Bear Apparent (BBW Shifter Romance) (Stone Claw Clan Book 1)

by Woods, Jade

  “They feel our energy, and know we aren’t here to harm.” He took her hand in his then pressed it against the rough bark of a pine. “Close your eyes.”

  Taking a deep breath, she obeyed and focused on his smooth, steady voice.

  “A tree may seem like a simple life form, but it is far more. It is its own continent which hundreds of lifeforms live. Can you feel the gentle vibrations of termites burrowing deep inside? Or hear the faint sloshing of the slug as it crawls? Every single life has an energy signature.”

  Dahlia focused on the way his hand felt covering hers. I feel your warmth, she thought. It was hard to concentrate when all she could smell, hear and feel was him. He was so big and consuming, she didn’t think she could ever escape his presence. Leaning against his body, she savored the sound of his gasp and a moment later, she grinned at the feeling of his cock pressing against her ass. She might not be able to hear termites eating and slugs walking, but she recognized all the sights and sounds of the mating dance.

  Turning in his arms, she looked up into those bright, caramel eyes that seemed orange as if they were absorbing the moonlight. Or, perhaps, the bear inside wanted out. With a wicked smirk, she pushed him away. “Go on. Show me.”

  His eyes flared and he leaned in, claiming her lips. She moaned as she opened for him, his tongue stroking hers in a deep and thorough kiss. He was gone all too soon, his grin victorious as he took several steps back. Dahlia watched with heated interest as he peeled away his too tight tee shirt, and discarded it to the side. His body flexed beautifully, each muscle defined, and honed for use. Garrett undid the button of his jeans then teasingly drew the zipper down in a slow, fluid motion.

  Feeling naughty, Dahlia giggled as she watched him push his jeans down his thighs. Never in her life, did she imagine such a scenario—maybe making out in a dark corner or wandering hands fondling her in the bathroom, but this… she felt wild and out of control, and loved every second of it.

  Garrett kicked the pants away, his cock bobbing in the process, and she was tempted to demand they do something about his state of arousal. But she wanted to see him change. Pressing her back against the pine, she kept her eyes on him, silently letting him know she wanted this. He erected his spine, his body bathed in pale moonlight. He reminded her of a sculpture, so perfect as if he had been created by one person’s idea of male beauty.

  He closed his eyes, and if Dahlia didn’t know any better, she thought he might be nervous. His thick chest shifted from breath, and a faint crackling sound drifted to her ears. And then most amazing thing happened. His skin shimmied like a wave as tremors ran through his body, and he began to sprout cinnamon colored fur. It covered every inch of his frame. His nails elongated into black claws, and Dahlia realized that cracking sound was his bones reforming. Garrett grunted, and shifted to the side, his face hidden from her view. She wondered if he were in pain—surely, it must hurt to have every bone and muscle in one’s body stretch and mend.

  His moans of discomfort deepened into the animalistic growls of a bear as his skeletal structure changed before her eyes until what was left was a massive ball of fur and claws. Dahlia was momentarily struck stupid, her muscles locked in place. He eventually quieted, his body shifting softly as he breathed heavily. She startled when Garrett shook his body like a dog. The big face of a bear looked at her, and if she hadn’t seen him change in front of her, she would have thought him a common animal. But those eyes… they were entirely human, and they looked right through her body and down to her soul.

  Her heart banging against her ribcage, she took a step forward, and held out a shaky hand. Garrett had told her shifters retained intelligence and emotions, but she didn’t think he’d hurt her, not after saving her from Lazaran. Her throat was parched as she grew closer. The bear connected with her, its warm, soft muzzle tickling the skin of her palm. A thick tongue descended to lick at her fingers, and she laughed from the sensation.

  “Garrett?” she asked.

  The bear threw its head in the air in a single nod.

  “I supposed we should have discussed how to communicate with you unable to speak,” she muttered, daring to push her fingers into the thick fur of his head. He was huge, his shoulders as tall as she was, and his head as large as a thousand pound pumpkin. She knew he could cut her in half with one swipe of his paw, but in this moment, he was all teddy bear rather than predator.

  Garrett lowered his head, granting her access, and she admired the soft fur gliding through her fingers. He came closer. Wrapping her arms around him and cuddling him like an overstuffed plushie, she closed her eyes, and listened to the air moving through his lungs. He was so warm, like a furnace radiating heat, and despite the chilly night air, she was comfortable against her bear.

  My bear? Yeah, she liked the sound of that… She stepped away, still unable to believe she was awake and lucid.

  “You’re a big boy, aren’t you?” she praised. Those liquid eyes flared for an instant as if she had hit the sweet spot of male ego stroking.

  The rustle of a bush caught her attention, and a ball of fur rolled out from behind the foliage. The bear came to a stop, shook its head then gave her what she assumed was a happy face. He was a lot smaller than Garrett, and his fur was darker except for an arch of caramel colored fur on his chest. An identical bear pounced him, pulling on his ear, and they tumbled together. She watched with fascination as they played, figuring it was Marcus and Jake. She knew what Grizzlies and polar bears looked like, but these two were obviously different. She wished she could ask, but she was likely to be met with growls and grunts for answers. She supposed in time, she learn to tell who was who.

  Garrett pushed his body up against her gently then started walking. She trailed, figuring it was his way of letting her know he wanted her to follow. When they were alone, he plopped his ass on the ground, and looked at her, his deep eyes reflecting happiness. Dahlia rejoined him, her hands going into his fur.

  “And you thought I would be afraid of you? Pft. You’re nothing more than a big teddy bear. You know those giant ones you get from the carnivals? They’re so big, they won’t fit in your bed. Perfect for cuddling. But you’re softer and warmer…” Resting her head against his bulk, she smiled whimsically. “I feel like a sixteen year old girl that finally got that pony she’s been wanting.”

  Garrett’s ears went up. Dahlia backed away as a bear’s head peeked out from behind a tree. After a moment, it entered the clearing, and Dahlia gaped at its size. And she’d thought Garrett was big? The bear sniffed at Garrett, and wacked him in the nose with a playful paw. The bigger bear’s attention turned toward her, its nose flaring as he scented her. Then just like that, he moved away, and disappeared behind some pines. Garrett returned to her side, and lay down. Sliding to her butt, she leaned back against him and looked up, the points of the pines hiding most of the sky from view. She wasn’t sure how much time passed, her body loosening and her mind relaxing. It was strange, but her idea of a perfect date was dinner and a long stroll—she’d just never imagined her date being a thousand pound grizzly bear. Still, she felt like a princess caught up in some twisted fairy tale.

  Lowering his head to the ground, Garrett closed his eyes, looking completely content. Dahlia was glad he was able to relax, and forget his troubles for a little while. He deserved it after all he had gone through. Time floated like a feather, and she fell into a half-sleep state, the sounds of the bears frolicking following her. Garrett shuddered under her, jolting her awake. She stepped away as his body vibrated.

  She watched in fascination as his fur did that wave thing again, and started to receded. The sound of crunching echoed around her as his skeleton took the shape of a bipedal humanoid. She could admit it was startling seeing him lost in between the shape of a bear and human, but the man she knew slowly appeared. Garrett swooned for an instant, then smile loosely at her as he shrugged his shoulder several times in quick succession.

  “I feel so much better,” Garrett said as
he closed the distance between them. “I needed that more than I realized, I just hope I didn’t scare you.”

  Dahlia ran her hand across the thick pads of his pecs, amazed by the process he had undergone. “You didn’t scare me, but I will admit there is an uncertainty about seeing something like that. I suppose I’ll get used to it in time.”

  His eyes widened, and he sucked in a big breath and held it. Yeah, so she had implied she wanted a relationship with him. His shock quickly passed, and his expression melted into one of male interest. Offering him a lewd glance down his body, she backed up against a tree, daring him to do something about it. He let out a growl as he closed the distance between them. His big palms coming up to cradle her face, she submitted, and parted her lips for the kiss she knew was coming. The moment his warm mouth descended upon hers, she knew she was in deeper than the Marianas Trench.

  His voice was a hoarse whisper against her ear. “You are completely clothed… That’s just not fair. Looks like we’ll have to do something about that.”

  Biting her lip, she watched as his hands lowered to the hem of her shirt. His touch was enthralling as he skimmed the skin of her stomach all the way up past her ribs and to the bra that covered her breasts. That simple touch almost had her crumpling to the ground. Her torso was bared to him in an instant as her shirt and bra fell to the forest floor. Her jeans and panties were next, Garrett’s hands gliding down her legs as he helped her out of them. The cool night air swirled around her, and her nipples hardened to pointy peeks, but she was sure it was more from the intensely focused look he was throwing her. She couldn’t believe she was standing in the middle of the forest preserve completely naked about to do naughty things.

  “That’s better,” Garrett said, his words ending in a chuckle.

  “As exciting as this is, I don’t think I can handle any of your bears walking in on us humping like bunnies.” She tried to cover a laugh, but failed.

  He didn’t seem to be amused by her words, his brows pulling down. “They will understand what is happening between us, and give us the space we require, but if you are worried, I will back off. Just tell me what you want, Dahlia. Whatever it is you desire, I will do.”

  She gaped, unsure of how to take that. She knew they probably suspected something was going on between them—Hell, how could they not? She supposed as shape-changers, they viewed things like sex differently than humans, and probably didn’t think it was a big deal. Am I afraid they might see us getting frisky, or me being naked? Dahlia was pretty damn sure it was the later. Angry with herself for letting her ex and societal expectations rule her life, she shook her head.

  “No, I want this. I want you right up against the tree with nothing between us.” She was surprised by the strength of her words, and the conviction she felt. Fuck Jason and everybody else and what they thought. This paranormal man in front of her was all she cared about, and she wanted to feel as free as he was.

  For a quick moment, she thought Garrett might become a bear again as his eyes flashed with primal lust. Gasping as he dug his fingers into her ass, she threw her arms around his shoulders, and he lifted her up against him. Afraid she might break his back or go tumbling to the ground, she locked her legs around his hips, but he seemed completely unfazed.

  “As much as I’d like to do you up against a tree, the skin of your back wouldn’t’ appreciate that very much,” he said, completely amused. “So I guess, this will have to do.”

  He claimed ownership of her mouth, whatever argument she had come up with stolen away by his passionate kisses. She let go of all thought, and embraced the sensation of being in Garrett’s arms. Sly fingers dipped down from behind, and slipped into her pussy to stroke and tease, every little flick making her gasp. And when a thick set of digits penetrated her, she groaned into his mouth. They moved in and out of her, slow and deep.

  Growling against her lips, Garrett muttered a colorful curse. “Are you ready to receive me, Dahlia? Your dripping… tell me what you want. I need to hear it.”

  “Yes,” she gasped, everything spinning around her. “I want to feel you inside of me. Please… show me how a shifter makes love.”

  Garrett was all feral animal as he lavished her with kisses, and stroked her within an inch of insanity. His big cock was pressing against her thigh, wanting access to her pussy, and Dahlia reached between their bodies to wrap her fingers around his velvety erection. Now it was his turn to gasp for air. She guided him to her entrance, and his fingers receded. As the blunt glans of his cock came up against her channel, she knew she was in store for the ride of her life. Being suspended on his body with nothing but his strength holding them erect, she felt dainty, feminine. Sexy.

  No man had ever made her feel like that.

  ****

  The moment Dahlia sheathed him in her warm, wet channel, Garrett groaned. He was sure he had crossed into another dimension, one with silver clouds and singing angels—there was no way this was real. As her body opened for him, and he drove deeper, he saw stars and birds and other lofty things.

  Her fingers dug into the skin of his shoulders, and her hot breath glided across his neck. He buried his nose in her golden curls, and inhaled her shampoo, the subtle scent of strawberries making his lungs tingle. Her body was warm against his own, and her weight comfortable in his arms—he liked the presence a bigger woman commanded, and Dahlia was the perfect balance.

  He dared to thrust forward and the sensation blew his mind. He knew he wasn’t going to last long, not with her pussy squeezing his dick like a vice. And the scent of her arousal… Yeah, he was in serious trouble.

  Dahlia’s fingers crawled up the back of his neck, and glided along his scalp in silent demand. He thrust again and again, her legs tightening around him as if urging him deeper. The sounds she made further catapulted him into dangerous territory, and soon his own grunts joined her pleasured moans.

  “Jesus, Dahlia,” he muttered. “I don’t know how long… I can…”

  “Don’t stop,” she said, and the command in her voice sent his orgasm rushing to the surface.

  Growling, he fell to his knees and set her on the ground gently. She was beautiful sprawled before him, her pussy glistening for him, and her eyes reflecting the moonlight. He branded the image in his mind, committing to memory every little detail from the way her lip went in between her teeth, to how her breasts shifted with her breath.

  With a feral sound of need, he covered her body with his, and took her nipple into his mouth, the peek hard and needy against his tongue. Her fingers dug into his hair again, and he found her slit with his hand. She burned him deep to the bone, and he knew he was marked for life. As he flicked his finger against her clit, she vibrated under him.

  Her hand found his cock, and Dahlia guided him back to her entrance. Unable to deny that which she demanded, he buried himself to the hilt inside her pussy, groaning against her breast. By some miracle, he managed to hold the orgasm at the edge, his focus on the pleasure he was giving her. The woods echoed with the sound of their bodies slapping together and their combined pleasure. It was the most erotic thing he’d ever heard.

  “Please,” she hissed, and grabbed his ass as he pounded into her. Though he was doing the fucking, he was so obviously under her control. His instinct shouldn’t like that, but it rejoiced, her demands decimating whatever resolve he had left.

  Dahlia came explosively, her muscles shuddering around his shaft. He didn’t stop, determined to draw out her pleasure as long as he could. He imagined ending their days like this every night, and falling into each other’s arms for a good cuddle session. In the morning, he wanted to prepare her a big breakfast, and watch her savor his hard work. He would pleasure her again, by mouth or cock—whatever she wanted—then help her wash as he admired the suds sliding off her body. He longed to watch his clan, his family, entertain her as she brought them all closer together. He wanted to fall asleep in her arms and see her smiling face when he awoke. He wanted years… a lifetime w
ith this remarkable woman who had blindsided him, and turned his world upside down.

  And maybe one day, they’d have cubs… golden-haired and bright eyed just like her.

  Garrett made a desperate sound as he thrust as deep as he could go. Her scent invaded him and branded itself on his brain—there wasn’t anywhere she could go or hide. He’d find her anywhere.

  The orgasm slammed into him with the force of a freighter, and he found her lips. She swallowed his growls, his hands pushing him deep, her silky legs holding him secure against her. He was sure he’d pass out from the pleasure.

  In the back of his mind, he knew what was happening, but he was powerless to stop it. And he didn’t want to.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Garrett!” Dahlia shouted over the commotion as she stamped through the living room.

  The past week, she had become convinced she were in fact living in a college dorm and the shape-changing men on her couch watching WWE wrestling were actually a part of the hallucinogen she was experimenting with. Every day she had to navigate the clusterfuck of half-naked men and the things they left lying around… of course, they always left her place sparkling by the time Garrett took her to bed. Then there was the mornings of waking up to the sound of her lawn being mowed, and the scent of breakfast being prepared. That part she didn’t mind, but when logging on to her bank’s website to see if her commission check had come in yet, she’d been met with a very big surprise.

  He appeared in front of her from around the kitchen, his expression bright as if he were excited about being needed. She hated to crush his mood, but she was vibrating with anger that needed release. Since they’d had sex in the woods under the moonlight, things had become… totally awesome. She’d settled into a comfortable routine with the bears, and her nights were spent cuddling after he completely destroyed her with his wicked tongue. He had become a little clingy, but she found that she didn’t mind all that much.