Lisa's Bear

by Rayne Rachels

  Lisa looked up when she heard David say he wasn’t at his office. Other than when he was working, he tended to her needs whether she wanted him to or not.

  “I will see you.” David ended the call and put his cellphone down on the dining room table. He ran his hand through his hair.

  “You have to go to your office?” asked Lisa.

  David looked over at her. “I have to meet with Theo Willis to go over several of the changes he requested. It’s just not good timing, but I can’t put him off. The account is too big and it affects too many people.

  “Then you need to go. I’ll be fine. In fact, I’m thinking about taking a nap.” Lisa put her hand over her mouth to hide a yawn.

  “I don’t want to leave you alone. It’s not safe.”

  Lisa rolled her eyes. “I think I’m more in danger of being attacked by dust bunnies. Lisa tried stifling her laughter. “I saw some in the bedroom the other day, and you know how dangerous they are.”

  “I guess I’ll have to check under the bed just in case any are hiding there.” David stalked around the dining table, coming straight toward her.

  Lisa watched him from her perch on the couch. She wanted to get up and run, but the bulky cast made everything difficult. The sooner it came off, the happier she would be, and then she could scratch the spot that was already becoming a problem. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but if you go through with it, you won’t make your meeting.” She winked at him.

  “I’ll make my meeting, but I will tuck you in since you plan on having a nap.” David leaned down and kissed her, scooping her up in his arms without breaking the kiss. He took her to the bedroom and gently laid her onto the bed, finally breaking the kiss.

  “Wow!”

  “When I get back, I’ll make us some lunch.”

  “Nice. And what do I get for dessert?” Lisa raised her eyebrows at him.

  David grinned. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

  “That’s not fun.” She pushed out her bottom lip in huge fake pout.

  “But the anticipation will make the dessert even sweeter.” He pulled up a quilt and tucked it around her body. “I’ll be back as quick as I can.”

  “I’ll be waiting.” Lisa put her hand up to her face as she tried stifling another yawn.

  “Maybe you should call the doctor and set up an appointment to find out why you’ve been so tired lately.”

  “I’m fine. It’s just my body’s way of coping with all the stress I’ve dealt with as a result of the accident and worrying about whoever it is who wants me dead.” Lisa knew it was the pregnancy making her tired, but she couldn’t tell David. Besides, the way he kept sniffing her every time he thought she wasn’t looking, he had to suspect something. “You be careful.” This time she didn’t bother hiding her yawn.

  David frowned but didn’t say anything as he watched his mate close her eyes. If she wasn’t going to go see the doctor, maybe he could get Aunt Sally to come see her. He turned off the overhead light and quietly closed the door. The sooner he finished with the meeting, the sooner he could get back here.

  Don’t want to leave mate, grumbled his bear.

  I don’t want to either, but I have to go to this meeting.

  Mate smells different. Not bad. Different.

  I smell it too, but I’m not sure what’s causing it.

  Mate wants to hibernate. We hibernate too.

  David rolled his eyes. Since the accident, his bear didn’t want to be very far away from Lisa, but David couldn’t blame him. He wanted to stay with her too, to make sure she stayed safe. He rolled up the drawings he had been working on and shoved them into the canister he had just for them and picked up his cellphone and keys. Hopefully the meeting wouldn’t take too long.

  Lisa wasn’t sure what woke her, but she knew something was wrong. Her throat and chest hurt. It was hard to breathe. She forced her eyes open, but quickly closed them and winced. The dim light caused new shards of pain, intensifying the horrible headache she already had.

  What’s going on?

  Don’t know. Smell smoke, answered her bear.

  Yeah, I smell it too.

  Lisa started coughing again. She grabbed her chest and gasped for air as soon as she quit coughing. She opened her eyes again, ignoring the pain in her head as best she could. Lisa looked around. Some of the confusion cleared when she saw the smoke drifting around the bedroom.

  “The house is on fire!” She scooted out of the middle of the bed. The smoke was growing thicker. Lisa rubbed her burning eyes. The acid smoke was irritating them, but her rubbing made it worse. Her eyes started watering so bad, it looked like she had tears running down her cheeks.

  She stood up and took a deep breath.

  Bad move!

  Her lungs were desperate for air. She started coughing and gasping for air.

  Must protect cub, roared her bear.

  Lisa looked around the room. Smoke was everywhere. She moved to the door and opened it. The smoke was even thicker in the short hallway. Lisa pulled the collar of her shirt up over her mouth in an attempt to block out some of it so she could breathe. It helped but only a little.

  She made her way toward the living room and gasped.

  The living room and kitchen where completely engulfed in flames.

  The heat was intense. It licked at her pale skin, turning it red.

  Lisa looked around. There was no way she could get to the front door. The only option left was to retreat back into the smoke filled bedroom. A window, she thought. I can go out a window.

  Panic hung around the edge of her brain, waiting to swoop in and take over.

  She ran to the nearest window and pulled back the heavy drapes. “NO!” she screamed and rushed over to the next window and flung back the drapes.

  Panic swooped in.

  Not only was the fire inside the house, but it was outside as well.

  All exits were blocked!

  Lisa screamed.

  Her skin rippled.

  The pink cast on her left arm cracked and then split open.

  Lisa screamed again, but it came out as a cross between a scream and a growl.

  Her whole body felt like it was being torn apart and rearranged. She could hear the pop and snap of her bones. She threw her head back and gave out a scream that came out sounding more like the roar of a bear. The pink cast shattered and fell off her arm.

  What’s happening? Panic filled Lisa’s voice.

  Must protect cub!

  It was then Lisa realized she was no longer in control of her body.

  She had shifted.

  Where minutes before she had stood, was now a 600 pound Kodiak bear.

  The bear growled.

  Glass broke and wood splintered.

  The smell of burnt fur reached Lisa’s nose as she, in bear form, burst through the window and flames surrounding the house.

  Away from the house and fire, Lisa shook her massive head. Some of her fur was singed but not too bad. She sniffed the air. The smell of gasoline filled the air. Someone had set her house on fire. Lisa retreated to the woods and brush that surround the edge of her property.

  As she rounded the far side of the house, a horrible laughter brought her to a stop. She sniffed the air, catching the scent of a female human. Through the brush she caught a glimpse of blonde hair.

  The sound of sirens slowly grew louder.

  Someone had called the fire department.

  “Come on, we have to get out of here!” yelled a voice from the road.

  “I want to make sure she’s dead,” replied a voice much closer to Lisa.

  “We can’t be caught here,” said the first voice.

  “Fine, but we’re coming back after the fire trucks get here. I want to be here to comfort David when he finds out that bitch is dead.”

  Lisa heard a car sped away. She growled.

  We should have killed her, grumbled her bear.

  Then we would be no better than her and her siste
r.

  They tried to harm our cub.

  And don’t forget, they tried to take our mate, said Lisa. I want to make sure she pays for a long time. But we also have to worry how this will affect Ben and his dad. For now, we have to wait for one of the family to find us before she gets back.

  Lisa moved a little further back into the trees and waited.

  David was locking the doors to his office when he felt the most horrible, gut wrenching fear he had ever felt. It over-whelmed him and dropped him to his knees.

  Lisa.

  Mate needs us!

  His bear clawed and butted its head against David’s insides, determined to get out. He tried reasoning with it, but the beast was beyond listening. Beads of sweat popped up on his forehead as he fought with every bit of strength he had to keep the bear contained inside him.

  He had heard sirens earlier, but didn’t pay them much attention because he knew Lisa was at her home safe in bed taking a nap. But now the sirens coupled with the feeling of fear and his bear’s reactions, David wasn’t so sure. What if someone had broken into the house? What if Lisa was hurt? The thoughts of what could have happened to Lisa wouldn’t shut off.

  David got up off the sidewalk and staggered to his truck. His bear was still fighting for control.

  We’re going to Lisa, but you have to stop fighting me.

  Mate in danger.

  If you keep fighting me, we won’t get anywhere. And if you’re seen roaming the streets, someone will shoot you. We can’t help our mate if we’re dead.

  The bear growled.

  David let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He got in the truck and took off. He pushed the speed limits through town. Even before he got to the County Road Lisa lived off of, he could see smoke rising above the trees.

  “Please don’t let it be Lisa’s house. Please let Lisa be safe. I can’t live without her. I can’t live without her.” He chanted the phrases over and over.

  The road to her house was blocked by police barricades. David parked the truck on the shoulder just feet away from them and sprinted past several officers who yelled at him to stop. He ignored shouts and instead kept going toward Lisa’s house. He pushed his way through the crowd that had gathered and came to a dead stop. He felt like someone had punched him in the stomach.

  Lisa’s house was totally engulfed in flames.

  “David, get control now.”

  David felt a set of hands on his shoulders. Dazed he looked at the man the arms belonged to without really seeing him. “Lisa’s in there.”

  Todd shook his cousin. “Get control now and come with me.”

  “David, I’m so sorry. I heard there’s nothing they could do.” April Davenport pushed Todd out of the way and put her arms around David’s waist. “It’s not like you two were mates or anything like that.” April slid her hands up his chest and wrapped them around his neck. She rose up on her tip toes and started kissing him on his lips.

  “Get your skanky hands off of David!”

  April let go of David and whipped around. “You! You’re supposed to be dead.”

  “Sorry to disappoint you.” Lisa shrugged her shoulders. “Now get away from my mate.”

  “Why can’t you just die like you’re supposed to?” April stomped her foot. “There was no way you could get out of the house. I made sure of that.”

  “Just like you made sure my car went over the ravine.” Lisa raised an eyebrow.

  “If you didn’t have such a hard head, you would already be dead, you fat cow. He doesn’t love you. He can never love you.” April sneered at Lisa as she put her hand on David.

  David watched Lisa’s eyes turn silver. He sniffed the air. Her honey rose scent was stronger and mixed with two new scents.

  His bear stood up and growled. Mine!

  “If you don’t get your sorry ass away from David, you’re going to find out what this fat cow can do to you.” The hand holding the blanket wrapped around her started changing, forming into claws.

  “I think I’ve heard enough,” said Todd. “April Davenport, you’re under arrest for the attempted murder of Lisa Mathers, arson, and leaving the scene of an accident.” He put the woman into a pair of handcuffs and led her away as he read the rest of her rights to her.

  Lisa growled. “They had better lock that bitch away for a long time because she won’t walk away next time.” She took several deep breathes.

  David closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around her. For the next several minutes the kiss between them was hotter than the flames coming from the house.

  “Miss Mathers, I need you back in the ambulance,” said Harrison, one of the paramedics and Todd’s twin brother.

  David broke the kiss. He picked Lisa up and carried her to the ambulance. “You are not leaving my side again. I thought I had lost you for good.” He nuzzled her neck and took in her sweet scent. “When were you going to tell me?”

  “When Mother Bear said I could.”

  David looked at his mate. “I had hoped she would bless our mating, but she actually spoke to you?”

  Lisa smiled. “She came to me while I was in the coma. My bear is—was one of her protectors, and she’s very protective of our cub.”

  David hugged her tighter to him. “I love you so much. I thought I had lost you for good this time.”

  “Do you really love me?” asked Lisa.

  “Yes, with all my heart.”

  “Take me home and prove it,” whispered Lisa in his ear. She rubbed her cheek against his. “My bear wants her mate—now and forever.”

  EPILOGUE

  Lisa looked at the drawings over David’s shoulder. “I don’t remember that being there the last time I looked at this.” She pointed to a section of the drawing. “What is this room off the office supposed to be?”

  “This is a second nursery. That way when we’re working downstairs, Junior is close by. As he grows it can be turned into his playroom.”

  “And what if Junior is a Junette?”

  David turned around and wrapped his arms around Lisa’s growing belly and kissed it. Seeing her heavy with his child was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen, and he loved every inch of her. “I will love the cub no matter what.”

  “I guess it’s a good thing I agreed to marry you,” said Lisa as she bent down to kiss him.

  “All right you two. You need to let this one get born before you start practicing on the next one.” Jason put down two large bags onto the tailgate of the truck next to the drawings.

  “Hey Aunt Lisa, how’s my baby cousin doing?” asked Ben as he walked up behind his dad with two more bags.

  “She is doing fine.” Lisa smiled. She stared at the bags they had put on the tailgate. “How much food did you bring?”

  “I wasn’t sure what you wanted, so I got several different things,” said Jason.

  Lisa just rolled her eyes. She had quickly found out the men in the family liked their women on the curvy side and made sure they were well fed.

  I smell apple pie, rumble her bear.

  You always want apple pie. Lisa rolled her eyes.

  Cover mate with apple pie and we can lick it off of him.

  You hussy. Lisa looked at David who was laughing at something Ben had said. Maybe covering David with apple pie and licking it off of him wasn’t a bad idea.

  “How are you doing?” Jason asked her, breaking into her thoughts.

  “Good. Really good.” She put her hand on the top of her belly. “How about you? Have you heard anything from Tina?”

  “Actually, I’m doing better than I thought I would. Her leaving was probably the best thing that’s happened to me since the birth of Ben. The good thing is I didn’t marry the woman.”

  Almost on cue, Ben walked over and put his hand on his dad’s shoulder. “You’re mate’s coming, and she needs you as much as you need her.” Then he walked away.

  Jason just stared after his son. “I think the family may be growing in mor
e ways than one.” He walked away to stare at woods surround the site where Lisa and David’s new house was going up.

  Lisa looked up to see David smiling at her. She smiled back and held out her hand to him. She had her bear, and she wasn’t letting go.

  THE END