SHIFTER: Marine Bear (MMA Fighter Bears Series Book 1) (Werebear Bear Shapeshifter Fantasy Paranormal Romance)

by Candace Ayers

  Hunter lifted his head and saw her lingering in the back by the benches, much like she had the first time she'd come down here. That wasn't like her. Not anymore. Usually she came straight over to him, wherever he was. He hadn't gotten her in the ring yet, but if things kept progressing, it wouldn't be long. Today he was hoping to teach her some new kicks.

  "Hey," he said, jogging up to her. Her thick hair was tied on top of her head in a messy bun and she was wearing dark sunglasses.

  And then it hit him.

  Sunglasses. Inside. He reached out one hand and angrily yanked them off her face. Casey's mouth dropped open but she didn't try to stop him. One large, round, crystal blue eye stared at him, the other was dark purple and swollen, the skin around it puffed out like a balloon. The sight brought a boiling rage bubbling up from inside.

  "I'll kill him," Hunter said gruffly, turning towards the door. Casey reached out one hand to try to pull him back.

  "Stop," she said, her voice pleading, “Please don’t.”

  "Why the fuck shouldn't I, Casey? What the hell are you waiting for? Him to kill you? What if it's not you he kills, what if it's Tommy?"

  Casey's bottom lip trembled.

  "Shit," Hunter mumbled, feeling like the biggest asshole. He was so angry he was shaking, but he had to maintain control for her sake. He had to. She needed a strong shoulder to lean on right now. She needed a friend to comfort her. “I’m sorry, Casey. I’m … sorry.” He ran his hand through his hair, “Please… let’s go to my office where we have some privacy.” She looked reluctant. “Please.”

  He motioned to an open door at the end of a well-lit hallway, and to his great relief, she turned slowly and headed down the hall. He followed her into the office and shut the door behind him.

  "I apologize," he said trying like hell to hide the anger in his voice. “You’re my… friend,” He struggled with the word, but technically, that was all that had been declared between them at this point. Friendship. He wanted to be there for her, let her come to him and talk, tell him whatever she needed to get off her chest without fear of retribution. She already had a hot-headed asshole, the last thing she’d want is another. Dammit, though, she was so much more than a friend to him. She held the reigns of his heart in her hands and every instinct cried out that he needed to protect, defend, and avenge her.

  Casey looked at him from the corner of the room.

  "Don't apologize," she said. Her voice still quivered but it sounded stronger. "You're right. I know that.

  "Do you wanna tell me what happened?" He stepped toward her reaching out a hand and cupping her face. She closed her eyes and nuzzled his palm.

  "I burnt dinner." She laughed. "I never said I was a good cook."

  Hunter failed to see the humor. "He's never gonna stop."

  "I know." She took a deep breath. "I'm leaving him. For good this time. Me and Tommy both. I just have to be careful how I go about it."

  She stared up at him through frightened eyes, her crystal blue one, and her bruised and swollen one and Hunter felt a fresh wave of rage shoot through him. How could that monster hurt his beautiful Casey like that? She was the most amazing creature on the planet.

  "I do," Hunter growled, pulling his hand back. "I'm gonna go down there and put the fear of God into the bastard, just like I should've done the first night I met you. He won’t dare to come anywhere near you after I finish with him, I promise you that."

  He turned to go, anger boiling inside him. Casey grabbed his arm and pulled him back using one of the defensive moves he'd taught her. He couldn't help smiling, but his blood was boiling too hot and the smile faded quickly. Control. He had to maintain control over the rolling waves of hatred making their way through his body.

  “Stay,” her voice was a raspy whisper but her eyes were pleading. “Please. I need you.”

  The soft, pleading way she said those words both broke Hunters heart and sent a passionate flame of desire shooting through him. Casey grabbed at him, pulling herself into his chest.

  “Hold me,” she whispered.

  Hunter wrapped her in his arms and she instantly slumped against his body. He could hear how hard her heart was beating and she trembled slightly as he held her. Damn, he was being a selfish ass. She needed him to be here for her and all he could think of was running out and seeking revenge.

  “I’ve got you, baby” Hunter stroked her hair.

  Casey snaked her arms around his waist and moved her hands over his back, pulling herself in closer. His heart twisted and he lowered his mouth over hers touching his lips to hers softly. Her body squirmed against his. Her thighs rubbed together and then her hands slowly edged to the front of his body running up under his t-shirt. She lifted it until she could pull it off.

  Hunter’s dick was already hard but he felt himself grow even harder when Casey’s knuckles brushed his lower abdomen as she reached to tug on the waistband of his sweats. “Please make me forget,” she begged.

  With ease, he lifted her and sat her down on the desk. She wrapped her legs around him and he leaned into her, his erection pressing firmly against the wet spot seeping through her yoga pants.

  Hunter slid his mouth over hers and growled softly using his very last bit of restraint, “Are you sure this is what you want?”

  “Yes,” She answered, her voice thick with desire.

  His tongue parted her lips gently, tenderly, but she would have none of that. She intensified the kiss by threading her fingers in his hair and tugging him roughly closer. She bit his lower lip and her tongue invaded his mouth forcefully in a scorching hot kiss that was anything but gentle.

  She ground herself against his erection eliciting a groan from him that came from deep within his chest. He quickly slid her yoga pants and panties down to her knees without breaking their embrace, and she wiggled them off her feet.

  “Yes, I’m sure. Yes, yes, yes. I’ve wanted you so badly.”

  He was spurred on by her intensity. He had been wanting her just as much if not more. He slid her shirt over her head and palmed her lace covered breasts. She moaned as he squeezed gently and tweaked her nipples before easily ridding her of the bit of lace.

  He lay her backward down on the desk, fully naked in front of him.

  “So fucking beautiful,” he growled before closing his mouth on one of her nipples and sucking on the hard pebble. He licked a line over to the other flicking his tongue and sucking on it leaving them both wet and tingling.

  His gaze trailed to the moisture glistening between her legs. He slid a finger through her and a moan escaped his lips when his finger came away coated in her juices.

  “Damn, sweetheart, I need to taste you.”

  She wanted him to, she wanted to expose herself to him, she wanted him to see her, to take her. Casey wanted this man with a desperation that defied logic.

  Casey shivered as Hunters tongue flicked over her clit before licking a line down through her pussy and thrusting deeply into her wet hole.

  Her skin was on fire and every nerve ending tingled. She could feel herself on the edge of a shattering orgasm.

  “Inside me,” she managed to choke out, “I want you inside me.

  A second later, she felt his hard length pushing forcefully at her opening. He slid into her about an inch. His size surprised her, and he had to enter slowly to give her time to stretch to accommodate him. Hunter filled her so fully that she couldn’t help but cry out, it felt so wonderful. He leaned over and captured her cries in his mouth and stroked her tongue with his until everything in her felt like it belonged to him.

  He slid almost all the way out and then thrust back into her harder. His big hands gripped her ass and lifted her off the desk slightly when he pulled out again. “Fuck, Casey, you’re amazing.” Her breasts jiggled and bounced with every hard thrust.

  “Don’t stop. Don’t stop,” she urged Hunter on, and he picked up the pace as he pummeled in and out of her, his fingers tightening on her ass, his hard body tight with ten
sion. Casey’s back arched slightly and her breathing became shallow. Hunter knew she was close.

  He reached around to brush his thumb lightly against her clit and grunted as her walls squeezed him in response. Warmth budded in her core, blossoming and spreading out to her limbs as the first wave of her orgasm hit. It rolled over her in a fierce tidal wave of pleasure a split second before she felt his warm shooting ejaculations filling her. Casey cried out Hunter’s name as she came apart around him.

  As they were coming down from the intensity of their union, the last tremors still rocking their bodies, Hunter gently pulled her up and into his strong arms. He hung his head against her shoulder

  “I want you to be with me, Casey. I need you to be mine,” he whispered his confession in her ear.

  There was a slight pause before she spoke. “I want that too, Hunter, but I need for you to let me handle it my way. Please.”

  He knew in that moment that he would give her anything she asked.

  He would be patient. For her.

  Chapter 6

  Hunter waited at the gym for over two hours. It had been four days since he and Casey had slept together, and even though he’d promised to let her handle the termination of her marriage to Mike her way, the waiting, the worrying, the wondering was killing him.

  She should have been here today, but when she hadn’t shown at the expected hour, horrific thoughts and images of Casey lying dead, her face battered and bruised, flashed through his mind. His thoughts must have been transparent because his brothers attempted to comfort him in their own warped way.

  "She's fine," Scott said, throwing a jab at a punching bag. "Probably just got tired of seeing your ugly ass. Needed a vacation." He smiled to show he was joking, but Hunter didn't smile back.

  "You didn't tell her about us..." Ethan asked, looking around.

  "No, I didn't tell her. Yet."

  Ethan nodded. "You know where she lives, right?" he asked.

  "Yes."

  "Then why don't you just go get her?"

  Hunter looked at his older brother. "Why don't I?" He tore his gloves off and dropped them on the floor.

  "Want us to come with?" Scott asked. Scott had no problems shifting and was always eager to let his bear loose. Hunter hated to admit he was jealous.

  "Not this time," he grumbled as he sailed through the front doors and hopped onto his Harley.

  Casey was sitting on the front porch of her house, dazed, a whimpering Tommy in her arms. The late afternoon heat hung heavily in the air. Her face hurt. Her head ached. Her shoulder throbbed. She had felt Mike free her shoulder from its socket when she'd gotten between him and Tommy. It was a small price to pay, because he’d left Tommy alone after that.

  She heard the motorcycle roaring in the distance, thunder on the wind. Casey squinted her eyes, searching through the harsh sunlight. The sound grew louder and Tommy's head snapped up, staring out in its direction.

  "Mommy?" he asked. "Who’s that?" Tommy asked when Hunter pulled up in front of the house. She carefully sat Tommy aside. His eyes widened as Hunter approached. He was struck by Hunter’s physical size and presence, but oddly enough, wasn’t frightened.

  "Tommy, baby, go inside," Casey stood him on the top porch stair, and stepped in front of him to block his view, but Tommy didn't move.

  "He's not here," she called to Hunter as he approached her.

  "I'll wait," Hunter said. He walked up the porch stairs, carefully lifting Casey off her feet when she tried to stop him and setting her back down. He paused when he saw Tommy watching him.

  "Don't worry, kid," Hunter said. "I’ll never hurt her. Or you."

  "Are you a super hero?” Tommy asked. He sounded excited. Casey laughed despite her agitation.

  "He's Mommy's friend,” she told her son. “His name is Hunter. Hunter, this is my son, Tommy."

  Tommy reached out one hand to shake as his mother had taught him. Hunter's hand swallowed the little boy’s.

  "Nice to meet you, Tommy," Hunter said, noticing the boy’s pale tear stained cheeks. His heart ached for the little boy. There were no bruises, though—that was good. But Casey's face was a mess.

  "Where is he?" Hunter asked.

  "Hunter," Casey said, stepping towards him. "I told you, he's not here."

  "I know that. I would smell him if he was."

  Casey made a face. "What does that mean?"

  "It means where the hell is he, Casey?" Hunter was not playing this game. If Casey was too afraid to stand up for herself, he could understand that. But he was going to defend her whether she fucking liked it or not. Now that he’d met little Tommy, now that he had a face to attach to the name, he had two people for whom he felt responsible. Two people who had tethered his heart whether they meant to or not, and he would no longer allow them to be afraid of some sorry, bullying son-of-a-bitch. There’s no fucking way he was going to allow it to continue another second.

  "I told you he's not here. I don't know where he is!" Casey shouted. How dare Hunter come to her home like this! Did he have any idea of the consequences this could incur?

  Hunter turned back to Tommy, who looked frightened now. "Pack your bags, kiddo. You and your mom can come with me."

  "Mommy?" Tommy said, his eyes darting to his mother.

  "We're not going anywhere with you," Casey hissed. "We can't."

  "Why can't you?" Hunter demanded. "I know you don't love him. I'm certain you don't love being used as a punching bag either. So what is it? What's holding you here?"

  Tears flooded Casey's eyes and cascaded down her cheeks. She wiped her face and took a breath. "I can't leave because he'll never let me go. He'll find me. He'll kill Tommy, he’ll kill you, he’ll kill everything I love." She glanced at Tommy. Dammit, she hadn’t wanted to say these things in front of him, but there was no point in trying to pretend. He'd seen enough to understand, even at his young age, what danger meant.

  Hunter had heard what she’d said. She’d said “everything I love”. Did she mean that she loved him?

  "I will protect you," Hunter said. His hands rose to Casey's shoulders, grasping onto her, desperate to make her understand. She winced and he let go. It was then that he noticed the unnatural bulge in her shoulder.

  "You need a doctor," he said.

  Casey shook her head, backing away from him. "No. No doctors. No police."

  "What was it this time?" he asked. "Did you burn dinner again? Or was it just that you breathed a little too loudly?"

  Casey burst into loud, hiccupping sobs. A door to her right banged open and her head swiveled around. A neighbor was standing on his porch. Casey noticed more doors opening. She lived in a small neighborhood, where the houses were old and close together. To people around here, spousal abuse was an everyday occurrence. The neighbors who revealed themselves now weren't interested in helping Casey, they just came out to watch the show. If Mike heard from any one of them that Hunter had been here, there was no telling what he might do.

  "Please, leave!" she pleaded once more to Hunter. "Go!" she said again when he still wouldn't move. Now she stepped close to him and banged her fists against his chest. "Leave! Get out! You're only making things worse!"

  Hunter, finally seeing the fear in her eyes—not of him, but of a situation he was creating for her with his presence—went back to his Harley. The neighbors' eyes followed him. Tommy's eyes followed him. The only one who didn't look at him was Casey. He started his bike up and took off.

  Casey might not know where Mike was, but that only meant that he’d have to find the guy on his own. He loved her and his patience was completely exhausted. He would see to it that she would not spend one more day cowering in fear of that fucker.

  Chapter 7

  Downtown had its safe neighborhoods and its not so safe neighborhoods. Hunter found Mike in a section that was downright dangerous. He headed to the first place he could think of—the bar where he had first laid eyes on Casey. The place was packed with the usual assortment of as
sholes, tough guys and red necks.

  Hunter scanned the room. Mike was here alright. The guy was sitting with his friends, laughing and having a good time. Hunter shook his head. Laughing and getting drunk while his wife and son were at home hurting and scared. Unbelievable.

  Hunter didn't pause. He made a bee line for Mike pulling him up and out of his chair. His hands ripped the collar of Mike's shirt as he yanked him up.

  "Hey!" the bartender yelled. "Take it outside!" But Hunter ignored him. His fist flew out and landed squarely against Mike's jaw. Mike fell to the ground, a soft lump writhing on the floor. Hunter waited a moment to see if Mike would get back up. One punch seemed almost a waste of his time. Hunter had come here for a fight.

  Hunter's rage had blinded him, though. He had failed to notice the men around him. Mike had only been sitting with three or four friends, but he was a regular at the bar. A growing group of men circled around them. Hunter's eyes flickered left then right. It began to dawn on him that in his rage, he’d rushed into a situation carelessly and foolishly. Fuck, he knew better than to let emotions cloud his rational judgement.

  He scanned the crowd. Hunter was bigger than any one of these men, but there were close to ten in the tightly formed circle around him now. At the center was Mike, his nose bleeding and his eyes beginning to blacken.

  Well, Hunter wouldn’t go down without taking a few of these guys with him. He was incredibly strong and well trained and he knew he could really fuck up a few of them. But he also knew he was vastly out manned. 10 to 1. He wasn’t even sure his bear could handle 10 against one, if the fucker would ever come out.

  Hunter closed his eyes for a split second and tried to call forth his bear. His heart thumped hard in his chest and for just a moment he felt something stir deep inside his stomach. But then it was gone. One of Mike's friends pushed him forward. He caught himself and wheeled around to retaliate with a left hook. Someone behind him threw themselves bodily into Hunter’s back sending him flying over a table. Warm beer spilled around his head. It went up Hunter's nose and as he inhaled and he began to cough. Mike's buddies were jeering, laughing, and having a great time joining in the slaughter. Hunter felt like a damned fool. His blood boiled. Right now he hated Mike, but he hated his fucking bear almost as much for abandoning him.