Bear Mountain Baby: Shifter Romance (Bear Mountain Shifters)

by Sky Winters

  It was a date!

  Maggie decided that driving there was probably not the best idea. She did not want to drive if she had a lot to drink, and she did not want her car to end up in a strange area, unattended, so she decided to take an Uber instead.

  Even the Uber driver could not stop staring at her. Maggie felt good, like she was on top of the world right now. She hoped that going out on a date with someone new would not diminish these feelings. The last thing she wanted was to go from one frustrating relationship to another frustrating relationship.

  No, she planned to keep things light with Keith. No promises, no obligations. Just a bit of fun.

  When her driver pulled up at the curb outside of Transform, Maggie thanked him and hopped out. She clutched her black purse to her side, not that a thief was really what she was afraid of. Stepping into the club full of shifters, she gulped and took a deep breath in order to stay calm. A lot of male eyes were on her. The shifters were all drinking and loud, which was something she was used to in normal bars.

  Suddenly, Maggie locked eyes with the one and only Keith. He waved her over, and she sat down across from him at his table. He smirked and shook his head, moving to the chair directly next to her and then inching it ever closer.

  “You’re even sexier in person,” he growled, into her ear. His breath smelled like three different kinds of beer.

  “Thanks,” Maggie replied, feeling shy but not wanting to act like it. Keith liked the more brazen type, and she wanted to give him what he wanted. “You’re pretty smokin’ yourself.”

  He laughed a dark, frightening laugh, like he had just murdered someone and was really glad about it. Keith did not strike Maggie as someone who was known for his sense of humor.

  “What’ll you have?” he asked her then.

  “Oh, uhh…” Maggie looked at the list of drinks displayed on a small, laminated menu. “Could I get a mojito, please?”

  Keith nodded and stood up, going over to the bar to order their drinks. Maggie looked around, noticing how the place did not seem any different from what she was used to, and how it was actually calming her down to see that. The men all laughed and shouted at each other. Sports were even on the TV screens, though it was boxing, not baseball like she normally found in bars.

  A few minutes later, Keith came back holding a glass in each hand. He handed the mojito to Maggie and sat back down in his chair, beer sloshing out of the top of his glass when he set it down on the table.

  He downed it like a champ while Maggie carefully sipped at hers. It had been a while since she had indulged in a drink like this. She usually just mixed soda with things like rum or scotch. She hadn’t gone out for drinks for some time. That was what came with being engaged to a man who could not provide anything …

  “So,” she said, trying to strike up a conversation now that they were settled. “What do you do for a living?”

  Keith narrowed his light brown eyes a little. “I fix motorcycles,” he said. “It says that on my profile.”

  Maggie nodded. “Right. I have to admit; I was more interested in the pictures than reading a bunch of words.”

  Saying such a thing might have been an insult, but he took it as a compliment. She could tell because he placed his hand on her leg and looked into her eyes. “I can live with that,” he said, boozy breath now amplified thanks to his new round of beers.

  Before she knew what hit her, Keith was kissing her. Maggie blinked in surprise and thought about fighting him off, but she did not want to cause a scene. And, besides, wasn’t this what she had come here for?

  Keith forced his tongue into her mouth and, reaching up, groped her boobs. She felt pretty icky that this was just happening, right there in the crowded shifter club. Maggie didn’t know what she had been imagining, but it wasn’t this. He tasted like beer, just as his breath had forewarned. She assumed that she tasted like mint or something, because he would not extract his tongue from her mouth.

  He finally released her and let her take more sips of her drink, but he stayed right there with his arm around her, casually squeezing her right breast like it was his property now. She had not signed away all rights to her body. Maggie was mildly annoyed, but she had been told that werewolves were dangerous. Really, it was a no shit kind of thing. Who did not think that linking up with a werewolf was dangerous? Linking up with any strange man in a bar was unsafe.

  Maggie had wanted to throw caution to the wind, but she was starting to get a bad vibe from this guy. She wanted to have sex with a stranger and make her ex jealous. She did not want to be raped.

  She thought of something that she probably should have done in the first place. She was going to call Trish and let her know where she was and who she was with, in case anything happened and she needed help.

  “I need to go to the bathroom,” Maggie said, shrugging away from Keith. “I’ll be right back.”

  She stood up, but he grabbed her arm.

  “How about you come back to my place instead?” he said.

  “It’ll just be a minute…”

  Keith stood up. His grip on her arm tightened. She could feel his nails digging into her skin and she wondered, fleetingly, if he was going to shift into a wolf right then and there. “You should come home with me tonight. I thought that was what you wanted.”

  “No,” Maggie said, trying to sound strong but her voice was quavering. “What I want is to use the restroom right now.”

  “You can use the bathroom at my place.”

  “I don’t want to!” she shouted, her voice more raised than she intended. She attempted to wrench her arm free, but he only held it tighter. His nails were starting to slightly break her skin, so she stopped resisting.

  Keith’s eyes flashed from his light brown color to full-on gold. She could tell that he was angry. Maggie hadn’t wanted to make him angry, but she also did not want to be rushed into things, especially when she was already seeing about a dozen red flags about him. If she went to his place, she was not sure she would come out alive.

  He let out a growl, and Maggie felt like he was about to carry her bodily from the establishment. That was when a big, older shifter stepped in.

  “Hey,” this new stranger said. His voice was low, but firm. “I don’t think you understand. This lady here is saying that she does not want to go with you.”

  “Why don’t you mind your own business, pal?” Keith snarled.

  The tall, broad-shouldered man narrowed his eyes a little at Keith, but then he gave a wry smile. “I’m no pal of yours. Now let go of the girl.”

  Maggie could see that Keith really wanted to fight this guy, but he was shorter and much less physically imposing. Also, he was considerably drunker. Suddenly, he released his hold on Maggie, practically throwing her arm away from him as if it repelled him now.

  “Fine,” he growled. “Have it your way. But I’ll be back for you. I’ll deal with you later. This fucking bitch doesn’t need a daddy.”

  With that, he quickly walked out of the club.

  Maggie turned to look up at her rescuer. He was large in many ways, tall and wide of chest. He had graying brown hair and blue eyes that turned toward her as soon as the werewolf was out of sight.

  He reminded Maggie of the Beast from the Beauty and the Beast. Minus the bad attitude. This guy seemed nice.

  “Are you all right?” he asked her in that same low voice, as if he was constantly afraid of being overheard.

  Maggie nodded to him. “I think so. Just a few minor claw marks. Thank you for stepping in.”

  “No problem,” he replied, giving her an unexpectedly gorgeous smile. He really was handsome, but Keith was correct about one thing; this man was at least in his late forties. Maggie was not an ageist or anything, but she was not looking for anything with an older man. Although that might make Tony doubly offended.

  She really needed to stop giving a shit what Tony thought.

  “I’m Maggie,” she introduced herself, offering him her hand.


  He took it and gave it a gentle shake. Her hand was tiny in his giant paws. Is there such a thing as a giant shifter? Maggie scolded herself for being so judgmental.

  “Nice to meet you,” the giant silver fox said. “I’m Luke.”

  Smiling then, she gestured for him to join her at her table. Why the hell not? The least she could do was buy him a drink. He graciously sat down with her, taking a seat across from her instead of uncomfortably close. Already, this guy was a few notches above her last date.

  “What can I get you, Luke?” she asked him. “I insist.”

  He smiled at her again. “Um, nothing fancy. How about a scotch on the rocks?”

  Maggie nodded. “You got it.” She went up to the bar and asked for his requested drink. When she brought it back to him, she was careful to place the little napkin under it. She was pretty sure that he could knock this tiny drink back faster than Keith had with his beer.

  She wasn’t wrong.

  Smirking at him, she decided that it would not be so bad to get to know this guy. “What brings you here? Please tell me your life story and save me the humiliation of being here alone now.”

  Luke gave her a sympathetic look. “I don’t usually come here. Drinking in bars is not really my thing… I run a construction company.”

  Aww, he’s shy. Maggie found that all kinds of adorable, especially because he was like a mammoth but with the personality of a kitten.

  “What do you do?” he asked her, turning the conversation back on her.

  She was amused. Small talk was hard for him, but of course it was. “I used to work for a corporation that sold toys. It was soul-sucking, so I quit. Now, I don’t know what I will do… Something fun, dammit.” Maggie smiled up at him.

  “It’s kind of sad that working for a toy company was not fun,” Luke remarked, smiling slightly.

  Maggie sucked up the last of her mojito. The evening was winding down, and she found herself disappointed. She hadn’t expected it to be some amazing, life-altering thing, but she had hoped to go home and fuck someone. That had been the whole point.

  “I’m going to use the restroom,” he said. “But I’ll be right back.” He looked at her as though he was deeply worried for her, like he wanted to make sure that she knew he was there for her.

  She appreciated it more than he knew. “Actually, I need to use the restroom, too. So perfect timing.”

  They walked together to the restrooms and went their separate ways for the time being. Maggie did in fact have to use the facilities now, so she did so before washing her hands and taking her cell phone out of her bag.

  She called Trish. It had to be about ten by now, so her friend would be available.

  “Hello?” Trish said. “Oh my god, Mags, where are you? I came home and couldn’t find you, and I was like, ‘that’s cool, she’s an adult.’ But it’s been hours.”

  “I know,” Maggie said, noticing how her voice bounced around the bathroom and made her sound louder and more important. “I’m sorry. It’s pretty stupid. I joined this dating app and went off to meet the first guy I met. He turned out to be dick, but then I was rescued by this guy who I’m pretty sure is a former bodybuilder or something.”

  Trish chuckled. “Rebound?”

  “Yup,” Maggie replied. “Total rebound… There’s something else, too. These guys are shifters. I’m in a shifter club at this very moment.”

  “Dude, what? You can’t just casually toss that in there. Don’t get murdered or anything, all right? God, maybe I am your mom now.”

  Maggie laughed. “I won’t, Mom. Thanks. I’ll call you later again, all right? I just wanted to make sure you did not think I had been abducted. I’m pretty sure this guy is a legit nice guy.”

  “Yeah, get that nice hot shifter!”

  Cackling, Maggie ended the call and tossed her phone back into her purse.

  When she exited the ladies’ room, she saw that Luke was standing right there, leaning against the wall opposite the doorway. He looked handsome in his jeans and his button-up that was open to reveal the white T-shirt underneath. He dressed casually, clearly not trying to show off like any of the shifters who were there to meet dates.

  Maggie felt a tad overdressed now. Her black crop top sent all kinds of messages about her. She had been trying to show off, and now she felt pretty dumb.

  “Hey,” she said, wondering if Luke had overheard her phone call. The bathroom certainly made it feel as though everyone would be able to hear her.

  Just then, she noticed that her phone’s notification light was flashing. She wondered if Trish was having second thoughts about where she was. But when she pulled her phone back out and turned her screen on, she realized it was a message from Keith on the app.

  You can run but you can’t hide, bitch. The big, bad wolf will find you. I know where you live now.

  Maggie’s eyes widened. She could not go back home. She couldn’t do that to Trish; she would be endangering both of them now.

  “What is it?” Luke asked her, giving her that look of sincere concern again.

  She did not know what to do, so she showed her phone’s screen to him. His mouth fell open a bit. Then he looked at her, and he clenched his jaw for a moment.

  “Come home with me,” he said, pleadingly. “That’s not a come-on, I promise. I just can’t let you go home alone now... Please?”

  Maggie bit her bottom lip for a moment, thinking it over. It did not take her long to make up her mind. She nodded. “Okay.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Bearing It All

  Luke took Maggie to his home in his red pickup truck. The thrill of hooking up with a shifter had dwindled. Now she had a werewolf after her, and it was everything that Tony had warned her about. How could I have been so stupid?

  But it wasn’t her fault. She hadn’t had any warning signs about Keith before she met him. His profile had just seemed hot… She didn’t want to think about him anymore. She turned and looked over at the strong and silent man who was driving her back to his place, so calm. So caring even though she was a stranger.

  Finally, they arrived at a house that Maggie assumed was his. Luke got out of the truck without a word and closed his door, coming around to help her out, too. She unbuckled her seatbelt and gratefully took his offered hand so she would not trip getting out of the tall truck.

  Luke’s house was a standard two-level, square home, brick with blue-painted shutters. It suggested ‘family,’ though he very clearly lived there alone. The mantle over the fireplace in the living room – he even had a goddamn fireplace – seemed like it was meant for pictures. He kept it bare.

  “Can I get you anything?” he asked her, closing the front door. “A drink or a snack, or both?”

  At least he was hospitable.

  Maggie gave him a small, unsure smile. “Maybe both? What do you have?”

  Luke went into the kitchen and she followed him in. He opened up the refrigerator. “I have milk, orange juice, some beer… Coke.”

  She normally preferred Diet, but beggars could not be choosers. “Coke, please,” she said. She watched as he carefully pulled out the two-liter of soda and poured her a glass. His glasses were all cartoon movie themed, like he had received all of his kitchenware from Happy Meals.

  As she took a sip from her Tom and Jerry glass, Luke opened up his pantry and placed several different types of snack on the counter. Fruit Roll-ups, Ritz-Bits and Teddy Grahams. Maggie was impressed, as well as slightly confused. “Your pantry seems like a day care center’s,” she observed.

  He chuckled a little. “My sister brings her son over a lot,” he explained. “Also, I’ve gotten pretty addicted to the stuff myself.”

  Maggie smiled, glad that someone else liked to indulge in such silly snacks. She took the box of peanut butter Ritz-Bits and then followed him out to the living room. Luke brought a bottle of beer with him.

  They sat next to each other on the couch, keeping one cushion between them. It was a pale tan lea
ther couch, showing the wear and tear of use and years and consequently very comfortable.

  “So, do you build houses with your construction company? I ask because I am in the market. I actually have been having the worst luck lately.” She chuckled a little, even though the thought mostly made her bitter. She sipped her Coke and ate some crackers to try and distract herself from her thoughts.

  Luke looked at her as though that was no laughing matter, and she stopped chuckling. “I mostly repair houses, or do add-ons. Things like that. But I’ve built a house or two before. Where are you currently living?”

  “With my friend,” she said. “Which is not so bad, but still… I think the situation is less than ideal for her, even though she won’t admit it. I was engaged until recently. It’s a long, complicated and frustrating story, but I broke it off and moved out.”

  “And walked straight into another bad relationship,” Luke mused, nodding a little. “I may be biased, but wolves do not make good rebounds.”

  Maggie laughed softly. “You could say that again.” She looked at him and the curiosity was too much for her to keep inside anymore. “I assume that you’re a shifter, too, though obviously not a werewolf.”

  Luke chuckled, shaking his head. “Not a werewolf,” he replied as if the label were a massive insult. “I’m a werebear.”

  That interested her, and it explained why he was so huge. She did not know much about werebears, because the shifters she had always been warned about were the wolves… Did that mean that she could trust Luke more? Were werebears known for being more relaxed, like bears were until they were threatened?

  “How old are you?” she asked him. “And don’t worry about asking me. I’ll tell you right now, I’m twenty-five.” She smiled at him. He struck her as the sort of guy who would be wary about asking her age, not only because he was obviously older than her but also because it was impolite to ask a lady her age.

  Luke did not respond at first, and she wondered if it was also impolite to ask a man his age, particularly an older man. But then she realized that he was just shy about it, because she had just told him she was basically a baby. Blushing a little, he looked down at his chest. “I’m forty-seven,” he said.