Lonely Bear: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Bear Bluff Clan Book 6) by Harmony Raines Page B
Authors: Harmony Raines
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made her way down the mountain, as the light gradually faded from the sky. The temperature dropped, but all she could think was how beautiful the sunset was. While her hands became more cut up and more bruises appeared on her knees, she kept her eyes resolutely on the ground in front of her and crawled on.
Chapter Two – Nate
Nate finished chopping the stack of wood he had been methodically working his way through all day. A tree had come down in the forest two days ago; he had hauled it here—well, with a little help from his bear. Now it was split into manageable pieces, ready for the cold winter nights. And the nights did get cold up here. The mountain slopes became impassable, and civilisation went its way without him for three months of the year.
Thinking about it, civilisation went on without him for twelve months of the year. Ever since he had seen his mate, and realised she was going to get married to another man. Maybe it was cowardice, he wasn’t sure. But there was no way he was going to go up to her and tell her she was the woman for him. The only woman for him. Not when she had another man’s ring on her finger. So he had taken to a life of solitude, high up in the mountains. Bears were, after all, solitary creatures.
Yet the yearning to be with his mate, to make love to her under the stars and have cubs running around at his feet, was sometimes too much.
He sighed, picking up his axe and taking it to the tool shed, where he cleaned it and sharpened the blade, before storing it in its place. Glancing around the shed, he felt some satisfaction at the life he had built for himself here. It might not be what he wanted; it certainly wasn’t perfect. But what other choice did he have?
Going back outside, he took in a deep breath, filling his lungs with the sweet, clear mountain air. Tonight he would run. His bear would have the freedom it craved. Maybe it would get rid of some of the kinks in his shoulders caused by all the work he had put in over the last couple of days to get his wood store filled. Or maybe it would just stop him thinking of his mate.
Nope. It wouldn’t, because he was certain his bear craved his mate even more. There were times when he went all-animal, when he would find himself just sitting on a log pile somewhere, watching the sunrise, on another morning after a night of no sleep. He would just be dreaming of her and the life they should have together.
That life was getting further and further away from him. In one month’s time, she would be walking down the aisle with her fiancé, completely unaware of his breaking heart. In fact, he was fairly certain she didn’t know he existed at all. He was there with a friend, Olivia, at the engagement party. The shock of seeing his woman with another man, a man she intended to marry, was too much, and he had bailed.
Whenever he went back to civilisation, he always found himself having to check up on how the marriage arrangements were going. His friend, the delectable Olivia, whom he knew had a crush on him but was not his mate, was one of the bridesmaids. But his visits were getting less frequent as the wedding date drew near, and once his mate was married, he knew he wouldn’t be able to bring himself to go into Bear Bluff at all.
Yes, it seemed as though a move was on the horizon. He just had to find the strength to drag himself away.
Chapter Three – Chloe
So cold now that her teeth permanently chattered, she tried to curl up into a ball, tucking her hands under her clothes. Anything to get some warmth back into her throbbing hands, but at least if they were frozen, they wouldn’t hurt so much. Chloe lay with her eyes open, watching the stars come out one by one above her head and wondered what had happened to her quiet, ordered life of yesterday.
In one fateful, unexpected visit to Jerry’s apartment, her world had come crashing down, in the same way she had crashed down the mountainside. But how could things be so bad
Chapter Two – Nate
Nate finished chopping the stack of wood he had been methodically working his way through all day. A tree had come down in the forest two days ago; he had hauled it here—well, with a little help from his bear. Now it was split into manageable pieces, ready for the cold winter nights. And the nights did get cold up here. The mountain slopes became impassable, and civilisation went its way without him for three months of the year.
Thinking about it, civilisation went on without him for twelve months of the year. Ever since he had seen his mate, and realised she was going to get married to another man. Maybe it was cowardice, he wasn’t sure. But there was no way he was going to go up to her and tell her she was the woman for him. The only woman for him. Not when she had another man’s ring on her finger. So he had taken to a life of solitude, high up in the mountains. Bears were, after all, solitary creatures.
Yet the yearning to be with his mate, to make love to her under the stars and have cubs running around at his feet, was sometimes too much.
He sighed, picking up his axe and taking it to the tool shed, where he cleaned it and sharpened the blade, before storing it in its place. Glancing around the shed, he felt some satisfaction at the life he had built for himself here. It might not be what he wanted; it certainly wasn’t perfect. But what other choice did he have?
Going back outside, he took in a deep breath, filling his lungs with the sweet, clear mountain air. Tonight he would run. His bear would have the freedom it craved. Maybe it would get rid of some of the kinks in his shoulders caused by all the work he had put in over the last couple of days to get his wood store filled. Or maybe it would just stop him thinking of his mate.
Nope. It wouldn’t, because he was certain his bear craved his mate even more. There were times when he went all-animal, when he would find himself just sitting on a log pile somewhere, watching the sunrise, on another morning after a night of no sleep. He would just be dreaming of her and the life they should have together.
That life was getting further and further away from him. In one month’s time, she would be walking down the aisle with her fiancé, completely unaware of his breaking heart. In fact, he was fairly certain she didn’t know he existed at all. He was there with a friend, Olivia, at the engagement party. The shock of seeing his woman with another man, a man she intended to marry, was too much, and he had bailed.
Whenever he went back to civilisation, he always found himself having to check up on how the marriage arrangements were going. His friend, the delectable Olivia, whom he knew had a crush on him but was not his mate, was one of the bridesmaids. But his visits were getting less frequent as the wedding date drew near, and once his mate was married, he knew he wouldn’t be able to bring himself to go into Bear Bluff at all.
Yes, it seemed as though a move was on the horizon. He just had to find the strength to drag himself away.
Chapter Three – Chloe
So cold now that her teeth permanently chattered, she tried to curl up into a ball, tucking her hands under her clothes. Anything to get some warmth back into her throbbing hands, but at least if they were frozen, they wouldn’t hurt so much. Chloe lay with her eyes open, watching the stars come out one by one above her head and wondered what had happened to her quiet, ordered life of yesterday.
In one fateful, unexpected visit to Jerry’s apartment, her world had come crashing down, in the same way she had crashed down the mountainside. But how could things be so bad
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