Bearing Up In Wolf Rock (A BBW Bear Shifter Romance) (Wolf Rock Shifters)

by Carina Wilder

  “He’s probably simply a man who’s fearful of love.”

  “Yes, he is that. I know he is. But that’s all the more reason for me to stay away, isn’t it?”

  “I’m not sure. I think everyone needs to find a way, eventually, to allow love in. To let people get close to them. It’s scary, of course, because you can get hurt. It’s the biggest risk a person can take in life. But think of the reward.”

  “Well, on top of everything else, it would be simpler if he lived here. But he doesn’t.”

  “Well, what does he do? Why can’t he move here?”

  “Funnily enough, after sleeping with him a few times, I don’t know what he does, other than help on his father’s ranch.”

  “Well, perfect. He could do that here. Or something else.”

  “I suppose he could.”

  “Kyla, I only speak from the limited experience I have. But you should tell him how you feel.”

  “Yeah, you know, you’re right. I should. I suppose the worst that could happen is that I’m humiliated beyond words and feel like an ass forever. Or for a few weeks.”

  “That’s the spirit.”

  “Listen, Nikki—speaking of love—how are things with your mother? I keep meaning to ask if you’ve spoken to her lately.”

  “Well, you know that at first she was sort of heartbroken about my relationship with a shifter. But she’s coming around, I think. I miss her like crazy, though, and I worry that she’s lonely.”

  “As long as you let her know you love her, I’m sure she’ll be fine. Maybe she could come visit?”

  “I would love that. I’m working on it but I think it’s painful for her. The last shifter she saw was my father, and he hurt her so badly.”

  “She needs to see that not everyone is going to desert her.”

  “Agreed.” Nikki smiled.

  Just then, the sound of a car engine outside made both women shoot their eyes to the window. The encroaching dark meant that they could only see approaching headlights.

  “You don’t think that’s someone unwelcome, do you?” asked Nikki.

  Kyla sniffed the air.

  “No. I think it’s Corgan,” she said, smiling. Maybe he’d have news of Maddox. Maybe Maddox was with him, even.

  “Your nose is awesome.”

  “I think I have a nose for bears. That’s all.”

  “That’s not all you have for bears.”

  Corgan was alone, which wasn’t surprising but Kyla still managed to feel disappointed.

  “I’ve come to bring some stuff to Tristan,” he said, limping into the cabin. “Information that he asked for.”

  “Yes, come in, Corgan,” said Nikki, reminding Kyla of her mother inviting a guest into the house.

  Tristan was already making his way down the stairs.

  “How are things, young bear?” he asked. Though there was enough animosity in him to want to keep Corgan and Maddox away from the cabin, Tristan seemed fond of the two; there was a respect and an appreciation of their differences.

  “Fine. I’ve got a bunch of paperwork: names, email and web addresses for you. A couple of street addresses, even,” said Corgan.

  “That’s fantastic work. Thanks so much.”

  The young man handed Tristan a pile of papers. “Really, this is remarkable,” replied the alpha. “You’ve done great. We should hire you.”

  “To do what?”

  “Not sure yet. I have a funny feeling that we’d find something to call a job.”

  “Well, I’d work here in a second. I like this place.”

  The young man was smiling, and Kyla wondered if it was the place or his temporary hostess that Corgan liked.

  “How did you enjoy Julia?” asked Nikki, as if reading Kyla’s mind.

  The bear shifter’s already wide grin widened.

  “I…enjoyed her a lot. She’s a feisty little thing.”

  “Yeah, she is. Be careful. She may not have big teeth or claws but she’s dangerous, that one.”

  “I believe it.”

  Kyla didn’t get the impression that Corgan had slept with the redhead; merely that he wanted to.

  “How’s Maddox?” she asked, realizing only after the words came out that her reasons for inquiring must be obvious.

  “He’s fine. He wants to leave tomorrow, though, now that this work is done.”

  “Oh?” Kyla didn’t dare say more. She felt that her voice would come out choked.

  “He’s a bit worried that we’re not safe here. So he wants to get me out.”

  “Are you worried?”

  “Me? Hell no. But my brother’s overly protective, as you may have noticed.”

  “I have, yeah. I can’t say I blame him. But do you really have to go? Can’t you convince him to stay?”

  Corgan’s dark eyes met Kyla’s and for a moment he reminded her of his brother.

  “You really like him, don’t you?” he asked. His boyishness left him temporarily, as pure earnestness took over.

  “It’s just…” Kyla didn’t dare finish the sentence.

  “Look, Kyla, I’ll make sure he’s in touch with you. And maybe when things have calmed down, he’ll come back. He’s a funny one, but I know he likes you. A lot. And I’m sorry if it seems like I’m taking him away from you.”

  “No, Corgan. You’re not. It’s okay. It’s his choice.” Kyla’s voice did give in now, and she felt Nikki’s supportive hand on her back. She wasn’t sure if it was the reassurance of Maddox’s feelings or the pending departure that was making her emotional.

  “Listen, we’ll be in town in the morning. Our flight doesn’t leave until three. So come find us at the motel, or at the diner down the road. Say good-bye, at least.”

  “Okay, I might just do that.”

  After Corgan left, Nikki turned to Kyla and said, “You have to. You have to say good-bye.”

  The following morning, Kyla rose early in the hopes of making it into town to see the two brothers off. Tristan had told her that she could borrow the SUV and everything was settled.

  At ten o’clock, as she was about to head out, she heard a car coming up the laneway. She opened the front door to see a breathless Cam, the bartender from the Lion’s Head, jogging towards the cabin.

  “Cam? What’s going on?”

  “I need to talk to Tristan, and you, and any of your pack who are here.”

  Tristan had heard the approaching vehicle and was already on his way down.

  “What is it?” he asked, gesturing to Cam to take a seat on the couch.

  “There’s a man. He’s come by the pub a few times. Kyla—I’ve told you and Maddox about him. He asks questions about shifters, wanted to know where this place was. I haven’t told him a thing, Tristan, I swear.”

  “I believe you. Go on,” said Tristan.

  “He’s been in and out of town, always with packs, gear. I sort of assumed he was a writer, a photographer, something like that. But this morning I saw him walk by my place. He had a rifle with him.”

  “Do you have any reason to think he might have found out our location?”

  “I wasn’t worried until I ran into Mr. Mallory—you know, the owner of the bait shop.”

  “Old Mr. Mallory,” said Tristan. “He’s a good man.”

  “He’s a good man, but a few bricks short of a full load, if you know what I mean. He told me that a guy had been asking about the cabin. You know he’s lived around here for eons and he knows about this place. Anyhow, he said he didn’t see any harm in telling the guy your location; that he seemed to be a friend of Tristan’s.”

  “He most certainly is not.” The alpha tensed as he listened.

  “I know. Jesus, Tristan. I think he’s alone, but he must be on his way here.”

  “Well, he’s not going to drive up to the cabin, at least, unless he’s an idiot. That means he’ll be hiking in. It’ll take hours. What time did you see him?”

  “Around nine-thirty, half an hour ago. I came directly here after I
ran into Maddox.”

  “You saw Maddox this morning?” asked Kyla.

  “Yeah, he was out for a walk. He seemed all deep in thought.”

  “Did you tell him about the man with the gun?” she continued.

  “I did. Was that bad?”

  “No, it wasn’t,” said Tristan. “I told him and his brother to stay away, but I’m regretting that now.”

  “Did he say he’d come?” asked Kyla, anxious. She was worried about the bear, the man. Part of her hoped he would stay away while the greater part wished for him to appear.

  “No. He just said that he and Corgan were heading home this afternoon.”

  Kyla felt that she’d collapse under the weight of those words.

  “Even after knowing that we might be in danger?” she said.

  “Sorry, Kyla. That’s just what he said. I’m sure he knows you wolves can look after yourselves.”

  “Yes, I’m sure he does,” said Nikki. “He’s a protector, remember. Not the sort of person to abandon others if they need him.”

  Kyla thought then of Maddox and Corgan’s sister, and of how badly they’d wanted to protect her from harm. Part of her wondered if Maddox was fleeing from another scenario in which someone he cared about might be hurt. Perhaps it was easier just not to watch. But whatever the case, it was a blow.

  She went upstairs to gather herself for the day ahead. Focus was essential, she knew, and she’d do well to spend the bulk of the day in wolf form. If Maddox wasn’t going to help, she’d go out herself and search for this threatening stranger with the rifle. She would take him down on her own if need be.

  Fifteen

  The woods were thick and difficult to navigate, but the hunter already knew that. He’d been through this very area days before, not knowing how close he was to his objective.

  He’d done what he could in preparation for this day: every anti-scent mechanism was in place. He’d coated himself in deer pheromones, put on freshly-washed clothing. A satellite navigation system was in place, and he was fairly certain that he’d now pinpointed the location of the cabin.

  Once he got there, he wasn’t sure what he’d do. He would first have to scope out the situation and assess potential dangers. The old man hadn’t known how many shifters would be in the house, and any who came along would have to be picked off. A sniper rifle with a silencer was perfect for the task, though a wolf’s acute hearing might pick up the muffled sound.

  When he knew he was drawing near, he put his gear down, keeping his rifle at the ready. He approached stealthily, waiting for the cabin to make its first appearance. The suspense of it was difficult to take, but he’d been done this sort of thing before, stalking prey in the wild. It was all about supreme patience and calm.

  At last he came to the edge of the clearing, the cabin on the other side, waiting for him. He scanned the area, deciding ultimately that a position to the west of the house would get him close, with a direct line of sight to the front door. Perfect. It was also downwind, which was optimal. He didn’t want to encounter the same fate that his bloodied, foolish friends had done; no bear attacks for him. Today, he would pick the bastards off one by one.

  This was to be his own private slaughter, and no one was around to stop him.

  ~*~

  Kyla paced back and forth, her paws coming down too hard on the soft earth, she knew. She should be doing her concentric circles, her regular patrol route, but something wasn’t sitting well with her. Agitation was setting in, and she was enraged with herself: she was allowing thoughts of the bear to dominate and distract her.

  “Put him out of your mind,” she told herself as she attempted to walk in a straight line, focusing on the path ahead. “Be vigilant. There’s a killer loose and you don’t need a bear—or a man—to help find him and take him down.”

  If Maddox wanted to leave, so be it. Kyla had lived her whole life, until only days ago, without knowing that he existed. And she’d done just fine. She’d pretend she’d never met him; convince herself of it, even. He wasn’t important. The only thing that was important was to protect her pack from the maniac on the loose, and she could easily do it on her own.

  She continued on her path, resolve filling her now. The hunt had begun in earnest.

  Far off, she smelled a deer; it must have made its nest near the cabin for the night. As she walked, she found herself more in control, her stride lightening and her form smoothly gliding through the woods as she always enjoyed doing. Her goal was silence and stealth, and so far her performance had been impeccable.

  In the summertime, her light coat was a hindrance in situations like this; she stuck out against green leaves. But now, with the colours changing, she more or less blended in. This gave her a sense of security, of being blanketed under the veil of foliage.

  Overhead, a hawk or an eagle cried out. Kyla looked up but could see nothing. She’d always envied the birds their flight, and wished now that she had the high vantage point with which to be able to look down into the forest. Perhaps that eagle knew something she didn’t.

  If the hunter was headed for their cabin, her assumption was that he would be heading in from town, to the east. So Kyla focused her search on that side of the property. There was no sign of him; no trail of snapped branches or indication of footprints in the leaves or the earth. Not a sign of a deer, even, which seemed odd, given the scent she’d picked up.

  After several hours, she began to grow tired and decided to report back to Tristan. The big alpha was standing watch from inside the house, prepared to leap out at any sign of trouble. The rest of the pack had agreed that it would be best for him not to head out into the woods; his size alone made him a large target. Kyla had realized that this was true of Maddox as well; a grizzly would be far more conspicuous than a wolf, and for a moment she had found herself glad that he was leaving, that he would be safe.

  As Kyla headed towards the cabin, a shuddering of leaves overhead caught her eye and she froze. It could be that the man she was stalking had made a sort of hunter’s blind in the treetops, and she would be an easy target down below.

  She backed away and circled around, coming at the tree from the other side. A man with a rifle would have trouble manipulating himself and turning rapidly to aim in the opposite direction, she knew.

  But as she approached, she saw the source of the movement: an elegant bald eagle, perched proudly on a thick branch, its talons gripping hard.

  It looked down at her as if curious, and then cocked its head before taking off.

  “Don’t give away my location, bird,” she thought, glad that she couldn’t actually speak to tell it off.

  Adrenaline flowing now, Kyla was coming close to the cabin. While it should have given her a sense of security to be so near, the clear bit of land she’d have to cross to get to the door was the real danger. It seemed the sensible thing to circle around the house and make sure the area was safely devoid of humans before exposing herself to potential danger. She began to hike in a large circle around the clearing.

  She saw the man before he saw her.

  He stood behind a tree at the edge of the clearing. Kyla had a direct line to him across the open land; if she could make it, she knew, she could take him down.

  His tense back was stretched as he held the rifle, aimed directly towards the front door.

  “I’ve got to do this,” she thought.

  There was no time; if anyone opened the door they’d be shot. She couldn’t wait for that eventuality.

  Kyla’s wolf’s instincts fully kicked in now. After a momentary hesitation, there was no fear; only rage. This man was threatening her pack and he needed to be shown who was in control here. She knew that she could get to him quietly, and it seemed like the best chance to save her pack mates.

  As she contemplated her attack, she heard it again: the eagle’s cry overhead. Distracted, the hunter looked up, and in his periphery he caught sight of the large wolf.

  He swung his body around and poi
nted the gun directly at Kyla, who was forced then into a split-second decision.

  Run or attack.

  The gap between her and the man was large, but she could cross it in two seconds. He could, however, probably shoot her in less than that.

  The decision had been made.

  Kyla lunged, tearing through the space between herself and the assailant as quickly as she could. But just as she got to within feet of him, two things happened: a shot was fired, and she smashed into what felt like a brick wall.

  The wolf went crashing to the ground, the impact throwing her off balance. She lay still, afraid to move, wondering if she was dead.

  But no. She was very much alive.

  She allowed herself to feel her limbs, her stomach, her back, from the inside. Everything felt as it should. She wasn’t wounded. There was no bullet in her. What on earth had just happened?

  As her head came up, she saw it: a grizzly, standing over the man, the rifle on the ground next to them. The bear was bleeding from a wound in his side.

  “Maddox,” she thought, terrified and relieved to see him there.

  Tristan and Dascha were running towards them now in wolf form, the cabin’s door open, and Kyla rose to run to Maddox’s side. He was breathing heavily, his head swaying to the left and the right. He seemed disoriented.

  Kyla shifted then, not caring about her nudity in front of the hunter, who was flat on the ground, a large bear paw on his chest.

  Tristan seemed to know what had happened and he and Dascha pinned the man down while Maddox shifted his weight and keeled over.

  “Maddox! No!” Kyla caught his falling head in her lap and held it.

  “The doctor. We have to get the doctor,” she pleaded to the wolves.

  Tristan nodded to Dascha as an indication that he had things under control, and the young wolf took off running to the house. Seconds later, he sprinted out in human form and drove away in the SUV.

  The hunter, who was beginning to regain his cockiness and confidence, yelled at Tristan.