Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 21243 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 106(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21243 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 106(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
Cameron phases into his bear first, then Logan.
“Please don’t eat me, dude,” Julian says one last time before phasing into his bear.
“Wow,” Courtney says with a gulp as she looks at the three grizzly bears standing near her. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this.”
All three bears are watching me cautiously, not moving, their eyes alert, looking like they’re ready for anything.
I turn to Courtney and she smiles encouragingly. “You can do this, Adrian. I know you can. Whatever happens, it will be okay. Even if I have to live in the woods for the rest of my life, I’ll happily be the Jane to your Tarzan.”
“I love you,” I tell her. “More than you’ll ever know.”
“I know,” she says with a warm smile. “I love you too.”
After a deep breath, I pull my bear up and sink back down.
Please be cool.
My body shakes and my muscles swell up as he comes raging forward. It burns all over, but it’s over quickly as he explodes out of me.
I’m terrified to be back down here in the darkness, watching helplessly as he takes in the three bears in front of him.
I don’t feel the usual suffocating rage surging through him or the feral need to destroy everything in sight.
He looks at Courtney first and I feel a warm content flowing through him. It feels like love, appreciation, affection.
It’s almost as if she’s tamed his wild side. As if she’s civilized the crazy out of him.
He turns to the three bears with a huff. Cameron’s bear is on edge, pacing from side to side as he glares at my grizzly. Those two have the most violent history out of all of them. When they battle, they go at it hard.
My bear glances over at Julian’s bear and then at Logan’s. He’s not interested in any of them and casually walks over to Courtney to sniff her hand.
She smiles in relief as she runs her fingers through his fur, making him groan in pleasure.
I can’t believe it. I’m watching in shock as the bear who’s tormented me for the majority of my life acts like a lovestruck little kitten.
Cameron’s bear isn’t as forgiving. He hasn’t forgotten their past and lets out a low vicious growl.
My bear turns to him and I can feel the protectiveness he feels for our mate emanating through him.
Oh crap… This isn’t going to be good.
He walks right up to Cameron’s grizzly as the other two perk up, looking ready for a fight.
The lip of Cameron’s bear is up, showing his teeth as he snarls. My bear steps forward and I watch in horror as he… licks his cheek?! What the hell?
Cameron’s bear looks as confused as I feel. My bear licks his cheek again and then nuzzles the side of his head on Cameron’s grizzly’s neck.
The sound of Courtney giggling in relief is music to my ears as my bear makes amends for all of the fights, mayhem, and general shit he’s put these bears through over the years.
It doesn’t take long for all of them to let their guards down and become the brothers they are. Maybe they sensed something has changed in him or maybe they’re tired of the fighting, but one thing is for certain—they seem genuinely happy to have him back to normal.
And so am I.
Epilogue
Courtney
Three months later…
“What do you think?” Adrian asks as I walk into the room. I look around at the freshly painted walls and my cheeks hurt from the huge smile I give him.
“It’s incredible!”
“Really?”
I nod my head up and down. “I can’t believe this is the same cabin.”
“I can’t believe that we managed to get the raccoons out of here,” Julian says with a laugh.
The four boys have been working their asses off to renovate Adrian’s cabin. Pretty much everything has been changed except for the foundation. I look around at our new living room and our large new kitchen, and it already feels like home. The paint was the last thing to go up before we could start to move my stuff in.
The lease to my apartment finishes at the end of the week and I did not renew. When Adrian asked me to move in, I couldn’t say no.
“All the painting is done?” I ask. It looks done. The walls are a nice warm beige and they even painted the baseboards white.
“We’re done,” Cameron says as he dumps his paintbrush onto the painting tray. “Come on boys, beers at my place. Let’s let the lovebirds enjoy their new nest.”
“Wait a second,” Adrian says as the three of them head to the door. “Aren’t you going to help me clean up?”
“I paint, I don’t clean,” Cameron says before disappearing out the door.
“There’s like twelve brushes here!” Adrian shouts after him.
“If he’s not cleaning, I’m not cleaning,” Julian says as he drops the roller he was using next to Cameron’s brush and walks out. “Sorry, bro. I just really don’t want to.”