She kissed his hand before she wrapped it up in hers and closed her eyes.
She was truly in love.
And she had never felt better.
13.
When morning came, Ryder’s cuts and bruises had completely healed, and they laid in each other’s arms, kissing and touching, exploring each other again and again, until neither of them were able to go any more.
Ryder was so much more than a man, and he had the stamina to prove it. Pamela came again and again as he touched her in the most incredible of ways and opened her eyes to what love could truly be about.
As they laid together, panting and basking in the aftermath of their morning of love, Ryder suddenly stopped stroking her shoulder and sat up and looked down at her.
“I’m so very glad you took that fake job,” he half laughed.
Pamela smiled. It had been such an intense night and morning that she had completely forgotten about the agency and Sean, never mind what she had come to town for in the first place.
“What am I going to do?” she asked him as she stared into his dark eyes.
Ryder laid back down on his side so he could look at her, and he wrapped his arm over her waist and rested his hand at the small of her back.
“I know I don’t want to lose you,” he said seriously.
“I don’t want to lose you either,” she smiled.
They stared into each other’s eyes, and Pamela knew what she wanted to say, but she didn’t know how to say it. She licked her bottom lip and bit it a little, hoping she didn’t look completely embarrassed.
“I have an idea,” Ryder said, speaking up before she had to.
“Oh yeah?” she asked with a cheeky smile.
“I think we could all do with your help here anyway, you clearly have the knowledge about the weather and environment, and all that is going on deep within the earth. Why don’t you quit the agency and work for us, here, instead? Dean and the rest of the pack would love to have you… you could work for the shifters and the national park…”
Pamela could barely believe what she was hearing. Her hot bear boyfriend was offering to save her from the evil clutches of the secret agency that had brought her to this crazy town in the first place. It was like nothing she ever could have imagined.
“Really?” she asked, breathless.
Ryder nodded.
“We’re together now,” he said as he reached up and stroked the side of her face. “I love you and I don’t want you to leave.”
“I love you too,” she whispered as he leaned in and kissed her.
“You have a place here at the hotel for as long as you want,” he smiled. “Or you can move in with me, it’s entirely up to you. I don’t want to put any pressure on you.”
Pamela felt her eyes sparkle. This was like something out of her wildest dreams.
“My aunt owns this hotel, you can stay for free… keep it as a base, and maybe stay with me a few nights a week too… see how we go…”
Pamela bit her bottom lip and grinned.
“This all sounds amazing,” she smiled.
“Think about it,” he said as he ran his hands through her hair. “You don’t have to decide now. But you know there is a life here for you if you want it.”
“Aren’t we bonded forever?” she asked him cheekily. “What would happen if I left?”
Ryder breathed out and sighed.
“Well,” he said, “I haven’t really thought that far ahead… but I guess we would spend the rest of our days in turmoil, slowly becoming weaker and weaker each day until we found each other again.”
He smiled crazily, and they both laughed, but Pamela knew it wouldn’t be far from the truth. She couldn’t imagine ever being parted from him now. She had him inside of her, his imprint was there deep on her heart and soul, and she wanted to experience it all.
“Okay,” she smiled. “I’ll think about it.”
Ryder grinned and kissed her deeply on the lips, and she felt completely happy for the first time ever. She had never known these types of feelings and emotions, and although it was taking her by surprise, it also felt completely natural and as it should be.
“Shit,” Ryder said as he looked over at the clock on the wall. “I better get to the bar.”
He jumped up and ran a hand through his hair, and Pamela watched him as he walked naked to the bathroom. The sunlight filtered in through the curtains and caught on his muscles, making him look even more chiseled and god like.
She smiled as she laid on her back and wrapped the covers up around her.
She didn’t want to move for the rest of the day, and she was determined to get some sleep and recover from the lovemaking that was now clearly starting to take its toll. She yawned and snugged down into the blankets, and Ryder wandered back through and sat down on the edge of the bed.
“You sleep, babe,” he whispered as he kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll be at the bar. Come down when you’ve recovered.”
“At this point, that could take some time,” she teased, and Ryder grinned widely as stood up and reached for one of the hotel robes that was hanging on the side of the bathroom door.
“It’s a good thing my aunt does own this hotel,” he said. “Because you really did a number on my clothes.”
Pamela looked at the floor and at the tattered pieces of denim and t-shirt scattered around the carpet.
“I think I had a bit of help there,” she smiled.
Ryder winked and pulled on the bathrobe, before he moved the chair out of the way of the doorknob and began to unlock the door.
“Come down as soon as you’re ready,” he said.
Pamela nodded and smiled and watched as he disappeared through the door, closing it lightly behind him.
She grinned from ear to ear and pulled the covers up right over her head and sank down into the soft comfort of the mattress.
It had been the best twenty-four hours of her life.
She had never been happier.
14.
After she had slept for most of the day, she finally managed to drag her aching body into the shower and began to revive herself. She washed her hair and face, moisturized and put on some light make-up, and then she rough dried her hair so it was long and loosely wavy, all down her back. She dressed in tight jeans and an even tighter t-shirt, which was low cut and made her feel hell-a sexy as she stepped into some knee boots and found a little black jacket to complete her look. She smoothed on some plum lipstick and smacked her lips together before she blotted them with a tissue, and then she grabbed her purse and headed for the door.
Ryder had been texting her on and off all day, telling her that all was well and that the fight the night before had helped ease tension in the town. She had been so surprised when she had woken up and seen that all his wounds and injuries had healed, but it was also exciting to know that he couldn’t be hurt easily. He was so strong, and now, he was her protector.
She waved to Ryder’s aunt on the front desk as she left the main doors to the hotel and headed out into the dying sun. She shivered and wrapped her jacket around her tightly as she felt the unnatural chill in the air, and she found herself stopping in her tracks and looking around.
The town looked much like it had each day she had been there, but summer was supposed to be breaking, and the air felt ice cold like winter.
She felt a twist of dread form in the pit of her stomach. She had read the reports of the die offs and of the strange freezing in the mountain forests, and as she looked up to the summit, she wondered if it was beginning to find its way down to them there in heart of Bridge Hollow.
She shivered again and kept on moving. She wanted to get to Ryder.
The bar was already bouncing, and when she stepped inside, the familiar smells and faces that greeted her was a strong relief. She was already beginning to feel at home there, and as she walked through the crowd and saw her man working away behind the bar, her heart skipped a beat.
As always, he could s
ense she was near, and his eyes instantly traveled up to meet her. He smiled and stopped what he was doing and moved out from behind the counter to go to her.
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her longingly on the lips as he held her close, and she melted into him. He tasted so good. And even though it had only been a few hours, she already felt as if she had been without him too long. She knew there was no way she was ever going to be able to leave him and this place behind.
“Here she is.” He grinned as he gripped her hand in his and began to walk with her to the bar.
He pulled a high stool out for her and when she sat on it, he helped push it in, and then, he went straight to the refrigerators and asked what she would like to drink.
“Surprise me,” she said with a twinkle in her eye, and Ryder nodded knowingly and reached for his secret stash of Bridge Hollow orange juice.
He raised his finger to his lips and said, “Shushhh,” as he twisted off the cap and poured some over vodka into an iced tumbler.
He passed it to her, and she stirred it a little before she took her first sip. She had never been much of a fan of spirits, but this was like perfection in a glass.
“Wow,” she said. “Good choice.”
“I thought you might need to unwind slightly,” he smiled.
Pamela gripped the straw between her teeth and grinned.
Behind them, the door opened and brought with it an icy breeze, and Pamela shuddered. She saw a cloud pass over Ryder’s face, and when she followed his gaze and turned, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
Her mouth dropped open and she clutched the glass to her chest.
Sean was walking into the bar.
Ryder’s face darkened even more, and Sean moved through the crowd, his eyes fixed on Pamela.
“Oh my god,” she whispered, as Ryder jumped over the top of the counter and slammed down beside her.
The other people in the bar seemed to notice the disturbance, and slowly, they all got to their feet and moved quickly toward the exits. Pamela grabbed on to Ryder’s arm and he gently pushed her to safety, making a barrier between her and Sean as the bar quickly cleared out.
Everyone left…
Everyone apart from Pamela, Ryder, Sean… and Dean and the rest of the bears.
The only customer left was a drunk who laid hunched over a back table, but no one payed much attention to him. He was out like a light and he snored deeply as a bottle of whiskey hung down from one of his hands.
“Sean…,” Pamela said as she stared up at him. “What the hell… where have you been?”
Dean rose to his feet and crossed the room to stand beside her and Ryder, and Sean looked tiny in front of them. He had never appeared to be a small man, but around the shifters, his frame was so tiny, he was almost insignificant.
He held up his hands slowly and took a deep breath.
“I know how this looks,” he said. “But I have to explain.”
Dean snarled and a growl came out from between his lips. Pamela could feel the bear energy in the room rising, and Sean quickly raised his hands in surrender again and tried not to look too panicked.
“I’m not the bad guy,” Sean said quickly. “I’ve been trying to help you all here. I just had to do it as secretly as possible.”
Pamela gazed up at Ryder and she could see he was as confused as she was.
“Speak fast,” Ryder said. “We’re not one for second chances around here.”
Sean breathed in deeply and began to stammer.
“I don’t work for the government,” he said quickly, his eyes fixed firmly on Pamela. “But I guess you’ve all figured that out already.”
Pamela nodded, and Ryder crossed his arms over his chest, his jaw set heavy and his eyes dark.
“Who do you work for?” Dean asked. “We don’t take kindly to people coming in here and betraying our trust, poking around in our business.”
“I know,” Sean said genuinely. “And I’m so sorry. But it was the only way it could be done without causing too much panic.”
“Panic?” Ryder asked with a raised brow. “Do you not think there’s enough of that around here at the moment as it is? Masses of our animals have died off… our land is ravaged… and people are going missing! What else could you drop on us that can top that?”
Sean sighed and nodded.
“I know, and I get it. But I had to do what I’d been instructed to do…”
“And that is?” Ryder asked, his impatience growing more evident by the second.
“I work for a man called Ernest Smyth,” Sean began. “And I don’t know if any of you remember, but the Smyth family was seriously old money, and one of the original settling families here in Bridge Hollow…”
Pamela watched as Dean, Ryder, and the rest of the bear shifters all began to exchange glances.
“We remember,” Dean said ominously as he stepped forward. “But they left a long time ago. Didn’t they own the abandoned mine?”
Sean nodded slowly.
Pamela felt a chill roll down her spine. So many people had been telling her about this mine, and now, it looked as if she was going to find out why.
“They did,” Sean said. “It was Ernest’s grandfather who owned it during the collapse…” he paused. “He hired me to investigate it. He heard of what had been happening here on the mountain with the animals and the weather, and he had a bad feeling because he remembers the stories his grandfather used to tell him about that time…”
“What stories?” Ryder asked.
“I don’t know,” Sean said honestly. “All I know is, when Ernest heard the news of what was happening up here, he called me straight away in a panic and said we had to get out here and see what was going on. He thinks it may have something to do with the mine collapsing… and if he’s right… then we all need to be afraid.”
Pamela looked at Ryder and she cuddled into him. He wrapped his protective arm over her shoulder and kept her there safe.
“Afraid?” Ryder asked. “And why is that?”
“Because this is only just the beginning,” Sean said. “Ernest hasn’t told me the full story, but he says it could be big… the weather changing, the animals dying… the shifters having wars…”
When Dean and Ryder realized that he knew their secret, they instantly snarled and stepped closer.
“It’s okay,” Sean said as he raised his hands. “You don’t need to fear me. I’m here to help all of you. In fact, I’ve been working behind the scenes, easing tensions between you and the wolves because, trust me, if this thing gets any worse, you’re going to need to fight it together. You can’t be having pack wars when the world is changing before our very eyes and we don’t know how to handle it.”
Ryder and Dean exchanged another glance.
“How have you been working away behind the scenes?” Dean asked with contempt.
“I’ve been speaking with Dash. I told him everything I’m telling you now, and at first, he didn’t believe me. But he knew he and his pack were acting out of sorts, and after the fight last night, he finally saw that it wasn’t like them to behave that way. They would never physically war with you bears like that. He knew something was going on, that there is something in the air or the water making them all act strange.”
Dean nodded his head slowly and sighed.
“It hasn’t just been the wolves; our pack has been acting strange too.”
Some of the men nodded, and Ryder moved back to Pamela and wrapped his arm around her again. She looked up at him and smiled.
“Ernest hired Pamela because he knew that if it was anything environmental, she would see it straight away… but the second we got into town, it was obvious to both of us that the environment wasn’t at fault.”
Pamela nodded. Sean was speaking the truth.
“And that’s why I disappeared,” he sighed. “I had to get to the mine and see what was happening there.”
“And?” Ryder asked.
“And I couldn’t
get in. There was some kind of strange force around it.”
Pamela’s blood ran cold.
“We are up against something serious,” he said. “And now, we all need to come together and find out what that is.”
The room stayed silent, and the door slowly opened. Pamela watched as Dash and the other wolves in his pack moved slowly into the room and everyone stared at each other.
She had seen the pack war the night before, and she had now seen the aftermath. Compared to how things had been, she could see that the tension between the two groups had vanished, and they were keen to get along.
“Okay,” Ryder said as he looked at Dean.
Dean nodded and then the two groups moved closer together with their hands outstretched. They all began to shake and pat each other on the back, and Pamela watched in awe as two magical tribes bonded over a common threat. It was both exciting and terrifying, as no one knew what they were up against or what was to come. But she knew she had found herself a new home, and whatever was going to come their way, she would be there to fight it alongside them.
Ryder locked the doors of the bar, and the music came back on lowly. He opened the refrigerators and pulled out bottles of whiskey and bourbon, crates of beer and mixers, and the bears and wolves drank side by side for the first time in years.
He came to Pamela and took hold of her hand and led her to a booth at the back of the room. They cuddled together as she watched Sean speak with the two packs, and knew, now, that she had been instrumental in bringing them all together. Without her and Sean, none of them would be prepared for what was coming… now, they had fixed their old rivalries, and they were working together for the good of the town and their people.
“I misjudged Sean,” Ryder said as he kissed her forehead and squeezed her shoulder.
“I know, so did I,” she admitted.
She let her hand find his, and they wrapped their fingers up together.
“There is so much danger here,” she whispered. “But I know I can never leave.”
Bridge Hollow Shifters: The Complete Collection Page 21
