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  She didn’t have a door hung yet, so Chris could see her feet move as she turned over to put her back to the door. He padded silently over to her, light on his feet. The weak moonlight was just enough to highlight the paleness of her cheek and the sunbeam beauty of her hair. His cock stiffened unconsciously looking down upon her. She sighed, adjusting her position again to be on her back. Her eyes fluttered open, and in surprised fear, a small scream escaped her mouth.

  Chris pounced upon her, wrangling her into his arms. She fought him, her fingers made into claws, using her knees to push against his chest. Her nightgown restricted her movement as did the blankets, making her struggle less effective. In the midst of their fight, she couldn’t harm him but really tried as hard as she was able, putting each bit of effort to good use. She put up a very valiant defense but it was futile against his immense strength. She gained another level of respect from Chris that she didn’t cower, even when clearly outmatched. She wouldn’t give an inch or surrender even in the face of certain defeat. Chris managed to stuff a piece of cloth in her mouth and tie a bandana around her face to secure it.

  He hefts her over his shoulder like a potato sack, in spite of her kicking and muffled screaming, holding her hands easily in his, and just letting her legs flail uselessly in the air. He trekked her through the woods at a brisk pace, heedless of the almost complete cover of darkness. He had been through these trails during light and dark his whole life. He knew intimately every rock, every twig, and every tree.

  When he reached the mouth of his cave, the mossy rocks were haphazardly piled around the entrance creating shelter from wind and rain. He carefully dipped his head through the entrance and deftly carried her inside, making sure not to scrape her on the sides or roof.

  “Be still or you will scrape yourself. I won’t be blamed for your harm, caused by your own stubbornness,” Chris said, his deep tenor voice reverberated through the cave and bounced back toward their ears as if in high-def stereo.

  Annabella stilled instantly at the sound of his voice. She could hear it, but she could also feel his voice through her chest. Her nipples stiffened in response. He gently slipped her off his shoulder, down his body, and sat her on a flat rock covered by a thick blanket of cushy moss. He reached behind her head to free the bandana and she removed the cloth in her mouth as she looked curiously at his heavily muscled completely nude body.

  “What are you going to do to me?” Annabella asked indignantly, her heart racing in her chest, half from fear and the other half from arousal.

  She noticed three small punctures which were healing, one near his rib cage, one on his belly, and another on his left leg. Those were the only places which marred the absolute perfection of his heavy, manly body. Her cleft swelled and liquefied as she looked him over.

  “I just brought you here to talk to you. We have to solve this thing, once and for all,” Chris said adamantly.

  “Wait a minute, who are you?” She demanded in a disbelieving tone.

  “I am Chris Woods, owner of Bear Lake,” he introduced himself nonchalantly, beginning to gather materials around to start a fire near the back of the cave.

  She watched him, as he silently went about collecting branches and dried leaves. Her eyes began darting to the entrance of the cave, where she was barely able to make out the shadows of her only route of escape.

  “No, you are not! I am the owner of Bear Lake. I have the title to prove it,” Annabella said adamantly, rising from her sitting position at the same time to emphasize her point by increasing her stature.

  She moved as fast as lightning, but not as fast as he did. Her escape was cut short by the swipe of a huge bear claw, which came only a butterfly’s wing from her face. She stilled instantly as the enormous grizzly bear stopped her escape and blocked out all of the remaining moonlight coming from the cave entrance. She was instantly in the dark, her hand lightly touching the soft, thick fur on his side. She could feel the intense heat coming from his body toward her, basking her as if by the sunshine.

  Her heart was hammering in her chest, her breath was heaving, and her hands were clammy. That was the last thing she remembered as she slid to the floor in a dull thud in a limp faint.

  When Annabella finally woke up, she heard the crackle of the fire first, before even opening her eyes. She listened for evidence if she was alone or not, but then heard his soft breathing.

  She slowly opened her eyes to see the firelight dancing on the walls. Chris was laying on a moss bed, completely nude and relaxed in his repose.

  She looked over at the entrance to the cave, which was now blocked by an enormous mossy boulder. She must have fainted. She sat up quickly, her movement and the accompanying sound waking Chris instantly as well.

  “Ahh, My Beauty, how are you feeling?” Chris asked, his voice sincerely concerned.

  “Where am I?” Annabella demanded, “and I am not your anything!”

  “You are in my cave. Would you like some water?”

  “Why did you bring me here?” She asked.

  “You are persistent, aren’t you?” He said chuckling. The sound was warm, deep, and felt like a fleece blanket wrapping around her.

  “Since our intrusive, but non-violent, attempts to persuade you to leave have been unsuccessful, I thought I might try to make our case to you directly. What you have been doing on Bear Lake has impacted the welfare of the animals on the mountain, which will be further impacted by the cabins, loss of habitat, and the destructive activities of humans. I am here to negotiate the complete cease and desist from these activities,” Chris announced, handing her a piece of smoked salmon warmed by the fire. The smokey delicious smell surrounded her in its embrace.

  She took what he handed her and then just looked at it.

  “Smoked salmon, you’ll love it,” he encouraged her with a small grin.

  Chris knew she had tried unsuccessfully to fish in the lake but had given up her efforts to eat plastic containers of pudding and nuts and dried fruit instead.

  Annabella dipped her head, taking a little bit of the salmon in her mouth. She put her head back in total ecstasy as the perfectly seasoned and smoked fish danced around in her mouth delighting her taste buds.

  She looked over at Chris. His caramel-colored skin glowed in the pale light from the fire. He didn’t seem to mind how odd it was to be there in her white lacy nightgown with a well-endowed man sitting nude across from her. She looked his body over, her cleft heating and swelling with need. She tried to focus her mind on the conversation they needed to have so that he would allow her to go. Apparently, leaving on her own terms had not been successful.

  “What activities are you talking about? I haven’t destroyed anything. I have been very respectful, only taking out the minimum number of trees for the cabin pad and fire pit. I have been a model conservationist if you ask anyone,” she said, looking at his face and trying not to look down. Her last glimpse told her that his cock had thickened and had risen to stand upright. She tried not to stare, but she couldn’t help herself. Just a quick glance confirmed her suspicions and made her heart thrum loudly in her ears.

  “Well, all your hammering and banging is pushing all the large prey down the mountain. So, large predators and their young are not able to eat!” He said, with a spark of anger.

  She looked over at him, weighing her next words. She didn’t want to offend him.

  “It will all be over soon. All I have to do is raise the roof and the first cabin will be finished. Everything will go back to normal after then,” she protested in her defense.

  “Really? With all the trucks, four-wheelers, people living in the cabins, pleasure hunters, habitat destruction, or pollution of the lake, will nothing be able to persuade you that what you are doing is PERMANENTLY disrupting the delicate balance of life on this mountain?” He said angrily.

  “I know it comes with some growing pains, but in the end, it will go back to the way it was and…” Annabella tried to
explain but Chris cut her off.

  “Let me just give you ONE example of how this permanently affects us! Grizzly bears are the slowest reproducing land mammals. We mate between May and July, so like right now. If a female bear has not gained enough fat over the summer to survive and raise cubs, implantation does not occur. A female grizzly’s ability to garner enough high-quality calories through the summer is not just crucial for her own survival, but also for her reproductive ability,” Chris shouted. “So your banging around already has cost the lives of some grizzly females and their small cubs they won’t be able to adequately feed PLUS the next generation which will not be born because you had to have this cabin built while we are trying to get ready for winter.”

  “I never thought about it that way,” she said, sitting back against the cave wall, “I am sorry. I never knew.”

  He looked over at her, as she started softly sobbing. Realizing he was probably too emotional, Chris went over and took her in his arms, sheltering her in his broad chest and stroking her silky hair.

  Her tears soaked his hairy chest and her face nuzzled against his skin which made his cock respond by lengthening and thickening to an almost painful level. He had never held a woman in his arms like this. The sensation of her cheek against his skin was so feather soft, yet it drew his attention to each small part of her which touched him. He was hyper-aware of where they were touching. Her pheromones swirled around him like a cloud of temptation. He wanted to make love to her, but he didn’t want to scare her with the voracity with which his kind accomplished the act.

  She looked up at him, her eyes full of unshed tears. Chris reached behind her head to draw her lips to his, crushing her mouth in a heavy kiss meant to wipe all the sadness out of her mind. Annabella pressed up against him just as hard, hungry for him as well. She began running her hands over his shoulders, rubbing each inch which she could touch.

  He groaned into her mouth while lifting her nightgown from her lap up and over her head. She sat there pressed against him in only a small triangle of lace as the rest of her heated skin was pressed against him, from neck to thighs. He opened his arms, inviting her deeper into his embrace. She climbed above him, spreading her thighs and letting his thick cock rest at the precipice of her feminine hood. Only the thin piece of fabric was between them. Chris groaned again and took one of his fingers, plucking the panties up, then ripping the delicate lace away from her skin. She gasped into his mouth when she felt the swollen lips of her feminine hood part and beckon him inside.

  He felt powerless to resist the deep desire and need inside of him, which was confirmed by his bear. He knew she was his mate. Even as much as his mind wanted to resist the idea that his mate was a human, he couldn’t fight the feeling of this being so very right. They fit together like a hand and glove, her tunnel so very tight on his cock as if they were of one skin. He leaned down, taking her in his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist, and standing up to kiss her deeply as each part of their bodies joined together in a slick, hot throbbing embrace of desire. When their lips met, it was like kismet. His body, his soul, and his bear knew her and welcomed her into his heart.

  His warm mouth took hers, crushing her lips as his cock split her pussy folds in hard swift strokes. She cried out, the searing pleasure ripping through her as she gasped into his mouth and all her tissues made room for him inside. He held her tenderly, kissing her mouth and being still inside her until she started moving her hips in slow circles seeking him and the stimulation she needed and craved.

  He pushed inside even more while licking her neck, sucking her breasts and pounding her pussy with his cock. The strength of his thick cock demanded her response, pushing her folds to each side and making her arch and cry out in trembling ecstasy. Her pussy started thundering, like a great heartbeat as he stroked inside of her endlessly, until she felt completely out of control. She was unable to contain the immense build-up of excitement until her mind went numb and sparkles exploded behind her closed eyelids. Her body quaked and spasmed, racked with orgasm after orgasm until she was weak as a cub.

  He leaned down delving his tongue inside her mouth, sealing her pleasure with his most tender, searing kiss. He then roared in ultimate pleasure as his cock was racked with his own release. She looked into his kind, gentle eyes. She knew that many important decisions would need to be made about their future. They just didn’t need to make them

  right now. At this moment, she was just a woman, not the owner of anything or entitled to any rights, except to his love.

  He lay her down on the mossy bed, so gently that the cushioning of the moss leaves was exquisite. Then he went to the fire to bank it for the night. Annabella wouldn’t be cold, not with this man beside her. He lay down, taking her in his arms, pulling her on top of his warm body and then shifted back into his bear form for sleeping. She was shocked at first, believing that the memory of the reason for her faint had been her wild imagination. She then snuggled into the warmth of his coat on top of his enormous body. She had never been so comfortable or peaceful in all her life, as she was with his heartbeat against her cheek. She felt happy in a way which could not be explained except to say, she felt emotionally, physically, and in every other way: SAFE.

  Annabella smiled into his rough, silky, musky coat, enjoying the smell and texture against her face. He was a bear. He was her bear. As unlikely as that had been in her life, she accepted it as a physical fact.

  Chapter 5

  Many hours later, she shifted her knee, which rubbed across his svelte human skin as she snuggled up against him even closer. Chris smiled against her hair, stroking his forearm down her shoulder lovingly. So much had changed in just one night. If anyone had said that he would be spooning with the stubborn, obstinate Annabella Black, he would have told them to get their head examined. He picked up her small, delicate hand from the center of his hairy chest and began kissing each fingertip in turn. Soon, he realized that she was watching him with relaxed, heavily lidded eyes.

  “Good morning, Beautiful, how was your sleep?” Chris asked.

  She yawned and stretched, feeling better than she had in her entire life.

  “I slept like a bear,” she said, chuckling under her breath.

  He smiled. Her pale complexion and blonde hair against his darkly matted chest was a beautiful sight.

  “So, what happens now?” He asked.

  “I don’t know. I didn’t understand what I was doing, you must believe me,” she replied, her voice pleading.

  “I do believe you. I can see in your eyes that you are sincere. That you don’t want to hurt any of us,” Chris said, stroking her temple with his soft fingers.

  “Oh, I have…I have a construction crew due out to my cabin early this morning. I have to go,” Annabella suddenly realized and looked across the cave toward where her nightgown was thrown.

  “You’re going on with your plans after all that we…discussed…last night?” He asked, his voice hurt and tinged with anger.

  “My plans are going to be changed, that’s why I have to talk to the crew. How do I get back to my cabin?” She asked, kissing him briefly.

  “Follow the sunrise,” he said, explaining direction the way only a bear would.

  Then he moved the boulder from the entrance to the cave and Annabella emerged to the most magnificent sight she had ever beheld. The light of dawn was coming up through the clouds. The orange and red was painted across the sky with the gray clouds in fluffy shapes behind it. That was when she knew that she had to show others the wonders of this mountain in such a way that they would fight beside her to protect it.

  “I have to go, really, I do,” Annabella said, kissing Chris on his nose as if to placate him.

  He wanted to follow her. He needed to know her plans because he did not yet trust that all the commotion of the past few weeks was over. He had to decide if he stayed in his cave, trusting a veritable stranger, or continued demanding his rights, standing up on the behalf o
f others. Could he trust this new-found love? The survival and welfare of the whole mountain were depending on him to make the right choice. He wanted to trust her, really he did, but what if he was wrong? What if she used her knowledge of were-bear shifters to wield power against them? He sat down on the mossy bench, holding his head in his hands as he was unsure of what to do.

  Annabella rushed out of the cave toward her cabin. She was hit in the face by the realization that changing her plans at this point would bankrupt her. She had put all of her savings, taken out loans, and guaranteed them with her inheritance banking on the money-making potential of the retreat center. There were going to be twenty-four cabins, each with their own epicenter of activities. She was going to rent equipment, such as kayaks, boats, fishing outfits. They were going to have pools, steam rooms, and hot tubs. She had hired a world class chef to do banquets and catering.

  How was she ever going to recover from just the financial outlay she had already expended? She couldn’t make that back in two lifetimes. The bankers had loaned on the plan which had been checked and double checked by accounting and business management firms. Most of the money had already been disbursed to the architects, construction crews, planners, accountants...