Jade Crew: Hunted Bear (A BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) (Ridgeback Bears Book 6)

by Amelia Jade

  “Harder,” she managed to gasp, unsure if she could take another one so soon. “Harder,” she growled a little louder.

  In response, Joel grabbed her hips tighter yet again and instead of thrusting in, he pulled her back against him. It had the same end result, but it was just slightly different enough that she sat up in surprise, her eyes widening. Then his hips began to move faster, and his hard cock slide deep inside of her with a much rougher motion than before. Her cries grew ragged as she gasped for air, but it was just what she needed right then.

  The deep grunts of exertion from Joel told her it was what he needed as well, as he continued to fuck her hard. At one point he picked her up and slammed her into the wall, but the magnificent steel-like manhood he possessed never seemed to stop rushing in and out of her.

  Facing him now as he easily held her aloft, Courtenay pressed her lips firmly to his, the tender moment completely at odds with the way Joel was giving it to her, but in her mind, it was perfect. The harder they went, the more it hurt just a little, the more alive she felt right then and there. That was what she needed, and when Joel bent her over the arm of the couch and his hand connected firmly with her ass, she only grinned and shook it at him, tempting him to do it again. There was just enough force for it to sting, the tingle rushing out from her bare skin to vibrate against her clit, and this time when Joel slid inside of her again, she told him what she really wanted.

  “I want you to cum,” she told him as fucked her.

  “Where?” he grunted as he thrust again. “I’m almost there.”

  “On me,” she told him in her best naughty voice, pushing him off of her and dropping to her knees in front of him. Without waiting she took his cock on her hand and began to stroke it. It was slick with her wetness, making it easy for her hand to slide up and down it. She used her free hand to gently fondle the base of his cock, until she felt him tighten in her grip.

  “Fuck!” he cried out, and his legs began to shake.

  Courtenay didn’t stop, stroking him as fast as she could, watching as thick spurts of white cum shot out of the tip of his cock, splashing across her chest and breasts, dripping down onto her stomach. Joel made more noises of pleasure, and she looked up, enjoying the expressions playing across his face as she finished him off.

  That was the power she wanted. Judging by the look on Joel’s face, he was more than okay with it.

  ***

  She smiled as Joel’s towel gently patted down her back, drying off the last droplets of water that remained.

  “Thank you,” she said with a happily exhausted smile.

  They had spent hours in bed, alternating between making love, fucking, and simply being naked and together. It had been a sinfully luxurious afternoon, but she was paying for it now.

  Her stomach growled, a reminder yet again that she hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast.

  “Food,” she said, her voice sounding like the noise that had come from her stomach.

  “Agreed,” Joel said without argument. Now that they were both cleaned up, they were becoming a little cranky, the result of six plus hours without food.

  “You do what you have to do. I’m going to start dinner,” he said. “How does spaghetti sound?”

  “Magnificent,” she said, more thrilled at the knowledge it would be ready sooner rather than later.

  Instead of going to get changed, she tucked the towel under her armpits and followed Joel into the kitchen. She needed a snack. There were some sort of trail-mix bars in the cupboard and she snagged one, ripping off the flimsy packaging before ravenously biting off a huge chunk.

  “Much better,” she muttered, heading back toward the bedroom to get dressed. She alternated articles of clothing and bites of the bar, until it was gone and she was once again presentable. The slight boost of energy from the bar was working wonders, and she almost felt like skipping down the hallway.

  Her jovial steps slowed as she remembered just why they were up at the cabin in the first place. Their lives were in danger. It was a stark contrast to the carefree way they had just spent the day. Sobering her mood intensely, she walked into the kitchen, determined to keep a little positivity in sight. Sidling up next to Joel she got up on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek at the same time she grabbed his rear.

  Courtenay had expected him to smile, perhaps jump a little, or even turn to try and return the favor.

  What she hadn’t expected was him to straighten so abruptly it almost took her out.

  “What?” she asked, but he shook his head, bringing a finger to his lips.

  A sense of dread settled over Courtenay as Joel snuck toward the window, moving very lightly on his feet.

  She opened her mouth to get him to tell her what was going on, but before she could, he gestured at her to come closer. Without speaking he pointed at her shoes.

  Shit. Not good.

  She slipped on the sneakers, thankful she had brought practical footwear with her. Thinking ahead, she pulled on her jacket as well.

  “Bad news,” Joel finally said, his voice low and quiet, softer than a whisper. “I count at least three, which means there’s probably a fourth.”

  “How did they find us so quickly?” she asked, confused. They were way up in the mountains!

  “They must have had someone watching the place, or following us that we couldn’t see,” he said quickly, though she could tell he didn’t particularly care at that point. Their enemies had found them, and the important thing was escaping.

  “I’m going to hold them off while you get the truck going. I’m going to try and make it to you, but you have to promise me something.”

  She shook her head, tears welling in the corner of her eyes. “No, Joel, please. Don’t ask that of me!” She knew what he was planning, and she didn’t like it. “There must be another way. We can call Garrett, he’ll come!” Even as she spoke, Courtenay knew there wasn’t anywhere near enough time. They had to be half an hour away from Ridgeback Lodge, if not more.

  “I’m not planning on making a last stand if I can avoid it,” he said with a wry smile. “But what I don’t want to happen is for you to wait for me and get caught as well. One of us has to warn Garrett, and unfortunately I don’t think you can stand up to the bears.”

  Courtenay blinked furiously, fighting back the tears she knew would obscure her vision. She couldn’t afford them at this critical juncture. If the two of them were going to escape—and she was certain it would be two—then she needed to focus completely on what Joel planned.

  “Okay,” she said at last. “What’s the plan?”

  “One of them is going to come knock at one point. They’ll want to do this without violence if they can avoid it.”

  “So what are you going to do?” she said, her voice wavering slightly as they heard footsteps approaching the door.

  “I’m going to clear a path for you to get to the truck,” he said, stepping back from the door.

  She watched, wondering what he was planning.

  “You should probably stand behind me,” he said after a minute.

  Something large pounded heavily on the door.

  Once.

  Twice.

  Three times.

  Courtenay felt herself shaking, her knees trembling with terror while she fought mentally to keep a grip. This was ridiculous. She didn’t need to be involved with this! All she had to do was pack up and leave the Valley, and nobody would bother her again.

  “Are you ready?”

  Summoning her courage, or the tattered remains of it at least, Courtenay nodded. She couldn’t flee, however. Not now, not when she had finally found someone that she could conceivably see herself loving for the rest of her life. That, she thought fiercely, was worth fighting for.

  “Okay,” Joel said as the fist pounded hard on the door again, shaking it in its frame.

  She watched as Joel charged at the door. He was perhaps ten feet back, and his huge strides all but flung him across the dist
ance. Her eyes narrowed as instead of flinging his shoulder into the door he put both hands in front of him and lunged for it.

  Moments before he collided with the door his skin rippled and then sprouted jet-black hair, except for several lines of silver-gray down his spine. His figure altered, expanded, and in the blink of an eye a mammoth bear replaced Joel, impacting the door with its full force as the massive beast flung itself forward.

  The door disintegrated under the impact, shards of it flying everywhere. Courtenay threw up an arm in front of her eyes as she was peppered with the splinters of wood. Several pierced her skin but she simply brushed her hand down her arm, dislodging the larger ones.

  When her vision cleared she saw Joel mauling the bear who had been on the other side of the door. She didn’t hesitate, taking off through the hole in the cabin at a dead run. Just before she reached Joel he tossed himself from the thoroughly dazed attacker and began to run alongside her as she made a beeline for the truck.

  Her fingers pulled out the keys as she was suddenly struck with an idea. Taking a quick second to glance at them in the deepening gloom, she saw the button she had hoped for. First she stabbed the lock button, and then she held her finger down on the other one. Her stride faltered in excitement for just a moment as the truck roared to life, the remote starter working perfectly.

  The hope she felt flaring inside of her was dashed almost instantly as another dark gray bear lunged after Joel. Her protector turned to swat at the incomer, but the attacker had ducked out of range, throwing off Joel’s strides. He didn’t fall, but he lost a lot of momentum, and she began to outdistance him. The truck wasn’t far, perhaps another fifty feet, but Courtenay already knew what was going to happen.

  “Come on Joel!” she shouted as she reached the truck, fumbling with the unlock button before pulling it open and hopping inside. Punching the ignition button to fully bring the vehicle to life, she looked out through the window, hoping to see Joel making a beeline for her. Instead, she saw a scene straight out of a horror movie.

  Joel was under attack from three shifters. His sides were shredded to pieces and he had a terrifying gash down the side of his face that was bleeding profusely. He whirled, trying to give back as good as he got, but each time he landed a blow, at least two more beat him down. He scrambled back to his feet each time, but she could tell he was getting slower. She honked the horn and revved the engine, hoping to distract one of the shifters, but they paid her no attention.

  “What the fuck?” she cried out as the truck suddenly shook, bouncing up and down.

  She twisted in the seat, where she was greeted by the sight of a fourth shifter climbing into the bed of the truck. Desperately she looked back at Joel, hoping that maybe he had worked his way free. She focused on the scene just in time to see him collapse after a blow to the head, falling to the blood-soaked ground in a limp heap. Two of the shifters turned their attention to her, and Courtenay knew her time was up. She had to go.

  If she stayed any longer, they would get her. Even as she gunned the engine, tires spinning for a second on the wet ground before catching, she knew it might already be too late. The bear in the back was holding on for dear life, and she would have to find a way to dispose of him. An idea flashed into her head and she stomped on the gas, accelerating the truck as fast as she could. Keeping a careful eye on the mirror, she waited for the shifter to take another step closer to the cab.

  As soon as his paw came off the ground she jammed on the brake pedal with both feet. The abrupt stop in motion sent the shifter flying forward. The huge bear’s head smashed through the rear window. The shifter shook off the blow and began to snarl and snap at her. Terrified, she hit the gas again, leaning as far forward as she could to stay out of his reach.

  Courtenay came upon the first bend in the road, and as she spun the steering wheel the inertia of the turn forced the bear’s neck against the shattered glass. It bellowed in pain and pulled its head free. When she looked in the mirror again, the man had shifted back into his human form and was attempting to stand.

  With a shrug at his stupidity, Courtenay hit the brakes again. Hard.

  This time it had the desired effect as the man went flying forward, tumbling over the roof and into the road in front of her. She slammed on the gas and just as the man looked up, she smashed the side of the truck into his head.

  “Garrett is going to hate me,” she said as the truck bounced, metal screeched, and she saw blood spatter along the trim and up onto the windows. Almost instantly after she began to laugh at her comment she broke down into tears, fighting to keep her eyes clear enough to see the road. Her breakneck pace slowed, but not by a lot. She needed to find Garrett. Joel’s Alpha would know what to do.

  She hoped.

  Chapter Ten

  Joel

  The last thing he saw of Courtenay was Garrett’s truck flying down the road away from the cabin, with a bear shifter clinging desperately to the truck bed. He reached out to try and go to her, but a massive paw slapped him down harshly, and he collapsed. The ground squished under his weight, wet with the amount of blood he had shed in his desperate fight to escape and reach safety alongside his mate.

  “Fool.”

  The voice came from above him as one of the shifters in his human form spat at Joel, before launching a vicious kick to his wounded midsection. Joel couldn’t help it, he cried out in pain.

  “Did you really think you could stand up to the might of the True Form and his followers?”

  Despite the blazing pain he was in, Joel managed to roll his eyes at the name their enemy had taken. Or that his followers had bestowed upon him. It didn’t really matter; it was ridiculous.

  Forcing his weakened body to listen, he reached into his mind and pulled forth his human side. His body screeched and protested, wounds shrieking with pain as stars exploded in his vision, but he managed to resume his human form.

  “You realize—” he began to say, pausing as a coughing fit came over him. He hacked and his body screamed in pain as it shook, before he finally spat up blood.

  “Do we realize what?” another of the attackers asked, laughing. “Come on, finish. Spit it out man!”

  The others joined in his laughter as he made a joke at Joel’s expense.

  “You realize,” he started again, his anger giving him strength. “That once you achieve his goals, he’s going to kill all of you as well. Unless one of you ugly fucks is actually a dragon, you’re just a tool he’s using to achieve his own ends. Idiots,” he coughed, more blood dripping from his lips as he lapsed into silence.

  “Don’t you speak of him!” one of them shouted, reaching down to grab Joel’s collar. He hoisted him up off the ground, just in time for Joel’s cheekbone to shatter under the impact of the man’s fist.

  I’m sorry Courtenay. I failed you.

  The thought ran through his head over and over again as he lay on the ground, his vision blurred, picturing the runaway truck over and over again. The two of them were dead, and it was his fault. All his fault. He shouldn’t have involved her in anything. He had known better, known what type of people he was up against and what they would do to achieve their ends. All the proof he could have needed had been given to him in the struggles of some of his crew. The number of fights they had been in, people they had had to rescue... it was all there, written out for him to see.

  Yet despite the massive body of evidence, Joel had ignored it. He had pushed it to the side, becoming involved with Courtenay. He had allowed himself to ignore the consequences that had befallen others, all because he didn’t want to wait. Now she was going to die for his mistakes.

  He had killed Courtenay.

  “What do we do with him?” came a voice from above him, interrupting his self-loathing.

  “Jenx, or Jinx, or whatever the fuck his name is, should be here with the van shortly,” came the reply. Joel recognized this voice as the one who had spoken first. He must be the leader of this team.

  “Wha
t do you want me to do in the meantime, boss?”

  “Knock him out.” The reply was firm and uncompromising.

  Joel braced himself, ready to try and defend himself from the onslaught of blows he expected to begin raining down upon him.

  “What the hell are you doing?” one of them asked, laughter clear in his voice.

  “Gonna fight,” he spat out, struggling to his feet.

  “Oh please. We’re not going to waste any more effort on you.

  Joel heard the slide pull back on a gun, and in rapid succession three objects hit him in the back. There was minimal pain, he noted. It was almost like a large pinprick, or a needle. What had they hit him with?

  His world began to swim, darkness abruptly closing in from the edges without warning.

  Oh. Tranquliz…..

  ***

  He came to slowly. He forced himself to remain still, without altering his breathing as best he could. The last thing he wanted to do was alert his captors that he was awake if he could avoid it.

  The first thing that hit him was the smell.

  It smelled like ash. But not like that left in a fireplace he noted, analyzing it further. No, this reminded him of a time he had wandered through a section of forest that had been hit by a lightning strike. The dead trees and fire-burned bushes had been scorched to a crisp, but the forest surrounding it was working to reclaim its territory, with fresh growth blooming in the suddenly nutrient-rich soil.

  It was exactly the same here, and it told him that he was somewhere in the forest. Light streamed in through somewhere. He could see the light behind his eyelids, but also feel it as it beat down upon him, warming his skin, a welcome change from the cold damp mud he had been lying in.

  Softly testing the air again, he tried to identify the other smell. It was different. Unnatural. Almost iron-like. He thought at first it was just dried blood, but with each breath he took he was better able to separate the two. Whatever was going on, there was several metal objects near him.

  After another handful of minutes of pretending to be asleep, Joel was fairly confident he was alone, wherever he was. Some sort of room, he thought. Deciding that he had to open his eyes to learn more, he willed them open. At first, nothing happened. He began to panic, thinking he had gone blind, before he realized that they were simply stuck closed. Likely sealed with his dried blood.