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

him from seeing her inside.
    Damn it.
    Peeping back out, she saw that he was not only still
looking toward her, but smiling as well. When he winked, she turned and rushed
to her room.
    In the room, she stood before the mirror over the
dresser and observed the woman staring back at her. The same woman who had come
to the woods in hopes of restoring her health, instead she had stumbled into
the arms of a man who in one kiss had showed her a passion like she’d never
known.
    How could she feel so different inside since the last
twenty-four hours, but still be the same on the outside.
    What she really expected to see was evidence of the lie
she had told Cord. She had said she didn’t recall her time in Den County when
she was younger. Had alleged that she didn’t recall him. Everything else may be
fuzz in her head, trapped in storage her mother had created, but when Cord had
kissed her everything about him had been revealed in bold, brassy color.
    Both the minty, heady taste of him and the gold tone of
his gaze had bared the memory to her. Even standing there in the room she could
see the two of them sitting on the dock, him teaching her how to fish and then
the kiss. Even at thirteen she had noted the small ripples of desire she felt
being around Cord. Their kiss had been brief but earth shifting, until her
mother had screamed her name as if she’d committed a cardinal sin.
    When her mother dragged her away from him, Rena had
glanced back and was captured in his confused golden gaze. She didn’t
understand the meaning or the reason for his eye color change, then or now, but
she knew she needed to keep far away from the intense man.
    “You just have to make it through the week, Rena. Then
once your grandmother comes home you can be on the first plane speeding out of
California.”

Chapter
Six
     
    “Well, look who finally remembered where they live.”
Changing from animal to human, Cord called out to the big brown bear coming
down the path toward him.
    The other bear shifted and became a man just as big as
Cord. “Kiss my ass.” Theo laughed at Cord’s ribbing. “One sec and I’ll get you
a pair of pants to put on so you can come in for coffee and biscotti.”
    “I see how it is, you don’t want to tempt your wife
with a more virile Were-male.” Cord followed his good friend to the Kodiak
family cabin.
    “Keep dreaming.” Theo entered his house by the laundry
room then tossed out a pair of jeans to Cord.
    After he got the pants on and fastened, Cord took the
steps two at a time.
    “Well, hello, Cord.” Riley, Theo’s life mate of a year,
moved from her husband’s arms and crossed the kitchen to Cord.
    He gave her a fierce hug and received the same in
return. “It’s good to see you, Riley. How are your parents?”
    “Wonderful.” She stepped back and smiled. “They could
not get enough of the boys and their newest granddaughter.”
    “I bet.” He took one of two mugs of coffee Theo was
carrying. “Where are the little ones now?” Except for their conversation, Cord
noticed the house was quiet.
    “Thankfully, they are sleeping. They were out before we
crossed into Den.” Theo sat at the head of the long wooden table.
    Cord claimed a side seat and reached for the jar in the
center of the table, an abundant staple in all Den residents cabin home. Adding
a large dollop of honey into his coffee he then pushed it toward Theo.
    “Well, I will leave you bear males to yourselves.”
Riley placed a plate of her homemade mixed-berry biscotti on the table between
them.
    “You’re leaving and sticking me with this guy’s
company?” Cord aimed a finger at Theo.
    Laughing, Riley walked to her mate and kissed him. Cord
noticed that Theo didn’t want to be out of his wife’s presence, by the thick
arm surrounding her waist.
    “I’ll make him promise to be on his best behavior. Or
he won’t get any more treats tonight.” She wiggled out of her husband’s arm
then blew him a kiss and headed out.
    “No