Red's Bear (Erotic Shifter Fairy Tales) by Yvette Hines

Something was wrong. As a Were-female she
should not have been able to resist the mating lust once it was upon them. Her
return kiss had been passionate, desperate and fierce, yet still restrained.
    Inhaling deeply, wanting to capture her scent, imprint
it on his soul, he became more aware of the problem. Under the floral honey
notes of her scent, there should have been marking of her species—Were-bear
markings. Rena’s was faint. Almost as if she was a young Were. One just coming
into maturity.
    However, she had to be close to thirty and that change
took place around their sixteenth human year. Like how old he was the first
time he’d kissed her.
    “Why have you stayed away so long?”
    She glanced at him over her shoulder then turned to
face him, slowly. “I don’t know what business that is of yours. I’m still
trying to figure out how I can get you out of this house and off my
grandmother’s property.”
    A single corner of his mouth kicked up, she was a bold
saucy thing. He liked his women with backbone. “You can’t. I’m here to do a job
for Genma while she’s gone.”
    She lowered her head, dropping it into her hands. “Oh,
goodness, that’s right…the landscaper was coming.”
    “In the flesh.” Widening his stance, he folded his arms
over his chest.
    Raising her head, she gave him a small smile. A false
smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Look, you’re here to do a job. So, we will
just keep out of each other’s way and chalk up the kiss to a mistake.”
    “It wasn’t,” he declared.
    The smile slipped some. “Okay, we will say…you were
expecting someone else.”
    “I wasn’t.”
    The smile on her mouth was only held in place because
she was clenching her teeth. “Would you prefer that I radio the sheriff and
tell him you accosted me?”
    Laughter rumbled through his chest and exploded into
the room as he tipped his head back letting it free.
    “I’m not sure what you see is so funny.”
    She would if she were fully Were. Sheriff Smokey would
walk into the house and take one whiff of the heat boiling between them and
Cord’s golden gaze and know what was going on. The law man would turn right
around and leave. In Den County the law didn’t interfere in life mate issues.
The mates were expected to work it out or die trying.
    Composing himself, he said, “It would take too long to
explain and as you said, I have work to do.”
    “Well, then you should get to it.” Grabbing both ends
of her belt, she pulled it tighter then moved to the bar. “Now, you have
already made my breakfast cold, so if you will excuse me.”
    “How about I cook dinner for you tonight?” He moved
closer to her and noticed the pulse in her neck leap at his nearness.
Definitely not unaffected like she wanted him to believe.
    It was her turn to laugh. “You’ve got to be kidding me.
After the kiss in the pantry, I’d be crazy to think I’d be safe at a strange
man’s home.”
    Lifting his hand, he caressed the side of her face with
a finger, sweeping it down under her plump bottom lip. He felt the quake that rocketed
through his body as the small contact caused a shudder in her body, but
thankfully she didn’t draw away from him or slap him again.
    “You will always be safe with me, my hazel-eyed beauty.
I will give my life to protect you.”
    There was a small intake of breath as she stared at him
with her innocent gaze.
    Moving away, he headed into the living room. Spotting
the list on the end table, he grabbed it then exited the house by the patio
door. His mate needed time. Time to accept what was happening between
them. Time to see what was going to happen.
    He needed to sort out what was going on with her and
her bear. More than he did this morning, he wished he had caught Genma and his
grandmother before they had left. He had so many questions. Things it didn’t
seem that Rena could answer.
    But no matter what he discovered, one day soon the
moment would be right for him to claim her.
    Mine ,