by Ruby Shae
Bear Security
Ruby Shae
Bear Security
Copyright 2015 by Ruby Shae
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
About This Book
Curvy, human, Rebecca Sumner had been surprised and afraid when she found out bear shifters existed, and made the biggest mistake of her life. When she happens to witness two cat shifters perform a terrible crime, they want her dead, and she returns to the one man who promised to protect her at all costs.
As Lead Enforcer for his clan, bear shifter, Logan Price, divides his time between maintaining the safety of the bears, running his private security firm, and hitting the gym. He trusted his mate with his secret six months ago, and then watched her run away in fear. Pride kept him from going after her, and he’s since resolved to live his life mate-less.
Rebecca is the last person Logan expects to find on his doorstep, but despite his anger and disappointment from their last encounter, he honors his vow to keep her safe. Their chemistry is even hotter than it was before, but Logan can’t have a mate that hates bears, and Becca doesn’t want a man that isn’t in love with her. When the cats attack, Logan must make the ultimate decision to safeguard his mate.
Bear Security
By Ruby Shae
Chapter One
Rebecca Sumner walked quickly down the middle of the darkened street, away from the shadows and hyperaware of her surroundings. The wind picked up and the sudden pitter-patter on the asphalt behind her sent her heart racing again. She turned, expecting the worst, at the same time two dry leaves rolled past her toward the next street light.
She looked at the houses and tried to remember the number of the one she sought, but the address remained elusive. She’d never taken the time to learn the numbers because the home had been so perfect, she hadn’t needed the number to find it. Now she wished she’d taken the time to commit the information to memory, or at least stored it in her phone.
What if he’d painted or renovated? If he’d changed anything, she might never find it. She continued onto the next block and breathed a sigh of relief when recognition set in. The fire hydrant, his neighbor’s obscurely decorated mailbox, a birdbath across the street.
Her relief lasted only a moment.
The sound of a car racing up the street behind her caused her to run, and she cut across the expertly manicured lawn and hid in the shadows on the porch. Seconds later, the car zoomed passed on its way to the next block. She let out the breath she’d been holding and concentrated on pulling air in and out normally. The wind blew again, rustling the branches of a nearby tree, and she hastily rang the doorbell.
It had been six months since he’d told her his secret, and six months since she’d run and made the biggest mistake of her life. She’d blindly allowed her fear to lead her out the door, and when he didn’t come for her, it had kept her prisoner ever since.
Her pulse skyrocketed when she heard footsteps from inside, and she briefly wondered if he’d moved on. Would his new girlfriend let him help her?
You’re safe with me, Becca. I will always protect you.
Remembering his words gave her a tiny bit of courage and hope, and they kept her feet planted on the welcome mat as the door swung open.
Oh, holy hell!
Nothing could have prepared her for seeing him again. Her pussy clinched and her panties dampened as she looked up at his hard, chiseled, six foot, four inch frame. He’d always towered over her, but the eight inch height difference somehow seemed greater. The way his t-shirt stretched across his chest revealed he’d been hitting the gym harder than usual, and she silently prayed it wasn’t to impress another woman.
Lust chased away most of her fear, and the urge to hug him and hide in the safety of his arms pushed her to take a step toward him. His hard, dark steel gray eyes instantly stopped the forward motion.
He hadn’t forgiven her.
“Rebecca.”
He spat the word as if he needed to remove the distaste of it from his mouth, and the use of her full name, combined with his icy tone, did nothing to conceal his true emotions.
Their one month courtship had been short, but he’d never used her full name before and the small detail hurt more than she cared to admit. His cold stare made her want to run again, but then reality dawned. She had no place to go, and she desperately needed his help.
“Hi, Logan,” she croaked.
This is no time for cowardly behavior. Get it together!
A gust of wind rolled a stick across the sidewalk, and the sound of the bark scraping the concrete made her jump.
“May I come in?” she asked, feigning confidence.
He studied her with narrowed eyes for a second, and then he looked over her head and surveyed the street and the surrounding area. Seemingly satisfied, he stepped aside and let her in, closing the door behind them.
He walked passed her, toward the living room, and she followed.
“So, you’ve finally found a use for someone like me, huh?”
His bitter words felt like a stab to her chest, but she understood his pain. His icy glare, however, made her question her decision to ask him for help. His words had always been a source of comfort, filled with love, and his contempt rattled her.
“I—”
She opened her mouth to say…something, but closed it when she saw the beautiful woman sitting on his couch. Long brown hair fell perfectly around her tall, thin frame and Rebecca could feel all of her old insecurities trying to resurface. Not only had he replaced her, but he’d found someone her exact opposite, proving she’d been right to run. A man like him needed a trophy on his arm, not a participation ribbon.
Her eyes stung, but she blinked rapidly and remembered the reason for her visit.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had company. Can we talk in private?” she asked.
“Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of her,” he stated sternly.
No way!
She couldn’t do it. She wouldn’t grovel in front of his new mate.
“This was a mistake, please excuse me,” she turned toward the door.
“That isn’t necessary,” the woman said. “I was just leaving. Isn’t that right, brother?”
Rebecca turned back to see Logan glaring at his sister. She ignored him, stuck out her hand, and introduced herself.
“Hi Rebecca, I’m Layla. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” Rebecca said quietly, shaking her hand by rote.
“Do you know the coffee shop on fifth and vine? Java Corner?” the woman asked.
“I know where it is, yes.”
“Good,” she said, walking toward the door. “If he won’t help you, come and find me the
re tomorrow and I will.”
“Thank you, Layla,” she whispered in awe.
Layla’s offer to help had stunned her. Though they’d never met, the siblings were best friends. She’d expected a cold shoulder not an olive branch.
“You’re very welcome,” she said cheerfully, but her expression changed when she faced her brother. “I’ll see you soon, Logan,” she growled, and then she disappeared out the front door.
“She seems nice,” Rebecca said, facing him again.
“She is,” he agreed.
Now that only the two of them remained, she felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. Her pulsed raced and she had to remind herself to breathe. Six months had done nothing to diminish her desire for him, and she desperately wanted to feel his lips on hers one more time.
Though still not friendly, his voice lacked some of its original hostility, and his icy stare had softened a fraction.
“What are you doing here, Rebecca?”
She hated it when he used her full name, but she knew she’d have to get used to it. As much as she wanted him back, she’d lost the right to be by his side when she’d run. Some of her lust abated when she remembered why she’d come, and reality sank in again.
“I saw something I wasn’t supposed to see, and now some cats are trying to kill me.”
***
“I’m guessing you don’t mean housecats.”
“No, shifters. Panthers.”
Shit!
Logan Price kept his face expressionless, but the need to hunt down those that had threatened his mate rode him hard. He would seek vengeance, but first he needed more information.
“Okay, we’d better sit down.”
Logan held out his hand to offer her a seat, and Becca sat on the couch. He propped himself on the arm of a recliner diagonal from her with his cell-phone ready.
It didn’t matter how much time had passed, or how much pain he’d endured from her dismissal, she would always be his.
When he’d opened the door earlier, she’d been the last person he’d expected to see standing on the other side. She’d left him six months ago after he’d told her about his ability to shift into a bear. When she didn’t return, he’d licked his wounds and tried to move on.
Layla had chastised him repeatedly for letting her go without a fight, but his pride always won in the end. Every time he got the urge to chase her, he’d hit the gym instead. He’d gotten so big the clan leader, his alpha, had questioned him about steroid use and his ability to continue as Lead Enforcer for the clan. The conversation had been an eye-opener, even if his pride had taken another hit.
Moments before Becca’s arrival, Layla had been urging him, for the millionth time, to chase down his mate. Unfortunately, Becca hadn’t come because she wanted him back; she came because she was in danger. Still, the fact that she’d remembered his words had made his heart swell.
When she’d looked up at him with those big brown eyes, his dick had hardened to the point of pain. She had the same hairstyle as before, and the way her bangs framed her face and then cut to her shoulder length, straight blond hair made him want to groan. His body’s reaction to her pissed him off, especially since he seemed to have no control around her.
Her dark blue jeans hugged her curves in all the right places, and he couldn’t wait to get a good look at her ass. She wore a black, zip-front sweatshirt, but he could see the neckline of a familiar pink t-shirt hidden underneath. The way the material caressed her large, soft breasts made it one of his favorites, and he briefly wondered if she’d worn the garment for his enjoyment.
It wasn’t until she’d jumped at a passing tree branch that her fear became evident and sent him into protection mode. The way her presence could manipulate him so severely made his anger surge toward the surface again, and he’d ignored Layla’s threatening glare.
As soon as they were alone, his anger had begun to recede for the second time since her arrival. He wanted to touch her, kiss her and make love to her for the first time, but first he had to find out the reason for her visit.
Panthers had been the farthest thing from his mind.
“Tell me what happened, and don’t leave anything out,” he said.
“I worked late last night,” she started, “and on my way to the parking garage, I looked down an alley and saw two men seemingly robbing another man. I watched for a second, with my cell phone ready, when one of the men turned into a panther. A minute later the other one turned, lunged at the man and ripped out his throat. I gasped a little too loudly, and they started running toward me. Luckily, a large crowd of people came down the street at the same time, and I was able to hide between them and reach my car safely. When I got home, my door looked untampered with, but when I stepped inside the apartment, the hairs on the back of my neck prickled. Everything looked normal, but it violated, as if someone was inside. I was afraid, so I left.
“I drove to the police station and asked them to investigate, or at least do a walk through, but they wouldn’t, so I rented a hotel room. When I woke this morning, I attempted to go out and get something to eat, but all of the windows on my car had been smashed in. I waited a couple of hours and then snuck out the employee entrance of the hotel and walked to a car rental place. I rented a car, and then drove here.”
“Where’s the car?” he asked.
The only sound he’d heard before her knock was the sound of a car speeding down the road. Had someone dropped her off? Was this an elaborate trap to expose his identity? Warning bells blared in his head, but he forced himself to remain calm.
“I parked it in the center square and walked here.”
“You walked here from the center square?” he asked, incredulous. “That’s almost ten miles.”
“I might be overweight, but that doesn’t mean I can’t walk a few miles,” she spat back.
“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” he scolded. “We’re not talking about a few miles here, we’re talking about ten. That’s a lot to walk when you have a car to drive. Why didn’t you drive here?”
“I…I didn’t want them to know where you lived,” she whispered.
“That’s ridiculous,” he roared. “You came here for help, but you endanger yourself by walking ten miles to my home? What would you have done if they found you while you were walking? Run? You’d never survive!”
Tears filled her eyes, but he ignored them. His training, combined with years of experience, made everything suddenly clear. She hadn’t planned on exposing his secrets; she’d planned on protecting him. While he appreciated her innocent sentiment, it also made him angry.
If she would have stayed with him, she would understand his power and she would never doubt his ability to protect her against anything, especially a few cats.
“If you think I’m so unworthy and weak, why did you come here?” he growled.
“I don’t think that at all,” she said. “I came here because I need help, and I thought you would help me. I didn’t call first because I didn’t want you to say no over the phone and I wanted to see you. At the same time, I didn’t want to endanger you or your family if you had already moved on. It may not have been the best, most thought out plan, but it was the best I had. You didn’t used to be so paranoid and critical of me.”
“The last time I trusted you, you ran away from me,” he snapped.
“And the last time I trusted you, you let me go,” she snapped back.
They stared at each other across the room for what seemed like hours. They’d both basically admitted fault to their last encounter, but what did it mean? Did she still have feelings for him, or did she simply want his help and nothing more?
His cell-phone vibrated and reminded him that her safety was their first priority. He ignored the message from his sister, and scrolled for the number he wanted.
“I have to make a call,” he said, back in business mode. “Why don’t you go look for something to eat and I’ll join you in a few minutes.”
“Okay,” she said.
“By the way,” he started, and then waited for her to face him. “I will never move on. You don’t have to admit it, or even accept it, but you are the only one for me.”
Before she could say anything, he pressed the call icon on his phone and turned away from her.
Chapter Two
I will never move on…you are the only one for me.
Rebecca walked into the kitchen, and listened as Logan spoke into the phone.
“Jacob, it’s Price. Becca’s in trouble. Gather everyone for a meeting in forty-five, and get Mason to patrol my house until I get back. No one goes in or out except for me.”
She opened the refrigerator and stared at the contents. Logan had more food than she’d expected, but her hunger seemed to hit her all at once. Suddenly she was famished. The thought of preparing something sent her head spinning and she grabbed a take-out box she assumed contained left-over Chinese food.
The box had two eggrolls piled on top of some pork fried rice and she shoved half of one of the eggrolls into her mouth. She heard Logan finish his call and tried to swallow the massive bite before he walked into the room, but it was too big.
He smiled when he saw her, and she blocked his view of her mouth with her hand.
“Is this still good?” she asked, her voice muffled around the food.
“Yeah,” he laughed, “Layla brought it over earlier. Let me heat it up for you.”
He took the box out of her hand and dumped the contents onto a paper plate. He covered it with a paper towel and started the microwave.
“Do you want me to make you an omelet?” he asked, reaching for the eggs. “I’ve got bacon and onion in here, too.”
She smiled and shook her head. The fact that he’d remembered how much she loved eating the breakfast food any time of the day made her happy. When he didn’t stop looking for the ingredients, she realized he hadn’t seen her negative response.
