by Amanda Jones
Not feeling like being disturbed, Harley picked herself up off the now-flattened grass of the small hillock she had been rolling on and headed east, up the mountain. She wasn't worried about being harmed, for there were few things out there that could taken on an enraged human-bear shifter, and most of those were other human shifters. In reality, the only thing that could outright hurt her was a dragon shifter, but they were rare around these parts.
Calming her bears fighting instinct, she instead slowly meandered farther up the mountain towards Snow Pass. This entire area had been abandoned as far as Harley could tell. Since she was not from Bear Bluffs originally, she had no idea why. In an attempt to ensure she went undisturbed, she had never asked anyone either. That way, nobody would know where to find her when she wanted to be alone.
Besides, coming up here had always brought about a sense of peace and belonging to her. Something about it just screamed to her bears senses, as if she was welcomed upon the land. It felt silly to her even thinking about it, but there was a definite sense of something when she was up here.
She tested the air again, and realized that today it was a sense of persistence. Someone, or something was following her. The scent was back, tantalizingly familiar and yet unrecognizable all at once. She headed into a copse of coniferous trees, hoping that whoever was following her would get the point as she actively tried to put some distance between them. Her bear opened up into a shuffling run, covering ground swiftly this time instead of the earlier slow-footed plodding.
Just as she broke through into the clearing on the far side, she heard crashing from within the stand. Whoever it was had detected that she was fleeing and was pursuing her at top speed. With a deep growl of annoyance she switched it up another gear, practically flying across the field in an attempt to stay alone.
She was no more than halfway there before she felt, rather than saw, the presence on her left. With another, much louder growl, she spun away from it and slammed to a halt, finally glimpsing her pursuer for the first time, claws out and ready for a fight.
Crouched nearby on all fours, ready to tussle, was a grizzly bear with a lopsided bear-smile on its face, chuffing its delight.
Oh shit!
It was Calan, the one man she didn't want to be stuck out here alone with. Now though, the only thing separating them were a few rocks, a hedge growing randomly and several flowers that had grown to a very large size, purple and white petals scattered everywhere after her berserk passage through them.
She growled loudly, a warning for him to leave her alone, then turned and began to move off, hoping he would get the hint. Which, of course, meant that a few seconds later he nudged her in the side again as his bear overtook her once more.
She roared and slammed her body into his, attempting to drive home her point. Instead, he recovered and jumped on her, doing his best to wrestle her to the ground while in their bear forms. The two of them rolled across the meadow, each trying to get the upper hand. His larger size and strength won out, but instead of pressing the battle, he pinned her quickly and then rolled off, shifting back into his human form.
"If you do, I'll just catch you again," he said casually as she tensed, preparing to run.
She growled in irritation at how well he seemed to know her, before shifting to her human form so that the two of them could at least converse. It seemed that no matter what she desired, this conversation was going to happen.
She sat on a nearby rock, one that was only big enough for her. It was a small gesture of defiance, but one that she was going to make nonetheless. If he was going to force her to talk, she was going to make it as painful and awkward as she could. Internally, Harley knew she was being childish, that this man, in particular, hadn't done anything to hurt her. He was still a man though, and she had been badly hurt by the last one she let close. There was no way Harley was letting that happen again!
"How the hell did you even know where to find me?"
Calan didn't respond immediately to her question, pondering his answer for some time before he spoke again.
"Harley, this is Snow Pass."
"Yeah, I'm not stupid, Calan. What's your point?"
"And my last name is?" he prompted, a gentle smile upon his face. He was guiding her towards some realization, but she still wasn't sure what. At least, she thought to herself, he isn't being overly patronizing about it.
"Winters..." she trailed off, realizing that there must be a relationship between the two, but not understanding it.
"This used to be my home, Harley," he said so softly she didn't clue in for a moment.
Then the full import of his statement hit her like a load of flying bricks. Of course he would be up here. He hadn't stumbled upon her, instead she had trespassed onto his freaking property! She fumbled for something to say, but Calan continued on before the words came to her.
"In fact, the house I grew up in, is just over that rise. Would you like to see it?"
Harley was stunned at the offer. His parents had been killed in an awful accident she knew, though she had been unable to figure out what type. Shortly after that, Calan had skipped town, leaving the place locked up. He must have paid some attention to it, otherwise the government would have reclaimed it. Now he was offering to show her something painful from his past. Could she do the same?
"It's this way," he said when she didn't reject his offer, gently taking her hand and pulling her along after him. She followed along without much in the way of resistance. If Calan was willing to open up like this to her, she would at least be polite and go along with it.
"Calan, it's beautiful," she said in awe as they crested the rise, bringing his childhood house into view. It was a two-story log building, built up in the middle of a clearing. Large, mature trees surrounded the property, though the undergrowth had crept closer in the past few years, taking over much of the cleared area and the gravel driveway.
Evidence of recent work was everywhere, whether it be piles of cut brush, a huge amount of fresh gravel ready to be laid down around the entryway, or even the freshly cleaned exterior of the house. Clearly Calan was getting ready to move back in.
"I'm getting it ready to live in again. It's been untouched since..." he paused unexpectedly and she glanced over at him.
All manner of emotions played across his face, some too fast for her to pick up on, but others were clearly easy to read. Anger, a vast, deeply buried anger was visible as his jaw clenched, relaxed, and then clenched again. She could hear his knuckles crack as he squeezed his fists as tight as they would go. Then, for just the briefest flicker of a moment, she saw past the angry exterior. The walls jumped back into place so quickly it could have been imagined, but Harley knew what she had seen.
He's in pain.
Harley wasn't sure why that thought surprised her so much, but it did. Of course he would hurt. This was where he had grown up, with both parents in a presumably loving environment. Then, when he was just a kid, he had lost both of them in an instant. Unable to deal with the grief, he had fled, tramping his way across the country, never leaving any roots. Nothing to tie him down, or remind him of what he had.
She wanted to reach out to him, to hold him and let him do his grieving, but she knew that wasn't what he needed right now. It would happen, but for now he needed something else. Something that only she could give him, if she chose.
A mate.
But was she ready for it? Harley had her own pain, hidden in the past that she wasn't ready to move on from. Could Calan Winters truly be the man that would heal her? There was only one way to find out. Harley would have to trust him with her fragile heart. A leap of faith was the only way to find out. Something told her that he would catch her no matter what, but there was still that familiar spike of fear when she thought of letting someone else in.
And then Calan didn't give her the option anymore.
He turned to face her, sheer, naked desire evident in his eyes. She almost bit her lip at the sight, his muscles bulg
ing under his shirt, ripples and lines evident in places she had no idea could even do so.
What are you doing Harley? Get it together! This is the first time you've been alone together. He hasn't even kissed you yet!
Her internal pleas melted away as he hooked his hand behind her neck, pulling her close to him. She was tall enough that neither of them had to crank their necks awkwardly, ensuring that she fit snugly into his arms as their lips met. A roaring fire would have felt cold against her skin as he pushed closer, his heat enveloping her, penetrating down to her core.
She felt a tremor run through her legs as his other hand wrapped around her waist, caressing her soft curves as their kiss deepened. Their lips parted, his tongue hungrily probing her mouth, twisting and entwining itself with her own. His touch hardened her nipples to tiny points, poking through her bra and rubbing up against his tight shirt.
A moan broke their kiss as his hard cock pressed into the soft flesh of her stomach, letting her know he was just as aroused as she. It felt massive and as hard as steel, so tempting that she ran her hand across his firm abs, feeling each bump of them before caressing the outline of his dick through his jeans. She was surprised it wasn't ripping them apart, the way the fabric had to strain to contain him.
Heat was pouring out from between her legs, accompanied by the thick, warm honey that would allow him to slid ever so deliciously deep within her. It had been so long since Harley had been touched by a man, and her tight cunt was yelling that as loud as it could. Her bear joined forces with it, the two of them pummeling her senses, trying to force her into mating with him right here and now.
She could feel the animal ferocity contained with Calan as well, trying to get out, to take her for his own. Then, with a savage jerk, he pulled away from her. Gasping for breath, Calan leaned against a tree, his body heaving with exertion as he tried to calm himself. Harley whimpered, the sheer strength of his will and his body leaving her vulnerable to him. She was ready for it, but he took another step back, putting some distance between them.
"Harley, no, wait." He said as she stepped towards him, his hands warding her off.
"Calm down tiger, I get it. Not like this." She stepped away from him, arms crossed.
They both looked shocked at her outburst, which was a complete transformation from her earlier self. It was a disguise she put on for him though. Her clit still ached, begging for his touch. If he tried again, Harley knew she wouldn't be able to resist it, that she would submit to him, and do as he pleased. She would let him take her in ways that other men never had, but for now she knew he wouldn't pursue it.
"Is the inside open? Can we go inside, get a glass of water and talk?" She took a step towards the house as he nodded, pointing towards the garage. They entered through the unlocked door, Calan once again the gentleman and leading the way, holding it open until she stepped inside.
The inside was furnished with a rich mahogany colored hardwood, and mute pastel walls. The decor made it obvious that no updates had been made in the past fifteen years, but the layout and charm of the house was still intact. With a few modern updates, Harley could easily see herself living here, raising a few cubs as they ran around the large rooms yelling and screaming.
What the fuck?!
The thought faded as quickly as it came, though not before it left her in a daze, unsure of things. Just this morning she had despised Calan, knowing it wouldn't be long now before he went rogue and left town, leaving her high and dry. Now though she was contemplating having his children? With a snort of ridicule directed at herself, she turned to better pursuits, such as a glass of cold water that was being held out to her.
"Thank you," she said softly, grateful for the distraction from her mental mind games.
***
Calan
"You're the first person to be in this home, besides the police, since I left."
Calan wasn't sure why he was telling her this, but right now, anything seemed better than nothing. His body was still on fire from her kiss earlier. It had taken every ounce of his mighty will to pull away, to wrestle his bear into submission. He had wanted her so strongly, in fact, he still did, for the roaring in his ears had barely subsided an octave, still demanding that he stride forward and have his way with her.
"Calan, why did you wait so long to come back?"
There it was. The question he had been avoiding, the one he hoped nobody would ask. He had no idea how to go about answering that question, mainly because Calan wasn't fully sure himself. Part of it was the pain, of finally acknowledging what had happened and what he had lost. The other...well, how did he tell her that?
"I needed time," he said finally after a long pause, not sure if the words he needed to say to her were going to come.
If he didn't handle this properly, she would assume that perhaps he wasn't here to stay. That he was only back for a short time, possibly to get the house ready to sell and then drift on in his life.
Am I here to stay?
It was a question that had echoed around in his head, despite the action he had been taking to clean the place up and prepare it. It would not take long at all for the property to sell. He received several offers every year on it, despite never listing it or mentioning to a soul that he was even thinking about it. If he put it up on the market, it would likely sell in a matter of weeks, if that.
No, what he needed to do was settle down. Things were turning a corner with Harley now, it seemed, and if he wanted that to continue, Calan knew he would have to open up to her more. To be completely honest about his intents and motives.
"I spent fifteen years wandering the country, never putting down roots. I couldn't bear the thought of making friends or having anyone close to me. You have no idea how alone I was. I pushed away everyone out of fear, fear that I might begin to care for them, and that something bad would happen to them too."
He stopped abruptly, not sure what else to say. It was more than he had intended, revealing things about himself he wasn't sure he was ready to say. He knew that in time Harley would come to know his every strength and weakness, along with all his secrets. This wasn't the time for him to be offloading his emotional rollercoaster upon her though. She needed him to be a rock, something she could anchor herself too, to realize that there was more to living out there than being alone.
Calan had already come to that conclusion before he returned to Bear Bluffs. Now he needed to grieve, to finally put the memory of his parents to rest. That time had not yet arrived, though it was imminently approaching.
Looking over at Harley, admiring her beautiful blue eyes for what felt like the millionth time already that day, he gave her a small smile. It felt fake, but he truly was grateful for her presence. She had helped him out today more than she knew, likely more than even he knew yet, simply by being there.
"Harley, I would really, really, like to take you out on a date. I want to get to know you, who you are, and just talk some more with you."
She was blushing slightly as he said that, though he had to give her credit, she was furiously trying to hide the fact, and almost succeeding.
"Would you let me take you to dinner tonight?"
She hesitated in giving an answer, taking so long that he began to assume she was trying to come up with the politest way to say no. Calan couldn't understand why she was being so difficult with him. If she would only give him a ch-
"Yes," she said finally, ducking her head and looking up at him slightly, batting her eyes to great effect. His heart raced at the look, while his cock once more threatened to rip his jeans as it burst free. Calan was thankful that the island counter in the kitchen was between the two of them, for now was not the time to show that he was ready to fuck her.
"Would you like me to drive you home?" She had wandered up to his property with her bear, so it was unlikely she had a quick way back. But since it was only the early afternoon, if they were going to go for dinner, she had several hours to kill, and perhaps she would want to conti
nue exploring. If nothing else came up, he had every intention of spending most of the afternoon lounging with his bear as well.
"I think I'll take the long way, but thank you, Calan." She smiled at him before brushing past on her way to the door.
"I had better get going if I'm going to be ready in time."
"How does seven sound?"
"Sounds perfect." And with that, she was gone.
He leaned back against the counter, a smile on his lips. Things were starting to look up.
***
The world seemed to slow to a crawl as she walked towards him. He had always thought Harley was gorgeous, but now he was at a loss for words as her beauty was put on full display for him. She had donned a black dress that hugged her in all the right places from her shoulders to her hips, before becoming loose around her legs. As she walked forward, her long legs forced the dress ever tantalizingly higher, showing just enough of her soft, creamy skin to tease him into wondering what came next.
The deep, plunging neckline exposed an eyeful of large, round breasts that called to him, practically begging for his attention. He could see her nipples already hardening under his gaze, and wondered what other reactions she might be having. This was the woman he would make his mate, he knew.
She stopped in front of him, and for a long moment he did nothing but stare, the world around them forgotten. Harley began to blush under his attention as the silence dragged on.
"Beautiful," he finally managed to gasp out. That sent her cheeks into an even darker flush of red, the perfect tint for her face he thought to himself. Finally managing to snap himself out of his trance for a moment, he gave her a hug and a soft kiss on the cheek. He didn't want to push things too far, but there were niceties to observe, and damned if he wasn't going to do his best to be a gentleman.
He opened the door to his truck, which he had fastidiously cleaned earlier that day so it would look presentable to her. Freshly washed, waxed and detailed as best as he could get it. She had a jeep of her own, so Calan knew she wouldn't feel odd being driven around in something larger.
