Crush on the Alpha Bear

by Emilia Hartley

There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that it had been Kelly in those woods just moments before Dominic attacked. And now she was gone, too.

  Over the course of that week, Emily had contemplated running away again. She could start out fresh, work to suppress the memory of her failure here at Woodhaven like she’d done with the death of her parents five years ago. After all, she was an adult now. She didn’t need the strength of a kind old man to keep her on the right path this time, did she?

  It didn’t feel right.

  Try as she may to rationalize leaving everything behind, try as she may to shoulder the burden of her loss alone and show that loneliness that has terrified her so much as a child that she’d become stronger, it wouldn’t stick. Something kept her tethered to the Silent Meadows, something bigger than her fears and her failures. She wasn’t sure what at first, but as the days dredged onward and the tears stopped flowing, the answer had appeared as obviously as a soft cough permeating her walls from the room neighboring hers.

  Suddenly, all of her doubt and hesitation dissipated, and the beginnings of a smile had actually begun to form at the edge of her lips. Fate had a funny way of working its magic, but that didn’t matter. She finally had the first step towards a future she could stomach living, one that finally felt right for her, and she was done letting it slip away.

  Emily knocked once gently on the door, opening it before she got a response.

  “Are you awake?” she asked softly. Adam didn’t respond, but the way his shoulders tightened almost imperceptibly as she spoke betrayed that he wasn’t asleep.

  Hurt tried to cloud her resolve, but Emily pushed it away. Adam was dealing with his own mountain of grief right now; what she needed to do was make him believe that he didn’t need to carry that burden of mourning alone. The time for beating around the bush had long since passed.

  With renewed purpose, Emily walked quietly to Adam’s bedside, gazing down at the back of his turned head with love and solidarity in her eyes.

  She began by trailing her hand lightly and carefully up the still warm muscles of Adam’s arms, making sure to skip over the parts that were bound together by gauze and bandages. He kept his face averted as she caressed his skin, making light circles on his biceps as her hand traveled upward.

  “Adam,” she whispered softly. “Adam, I love you. I’ve loved you every day for five years.” A quiet, sad chuckle escaped her lips.

  “Do you know how long five years is?” she asked. “It’s sixty months. It’s two hundred and sixty weeks. One thousand, eight hundred, and twenty-five days.”

  She leaned in ever so closely, placing a firmer hand on his shoulder to keep balance. “Forty-three thousand, eight hundred, and thirty hours. Two million, six hundred and twenty-nine thousand, eight hundred seconds. And yes, I made sure to include the leap year,” she quipped lightly.

  “So much time, and I’ve spent it all loving you,” she finished. “I’m not ready to throw it all away to grief.”

  Adam shifted slightly, and it was invitation enough for Emily to keep going. “I thought I was,” she continued. “For a moment, I thought I was completely capable of crying my eyes cracked and dry before once again leaving everything behind and starting anew on my own. I was so close to doing it.

  “But it didn’t feel right. That terrifying loneliness and seclusion seemed to be bearing down on me from every corner, and at times, I felt like I couldn’t breathe, but try as I might to see the girl I’d become should I walk out that door… I couldn’t. That girl just didn’t exist.”

  Gaining a bit of resolve, she tugged gently on Adam’s arm, beckoning him to turn and acknowledge her. “And do you know why, Adam?” she asked. “Do you know why I couldn’t find that girl in the deepest pits of my loneliness?” She couldn’t help but grin. “It’s because of you.”

  Adam’s arms stiffened slightly underneath her hand, lending her the strength to go on. “I kept thinking of you, and you and me, and you and me and the Silent Meadows pack, and I realized that, no matter how much I locked myself in a room or threatened myself that I’d just run away and start fresh at the first sign of rejection… I realized that I’d never be truly alone,” she revealed. “No matter where I went, no matter what I did or how far I would have fallen, you would have always been there for me, in a bond that neither you nor I can sever—whether it be with cold words or cold shoulders.”

  Emily took a deep breath, relishing in how calm and centered it made her feel. “You’re my mate, Adam,” she confessed. “And I love you. Nothing will ever change that.”

  Silence filled the room as they marinated in the words Emily had spoken. Finally, when Emily had started to doubt that she’d made any head way at all, Adam shifted gingerly on his bed.

  “My father is… gone,” he spoke softly and forlornly. “Kelly is gone. It only made sense that you would go, too.”

  Despite Adam’s averted attention, Emily shook her head vigorously. “Never. I thought I would feel that exact same way—alone and scared about the future. You removed that doubt in my heart, Adam,” she explained. “Just like the day that David held his hand out to me and begged me to let him help, that’s what you do to me every day.”

  She snatched up his hand in both of hers, sitting down on the bed so as not to jostle his broken arm. “Whenever my mind would go to that sunken place where my memories tortured me, you and Kelly were always there to pull me back out. Whenever I needed someone to guide me and shape me into a decent person, David was always there knocking on my door.

  “You all are my family. And even though David is gone, he’ll always be with us. If I live my life better than I was five years ago, what he did for me when I needed him most will never die. And you—you just have to be the best-damned alpha that you can be! Be the alpha and pack leader that David knew you could be,” Emily encouraged.

  Finally, Adam turned around to face her. Her breath caught as she saw the faintest glimmer of tears swirling in his eyes.

  “What if it’s not enough?” Adam asked, voice tinted with uncertainly and a bit of fear before returning to its normal stoicism. “Kelly left us behind, just like you’d said she would. And Dad’s dead. If I were a better alpha, if I would be a better leader…”

  “Then bad things would still go wrong, and you’d feel even worse,” Emily interrupted. “You’re doing your best, Adam. I can see that and everyone else can, too. And when we get Kelly back, so will she.”

  Adam paused for a heartbeat, his face wrought with confusion and uncertainty. “Every time I told myself I wouldn’t mess up, I did,” he sighed. “Kelly’s gone because I allowed you to be so swept up in your five year love of me that she felt alone. Dad’s gone because I lacked experience, got distracted, and couldn’t even protect my mate, so he did it for me, and now… I just don’t want to let my family down anymore.”

  He looked up at her with those stark green eyes, and she could see the desperation shining brightly within them. He truly didn’t think he had success in him.

  Instead of feeling pity, that new but familiar feeling of resolve and tenacity overcame Emily. Thinking back on their time here in Woodhaven, she knew she appreciated the instinct that it had awoken in her. Adam had played a big part in that, and so it only seemed right that she used this newfound ability to show him all of the things he couldn’t see in himself.

  If he couldn’t believe what a wonderful man and mate he was, she’d convince him. If he couldn’t see how deserving of love he was, she’d show him. If he felt that his life was no longer worth living… then perhaps her first order of business was to make him feel more alive than he had in a long while.

  With none of her usual gentle shyness, Emily leaned down over Adam’s body, giving him no time to prepare before pressing her lips against his. It wasn’t a meek or gentle kiss like she assumed he’d expect. She filled it with as much passion and life as she could muster, trying to get his heart racing and his mind distracted.

  Adam hesitated for only a moment before h
is body moved on its own; his lips parted to welcome her almost automatically, the uninjured arm rising immediately to cup her cheek as she worked to kiss, nipping, and licking all of his doubts away.

  Slowly but surely, Emily wiggled her way onto the bed with Adam, careful not to jostle his injured side. She took cues from their first time together, nibbling and caressing her lips down his jawline to his chest. She rested her lips against his heart as it beat frantically against the skin, warm enough with injury to steam her cheeks.

  She didn’t back away, assaulting him with kisses and love bites until she could hear his breath coming quickly, she ran her hands down the intact side of his torso, dipping her fingers tentatively below the band of his shorts to grab ahold of his already growing erection. Adam let out a startled groan as she stroked him, long and deliberately, and he winced slightly as his arm jostled with his reaction to her touch.

  Emily relented only long enough to gently tug on the waistband, slowly pulling the shorts down over his hips and eventually off completely.

  “I understand exactly how you’re feeling right now, Adam,” Emily breathed, mouth puckering slightly as she took in the sight of him. He was even more beautiful in the natural broad daylight of his room than in the obscurity of the forest.

  “I know how it feels to look to your left, to your right, all around you, and nothing’s the same. Nothing’s familiar. Nothing is home.” She took his now firm erection back in her hands, indulging him in long, purposeful strokes as she spoke. “You’re not alone, no matter how much you may want to be.”

  She laid playful kisses on him, starting at the base of his shaft and working her way up to the head. His body shuddered each time her lips pressed against him, and when she dipped her mouth tentatively over his tip, a shuddering sigh that could move mountains fell from his lips.

  Emily rose to finish her encouraging speech, when she was met with the piercing jade intensity of Adam’s gaze. “Emily,” he warned. “No more talking. Please.” He worked the politeness into his words, but the breathy and guttural way they’d come out already conveyed his true emotions.

  It was obvious that Adam was done with talking.

  Emily grinned broadly up at him. “But I’m in the middle of trying to convince you that you’re worthy of your life,” she joked lightly, running her hand up the length of him teasingly.

  “Emily!” Adam repeated, voice more distressed than before.

  The way he called her name sent an intense thrill coursing through her entire body like an electric pulse. The rawness of his voice had struck her like a tuning fork. Her entire body vibrated to her mate’s frequency. Suddenly, Emily was done with talking as well.

  Emily’s mouth slid eagerly down the length of him without another word. He cried out her name once more. She worked quickly and efficiently, relishing in every little twitch and spasm that she could pull from him.

  Eventually, jaw sore and stiff from the effort, Emily slowly pulled the length of him away from her lips. Adam’s breath came in gasps and huffs, the pitter-patter of his heart creating a melodic beat against his chest. She debated briefly on whether or not to take her time undressing, but one look at the heat in Adam’s feverish glare sent her clothes cascading to the bedroom floor in double time.

  She made a motion to climb excitedly on top of him, but stopped short. In her first moment of hesitation since beginning, she gave Adam a timid look. “I’m um… not sure how to do this without hurting you,” she confessed.

  “I don’t care,” Adam growled. “Just don’t stop.” As if to predicate his wants, he took her arm with his good hand, using all of his available strength to tug her up on top of him.

  His body jostled roughly as she landed on top of him and he let out a hiss of pain. His face paled immediately, his entire body stiffening as he worked to overcome the jarring agony.

  Finally, Adam let out a pained sigh that ended in a deep moan. A fire lit up deep in Emily’s belly; the thought that Adam might have kind of enjoyed a bit of pain with his pleasure ignited more passion within her than she knew she’d possessed.

  “You okay,” she murmured lightly, trailing her fingers over his chest.

  “Fine,” Adam spoke through gritted teeth. “Let’s just try to be more careful than I was.”

  Emily nodded. “I can do that.” She leaned down to place a soft kiss on his lips before sliding down easily around him.

  A growl rattled Adam’s chest and spilled from his lips, all bear in its presentation. The vibrations rumbling from his body traveled up Emily arms and pulsed through her body. Within that sensation she found a rhythm, and quickly began to rock to its sultry and exhilarating beat.

  It wasn’t long before they were both filled to the brim, threatening to spill over at any moment. Little involuntary whimpers and whines slipped past Emily’s lips as she fought to keep the pace for just a while longer. She didn’t want this to end. In this moment, they truly married, understanding one another’s feeling and emotions in a way that could never be explained in words. And suddenly, Emily knew that from that moment onward, everything would be okay, so long as they moved forward together.

  “Emily!” Adam shouted to the ceiling, body stiffening against her with the beginning of his climax. Riding the waves of his powerful release, Emily let go—of doubt, of fear, of loneliness—and together, they dove into heaven together.

  Emily collapsed to Adam’s side, snuggling closely to her mate as she shivered with aftershocks.

  “I love you so much, Adam,” Emily gasped lovingly in his warm embrace. “We’ll make it through this, okay? Don’t you ever doubt that.”

  Adam let out an exhausted chuckle, all of their jolting and jostling obviously taking a toll on him, despite his encouragement to continue. “I was a fool to have doubted you in the first place.”

  As they lay carefully cuddled in each other’s scent and love, Emily vowed with every bit of the resolve she’d come to know in Woodhaven that Adam would never, ever feel alone again.

  She’d make sure of it.

  I hope you enjoyed books 1, 2 & 3 of my Alpha Bear series! Book 4 will be out soon! Turn the page to read the first 3 books of my Mountain Wolves Series!

  Thank you!

  I really hope you enjoyed reading book 4 of the Alpha Bears series! You can find the rest of the series on Amazon!

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  I’ve filled up this book with a BUNCH of my best selling paranormal romance stories for you to enjoy! Please use the Table of Contents to navigate to whichever book you want to read, or simply continue on to the next page where you’ll find a sample of the Fated Dragons series books 1 – 3. Enjoy!

  Mated to the Dragon

  Emilia Hartley

  Chapter One

  Dakota flipped through the school’s flyer more times than she could count on the ten hour flight. There were only so many clouds she could bear to look at beyond the window. After browsing the highlights of the Art History program of Bangor’s University for the millionth time, she sighed and tossed it to the empty seat beside her. At least she’d gotten lucky in that regard.

  The person beside her had gotten a free upgrade to first class. She didn’t complain. As a college student, just having the extra bit of space to spread out felt luxurious. She hadn’t been raised with much. Both of her parents worked overtime through her childhood to put clothes on her back and food on the table. College had been a distant dream for her as a child, a thing that even in youth she knew that her family could not afford.

  Then, in high school, she got her very first job. Every penny she earned while serving pizza to the kids in her class went into savings. She was determined to reach her dream, to go to school, and escape the grind that her parents seemed doomed to endure. She began with community college. Then, with scholarships and loans that made her cringe when she signed, Dakota took the plunge and applied to universities.

  When the grant to study Welsh art and architecture abroad nearly fell int
o her lap, she took it without a second thought. She’d worked so hard through her childhood and teen years that she wanted to do something that she desperately loved for the rest of her life and during a school field trip, Dakota realized that meant curating art for museums. She loved the almost religious air that filled museums, the wonder and awe as she moved from collection to collection. The study abroad program was a huge step in that direction for her, a new adventure that would look beautiful on her resume. She hadn’t been thinking about what else the world had to offer, what she should have been afraid of.

  Her eyes fell on the book thrown atop her backpack. She frowned. Her mother bought it for her when Dakota announced that she’d been accepted for the study program in Wales. She knew what lived in the Snowdonia territories, as did the rest of the world after the Occurrence.

  Dragons.

  The massive beasts that resided in Wales were masters of fire. They had born more than a few legends in Welsh myth, ones that Dakota had familiarized herself with only so that she’d have a leg up in her studies. Not because she was curious about the beasts that could take the form of humans, mostly men with violence in their eyes and tension in the muscles that could easily crush her thin frame.

  The day before she boarded the plane, Dakota’s mother had gifted her with the book. Dakota had felt a lump grow in her throat as she looked at it. Dragon Men and Their Urges was written across the cover. Bea, Dakota’s mother, had opened it right to the chapter on self-defense and escape should she run into one of the dragons.

  “Mom.” She’d snapped the book shut. “The school has a policy to protect the students from abroad. If a student should come across a dragon at all they’re forced to pack up and are sent on next plane home so that they aren’t in any danger. Besides, I did my research. There hasn’t been a reported dragon shifter sighting in Bangor in years. You have nothing to worry about.”