouldn't. I couldn't control the way I felt about her, even if we were married.

“Fine, let's talk,” I said.

She took my hand in hers and led the way. I wasn't sure where she was taking me, but we ended up at her car – a candy apple red BMW bought for her by her daddy, of course.

“Climb inside,” she said, looking up at me with her big, doe eyes. “We can talk in here.”

Mariana often used her looks to get what she wanted out of life. Being beautiful and part of one of the most powerful clans in the world came with a lot of privileges. And she used that to her advantage every chance she got.

I climbed into the passenger seat, half expecting her to sit in the driver's seat.

Wrong.

She climbed into the passenger seat along with me, straddling me in the car.

“I thought we were going to talk?” I said.

“We are,” she said, grinding her tiny little body against me. “But I thought maybe we'd screw first, talk later. You just got out of prison and all and I figured you could use a woman's touch.”

“Dirty little mouth on you,” I growled.

She knew I loved it when she talked that way and was a little aggressive. It was to my detriment, but she knew exactly how to drive me crazy.

She kissed my neck, sliding her tongue from my collarbone, up to my ear. At the same time, she was moving her hips up and down on top of me, rubbing against the erection growing in my jeans – I was, after all, a warm-blooded male and truth be told, she was sexy as hell.

(Continued in Loved by a Bear…)

Black Salmon Falls may be a small town, but it's big on secrets... 
Rose came from a broken home and Paula, her aunt and the only family she had ever been able count on is dying. After leaving her abusive ex in Seattle and running from a life forever shattered, she moved in with her aunt, determined to start over and build a new life in Black Salmon Falls while also helping care for her in her last days. 

Asher is the privileged child of royalty. The son of the Chief of the Q'lapa Clan of werebears – the dominant clan in Black Salmon Falls. He is betrothed to Mariana, the daughter of the Chief of the N'gasso clan – the second most dominant clan. Asher is not thrilled with his life, but he is loyal to his clan and will do everything – including marrying somebody he does not love – in the name of his people. 

But when fate intervenes and Asher meets Rose, things begin to change. On the surface, they couldn't be more different. And yet, they apparently have more in common than they think. As they get to know each other, they both find something in each other they never expected. And as their affection for one another grows, it begins to cause strife within Asher's family and clan. 

A series of murders begin to shake the foundation of the truce between Q'lapa and N'gasso clans. Tensions rise and both clans are beating the drums of war. It's up to Asher to step up and take control. To figure out who is behind the attacks and what the aim of the mystery man whipping up the winds of war is really up to. 

He has to move quickly and potentially sacrifice everything in the name of his clan to stop a war before it breaks out in his beloved town of Black Salmon Falls.

Loved by a Bear features a curvy woman who struggles with insecurities and an irresistible werebear who falls passionately in love with her. 

This book is a standalone, no cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happy ending!