Big Bad Bear

by Bolryder, Terry

  But instead of heading toward Bearstone Park, this road went in a different direction. They drove up steep paved roads that winded along hillsides and passed through endless acres of ageless pine trees.

  I must be crazy. This guy really does live out in the middle of nowhere, she thought. They turned off onto side road after side road, as if navigating a maze where only Zeus knew the layout. Carly held on tight as the Harley roared through the silent forests, and she couldn’t help but relish the feel of his tight muscles under the smooth leather of his jacket, despite the stress of the situation and the knowledge that she’d only barely escaped something terrible.

  But she trusted Zeus. He’d helped her when no one else had, and for that, she’d give him a chance.

  2

  Zeus had no clue what he was going to do next. For someone whose entire livelihood and survival in the past had rested on carefully made plans and executing them perfectly, this was certainly not something he could have anticipated.

  His mate was here with him, riding on his motorcycle, driving toward his house in the mountains.

  At least, that’s what his bear had called her when he’d first laid eyes on her several months ago.

  Zeus hated going into town, preferring the solitude of the mountains where his bear could roam free and he could enjoy the quiet of the forest. After so many years of fighting and war, he was happy to have a place of his own where he could spend his days in peace.

  But every now and then, the urge to go somewhere where other humans gathered hit him. Which was exactly where he’d found Carly. From the instant he saw her, he knew. His bear called out to him, telling him she was the one for him. And for bear shifters, when you knew, you just knew.

  It didn’t hurt that her luscious body had perfect curves, just the way he liked. A gorgeous, round ass. Huge breasts and wide hips. A delicate, heart-shaped face. A sparkling personality, despite her shyness. Nice brown hair the color of bear fur and light-brown eyes the color of whisky that looked amazing with her deep skin tone. And lush red lips he wished he could kiss.

  She was everything he’d ever dreamed of. Everything he’d never thought possible after getting out of the military. After all, women wanted someone polite and social, not someone who’d made a living with battle skills and now lived as a recluse and occasionally turned into a bear.

  Yet he hadn’t been able to stay away. Her warm smile, the way she looked at him welcomingly when he came in, it all kept calling to him, drawing him down from the mountain to see her again.

  But he hadn’t been able to figure out a way to initiate something with her. Whenever he was around her, he got tongue-tied. He could command a battalion of troops, interrogate the most sinister men the world had to offer, and survive for weeks in the most unforgiving climates on nothing but raw discipline and his survival skills. But for some reason, the idea of talking to Carly made his heart race more than being under enemy fire ever had.

  Of course, Zeus’s friend and former squad mate Ares found the irony of the situation hilarious to no end. Zeus, however, did not.

  He turned onto the last road that lead up to his cabin, and he could feel Carly hold on tightly as the motorcycle leaned and hugged the edge of the road on their way up the mountain. He loved the feel of her body pressed against his, her arms holding on to him as she trusted him to take her to safety.

  The incident back at the bar with the gangsters had been fortuitous for Zeus, if unfortunate for everyone else involved. Compared to the various insurgents, trained mercenaries, and cartel gangsters he’d fought over the years, those thugs had been child’s play. But the whole thing still bothered him. The Red Devils’s influence over the town was supposed to be waning, not growing stronger. He and Ares had been keeping an eye on it ever since they’d moved back here after getting out of the military.

  He made a mental note to talk about it with Ares tomorrow. Right now, he just wanted to make sure Carly was safe.

  They finally reached the two-story cabin where Zeus lived, and he pulled out his phone, pressing the necessary buttons and inputting the proper code to disable the alarm perimeter surrounding his house before he drove up and parked. If anything bigger than a badger came within a hundred feet of his place, Zeus wanted to know.

  He drove up to the house, killed the engine, and kicked the stand for the bike, then came off.

  Time to see what his mate thought of his home.

  * * *

  Carly couldn’t believe her eyes. The place was like something out of a dream. Or an issue of Mountain Living magazine, if such a thing existed.

  The house was a two-story cabin, though it looked much bigger and more spacious than one would typically describe as being a cabin. It had a wide, covered porch and a tall, vaulted roof that rose high into the center of the clearing where the house was built. All around in every direction, Carly could see pine and aspen forest going on forever, up and down the hillside.

  She wasn’t sure just how long they’d been driving. But she guessed it was easily long enough to be far away from Bearstone Village, or any other people at all for that matter.

  Carly stood up and came off the bike, feeling wobbly after the new experience of riding on a motorcycle. She took off the helmet and handed it to Zeus, who took it and walked up the steps, motioning for her to follow.

  She couldn’t help but notice just how quiet it was up here. If it were any other man, she’d be scared for her life. But Zeus had already proven to her that he wasn’t going to hurt her. And even aside from that, there was something else about him that drew her in. Something that eased her normal cautionary responses and made her feel safe somehow.

  When she came inside, she noticed how organized and nice the place looked. A little spartan as far as actual decorations or color, but there was lots of furniture and everything looked modern and new. Cabinets, tables, couches, everything looked as if it had been hand-carved and uniquely made just for this place.

  The men Carly had dated in the past had pretty much been slobs, so she was surprised to see that Zeus seemed to take a lot of pride in his surroundings.

  “Did you do this?” Carly asked, running her hand over the soft lacquer of a hand-carved hall tree at the entrance to the house.

  “Some of it. Most of it is done by a friend of mine who makes furniture. You might meet him in the next day or two,” he said, taking off his huge leather jacket and hanging it on the hall tree.

  Carly almost gulped at the sight before her. Under his jacket, Zeus was even bigger than she’d thought. He wore a tight gray T-shirt that did little to hide the rippling muscles underneath the thin fabric. She could make out every perfectly defined muscle across his chest and arms. A body honed through years of practice.

  His broad shoulders connected strong, heavily muscled arms. His squared pecs led to defined, bulging abs. Even his forearms were corded with tight muscle, tapering down to beautiful, large male hands. The kind you just wanted on you.

  And now that she was standing right next to him, she realized fully just how small she was next to him. The top of her head probably only barely reached the middle of his chest, and in every direction she looked in front of her, he was there, filling her vision.

  Zeus looked down at her with those intense blue eyes, and she had no idea what he was thinking at this moment.

  Part of her wanted to run. The other part wanted to pull him down for a kiss and maybe more.

  For now, though, she had to stay focused. She reminded herself just how poorly her last relationship had gone, and that cooled her quickly heating body temperature enough for her to think a little more clearly about the problems at hand.

  Like what was going to happen next, now that she was alone in a mountain cabin with a man she barely knew.

  “Here, I’ll show you to your bedroom,” he said, heading up a stairway to their right. She followed, still not sure what to make of the whole situation. They went down a short hallway that ended with a large room, which she ass
umed was the guest bedroom.

  “You can sleep here,” he said. The room was surprisingly comfortable-looking, with a big queen-size bed and a full set of the same type of hand-carved furniture she’d seen in the living room. Much nicer than the dumpy apartment she’d been calling home the past year.

  “I… I appreciate what you did for me back in the bar, but I can’t just stay here,” she said. “I mean, I have a job back home, and I have an apartment I’m renting, and… I barely know you.”

  He tilted his head to the side, and a lock of dark hair fell over his forehead. His hair was loose and thick and waved around his face and brushed over his collar. He stared at her for a moment, his strong arms crossed over his chest as his eyes narrowed in thought.

  “Um, did I say something wrong?” she asked quietly.

  Zeus shook his head. “But I can’t let you leave.”

  “So I’m just supposed to stay here? Overnight, with you?”

  Zeus nodded.

  It was crazy. How could he just bring a random stranger into his home?

  “Will I be going back home tomorrow?” she asked.

  He shook his head and lowered his brows.

  “Why not?”

  “Not safe,” he said solemnly.

  “What about my stuff? I can’t just sleep over with what I’m wearing.” The black button-up and jeans she wore for work were thankfully fairly comfortable, but not that comfortable.

  “I’ll call a friend. He’ll get your stuff,” he said.

  Carly didn’t know what to make of his stiff, almost stern demeanor. But as he avoided her gaze, she almost thought maybe he was nervous. But that’d be ridiculous. How could such a tall, menacing, obviously capable man be intimidated by her? He’d dispatched the men in the bar like they were yesterday’s garbage.

  She folded her arms and thought things over. He was probably right that it wasn’t safe to go home. Awkward as the situation was, she was probably safest here.

  “How will your friend get inside my place?” Carly asked. She knew the building’s outer door was usually left ajar anyway, and her apartment only had one half-functional lock, but she wasn’t going to admit that.

  “Not a problem,” he replied nonchalantly.

  Carly wasn’t going to ask what that meant. If the people Zeus associated with were anything like him, they probably had a lot of hidden talents too.

  She was definitely grateful for what Zeus had done for her back at the bar. And she was grateful he was so willing to bring her to his own place and watch out for her. Already, he was nothing like any man she’d ever met. But her heart warned her to be careful. She tended to get her hopes up too easily. Tended to fall into things with men who never turned out as good as she thought they were.

  “You relax. I’ll make dinner,” Zeus said, turning to leave suddenly. “If you need anything, let me know.”

  Part of her groaned in disappointment at the sight of his broad shoulders retreating down the hall. But then she realized how hungry she was. Carly thought back to earlier in the day and remembered she’d skipped lunch because there had been an influx of diners around noon. And after that, she’d just forgotten about it.

  Whatever was going to happen, she could wait until after dinner to figure it out. Right now, the cool air and her swiftly relaxing body was leaving her exhausted from the day’s exertion and stress. And the only thing that sounded better than dinner was a quick nap.

  She lay down and instantly fell asleep.

  3

  Zeus listened quietly at the door of the guest bedroom. With his bear senses, he could pick up even the slightest motion or the quietest noises with his hearing. Inside, his mate rustled lightly and gave a little snore as she napped.

  His mate. Sooner or later, she was going to have to hear that from his own mouth. But for now, it was enough just to have her so near.

  As much as he wanted to let her sleep, dinner was fast getting cold, and he was certain she would be hungry. He’d sensed the tension in her before she’d turned in. And Zeus wasn’t going to stand for his mate ever going hungry. Not on his watch.

  Zeus tapped the door lightly a few times, hoping it wouldn’t startle Carly. There was the sound of sheets shifting, and for a split second, he imagined being there with her, on top of her, making her scream his name in pleasure.

  He shook his head, hoping to clear the thought from his mind. Never had he been this dumbfounded by a woman. Never before had anyone had this sort of effect on him. Then again, she was his mate. She would always mean more to him than anyone else ever could. All he could do was treat her right and hope the feelings he had for her would become mutual.

  Carly came up to the door and opened it, looking a little drowsy, her hair sticking out of its ponytail in several places. It looked so soft, as always, and he had to restrain himself from wanting to touch it.

  “I made some dinner, if you’re hungry,” Zeus said.

  Carly took in a long whiff and smiled. “Smells delicious. Are you sure it’s okay? I’m not imposing or anything?”

  “It’s fine,” he said, letting her walk past him and down the stairs toward the kitchen.

  For dinner, Zeus had cooked up some steaks and potatoes. He certainly hadn’t learned to be a master chef in the service, but nothing made the men happier than a good cookout with delicious grilled meat, so Zeus knew enough to get by.

  He watched as Carly’s eyes lit up at the dinner laid out on the table. Outside, the sun had already set, and the warm evening light was turning a cool blue that settled over the surrounding forest around them. His favorite time of day.

  He pulled the chair up for her to sit down, then took a seat himself. He quickly served up a large portion for Carly, which she responded to with a suspicious eyebrow.

  “This isn’t a trick or some sicko game for you, is it? Rescuing women and bringing them back here to feed them ridiculous amounts of food?”

  “No,” Zeus said, a small smile teasing the corners of his lips. “It’s not every day a woman like you needs rescuing. And as for dinner, I just know you’re hungry.”

  “How did you…? Never mind,” she said, turning to the food in front of her and cutting several bites before trying it. She took one bite and chewed slowly. Zeus waited eagerly for her reaction.

  “Aw hell,” she said, looking both pleased and peeved at the same time.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No. That’s the problem. It’s delicious. I’ve never tasted something this good before.”

  “How is that a problem?” Zeus asked, confused.

  “I was hoping it would be as bad as all the other cooking men have tried to do for me so I could stop seeing you as Mr. Perfect,” she said, waving a fork at him before taking several more bites at one time and eating rapidly.

  “Would you like me to stop?” he asked.

  “No, don’t. It’s nice to have a guy like you around. Someone who actually gives a crap about things like owning his own place or being able to cook,” she said.

  “What do you mean?” Zeus asked, leaning back in his chair and listening intently.

  Carly looked at him questioningly for a moment, as if not believing he actually wanted to hear more. But when he didn’t interrupt her, she finished another bite and continued.

  “Let’s just say I haven’t had the best luck with relationships in the past. At best, they expect everything from you and do nothing to show they actually care. At worst, they straight up abandon you and leave you to the wolves. The last man I took up with falls under that category,” she said, cutting her steak vigorously, as if the memory of it put her on edge.

  “You don’t have to talk about it,” Zeus said, not wanting to open up old wounds.

  “No, it’s fine. It’s what brought me out here actually,” she said, taking another bite between sentences and closing her eyes as she moaned a little from the flavor. It made Zeus think of making her moan in another way. “This last guy, we were together for a couple yea
rs. He never made any commitments, but I figured being a girl with average looks like mine and the kind of bad family history I come from, it was the best I was going to do.”

  “You’re gorgeous,” Zeus interjected. It made him angry to think of anyone that could have ever called her average or less than. To him, she was stunning.

  Carly looked up at him, and he saw a faint flush spread over her cheeks just before she stifled a smile and continued her story. “So anyway, a year ago, he gets this genius idea to come back to his hometown and open a business. A coffee shop to be exact. And I figure, why not? By that point in my life, I was broke from having to bail my brother out of prison and trying to pay off my mom’s rent because her drinking meant she couldn’t hold a job. But I was done living my life for them, letting them keep me from ever moving forward. A new place, a change of scenery, a chance at getting paid more than minimum wage for once in my life? It sounded like it was worth a shot.”

  Zeus felt anger burn through him at what his mate had been through, but he was glad she’d found her way here. Still, he was disgusted by her family.

  In his case, he had no family. His mom had left early and his dad had been mostly absent, not caring when Zeus left at eighteen to enroll in the military. But no family was probably better than the kind of family Carly had.

  She sighed and moved her food around on her plate, drawing his attention back to her. “So we moved here, opened up shop, and what do you know, but my boyfriend goes on a spending spree? The second the bank gave us a business card, he spent it on everything from a new TV to fancy shoes, all the while talking about how much money the business was going to bring in and how we were going to be rich,” Carly said, speaking animatedly with her hands, then taking another bite of steak.

  Zeus could tell from the second he heard the story that her ex was a complete tool, not even worthy of being called a man. In his mind, it was a male’s duty to love and protect and provide for their mate, no matter the circumstances.