Page 30 of Fire Bear (Return To Fate Mountain #1)
Chapter
Thirty
Moonlight bathed the clearing around the cabin. The glow spilled over fallen pine needles and the edges of the driveway. Eliana inhaled deeply, marveling at how vivid the scents were. She detected moss, damp earth, and the distant hush of water trickling somewhere beyond her sight.
Her breath caught, and her knees threatened to buckle under the intensity. She knew she had to shift, to let her new bear form take over. Ash appeared behind her, naked in the moonlight.
He nodded, giving silent support. She closed her eyes, surrendering to the raw force that coursed through her veins. Pain and ecstasy mingled as her bones began to reshape. She let out a cry that turned into a deep-throated snarl as her throat elongated.
The transformation surged through her muscles. Her arms and legs contorted, her torso expanded, her skin rippled with thickening fur. The sensations slammed through her in a rapid pulse. She clenched her teeth as they elongated and sharpened. The world swam before her eyes as they adjusted to her new world.
Her ears twitched, capturing every subtle sound of the forest, and her breath filled massive new lungs. She blinked, trying to steady herself against the swirling excitement.
Instinct guided her to step forward, and her large paws padded across the ground. A flutter of triumph rippled up her spine. She was a bear now, and it felt magnificent. Eliana heard a low rumble behind her. Turning, she saw another bear stepping into the moonlight. Ash’s form was broad-shouldered, his fur darker than hers under the silver glow.
Their eyes locked, and she sensed her bond with him on a primal level that transcended words. It was as if they could sense each other’s thoughts, feel each other’s feelings. The sensation did her in. They were in perfect unison in a way she’d never experienced before. It only added to her growing certainty that her decision to become a shifter was right.
Ash rumbled in greeting, lumbering closer until they were nose to nose. The gentle bump of his muzzle against hers radiated comfort, love, and a sense of adventure. She inhaled, absorbing the complex scents from Ash’s fur and the forest. The rush of awareness threatened to overpower her, and their mate bond blazed between them.
They set off into the trees, side by side. Each step spurred a deeper thrill in Eliana’s chest. She felt unstoppable. The ground beneath her paws seemed to pulse with life, resonating through her bones.
Every snap of a twig and shift of leaves penetrated her consciousness in vivid color. She caught the scent of a small critter, perhaps a rabbit, scurrying away. She had no desire to chase it, only to rejoice in the shared energy of the forest and being in perfect union with Ash.
She felt his body right beside her, as if they moved as one through the forest. The moon guided them across slopes and through thick underbrush. They sprang over logs, bounding with a power she had never imagined. She glanced at Ash, adoring his fluid motions beside her.
The two bears climbed a ridge, the moon’s light spilling down like a waterfall. The vantage point revealed a forest stretching endlessly, crowned by stars. It was all so beautiful, she could barely contain her joy.
A surge of elation burst from her chest, and she lifted her muzzle in a triumphant cry. The sound reverberated among the pines, and it echoed back as if the forest roared its approval.