Hunter Bear: BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (Enforcer Bears Book 2) (8 page)

Steven felt himself grow calmer as he looked into her eyes and felt that aching tug in his chest turn into a warm contentment.

“I am a bear shifter.” There, he had said it. “That means I can turn into a bear.”

“Turn into… what?” Cleo’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t pull back, but she suddenly looked more guarded. “This really isn’t the time for jokes. Let’s just get through that door first.”

Steven gave her a wry smile. “That’s what I’m trying to do. We can’t open it, but that door’s not sturdy enough to hold back a grown bear. I know this sounds crazy! I know you don’t believe me! But I need you to remember this: There is no need to be afraid. It’s me. I would never hurt you.”

“Steven…” Cleo swallowed and took a step back, her hand slipping from his.

She clearly didn’t believe a single word he’d said, but there was no time now for long discussions. Steven could only hope that she trusted him enough to remember what he’d said.

“Watch,” he said softly as he quickly stripped out of his clothes. Then he inhaled, concentrating on the sound of his heartbeat.

A shiver ran through him, his senses expanding as he shifted as easily as that. The strength of the bear filled him, that familiar awareness of muscles which were made to run and fight, his claws and teeth that could rend and tear.

He raised his head.

Cleo’s scent filled the sharpened senses of his bear so that a wave of delight rolled over him. It was like smelling the first patch of ripe blueberries of the season, or coming across a wild beehive dripping with golden honey.

She smelled like beauty and freedom and sunshine, and the heart of his bear that had for so long been restless suddenly couldn’t bear the thought of ever leaving her again.

“Oh my God…” Cleo breathed and staggered a few steps back.

He could smell her fear. He didn’t dare to take even one step in her direction. He could only hope that she’d remember what he’d told her.

Now for the door.

When he turned to look at it with the bear’s eyes, it did not seem so sturdy anymore. He sniffed at it, but could not make out any distinct traces of a scent. It had been too long since it was used.

But he could smell fresh air. From somewhere, a draft came in, and it carried with it the scent of water and leaves and the sky.

Steven huffed, then stood on his hind legs and attacked the door with a powerful swipe of his paws.

The door rattled in its hinges, but didn’t otherwise move.

With a soft growl, Steven attacked it again, using more force now. His claws found purchase on the door, digging deep scratches into the wood, and he struck it again and again.

Most of his attacks were now centered near the door handle. With every powerful swipe, his claws dug deeper into the wood, and at last it splintered.

Still the door did not open, but it was rattling now with every attack. At last, Steven ceased his attacks, panting open-mouth as he stared at the door. He took a few steps back and then pounced, his muscles propelling him forward with such strength that he crashed into the door with all his weight. The door gave in a shower of splinters.

Amidst broken wood, he crashed to the floor. His shoulder ached a little from the impact, but there was no other injury.

“Oh my God,” Cleo muttered again somewhere behind him, sounding dazed.

Slowly, he rose, then turned towards her and shifted back with a sheepish smile. “As I said. I can turn into a bear.”

He tried to keep smiling, even though worry rose in him when Cleo continued to stare at him, her eyes wide with shock.

After a moment, she began to tremble, her shoulders shaking. Finally, she erupted into sudden, shocked laughter.

“Oh my God! You turned into a bear!” she gasped. “You really, really turned into a bear!”

“I did.” Steven took a careful step closer, holding out his hands—just like the first time they had met. “You’re not dreaming, if that’s what you think. It’s real!”

“Can you turn into any animal?” Cleo watched him come closer. She still looked wary, although she didn’t back away further.

“No, just the bear,” Steven said, and then he was close enough to gently touch her arm. “See, it’s still me. I’m sorry if I scared you.”

“It’s all right—no, it’s not! You turn into a bear, how can that be all right? I want to know—” She broke off suddenly and took a deep breath. “Escape first. But you’ve got so many questions to answer now!”

Steven nodded, a little subdued. He’d known it would be different once she knew. But would she be satisfied if he gave her the answers she demanded? Now that she’d seen him as a beast—could she ever look at him with nothing but warmth in her eyes, or trust her life to his hands as she had in the water?

The light flickered again—and then it went out.

Cleo yelped when they were engulfed by darkness once more.

“It’s OK; I’m here,” Steven called out, taking another careful step forward.

Cleo’s hands found his arm. Her fingers tightened around him, and then they were in each other’s arms, both holding on tightly. Steven could feel Cleo’s terrified heartbeats against his chest.

“We’ve almost made it out,” he said, as much to calm himself as her. “That door must lead outside. Why would anyone place a door in—”

“There! Look!” Cleo’s voice was shaking with excitement.

Suddenly, Steven realized that he could make out the gleaming of her eyes. The darkness was no longer quite as complete.

When they turned towards the destroyed door, they saw that the gloom was not quite as deep there. Somewhere beyond that door was light, beckoning to them.

“We’ve made it,” Cleo whispered. “We’ve found the way. We’re not going to die down here!”

Steven could feel her shaking in his arms. They kept clutching at each other for a long moment as panic and terror gave way to overwhelming relief. Then they began to slowly move forward, picking their way carefully among the splintered wood and rocks. Once they made it through the door, the light gained in intensity, so that they could make out the dim shapes of rocks and move a little faster. It was another tunnel—but a tunnel where the air smelled fresher.

Sunshine,
Steven’s bear supplied eagerly.
Blue sky. The wind. And—Danger!

The last word rose up as a roar in Steven’s mind. Even before the warning of his bear stopped resounding in his head, he’d pushed Cleo out of the way and shifted.

A heartbeat later the jaguar came snarling at him out of the darkness.

It was too late for Steven to try and dodge the attack. Sharp fangs entered his skin. Steven roared in pain, rising up on his hind legs, but the jaguar didn’t let go.

With the shifter’s claws trying to slash at his unprotected stomach, Steven stumbled a few steps backward. The bite burned like fire. Luck had made the jaguar pierce his shoulder rather than his throat, but even so the pain of the attack was distracting him.

Again the jaguar’s claws dug into the skin of his stomach—but now Steven managed to rake his own claws down the entire backside of the beast.

With a yelp of pain, the jaguar released him. This time, when Steven shook himself, the large cat lost purchase. Steven attacked with another slash of his paw as soon as it hit the floor, but the jaguar was quick and rolled out of the way.

“Steven!” Cleo cried out in sudden terror.

Our mate,
his bear roared when he saw that the jaguar had sprung to its feet again—only a few feet from where Cleo was crouching, back pressed against the wall.

The jaguar snarled. Its head swiveled, as though it was trying to decide who was the greater threat.

Even with his fear for Cleo, Steven couldn’t help but wonder at the shifter’s behavior. Had he gone feral in truth? Had he spent such a long time in the skin of his animal that he no longer remembered that he was human?

Again the jaguar’s mouth opened, showing off sharp fangs dripping blood.

It hissed at Steven, but then the angry eyes focused on Cleo. The cat’s body tensed, tail whipping in rage—but this time, it was Steven who pounced first.

The tunnel was narrow. They hit the wall together, only inches from where Cleo was now frantically trying to scramble out of the way.

The jaguar’s roars of rage and pain filled Steven’s ears. Claws raked across the wall so that he could see sparks ignite, but Steven didn’t let go.

He had a paw across the cat’s throat now, his own powerful jaw clenching around one of the jaguar’s legs to keep the claws from slashing at his face. For a long moment, they struggled, at an impasse. Steven growled, breathing in the scent of feral cat, tasting the iron tang of its blood on his tongue. His shoulder still ached with a hot, burning pain where the fangs had pierced his flesh.

The jaguar was hissing as it struggled in his grasp.

I have to get at its throat,
Steven thought, even as the beast once more writhed in his grasp, nearly managing to slide free—

And then there was a loud
thud.

At the same moment, the jaguar went slack beneath him.

When Steven looked up, he saw Cleo crouching before him, a large stone in her hand as she panted. She was very pale. There was enough light that he could see that her fingers were white and trembling where they clenched around the rock—but still, despite the danger and her terror, she’d managed to knock out the jaguar.

He shifted back and drew her into his arms, holding her tightly for a moment.

“You did it!” he whispered into her hair. “You got him! We’re safe now.”

A second later, the form of the jaguar blurred and turned into the unconscious body of a man in his forties, bearded and unwashed.

Cleo gasped in shock. “He’s one of you!”

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t tell you earlier.” Steven felt the familiar apprehension return.

He’d lied to her about the real reason why he was hunting the jaguar. Could she forgive him his secrets?

"You have so many questions to answer..." Cleo finally let go of the stone. Her fingers were still trembling when she brushed a curl back behind her ear. "But first, let's go home."

Quietly, Steven retrieved his clothes, ignoring the ache of his wounds. When he had been forced to shift so unexpectedly, his clothes had ripped. Now he used stripes of his shirt to tie up the unconscious jaguar shifter. He'd call his brother as soon as they made it to Cleo's house, and then this chapter of his life would finally be over.

Again his gaze returned to Cleo.

We're not leaving our mate,
his bear told him, gentle but firm.

Steven only sighed in response.
We'll see what she has to say to all of this...

But first they had to find an exit.

The tunnel before them seemed to get gradually brighter. Once the shifter was tied up, Steven and Cleo kept moving onward. The floor of the tunnel was smooth, as though it had been used recently.

The jaguar must have been hiding here all this time,
Steven realized.
If there are several entrances, that explains how he always managed to escape me...

Once or twice, further tunnels opened up which seemed to lead deeper into this system of caves. Cleo and Steven were so weary and exhausted by now that they ignored them. They kept following the light.

Finally, the tunnel turned a corner, and then opened towards a large cave. The stone here was pale, glistening in the light that fell in—and at the other end of the cave, another curtain of water came roaring down.

"The exit!" Cleo said in excitement. "I wonder how far we walked! It felt like we spent days down there!"

"I hope we aren't lost right at the top of a mountain." Steven followed her towards where the water blocked the view of what lay outside the cave.

Cleo laughed. "There aren’t any mountains nearby, just hills. Come on, let's see!"

She grabbed his hand and pulled him along. There was another ledge that ran around behind the curtain of falling water. Steven felt the drops hit his skin as he and Cleo slowly moved forward.

When they had made it several feet along the wall, with stone to their left and water to their right, the ledge suddenly took a turn to the left again, away from the water. Curiously, they followed it.

It led them into a ravine, with the ledge turning into a small, hidden path beneath two steep walls of stone. The roar of the waterfall grew softer as they walked along the path. From above, the sun shone down on them, warming their skin, and Steven took a deep breath.

The scent of the forest filled his senses. Wind, flowers, green leaves and moss. All was as it should be.

When the ravine came to an abrupt end, they found another natural-looking stair hidden beneath the moss. Rocks had come sliding down a long time ago—or perhaps had been placed as an easy way of access by whoever had first discovered these secret caves.

The rocks were slippery, but they had been placed at a convenient distance, so that they could climb up one after the other like a stair.

Once they made it to the top, gasping for breath, Cleo shielded her eyes from the sun as she looked around.