by Amelia Jade
They attacked as one, spreading out to nip at her from all sides, only darting in when she turned to swipe at another. In moments she was cut and bleeding all over. None of them were serious, but if she didn't do something soon, she would be in a bad way.
Over the din of battle, she heard a distinct bellow, a challenge to any and all comers. Whipping her head around, she saw Tanner charging across the battlefield, oblivious to anyone else, headed directly for her. He hit the wolves attacking her like a wrecking ball, over two thousand pounds of fury-wreaking havoc. She renewed her attack, and in moments the wolves were scampering back. The two rejoined their compatriots, once again forming a circle as the wolves backed them in.
Things were dire; it looked as if they weren't going to escape. Devon, Dylan, and Sam were all out of the fight. Only Tanner and Calan remained on their feet next to her. They all exchanged looks, as if they were thinking the same thing. She growled, indicating her agreement. If she was going to die, she was going to go out fighting.
The trio of bears readied themselves for a charge, but before they could move, a noise sounded in the woods. It was a bear's roar.
Then another sounded.
And another.
In moments bears began to stream from the forest at full speed, challenging any and all wolves to come do something about it. The wolves, not being stupid, recognized that the battle was lost in the face of another six, no—now seven, huge bear shifters. They turned and fled, melting back into the forest within seconds. Just like that, it was over. Her adrenaline was still pumping, having finally psyched herself up for battle, and now it was over. It almost made her cranky, until she looked back at the wounded, the pain of her own injuries seeping through the battle lust.
It took a major mental effort for her to calm her bear and begin the transition back to her human form. As she stood up, examining the multitude of injuries she had sustained, a great rush of weariness descended over her. Sitting down abruptly, it took everything she had to keep her eyes open. All she wanted to do was sleep, but Alyssa wasn't willing to let that happen around strangers.
"Are you okay?" The deep, basso rumble of Tanner's voice sounded from above her. Looking up into his eyes, she tried to ignore the excitement that rushed out from within at his presence. It would have been far too easy to succumb to his charm. Somehow he broke through her defenses with ease, without evening meaning to. She couldn't let him know that, however, so her response was short and gruff.
"I'm fine. Just leave me alone. I hate fighting. Why the hell did you drag me into this?"
"Drag you into it? This happened because we stopped to help you! I was hoping that maybe you knew who the hell those wolves were and why they were so intent on killing us."
"No idea," she said after a moment's hesitation, "and I really hope I'm not around to find out. I don't want to get stuck in your shifter war," she said with as much disgust as she could manage.
"Shifter war? Lady, this place hasn't seen a conflict in all the years I've been here. Bear Bluffs is peaceful!"
The veins on his neck began to stand out, irritation very much visible on his face. It didn't feel good to treat him like this, but she knew it was for the best. If she could keep him at a distance, maybe he would be safe. She didn't think he could protect her, and this was the best method she knew to keep him safe.
Tanner finally stomped off, shaking his head as he curled his hands into fists repeatedly. She heard him start barking orders at the others, beginning the cleanup. It would be a few hours before they got the truck fixed, but Alyssa knew that she, along with the original combatants, should likely see a doctor, just to ensure nothing else was wrong with them. Dylan, Devon, and Sam were already being put on makeshift stretchers. Since she could walk, Alyssa headed after them.
Perhaps they'll let me sleep in the fire station for the night...
Chapter Three
Tanner
"So what do we do with her?" Jet asked, hooking a thumb over his shoulder in the general direction of the woman from the car.
"Damn, we really need to get her name. It's really frustrating to keep saying 'her' or 'she', don't you think?" Tanner was frustrated with her. He wanted to be there for her, to help her, but she was so incredibly guarded it was unbelievable.
"You two are going to have to deal with it," Calan said, gathering his stuff to leave now that the rest of the Fire Department was on hand, having been called in for the emergency. He was leaving the tire changing to them. Harley, his wife, had come to fight, but that meant leaving their young baby alone with Kailee, Jet's wife.
"Actually Tanner, I think you're going to have to deal with it. Just let her stay at your house and deal with the rest of it tomorrow." Jet was also getting up, anxious to get home to his pregnant mate.
"What?! No, no, no no. That is a terrible idea!" He was on his feet voicing a protest, but the others weren't listening, heading over to where Harley had pulled up with her truck, ready to chauffeur them home. She smiled and waved at Tanner, who grimaced and waved back, not even trying to pretend he was happy about the situation.
"Damnit, of all the... I can't believe they would do that," he muttered, kicking a rock away as several others finally pulled his truck from the ditch. He watched, tired and sore from the litany of wounds he had sustained during the fight, but knowing it wasn't time to sleep yet.
Not ready to break the news to her yet, he went around, helping organize the cleanup efforts. At one point, with the rain dying down, he even fired up his chainsaw to help with the removal of the tree. Dylan and Devon had been taken to the hospital in nearby King City, so he was at it on his own, but that didn't matter to Tanner. He had been alone for most of his life and knew how to deal with that.
What he didn't know how to deal with was an angry Kodiak bear shifter who had a grudge against him for some reason. He really, really did not want to tell her she was staying with him for the evening until they could figure out something for her. The car was a total wreck, a definite write-off, so she had nowhere to go.
"Shit, I'm probably going to end up driving her around until she can get a new car," he said, his eyes widening as all the implications of that raced through his head. While he was thrilled that perhaps he might be able to spend some time with her when she wasn't trying to rip his head off, he also knew that it would be some time before she calmed down. If she calmed down at all.
She. She she she. Enough of that.
Setting the chainsaw down none-too-gently, Tanner stormed over to the stranger, who was sitting on the wet ground, leaning back against his work truck. He tried not to get caught up in her beauty as he approached, but like each time before, all his efforts failed. Internally, with the adrenaline of earlier all but gone, he felt a reaction he hadn't noticed before. His cock was hardening with each step he took toward her, rising to attention, demanding that he bury it deep within her wet canal. His bear surged forward, wanting nothing more than to be with its mate.
"What's your name?" he growled, slowing to a halt as he got close enough to hear a reply. He longed to be closer, to pick her up and set her down on the hood of his truck and rip her clothing off. Every inch of him wanted to feel the press of her skin against his, the touch of her lips as he kissed her under the stormy, thundering sky. Instead, he stood several paces away, trying to breathe slowly and keep everything under control. It seemed likely she would attack if he tried anything with her.
"Why?" The response came after a long, heavy pause.
"Because I'm getting really sick and tired of calling you 'her, ''stranger,'' that woman' and whatever else I can come up with," he growled, teeth grinding together. She was the single most frustrating person he had ever met, and Tanner had only known her for a matter of hours. There was more anger in his voice than he intended, for she seemed to flinch from the words as he flung them at her.
"Alyssa," she said, her voice almost a whisper as she looked away, unwilling to meet his gaze after the outburst.
; "Thank you, Alyssa. That's a beautiful name. You shouldn't be ashamed to tell it to people," he said, turning to go back to cutting the tree.
"I'm not ashamed of it," she snarled at him, all the strength and anger rushing back into her voice.
"Then why the hell wouldn't you give it to me?" he questioned, spinning back to face her as she rose from her seating position.
"You wouldn't understand."
"Try me!"
Instead of answering she stared at him for a moment before turning and slamming her hands into the side of the truck, bowing her head.
"What did I say now?"
She wasn't responding, still staring at the ground in sullen silence. He figured now was a better time than any to break the news to her. He took a step back, just in case she lost her temper. He wasn't interested in being within striking range of the short-tempered woman, even if he was bigger and stronger than her.
"Also, unless you have somewhere else to go, you'll be staying with me for the night. We can get you looked after in the morning, I suppose."
"What?" She turned around, a look of complete shock and horror on her face, which was quickly replaced by one of distaste.
"Hey, lady, I'm opening my home to you after getting you out of your crushed car and then saving your life from those wolves. Now, maybe gratitude isn't in your vocabulary, but try not being rude as a start."
He had expected her to lash back out at him, but instead, he thought he saw a flush of red come to her cheeks before she turned and stomped around the back of his truck.
Was she embarrassed?
There was something more going on with her than met the eye, but Tanner didn't have time to decipher whatever was bothering her. He needed to get the tree finished and then get on home. He noticed that another shifter, a man he didn't recognize, had taken up the chainsaw and was busy sawing it up into chunks, which were then dragged away by several others. The job, in fact, was going to be done by the time he walked back over to them. They had one, maybe two cuts left to make to clear the road.
"Hey, Andy," he called to one of the men hauling logs. Andy was the resident mechanic, tow truck driver, and junkyard owner in Bear Bluffs.
"Yeah, what is it Tan?"
"It's Tanner, you ass." The byplay was common between them. He hated the short form of his name, preferring Tanner or just simply "T." It worked so much easier that way, but Andy always teased him about it.
"Take the car with, will you? I'll bring Alyssa by tomorrow to grab her stuff out of it."
"Will do boss," Andy said with a wave, bending down to pick up the last section of wood and hauling it off the road.
The way home was clear now. He had a feeling Alyssa would be just as glad as he was to get the hell out of there, home for a warm shower and some rest. It was almost midnight by that time, and it would be another hour before he would get some sleep.
Tomorrow, he thought, was going to suck. Setting his shoulders, he walked back over to where Alyssa was hiding.
"Okay, we're getting out of here now," he said, motioning her toward the cab of his truck. Sullenly she got up and followed him. With a flourish, he pulled open the door for her, not letting her attitude affect his normal sense of propriety.
"I can do that myself, you know."
"I'm well aware that you are fully capable. I didn't do it because you're unable. I did it because it's polite," he said, giving the door a little extra shove as he closed it. It wasn't quite enough to slam it, but it closed fast enough to make her jump back slightly. Tanner was mildly upset that after everything that had happened, she had assumed he was treating her like a child. He just believed in being old-fashioned, doubly so when it was a beautiful lady that he wanted to call his own.
Our tempers ought to be interesting together.
He hopped into the truck, a smile tugging at his lips at the thought. She certainly did remind him of himself with that short, fiery temper. Putting the two of them within the confines of his house was going to be very interesting.
"So, what brings you to Bear Bluffs?" he asked conversationally, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel as they turned on to the side road where he lived. Like many of the bear shifters in town, he lived in a house that was surrounded by forest, easily accessible to his bear.
"I'm looking," she replied, much to his surprise. He had expected silence, like most of the journey so far. It hadn't been a long drive, and it was almost over, his place now in sight, but it had felt like an eternity. Each word he had gotten her to say had been like pulling teeth. So when she started her reply with something personal-sounding, he held his breath that she might open up some more. But he had to exhale when she closed her jaw tightly after a few moments though, electing not to continue.
"Looking for what?" Tanner had never been called a quitter before, and he wasn't about to start now.
She didn't answer.
Fuck it, I quit.
He had to laugh internally at his own running narrative, doing his best to contain the reaction so she wouldn't take note. The last thing he wanted to do was explain that he found it humorous just how ridiculous trying to talk to her was. The one thing that did help, at least, was that it did not seem as if Alyssa was angry at him, but simply that she did not like to speak to strangers.
"Home sweet home," he intoned, pushing the door open to allow the two of them inside. The heat immediately began to counteract the chill from his bones. Despite it being springtime, the rain had been very cold. He hadn't noticed just how bad it had gotten until they walked inside.
"We need to get out of these wet clothes. Let me grab you a towel and a robe. Your room is down this hallway, last room on the right," he said, gesturing with his arm to the right of the entryway as he made a beeline for the second washroom, where he kept guest clothing, at the back of the house.
When he got back, she was standing in the room, her wet clothing clinging to her body in a way that drove his bear wild. Each of her curves were wonderfully outlined in the damp material, showing him the full figure of a woman he wanted desperately to touch. Blood rushed from his body to his cock as it tried valiantly to come to full attention beneath his work pants. Although it was contained, Tanner knew she could easily see the outline of his bulging dick. It was painfully obvious and hard to miss, but at that moment, he didn't care.
Gripping the towel and robe tightly, he stepped forward and stuck his arm out, gingerly handing them to her. He didn't trust himself near her at that point. His restraint was tested again when her hand brushed against his as she snatched the clothing up. It wasn't entirely clear in the time it took her to wrap the towel tight, but he was fairly positive he had seen her glance at his crotch. Her nipples had definitely hardened, the tips poking through the thin material of her shirt.
Swallowing hard as the air became thick, tension building between them, Tanner thought about making a move. It seemed clear from her gaze that something was affecting her as well, because she was staring at him intensely, her brown eyes devoid of the anger that had been so prevalent earlier. His bear agreed, urging him forward, wanting nothing more than to mate with this exquisite beauty who occupied his spare room. Visions of him on top, thrusting deep into her as she raked her nails down his back flashed through Tanner's eyes.
They were so vivid they felt real, as if he was actually there. Squeezing his eyes closed to block out the temptations, he turned and practically fled the room. His own room was directly across the hall. Walking into it he pulled off the wet work shirt he was wearing, desperate to have a hot shower and fall asleep. As he tossed the clothing away, stretching out his back, feeling the pain of his multitude of minor injuries, he heard a sharp intake of breath.
Spinning around, he caught a quick glimpse of Alyssa, her bottom lip tucked between her teeth as she stared at his body. Before he could register it though, she had closed the door, blocking him out.
Had she been checking him out?
Chapter Four
Alyssa
/> Fuck, he totally saw me checking him out!
Her back against the door, Alyssa let her head fall back in frustration. The loud thud it made, rattling the door slightly, caused her to pull back in horror. There was no way he hadn't heard that either! Now he must think she was hitting the door with pent-up agony or something.
The bulge of his cock had caught her eye more than once when he was in the room. She hadn't intended to become so focused on it, but she had a hard time denying that there wasn't something going on between them. It had been a long time since a man had shown such interest in her. She knew that he would take care of her if she let him.
With red creeping up her cheeks at the dirty thoughts playing through her head, she walked over to the bed, shedding her wet clothing in favor of the robe, before practically falling into the bed. Looking longingly at the shower, she debated getting back up and hopping in. The warm water would be heavenly, but it would also be a lot of effort.
Decisions, decisions.
The thought of slipping into the warm water of a bath with the vision of Tanner shirtless proved too strong, and before she consciously realized it, Alyssa was discarding the robe and striding into the attached bathroom. Steam instantly swirled through the air as she cranked the tap as high as it would go. As the air warmed, banishing the last of her chill, she turned the water down and began to draw the bath, making it a little more comfortable.
The itch began as soon as the warm water slid up her legs and caressed between her thighs, the heat starting a slow, pulsing desire from her clit. After the excitement of the evening and then what almost-was between she and Tanner just moments ago, the need for release was strong. Eyes closed, she pushed a hand slowly down and over her ample stomach, seeking the source.
