“I’m scared.”
He sighed, tossing his head back and glaring at the lone rain cloud above. “Then let me do it for you this first time, and you won’t have to be scared anymore.” He settled his gold gaze back on her. “Deal?”
“I got a sticker in my foot.” She plucked the little thorn from her arch and pouted. Not because it really hurt, but because it was funny watching Dade shake his head with an utter look of defeat.
He gritted his teeth and pulled her waist against him, then kissed her hard, tongue pushing past her lips and brushing hers. A soft moan wrenched from her throat as she slid her hands up his chest and around his neck.
He rolled his hips against her, his denim brushing her sex. He bit her bottom lip and pulled on the backs of her knees until she encircled his hips.
A soft growl rattled her chest, and she eased back, feeling her animal stretch awake inside of her. “Oooh, I see what you did there.”
“Well, don’t fight her, woman. Let her out.”
Her breath sped up as panic constricted her throat at the thought of becoming other. But if she wanted to join the rest of the Breck Crew today to celebrate Bruiser’s visit, along with their small victory in the news, she had to let this happen.
“Do you trust me?” Dade whispered.
Quinn nodded. “Always.”
He set her down and shucked his jeans. And with a cocky, crooked smile that she adored, he arched back and yelled. His voice turned into a deep roar as a dark-furred grizzly burst from him. The earth shook as he landed on all fours in front of her. Powerful legs and a big barrel chest. Long, curved canines and paws the size of her head. His neck was thickly muscled, and his eyes were still that green-gold that all of the Kellers possessed. He was magnificent.
With a proud smile, she watched him saunter a few steps toward the tree line, then look back at her over his shoulder, waiting.
The tingling in her arms spread through her chest, and she cried out in surprise as a smattering of cracks shook her body. One more breath, and she closed her eyes against a blast of power that shook her entire body to its core.
Blood humming, she rocked forward and stared in awe at her six-inch black claws that dug divots in the earth. Her fur was dark as a redwood, and when she tried to speak, a soft, feral grunt filled her throat.
Dade rubbed his face down hers, then down her side. The last of the tingling sensation faded as he inhaled her fur and snuffled against her neck. She’d been so scared of this, and for what? Dade was here. She was safe. And—she looked down at her paws, covered in weapons—being a bear was awesome.
Her whole life, she’d felt an affinity with animals, and now she was one.
She inhaled the earthy scent of the surrounding woods, committing them to memory as home. As a reward for his patience, she play bit Dade’s thick neck and rubbed her head under his chin. He let off a huffing sound like a laugh.
Come on, he seemed to say as he tilted his head toward a trail that cut through the trees. Quinn walked close beside him through their woods.
And as the feral call of the Breck Crew filled the air, she hurried her steps, eager to see them.
Brushing her head against Dade’s thick fur once more, she charged forward, her feet pounding the earth as her heart raced with happiness.
These woods were home, and the roaring bears calling her to them were family.
No matter what the fates had in store for her crew, no one could take this away from her.
She had everything.
Up Next in the Fire Bears Series
(Fire Bears, Book 3)
Coming June 2015
Bear Shifter Romance Newsletter Sign-Up
For new releases, exclusive sneak peeks, and giveaways, sign up for T. S. Joyce’s Bear Shifter Romance Newsletter HERE.
Other Books by T. S. Joyce
Saw Bears
Lumberjack Werebear (Book 1)
Woodcutter Werebear (Book 2)
Timberman Werebear (Book 3)
Sawman Werebear (Book 4)
Axman Werebear (Book 5)
Bear Valley Shifters
The Witness and the Bear (Book 1)
Devoted to the Bear (Book 2)
Return to the Bear (Book 3)
Betray the Bear (Book 4)
Redeem the Bear (Book 5)
Bear Valley Valentine (Valentine’s Day Novella)
Hells Canyon Shifters
Call of the Bear (Book 1)
Fealty of the Bear (Book 2)
Avenge the Bear (Book 3)
Claim the Bear (Book 4)
Wolf Brides
Wolf Bride (Book 1)
Red Snow Bride (Book 2)
Dawson Bride (Book 3)
Standalone Shifter Romance
Coveted by the Bear
Amazon
Standalone Contemporary Romance
Shelter Me Home
Amazon
About the Author
T. S. Joyce
T.S. Joyce is devoted to bringing hot shifter romances to readers. Hungry alpha males are her calling card, and the wilder the men, the more she'll make them pour their hearts out. Experienced at handling an alpha male of her own, she lives in a tiny town, outside of a tiny city, and devotes her life to writing big stories. Foodie, bear whisperer, ninja, thief of tiny bottles of awesome smelling hotel shampoo, nap connoisseur, movie fanatic, and zombie slayer, and most of this bio is true.
Bear Shifters? Check
Smoldering Alpha Hotness? Double Check
Sexy Scenes? Fasten up your girdles, ladies and gents, it’s gonna to be a wild ride.
For more information about T. S. Joyce and her work, visit her website here.
Contents
Other Books in the Fire Bears Series
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Epilogue
Up Next in the Fire Bears Series
Bear Shifter Romance Newsletter Sign-Up
Other Books by T. S. Joyce
Bear Valley Shifters
Hells Canyon Shifters
Wolf Brides
Standalone Shifter Romance
Standalone Contemporary Romance
About the Author