by V. Vaughn
After breakfast, Annie and Val take me to the woods, where I’m going to learn to shift. The sound of the forest is magnified for me, and I gaze around at everything in awe. The tiniest details have come to life, and I swear I can even hear a mosquito’s wings flap in the air as it buzzes by me. Val grabs me by the hand to tug me along when it is clear I am too dazed by my surroundings to follow where we are going.
When we get to a small clearing, Annie says, “I’m sure you’ve realized by now, modesty is not a werebear trait.”
I grin. “If I didn’t know before, you sitting on the couch waiting for Val to bite me was a pretty big clue.”
She smiles back at me. “Time to get naked.”
I take a deep breath as Val winks at me. “I’m getting naked too so we can run.”
My shorts are soft on my skin as I slide them down my legs. The dirt beneath my feet is cool on my toes, and I say, “I’m supposed to conjure up an intense emotion, right?”
“Yes,” says Annie. “And imagine letting your bear out. Let yourself lose control to her.”
I close my eyes and recall how desperate I was when I first woke in my cage after being kidnapped. The emotion of fear makes my chest tighten, and a low rumbling vibrates through my body. I think it’s my bear, so I imagine my claws extending and fur poking through my skin the way it happened when I watched Nadia shift.
When I hear a loud thud, I realize I hit the ground on all fours, and the impact radiates through my front legs. I scream in my mind. “I did it!”
Val’s voice comes through loud and clear. “You did.”
“Whoa, I’m talking to you. That was easy.”
“You’re a natural.”
I gaze at my large paws on the ground and squirm a bit in my new body.
“Now see if you can shift back to your human form. Imagine your skin swallowing up the fur.”
I picture it and scramble to stand when I realize my hands instead of paws are on the ground. Annie says, “Amazing. I bet the three-quarters werebear in you is making this so easy.”
I grin with pride at how easy shifting is for me, and Val asks, “Ready for a run?”
“Let’s go.”
He shifts in a flash, while I take longer to focus on making it happen. This time, I take stock of my body. My coat is a russet shade of brown, and my paws are much bigger than I expected. Val says, “Yes. You’re gorgeous.”
I recall how he once teased me about not being attractive as a bear. I gaze at my mate in his bear form. It occurs to me we’re as distinctive as animals as we are as humans. “You’re not so bad yourself. Now are we going to run or what?” I propel myself as if I’ve done this a million times. Somehow my animal form knows what to do.
Val nudges my bottom with his snout before he passes me to lead the way. We race along the trees, and I move with agility and speed I didn’t know bear possess. I also find while I’m breathing heavily, my body doesn’t seem weak, as it might when working out after taking a break. When we end up back at the clearing, Annie is gone, and we both shift back to human form.
I’m exhilarated from our run, and I throw myself into Val’s arms. “That was amazing!” I reach up and kiss him quickly. “Thank you so much for coming into my life, being my true mate, and changing me into the most amazing creature on earth.”
He chuckles as he holds me. “You are very welcome. I’m glad you like being a bear.”
“I love it.” I stand up on my tiptoes to kiss him again. “And I love you.” Our mouths fit perfectly together, and as we taste each other, I experience the warmth of our love, but I also feel something more. It’s as if we’re entwining more than our tongues, and I imagine it’s our lifelong bond strengthening. I’ve become what I was destined to be, and I wonder what else fate has in store for me.
Chapter 20
Izzy
“No.” I shake my head to emphasize my point to Jean Luc. “I don’t believe it’s only Tally’s magic in danger. I won’t do this.”
Jean Luc’s eyes flash with his alpha before he tamps it down. He sits in the chair across from where I’m seated on the couch in our living room, and he holds out his palms. “I don’t believe it either, but Tally wants to do the spell. I know it’s because of her oath to the clan, and you know she’d never be able to live with herself if she didn’t take the opportunity to stop Victor.”
I clutch a throw pillow and resist the urge to bean him in the head with it. “You’re really going to play the oath card with me?”
“What do you want me to do, Isabelle? Order my medicine woman to go against the very thing she is? To put her honor and integrity aside to save her own life? The one she’d hate living if she let the clan down this way?”
I do know Tally couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t fulfill her sworn obligation to the clan. I let out a small growl and punch the pillow before I set it down. My husband is right on all points, and I haven’t got an argument that would be valid. “I hate this. Didn’t you say Marcel was there? Did he try to talk some sense into her?”
Jean Luc’s face hardens. “He can’t.”
“You alpha-ordered him.” I roll my eyes. “I suppose it was necessary, but he’s got to be frantic imagining life without his true love.”
“True love?” Jean Luc scowls at me.
“Yes. True love. There is something special about their relationship, and if you took the time to notice, you’d know it too.” He tilts his head at me, but before he can try to tell me I’m wrong, I say, “Oh no you don’t. I am going to scold you on this, and you’re going to let me.”
“Izzy. I’m aware that Marcel makes Tally very happy, and I have no intention of breaking them up.”
“Are you aware they act like true mates?”
Jean Luc gets up and mumbles, “Not that again.” He gets to the sliding glass door and stares out at the ocean view.
Does he know what Grace told me? I get up too and go to him. I place my hand on his shoulder, and the thick muscle is firm under my touch. “What do you mean not that again?”
He turns to me and wraps his arms around my waist. “Tally’s grandmother had a long-term affair with Marcel’s great-uncle. My grandfather allowed it because keeping your medicine woman happy is important. She already had a child, Tally’s mother, so her successor was in place.”
“Don’t you wonder how it lasted that long? I mean, most werebear move on to find a mate once they’ve tired of a human fling.”
Jean Luc slides his hands down over my bottom and squeezes. “Clan witches aren’t usual humans.”
“No, they’re not.” I lean into him as desire for my mate simmers. “You’re not suggesting Tally spells Marcel to be in love with her, are you?”
“Of course not, but I know that’s what my grandfather thought her grandmother did.”
Jean Luc leans in and flutters kisses along my neck, and I let my head fall back to give him better access. “What if she didn’t? What if there is something about the witch-werebear love that is similar to true-mate attraction?”
His breath tickles the skin on my shoulder as he says, “Perhaps there is, but Tally doesn’t have a child to serve as the Ouellette witch when she retires. Imagine the can of worms it would open if we let Marcel and Tally have a family.”
I have. I sigh as my need for Jean Luc ramps up. “I suppose there is no easy answer here.”
“No, ma cherié.” He grabs the back of my thighs to hoist me up, and I wrap my legs around his waist.
“Are you distracting me?”
“I hope so.” He nuzzles my neck as he walks us toward the bedroom and lays me down on the bed gently when we get there. Jean Luc slides his hands under my shirt to lift it over my head, and I remove my bra so he can place his hands on my full breasts, which have gotten bigger with my pregnancy. My nipples are more sensitive too, and I tremble when he swirls his thumb around one. “How am I doing so far?”
I let my head fall back as I let out a small moan. “What?”
Jean Luc rises over me while I recover, and I smile up at him as I place my hand on his cheek. Our love fills my whole body with its glow. This man opened my heart wide, and now I’m able to experience physical pleasure intertwined with our love. “My incredible mate, whatever would I do without you?”
He slides his cock over my entrance, and I flinch at the intensity of it on my sensitive slit. “I have no idea.”
I grin at his teasing and inhale deeply as he thrusts into me. He says, “The question is, how would I ever live without you, ma cherié?” He sinks deep, and his voice is husky when he says, “You become more beautiful to me every day.” He kisses me, and I taste our unique combination of flavor as he moves to create the friction of passion we both desire.
I bear my soul to my husband as we both moan in a primal song. Even our growls seem to harmonize as our bodies begin to ramp up for the ecstasy we seek. And when we both writhe with an orgasm, our hearts are laid bare for each other to pick up and hold dear.
Jean Luc’s heart beats loudly beneath my ear as I lie on his chest. I say, “It’s still amazing how happy you make me.”
“It’s all part of destiny’s plan, Izzy. The fierce love of a true mate is what fuels werebear to fight for survival.”
He sighs, and I wonder if he’s worried about the future of the Ouellette clan. I’m sure he’s concerned about Tally. I lift up on my elbow to gaze down at him. “If Tally thought she had Marcel to fight for, it could give her the strength she needs to win tomorrow.”
“Izzy.” Jean Luc shakes his head as a smile forms on his face. “You’re relentless, and that little witch is damn lucky you care so much.”
“Really? Does this mean you’re going to let them be together?” I sit up. “Oh my gosh. Imagine little Tallys and Marcels.” If one of their children ends up getting changed, they could be a force to be reckoned with, and the reality of that hits me. “Jean Luc. You know how polar-bear genes have made you stronger, and how by adding the DNA from me and Nadia into the next generation, our clan is going to be strengthened. Picture how powerful werebear witches will be!”
He sits up, and the headboard bangs against the wall when he leans back on it. “That’s exactly what I was thinking. Only the clan medicine man or woman will be allowed to mate with a werebear, though. We won’t be opening this up to any magical person or other clan members.”
“Of course.”
I climb out of the bed, and Jean Luc reaches his hand out toward me. “Where are you going?”
The carpet is soft on my feet as I walk to the bathroom. “To tell Tally!” I can’t help my excitement over Jean Luc’s decision to let my best friend have a life with her true love. I gaze at my naked body in the mirror over the sink and place my hands on my round belly. I have three beautiful children who will be born soon, and now Tally’s going to get to experience the same joy. Thank you, destiny. I turn to flip on the shower and must nudge a lotion bottle, because it crashes to the floor. As I stoop to pick it up, the seriousness of the upcoming spell to break Victor’s bond with Tally washes over me. But I refuse to worry, and think about Jean Luc’s words. The fierce love of a true mate is what fuels werebear to fight for survival. I think it’s the same for witches too, and I hold on to that hope as I prepare to tell Tally the good news.
Chapter 21
Nadia
“Hi,” says Kelsey.
I gaze at a perky-cheerleader version of Caitlyn. My job today is to assess if she’s capable of being a warrior. Not that we want her to become one, but Henri suggested we check out Kelsey’s fighting skills to see if we should use her in place of Caitlyn for Linda’s rescue. Weights thud and rock music blares in the gym as she approaches me. The girl is dressed in purple exercise leggings with a sports bra and tank top that match. More than a few werebear follow her movements, and her cheeks flush pink when she notices. When she gets to me, her ponytail bounces as words spill out of her mouth. “I’m super nervous about this. I took tae kwon do as a kid and then kickboxing classes when I was in high school, but I never expected to use it for real.”
Her eyes are wide, and now that she’s cleaned up from her kidnapping ordeal, I notice even the spray of freckles across her nose is the same as Caitlyn’s. Although we may have to tone down the happiness that oozes from her pores. She’s a far cry from her sullen twin. I smile because true-mate love can do that to a girl.
“You likely picked up some useful skills.” I tilt my head toward the mats. “Let’s go find out.”
I warm her up with jump roping and discover she’s in decent aerobic shape, which she tells me is because she jogs a few times a week. She fares pretty well with the bags too. Her kicks are well executed, and her punches are solid. I’m pleasantly surprised considering she only recently became a werebear, and I can definitely work with her to ensure she’ll hold her own should we run into trouble.
Once I’ve run her through the paces, I say, “You’ve got a good base of techniques. I think boatbuilding made you strong, and now that you’ve been changed, it’s been enhanced.”
“Yeah. I’ve always exercised. Something about it keeps me from getting too moody.”
As one who relies on physical exertion to keep my temper at bay, I understand. “I feel the same way. Ready to spar in the ring with me?”
She hesitates before she says, “Sure.” Kelsey’s nerves appear to be back, and I notice she bites her lip as she pulls on a helmet. She flinches when the chin strap snaps shut, and I wonder if she’s afraid she might shift. I ask, “What’s the matter?”
She shrugs with a sheepish grin. “I don’t like to fight.”
Most of the Ouellettes who face me in the sparring ring feel the same way. “I won’t hurt you.” I bounce on my feet and tease her. “Or are you afraid of hurting me?”
She offers a weak smile. “You’re a polar bear. Nobody could hurt you.”
The purpose of seeing Kelsey fight is twofold. I need to understand how to help her get better and figure out if she’s the type to crumble under the pressure of pain. “Yeah?” I jab out and hit her square in the jaw with enough force to make her stumble back.
She recovers quickly and puts her fists up to defend herself, but the hurt look in her eyes is a bad sign. I want to see anger instead. And when she doesn’t come at me, I move toward her and punch again to connect with her shoulder. “Fight back, Kelsey!”
When she shakes her head and moves back farther, I attack with a series of firm hits. They shouldn’t be too painful, and I expect her to try to get a hit in. Instead, Kelsey dances around the ring trying to avoid me. When I don’t stop hitting her, she falls apart. As she sinks to the ground with her arms up to protect her face, she whimpers, “Stop. Please stop.”
Damn it. I take a moment to let her recover before I crouch down in front of her. “Kelsey, look at me.” She gazes up with puppy-dog eyes that make my stomach sink. “You can’t cower like this. If this happened in the bear world, you’d be dead.”
A tear streams down her cheek. “I told you I can’t fight.”
“Wrong. You can. You just choose not to.” I get up and walk to the other side of the ring as I sort out what to do. It’s hard for me to imagine growing up in a world without danger, or one where you never had to defend yourself physically. I recall how distraught she was when we rescued her from the cave, and while her crying wasn’t inappropriate, she’s no warrior. I know she didn’t suffer abuse while held captive, but maybe the trauma was too much. Unfortunately, she’s a weak link to the clan if she can’t figure out a way to get past her co
nflict problem.
I turn back and walk over to her. “Look. I know your life was sunshine and roses until recently, but you made the decision to become a werebear, and now that you are, you need to behave like one.” I reach out my hand to help her up.
She grips me tightly as she gets up. “But I don’t want to be a warrior.” She sniffs and swipes the back of her hand across her cheek. “Why do I need to fight?”
“Because, in our world, sometimes you don’t have a choice.” I think about how concerned Kelsey was for Linda, and I decide to change my tactics. “You want to help Linda, right?”
She nods.
“We need you to help us with that. Because your sister is still human, she can’t defend herself, and Henri suggested you go with us on the rescue mission in place of Caitlyn.”
“But why do you need me instead of Caitlyn?” Kelsey rubs her arm in one of the spots I punched her.
“We think Linda won’t trust any of us enough to come otherwise.”
“But she barely knows me. Why would she trust her former prisoner?”
“We’re hoping she thinks you’re Caitlyn.” Her brow knits as she considers the idea. “You look so much like her it’s scary.”
“I know,” she says. “Linda said the same thing.”
I say, “She was nice to you, wasn’t she?”
“She was. She brought me my sister’s favorite cookies, and a sleeping bag so I wouldn’t freeze to death.”
Appealing to Kelsey’s compassion seems to be working, so I say, “You saw what it’s like in the Eradicators for her. You said Buck hit her, right?”
“He did.” She sighs. “I don’t know.”
Now I think it’s time to play on her sense of responsibility. “Kelsey, you’ve become part of a large family. As Ouellettes, we have a duty to help each other and make meaningful contributions.” I reach out and touch her arm. “Help us help Linda. Nobody deserves to have to live like she does.”
Kelsey nods. “She’s in hell.” She swallows hard. “You’re right. Nobody should live like that.” Kelsey takes a deep breath and blows it out slowly. “Okay. Teach me to fight.”
