“There’s no way that I’m going to step back and let her have any kind of hold over you,” I decided.
“But you can’t possibly win in a fight against her,” Dom protested.
“Yes, I can. I did karate when I was younger and Joe sent all of us to self-defence classes after a tourist got mugged not far from Perk. I might be small, but I know how to take care of myself.” Even as I said it, I knew how ridiculous it sounded, but I couldn’t cope with the thought of Jen winning.
“Steph, even the Karate Kid couldn’t win against a full grown shifter.”
“I don’t care. Are you seriously saying you want to be with Jen?”
“Of course not.” The look of repulsion on Dom’s face spoke volumes. “But it would kill me to see you hurt.”
“Stephanie, I need your answer.” Frank’s voice broke through our discussion. “What is your answer to the challenge?”
“She declines,” said Dom, just as I gave my reply.
“I accept.”
“Please don’t do this, Steph,” begged Dom, as Frank nodded.
“The challenge is accepted,” the werebear leader announced to his clan. “We will meet again at the next full moon for the resolution. For now, that concludes our business. You are all free to depart.”
I knew that I was the hot topic of the day as the weres disappeared into the surrounding forest, some heading back in the direction of the lodge, others going elsewhere to do whatever werebears do in the middle of nowhere under the light of the full moon.
“Oh, I am so looking forward to this,” gloated Jen. “Humans frown on violence for some reason, but now I have the perfect opportunity to show you exactly why it is only another shifter can be with an alpha. Don’t worry. I’ll try not to scar that pretty little face of yours – much.”
“Enough, Jennifer!” barked Frank sharply. “Your challenge has been accepted. Until the next full moon, you need to stay away from Stephanie. Focus on your own preparation and leave her be.”
“I don’t need to prepare for this fight,” sneered Jen. “I can snap her in half like a twig without even breaking a sweat.” Frank glared at her, and she took the hint and slunk away.
“This has been an interesting introduction to the shifter world, hasn’t it?” Frank remarked.
“I had no idea there were so many of you,” I told him. “Let alone that you had things like challenges.”
“We try to keep our shifter lives private,” shrugged Frank. “Misunderstandings between us and the humans have been at the heart of a great deal of bloodshed and we prefer to coexist peacefully. I’m sorry that you’ve been caught up in a challenge though. Much as I respect your answer, I hope you don’t come to regret your decision.”
He walked off, leaving me feeling as though my stomach was tying itself in knots. What had I got myself involved in?
o0o
“Go on, Steph. Hit it like you mean it,” urged Dom, holding the punch bag for me so that I could pretend it was Jen’s face.
“I’m hitting as hard as I can,” I protested, barely able to get together the breath to speak, sweat dripping down me as I pushed my body to get into the best possible condition for the challenge ahead.
“You’re going to have to do better,” said Dom grimly. “I can barely feel anything. One swipe of Jen’s paw and it’ll all be over.”
I threw another blow at the bag, which seemed to barely register, and stepped back, bending over as I tried to get my racing heart beat back to normal.
“And you’re sure I can’t take any weapons in with me?” I asked, when I’d recovered enough to talk.
“Sorry. I wish you could.” Dom shook his head. “Most challenges are between shifters. We don’t need weapons. You have to beat Jen with your bare hands. It’s the only way to prove yourself worthy.”
“Stupid shifters with their stupid rules and their stupid challenges,” I muttered to myself, as I lashed out at the punch bag, missing it completely.
“Hey.” Dom reached out and pulled me into him. I let myself relax into his embrace, the comfort of his arms around me reminding me why I was doing this. “You can still back out, you know. Nobody will think any less of you. No human can fight a shifter. You’d get respect just for accepting the challenge in the first place.”
“Yes, but I wouldn’t have you if I did that, would I?” I fought hard to keep my voice under control, but every time I considered stepping away from the challenge, I thought about what it would be like to be without Dom and I couldn’t stand it. I couldn’t deny it. I was completely in love with the man. He had my heart and soul in his hands.
Maybe some miracle would happen and Jen would get hit by a bus on the way to the challenge and I could win by default.
“Go get yourself cleaned up,” said Dom. “I’ll take you out to dinner as a reward for all your hard work.”
Unspoken between us was the thought that this might be one of the last times we could be together.
Chapter Ten
“How’s work been?” asked Dom, after the waiter brought us our order.
“Fine. How’s your work?”
“Fine.”
We sat in awkward silence, picking at our food with little appetite, unable to relax with the thought of the challenge looming over us. Eventually, Dom took my hand in his, turning it over to rub his thumb over my wrist as he tried to figure out what to say.
“You’re really set on doing this?” he finally said. “There’s absolutely no way I can talk you out of the challenge?”
I sighed. “I love you,” I shrugged. “Would you just stand back and watch me walk away with another man?”
“Of course not, but-”
“There’s no but.” I put my hand over Dom’s. “I can’t let Jen take you away from me.” I took a deep breath, scarcely able to believe what I was about to say. “That’s why I want you to turn me.”
Dom did a double take. “You can’t mean that. You don’t know what you’re asking.”
“Yes, I do,” I nodded. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while, ever since Jen said that only shifters can mate with the alpha of your clan.”
“She was lying,” Dom said.
“Yeah, I kind of figured that out. These days, I assume that if her lips are moving, she’s lying. But she had a point. If she has an issue with a human mating with you, she’s not going to be the only one in your clan. From what you’ve told me, there are some tough times ahead and you need a strong mate by your side to deal with it. I want to support you in every way and if your clan needs a shifter to mate with you to silence any argument, then I’m willing to step up. Turn me and let me send her away once and for all.”
“Are you really sure?” Dom asked. “It’s not easy being a shifter. There’s still a lot of prejudice against us and nothing can prepare you for the first change. You have no idea how overwhelming that will be and you won’t have time to learn how to control your power before you enter the challenge. You won’t be at your full power when you fight.”
“But I’ll be stronger than a human, right?”
Dom bit his lip and shook his head, as if wishing that I were wrong, before answering. “Right.”
“Then turn me.” My mind was made up and nothing he could say was going to change it.
o0o
“Are you sure about this?” Dom asked for the millionth time, as we pulled into the parking lot at the Love ranch. This time, the place was virtually empty, with just a couple of cars there, which was why we’d come. Dom had warned me that the first change could be noisy and messy, and neither of us wanted anyone to call the cops on us. I’d be safe here.
“I really am.” I nodded my head. “I came up with the idea a few days ago and ever since then, I’ve thought about nothing but. I know we haven’t been dating all that long, but I know that we’re meant to be together. I’d fight to the death for you, and if that means that I need to be a shifter, so be it. It’ll just make our relationship stronger if I understand
everything that you’ve had to deal with.”
Dom smiled, a wistful smile that contained a world of emotions.
“You’re amazing,” was all he said.
We exited the car and Dom held out his hand to me to lead me deep into the heart of Love territory. I couldn’t help but admire the way that he seemed to instinctively know where to put his feet to avoid rocks and branches on the ground, one of the many benefits of being a shifter. The fact that I got a good view of his butt as he moved was another bonus and helped to distract me from what I was about to do.
My heart beat faster as we approached a remote clearing. I’d thought about this a lot, but there was a big difference between imagining something and actually doing it. I was about to take a step into a completely new existence and there was no going back. After tonight, everything would be different – forever.
“Are you okay?” Dom asked, running the back of his hand down my cheek. “It’s not too late to change your mind.”
“I’m not going to change my mind,” I told him, reaching up to unbutton my blouse. Dom pushed my hands away, undoing the buttons for me, kissing my newly exposed skin with each one.
I moaned, shivering with cold, anticipation and pure, animalistic lust, as he tossed my blouse away, before undoing my bra. It wasn’t long before I was standing in front of him, completely naked.
“You are so beautiful,” Dom breathed, as the almost-full moon came out, illuminating the clearing with a light almost as bright as day.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” I smiled, stepping towards him to let him know that I was ready for him to turn me.
Dom snarled and pulled me to him, kissing me roughly. He ran his hands through my hair, down my back, cupping my butt as he ground into me. He started kissing my neck, gently nibbling at that tender point below my ear. My knees buckled and I had to hold on him to keep from falling as my body responded to his touch, desperate for more.
“Are you really sure you want to do this?” he whispered.
“Do it, Dom,” I nodded. “Do it now!”
With a snarl, I heard the sound of his shifting, as his snout and teeth grew to become bear, the rest of him remaining in human form. Gripping my hair, he yanked my head back and bit down hard into my shoulder. He’d worked hard to arouse me and there was pleasure mixed in with the pain, oh so much pain.
He pulled away and it was disconcerting to see my blood dripping from his fangs. I barely had any time to think about it though, as agony ripped through me. If I thought being bitten hurt, that was nothing compared to the sensation of my body being torn apart and rebuilt again.
I fell to the ground, screaming. Part of me wished that Dom had tried harder to change my mind, but I knew that I had to go through this to get Jen out of our lives once and for all. This was going to be worth it in the end. It had to be.
Dom came to kneel next to me. He started stroking my back, his touch going some way to sooth me as my body twisted and changed in ways it had never anticipated.
“Just go with it,” he said. “Let the pain guide your body. It will know what to do.”
It seemed like a strange thing to do, follow the pain, but I tried to do as he advised, attempting to relax the parts of my body that were hurting the most.
“Breathe into it,” he urged. “You’re doing well. You’ve got this.”
I screamed as a particularly powerful wave of pain crashed into me, but my scream sounded more like a bear’s roar and as Dom continued to stroked my back, it was as though healing energy was coming from his hand, taking the edge off the last vestiges of pain as my body completed the transition from human to bear.
I reared up on my back legs, roaring in celebration. I’d survived the shift and now I was ready to take on Jen, no, the world!
“That’s my girl,” grinned Dom, throwing his head back and roaring with me. He shifted before my eyes, making it look easy compared to the agony that I’d suffered, but I trusted him that it would get easier. Gesturing with his head to follow him, he set off at top speed into the forest.
I took off after him, running on all fours feeling as natural as if I’d been a bear my whole life. Dom had let me ride on his back plenty of times, but that was nothing compared to the freedom of running as a bear at top speed. I let out a roar filled with the sheer joy of living.
This is fun!
Dom roared back.
I know!
Finally, we reached the top of a hill with a steep drop off. Dom came to a halt and I padded over to stand next to him to admire the stunning views around us. I nudged him with my head. The emotions running through me were impossible to describe, but the one thing I knew for certain was that I’d made the right decision.
I felt movement next to me and I looked up to see Dom standing next to me in human form.
“Are you ready to turn back?” he asked.
I shook my head. It wasn’t just that I was enjoying being a bear. I wasn’t yet ready to go through the kind of pain I’d experienced shifting.
As if he read my mind, Dom knelt down beside me. “I know it’s scary thinking about shifting back, but I promise that shifting will never hurt as much as it did that first time. And I will kiss it better.”
He grinned that cute grin of his, as I sighed and shook my head. I couldn’t stay a bear forever, so I might as well change now with Dom by my side.
“There’s my girl.” He ruffled the fur on the top of my head. “Now all you have to do is close your eyes and think of being human again. Your body will follow your thoughts.”
I took a deep breath to brace myself for the pain.
“Just relax,” Dom advised. “It’ll be fine.”
I closed my eyes and thought about being human again. Nausea swirled in the pit of my belly as a strange tingling spread through my body.
I can’t define what happened next. It was a little like there was a black hole in the middle of my body that sucked in the bear fur and shape, as I threw back my front paws, standing as I transformed from bear to human.
“You okay?” asked Dom, as I stretched and twisted, adjusting to being human again.
“Yeah…” I replied slowly. “I think I am. That’s the weirdest feeling ever, though! I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” Dom replied. “But there’s a whole shifter world out there for you to explore and I’m so glad that I get to share it with you.”
He kissed me, a kiss that contained a world of promise. Thanks to the shift, we were both already naked, and the feel of the cool night air on my skin made my nipples erect as I leaned in to him to deepen the kiss.
Caressing my back, Dom guided me carefully down to the ground, the grass soft beneath me as he kissed his way down my body. I gasped as he kissed all those hidden erotic spots he’d taken his time to discover and get to know.
“I told you I’d kiss it better,” he smiled, as I moaned and writhed beneath him. Lightly running his tongue around my nipple, he ran his hand down the side of my body, down my thigh and in between my knees. Taking the hint, my legs fell open, making it easy for him to move his hand up to rub against my clit, dipping inside me on occasion to make sure that I was dripping wet.
Moving so that he was on his hands and knees between my legs, he tapped his erect cock against my pubic mound, making me thrust up towards him, desperate to feel him inside me.
Bending his arms, he nibbled behind my ear, grinding his cock against me, but not yet penetrating me. I reached up to grab his buttocks, desperate to push him inside me.
“Please, Dom,” I begged. “I need you.”
“And I need you,” he murmured in my ear. “Now and forever.”
At last, he thrust into me, deeper than he’d ever gone before as we became one. I spread my legs wide, not caring if anyone could see us on the top of that hill. I moved my pelvis to match his thrusts, feeling as though he could never fill me enough, I would never have enough of him to satisfy me.
I could fe
el my orgasm building with his and as we both came together, our cries filled the valley below us.
Just let Jen try and tear us apart.
Chapter Eleven
My heart was pounding as Dom took my hand to lead me into the middle of the clearing where the challenge was to take place. The full moon lit up the sky, almost as bright as daylight, revealing countless werebears surrounding us. I had no idea how many shifters were in the Love clan, but it was clear that they’d all turned out to witness the challenge and they’d probably brought all their friends with them.
I could see Jen standing smugly on the other side of the clearing. I couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when she realized that I was a shifter, just like her.
Dom squeezed my hand. “Remember,” he whispered in my ear. “When you want to shift, simply think of your bear form and your body will follow your mind.”
He quickly pecked me on the cheek, not wanting to risk a more public display of affection, before stepping back to join the other bears.
Frank stood up from his throne, his mere presence enough to command silence in the clearing.
“We have a challenge,” he announced. “Jen has demanded the right to fight Stephanie to determine who will mate with Dom Hamilton of the Hamilton clan. Since this is a battle involving an associate clan, it will not be to the death. Instead, the two will fight until one gives way. You are not permitted to bring any weapons into the arena, but you may choose which form you fight in, assuming you have that choice, and you may use anything you find in the clearing to help you. Do you both understand and consent to these terms?”
“I do,” I replied.
“I do,” echoed Jen.
“Then prepare yourselves,” Frank ordered.
“I’m going to really enjoy this,” Jen smirked.
“Not half as much as I will,” I countered, closing my eyes and visualizing my bear. Just as when I shifted back to human form, my body instinctively knew what to do. I cried out in pain as the change forced me onto all-fours, but, as Dom had promised, this time it wasn’t as painful as the first and it would only get easier the longer I was a shifter.
Caring Bear: A Paranormal BBW Shifter Pregnancy Romance (Love Laid Bear Book 5) Page 6
