Page 66 of Mated to the Mountain Bear

"Wow. A bear… Cool."

I try to keep him talking while I work out how to get to his keys. I know he's faster and stronger, but I'm desperate, and I only need a small window of opportunity.

"So where is he?" I stand and glance outside, pretending to check for the wolf, when really, I'm making sure that his old pickup is still parked in the same place. “And how did he find us?”

“I’m assuming he followed Beau. Knew he’d eventually lead him back to you. Clever, really.”

I’m barely listening as I calculate the distance to his vehicle, and my chances of getting there before he can catch me. They’re not great.

"Sit down, Zara." Ben's voice booms out into the small space, making my heart pound in my chest.

My ass hits the sofa before my brain even registers his words. Staring open-mouthed, my eyes zero in on Ben's tanned hands, slowly unbuttoning the front of his shirt.

"You're not fucking stealing my truck. You're safer with me."

"Debatable." I scoff, briefly tearing my gaze away from his sculpted chest and rock-hard abs to stare up at him mutinously.

"I am a bear. A bear who's going to make sure that fucking wolf doesn't get anywhere near you ever again."

When his hands go to his belt, I swallow hard. Fine. I'll let the hot, insane man do his striptease, and maybe when he's naked, I can make a break for it.

"Don't freak out, Zara."

Too late for that, I think.

"I'd never hurt you, I promise."

He steps back, giving me space, standing in the middle of the room in all his naked glory. And damn, he is as glorious as I remember. For a heartbeat, I think this is just some elaborate seduction technique.

Then his body begins to change.

The sound hits me first. A wet crackling, like green wood splitting in fire. His bones are breaking, reshaping. I watch in frozen horror as his spine curves, lengthens. Thick brown fur erupts across his skin in waves. His face elongates into a muzzle, human features disappearing into something primitive and predatory.

My lungs forget how to work. I can't breathe, can't move, can't even scream.

Where Ben stood just seconds ago, a massive grizzly bear now fills half the living room. Dark brown fur with lighter tips catches the firelight. But those eyes... those same intelligent brown eyes watch me from a predator's face.

The bear sits back on its haunches, careful, controlled. Waiting.

That breaks my paralysis.

"Holy fucking shit!" The scream tears from my throat as I scramble to my feet, pressing my back against the wall. My palms are slick with sweat against the wood, legs shaking so hard, they barely hold me.

This can't be real. This can't be fucking real.

The bear doesn't move, just watches me with Ben's eyes. Somehow, that's worse than if it had attacked.

My gaze darts to the door. The keys. Escape.

I spring off the side of the couch, adrenaline giving me speed I didn't know I had. My fingers close around the keys on the kitchen counter as I bolt for the door.

My fingertips brush the metal handle right before I'm lifted from the ground. Human arms wrap around me, warm skin against mine. I feel the scratch of a familiar beard against my cheek.

Ben. Human again. Naked and holding me.

His voice is barely more than a growl as he whispers, deep and husky, into my ear, "Like I said, you need to understand."

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