Bear Mate: BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance

by Natalie Kristen

  He looked up at the crowd of cheering faces all around him. Some looked familiar. The curious army of demon soldiers looked ferocious but appeared friendly enough. Before he could protest, Blake was hoisted onto shoulders and thrown into the air, like a hero.

  A hero?

  He was no hero.

  He had barely managed to resist the demoness. She had rubbed her naked body all over him, touching him in places and ways only his mate could touch him. He even had her repulsive scent all over him.

  He shuddered violently, tasting bile at the back of his throat. Hands supported him as he groaned and muttered feverishly.

  His entire body burned up, and he turned to his side and threw up. He kept vomiting, spewing out everything that was objectionable, wrong and downright revolting. His gut spasmed and threw all its contents up so violently he burst a blood vessel, making thick dark blood bleed from his eyes. He couldn't see, couldn't control his shaking body which was furiously purging poisonous demon blood from his system. The force and ferocity of his shift and the violent energy he expanded had kick-started his shifter immune system, inciting his body to heal and repair the damage it had suffered. The beast was resilient, tough, instinctual. The purging process was something over which Blake had no control. It was a shifter survival mechanism.

  The beast always survived. In times of turmoil, torture and trauma, the beast stampeded to the fore, often unhinging and unbalancing its human host.

  Blake's human mind was tethered by a thread to the bear's feral senses. He could feel his will and strength slipping away. His last broken thought before he released his shaky grasp on his consciousness was that even though his body was no longer his to control, at least in heart and mind he had remained true to his mate. His beautiful mate who he would never see or hold again.

  Jasynta, I love you.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Prince Zorath had been thoroughly dumbfounded to see the New Moon City inhabitants on the battlefield. Stunned, he had swiftly ordered his soldiers to protect the wide-eyed city folk. But that was before he saw them fight.

  Once those city dwellers charged into battle, his shock turned to amazement and admiration. These humans and paranormals sure could fight. If they couldn't match the demons in size and savagery, they outwitted them, tripping them up with tricky maneuvers.

  His general had been quick to recognize them as allies, and had given Lucas his sword as a sign of authority. His soldiers would recognize their general's sword and listen to Lucas's command.

  They had all fought fearlessly but the tide only turned when Blake bellowed and stormed into battle against Prince Deviazel's demons. Blake had won the battle decisively for them.

  In Zorath's kingdom, he was a hero.

  In her eyes, he was her hero.

  So why, why did he seemed repulsed by her?

  Jasynta's eyes bore into Blake's back. He was dressed in a ripped t-shirt and fatigues, the training gear of Zorath's troops and trudging along with the rest of the PAC members, staring straight ahead, not turning back to even glance at her. Ever since he opened his eyes in Zorath's command tent, he had studiously avoided her.

  Jasynta walked with a coven of witches from WTF—Witches Total defense Foundation. These gutsy witches had combined whatever magick they had left and healed her, purging all the demon blood from her system. Many other civil and government organizations had responded in a heartbeat to the PAC's call to arms. SOB—the Society Of Bears, SHIT—Shifter Headquarters for Intelligence and Tactics, among others.

  Zorath and his soldiers were escorting them to the Gateway, after the demon medics had treated their injuries and they had recovered their strength and humor. The Enforcers were jostling one another and making jokes, ribbing each other about their fighting styles. Their boasts became more outlandish and outrageous as they bragged about how many demons they had mowed down.

  But the one who had single-handedly defeated and destroyed a demon army remained utterly silent. Blake looked at her as if he only half saw her, only half believed that she was really standing in front of him. When she reached out to touch him, he jerked away as if in revulsion. He had even hissed at her.

  He seemed to recognize the rest of the PAC members though. When two of his cousins, Scott and Levi Madden, muscled their way to him, he had broken into a grin and enveloped them in a bear hug. She could see the family resemblance. They were all big, broad and blond. Scott and Levi were senior Enforcers, each leading an elite team.

  His responses were subdued, but he responded to everyone with a few friendly words and gestures of affection and friendship.

  To her, he responded with hostility and disgust.

  Why have I become your enemy, Blake?

  Jasynta blinked hard at his stiff back, refusing to let the tears gather in her eyes. The group stopped suddenly, and she looked up to see giant black storm clouds swirling in a vortex directly above them.

  Zorath shook hands with all the PAC members. “I'll see you back in New Moon City,” he smiled. “There's a load of cleaning up to do down here.”

  “Don't take too long.” Ella Wong, the PAC Secretary and werepanther gave him a hug. “You'll be missed.”

  A group of cheeky, young Enforcers took up the chant, “Ella and Zorath sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-”

  Ella whipped around, and stalked towards them like the predatory cat she was. The youngsters started pointing fingers—“He started it!”, “No, she did!”—and scattered in a hurry.

  As Ella went after them to teach them a lesson they wouldn't forget, Zorath began making his way towards Jasynta.

  “I know you saved him from Hellizendra's claws,” Zorath said quietly. “Blake knows that too. You saved his life and his soul. He just...”

  She shook her head. “He doesn't even want to look at me. I think...I disgust him.”

  Zorath inclined his head. He was in military uniform, and his horns flared majestically over his ears. He looked powerful and regal, so different from how he usually looked when he turned up at Council meetings. He was usually smartly suited, his hair neatly sleeked over the tips of his retracted horns.

  “Blake may be trying to block Hellizendra from his mind, trying to resist her with every ounce of his will. You have to know that Hellizendra is one of the top-ranking succubi. Her success rate is, um, near hundred per cent. To resist her and not succumb must have taken a lot out of him. Be patient with him, Jasynta. You are his strength, his life, his future. He needs you.”

  “And I need him,” she whispered, her voice quavering.

  Zorath nodded, and handed her a sharp, curved knife. The blade was pure silver and curved like a crescent moon. “The most powerful mages in my court forged this knife. Use this to cut down the Moon Flower and close the Gateway,” he said. “Blake would have been able to cut down the Moon Flower with his immense strength, but—now, you have to do it.”

  A crowd had gathered around Zorath and her. There were oohs and aahs at the sight of the glinting knife.

  “If she destroys the Moon Flower and seals the Gateway, how are you going to get back to New Moon City, Zorath?”

  Everyone turned their head in Jett's direction. He was standing at the back of the crowd, watching them with folded arms.

  Zorath sighed, looking as though he wanted to ignore the human but couldn't.

  “A Gateway allows demons who don't belong in a certain realm temporary access to that realm,” Zorath explained at last. “We all inhabit realms we belong to. I can make my way to New Moon City without going through a Gateway. To move between realms, purity and clarity of thought and purpose is key.”

  “Thought? Purpose? Purity?” Jett raised his brows and scoffed. “So what do you do? Meditate? You simply visualize where you want to be, being clear of thought and all, and poof! You're there?”

  Zorath stared at the human and deadpanned, “Don't underestimate the power of meditation and visualization.”

  Jett rolled his eyes skyward as if searching f
or patience and enlightenment and finding none. He shook himself with a big shudder. “Goddamn new age demon,” he muttered at last, tagging on a dramatic “brrr” for good measure.

  Zorath turned to a group of demon Enforcers who were shuffling their feet awkwardly, unsure of whether they should stay or go. “You are where you belong. There is a reason you are where you are. You belong in that realm, not here. You have a purpose there,” he told them. Jasynta saw that new age or not, Zorath was a damn fine demon prince. He used his powers and knowledge wisely, for the good of others, and his kingdom.

  “All right, you heard the demon prince.” Jett rolled his eyes again and called out, rallying his Enforcers. “Let's get your asses back to the city. You have a purpose, a job, and that is to keep the city safe. Let's move out!”

  Jasynta closed her fist over the cold handle of that curved, silvery knife. The Moon Flower had opened up a Gateway and unleashed all sorts of trouble and heartbreak. Blake was right. The Moon Flower was evil. She had no use for evil power.

  In any event, it was too late. She hadn't made it back in time for the duel. It was over. She hadn't turned up, so the challenge fell back on the coven Elder. Lucinda herself would have taken up the gauntlet. Jasynta swallowed painfully, hoping that her coven had prevailed and was free from harm.

  Evil wouldn't triumph over love. It just couldn't.

  “I will do it.” Jasynta gave her solemn promise.

  Zorath nodded, and told her as he turned away, “When you're done, keep the knife. It loses its magick after one use. But it'd make a nice keepsake. And it'd be quite a story to tell the cubs and the grand-cubs, don't you think?”

  Cubs?

  Grand-cubs?

  As in bear cubs?

  Jasynta gawked and blushed, but Zorath was already wading through his troops, shouting orders and waving the city folk back in line.

  At Zorath's signal, his soldiers moved into place at once. Two demon soldiers stepped up to each of them. Jasynta found two burly demons standing at attention at her side. At Zorath's command, the demons grabbed the city dwellers and launched them towards the vortex of threatening clouds, and through the Gateway.

  Screaming and whooping, they tumbled through the Gateway and somersaulted out of the crater. Thumps and thuds were accompanied by groans and curses as they landed heavily on the sides of the volcano.

  Jasynta scrambled up, clutching the knife. The crescent blade was glowing powerfully, reflecting the moonlight. The PAC members were moving swiftly through the ranks, checking that everyone had made it through the Gateway and was accounted for. Once Lucas gave her the go-ahead, she went to the edge of the crater with Scott and Levi. As the two bear shifters held her securely, she leaned far out over the lip of the crater and reached down. The Moon Flower was swaying and dancing enticingly, trying to seduce her with the promise of power. But she'd had quite enough of seductresses.

  With a vicious swipe, she hacked at the Moon Flower, severing its head from its stalk. An eerie, thin scream could be heard, as the petals blackened and shriveled, and turned to dust. The black dust fell into the depths of the volcano as lightning flashed overhead. The sudden illumination allowed her to see the Gateway spin and spiral downwards, disappearing like water down a plughole.

  The entire volcano shook as the Gateway closed with a boom.

  Jasynta was thrown backwards, but Scott caught her around the waist and stopped her from tumbling down and breaking her crown.

  “T-thanks,” she gulped, blinking as the world shimmered and became right again.

  “You're welcome, cousin...in-law.” Scott gave her a rakish grin.

  “Wha—?”

  “You are our cousin's mate,” Levi said simply.

  Jasynta winced. “Blake doesn't seem to think so.”

  The two senior Enforcers exchanged a look.

  “The bear always recognizes its mate,” Levi began after a pause. “Blake recognizes you, but—he has erected a wall in his mind, to protect himself and to protect you. Bears always protect their mates. Once we find our mates, we are loyal, possessive, protective, and we will never do anything to let our mates down.” Levi stated it as a fact, with no trace of smugness in his expression.

  “So why doesn't he...”

  “He needs to know, without any doubt, without any barrier, that you are indeed his true mate. And that you are not that...succubus.” Scott wrinkled his nose at the last word.

  “How...”

  “He needs to mate with you.”

  Jasynta's eyes rounded, but Blake's two cousins were staring at her solemnly, almost severely.

  “Once the bear claims its mate, an unbreakable bond is forged. A bond even the man cannot deny. He will know you, completely and forever. You have to break that barrier in Blake, Jasynta,” Levi said. “Soon. Otherwise it will remain—permanently.”

  She looked at the two powerful bear shifters in front of her. They were so much like Blake—brave, protective, loyal. They were trying not to crowd her, not to force her, but she saw their hope and plea so clearly in their eyes.

  Jasynta took a deep breath. And nodded.

  She looked up into two pairs of anxious blue eyes, and said, “Bears like caves, right?”

  At that, Scott and Levi broke out into wide smiles. “Right!”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Jasynta bid goodbye to the last group of Enforcers at the foot of the volcano. The rest had already been misted and teleported back to New Moon City by the vampires and demons among them.

  Blake was standing stiffly to the side, his gaze pensive as he looked out at the quiet lake.

  “You'll be okay?” Levi asked softly.

  “Yes. We—will be okay,” Jasynta answered, letting her eyes slide to Blake.

  Glenn Constantine nodded once at her before fading into mist. The mist curled around two civilian lion shifters from FART—Felines Against Racism and Terrorism, and a trio of human Enforcers. Scott and Levi ran and jostled into the mist just in time for the last vampire flight back to New Moon City. Just before they were completely enveloped by the mist, Scott managed to shout out a reminder to Jasynta, something about a Madden family gathering over the weekend.

  Family gathering?

  Blake's cousins saw her as family. To them, she was already Jasynta Madden.

  The mist rose and raced across the lake and into the distance, and she was left standing alone at the water's edge, with Blake.

  Scott and Levi were so sure that this would work. Jasynta only wished she shared their good cheer and optimism.

  She took a cautious step forward. “Blake?”

  He turned at the sound of her voice, cocking his head, but his eyes were fixed at a spot behind her. He squinted and sniffed the air, growling at her scent. Jasynta held her breath, and forced one foot slowly in front of the other, stretching out her hand to a wounded animal.

  Blake turned his head back and forth, as if searching for something. As Jasynta came nearer and nearer, his huge body jerked and his fists clenched and unclenched at his side.

  Jasynta let her fingers rest lightly on his arm. His muscles relaxed at her touch, and he breathed deeply but he still refused to see her. His eyes remained distant, staring away from her. She saw anger and hate in his eyes, but there was also an aching vulnerability.

  “Will you let me hold your hand, Blake?” she whispered.

  He blinked and swallowed, his shoulders stiffening. Gently, firmly, Jasynta took his large hand in hers. His eyelids fluttered shut as he curled his fingers around her hand and grasped it tightly.

  Encouraged and emboldened, Jasynta tugged at his hand, and began to walk. He hesitated, and took a few grudging steps after her. She continued walking, urging him on. Gradually, they walked side by side, hand in hand, away from the shimmering lake and towards an outcropping of caves.

  Once they ducked into a cavernous cave, Blake let out a rumble of satisfaction. He half-turned to her, and Jasynta immediately raised herself on her toes to kiss him.<
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  A low, strangled sound tore from his throat, as she pulled him down to her and kissed him fervently. She wasn't going to let him go. There would be no barrier between them. Not now. Not ever.

  An animal roar sounded, and Blake grabbed her hard. His hands began ripping away her clothes as his mouth moved hungrily all over her body, unable to get enough of her. His eyes were still pale but there was a feral hunger in them. Jasynta gasped as every shred of clothing was ripped from her body. She reached out to undress Blake, but his claws sliced out and with a few quick slashes, his clothes fell away from his bulging, heaving body.

  Sheathing his claws, Blake stalked towards her, growling. He towered over her, his breaths scorching her skin. Tentatively, she put a palm against his chest, and almost cried out in shock. His skin was hot to the touch, burning, feverish. “Blake...” Her eyes searched his face anxiously.

  At her touch, her voice, he exploded. Shoving her back against the cave wall, he plundered her body with his mouth, his teeth, his tongue. She thrashed with wild abandon as he took her with his mouth, forcing her legs wide open for him. Jasynta was panting hard, dazed and wet from his relentless, rough touch. Her back arched off the cave wall when she climaxed suddenly.

  At the scent and taste of her fierce, shuddering pleasure, Blake pulled her to the cave floor and mounted her. Jasynta knelt with her arms stretched in front of her as Blake thrust hard into her. The first thrust had her screaming as his swollen cock stretched and tested her tight walls. As he moved, she grew wetter and the pain was replaced by raw, heady pleasure. She felt so full, so filled as he pistoned in and out of her. His thrusts were hard and fast, making her moan as she listened to the erotic sound of their flesh slapping together.

  She could feel her orgasm building up as his pace became more frantic. She was coming, and she didn't want him to stop. Ever. She wanted him to go on and on, pushing deeper and harder into her, filling her with that wonderful, humongous cock of his.