ROMANCE: Awakened by the Alpha Bear (Werebear Fantasy Billionaire Romance) (New Adult Contemporary Alpha Male Bear Shapeshifter Paranormal Romance Short Stories)) (14 page)

Chapter
2

The
Agency

Sheldon walked from the coffee
shop with a smile on his face. He hadn't enjoyed being with a woman and holding
a conversation since his mate. There was something about Paige that drew him to
her. She was different from most human women. She was beautiful, to say the
least, and always seemed to surprise him. Like a female bear, she seemed intent
on pleasing him. He found himself gripping his hands together many times when
he was near her. What he wanted to do most was to reach out and touch her. He
wanted to see if her skin was as smooth as it looked. He wanted to smother his
face in her hair to smell the vanilla that he got a hint of every time she
walked past. He felt himself tense when he remembered what she had looked like
just a moment ago, when her flush had spread across her chest.

Sheldon pulled himself up into
his truck as he remembered the way her mouth had formed a perfect circle of
surprise. He wanted nothing more than to pull her towards him and taste her
lips, to nibble on her bottom lip, like she so often did. He groaned before he
turned his attention elsewhere. He needed to think about why he was there. He had
tracked Heather to the small town, only to find out that he had been too late.
He had owed her his life. She was the one who had found him. Found him after
they had done what they did. He had owed her everything, and he had gotten her
killed. Heather had gone after the people who had ruined his life. 

Sheldon picked up the phone and
dialed the number that he had squeezed from the young busboy at the diner.

“Vanberg Manor. How may we help
you?”

“Victor please.”

“Well, I'm sorry but Mr.
Vanberg is not available at the moment. Can I take a message?”

“No! You can tell Victor that
Sheldon Turner is on the phone, and it will be a call he will want to take.”

“Hold on.” The tone had changed
from a pleasant one as soon as the person heard who he was. There was a brief
moment before the phone was picked up again.

“Sheldon.” The tone was deep
and distant as the older man came to the phone. It was a voice he hadn’t heard
for a long time. A voice that still haunted his dreams at night.

“You messed up Victor. This time
you will pay for what you did.”

“And what Sheldon would that
be?”

“You know exactly what she did.
But know this is not over. I will be coming for you. Every time you look out
your window, think of me being there watching you. Every time you step in the
shower, think of me listening to the same water that’s running over you. Every
time you take a bite of food they give you, picture me watching you tasting it.
I will be there Victor, very soon.”

“Now, listen here Sheldon. You
don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t understand what is happening.”

“I understand exactly. You
killed her. The only person who helped me. The person who meant too damn much
to me. You killed her. Now, you will pay for it. Just remember Victor. I’m
watching.”

The older man looked at the
phone as a steady buzz emanated from it. The person on the other end had hung
up. Victor had known that Sheldon would get his revenge. He knew that what the
government had done to him was wrong. He also knew that he didn’t want any part
of it. There were things about the project that even Sheldon didn’t know. Some
things Victor himself didn’t know. It was time. Time for him to disappear.

Sheldon sat in the booth and
stared at his phone. He could feel the anger coursing through his veins. His body
felt flushed. It was that time. He needed to get home. This was when he needed
Heather the mouse. Times when he needed her to help him calm down. When he got
so angry and flustered, his condition would come apparent. Shaking his head, he
stood from the booth and made his way outside.

He looked around. There was no
one to be seen. Walking slowly, he went to his car and slid into the driver’s
seat. Starting the car he drove from the small diner to the small cabin he had
rented for the time being. He was used to being in the mountains, hiding in
caves. He knew he needed to change his appearance. If not, they would find him.
He could only imagine what they would do when they did. It was not something
that he wanted to experience.

Sheldon continued looking for
clues around the small town. To his aggravation, something always fell short.
The worst part was that the local police didn't even know where to start. They
only knew that all the victims were women in their mid-twenties. They had all
been abducted from night clubs around town. The only exception was the young
girl they had found a week ago. She didn't fit the same standards and MO as the
other victims did. She was young, much younger than the other women, but that
isn't what bothered the police the most. She had come from nowhere, and there
was no way to identify her body. She wasn't in any system anywhere.

Sheldon knew instantly that it
was Heather. He knew because she wasn’t in the system. Heather wasn’t a normal
child. She was what most would call a test tube baby. She had no real parents.
No ordinary DNA. She was manufactured by the same people who had ruined his
life, the same people who killed her, and the same ones who killed all the
others. He just needed to find out why. What was it with the other women before
her that the company had to kill them? This was the investigation that he
needed to start right away. He thought of Paige, the way she told him that he
needed to know how to find clues. He laughed quietly to himself. If only he
could get close to her. But in the end, she would leave like all the others.

Sheldon decided to leave the
cabin and go underground. The places that he was used to. Before the agency,
Sheldon had been a seal. A Navy seal. With three tours in Afghanistan he‘s what
most people would deem a hero. What they did to him when he came back, however,
was devastating, especially in the agency that he was assigned to. They said he
was uncontrollable. That he had a rage inside him that was unlike any other.
They said that this could be used to his advantage. He was unaware what they
meant. At the time, he had been happy to do anything to serve his country. To
stand up and fight for what he believed in. For those that he loved back home.
Little did he know, when they said that they could help him, it would change
him, change him in a way that could never be undone. Now, he wasn’t just a man.
He was a creature of the night. A creature that could change form A creature
that had never been known to man. He looked at that day as the end of his life.

He had been in the chamber when
he met Heather. She had been nine. There was something about her that was
different from the others, like she had a conscience. She didn’t agree with
what they were doing. Injection after injection, he felt himself getting
stronger and stronger. She was the one who helped him when he transformed. She
was also the only one that he didn’t attack when he did transform. Then on,
Sheldon Turner was no longer just a man. No longer just a Navy seal. No longer
just a soldier. He was now part man and part bear. He was a shape shifter. Like
those that you would read in stories. Like those you would only see on TV. He,
on the other hand was the real thing. Heather had been kind and helped him, and
in the end, she had been the one to set him free. Now, it had cost her life.

It has been a year since they
had been hiding out in the mountains. During that time, she had taught him how
to control himself. How he can control the transformation, and how to work with
it. He found out he was stronger, much stronger than any normal man. He could
do things that one man never can. He can flip a car completely over his head.
He was faster than any human man. These traits were claimed from the bear.
Heather had taught him how to embrace the new him. There were many times when
he just wanted to die and fade away into nothing. She had made him fight. Fight
for, not only himself, but others that they would soon be doing the same thing
to. The soldiers who had stood up for their country that this agency just
decided to take and distort. She told him to think of his brothers in arms. The
men that he had fought beside. Think of them when he wanted to walk away. He
quickly changed his mind. He saw the men that they have lost in the war. The
ones who died right in front of him. Then, he knew he would fight for them. He
would show that their lives were worth more than this agency felt they were,
and he would make them pay, not only for him, but for those that they would try
to get to. Now, he had one more reason to fight. Heather. Her life. He would
fight for her. He would avenge her life that was taken.

Sheldon racked his brain to try
and find out what exactly he was missing. Being a shape shifter had its
advantages. One of them was stealth. No one would even know he was there unless
they were supernatural. He was so quiet when he moved. It was like a soft
gentle breeze, and he didn't make a sound through the underground tunnels and
the paths of the city.

He made his way to an abandoned
bridge on the outskirts of town. This is where he made his camp and began his
investigation. Sheldon sat on the large boulder and looked around at what he
had gathered. He had all of the pictures of the women. They all had blonde hair
and green eyes. None of them were petite, but rather, they were all a little on
the heavier side. They weren't fat but solid. It seemed that the agency had the
same taste in women that he did. The women were taken from night clubs in the
area, except Heather.

She had been found in the alley
of the hotel he had stayed in when he first got there. He wanted to be close to
the clues. He stood and walked to the other side of the bridge. He had hung up
everything about the women. After much research, he had found enough background
into on each of the women that he knew everything about them. He could remember
what each of their names and sizes were, even down to their favorite color. He
gathered the papers together and flung them from his rock in a fit of rage. The
agency had sent out a cleaner. The cleaner was a man that swept everything of
their existence from the town where they were currently at. For some reason,
these women knew something of their work here. The women were also women that
he would be attracted to. He thought of what he had been doing since coming to
the city, and he was instantly alarmed. Paige was in danger, and he felt
himself clench involuntarily with the realization of it. Not only did she fit
the profile of all the other women, but he had also been spending a lot of time
in her shop. They would definitely be after her. The only way to stop it was to
let her be part of the investigation. But how would he do that and keep her
safe at the same time? He didn’t know what he was going to do, but he did know
one thing. He had to save her. He had to keep her safe.

His last thoughts for the night
were of Paige, like they had been for the last few nights. There was something
about her. Something that drew him to her. It was as if there was an invisible
force that pulled him closer and closer to her side. He didn’t know what it
was. At this point, he didn’t really care what it was. He knew she had a good
heart. She was kind, gentle, and a loving person. He had also heard the
arguments she had had with her friend Becca a few times from the back, and he
could tell that she was very independent and headstrong. Wrap that up with a
bad temper, and you had one feisty and beautiful woman that he was starting to
think of more and more. He smiled as his eyes drifted shut, imaging what she
would feel like in his arms.

Chapter
3

The
Party

Paige looked over at her
friend. “What do you mean you invited a bunch of friends over to my house for a
super bowl party?” Her eyes were wide and rounded as she looked at her forever
meddling best friend.

“I thought maybe we could stay
in on Sunday and watch the game. You know just a couple friends. I told them
you were going to make your famous chili, and they couldn't wait.”

“Now, you offered, not only my
home, but my cooking as well.” Her hands rested on her rounded hips as she
squinted with irritation. Flouncing back around, she gave Becca her back as she
began kneading the dough in front of her again.

“Oh come on Paige. You have
that big television your sisters bought you that you never use. It's so much better
than my little 32 inch, and I got money to get everything you need to cook.
Everyone chipped in too. It'll be fun, and there will be some men there. You
might even get lucky.” She wiggled her eyebrows over at her.

“Fine. I will cook, and we can
have it at my house but no match making. Promise me.”

“Ok. But I'm gonna invite the
one person you couldn't say no to.” A wicked smile spread across Becca' face as
she looked at her.

Shaking her head in denial,
Paige frowned over at her. “Who?” She didn't know who in the world she could be
talking about. As Becca's smile grew, her eyes widened with realization. “You
wouldn't?” As her friend just stood there she responded again. “You would!
Becca don't. I don't need to deal with a relationship right now.” Her eyes were
wide before she turned back to her dough. 

“Who said anything about a
relationship honey? You just need to get laid. You probably got cobwebs up
there. And I think that Sheldon Turner is just the person to help dust them
away.”

“Becca don't even think about
it. If you do, then I won't cater your birthday bash next month.”

“Fine, fine.” The woman turned
around to walk back out front when she heard the jingle come from the front of
the shop. As she kept walking, the smile on her face only grew when she saw who
it was.

“Hey
Sheldon. Whatcha got goin' on tonight?”

Sheldon
turned to the dark haired girl on the other side of the counter. “Nothing,
why?”

“Well,
my friend here is hosting a super bowl party. You should come ogle at her
there. You know, get to know each other and see where it gets you.”

“Becca!”
The hiss escaped out of Paige's lips as she gave her friend a warning glare.

“What?
You two seem to like each other, and you both look like you could jump over the
counter at the other person. Why not just take the leap?” She shrugged her
shoulders at her.

“I'm
sorry. Becca can sometimes be pushy.” She looked embarrassed as she glanced at
him, her cheeks becoming an even darker shade of pink.

“You
need it.” The words were thrown at them as her friend ran into the back room,
escaping the second glare she got for the day.

As she
shook her head, Paige turned back to the man across from her.

“Does
that mean I'm not invited then?” He smiled at her and her breath caught again.
He was gorgeous, and the smiles he gave her made him look even better.

“No. I
mean.... Yes, you are invited. I would have invited you. I just didn't know if
it was your thing or not. I would love for you to come.”

“Cool.
Let me get your number and the address, and I will see you there. I have
something to take care of today, so I may be a little late, but I'll be there.
I promise.”

“Ok.”

“Alright
detective Paige, I will see you later then?”

“You
got it Ranger Sheldon.” They both laughed as he turned to go out the door,
throwing a five on the counter for the coffee. He winked at her and then made
his exit.

Paige
sat on the couch and looked over at her friend. It was already the second
quarter, and there still wasn't any sign of Sheldon. She should have known
better than to think that any guy would want her. Look at her. She had breasts
that were way too big for her body, a large round ass, and an ugly mark above
her lip. Her mother used to tell her it was a beauty mark, but she knew better.
Did she really think she could get a man like Sheldon Turner? She shook her
head as she stood and made her way into her kitchen. She had decided to host
the party at her house and everyone sat around the large 60” television in the
living room. There were people on the sectional sofa, sitting around her dining
room chairs, and even some on the floor spread out. Food was laid out
everywhere in the dining room and covered every inch of the large farm table
she had there.

She
carried the glasses to the sink and looked through the small window over her
sink. That was when she saw it. Through the glass, she saw two eyes looking in
at her. Something beckoned her to go outside. She felt her feet begin to move
of their own will. She seemed like she didn't have any choice in the matter.
Her hand circled around the knob to the kitchen door that led outside. Just as
it started to open towards her, it was slammed shut. She took deep breaths as
she looked at the hand that was in front of her on the door. Slowly, her eyes
slid up the arm right beside her face. It was colored in multiple designs and
colors. There was a large tribal sign that ran across the top of the person's
wrist. She turned slowly to see who had slammed the door on her and gasped in
shock at what she saw.

Her
back was to the door when she turned. She looked up into two familiar brown
eyes and exhaled a large breath slowly. Sheldon Turner stood over her, looking
down into her eyes. She could feel the warmth as it radiated from his body to
hers. Neither said a word as they stood there and looked at each other. Her
hand had circled his wrist the best it could and had moved up to his forearm.

“I
wouldn't do that.”

“Why
not?” She didn't know if he meant going outside or her hand, but she felt a
little curious to know.

“You
might get more than you bargained for.” As he said it, his body moved closer to
hers. She felt the slide of his jeans against hers and suddenly wanted more.
Much more.

“Really?”

Before
he could think twice about it, he dipped his head towards hers. At first his
lips briefly ran across hers softly and tenderly. She wasn't aware of the moan
until it escaped from between her lips. Suddenly, one of his hands captured
both of hers bringing them up to lay flat against the door. His other delved
into her hair to hold her head steady. She felt his body step as close as it
could and felt the long length of his body pressed against hers. His hand held
her head still as his lips returned to hers. This time, there wasn't any
gentleness as his lips captured hers. He nipped and nibbled at her lips until
she gasped and gave him the opening he needed. His tongue slipped inside her
mouth to explore the depths within. She felt her body become lax and lazy,
sandwiched between his warm body and the hard door. She was immobilized and
unable to move. She realized she didn't want to though as she groaned deep in
her throat. His mouth only seemed to take more of her as his hand dropped hers
to circle around her waist and brought her flat against him. Her hands delved
into his hair of their own accord as she began to kiss him back. His hands were
on her hips, and she moaned again as they made their way back to her full ass
and heave her up onto the erection she now felt pressing between her legs and
into her pelvis. Her head was spinning and her body was way overheated as she
tried to get closer to his warmth.  She didn't know what she was doing at that
point, and she really didn't care. She just didn't want it to stop. His head
came up slowly as he looked down at her. The intensity in his eyes seemed to
burn through her as she gasped and panted for breath. They were both panting
deeply, and his hands were suddenly on either side of her head.

“You
don't want to go there little one.” His voice was deep and seemed to shake with
his desire.

“Why
not?” Her voice sounded strange to her own ears. It was wispy and breathless as
she leaned back against the door. He hadn't removed his body from hers, and she
felt him pressed against her. 

“You
don't know what you are asking for.”

“Look,
if you don't want it, then that's fine, but don't go around acting like you are
such a good guy and trying to help me. I get it.” Jerking from him, she made a
move to go around him. Just as she stepped from the circle of his arms, her arm
was snatched up and she was brought back against him.

“That
is far from the truth. I would like nothing more than to lift you onto that
table and kiss every inch of your body. I want to hear your screams as I bury
myself inside you and bring you to ecstasy. I want to hear my name escape from
your lips as you orgasm. That is what I want, but it is not what is best for
you.” His words caused a blush to color her cheeks. It was amazing how her
panties seemed to become wet just from his words alone. She gasped as she
looked at him and then the last words hit her like a slap in the face. If he
wanted her, then he wouldn't be making excuses. Prying his hand from her arm,
she began walking back into the living room.

Paige
sat on the couch in the corner as Sheldon made himself comfortable beside her.
Neither said another word to the other throughout the rest of the super bowl
game. As the game went on, she felt his leg as it brushed against hers, and she
was all too aware of the heat that came from him. His scent filled her
nostrils, a sweet blend of spice and pine. It was amazing, and she began
catching herself wanting to sniff the air around her.

After
the game, everyone began to file out of the house. One by one they left, until
she stood there with Becca and Sheldon.

Paige
smiled at Becca as she looked at her. “Well. I'll leave you two kids alone now.
I am now heading home. See you on Tuesday.”

“It is
Sunday. I will see you tomorrow Becca.”

“Oh no,
you won't. You will need a day to recuperate.”

“From
what?” Her eyebrows rose with the question.

“From
that.” Her friend giggled as she ran from the room after she pointed at the
only other person still left in the house.