Bear's Surrogate

by Sky Winters

  As the days passed, Sadie grew more and more miserable at the idea of sharing anything, especially bodily fluids, with Lord Broc. He was a dim-witted, brutish man whose temper was short and demands on others high. She hated him with all of her might, but it didn’t matter.

  On the morning before they were to be mated, she found Broc sneering at Gail.

  “But please, I gave my rations to the lad next to my tent; he was nursin' a young fawn back to health and needed the extra food. I'm just asking for a piece of bread or something to stave off hunger ‘til supper,” Gail begged.

  “You shouldn't have been stupid enough to give it away,” Broc said, deliberately pulling a handful of berries from a bowl beside him and eating them pointedly. “You learn, being an Alpha, that all you should be caring about is yourself. Who cares about the little deer when your own stomach will be empty? Your own survival matters just as much.”

  Gail groaned loudly and turned away, shuffling quickly and hiding her face when she realized that Sadie had seen the interaction. Sadie was furious and ran to her own room in the council's tent to bring Gail a plate full of food. They had lunch together, quietly bashing Broc and lamenting the fact that they were to mate the next day.

  Gail shook her head sadly. “I don't know whether to be happy that with you here, all our troubles will be over, or sad that it means you have to be with that...that thing out there.”

  “It's all right, Gail. Please don't let my troubles weigh you down. I'm happy to help your clan,” Sadie said, inhaling bravely. That's all there was to it. She would do it for Gail, and the incredible bear shifters, so that they wouldn't be lost to time and only remembered by obscure paintings in castle museums.

  ***

  The next morning, Sadie awoke with a groan, her heart fluttering with apprehension. This was the night she was going to be forced into mating with Broc. She had always imagined that her first pregnancy would end a little bit differently, but apparently it was her fate to give birth to a half-bear child. There were many things about the union that she found regrettable. If James had been the leader of the clan, the choice wouldn't have been quite so difficult...

  But there was no point in thinking about that. Over the past week, he had been staring at her meaningfully whenever they passed each other, his eyes intent and his face alert. His handsome body still left her captivated as he passed her, and he was growing stubble, something she hadn't known could look so sexy on a man until he wore it and gave her that burning look.

  As night fell, she looked again for James, who had disappeared as had become his custom. She was tired of trying so hard to get and keep his attention. He had been too worried about his life and her ability to get home to approach her, so what made her think he would show up and save her somehow from being forced into mating with the horrible brute?

  She was to wait by the fire for Broc to approach and take her to his private tent, and she sat beside Gail, quivering in fear. She didn't anticipate that he would be very gentle or skilled with her body and felt very nervous about what might happen to her behind closed doors. He seemed very self-interested and she knew that if she stood any chance at all, she would have to try to stay in control of the situation.

  Finally, he showed up to the campfire, his face contorted in a sickening leer that made her blood curdle. His stomach, somewhat droopy from a few too many pints of ale, drooped over his kilt with a blue symbol scrawled onto it – the one that the pendant bore as well. It looked much better on James, she decided, and cursed at him for getting her into this mess.

  Suddenly, an earth-shattering roar quaked the ground beneath her feet. She could feel it pierce through her, and Broc's eyes widened. Suddenly, brown fur sprouted from his thick body, and his face strained as it morphed into that of a large brown bear. From the forest strode James; she would recognize his huge black bear form anywhere.

  “What's going on?” Sadie asked Gail in a hushed voice.

  Gail was speechless for a moment, watching as the bears began to face each other.

  “James is challenging Broc,” she said in disbelief. “For the Alpha role.”

  Sadie's heart melted as she realized what this meant. James had come up with a way to save her. He was willing to risk his life to be the man she laid with, the man to carry on the legacy of his clan. Her eyes filled with tears, and she covered her mouth with her hands, awed that James would be willing to go to such measures to protect her from Broc, and knowing that this meant that the entire time they'd been in the camp together, she had been on his mind.

  Chapter 17

  The world quaked as the giant bears roared before lunging violently at each other. The council had come running upon hearing the challenging roars and were watching, rapt, as James and Broc fought. The battle was terrifying and exhilarating, and Sadie cheered for James to win. Every so often, his gentle bear's eyes met hers, and she would smile at him, cheering.

  Suddenly, Broc clamped his huge fangs around James, drawing blood from his neck and shoulders. Broc pulled back, swaying smugly, no doubt relishing in the hit he got, when James surprised him with a powerful tackle, biting him fiercely on the neck. Broc roared in pain, the sound becoming gurgled and weak, until suddenly the bear went limp under James. James roared victoriously, shaking the foliage of the trees around him, and shifted back into his elegant human form. He walked toward Sadie, completely nude, his handsome, muscular body glowing golden in the firelight. The clan was hushed, quietly accepting his victory, and he took her by the hand, leading her into his tent.

  ***

  “James! Are you hurt?” she exclaimed, the moment they were inside. Broc's teeth had punctured his shoulder badly and scraped his neck. It was still bleeding profusely, and she dabbed it with a cloth, tending gently to the wound as he hissed in pain.

  “Nobody can keep me from you now, lass,” he said with a grin, sweat beading his brow.

  “No, not ever again,” she said gently, and they fell asleep entwined in his cot.

  ***

  Sadie spent the next day tending to James as he recovered and regained his strength. The council told her that the battle had changed everything, but she would still be allowed the portal if she were to provide them an heir as James' mate.

  She ran to him with the news and he smiled, sitting up good-naturedly despite wincing in pain.

  “Well, that's good news,” he said, his charm returning in full along with his strength.

  She nodded and was surprised when his arms, arms she had declared weak and injured, gripped her and lifted her with so much force that she cried out in shock. He had lifted her and pulled the blanket off his nude body, tracing her face with his hands. She trembled with desire, gripping his muscular shoulder tightly.

  “James,” she whispered.

  He grinned at her and slipped his hand up her thigh, under her dress, pressing his skilled fingers lightly against her, rubbing gently and filling her with a hot, urgent longing. She could feel it as his arousal began to take root, and he rubbed the length of himself against her as he stripped her dress off, kissing her wildly, passionately. She tried to be careful of his arm, but she had wanted him for so long that they were losing all sense of propriety.

  “Aren't we supposed to wait for—”

  “Shhh,” James said, pressing his hot mouth over hers and maneuvering himself between her legs, pressing tantalizingly against her middle. “No more rules. They almost took you from me once, I'm not taking my chances.”

  She moaned as he kissed her breasts and pushed his cock deep inside of her. She buckled against his strong body, gasping softly as her entire being was filled with pleasure. He was still somewhat weak, and his love brought a tenderness to their lovemaking that sent pulses of heat all through her. He trailed his tongue against her neck as he pushed fully inside of her and groaned when she sighed, her hair falling in front of her face. He brushed it away and they kissed as he thrust himself in and out of her gently, until she was so overwhelmed that she clos
ed her eyes and felt herself coming against him.

  Her climax milked a sweet, hot explosion from deep in his loins, and he gripped her hard as they came together, their bodies in unison. When Sadie opened her eyes, panting heavily, she knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that she was pregnant. They lay peacefully beside each other, their bodies entwined.

  ***

  Suddenly, the world around erupted in a commotion. James struggled to get to his feet but Sadie shushed him and gently pushed him back down.

  “It's all right,” she said, pulling her dress back on. “I'll go see what's going on.”

  “All right,” he said, frowning deeply. “Hurry back, love.”

  “I will,” she said with a sexy smile.

  When she ran out of the tent, the smile on her face quickly faded. Lord Lachlan was standing in the bushes behind the tent, hidden behind the trees. Horses in the stables were whinnying, and the birds were all fluttering as if in warning to the Highlanders. She opened her mouth to cry out, but a hand gripped her tightly and waved a vial under her nose. The last thing she saw was Lord Lachlan's sickening smile before she blacked out.

  Chapter 18

  “James!" Sadie tried to scream, but Lord Lachlan had his hand over her mouth, peering down into her eyes with sadistic glee.

  “Nobody is going to help you, lass. You have done it this time. I'll have my revenge yet.”

  She could feel his erect shaft against her back, and it brought shivers down her spine.

  “Get your filthy hands off me," Sadie demanded, biting down on the fleshy part of Lord Lachlan's thumb. He howled in pain and anger and shoved her away. She took the opportunity to try to run, through the forest and back toward the Highlander camp. Unfortunately, he had brought reinforcements as he explored, and one of the brutish guards gripped her hard by the shoulder before she could make her escape.

  “You will never get away with this, not a single one of you," Sadie cried. “They will know it was you who took me and you'll regret the day you did, as it surely marked the beginning of your last.”

  “Will you please shut your wench up?" the guard growled, pushing Sadie into Lord Lachlan, who sneered down at her.

  “I would gladly put her in her place," Lord Lachlan said, licking his lips. “Right now, we have a long trip back to the fortress to worry about. I’d like to get her there in one piece. There is something special that I have planned that I'm sure will make a very, very sorry woman of her.”

  Sadie’s skin crawled in fear at the thought of whatever the brutal Lord Lachlan may have in mind for her. She had been informed of some of his sickening appetites by the brief tour that she had taken of his castle in the future, and even just a brief description had made her shudder. That was when she had heard the strange voice calling her name, a voice that now, she realized, sounded vaguely familiar.

  She didn't have time to think about that as Lord Lachlan pushed her ahead of him, whistling an ominous tune that gave her goose bumps.

  “You're really going to regret this,” Lord Lachlan said pleasantly. “You see; I have thought of everything. Those damn bears are not going to know which way we came from. They will be busy hunting you down in the wrong direction. And I can see that the damn rebel James has taken a shining to you, and I bet nothing will make him angrier than knowing that I have his woman in the palm of my hand. Do you have any idea what I do to the women in the palm of my hand?”

  He said this part close to Sadie's face, and she could count the pock marks on it. Her stomach churned, and she tried to pull away from him. But he was too close, and his nauseatingly bad breath wafted in front of her, bringing the bile to the back of her throat. She wished that she could will herself to throw up all over him, but she knew that would get her into even more trouble.

  “I really outsmarted those miserable creatures this time,” he bragged. “If the council heads have noticed that James' beloved is missing by now, they're probably hot on your trail in the opposite direction. Which means, now you're mine. And when you are mine, I think you will find that bad things start to happen.”

  Lord Lachlan stuffed a gag into her mouth and gripped her by the delicate wrists. She looked ahead of him urgently at the blue sky, wishing for a miracle. She hoped that James would find her in time.

  Chapter 19

  James rolled over onto his side with a moan. He had fully recovered from most of the minor cuts and scrapes that he had suffered from challenging the Alpha bear, but there was one deep wound that still gave him a whole lot of trouble. He grunted as he sat up, alert and waiting to hear from Sadie, who had disappeared a while ago. He was used to her coming and going, getting caught up in helping the clan and doing her best to socialize and fit in among the bear shifters. And she was doing a great job of it, too.

  He had known since the moment that he laid eyes on her in Lord Lachlan's dungeon that she had a fiery heart and a noble spirit. Even if she had the body of the Lowlander, she had the heart and soul of the Highlander, and it shone through like fire. He had been instantly attracted to her, but when he saw she was wearing the pendant of the chosen, indicating that she would be the next wife of the Alpha of his clan and bear his shifter children, he had been crushed. James wasn't the Alpha of his clan, although he had been an important and high-ranking official on the committee. If he wanted anything to do with Sadie, there would be hell to pay.

  When they had been in the dungeon together, James had remembered hearing her speak and thinking to himself of the legend of the Highland wisp – the woman with the strange accent and the unearthly good looks. When he was a boy, he'd had his own encounter with the woman, and now that he laid eyes on Sadie in person, and not just the memories of the Sadie from the song and his childhood, he couldn't take his eyes away.

  “I don't know why you're looking at me so strangely,” Sadie had said to him. He'd simply grinned at her, bringing a bright red flush to her already rosy cheeks.

  “Maybe I think you're interesting,” he'd said.

  In the time that Sadie had grown to trust him, he had listened to her tale of traveling through time and pursed his lips. He knew the world was full of strange, inexplicable things, and Sadie appeared to be one of them. For it was only when he was singing her song in the dungeon, after he had been caught by Lord Lachlan's men, that Sadie appeared in the castle, in the flesh. He had never considered that she might be a real person before and had thought back to the Highland lore of spirits wandering the world, sometimes helping the living and other times playing cruel tricks on them. Maybe the spirit world was going to have some fun with Lord Lachlan.

  The thought had delighted him, until he found himself in the dungeon with the beautiful woman, who was just as confused about how she had gotten there as everybody else.

  “I know this is crazy,” Sadie said, “But please try to believe me.”

  It was easy for James to suspend his disbelief, and listening to her helped him put together a theory about what had happened to her. He didn't want to tell her what he knew until he'd spoken with the elders of his clan, especially when he realized that she was wearing the Tur Aheil – the pendant that was only to be worn by the chosen women of his clan, those who could bear children with the same unique ability to shapeshift into bears that he had.

  Still, he felt guilty for keeping his theory to himself, even though he was sure that he had been right. She was so lost and confused. He almost told her that night, by the campfire, but instead, they had given in to their unbearable longing, and he'd gotten himself too distracted by guilt and worry to explain his thoughts to her.

  “Lord James” was a title he never thought he would have, and he sipped his water as he thought back to the strange encounter he'd had with Sadie and the even stranger encounter he had experienced when he came to the council with news of her arrival.

  “You must send her away at once,” one of the elders had said.

  “Send her away?” James asked, frowning. “But why?”

  “Maybe it's
for the best that we go extinct,” the man said. He was very old and very bitter, and the others chuckled softly and patted him on the shoulder.

  “It's possible, James, that this is some kind of a trick. Maybe a trap. We will need to test her before we can really welcome her as part of the clan. I'm sure you understand,” Ivar said.

  “No, actually I don't. She is who I say she is, that should be good enough for you. I know what I saw. I know what I heard!” James was angry and not bothering to conceal it. The committee members glanced at each other, quietly amused but tolerant of his outburst.

  “It might be good enough for us if you were the Alpha,” Ivar had said carefully. “But as it stands, Broc is away and these matters are left in our hands.”

  James glowered but said nothing, afraid they might somehow find out about the horrible secret he'd buried in his breast – he'd slept with the Alpha's fated mate. If they knew about this, it might mean he lost his place in the council, maybe even in the clan itself. He didn't know what he would do if he lost his home. It was all he had ever known. All that he cared about.