Primal Obsession: BBW Polar Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (Shadowlands Bear Shifters Book 3)

by Olivia Harp

  No. He wouldn’t call her his mate. That was a slippery slope.

  Deric changed his expression.

  “I’m kidding Raiden. I’m glad you’re seeing other people, even if they’re just friends.”

  Raiden nodded.

  “Thanks.”

  The cool breeze grazed his skin. People down in the garden talked out loud and continued with the arrangements. The days were getting colder, just as he liked them.

  He nodded, it was decided, then. He would shift into his animal. The beast inside kept trying to push itself out but Raiden held it in, his will stronger than the Polar Bear inside.

  ***

  Raiden walked into the tree line. The bear’s will and his own fused into one, all of the daily life worries faded into the background.

  Now he was nature itself.

  The forest welcomed him in a cool, shadowy embrace. It had been years since he walked this part of the woods, but the fire inside him guided him subconsciously.

  Years ago, this place had been cursed, and almost fell to the Shadowlands.

  This reality had been punctured by them, spreading the Rot, its unnatural, life-sucking disease around.

  He lived in an old cabin in his estate nearby, and as a young bear shifter, he felt something was happening. Something terribly wrong. Something humans could not understand.

  Then he met Claudia.

  They hit it off, as young couples do. She was part of the Northern Tribes and he was okay with that. Her parents didn’t approve at first, her child with a Polar Bear.

  Even worse... a berserker polar bear. His blood boiled too easily, war was part of him. Nature made him that way.

  Bears are protectors, the strongest kind of shifters.

  His bear wanted her and they got married, his unease falling into the background.

  Dee was born and his whole world changed. He knew a kind of love that tamed even his hardest, warmongering side.

  Good times.

  But good times never last, and one night he found his wife bathed in blood, his child taken.

  She lived long enough for him to find Dee and bring it back to safety. The Shadowlands wanted her and brought her underground.

  They brought her here.

  The wind rustled through the leaves, as if singing a peaceful song.

  Up ahead, the dark cave opened its maw like a dragon intent on swallowing everything.

  It looked just like when he left.

  Back then he destroyed hundreds of dark, giant insect-like creatures. They wanted to feast on the Chosen Child.

  Today, he entered the cave peacefully, his heavy paws echoing in the darkness.

  The air was still, but not stuffed. This had been a battleground, now, it was a graveyard.

  Dee was safe.

  She had his animal. But her spirit was tinted with the Northern Tribes power and wisdom. A Bear body with the spirit of an Elk.

  Chapter 9

  “Dad, come on we’re late!” Dee said.

  The gathering started a few minutes ago and his daughter was frantic.

  “I told you, you can go on without me, I’ll catch up with you in a few minutes.”

  Dee ran out and he finished tying his tie, put on his shoes and grabbed the jacket on the bed.

  He enjoyed these kind of meetings, but they were much too formal for him. He was a warrior, he preferred being with his clan.

  The White Paws.

  He smiled. He was proud of his clan, the strongest one in the country, he’d be here for a few more days and then go back to the mountain.

  His bear growled. As much as he tried convincing himself that that was a good thing, it wasn’t buying it.

  It wanted to see her again. He did, too.

  She told him she’ll call but she never did.

  He figured it was for the best. Why expose Dee to a new relationship?

  His bear growled again, it was getting angry. You stay down, motherfucker. The bear tried fighting back but Raiden was too strong. It growled hard and then subsided.

  Raiden walked down the stairs on his room and out of the house.

  “Dad, look!” Dee yelled from afar. Raiden looked up just in time to see a small drone flying overhead, he smiled. The Tribe Elders are always wasting their money on stuff like this.

  Dozens of people of all ages gathered around the table, groups of people took pictures and selfies everywhere around... and that’s not counting the pro photographers and videographers that documented the occasion.

  “I didn’t know you were old money,” someone said beside him.

  His heart skipped a beat. It was Cassie.

  He looked at her coolly, he wasn’t one to jump in excitement.

  He shrugged.

  “I’m not. These is extended family.”

  “And here I was thinking I’d have to be could be your sugar mama,” she said giggling.

  He rolled his eyes and smirked, “I’m not old money, but that don’t mean I don’t have enough for several lifetimes.”

  “Stop bragging, Mister Bear.”

  “I’m not bragging, I’m just telling it—”

  “Rich, good looking and hot as hell. Some people have all the luck.”

  “Don’t make me teach you good manners, Miss Bennett.”

  “It’s been two days,” Cassie said, “why haven’t you called me?”

  “What? You said you’re the one who was gonna will call me!”

  Her eyes shifted, trying to remember.

  “Oh my gosh, I did, didn’t I? Crap. I’m sorry, that morning was just insane.”

  “Yeah it was.”

  “Cassandra!” someone called. It was a skinny man, waving at them from far away. He pointed at a small radio on his hand.

  “It’s Paulie,” Cassie told Raiden and picked up a walkie-talkie from her waist.

  “No wonder he’s yelling, volumes down,” she said as she spun the volume level way up.

  “What’s up, Paul?” she said to the radio.

  “Should we continue filming with the drones? We’ve already filmed going North-South and East-West.”

  She thought for a second, her eyes on the sky.

  “We need at least five takes for each route, Paul. After that, have them sitting at a hundred feet altitude each for at least five minutes, and after that do a slow hexagonal pattern as they come down, circling the big table. Then we change the batteries and wait for the big meal, got it?”

  “Got it,” he replied.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, “business, you kno—”

  “By the way,” Paulie spurted on the radio again, “say hi to your friend for me, we met the other day.”

  Cassie blushed red, unable to speak. Raiden looked at her shocked face and couldn’t help but laugh out loud, taking her out of her stupor.

  “You shut up!” she said to the radio

  Raiden laughed and laughed.

  “And you too!”

  “The guy’s crazy,” she told him, “but he’s a real friend.”

  “I can see that,” Raiden replied, “say hi to him from me too, I guess.”

  “Careful there, he likes you.”

  Oh. Raiden got it. He was beginning to think she was especially close to her assistant, but now everything fell into place.

  “Okay, scratch that, I don’t wanna risk it.”

  She elbowed him.

  “You’re scared of the cool, gay man?”

  “No, I’m scared I might give you the wrong impression.”

  She sighed.

  “I wouldn’t worry about it,” she said winking, “okay, nice talking to you, I need to keep working.”

  “That’s good,” he said, “another five minutes and I would’ve taken you inside.”

  She looked at him, her big, dark brown eyes searching for something, but he wasn’t sure exactly what.

  “Don’t tempt me,” she said, “I’ll text you later, all right?”

  “If you say so,” he replied with a shrug.
/>
  “It was a mistake, honest! I promise I’m not using you as my own personal boy toy.”

  This girl. He was going to have to teach her manners. He hid his hard- on under his jacket but he would have his revenge.

  “All right,” he said, “have fun.”

  “I will,” she replied, snapping a picture with her camera, strutting away from him, her beautiful, rounded behind almost making him snatch her inside to finish what she started.

  Chapter 10

  Cassie continued downloading all the picture files taken earlier. She had twelve extra high capacity cards, it was going to be a while.

  But her mind wandered.

  Darn it, he does seem authentic.

  It was late, and going on Facebook was not making her work any faster so she started making inventory of all the memory cards, as the Drone One video feed downloaded to her computer.

  “Okay, two for each drone,” she said, opening the small camera’s compartment and taking the cards out... “two on Paulie’s camera, and two on my—”

  She looked around.

  Where was her camera?

  She searched everywhere, to no avail. Her pulse raced, please, please let it be here somewhere.

  She bolted to the camera bags on the closet. They were all there... except her own.

  “No!” she yelled out loud.

  But I counted everything, where did I leave it? She remembered everyone putting back the hardware in the back of the small company van.

  But she didn’t remember herself doing it.

  Let’s recap: we put the drones on the suitcases, cameras on their bags, all the equipment in its place: light bouncer kits, lights, tripods...

  Then she remembered.

  “Shit,” she said out loud again.

  She subconsciously covered her mouth, looking around to see if anyone heard her, but she knew she was alone.

  She’d left her camera back at the estate, she put it on a chair while she helped carry all the other equipment and put it on its rack inside the van.

  Darn it!

  She couldn’t have lost her camera in a worse moment. The pit of her stomach felt hollow, her heart felt as if being gripped by a deathly hand.

  Chill out, chill out. I have to go get it. If it’s still there.

  She had to call the Nicholson’s again. Elizabeth, preferably. My gosh, this is such a freakin’ rookie mistake.

  But she had to own up for it and get her camera back ASAP.

  She took out her phone and looked for the contact.

  There it was, but she stopped.

  You know you want to call Raiden, don’t hide it.

  She sighed. It would be way easier if he could help her, and maybe her reputation would still remain untarnished.

  Chapter 11

  Raiden took another sip of his beer and flipped the page on his tablet.

  He still wore his pants and shirt, his half undone tie hung on his neck. It had been a long day, but he still had energy to spare, so why not use the time to look for blueprints on the Architectural Digest?

  He had this idea of growing his own organic food up in the mountain, so he’d have to build a greenhouse.

  Good project to teach Dee some healthy eating habits and the planning would help keep his mind away from Cassie.

  He shook his head, self mockingly. He was acting like a teenager. Focus. He was taking off the rest of his clothes off when his cell phone rang.

  He looked at the time: 12:45 a.m.

  The screen displayed “Cassie Photographer” and he couldn’t help but smile and swipe to answer.

  “Hey,” he said, “miss me already?”

  “Evening, Ray,” her voice sounded a bit nervous. Was she in trouble? “Sorry to call you at this hour.”

  “No problem, everything all right?”

  “Yes, just...”

  “Just...”

  “Oh my God, I’m so embarrassed. Listen. I’m gonna say it straight, okay?”

  His gut clenched, what was going on?

  “Shoot,” he said.

  “I effed up, left my camera over there, I think it was near the side entrance.”

  “Okay,” Raiden said as he put on a pair of shorts and walked down the staircase.

  “I think it’s where the waiters piled up the chairs and tables, when the party ended.”

  He passed the living room, the kitchen, turned on the lights outside and took a peek. This wouldn’t be easy to find.

  For a human.

  He picked up her smell immediately, and followed it through the small network of stacked furniture.

  “Okay I’m looking for it, just wait.”

  He could almost see her stuck to her phone, her fingers crossed, hoping it would be there. But he already knew.

  “You really need it do you?”

  “Yes, I’ve got today’s session in there, plus I need it for tomorrow at 7 a.m., if I don’t find it—”

  “It’s here.”

  “Yes!”

  Raiden had to put the phone away from his ear, she was yelling, all happy.

  “Raiden?”

  “I’m here.”

  “Oh my God thank you! I was so scared.”

  “No worries at all,” he said.

  “Can you leave it at the entrance for me, please? I’ll go get it right now, I don’t want to wake you.”

  “What? Cassie you’re like, forty minutes away from here.”

  “Yes, but I need it for tomorrow.”

  “I can give it to you in the morning, don’t worry.”

  “Raiden, no! I don’t want to impose.”

  “You’re not imposing at all; I don’t want you to drive at this hour. You’ll be getting home at 3 a.m.”

  “Yes, but it’s my fault—”

  “Doesn’t matter, the camera stays here, just tell me where you need it.”

  “Raiden—”

  “No whining, little lady.”

  “Seriously? You’re going to make me wait until tomorrow.”

  “Not my fault, we’re all gonna be sleeping over here.”

  “Raiden!”

  He smiled.

  “I’ll bring it to you tomorrow, we’ll find a way for you to repay me after, okay?”

  She went silent for a second.

  “Well. If there’s no way I can convince you...”

  “You can’t. You’ll have to work hard to repay this favor.”

  Her voice turned from worry to calm intensity.

  “I’ll do anything.”

  “Anything?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good girl,” he said, his bulge harder than ever, “send me the address, I’ll meet you there.”

  “Okay.”

  “Cassie?”

  “Yes?”

  “Say good night.”

  “Good night.”

  Raiden smiled

  “Good night, beautiful.”

  Chapter 12

  It was six in the morning and the place was already frantic. Models ran up and down the warehouse-like building, staffers doing her makeup or helping them with the rehearsal. Carpenters still working on the runway.

  Techies tested up the lights, audio system, and the other million small things that needs checking up when a show is about to start.

  Cassie had her own set already up, she installed the fake background and brought a table, furs, and everything else she needed for the photo shoot.

  She just needed to get this light exactly right. The staffer couldn’t get it how she needed it, so she was doing it herself. It was much harder than she thought.

  She stood on a small three step ladder and reached out to twist and pull the white LED light to get it done. She connected a camera to a small monitor she carried with her for these very reasons.

  “Please stay still,” she told the technician sitting in the red Louis XV couch she brought.

  “I’ll just pull this...” she said with great effort as she tried moving the light two inches to the lef
t.

  “You having trouble?”

  She froze. Raiden had arrived —early, by the way— and saw her in the most ridiculous, opposite-of-sexy pose. What a great way to start the day.

  “Let me help you,” he said as he grabbed her by the waist and effortlessly lifted her even higher than she needed.

  She let out a gasp and was about to protest when she saw everyone around looking at them.

  “Raiden, put me down!”

  He chuckled.

  “Sure, but set that light first, you were reaching too far, it could be dangerous.”

  “Raiden!”

  But she knew he was right, even she knew it. If one of her employees did had done the same, she would have reprimanded him. She turned to the technician, then the screen, fixed the lights angle and said “done.”

  Raiden put her on the ground as if she weighted nothing.

  “Good morning!” Raiden said as he handed her the big camera bag, “here you go,”

  “Thanks,” she said.

  She was aware every person in the area was at least taking a peek at the big, muscled hunk that just arrived.

  She was close, too close to him.

  “I brought you coffee, too,” he said, taking a cup from a nearby work bench.

  “If you don’t want it you can give it to someone... or throw it away.”

  “You’re a savior,” she said, opening the lid and blowing some air for it to cool down.

  “So, what’s all this?” Raiden asked.

  “They’re building a runway, but I came here super early in the morning to take the first pictures before everything turns to chaos.

  “Nice set up, you got there.”

  “Thanks, looks good, right?”

  She’d set up a white background, the red sofa and carpet contrasted heavily with it. On the back, a bureau sat next to a bed.

  “It’s a mix between old and new, I love it.”

  She nodded. A group of young models talked loudly a few yards from them, they had everything: money, looks and a body to bring men to their knees.

  Cassie didn’t pay attention. She opened the camera bag.

  “Awesome, it’s all here.”

  “I don’t think I would steal from you.”

  She slapped his arm.

  “I didn’t mean that, dork. I was afraid the memory cards would be lost, or damaged; or I don’t know. Something. I don’t trust my luck.”