by Jessica Ryan
Beorn shut his eyes and shook his head, taking firm control of the situation at hand. He was both human and bear, and there had to be a balance. This girl's overall attitude annoyed the shit out of his human side and Rain seemed like a fun, light-hearted girl. This one was a man-eater if he'd ever seen one.
"No," he said, pulling her hand off his chest. "I'm not okay with that."
Inside his mind he rolled his eyes. He sounded like a bad commercial.
"Oh, come on, stud," she said, again licking her lips and walking around in front of him, turning ever so slightly so he could see the way her leggings hugged her tight ass. "Be naughty. You don't want a pathetic omega female like Rain. You want a strong alpha bitch like me."
"I'm not a wolf," he said sternly. "I don't observe your stupid alpha and beta caste system. I am my own bear."
"Oh, honey," she said, looking at him like he'd said something absurd, one eyebrow cocked and her bottom lip pooched out. "You're an alpha male if there ever was one. I can see it dripping off you. You're just oozing machismo."
"I'm a bear," he said again. "I don't appreciate being placed in wolf classification. I'm not a dirty little pack animal."
"You're bad," she said, giggling right through his insult. "I like that. You don't care what anyone thinks, do you? That's so fucking sexy. Too many of these wolves are trying to please someone in a higher position than them. Most of them need to just take what they want."
Beorn jumped a little as her hand shot out and clutched his balls tightly through his jeans. He sighed and rolled his eyes, shifting where he stood and batting her hand away. She'd made her point and now it was time for him to make his.
"Listen here, alpha bitch," he said, making sure to emphasize the last word. "I have no interest in sleeping with a dishonest, sleazy wolf who takes herself way too seriously. One second you're talking about how much you like alpha wolves and the next you're talking about wolves throwing off the pack shackles and doing what they want. You're all over the road. It's obvious you're just saying whatever you think I want to hear. Well, I'm going to tell you something you don't want to hear. I'm not interested."
"Maybe our alphas aren't really alphas," she said, undeterred by his pronouncement. "I like it when a real alpha takes things the old way, by force."
She spun around and began to wiggle her ass at him, slowly backing up until the soft contours contacted the bulge in his pants. He didn't want any part of her, but that didn't stop his body from reacting with increased blood flow to his manhood, forcing it to grow and harden.
"Listen, lady," he said, at the end of his rope. "Back the fuck up."
Before she could respond, the door to the building flew open and a black blur exploded forward, knocking the strange female completely off her feet. Suddenly she was pinned to the ground underneath a very large and very angry wolf. The wolf began to grab at her arm, tearing the fabric on her coat.
"Get off of me!" the grounded female cried. "I can't shift while you have me pinned! Get off, you crazy bitch!"
It took a moment for Beorn to recognize the scent of the wolf who had pinned his harasser. It was Rain, and she was obviously marking her territory. He could have easily scooped her off the alpha bitch with one arm, but he was enjoying seeing her get what was coming her way. On top of that, the raw animalistic attack that Rain was displaying was turning him on more than what any pseudo-lap dance could do. This girl was definitely in touch with her wild side, not like the typical wolves in this town.
Finally he took pity on the girl and her screams and he scooped the wolf off of her, setting her down behind him.
"Go get your clothes and shift back," he ordered, pointing towards the door. "That's enough."
Rain responded by putting her ears down and sulking over to her clothes. He may have been overly harsh with his tone, but she had to know he meant business.
He turned to find the other female beginning to peel her clothes off, getting ready to shift for another rumble. This wasn't going to happen on his watch, he decided. He was done with wolf fights.
"Stop right there," he said, putting his hand up. "If you have a problem, then take it up with your alpha. I'm not refereeing a werewolf fight right here in the parking lot."
"Then get the hell out of my way!" she screamed, pulling her shirt over her head. "I'm going to finish this little whore once and for all! This is the last time she gets in my fucking way!"
"Hey, dumbass!" he yelled. "We're in the middle of a parking lot in broad daylight on a Saturday. How do you think Aster would feel if he found out two of his charges shifted in broad daylight, in front of any human that could happen to walk by, and got into a blood duel?"
The alpha bitch stopped and considered his words, her face turning redder as she realized that her vengeance would not be had today.
"Fuck this bullshit!" she screamed as she picked her shirt and jacket up off the ground. She looked past Beorn, pointing at Rain who had already shifted and was pulling her clothes back on. "I'm going to fucking kill you eventually! This is it! You are fucking finished!"
"Alright there, killer," Beorn said, putting his arms out to his sides to block the angry female. "Saying 'fuck' over and over again will only get you so far. Save it for one of your pack meetings and get lost."
Her fiery eyes turned to Beorn as she balled her empty hand into a fist.
"You don't want to do that," he warned. "Walk away."
With an ear-splitting scream she stomped to her car and almost fell down trying to pull the door open with force. Within a few seconds the car was starting and she was peeling her tires out of the parking lot, leaving Beorn alone with Rain.
"I'm sorry," Rain said, walking up behind Beorn. There was no sadness or remorse in her voice; it was almost like she was just apologizing because she thought attacking the other wolf was what she had to do.
"You have nothing to apologize for," Beorn said, shutting her down. "That was pretty great."
"Really?"
"Oh, hell, yeah. It was kind of hot. That chick was annoying the hell out of me and you were defending what you thought was yours."
Her face turned red and she looked away. "Well, we haven't even been out yet. And I know you're not into the whole claiming thing."
"Yeah, forget that," he said, laughing. "Bears don't claim."
"You're different," she said, looking up at him with a smile. Something about her smile made him want to lean in and kiss her with everything he had, but he restrained himself.
"I'll take that as a compliment. Shall we?" He opened the passenger door to his truck and motioned for her to get in.
"Sure," she said, beaming at him. "Let me get my bag."
This date was starting better than Beorn could have ever hoped.
Chapter 14
"I feel like I'm on top of the world," Rain said, looking out the windows of Beorn's giant truck as he sped dangerously down the highway. She wondered if other girls would be scared of the breakneck speeds he was taking the curves on this country highway with. Not her, thoughshe was thrilled by it. Beorn handled the truck with ease and precision; it was like he was driving leisurely through town.
"I suppose it is pretty high up," he said. "I couldn't fit into a regular car like yours."
"You're so good at driving," she said, watching his hands easily move the steering wheel and shift gears. "You could be a NASCAR driver."
"I definitely don't think I'd fit in one of those cars," Beorn said with a laugh. "Maybe Monster Jam, though."
"That'd be so hot."
"What would?"
"You in a giant truck crushing cars. It could be called Grizzly Bear or something like that. Bear Attack the monster truck!"
"You're right, that would be pretty awesome."
"Are you a grizzly bear?" Rain had wondered what Beorn looked like shifted or if he was a specific type of bear. It was an abrupt change in conversatio
n, but she had a habit of saying whatever came to mind.
"You don't stay on one subject for too long, do you?" he asked, reading her like a book.
"Nope."
"Well, are you a timber wolf? A Mexican gray wolf?"
"I'm not any of those. I'm a werewolf. I just transform into a giant wolf."
"Well, I'm a shifter too, so there's your answer."
"Gotcha. What color are you?"
Beorn glanced over at her just as he took a dangerous turn. She held on as the truck leaned without its driver even paying attention. The bear was unfazed as he looked over at her, a half smile on his face.
"I'm brown," he finally said. "I turn into a giant brown bear."
"I wish I could see how big of a bear you are."
"You'll find out," he said, returning his eyes to the road.
"Oh? How am I going to find that out?"
"You think we're going to stay in human form all night?"
"I've never been on a date where we shifted and ran."
"Have you ever been on a good date?"
"No, actually."
"Exactly. Those stupid domesticated wolves don't know what they're missing out on."
"I'm one of those domesticated wolves!" Rain felt insulted just a bit. Beorn didn't seem to like the way the wolves of Bucklin conducted themselves. It seemed like he had the wrong impression of her. The first words she had said to him in the bar were a rallying cry against the domestication of the Bucklin wolves, but at the same time they didn't reflect her true feelings. Or did they? Everything had been so confusing lately.
"No, you're not." He had a smile on his face so smug Rain wanted to slap it off. Or bite it off. That might be kind of hot.
"How do you know?"
"I just know."
"Because of the speech I gave you last night? Listen, Beorn, maybe you should stop this truck and turn around if that's the impression you have of me. That wasn't me talking last night."
"Yes, it was."
"No, it wasn't. It was my wolf. I don't know how my wolf side did it, but it took over and said that. That's not me."
"Yes, it is."
"Why are you so sure?" Rain was starting to get frustrated at his condescending tone.
"Because your wolf is an animal. It can't speak and it can't speak through you. Deep down inside, that's what you feel. You're becoming one with what you are, not running from it like the other wolves in Bucklin."
"My human friend had to clean my house because it was so dirty the other day. She had to clean up all the pizza boxes that I had stacked beside the couch. All I do is watch TV and eat pizza. Does that sound like a wolf to you?"
"Are you happy doing that every night?"
"Yes."
"No, you're not."
This guy was good. She almost felt naked in front of him, and transparent.
"Okay, fine. I have felt like something's missing lately, but I'm getting that tonight."
"A man isn't what's missing from your life. A connection with what you really are is what's missing."
"Why are you so sure?"
"I've known most of these wolves my whole life, Rain. I can see how they've changed over the years. They're becoming more and more miserable. Thorn is my best friend in the world."
"That guy has it all figured out."
"No, he doesn't. He's denied his inner beast for too long. I can tell, he's not happy."
"But Rowan seems happy."
"Rowan is happy. Both halves of him are connected."
"Eva says they're not. She thinks the reason he flips out and kills is because his wolf has been suppressed for too long and then it takes over."
"She's a human. She doesn't know what she's talking about. Rowan is a wolf. He defends his mate just like a wolf would. There's nothing weird or different about him, he's just got it figured out."
"So what about you?"
"Me?"
"Are you in touch with your bear?"
"I am a bear. We are two halves of one whole."
"I didn't know this date would be a bunch of riddles."
"Last night I saw a wolf who was desperately looking for someone to help her change. Someone to help her fix what's broken in her life. Rain, I'm going to help you with that."
"Nothing is broken in my life."
"Just trust me on this, girly. After tonight you'll never look at your life the same again."
"What are you going to do to me?"
"Nothing extreme. I'll just show you the way."
"I'm kind of scared."
"Of what? Embracing who and what you are?"
Rain thought about it for a second. Beorn was right: there had been something missing in her life. Every night that she sat on her ass eating processed junk and watching human TV shows left her more and more depressed. She couldn't find a meaningful relationship to save her life and she was definitely turned off by every wolf she met in Bucklin. Then, the one shifter who came to her with confidence in what he was had turned her on to no end. There was something about Beorn that drew her in, and now she was beginning to figure out what it was.
"Okay," she said, slamming her hands down on the dashboard. "By god, I'll do it! I'm ready for whatever you're going to throw at me!"
Beorn laughed, his deep rumble filling up the entire cab of the vehicle. "That's wonderful. I think you're going to have a great time tonight."
I better get laid for all of my trouble, she thought. And it better be damn good.
"If you hate wolves and their pack ideas so much, then why do you want them to embrace their animal side?"
"As a bear, I'm a solitary creature. So I think the whole alpha, beta and gamma stuff is pretty silly. What really hacks me off about it, though, is that none of that means shit anymore. You live in a town with a goddamn mayor and city council who try to pretend like they're following some ancient life. They have no idea what they're doing and they have no idea how to be a wolf."
"But you said it was dangerous to have thoughts like that. Wasn't our town betrayed by someone who had thoughts like that?"
"I think Forrest has it figured out," Beorn said, cutting his eyes at Rain. His voice had taken on a more serious and somber tone. "But the way he's going about it is wrong. Why does he want to kill all the wolves who don't agree with him? That's essentially what he's trying to do. If he wants to take his pack and move back into the wilderness, then that's his prerogative, but he shouldn't be forcing it on the rest."
"But you seem to want it forced on everyone."
"I don't. Your lifestyle annoys the shit out of me, but I'm not going to force every wolf in town to change. I can be annoyed with someone's lifestyle and still accept them. I don't like dirty hippies, either, but that doesn't mean I go around with a big stick bashing up their drum circles. I don't show up at Burning Man killing people left and right."
"That's a pretty good point."
"Nothing in life is black and white, Rain. I know your mind has been poisoned by all the TV you watch, but not everybody is a good guy or a bad guy."
"I know that!"
"Okay. I'm just reiterating."
"So what are you going to do with me tonight?"
Beorn looked at her and smiled a devilish smile. She could feel her stomach do backflips when his eyes landed on her. Everything about this man was pure sex.
"We're going to go hunting."
Rain looked away and smiled. She had never hunted anything in her life, but she had to admit that the thrill of shifting and attacking Eden this morning had been like nothing she had ever experienced before. What would it be like to sink her teeth into a deer or other animal? Would it be quite as thrilling? She would find out tonight.
Chapter 15
Beorn glanced over at Rain one more time. She was trying to hide her face but she was smilinghe could see her reflection in the window. There was so
mething stirring inside of him beyond the lust he had felt earlier as he watched the happiness on her face. He quickly shoved that notion out of his brain and tried to refocus on the task at hand. It wouldn't do him any good to catch feelings right now, especially with the danger he was going to face tomorrow night.
The situation with Thorn and Abaddon had completely left his memory, but now it was creeping back in. Thorn was a crazy fool and he was going to get them both killed. But tonight was all about pleasure and helping a lost wolf find her way. The peril Thorn had brought to him would be there tomorrow.
Everything he had said to Rain was completely true. To an outsider he might appear to be someone who couldn't make up his mind, but he had a very well-developed sense of honor. Forrest was right; the wolves didn't need to be living the life they did. It was going to create disaster one day, and they couldn't keep denying that. But at the same time it was wrong to try and force them to follow him or perish. This was a realization that everyone was going to have to arrive at on their own.
The stunning beauty sitting next to Beorn was close to realizing it; she just needed a little nudging from someone who cared. As much as people thought him to be an asshole, he truly did care. The bear had a heart; he just didnt choose to reveal it to everyone.
"So how much longer until we get to your place?" Rain asked, finally looking up from her gleeful exile.
"We're going to pull off the road soon, but after that it'll be a bit of a walk."
"You live in the woods?"
"I live pretty deep in the woods, actually."
"Do you live in a cave? I mean, I'm ready to connect with my wild side, but I don't think I can deal with a cave."
