by Jane Wakely
Christina’s Bear (Chestnut Rock Shifters 2)
written by Jane Wakely
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First Edition
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Chapter One
Christina Mills looked around the now half empty apartment and couldn’t help the sadness sweeping over her. She and Jenn lived here together for two years and now Jenn had been completely gone for two weeks. Christina knew they couldn’t live together forever, but she’d honestly thought it would be much longer before either one of them found the one.
Once Jenn and Matt had worked out their differences, Jenn’s belongings disappeared little by little until her friend finally admitted she was moving in with Matt. Christina was very happy for the two of them—and if she was honest, a little jealous. Not of Matt, of what Jenn found with Matt. Someone to love her unconditionally. Christina often wondered if she would ever find a perfect match.
Making friends was easy. Her height combined with her trim body and large breasts always gained the attention of men, but she’d kept most of them in the friend category. The ones that became boyfriends quickly tired of her bubbly—sometimes loud—personality. Looking for love resulted in dating often and had gained her the reputation of being a fun party girl. Unfortunately, many people made the mistake of thinking she was easy and slept around. Jenn was the only one who knew the truth and now Jenn was gone. Christina felt very alone.
Christina realized this was the first time in her life that she was truly on her own. She’d lived with her parents until she was eighteen then went to college and gained Jenn for a roommate. They became fast friends and decided to move to the mid-size town of Chestnut Rock after graduation.
The girls found Chestnut Rock on a road trip weekend and they each instantly fell in love with the ample trees and wildlife combined with all the amenities of living in a big city. The Pacific Northwest was far from home for both of them, but after living in the area for four years, they loved it. They had each other and staying seemed right to both of them.
Triggered by being unsure of what to do next, Christina entertained the idea of moving home for about two seconds. The town that she grew up in wasn’t her home anymore though. Chestnut Rock was her home and she wasn’t leaving. She’d just have to figure out her new living arrangements. Did she try to find another roommate or move to a smaller apartment? Neither idea held any appeal. She’d heard enough roommate horror stories to know that she’d gotten lucky when she’d been paired up with Jenn. No, a new roommate wasn’t for her.
Still, she hated to move out of her apartment complex. Instead of being stuck together, each apartment was a single story, stand-alone cottage. They were close together, with only four feet separating each building, but it was enough space. There was a patch of grass surrounding each walkway, and the front of every cottage lined the street. The back of the buildings lined the forest.
Several houses in Chestnut Rock had the forest line meet their backs, but very few apartment complexes did—and this was the only cottage complex in town. When they moved in, Christina knew she wouldn’t want to leave until the time came for her to buy a house of her own. She could afford to buy a house with her salary—her party planning business was doing extremely well—but she wanted to live in a house with her husband and family, not by herself.
As much as she wanted to stay where she was, she didn’t want to spend the money on a two bedroom apartment when she didn’t need the space. There was no reason to rush into anything—she could take her time—but she might as well start looking for a smaller place.
Satisfied with her decision, Christina decided to walk down to the market for a cup of coffee and a newspaper. It was time to start her search.
****
James “Bull” Johnson sniffed outside the cave before lumbering inside and shifting back into his human form. Because he was new to the area, he had taken a long hike through the woods, checking for danger and hiding places in case he needed them.
Matt had told him that the town of Chestnut Rock, and the connecting forest, would sooth his restless bear, but he honestly hadn’t known what to think. With nothing to lose and very few belongings, he’d packed up his tiny apartment and moved to the mid-sized town.
Matt and Bull had met in college and when they quickly recognized the other as a shifter, they’d formed an unbreakable bond. After college, they each went their own way, traveling and exploring the country. They’d met up once or twice a year until Matt put down roots in Chestnut Rock. Bull had continued to look until he decided he didn’t want to look anymore. He was tired and he wanted a permanent place to call home. Matt constantly raved about his home and convinced Bull to make it his home, too.
Bull pulled his shirt, jeans and flip-flops out of the crevice in the cave wall where he’d stored them earlier. Being a bear shifter meant he needed to take precautions when he allowed himself to shift. If a wolf, bunny or deer was spotted near the hotel, most likely not much would happen. The wolf would be mistaken for a dog and the bunny and deer would charm people with their cuteness. A bear, however, brought a much different reaction—usually involving screaming and the loading of shotgun barrels.
Over time he’d learned to take safeguards against those types of situations.
Once he was dressed, he walked to the edge of the cave and sniffed to make sure no full humans lurked in the nearby trees. Satisfied he was alone, he walked out of the cave and through the forest to the nearby street. There was a market down the road from the hotel and he needed coffee and a newspaper.
Matt had given him a good recommendation and Bull had an interview at the construction site on Monday. He had plenty of experience from his many years of moving around. Someone was always building something somewhere and he’d learned as much as he could from every employer. He wasn’t worried about getting the job, but he needed to find an apartment.
It had been one night and he was already tired of the hotel. Matt had offered him the guest room for as long as he needed it, but now that his friend was mated and engaged, Bull didn’t want to impose on the couple. Also, being an unmated shifter around a newly mated couple was difficult.
Life for an unmated shifter was extremely lonely. Even when surrounded by family and friends, the loneliness had the ability to creep in and take over if the shifter wasn’t careful. In some cases, shifters literally died of loneliness. Being around a newly mated couple increased the chance that a shifter would fall into a depression so deep they couldn’t recover.
Bull was going to Matt’s tomorrow. He was anxious to spend time with his friend and meet Jenn, but he couldn’t stay there.
He needed to start looking tonight for a place of his own.
Chapter Two
Christina put the plastic lid over her steaming cup and pressed hard around the edges, making sure it was secure. The smell of the fresh brewed coffee, along with the flavored cream, was heaven. The special brew was the same brand as the one she used at home, but it always tasted better.
She was about to take a careful sip when someone called her name.
“Hey Christina, how’s Derek?” The clerk yelled across the store and laughed.
Darn! The only bad thing about coming in here sometimes was that jerk. The store owner and his son were so nice, she had no idea how that guy had gotten a job here.
She couldn’t remember his name, but he was best friends with Derek, a guy she dated when she had first moved to town. It had been a mistake. Derek was mean and she ended their first and only date by walking out before dinner had arrived. She found out later that he lied about what happened and told his friends she had sex with him. She hadn’t figured out they were laughing at her until a string of suitors asked her out and tried to get into her pants.
The memory caused her eyes to sting. She focused on the lid of her cup, pressing it again around the edges and blinking several times trying to keep the tears at bay before she glanced around to see if anyone else was inside the store. Grateful she was alone, she turned to walk toward the counter.
“Who’s Derek?”
Christina jumped and opened her mouth to scream when a strong hand carefully closed around her wrist, effectively stopping her from shaking and splattering anymore scalding liquid out of the lid.
For some reason, the mammoth hand brought the image of a giant animal paw to her mind. His skin was golden brown, as if permanently kissed by the sun. The only people in the Pacific Northwest with that color skin tone regularly visited tanning salons. She knew he hadn’t.
Wanting to see his face, her eyes moved up and up and up. She was six feet tall, but he was taller. Much taller. If she had to guess, she’d say he was about seven inches taller. She quickly glanced at his feet before meeting his eyes and she saw his mouth turn up in a smile on one side. This man was humongous—and it seemed he was that way everywhere. Christina actually felt petite. She’d never felt that way in her entire life.
Deep chocolate, almost black, warm eyes stared back at her. His black hair was cut short on the sides and it spiked out on top with the help of a styling product.
He was absolute perfection and Christina had to consciously close her mouth and swallow to sooth her parched throat. His hand still held her wrist and she was sure he could feel her rapidly beating heart.
“Who’s Derek?” He asked again, and though she didn’t know him, she opened her mouth to answer.
“One of the many, many guys she’s dated in this town.” The guy at the counter yelled back. Christina had forgotten all about him and she could feel her cheeks heating.
“Was I asking you?” Mr. Perfection yelled back and the clerk paled and stepped back from the counter. In her eyes, he went from a ten to a one hundred and ten. He was loud. Very loud. His voice echoed all around the store surrounding them. Christina savored the moment. She’d finally met a man louder than herself. There was no way she would ever top the volume that came out of his mouth.
She stared up at him, pretty sure her mouth was open again, but she was too impressed to care.
He looked back at her, his hand still around her wrist.
“Who is he?” His voice was normal again, the same tone he used when he first spoke from behind her.
“A guy I dated once,” she responded breathlessly. She wanted him. No man had ever captured her interest like he did.
“He’s not your boyfriend?” He was frowning now. It seemed he didn’t share her attraction.
“No. I only went on one date with him.” Christina could only stare and answer his questions even though they were inappropriate. They didn’t know each other.
“Are you dating anyone now?”
“No.” It was none of his business, but she wanted him to know.
At her response, he let go of her hand and took a step back.
“Okay.” It was a dismissal.
Disappointed, Christina walked to the counter and paid for her coffee and the newspaper that had been tucked under her arm the whole time. The guy behind the counter didn’t say anything else to her except to relay her total and she exited the store with her held high.
Once she was safely inside her apartment, she let a few of the tears filling her eyes fall even though it was ridiculous. She told herself she was crying over the clerk’s harassment, but she knew it was a lie.
Instead of looking at the newspaper, she turned on the TV and flipped the channels until she found a movie that kept her mind off her lacking love life and the man in the market. She sipped her lukewarm coffee, but still fell asleep on the couch before the movie was over.
****
Bull walked into the market and paused in the entryway, letting the glass door close behind him. The market smelled extraordinary, like fresh mountain air after the first snow and sweet strawberries ripe on the vine in the summertime. How could that be? It was fall, there wasn’t any snow outside and there were no strawberries that he could see anywhere inside. This market didn’t sell produce.
He looked around feeling more content than he had in years but not knowing the cause. He focused his attention on the coffee station. A blond stood with her back to him. She had to be the source of the fragrance. Could it be? Could she be the one? Could he have found his mate his second night in town?
Casually he walked up behind her, racking his brain for an intelligent thought, when the clerk behind the counter yelled out.
The girl tensed, her breathing accelerated slightly and she fiddled with her coffee cup again. Rage washed over him and every ounce was directed at the clerk behind the counter. His bear snarled and begged him to shift and hunt the man down for hurting his mate.
His mate.
Anger was replaced by shock which was ultimately replaced by fear. Who was Derek?
When she turned to walk toward the counter, he voiced his concern.
“Who’s Derek?” Too late he realized his mistake and he wrapped his hand around hers to stop the coffee from sloshing out of the lid and burning her.
She felt wonderful. Her skin was soft and silky smooth and he held on longer than he needed to, not wanting to let her go. Her eyes roamed his body from top to bottom and he couldn’t help the half smile
when he saw her glance at his feet. When her eyes met his, he couldn’t breathe.
Blue eyes stared back at him from her beautiful, round shaped face graced with delicate features. The shape of her lips, the curve of her upper lip just below her cute little nose, wide round eyes and delicate cheek bones detailed her face. She wasn’t what he expected, but she was everything he wanted. Her long, wavy blond hair had big curls around the bottom and he wondered if they were natural or if she’d styled it that way.
Once again he asked about Derek. He had to know where he stood. Was she married, did she have a boyfriend, what were his chances?
When the clerk not only answered the question but insulted his mate, Bull responded. Loudly. Satisfied he’d scared the clerk, he turned his attention back to the girl, only to see he’d scared her too.
Her mouth hung open slightly as she looked at him like she was in a trance. Bull knew he should let her go, but he wanted the information so he asked questions that he had no business asking as his mate stood there in terror.
She answered breathlessly and with each answer he realized what a terrible situation he was creating for himself. He’d snuck up behind her, yelled at the clerk and held her wrist while he asked inappropriate questions about her love life.
Bull wanted to pay for her coffee and newspaper—the exact two things he’d went into the store for—but if he did and offered to walk her home, she’d probably call the police. He had to let her go and hope he got another chance to show her he wasn’t a crazy giant.
“Okay.” It took every ounce of willpower to step back and not follow her out of the store, but he let her walk away. He would have to try again.
When she was out of sight, he realized the only thing he knew about her was that she was single. What was her name? Did she live within walking distance of the market or did she drive? Did she live in Chestnut Rock? He thought about questioning the clerk, but decided to wait until he was desperate. He didn’t want to add stalker to his list of crazy. Bull skipped the coffee and the paper and walked out of the store and back to his hotel.
