by Amy Star
GOLDIE LOX
AND HER
TRIO OF BEARS
THE GOLDIE LOX PROPHECY 1
AMY STAR
Copyright © 2020 By Amy Star & SimplyShifters.com
All rights reserved.
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About This Book
One bear was so hot.
One bear was too cold.
One bear was just right.
Jillian Lox’s romantic hike in the mountains with her boyfriend turns into a nightmare when he tries to kill her. After fighting him off, she manages to escape deeper into the woods, injured and terrified for her life.
As darkness sets in, she stumbles upon a cabin where she meets three gorgeous bear shifters: Connor Evans, Vincent Morris, and Finn Stanton, and decides to stay with them after learning a shocking truth about herself.
Jillian is a powerful oracle and vessel, destined to save the bear shifters’ species by having a child with one of them. As the men go to any lengths to seduce her, Jillian’s choice is made even harder when she develops feelings for all of them.
With the survival of the trio of bear shifters resting on Jillian’s decision, which Werebear will be just right for her?
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER ONE
“Come on, Jill.” Ted pulled his designer shirt on over his head. “With the way you’re always flooding my newsfeed with posts about the environment, I thought you’d be loving this.”
“The view is gorgeous.” Jillian sighed as a guilty blush greeted her cheek. “And saving the planet is everyone’s responsibility.”
“But?” He put his arms around her, brushing a lock of blond, wavy hair behind her ear.
“I still like indoor plumbing and Wi-Fi.” She gave him a half-hearted peck before pulling away. “I’m going to make some hot tea.”
She wanted to be a good sport about being dragged out to the middle of nowhere. But, as much as she craved authentic life experiences, this was a bit more than she had bargained for.
“You’re a spoiled brat; you know that?” Ted smiled, slapping her backside as she put the kettle onto the rack hanging over the fire-pit.
“You seem to like it.” She clenched her teeth.
Ted had some annoying habits, but he wasn’t the worst guy she’d ever dated. They’d been acquainted for years because their families had dragged them along to a lot of the same fancy social functions.
“I do, actually.” He turned around to rummage through his backpack. “In fact, I would like nothing more than to spoil you for the rest of our lives.”
Jillian’s eyes widened as she turned around to find Ted on one knee, holding up a tiny black box.
Oh no.
He opened the top to reveal a massive sparkling diamond that almost glowed in the reflection of the sunset. She clapped both hands over her mouth.
“I… uh.” She tried to swallow, but her mouth had gone completely dry.
“I know it’s only been six months.” He smiled. “But they’ve been the happiest six months of my life.”
“Wait.” Her eyebrows tilted upward. “Let’s think about this for a second.”
“You’re the only person that I’ve ever imagined settling down and starting a family with.” He held up the box a little higher.
I can’t get married! I’m twenty-four years old, and I’ve never even had my own apartment.
Jillian’s brow furrowed at the thoughts racing through her head. She imagined all the pictures they would soon be posting, probably a kissy photo with her left hand strategically placed on his cheek to show off the ring.
Picture perfect artificial happiness…
Jillian’s father, Congressman James Lox, would be delighted for the media frenzy. It would give him a chance to remind all the voters what a loving family man he was. Her mother would demand full control of all the wedding plans, complete with a film crew to document everything. Kathrine Lox prided herself on being the perfect trophy wife, often reminding Jillian that her best option for a secure future would be to find a good man.
I might be young, and maybe it’s a little naïve of me. But I do not want to be my mother.
“I don’t think I’m ready for this, Ted.” Her voice cracked as she forced out the words. The smile faded from his lips as he stood up. Jillian wrung her hands. “You’re amazing, and I really like spending time with you. It’s just that…”
“You don’t think I’m good enough?” He looked down at the ring and then back at her, his blue eyes flashing as he puffed his chest out. “Just because my father had to work to get where he is, building his company up brick by brick.”
“What?” She wrinkled her nose. “No, that’s not it at all.”
“Then what’s your problem?” His face reddened.
“The problem… is that I’m still trying to figure out who I want to be.” She frowned. “This isn’t a decision people should take lightly.”
“You took shooting me down pretty lightly.” Ted took a deep breath before putting his hands on her shoulders and starting over. “Look, I haven’t figured myself out yet, either. Both of us have some growing up to do; I get that. I just want us to do it together.”
Behind that charming camera-ready smile and those sad, puppy-dog eyes, there was something cold and imposing that sent chills up her spine. She looked away, folding her arms.
“Jill.” He stroked her cheek. “I love you more than I ever thought I’d be capable of loving another person.”
“And the fact that your father has been pressuring my father into passing that bill to let him drill here had nothing to do with the timing of this little trip?” She looked into his eyes, searching for an answer.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He clenched his jaw.
“I don’t live under a rock.” She took a step back. “I know your dad wants to drill here. That environmentalist group is protesting and writing petitions to my father not to let it happen. Us getting engaged would take the media’s focus off of all that, wouldn’t it? This just seems like weird timing.”
“This is so typical of you…” He scoffed. “You pull your head out of your entitled little fairy tale life just long enough to peek out and get all self-righteous about shit you obviously don’t know a goddamn thing about.”
“Okay.” She put up her hands and turned to walk away. “I don’t want to fight.”
Ted grabbed her arm, digging his fingers into her skin.
“Ted.” She twisted her arm in his grasp. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll take your hands off me right now.”
“Or what,
princess?” He pulled her close and grabbed a handful of her hair with his other hand. “Or what?”
She brought her knee up as hard as she could, nailing him square in the groin. He let go, doubling over as she bolted down the hiking trail. Pulling her phone out of her back pocket, she struggled to focus on the keypad as she dialed 9-1-1 and hit the green button.
CALL NOT SENT
Crouching behind a tree to catch her breath, she looked at the icon at the top of her screen to find she had no signal.
“Shit!” She held up her phone higher, her chin trembling as the icon blinked. The sound of footsteps crunching through leaves on the path made her snap to action. Ted ran five miles every morning, and she knew there was no chance of her outrunning him on the trail. Grabbing a tree branch, she turned a sharp corner, sliding down the steep hillside toward the river.
“What the fuck are you thinking?” his voice called from only a few yards behind her. “Stop!”
Hell no!
She didn’t even slow down. Reaching the bottom of the hill, she took off again, jumping over a rotten log and dodging a low-hanging branch as she wove between the trees.
Stupid! She cursed herself for coming all the way out here. When Ted said he was taking her on a romantic getaway in the mountains, she was expecting a ski lodge with room service and a concierge, or at the very least, a cabin with running water and electricity. By the time she realized what he actually had in mind, she would have been too embarrassed to back out.
His footsteps were even closer now; no matter how fast or how far she ran, it was only a matter of time before he caught up. She was fast approaching a ledge, and she was going to have to make a split-second decision: jump or face Ted. Her heart thrummed in her ears as she glanced over her shoulder just as he reached out to grab her.
“Don’t touch me!” Her shirt ripped as he yanked her backward.
“What the hell is your problem?” He shoved her to the ground, pinning her wrists with his hands.
“Get off me.” She thrashed around, but he was too strong. Never having been in this position before, she panicked and spat at him.
He froze, and for a second, she thought he might let her up. His fist made a solid impact against her left cheekbone, and her body went limp as pain surged through her eye socket. The burning in her lungs faded to the back of her mind as she cradled her face.
“Fuck!” Ted wiped the spit off his cheek. “You stupid bitch, why did you do that?”
“I’m sorry.” Jillian’s stomach turned as she tried to focus on the cold palm of her hand against her cheek. “Will you get off me, please?”
“You spit in my fucking face, Jillian.” He bared his teeth. “What was I supposed to do?”
“Look,” she opened her eyes, “let’s just hike back to the car and forget about it.”
“Right,” he scoffed, “like a pampered little daddy’s girl like you would pass up the chance to play the victim in front of all the cameras.”
“Ted. I just want to go home.” Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes, and her hands trembled as the adrenaline wore off.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Roll in with a shiner and spin it like I’m some kind of woman-beater. You’ll probably go on a bunch of talk shows and tell them about how I chased you through the woods and attacked you. My dad’s company can’t afford publicity like that. I’m so fucked, and it’s all your fault!”
“Ted, you’re overreacting. Just take me home.” She took a deep breath. “I promise this will stay between us, okay?”
“It’s too late.” His eyes darted around the red and yellow leaves covering the ground, settling on a gray rock jutting out from the forest floor. Tightening his hands around her throat, he dragged her a couple of feet, placing the back of her head against the rock.
“What are you doing?” Her heart raced as an unsettling calm came over his face. “Ted?”
“You got lost in the woods…” He licked his chapped lips. “I’ll spend a day or two at the campsite and say I was looking for you. That’ll give the animals time to get rid of everything. By the time I get to a ranger station, you’ll be gone like none of this ever happened.”
“No!” Her eyes widened as he pressed his lips together. “Ted, stop!”
In one last desperate effort to fight back, she lashed out like a feral cat, screaming and clawing at his face. He lifted her head and brought it down against the rock, sending more pain shooting through the back of her skull.
“I’ll try to make this quick,” he whispered through clenched teeth as he lifted her head again.
A deafening roar shook the air, vibrating through Jillian’s entire body. Ted released her, jumping to his feet and stumbling backward. She gasped, coughing as she rubbed her throat and rolled to her side. Reaching back to rub her head, something warm and wet trickled through her hair. She held up her hand, rubbing her thumb against the wetness on her fingers. Her mind registered the color red as darkness crept in and her eyes rolled back. She shook her head and blinked hard, refusing to pass out. A massive brown bear lumbered into view.
Oh God. Do I play dead? I think with a black bear, you curl up in the fetal position, and with a brown bear, you have to yell and wave your arms. Or is it the other way around?
Ted stared the beast down, slowly backing away as the animal advanced with a deep growl, shaking the ground with every step. Backing up to the ledge, Jillian peered down into the river, cold misty air rushing up over her face.
She winced as the back of her head throbbed, and she realized there was no time to think about this. Taking the deepest breath she could muster, she hurled herself into the churning rapids below.
The icy water rushed over her skin like razorblades as she kicked for the surface. As soon as her face was above water, she screamed, her stiff limbs struggling to paddle for shore. Hitting a boulder, she tried to claw her way up the smooth surface but was swept away, sucked under by the current. She pumped her legs, suddenly wishing more than anything that she could have just one more chance at her stupid, fake, boring life. If she made it out of here, there were so many things she would do differently.
Her flailing arms burst through the surface, grabbing a piece of driftwood, clinging to it for dear life as she stretched her neck out of the water. Her limbs weakened, threatening to give out as the river raged around her. Just when she thought she couldn’t take anymore, the narrow waterway widened, and the violent waves gave way to calm glassy ripples.
She kicked toward a rocky beach, still holding the chunk of driftwood against her chest, groaning with relief as her feet reached the bottom. Mud squished between her toes as she realized one of her shoes was missing. Collapsing onto the smooth pebbles, she stared up at the trees, struggling to catch her breath. As much as she wanted to get up and keep running, some part of her kept saying that this was all just a nightmare. She rubbed her eyes, telling herself over and over again that this couldn’t be happening.
It was a dream, right? It had to be.
She shivered as the stars came out, and soon, they shone down through the branches. The throng of treefrogs and crickets overwhelmed her as she covered her ears. Reality set in; it wasn’t a dream. Ted had tried to kill her, and now she was lost in the middle of one of the country’s largest national parks. Sitting up, she reached for the back of her head, clenching her teeth as she found the gash in her scalp. She flexed her fingers, rubbing her hands together and blowing into them as she stood up.
I’m no expert on survival. The moon’s reflection danced on the water. But we drove past a river on our way in. Maybe if I follow this far enough, I can find a road and flag down some help.
The thorn bushes clustered alongside the river didn’t make for an ideal hiking trail, especially with one shoe. She ventured a little farther into the woods, keeping one ear on the river, convinced that following it was her ticket home. Her stomach growled, and she rubbed the dull ache, frowning as she glanced around for any berry bushes. She had
eaten some almonds at lunchtime, but she wasn’t a fan of the canned ravioli Ted had packed for their actual meals. Licking her lips, she examined the thorny bushes, finding that they were utterly devoid of berries.
The sound of something shuffling through the leaves made her body go rigid. The treefrogs and crickets stopped singing, and she held her breath as whatever it was came closer.
Is it Ted? She trembled, clenching her fists at her sides. Is it the bear?
Her chest heaved with every breath as she stood frozen and exposed. Turning her head, she looked over her shoulder. She wanted to believe she was alone, but the hairs on the back of her neck told her that someone was watching.
She crouched, planting her feet beneath her, getting ready.
One. Two…
She lowered her brow.
Three!
As she charged through the darkness, twigs and sharp rocks shredded the sole of her bare foot. But this was life or death, and she wasn’t ready to surrender just yet. Ted didn’t get the best of her; neither did that gigantic bear or the river. It would be incredibly shitty for fate to bring her this far only to abandon her now.
Her foot caught the gnarled root of a tree, and she fell forward, tumbling down a steep embankment. Whether it was a tree trunk or a rock that struck her forehead, she had no idea. There was no resisting the abyss of unconsciousness that swallowed her.
In her delirium, a vision came to her. A handsome, bearded stranger scooped her up, carrying her to safety. As soon as his hands touched her skin, a sense of peace settled over her like a warm blanket.
“Am I dead?” Her voice was barely a whisper.
No answer came from the stranger. His dark eyes only seemed to harbor more questions. Her fear faded as she embraced the dark oblivion before her. If it had to end, at least she went down fighting. A deep, dreamless void consumed her mind as she slept.
Her eyes fluttered open, and she realized she wasn’t quite dead yet. Streams of sunlight filtered in through the window, and she breathed deeply as her senses returned. The throbbing in her head reminded her that everything that had happened was real. But this time, when she reached for her wound, she found a soft bandage. Sitting up, she looked at the room around her. It was simple and rustic, like something you’d expect to see on one of those vegan yoga retreats her friend Elaina was always talking about.
