Her Secret Protector Bear (Oak Mountain Shifters)

by Leela Ash

  The kiss was brief, but it felt like an eternity. By the time she finally forced herself to pull away, her heart was pounding rapidly. She had to get out of there and try to process what was going on. She couldn’t just let herself be swayed by impulsive feelings. There was just too much going on for her to think straight. Too many changes.

  “I’ve got to go,” she mumbled, pushing away from him and moving quickly to the door. She let herself out and didn’t dare to look back. She had a feeling she knew exactly what she would see if she did, and didn’t trust herself with the inevitable hurt in his deep brown eyes.

  She would just have to focus on herself for now. It wasn’t fair for either of them for her to jump in before she was ready. It would just make everything even more needlessly complicated, and she would ruin whatever progress she had made with him.

  Adrian sighed, heading back to her car. She had dropped off the brownies. She had made her peace. And now, she was going to have to pretend that the feeling of his kiss wasn’t left to linger on her lips, making her want to turn back around and go into Kent’s luxurious house so she could finish what he had started.

  15.

  “It’s tonight?” Kent asked, his stomach fluttering nervously. “I don’t know if I can do that. Putting her in danger like this seems so wrong.”

  “Kent, it’s the only way that we can fully destroy the statue and save her life. Without that power hidden within her, the dragon-shifters will lose interest. But if they succeed, they will not only take away the most important person left in my life, but they will have all the power they could ever wish for. It would be devastating to everything we know. Our very way of life would be threatened, and my daughter would be dead. There would be no hope left.”

  Kent studied the worn-out face of Logan Mills and felt his chest tighten. He didn’t like the idea of taking Adrian to a place where there were bound to be a huge hoard of dragon-shifters ready and willing to kill her at a moment’s notice. And yet, Mr. Mills was right. It was the only way to rid her of this curse once and for all. They had to do something, and if they couldn’t at least try, it would be unfair to Adrian. She would be in danger for the rest of her life. He couldn’t allow that to happen.

  “I understand. I’m just concerned…”

  “I know you are, Kent. But that’s why we chose you for this job. If you can pull it off, you’re going to be among the legendary bear-shifters on Oak Mountain. There is only enough room in the mine for the four of us, and I don’t know how many dragon-shifters are planning on coming after the statue. Coty has been keeping watch, but we must get there and set up before the dragon-shifters. I need you to go get Adrian. Blaine’s posted outside her house right now, but he has to go to town to finish gathering the supplies for the spell. I believe we can pull this off, but there is a timeframe that will make that a lot more possible. Please, let’s work on this sooner rather than later so we can all meet up at the same place, at the same time.”

  “But why would Adrian come with me? She doesn’t even know what’s going on. That isn’t fair to her.”

  Kent had been thinking about that for weeks now. Why would the secret hurt her now that it was nearly dealt with? She would need to know why she was stuck on Oak Mountain if they weren’t able to destroy the statue. It was only fair.

  “You’ll find a way to make her come with you. I trust you on that part. She likes you, Kent. She doesn’t make brownies for just anybody.”

  Kent couldn’t help but smile. How did Mr. Mills know what she’d done? He must have been the one to give her his home address. It had been quite a surprise to get that phone call from Logan, telling him he had to beat Adrian back to his house so he could pretend he’d been home the whole time. He hadn’t realized Adrian must have been asking about where he lived to her stepdad so she could drop off her little gift. He still had most of the pan. For some reason, he felt reluctant to eat them all. It was nice to have a little piece of her around when things got lonely, even if she acted like she hated him. He was starting to know better though. Maybe they just had to be a little clearer with each other.

  “It doesn’t matter how we feel about each other. Not if she’s going to be in danger for the rest of her life. If we fail at this, then I give you my word that I will do anything within my power to protect her for the rest of our lives.”

  The weight of his words wasn’t lost on either of them, and Mr. Mills nodded firmly.

  “You’re a good man, Kent. Adrian is lucky to have you by her side. Now go on. Make sure she is where she needs to be. It’s our best chance of protecting her at this point. I know it seems counterintuitive, but it’s going to be fine. We just need to make it through the night.”

  Kent nodded. “All right,” he said with a sigh. “I’ll get her.”

  ***

  Kent arrived at Adrian’s cabin about ten minutes later, his chest burning from the intense run it had taken to get here. He’d been trying to scheme out the fastest way to the mine and how he might manage to get her to go with him. Ultimately, he decided that honesty was the best policy. She would have to learn all about this eventually, it might as well be now. Who knew what might happen if she remained ignorant? The thought made him sick to his stomach.

  “Kent!”

  She seemed surprised to see him standing there and he bent over for a moment to catch his breath, smiling at her.

  “Adrian, hi. Sorry to bother you but can I come in for a minute? I’d love a glass of water right about now.”

  “Um, I guess so,” she said, stepping aside to allow him to come into the cabin. “The kitchen’s over here.”

  Kent went and filled up a glass, drinking deeply. “Got to love the water here. That’s crystal clean spring water.”

  Adrian was quiet as he finished the glass, waiting for him to explain the reason for his visit. Finally, he turned to her, his chest tight. He was nervous about telling her the truth, but there was no way in hell she would go to the statue with him if he didn’t.

  “Maybe you should sit down,” he finally said. “There’s something we need to talk about. You don’t need to trust me, but I think after today you’re going to know the truth anyway and it’s probably better to know now than be surprised.”

  Adrian frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  Kent took her arm and led her to the couch and they sat down together.

  “I don’t have a lot of time to explain, so hopefully you’re going to be able to believe what I tell you, and if you don’t, I hope you come with me anyway. Your stepfather will confirm everything I’m about to tell you.”

  Adrian studied him for a moment, her beautiful face creased with concern. “All right. What do you need to say?”

  Kent sighed.

  “Your biological father was a huge fuck up. He got you into some serious trouble with the dragon-shifters and you’re in danger. It’s gotten to the point where they want you dead, and the only way to get the target off your back is if you follow me. Your dad, Blaine, Coty, and I are going to work together to protect you and break this fucking curse for you. But we need to go now. Mr. Mills can explain everything to you better after the fact. Oh, and you need to wear this.”

  Kent dug into his pocket and pulled out a medallion of protection that Logan had given to him for Adrian. They didn’t know what kind of effects the statue might have on her once she was near it, so it was better they did their best to bind its power and keep her as safe as possible.

  “All right,” she said, her brows knitting. “That’s kind of a lot to process, you know.”

  “I know,” Kent said with a sigh. “But do you trust me?”

  Adrian looked into his eyes, and for a moment he was sure she was going to say no and tell him to get out of her house. Instead, she surprised him with the serious resignation in her eyes.

  “I trust you.”

  “Great,” Kent said, standing up. They couldn’t waste any more time. “Then we need to get going. Now.”

  16.

/>   Adrian hesitated as Kent ducked inside the dark mine. Kent had driven her in her car until they were far away from everything she was used to. Now they were out in the middle of nowhere. She hadn’t wanted to believe what he was saying was true, but the closer she came to the mine, the more she began to realize that Kent had been telling the truth. There was something about this place that was drawing her forward, almost as if she were being summoned by something more powerful than herself.

  Kent was moving slowly, with caution. He had driven her little car harder than she had ever dared to drive it, but now that they were there, she could feel the urgency that had been radiating from him now turning into a subtler emotion. She realized once she caught up with him that he was afraid, but not afraid like she was afraid; he didn’t think that he was going to be hurt. He was more than capable of taking care of himself. He was afraid for her.

  “Stay behind me,” he said. “Hold my hand until we get inside. I need to make sure you’re safe at all times.”

  Adrian nodded but said nothing and followed Kent into the mine. They walked slowly through a dark, claustrophobic tunnel until they reached a wide opening. The strange feeling within her reached its epitome and she moved forward quickly, letting Kent’s hand drop to the ground and moving forward with her hand outstretched until she was touching a strange half-buried statue in the center of the room.

  “Adrian!”

  She looked up just in time to see Kent lunge forward, shifting into his terrifying bear form. Adrian watched in awe as he intercepted a being she hadn’t even noticed; a man with glowing amber eyes. The man began to shift as well, into something much larger and frighteningly impressive. A dragon.

  She gasped inwardly and hid behind the statue as she watched Kent fight, his teeth bared ferociously. The dragon was trying to fly but couldn’t go very high in the low cavern.

  Adrian watched, enrapt, as Kent’s powerful form moved expertly throughout the mines, dodging little spits of fire from the dragon’s mouth and circling behind it. He got onto his hind legs and then launched himself forward, a ferocious roar vibrating the rocks surrounding them. The dragon cried out as Kent’s teeth found his weak spot and he fell to the ground, shriveling back into his human form and bleeding profusely.

  At first she thought it was all over, then glanced behind her, suddenly noticing that up in the distance on a ledge in the cavern, her father, Coty, and Blaine were in their ceremonial robes and chanting from thickly bound black books. All of this was really happening. This wasn’t just a dream.

  Another sudden roar brought Adrian’s eyes back on Kent, who was on the ground, pinned under the mighty foot of another dragon. He fought valiantly, though it was clear he was hurt. Adrian nearly ran to him, but a burst of flame stopped her. She had nearly been incinerated, and realized with a sudden pang of fear that she was in mortal danger. They were there to kill her.

  Kent managed to get back on his feet and with a lunge and a roar, he and the dragon-shifter were wrestling on the ground. Kent’s body was agile and strong, and he soon had the dragon-shifter’s neck in his mouth, crushing it effortlessly. Adrian cringed and looked away. She had never seen such violence in her life. It was horrifying.

  “Gotcha!”

  Adrian’s blood turned to ice when the cold hands of a tall man gripped her arm.

  “Kent!” she shouted.

  The bear turned to face her, his dark brown eyes glittering. He growled and stepped forward cautiously.

  “You’re too late, bear,” the man said, cackling. “She’s ours now. And her sacrifice will bring this statue back to our people. Back to its rightful owners!”

  Adrian had been holding Kent’s gaze the whole time and she had a sudden impulse to duck out of the way. She did, and Kent was flying over her head, tackling the man to the ground. She ran up the winding pathway to her father as Kent finished her attacker off. A sudden light jolted from the black book that Blaine was holding and struck the statue, and Adrian’s world went black.

  17.

  “Oh thank God. You’re all right!”

  Kent’s chest finally decompressed for the first time since Adrian had passed out in the cavern. Mr. Mills had instructed him to take her to the nearest possible shelter while he and the other men got rid of the statue.

  Kent obliged, and now they were in his home just half a mile up the mountainside with Adrian laying on his bed, covered up with an ice pack on her head.

  “What happened?” she asked, sitting up slowly and looking around the room. Realization dawned suddenly on her face when she saw the ceiling and her beautiful eyes grew wide. “Did we…”

  “No, nothing like that,” Kent said with a chuckle. “You still hate me, remember?”

  Adrian looked down at her hands and pursed her lips. “No. Actually I don’t.”

  Kent had never been more surprised or relieved to hear something in all his life.

  “Are you sure?” he asked, quirking his brow.

  “I’m positive,” she said, taking a deep breath.

  “Let me get you some water,” Kent said, disappearing briefly from her side but hurrying back. She smiled gratefully and took the glass, drinking deeply before looking at him again.

  “Thank you,” she said quietly. “I know you saved my life. You’ve been doing this a while now, haven’t you?”

  Kent froze. She wasn’t supposed to know about him.

  “It’s okay. I could tell from the way you were fighting those dragons. You would have died for me. And that time you came out of the bushes out of nowhere and you were buck naked. That’s because of the dragons, wasn’t it?”

  Kent nodded and looked at his feet. “It is, but you should ask your dad the whole story there, because I only know a little of what he—”

  Kent’s words were cut off by the soft sensation of Adrian’s lips pressed against his. The bear within him was immediately roused out of its hibernation and he could feel a fire within him growing impossibly big. He wouldn’t be able to hold back his claim on her much longer. Not anymore, at this rate.

  “I’ve wanted so long to be able to love you,” Adrian whispered, pulling away and studying his eyes. “I needed to trust you, and now I do.”

  Kent grinned, and hoisted Adrian up off the bed. She cried out in surprise as he held her against him and kissed her again. Their bodies began to tense up, a feeling of hot desire spreading through them both as his arousal became clear. She shuddered beneath his gaze as he slowly began to strip her, taking the time to admire all the luscious curves of her body before taking the chance to sample them. Her skin was sweet, and she gasped softly as he continued to touch and stroke her. The bear within him awakened fully as the heady scent of her arousal filled the room.

  Soon, he was pinning her down on his bed, both naked and at the edge of their self-control. She was trembling, both in excitement and maybe a twinge of nervousness. But that didn’t matter. She wanted him, and he her. They knew in that moment

  they were meant to be together and had been denying their feelings for far too long.

  Adrian moaned deeply as Kent began to massage her middle with the length of his member, sending a hot wave of excitement coursing through her body. He buried his mouth in the nape of her neck, sampling the soft, sensitive flesh as he began to slowly work himself inside her. He hissed in pleasure as his member was enveloped by the sensual heat of her body, and soon they were lost in their pleasure as their bodies became one.

  Kent’s bear took over and unleashed his full wrath upon Adrian’s body, as she shivered in wait as he built her body up and up. He could feel her muscles tensing up around his member, sending wave after wave of ecstasy electrifying his body.

  Adrian caught his eye suddenly, her hands tense around his broad biceps, and gritted her teeth as her body began to quake. The powerful convulsions of her orgasm ignited the hot, familiar burning in his abdomen and with a powerful flurry of activity, Kent’s own orgasm burst forth from inside him.

  The pow
er of their climaxes combined sent them both on a path of pleasure that neither had ever before experienced, and Kent gave one final thrust within her before gently removing himself and planting a long, tender kiss on her supple lips.

  “I really hated it when I thought you hated me,” Kent admitted, running his hands through her long hair. “I hope you know that I’m always going to protect you. No matter what happens between us, you are mine now, and I am yours.”

  “I think somehow I’ve always known that,” Adrian said quietly, stroking his cheek gently and staring into his eyes. “I think I want to stay here on Oak Mountain with you. Can I do that?”

  “Yes!” Kent exclaimed, thrilled beyond belief. He held her tightly and kissed her hair. “Stay with me for the rest of our lives. What’s mine is yours. My body and soul are yours.”

  They fell asleep like that, holding each other, lost in their own thoughts of what the future might bring. Together, they were stronger. And now, neither of them would ever be alone again.

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  Leela Ash

  Copyright ©2017 by Leela Ash. All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic of mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  1.

  “What do you mean you’re coming now?” Clark Thomas exclaimed into the phone. His daughter Rachel was unbelievable. She hadn’t called or written him the whole first semester of school, and now, out of the blue, she was asking him to come and pick her up from the train station.