Her Bear Protector (BBW Shifter Romance) (7 page)

            Aaron, who stood in the middle of his brothers, answered Alexander's howl with a roar, rising to his hind legs and beating his paws against his chest, his full height at least seven feet. A bear next to him joined in, rising to his full height as well, roaring. I figured this bear was Calvin, because of a distinctive gray streak in the fur on the side of his head, similar to a steak of gray Calvin had running through his hair in human form. The rest of the bears joined in the roar, the sandy-colored bear I knew to be Seth, pawing the ground as if he couldn't wait for the battle to begin.

            And just then, the sun rose. Golden light flooded the clearing. The howls and roars died down. But only for a moment. Aaron and his brothers charged the wolves, and the wolves met them halfway. The force of the fourteen bodies colliding shook the ground beneath my feet. I took my gun from my waistband. I was ready.

            But soon, to my relief, it became clear that I probably wouldn't be needed. Aaron began batting wolves away as easily as if he were swatting flies. One of them flew at least twenty feet in the air and landed in a heap, legs splayed. Another fell to the ground headfirst, as if diving into a pool. Seth also soon proved to be a good fighter, slashing the side of one wolf to ribbons with a single swipe of a paw. Calvin clamped his jaws onto the leg of a wolf who appeared to be trying to get to Seth, stopping him in his tracks. Lucas, Andrew, Cole, and Samuel also seemed to be more than holding their own.

            I actually sat down to watch, setting my gun on my lap. Maybe five minutes later, I propped my chin on my fist, thinking how silly I'd been to think that Aaron might need my help. The wolves began avoiding him in the fight, scurrying around him in order to fight any bear but him. Even Alexander didn't get too close.

            But presently, something changed. Seth sustained a bite to the top of his head, and blood ran down his face, matting his sandy fur. I could tell he was having trouble seeing.      He began doing more staggering than charging. Several of his brothers surrounded him trying to protect him from further attack, but they were immediately pounced on by several wolves. Aaron turned to help, but was blocked by a large dark gray wolf with fangs bared. Alexander suddenly charged at Calvin, knocking him on his back. I stood, heart racing.

            Emily hid her face in the shoulder of a female bear I was fairly sure was Jasmine, but within seconds, she lifted her head and took a few steps forward, her focus intent on Alexander and Calvin. Alexander sank his fangs into Calvin's shoulder while Calvin roared in pain. Emily made a little roar noise that sounded remarkably similar to a human cry. Aaron attempted to reach Calvin, but the large dark gray wolf jumped on his back. Alexander sank his fangs in Calvin's other shoulder, making Calvin roar in pain again. Emily made another cry noise again, shaking her tiny gingery head. And then she took off, flying.

            I edged out from between the evergreen trees, raising my gun. Within seconds, Emily reached Alexander and Calvin, roaring. Alexander lifted his head from Calvin's shoulder and looked at her, his dark eyes glinting. I knew Emily would soon be killed.

            I stepped out of the clearing and aimed my gun at Alexander's head. I fired.

EPILOGUE

The shot only clipped Alexander's ear. He stalked toward me, growling, maybe only fifteen feet away. Emily spotted me, lunged at Alexander, and caught one of his legs between her jaws. He shook her off with the slightest shake, still continuing toward me. Aaron tossed the big dark gray wolf off his back and began charging over. I aimed my gun at Alexander again and fired. The bullet got him right between the eyes. He went down, and Aaron was on him in an instant, flipping him on his back, clawing his chest open, and biting him right in the heart. Alexander was dead. And the tide had turned.

            Calvin rolled over and stood, blood pouring from the wounds on his shoulders, and began driving Emily to the safety of the trees. Seth pounced on the big dark gray wolf, several of his brothers doing the same to other wolves. Aaron picked up a light gray wolf in his mouth and shook him like a rag doll before clawing his chest open and biting him in the heart. Soon all the wolves were dead.

            A short while later, after Aaron and everyone in his family had went into the woods and then emerged dressed and in human form, Aaron approached me, his eyes dark.

            He studied my face for a long moment, muscles working in his jaw, before speaking. "I almost don't even know what to say. You didn't trust me that everything was going to be all right, and you should have."

            I turned my gaze to the ground, realizing he was right. "I know, but-"

            "Unbelievable. You still have a 'but.'"

            I lifted my face. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

            "Again, you should have trusted me."

            I nodded, my gaze on the ground again.

            "Calvin and Seth are in pretty bad shape. We need to get them to the cabins. We'll talk more later."

            I nodded again, wondering if Aaron would still want to be with me even though I hadn't trusted him. Wondering if he still loved me.

            That afternoon, back at the cabin settlement, after Seth and Calvin had been bandaged and cared for and it was certain they'd be okay, I went to look for Aaron in his cabin, but he wasn't there. I sat down on his bed, my head in my hands. Before long, there was a knock at the door, and I answered it.

            Emily stood outside, a tiny bruise on one side of her forehead from when Alexander had shaken her off. "Can I come in?"

            I nodded and led her inside. We both sat down at a table adjacent to Aaron's bedroom.

            I sighed. "I guess I really goofed, Emily. I thought I was changing a pattern of me running from things, and I thought I would make certain that Aaron would be okay. But I guess I only showed that I don't trust him a hundred percent yet."

            She gave me a little smile. "Everyone goofs up. And trust takes a long time to build. You and Aaron will just have to keep working on it."

            "If he'll ever forgive me. And if he even still loves me."

            "I know he'll forgive you. And I know he still loves you. He'll just maybe need some time to get over being upset with you. Which, you know he's only angry because he cares so much about you that it kills him to think about what could have happened to you."

            I nodded. "I know. But it's sure not a great feeling to have the man you love mad at you."

            "Don't I know it. Calvin's not very pleased with me right now, either. I've been officially banned from being present at all future possible battles."

            We talked for a little while longer, and presently I asked Emily if she knew where Aaron was. She said that somehow, one of the wolves had escaped the fray during the battle and had started running east toward Canada.

            "Aaron and Lucas went to push him along a bit and make sure he stays gone. I guess they decided to let him live. And maybe this is a good thing for you, that  Aaron went to do this task. Maybe when he returns tonight, he will have cooled off a bit."

            I said I certainly hoped so.

            We soon left Aaron's cabin, but before we did, Emily stopped in the doorway and gave me a hug.

            "By shooting Alexander, you probably saved my life. Thank you. I think we're officially sisters now. And that makes me very happy."

            Aaron returned late that night, showered, and climbed into his bed with me. I snuggled into him, testing him to see if he'd push me away. But to my surprise, he took me in his arms and held me tighter than he ever had before, planting kisses all over my face. When he finally finished, I pulled away a little, searching his features in dim light from a lamp on the nightstand.

            "Does this mean you're not mad at me anymore?"

            "No. I'm still very angry with you, actually. And I'll probably continue to be for a while. But that doesn't mean that I don't still love you with all my heart and soul, Kyla. And that doesn't mean that I still haven't been thanking God all day that you're unharmed and okay. And also, I have to admit, there's a part of me that admires and respects you for being a strong woman not afraid to make her own decisions, although I already admired and respected you even before." He paused, turning on his side, taking a deep breath. "But we have got to work on our trust issues. You could have been hurt very badly today, or even killed. I love you and I want to always protect you. But you have to help me do that by learning to trust me."

            "I know. I promise I'll work on trusting you completely."

            "Good." Aaron brushed a kiss against my lips. "A step in the right direction."

            He kissed me again, this time, his mouth lingering. And before long, his kisses became a little hungrier and more insistent. I rolled onto my side and hooked a leg over his hips, moaning at the feel of his thick hardness pressed against the tingling space between my thighs. He slid a hand down the back of my underwear, caressing my bare bottom and pulling me closer to him.

            Soon, his groans joined my moans, and a while later, his growl of completion seemed to shake the cabin walls.

            Over the next week, I completed my picture of Aaron holding the purple coneflowers in his mouth in bear form, and I also painted two others. One, him lumbering through the deep woods, me on his back, clutching his fur, the side of my face pressed against his neck. And the other, him raised to full height, roaring, at the beginning of the battle with the wolves. Having a hint that the three paintings contained the passion my high school art teacher had sensed was missing from my previous work, I sent them off to a gallery owner in Detroit who'd sold a few pieces for me in the past. Within days of receiving the paintings, she called to tell me that they'd sold as a set at auction. For a hundred and ten thousand dollars.

            That evening, Aaron and his family surprised me with an elaborate dinner in the family meeting cabin to congratulate me. Afterward, Aaron and I sat in one of the swings in the clearing out back, gliding through the warm, evergreen-scented spring air, fireflies dancing around us. His arm around my shoulders, looking thoughtful, he gazed into the trees, and I asked him what was on his mind.

            After a long moment, he turned to me, taking my hand. "I'm so incredibly proud of your art success, and I know you might be wanting to get back to Detroit soon to enjoy your new standing in the art community. But I'm also just wondering if you might consider...." He took a deep breath, his dark brows angling upward to the center. "Maybe after a visit home, would you consider staying here in the wilds, with me, on a permanent basis? Would you consider making these wilds your home?"

            Smiling, I squeezed his hand. "There's nothing to consider. I don't even need to think about it. These wilds
are
my permanent home now. My home is with you."

            Grinning, Aaron pulled me closer and kissed me while crickets chirped a nighttime symphony around us.

THE END

OR IS IT?

Thanks so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed. I am working on a follow up as we speak.

I really hope you can give me a positive review as it will help me to get more work published!

Watch out for “Her Bear Protector 2” coming very very soon!

Love Shifter Romances?

Join the “SIMPLY SHIFTERS” Mailing List!

Get new book notifications, free books and lots of other great and wonderful things over @

SimplyShifters.com

OTHER POPULAR BBW SHIFTER ROMANCES

Rise Of The Female Alpha

Curvy Sienna has always felt like an outsider within her own wolf pack. Deemed not quite as desirable as the other females and constantly disrespected by her alpha, it is no surprise that Sienna harbors a secret desire to leave forever.
When she meets handsome white wolf Arric from the rival Silverlake pack, she meets a man who finally respects and understands her. They embark on a steamy but dangerous relationship. One that would mean certain death if either were caught.
However, it is only after meeting Arric that Sienna begins to believe in herself and it is he that makes her feel special. Little does she know that she might just be more special then she could ever have imagined...

GET IT ON KINDLE NOW!