EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING

www.evernightpublishing.com

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Copyright© 2026 Sam Crescent and Stacey Espino

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ISBN: 978-0-3695-1520-9

Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

Editor: Lisa Petrocelli

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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.  No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews. No AI Training permitted.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

BRED BY THE BEAST

Breeding Season, 11

Sam Crescent and Stacey Espino

Copyright © 2026

Chapter One

Poppy wasn’t a hiker.

Trekking for hours through the rugged terrain had her thighs burning and feet aching. But she was determined to get a pic of the notorious giant grizzly. There’d been supposed sightings the past month, and she wanted to be the one photographer to capture the image. The hefty five-thousand-dollar prize offered to the person who brought in a clear picture was a definite incentive. Poppy was not rich, and photography certainly didn’t pay the bills. Today could be a game-changer.

Not only would she win the cash prize, but her name would be out there for all to see. The jobs would come flooding in, and her financial worries would be over.

She stopped, set down her oversized backpack, and pulled out her water bottle. God, the views were breathtaking. Poppy loved nature, especially the sunsets and wildflowers. She’d been drawing and scrapbooking flowers for years. She was proud to know the scientific names of countless plant species, not that such knowledge would ever prove useful.

After readjusting her ponytail, she slung the backpack on again and started heading in the same direction. It shouldn’t be too much longer according to her calculations. Then she’d settle in with her binoculars and watch the mountainside for movement. No one said this trip was going to be easy, or everyone would be cashing in. So, she wouldn’t complain. Not about the aches and pains, the dropping temperatures, or the deep-seated fear of the unknown playing with her imagination.

After another hour or so of trudging through the thick underbrush and fallen trees, she decided she couldn’t go any farther. Poppy got to the edge of the mountainside and looked down the cliff face. It was thick with tree coverage and seemed to go on forever. She decided it was a good vantage point, so she dropped everything and started to settle in.

She sat down, leaning against a tree, and pulled out her notebook. She wrote down everything from to-do lists, to random thoughts. As she fanned through the old book, she exhaled. At thirty-two she was sitting here in the middle of nowhere like a loser hoping for the needle-in-a-haystack picture.

Poppy had no savings, no property, no boyfriend, and unstable employment. She had to lose at least fifty pounds, her cholesterol was too high, and her window to have a child was getting smaller each year.

She laughed to herself. It sounded worse than it really was. She wasn’t unhappy, just lonely. Survival wasn’t a big deal, as she was used to it. It was the quiet evenings, watching other couples holding hands, envisioning growing old alone. Those were the killers.

She chewed on a piece of beef jerky. It was extra good because she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. As she chewed on her food, her peripheral vision alerted her to movement. Poppy gasped, scrambling to locate her binoculars and camera. She crawled to the edge of the embankment and started focusing the settings, a piece of jerky still between her teeth.

As the image cleared, she stayed as still as possible. It wasn’t across the valley like she expected, but just down a bit on her side of the slope where there was a grassy clearing. There were three men.

Shit.

Others obviously had the same idea. She wondered if they’d already gotten a picture of the mysterious monster grizzly. The tabloids called it, “The Beast of the Mountain.” They looked so much better prepared than her with a lot of equipment.

She sat back down on her butt but kept watching. If they weren’t packing up, maybe they hadn’t gotten a picture yet. And with all those supplies, it would take them longer to get out of the forest. If she got her pic in first, she’d get the reward, no matter how many pics they brought in later.

Poppy examined the plants and weeds nearby from where she was sitting. Nothing exciting was happening when she checked her binoculars. She noted a few highly poisonous weeds and berries, and some edible plants she may clip and eat later if she had to. Maybe her useless knowledge would come in handy after all.

She started drawing pictures in the dirt with a stick. That’s when the gunshot made her squeal. With her heart racing, she grabbed the binoculars and looked out in the direction of the three men. Her breathing picked up, nausea swirling in her gut. They’d killed a bear. She saw it lying there, clear as day, and they were celebrating. She’d come to take a picture, not kill or take a trophy.

Bear hunting was strictly prohibited. Poachers were actually a recurring theme on the evening news. Poachers sold bear parts on the black market for top dollar. That’s when the realization hit her. They weren’t there to take pictures. Those men were probably the illegal poachers the authorities were looking for. Fear spiked through her veins. What could she do?

Poppy hated to see animals suffer. It was her weakness. She couldn’t count how many injured birds and stray cats she’d brought back to health in her basement apartment. This was different. Those men had guns, and they were known to be dangerous. She was helpless to prevent them from hurting the animals. And if they knew she was there, it would not be good for her. She moved away from the edge to stay out of sight.

That’s when she came up with a plan. Any thoughts of a prized photo vanished from her mind completely. Her mission now was to get some high-resolution photos of the poachers and bring them to the police. She could single-handedly help the wildlife in these mountains from being exploited. This felt so much more honorable, and she felt renewed purpose fill her with much-needed energy.

She started setting up her camera, screwing on her extended lenses. Her stomach grumbled, but she ignored it. She brushed away the debris from the edge with her foot, then settled down on her stomach with her camera. Her nerves and adrenaline were on high as she focused on the horrible scene. She began snapping pics. Pics of the scene. Pics of the men. Pics of their crime.

That’s when she felt someone grab her ankle.

Poppy screamed like she’d never screamed before. Her nerves were already shot, and she was surprised her heart didn’t stop beating completely. She whirled around to her back, ready to kick, her camera falling over the side of the cliff. It was just enough time to see a racoon scurrying off. She dropped her head down, staring up at the forest canopy as she tried to catch her breath. Just a curious raccoon. It probably smelled her snacks.

The voices from across the way carried to her in the silence.

Poppy grabbed her binoculars and looked to the clearing. They’d heard her. The men were pointing at her. One looking directly at her with his own high-powered binoculars. One of them fired a shot in her direction. An actual gunshot. As in, they wanted to kill her.

Oh my God.

She was all alone and completely vulnerable. And her evidence was down the cliff. She leaned over the edge and looked down. She exhaled in relief when she saw her camera stuck on a protruding root. It had the evidence she needed. Without it, this was all for nothing.

Poppy wiggled to the edge, reaching with her arm as much as she could without falling over the side herself. She still couldn’t reach. The men were gone, and she knew they were probably trying to find her now. So, she didn’t have much time. Tears of fear and frustration filled her eyes.

“Please,” she chanted, as she kept reaching, an inch more at a time. It was a long fall if she went over the edge. No way would she survive it.

****

Wilder had been watching this group of poachers for days. Humans had been trespassing on his territory for many months, but this was sacred land. He wasn’t able to stop them in time from killing a sow with cubs. It tore his heart apart to witness it. And all he felt was rage. He hated humans. Hated tourists. Hated hunters.

But now the poachers’ interest shifted to another human in the forest. He’d tracked the scent to a lone female. Wilder never involved himself with humans. He’d help an injured fox, but a wounded hiker could die in the wilderness for all he cared.

But for some reason his bear wanted him to intervene, to help the girl who’d just fallen over the side of the cliff. If the hunters were shooting at her, then maybe she wasn’t the enemy. He looked over the cliff, those big blue eyes staring back up at him. She started to scream when he reached out to help her.

“Relax. I’m not a hunter. I’m trying to save you from dying.”

Wilder reached down to where she was holding onto a root with a death-grip and easily pulled her up to solid ground. He was the most powerful animal in the forest, his grizzly unmatched in strength. Against human weapons, he was still at a loss.

“My camera,” she said. “Please, I need my camera.”

“I just saved your life, little human.”

She pointed down the embankment. “I have pictures of the hunters. That’s why they’re after me. I need that evidence for the police.”

And in that instant, all his carefully built walls of hatred for humans lowered just a bit—for her.

“I’ll get it.”

Wilder easily reached for the dangling camera and handed it back to the girl. She appeared soft and pale, her skin flawless. He took a deep breath in, her scent filling his lungs. He didn’t hate it.

“Thank you, but they’re coming here. They’ll find me. I don’t know what to do.” Her voice was shaking, panic slurring her words slightly.

“They want the pictures you took?”

“Yes, it’s evidence of their crimes. I saw them kill a bear and gloat over it,” she said.

“A sow with cubs.”

“You saw it too?”

He didn’t answer her. The hunters were going around the embankment and would be on top of them soon. Wilder wanted to get the girl to safety. His cabin was on the sacred shifter ground, but far from this location. They may have to settle in a cave for the night. The sun would go down within a few hours, and they’d never make it in time.

Humans were delicate creatures, susceptible to the cold, elements, and predators. He’d try to protect her so she could survive long enough to bring the incriminating pictures to the human authorities. Not that he trusted them to act. As far as he was concerned, all humans were corrupt, greedy, and destroyed everything they touched.

He handled trespassers his way. Unfortunately, he was too late to help that sow. Wilder wondered if they’d killed all the cubs, or if they were hiding nearby. He had to find out.

“They’re getting closer. We should leave this place,” he said. “You’ll have to move faster than you were earlier.”

He’d been tracking her for miles. Anyone on sacred land was a threat.

“You saw me earlier?”

“This is my land. I know everything that happens here.”

She grabbed her belongings and followed after him. Being so much smaller, she struggled to keep up. He had to stop too often to wait for her to reach him.

“What’s your name?” she asked as she stepped over forest debris.

“Wilder.”

“My name’s Poppy.”

He wasn’t planning to be best friends with her. Right now, she was just more convenient to him alive than dead. She had pictures that could help the bears from human hunters. And they had a common enemy.

His bear had been annoying him, more interested in the human than it should be. He blamed the fact it was mating season, because he was not attracted to human beings. His bear was just confused.

They’d been traveling for only fifteen minutes, but the distance between the men and them was closing quickly. She was not fast enough.

“You need to move faster,” he said.

“I can’t,” she said. “I just can’t move anymore.” She leaned a hand against a tree, barely able to catch her breath.

“Do you want me to carry you?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Carry me? That won’t make us faster. I’m not exactly a lightweight.”

“You’re a tiny little thing. Come here. I’ll carry you.”

“I don’t know...”

“Would you rather deal with the hunters and their guns?” he asked.

“Okay, fine. Whatever.”

He wasn’t sure if he should throw her over his shoulder or carry her in his arms. He’d never transported a human female through the forest before.

She reached for him and he picked her up. When she wrapped her legs around his waist, it took him by surprise. His cock twitched on instinct, but he refused to acknowledge it. He had to hoist her higher with a hand under her ass. She was thick in all the right places—just like a female bear.

He’d find one of his nearby caves and bunker down until morning. Once the hunters were gone, he’d help her back to the mainland parking lot where her little blue car was parked. Hopefully that would be the end of this unwanted adventure.

Wilder enjoyed his privacy and the silence of the forest. The only pleasures he allowed himself were honey and strong coffee. He didn’t need this little blonde in his life. And whether he believed it or not, neither did his bear.

Chapter Two

Poppy was not used to anyone being able to lift her. She’d always been considered overweight. It was something her doctors constantly moaned about. Even when she lost weight, they were not happy. She did her best to stay as healthy as possible.

Whoever this man was, he clearly was strong, and she held onto him, consciously aware of his hand on her ass. She tried not to think how good that hand felt. It was not appropriate to be attracted to a man she didn’t know. He shouldn’t even have his hands on her.

The panic kept rising, as she was pretty sure she heard those poachers in the near distance. Disgusting people. She had come to realize there was a reason she was alone, single, and quite happy to be that way. Most people were not nice. Like those freaking poachers who killed animals. Anyone who hurt an animal was filth to her.

She took a deep breath. The poor bear. What if this guy was right and it had little babies that were now at risk of dying because of the actions of those selfish men?

“You’re angry?” Wilder asked.

This made her frown. “What?”

“Why are you angry?”

“Because of those men. They’re horrible. I mean, I know bears can be dangerous, and they attack, but they’re the ones hunting it. This is their domain. This is not a place for humans.”

“Why are you here then?” Wilder asked.

“I was hoping to take a picture of some big beast. I wasn’t going to kill it. I just wanted to take a picture.”

“And you think you have a right to take it?” Wilder asked.

This made her frown. Throughout history people had taken pictures, but he was right, who really did have the right to take something like that?

“I honestly don’t know.”

She looked at her camera, feeling a little deflated.

“At least it will help bring those men to justice,” she said.

Widler snorted. “Yes, because you humans are known for making the right decisions.”

She couldn’t help but tense up. “People are brought to justice.”

“Not all the time, and you can’t argue with me that they are, we both know that is not the case.”

She wanted to tell him to put her down, but in the distance, she heard the unmistakable sound of the men getting closer, and she couldn’t help but tighten herself around Wilder. This was dangerous. She didn’t know if Wilder would be a match for the three men. She could throw a mean punch, but she couldn’t exactly evade a bullet. Poppy assumed they were coming with bullets.

She had a bad attitude. She could certainly strip them down with a few choice words. Not that it would do any good. Men like that did not listen to reason. They were assholes.

“I’ll be surprised if anything comes from your camera.”

“The police have WANTED posters up. The news reports on poachers, and it’s illegal.”

“And if those men sell those parts on the dark web, make a profit, and give the cops part of the proceeds, do you think they’re going to turn them in?” Wilder asked.

“You’re ... not very nice,” she said.

“Do you want me to drop you on your ass and let you talk to them?” Wilder asked.

Again, she tightened her arms around his neck. They had already shot at her. She was hopeful the cops were not dirty, but she was also a realist. This wasn’t good.

“Look, I have to be hopeful and believe in the justice system, otherwise, everything is for nothing, and I can’t live with that. I don’t want to live with that.” She hated how desperate she sounded.

“We’ll see.”

Poppy groaned. Something told her he would know better than anyone. “What do you know?” she asked.

“I know I’ve seen those men hunting these parts several times. I also know they’ve had run-ins with the local police. I’ve seen them handing over brown envelopes, and I can guess there is cash in them.”

“Shit!” Poppy said, and she was not one to curse. She actually hated it. “I’m sorry. Why did you help me?”

“Because you might be able to find another way of bringing those men to justice.”

“How?”

“Why not send it in to the news?” Wilder asked.

“The news!” Why hadn’t she thought of that? If Wilder could get her to the network, and she had proven images, then it didn’t matter if the cops were dirty. All that mattered was the evidence of those men and what they had done. There would be outrage. She had to believe other people felt the same way she did.

Wilder suddenly took a turn that removed them from the main dirty path. She tightened her grip around him, and it shocked her that he wasn’t even breaking into a sweat, nor did he seem out of breath.

“Where are we going?”

“They’re gaining on us, but they won’t venture out far from the main path. It’s too dangerous, even for poachers. They’re not stupid.”

It was already getting dark, and Poppy could scarcely see around her. It was moments like this that she wished she ate more carrots, although that was pretty stupid. Clearly, carrots didn’t help you see in the dark. She was starting to feel a little stupid now, and afraid.

“Do you talk this much all the time?” Wilder asked.

Now she wanted the ground to completely open up, swallow her, and hope she never had to look at Wilder again. She’d been speaking this whole time about carrots and thought it had been in her head.

“I’m so sorry,” she said.

“It’s cute, but carrots do have beta-carotene that we all know converts into Vitamin A, which is supposed to be really good for the eyes,” Wilder said.

“Well, aren’t you smart?”

“You don’t get much to do in these mountains other than read, and I happen to enjoy reading.”

He seemed to have a smart answer for everything. This was starting to piss her off. She didn’t know why she was getting agitated. Maybe it was the dark or the fear, or the anger, all combined together.

“This will do for tonight,” Wilder said, and she looked straight ahead only to see a narrow opening in the rock face.

“A cave?”

“We’re not going to make it to my cabin. This is safer and the poachers won’t find us as we’re off the main path, and they can’t see in dark caves. They also won’t be able to sense us.”

“They’re poachers, can’t they sense everything?”

“They have their limitations,” he said.

She wanted to growl and demand to be taken somewhere else. This was horrible. There were probably bats and bugs and wild animals in there. What was the point of complaining, though? She was in no position to make any demands. He was the one in charge, not her.

Wilder could have left her in the hands of the poachers. He was keeping her safe, and she was grateful he showed up when he did.

****

Wilder liked the way Poppy smelled. He also happened to like her name. She was beautiful, just like the flower. But he knew she was terrified of the cave, as most humans would be.

She sat opposite him, and he refused to build a fire. It helped that he had a perfect visual of her. Every now and then, she’d close her eyes for long periods of time. She kept wrapping her arms around her knees, as the temperature was starting to cool.

“Come here,” he said.

She jerked her head toward his direction, but she didn’t look straight at him. It was kind of funny because she didn’t know where he was. Her other senses were becoming magnified.

“What?”

“You’re cold, and rather than do this on your own, why don’t you stop being stubborn and come here? I’m not going to attack you. I could have done that already, or left you to the poachers.”

She pressed her lips together, and he knew he was irritating her. She looked so cute when she was irritated and scared. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

Wilder didn’t like the fact that his bear wanted to be closer to her. The moment he let her go so they could walk into the cave, he sensed his bear was not happy. He didn’t understand this. He’d never been attracted to humans. He hated them. They were destructive, entitled, and disgusting.

There was nothing disgusting, entitled, or even destructive about Poppy. He liked her. There was a fire inside her that reminded him of a female bear. He had a feeling if Poppy had babies, she’d be a fierce momma bear. She’d go to the ends of the earth and fight to the death for her babies.

Wilder couldn’t tear his gaze away as he looked at her, imagining her pregnant with his cubs. She’d look stunning with her tits larger than they already were. He wanted to reach out and touch her, but he held himself back and waited.

Poppy let out another shiver. Was she going to be stubborn? Another human trait.

“Okay, you’re right. Thank you.” She stood up and took a tentative step forward, holding her hand out, and he took it.

If he wanted to give her a fighting chance, he could light a fire. If the poachers came, the cave was large enough, he’d be able to take them on. However, he heard the poachers moved right on by, and it also meant Poppy needed to rely on him just a little longer. She let out a gasp, and he pulled her in close.

“Please tell me it’s you?” she asked, “and we’re not in a cave with another weird creature that’s going to eat me?”

“You clearly watch too many horror movies.”

“Not intentionally. As a kid, I did. I thought it would be cool and then I realized I absolutely hated them, and they’ve made me afraid of the dark ever since. This trip was not my brightest idea.”

“You’re afraid of the dark?” He felt a sweeping wave of protectiveness wash over him.

“Didn’t I mention that? Well, I’m terrified of the dark. Always have been.” She let out a shiver. He pulled her between his legs and wrapped his arms around her, allowing her to rest her head back, but she stayed perfectly still and wouldn’t relax.

“You can rest,” he said.

“What if there are rats?” she asked.

“There are not, and I will make sure nothing comes close.”

“Are you sure there’s nothing else in this cave?” she asked.

He chuckled. “There’s you, me, and spiders, possibly a few bats.”

She let out a little gasp and quickly pulled her legs up into her chest, and he laughed.

“Relax, nothing is going to touch you.”

“What if we take it in shifts? I stay awake and you get some sleep, then you stay awake and I get some sleep.”

“Why don’t you trust me?” he asked. “I’m not tired, and you can rest. I won’t let anything touch you, or eat you, or take you away, or strip your flesh in a second.”

She shuddered again.

“Trust me, I’m the scariest thing in this cave.”

She sighed. “That doesn’t make me feel better.” She let out a little sob. “I did not plan this adventure. I never would have gotten back before dark, regardless. I’d be lost in the forest.”

“You’re safe now. Trust me.”

She took a deep breath and slowly, very slowly, she started to relax. At each sound and movement, she would tense up again.

He got the sense Poppy was not used to relying on anyone, and if she was, she was probably really bad at it. This made him smile, but he stayed perfectly still.

“Do you like being in the mountains?” she asked.

Again, he couldn’t help but smile. “I do.”

“Is it ... lonely?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

He sensed she didn’t quite understand. She was a curious little thing.

“I don’t like people. So, no, I don’t get lonely. I’m more than happy with my own company,” he said.

“That’s nice. I get lonely, though,” she said, and she started to sound sleepy. “I’m all alone, and if I died, no one would care.”

Slowly, she fell asleep, and like all humans, her body just couldn’t keep up. She needed to rest, and she collapsed against him. She was cold and he kept his arms wrapped around her. He was not tired and didn’t get cold easily.

He listened to the sound of the night. The hooting of owls. Rabbits that came out at night, scurrying around. The slight breeze that rustled the trees and bushes. This was wildlife.

The cave was safe. There were no hidden dangers.

As for his own beast, he was ... sated. Wilder didn’t know why it mattered to his beast but having this woman in his arms calmed the anger within him. After witnessing a brutal murder like he had, he usually hunted until that anger was spent. This time, he was content to hold Poppy, to give her the warmth she needed, as well as the protection. This was new for him. He wasn’t used to feeling this way, and it made him a little uneasy.

She smelled amazing. Earthy, sweet, delicious. He closed his eyes and just breathed her in, allowing the night to continue to tick on by.

He hadn’t expected to talk to this human. When he saw her life hanging in the balance, he hadn’t been able to walk away. In the past, he always did. No one had ever affected him like this.

Poppy was different.

Chapter Three

This was not how she planned her day to go.

The entire trip started out as a quick way to get out of debt. Then it unexpectedly turned into some kind of “save the bears” mission. She wasn’t ready for any of this.

Those poachers had seen her. Knew she was taking pictures. Those criminals would probably keep hunting until they found her. At the very least, if they left, her car was the only one parked at the edge of the forest. Surely they’d be able to identify her from her license plates.

She was so stressed. On top of that, she was trapped in a freaking cave with some beast of a man. A stranger. He could be some serial killer hiding out in the woods for all she knew. None of this was good.

The cave smelled damp and it was getting colder by the minute. She had to close her mouth so he wouldn’t hear her teeth audibly shattering. As much as he’d tried to reassure her, she was not convinced the cave was bug and rodent-free.

“You’re cold,” he said. His deep voice startled her in the silence. She’d been drifting half in, half out of consciousness for a while, but doubted she’d be able to fall asleep.

“I’m okay.”

He shifted and took off his jacket, putting it over her shoulders. She wouldn’t have protested but it felt like heaven. How could his body be so hot in these conditions?

“Thank you,” she said. “What about you, though?”

He was only in a t-shirt. She had to give the nice, warm coat back.

“No, I’m not cold like you. And I won’t take it back, so don’t even think about it.”

“Thanks again,” she said. “Did you always live out here?”

“Mostly.”

“Why?”

“People disappoint me,” he said.

She could relate. Life in the city left a lot to be desired. People barely held the door for the next person anymore. People were rude, arrogant, and selfish. She enjoyed her job because it was just her and her camera. She just wished the job paid the bills, but it rarely did.

“Did someone disappoint you?” She regretted saying it almost immediately. Poppy was pushing too hard, and his guy lived in the wilderness for a reason.

“Everyone.”

She wasn’t expecting that answer. Someone must have really disappointed or hurt him in the past. As curious as she was, she kept her mouth shut. Poppy shifted to get more comfortable, and he made a little growl.

“Sorry, am I making you uncomfortable?” She’d been sitting between his legs to keep warm for a while now. He probably wanted to stretch his legs.

“No.”

“Do you think they’re gone?”

“It’s late. I think we’re safe to stay here the night. I’ll start a fire.”

She didn’t know how he’d do it, but she liked the idea of light and heat right now. Poppy shuffled over to lean against the wall again, holding his big coat tightly around herself.

She listened at first, then watched after a spark came to life. Slowly, he built a small fire, the crackle and scent of burning wood a comfort.

“Listen, I need to leave the cave for a while. The poachers are far from here. Are you okay being alone while I’m gone?”

A jolt of adrenaline shot through her at the thought.

“Alone? Where are you going?” It was pitch-dark outside now. Was this a bathroom break or him trying to get out of babysitting her?

“I want to head over to the poacher’s camp across the ridge.”

“What? Why?”

“I told you the sow had cubs. I need to know if they’re alive or not. They won’t survive on their own.”

She exhaled. That was definitely honorable and something she could get behind.

“Okay. Be careful, though.”

He nodded, then ducked out of the cave still in just a t-shirt. He’d freeze to death. On top of that, bear cubs were deadly themselves. What was he going to do if they were alive? It wasn’t like finding some newborn kittens on your back porch.

At least she had the fire. It gave her a false sense of security, which was better than nothing. She remembered being held by him on the hike to the cave. The more she thought about it, the more his strength astonished her. They’d walked over rugged terrain for miles. And she wasn’t light by any means. The mere thought of his power definitely turned her on. Add the way his hands felt on her body...

No way would a man like him be interested in a woman like her, so it was best to keep those fantasies locked away.

There was no way to tell how much time had passed, but she heard animal noises close to the mouth of the cave, and her heart started racing. She slowly shuffled her way farther into the cave. Where was Wilder? Some animal was coming home for the night. This was the end of her. The sniffing and grunting sounds nearly made her pass out from the fear.

When she saw his face duck into the cave, the relief made her dizzy. He’d come back to her. And he was with a small bear. She tensed up. It may be a so-called cub, but it was huge. With killer teeth and claws.

“Don’t worry, he won’t hurt you,” Wilder said.

“How do you know?”

“He’s alone now. His mother was killed by those poachers, her body just left to rot. There was just the one cub.”

“Did they kill the others?”

“No, first-time mothers often have just one.”

The cub was fascinated by the fire but wouldn’t get too close.

“He’s cute, but I’m still scared. I don’t know why you’re not.”

“I know how he feels. I know these animals,” he said. “I’ve helped injured animals most of my life.”

And somehow, he became even more attractive to her. This time she really paid attention. His eyes were so dark, she’d call them black. Or was it because of the shadows? His hair was shaggy, dark, and unkempt, giving him a rugged quality. His features were strong and masculine, and his body ... well, in the t-shirt she could see he was corded with muscle. A true powerhouse of a man unlike any she’d ever seen. The men in her circles were pencil-pushers, and she was usually the one stuck carrying the boxes of printer paper.

Wilder was in a league of his own.

****

Wilder had been so grateful and relieved to find the young cub hunkering down in the woods near his mother’s body. It brought back a firestorm of darkness he kept buried. Too many memories. No way could he leave the cub alone, even if it wasn’t a shifter.

He carried him most of the way, but set him down for the last bit of the journey. He wasn’t a shifter, just a grizzly cub, but Wilder still had command of the beasts in his human form. They sensed an alpha and obeyed, even stubborn little cubs.

He knew of several bear families near his cabin who’d willingly adopt the youngster. He’d just have to make the journey with them tomorrow.

Wilder sat down on the opposite side of the fire. The cub came and curled up next to him against his leg, immediately falling asleep.

“I’m still in shock that a wild bear cub is acting like that with you. You’d think he was your pet dog, not a wild animal.”

“He’s been through a lot.”

“I guess so.”

She didn’t look convinced. He doubted she’d imagine he was a grizzly shifter just because he was good with animals. He’d have to be more careful, though. If humans knew about shifters, they’d destroy them all. Like everything else they touched.

“Are you cold yet?” That same look was in her eyes. She was getting suspicious.

“I have a high metabolism. It keeps me warm.”

“What were you doing so far from your cabin at night?” she asked.

He narrowed his eyes. “You do remember I saved you, right?”

“Yes, but I have a lot of questions. I’m a photographer but I work with journalists every day. I guess I got my inquisitiveness from them.”

“This is my land. Sacred land. I know about the poachers and do my best to scare them off. It didn’t turn out so well today.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” she said, her voice softening. “You can’t be everywhere at once.”

“I need to be.”

She alternated watching the flames and looking at the sleeping cub.

“Don’t you get lonely?”

No, he never felt lonely. Bears were naturally solitary creatures. All he needed was his land and the nature around him. He did miss having a mate. With breeding season tugging at his hormones, it was more evident than usual. He imagined that’s why his bear was confused, ready to fuck a human and claim her as his own.

“No.”

“Never?” she asked.

He growled a bit, but tried to stifle it. “A wife would be nice. But I’ve gone forty-eight years without one, so I think I’ll survive.”

That shut her up. When he looked over, this time she was looking him right in the eyes. And she didn’t look away this time.

“It’s only natural to want to find someone to spend your life with,” she said. “I feel the same thing from time to time, especially when everyone my age seems to be married with children.”

“Why not you?” he asked.

“Well, look at me, for one.”

He cocked his head. “That’s why I asked. Any male would be thrilled to claim you as his own.”

She laughed out loud, but it was more like a snort.

“Yes, Wilder. I have a long line of suitors. I have to beat them off with a stick.”

He nodded.

Wilder imagined she was highly sought after in the human world. She was soft, with big ripe tits and large hips and thighs. He loved a thick woman. She’d be the perfect mate, luscious and made for fucking. He felt his own cock firm up. which was ridiculous. He wasn’t human like her.

But part of him was. He often neglected his human side, choosing to live in his fur most of the time. It was easier to get around the forest, and his senses were magnified.

“If I was back in my apartment, I’d be watching some lame movie from bed, eating food I shouldn’t be eating, and thinking depressing thoughts to complete the spiral. I guess it’s not so bad being in this cave with you.” She chuckled again.

He had such prejudices regarding humans and their society because they’d proven themselves to him over and over. This girl was different. She wasn’t loud or rude or judgmental. He didn’t even mind her company. Wilder was glad he’d saved her.

“What about you?” she asked. “If this was a normal night for you, what would you be doing?”

He had to think about it. His life was calm and peaceful when humans weren’t trespassing.

“I would be sleeping.”

“Oh.”

“I prefer to hunt in the daytime,” he expanded. “I do my rounds, I read, and I tend to my bees.”

“Bees?”

“I have twenty hives.”

“Twenty? Do you sell the honey?” she asked.

“No, I eat it. It’s one of my favorite things.”

She smiled.

“I’d love to try your honey.”

“I’ll give you some when we get to my cabin tomorrow. It’s the best. The bees have a lot of wildflowers around them.”

“Really? I love wildflowers. I think they’re one of my favorite things. I have so many photos and scrapbooks of them at home. And I know a lot of fun useless plant facts on top of it. I’m a catch, Wilder.”

He smiled. And couldn’t stop smiling. Somehow, she made him feel happiness. It must be a mix of her honesty, innocence, and childhood wonder. He didn’t want her to leave the forest.

She’d make a great mate for someone. For some reason when he envisioned her with someone else, he became agitated. More than agitated. She was a human, not a shifter. He should hate her and everything she stands for.

He thought of his parents and that doused those rising feelings. Humans were the enemy, and he had to remember that.

Chapter Four

Poppy didn’t know how she was able to fall asleep, especially with a bear cub in the same cave, yet she did.

She woke up, curled against Wilder’s chest, and the cub was still asleep beside him as well. The fire was out, and she saw sunlight coming in from the cave entrance.

“You slept well,” Wilder said, and she jerked in his arms, to see he was already awake.

“You’re awake.”

“That’s what happens when you don’t sleep,” he said.

“You didn’t sleep?” She was shocked.

“Didn’t need to.”

The cub made a cute little noise, and she looked down to see Wilder stroking the cub’s fur. It was like he was soothing the little bear. She had never been this close to a bear before and her heart started to race.

“It’s all right,” he said. “Don’t be afraid. If you start to show fear, then he will start to fear you, and trust me, you don’t want that. He’s been through enough. He lost his mother yesterday. It will be hard on him.”

She frowned because it was like he spoke to him.

“He’s going to be getting hungry, and, well, we could be his meal,” she said.

Wilder laughed. “There’s a stream not too far from here. Come on, you can use the bathroom out there, and I’ll catch him some food.”

She felt her cheeks start to heat because she did need to go to the bathroom. She was getting a little on the desperate side. Although the thought of going out in the wild with Wilder knowing, embarrassed her.

They left the confines of the cave, and she noticed Wilder stamped his foot into the fire embers, completely stopping it from burning.

Wilder bent down and picked up the little cub, holding it in his arms, as if it was nothing more than a child. She knew it had to have weighed close to a hundred pounds, but she loved the way he cared for the bear. It was so sweet to finally see someone take care of animals, rather than find the means to kill them. Yesterday, she had been so sickened by what she had seen. It was why she wanted to bring those poachers to justice, rather than worry about her own safety.

She followed Wilder, and she noticed he went off the main path. At first, she stopped and looked at him, and then at the marked path.

He must have sensed she was waiting for an explanation. “Those poachers are still out there. They’re still hunting you. I’m not going to make it easy for them. This way, we can get to the stream, I can feed this little one, and we can all survive.”

Poppy couldn’t argue with him. She had no way of knowing where she was, or how to get where they were going. Along the way she lost her map, her wallet, everything, and that alone was terrifying. If she didn’t have it on her anymore, it could mean the poachers already knew who she was. They would kill her, of that she had no doubt.

They made it to the stream and Wilder put the bear on the ground, and it walked toward the edge of the water and began to drink.

“If you want to find yourself a bathroom, go ahead. I’m going to catch the little guy some fish.”

She frowned as he didn’t exactly have a fishing rod, nor any kind of knife. Instead, she just found a spot covered by bushes a bit away. She had to check to make sure there were no frogs, spiders, or even snakes. All of this in an attempt to get out of debt. She was starting to think this was just a giant mistake.

She felt sick to her stomach, but didn’t say anything. After taking care of her business, she made her way back to the stream, and made sure to wash her hands downstream, nowhere near where Wilder was grabbing fish.

Her stomach was growling. There was no way she’d be able to eat raw fish. Once she returned, she saw Wilder standing with his hands on hips, and the bear cub was eating some fish. He’d been able to do all of that quickly.

“It’s about half-a-day’s walk to my cabin from here,” Wilder said. “We follow this stream to the fork and we go uphill. We’ll avoid the poachers. I can then feed you. We’ll settle for the night, and I’ll get this cub to a safe place.”

She was not going to argue with him. So far, he’d kept them both alive.

Wilder held his arms out, and the cub went to him, curling up against his chest. Poppy felt her heart squeeze at the sight. The poor little cub, she wanted to reach out and stroke him, but she was also afraid. What if he took a chunk out of her? Slashed her? She wouldn’t want anything to happen to the bear. So, she kept her distance, and they moved on.

It wasn’t long before the sun was beating down on them, and they kept to the stream. Her feet hurt, and she felt like she was slowing them down, but not once did Wilder complain. He seemed to keep pace with her. She wiped the sweat from her brow.

At the sound of shouting, all three of them froze, and Wilder turned to her, and they found cover behind several large trees and bushes.

“I need you to hold him while I go and check what’s going on,” Wilder said.

“I can’t hold a bear.”

“If he follows me and that noise is those poachers, they will kill him. I will not allow that to happen. Stop being a selfish human and help me.”

“I’m not being selfish. I don’t want to hurt him,” she said. Or get hurt.

“You’re not going to, because he is going to be good, aren’t you?” he asked.

She didn’t argue as Wilder put the bear into her arms, and then looked at her. He gripped the back of her neck, and she couldn’t help but gasp as the heat of his touch seemed to travel through her body. It felt so good.

Before she got a chance to say anything else to him, he was gone.

****

Wilder was ready to kill.

Only, the shouting turned out to be a couple of families enjoying the trails. There were dogs with them, and a bunch of kids. They shouldn’t be out this far in the wilderness. Although they looked completely harmless, he also noticed they stuck to the path. There was a point near the stream, where the distance between the main path and the stream was close.

Provided they kept close, no one would see them. The last thing he wanted was to have his picture in any paper carrying a bear, and assuming he was raising them.

He returned to Poppy, and before he let his presence be known, he watched her for a bit. When he put the bear into her arms, she held it almost like a baby she was afraid was going to bite her. Now, she held the bear close.

“You’re adorable. It’s not that I didn’t want to hold you, but I don’t want you to bite, and, well, where I come from, for instance, if a dog bites you, then you have to fight for it not to be put down. I would never want any animal to be hurt because of me. I know humans have been total bastards to you. Shoot, I don’t know if I should curse in front of you. I’m not much of a cursing woman. I’m so sorry about what those evil men did to your mother. If I can, I am going to make them pay.”

She held him close and the cub fell fast asleep. It was so cute how she cradled him, and Wilder couldn’t help but wonder if that was the way she would be with her own child. She had a natural mothering instinct.

He cleared his throat and she gasped, putting a protective hand to the cub. She actually looked like she wanted to protect him. Holding his hands up, he smirked.

“Now you see why I kept him safe?” he asked.

“Yes, I knew from the start.” She was not letting the cub go. “What was the noise?”

“Some families. No threat at all.” He held his arms out to take the cub. He heard her stomach rumbling, and he could have taken the time to build another fire when he was getting fish for the cub. However, he felt she would prefer to have something more than fish caught in a stream.

“I’ve got him,” she said.

“We’ve still got a ways to go. You’ll tire and you haven’t had enough food.”

He saw the way she looked at him, and there was a yearning there. Did she want to be a mother?

She sighed. “Okay, fine. Hold him tightly. I don’t like the thought of him getting cold.”

The sun was high in the sky, it was hot, and the little guy was covered in fur. They were not going to worry about the cold. She reluctantly gave him the cub, hardly able to hold him, and they made their way past the fork in the stream, and were on the final trek uphill to his cabin.

The moment they got close to his land, he grabbed her hand. “I have wires and traps, so you’re going to have to do exactly as I say, otherwise this is going to end badly for you,” he said.

She held onto his hand tightly, as they made their way through his maze. He didn’t like humans, and any wrong move could set off one of his traps. He wasn’t exactly kind with his traps. Most poachers didn’t deserve kindness. On rare occasions, there were humans that tried to cross his property, who didn’t deserve it. In those cases, he did help. He wasn’t a total monster.

They got to his cabin, and he pulled out his key and let himself inside. Poppy stood at his back door, and he turned to look at her. “Like I said, if I was going to kill you, there were plenty of times I could have already done so.”

She glared at him. “You know, it doesn’t make a woman feel all that great when you keep threatening like that.”

“I helped you, sweetheart. Not the other way around.” He put the bear on the floor, and the little guy was curious. He did stop to have some water out of the dog’s water bowl. His dog, Fester, a chocolate labrador, was so lazy he came wandering into the kitchen. It took one look at the bear, paused, and then padded right back out. He adored that little dog.

“You have a dog?” she asked.

“I have three, actually. That grumpy sod is Fester. I’ve got two more I imagine are upstairs. Milly and Tilly, little Jack Russell terriers who are giant pains in the ass, but don’t believe in walking,” he said.

“Weren’t you worried about them last night?”

“I was, but it’s not the first time I’ve stayed out at night, and they know how to take care of themselves. I leave enough food for them, and they know how to get into it,” he said. “I’ve trained them well.” It also helped that he was an alpha. “Are you hungry?”

Her stomach chose that moment to growl and her face went beet red.

“Yes, I’m starving.”

He went to his fridge and grabbed some sausages, bacon, and eggs.

Without another word, he got to work cooking as Poppy just stood there. “You can go and take a shower if you’d like. I’ll have a change of clothes ready for you in the bedroom.”

She clearly had no idea what to say, but he sensed she was not going to argue with him. The clothes she wore had a horrible odor, from what he imagined was sweating in them the past few days.

“Where’s the shower?” she asked.

“Just down the hall, first door on the left.”

She nodded, then took off, and he couldn’t help but watch her ass as she left. He didn’t have any clothes for a woman. But he did have a few pairs of his old sweatpants.

Chapter Five

Poppy was grateful for the shower. She felt human again.

She put the clothes on that he’d left on the counter. A worn pair of joggers, a big t-shirt, flannel, and fuzzy socks. She hugged herself after dressing, loving that his scent surrounded her. They must all be his clothes. She felt very cozy as she padded out to the kitchen. The food smelled delicious, and she breathed in deeply.

He stopped what he was doing, seemingly frozen with a frying pan in his hand. The way he stared at her was unnerving.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

He snapped back to the present, giving his head a little shake.

“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just that my clothes look much better on you than they do on me.”

She smiled, then sat down on a stool by the little butcher-block kitchen island. The house was small, but rustic and homey. She loved it. It felt like she belonged there.

Poppy looked around the house from her vantage point. Everything was rustic wood, plaid, and furs. Masculine. There were no signs of a Mrs. Wilder, and that deeply satisfied her. She hadn’t come to the forest looking for love, but she wasn’t going to push it away if it came calling. Poppy had accepted the fact she’d be an old maid, cursed to watch other happy couples but never feel that love herself. Maybe she was meant to come here. Just maybe there was hope for her still.

Her host was incredibly handsome in the most rugged way. The classic strong, silent type, but she knew there was so much more under the surface. He may appear gruff and aloof, but he was kind to animals, gentle in unexpected ways, and the man had saved her life when he didn’t have to.

Wilder set a plate of food down in front of her and handed her a fork.

“Thank you,” she said. “It looks delicious.”

“It’s venison stew and roasted vegetables. I stock portions in the freezer. Nothing from a grocery store around here. While you’re my guest, it’s my job to feed you.”

As she ate, he kept watching her. It felt odd, but she didn’t overthink it. There was something growing between them and she prayed it wasn’t one-sided. If they were in the city, he’d be miles out of her league, but here there wasn’t much competition. They made small talk in-between bites. And it was surprisingly easy to talk to him.

“I’m excited to see your bees,” she said.

“You are? Do you like honey?”

“It’s sweet. What’s not to love?”

He nodded, looking very pleased with her answer. “Do you know what animals love honey?”

She didn’t need to think long. “Bears,” she said proudly. “You’re so far off the grid. Do they try to steal your honey?”

He chuckled. “Definitely not.”

“Interesting. You’re lucky then. Unless I’ve just watched too much movies and bears don’t even like honey.”

“Oh, they definitely like honey.”

She finished her food and felt a lot better, that persistent hunger finally sated. He was a good cook. She never would have tried venison on her own.

Poppy took the dishes to the sink and started to wash them. Wilder stood next to her leaning against the counter and just watched. He didn’t try to stop her which she appreciated since he’d done the cooking.

“I love your house, Wilder. It’s like living in a fairy tale.”

He was quiet again. She saw the powerful muscles in his arm in her peripheral vision.

“I like the way you say my name.”

She swallowed hard, feeling the intensity of his words.

As if realizing he’d made her uncomfortable, he stepped back and changed the subject. “I built this house decades ago.”

She took a cleansing breath and wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed. As much as she wanted something to spark with Wilder, at thirty-two years old, she was embarrassingly naïve when it came to men.

“Alone?”

“I’ve been alone since I was very young. I’ve learned to take care of myself. It was either that or give up and die.”

She didn’t like the sound of that. It must be so lonely for him. People were meant to couple off, to find their happily ever after.

“Do you not have any family?”

“Not anymore. It’s just me.” He started walking away, putting an end to the conversation. “I’ll show you the beehives.”

He wasn’t comfortable with the subject and she wouldn’t push him. She wondered what his story was. Why would this hunk of a man leave society to live completely alone out here? Although she could see the appeal in ways, it was unnatural for a person to live so isolated.

She followed him out the back door. The young bear cub was rolling in the grass and weeds. Poppy still felt a bit nervous around him because wild animals could be unpredictable, but Wilder appeared unfazed as he walked past the cub.

“He looks happy,” she said.

“He’ll be safe here until I find him a new home.”

It touched her heart that he cared so much about wildlife. He’d go out of his way to help animals when he didn’t have to. In such a selfish world, it was refreshing.

“Wow, there’re so many.” She walked around the neatly arranged wooden beehives. “Can I get my camera?”

He shrugged, and she quickly ran back to the house to grab her camera.

“So, you do like your job?” he asked when she returned.

“No, not my job. But I love being a photographer. There’s something magical about getting that perfect shot, of capturing a moment in time. Like right now, I want to remember this forever.”

She took close-up photos of the bees as he pulled up a frame. It was amazing. What surprised her was how the bees would land on his forearm but none of them bit him.

He explained step by step the process of keeping bees. She was completely invested, loving his passion in living out here at the end of the world.

“I thought beekeepers used smoke to calm them?” she asked.

“We have an understanding.” He winked at her and her heart did a little flutter.

He removed a chunk of honeycomb, the honey dripping off it as he came to show her. She was absolutely mesmerized by all these new experiences. Without a second thought she leaned over and took at bite off the opposite end of the comb he was holding, the sweet taste flooding her senses. So fresh, so delicious.

Wilder reached out with his other hand to clean some dripping honey from the corner of her mouth. She felt like a child all over again. When he brought his finger back to his own mouth, sucking off the leftover honey, she felt her entire body light up with heat.

Did he feel it too? Were his eyes always that dark?

She licked her lips and he followed the movement of her tongue.

“I never knew bees were so interesting,” she said. “And complicated.”

“The reward is worth the effort, no?”

She nodded with a smile, the sweet taste still in her mouth.

****

Wilder didn’t want to agree with his bear. His animal side insisted Poppy was their mate, but his hatred for humans made him fight the idea. He’d already resigned to the idea of living his live alone, unless the rare chance he came across a female bear shifter.

Things were different now. The mating call was strong, and there was no denying it now. Poppy was perfect. When she had been photographing his hives and bees, he watched her. Her wonder, passion, and innocence kept him in awe. It cemented the fact he had to claim her as his mate. It wasn’t just her lush body, soft blonde hair, and mothering instincts. It was every detail about her inside and out.

But claiming her would be anything but simple. She was a human, unaware of the paranormal secrets around her. If she knew the truth, she’d be terrified, disgusted even. A woman wouldn’t mate with an animal, especially not one as delectable as her. She had wide birthing hips and big heavy tits. A woman like her could handle being fucked and bred.

When she’d taken the honey he’d harvested, all he could think about was pouring it on her naked body and sucking off every drop, slowly, starting with her sweet little cunt. He growled, shaking the distracting thoughts away.

“I think I’m already addicted to your way of life,” she said as he continued giving her a tour of his homestead.

“Then stay,” he said.

She twirled around, hugging his flannel to keep the chill out. “Don’t tempt me.”

But he wasn’t joking in the least. He didn’t want her to leave. He watched her taking in the surroundings, the mighty firs, the eagles soaring above, the scattering of wildflowers. She kept snapping pictures, proving she loved everything he loved.

Fate had chosen well for him. Now he had to figure out how to keep her.

“What are those?” she asked, pointing down a valley to a line along the ground.

“Security lines and trail cameras.”

“Why? Bears and wolves?” she asked.

“Humans.”

She cocked her head to the side. “Way out here? Why the security? What would they do?”

“There are a lot of dangers out here, none of them from bears or wolves. I can never let my guard down.”

“Is it the poachers?”

“It’s not just the men after you. It’s been a problem for as long as I can remember. Humans are cruel and dangerous. They take what they don’t need and leave a trail of suffering behind them.”

“I’m not disagreeing with you.”

“If they know you have their photos, they won’t stop looking for you.”

She squatted down, covering her face with her hands. On instinct, he got to one knee, pulling one wrist away. “What’s the matter?”

“I didn’t want to say anything but I lost my wallet on the hike, either before or after I met you, I have no clue.” She sniffled, her eyes filling with tears. “If they find it, they’ll know my name, where I live, where I shop, everything.”

Those hunters likely had her belongings. They lived for the hunt, and something like a wallet would stand out. He used the opportunity to his advantage.

“You’ll stay here. With me. I can protect you.”

“Forever?” She stood back up, waving a hand across the land. “They’ll give up eventually, right? Maybe they’ll think I died. I could have fallen off a cliff or gotten killed by a pack of wolves.”

“They’re relentless.”

“Really, Wilder? That’s not what I need to hear.”

“It’s just the truth. Remember I told you I’ve been out here since I was a boy?”

She nodded.

He was going to tell her something nobody knew. A dark past that still haunted his nightmares. “Poachers murdered my parents and left me for dead.”

“What? How is that possible?” She started to back up, nearly tripping. Panic marring her features. “Killed? What do you mean they killed your parents?”

A poacher had come looking for grizzly bears to sell their body parts on the black market for unbelievably high prices. His parents had fought to protect him in their fur, but they were no match for the firepower the poachers carried with them. He still remembered the weight of their still-warm bodies over him as he attempted to wiggle free. When he ran off to the tree line, they shot him in the side, but he kept running, ignoring the pain until he was miles away.

He’d learned to survive, and eventually to thrive alone in the wilderness. His father had been an alpha grizzly shifter on their sacred shifter land, and now it had passed on to him. All the animals of the forest respected his rank—if they didn’t, he reminded them why he was king of this forest.

“Nearly killed me too.” He lifted up his t-shirt, showing her the gnarly scar on his side where the wound had healed so many decades ago.

Her mouth fell agape, and she stepped closer, running her fingertips ever so gently over the white scar. “Wilder. Oh my God. They’re going to kill me too.”

“I’ll never let that happen. I promise you that.”

Chapter Six

There was something Poppy didn’t like. Something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. She sat in the sitting room in his home, recalling the conversation from a couple of hours ago. He had to leave as he wanted to get the cub settled, and he’d made a couple of calls, but told her not to leave until he returned. She had nowhere to go, regardless, and those poachers scared the life out of her.

What started out as a money-making mission was turning into a nightmare. But she couldn’t figure out what the problem was. Wilder was nothing but kind, but there were now a couple of things that didn’t make sense. First of all, the way the cub responded to him. Sure, it made sense that some cubs that had gone through traumatizing experiences might develop a connection with the human that helped them. That was a big if, and that usually tended to take days, if not weeks and months. She’d seen it on those nature videos. The cub acted so differently around Wilder. As if the cub knew something about him. It wasn’t natural.

Next were the bees—that was completely insane. He didn’t need to have smoke or any special equipment, and the bees didn’t sting him. This blew her mind. She didn’t like hurting bees, as she knew they were good for the environment, but even she freaked out every time one buzzed close to her. That seemed natural for her to do exactly that. He was fearless.

And how was he always hot? That made no sense. Last night was so incredibly cold, yet he’d been so warm. He didn’t need a jacket nor a blanket, and Poppy knew she didn’t exactly provide enough heat to keep him warm.

The final strange thing about Wilder were the scars he possessed, and why did poachers attack him? Were his parents investigating poachers? Did they get too close? Were they the poachers and turned on fellow poachers? She had no understanding of anything that happened, she was more confused than ever before, and she didn’t like it. Her suspicions had no real validity so they just made her feel guilty.

She rubbed at her temple and remembered how he mentioned putting up security fences to keep humans out. He didn’t refer to men or women, or people, but humans. Maybe he’d just been out in the wilderness too long. Some days she was ashamed to be a human being herself.

The door suddenly opened and she stood up, grateful she’d already finished her cup of tea, because she nearly threw half of it away. She forced a smile to her lips, because she suddenly felt uneasy.

“Hello,” she said. “Would you like me to make you a cup of tea?”

“That would be great. I’ve got honey on the counter. A couple of spoonfuls, please.”

Again, with the bees, and how they reacted to him. Her mind wouldn’t turn off.

“How long have you kept bees?” she asked.

“A long time.”

“It must be nice not to get stung.”

“I’ve never been stung,” he said.

She frowned. In all her life, she’d never known an instance where someone keeping bees hadn’t been stung. No matter how good they were.

“I was really sorry to hear about your parents.” She didn’t want to keep asking questions about the bees, just in case she asked something stupid. She didn’t know anything about keeping bees, and although she liked the taste of honey from time to time, she didn’t like it enough to keep bees. It was a lot of work.

“It was a long time ago,” he said.

“And poachers killed your parents? Like the men that were chasing after us?” she asked. She hated talking about something painful for him, but she needed answers.

Wilder nodded, and she held out the tea she made for him, and he took it from her. His fingers glided across hers, and she couldn’t help but take a deep breath as all of her nerve endings seemed to stand right on edge.

She looked at him and saw his beautiful dark eyes. She was not sure if they were quite black or a deep brown. One look and she felt like she was falling. It was strange as in the back of her mind, she pictured a dark black bear with lighter streaks of brown. She had no idea why she thought about that, just that it came to her almost like a vision.

“Don’t you think that’s a little odd?” she asked. “That poachers would kill your parents? Were your parents poachers?”

She was pretty sure a growl emitted from his lips, and she found herself jumping back. The hairs on the back of her arms stood on end.

“They killed my parents. It’s why I go out and force them to move on. I protect bears. My parents were not poachers. They did all they could to protect bears from those monsters.”

He took a step toward her, then another, and Poppy looked into his eyes, and for a split-second, she felt afraid, but then that fear disappeared. This man was not going to hurt her. Wilder had proven he would never hurt her.

“I’m so sorry,” Poppy said. “I don’t know what is ... it must be fear or something. I don’t know what those poachers are capable of, and you mentioned that some of the police are in on it, and I don’t know who I can trust.”

“And you thought I was part of it?”

“I don’t know. It made no sense your parents being attacked by poachers, and I’m so sorry because I know how that sounds.” She winced. “Ignore me. It’s been a long couple of days.” It had been a lot longer than that. She hadn’t truly rested in years. Life, for the longest time, had sucked. Now, the stress was starting to get to her, and she might have insulted Wilder. “I’m so sorry,” she repeated.

“Don’t worry about it. The cub is safe now and so are you. Here, you’ll see that all your troubles melt away.” He leaned in close and Poppy thought he smelled her but she couldn’t exactly be sure.

Her feelings for this man were so confusing, but there was that twist of her gut that told her something wasn’t quite right. What was it? Why did she feel nervous? Like Wilder was hiding something from her?

****

Wilder listened to Poppy sleep.

He’d hoped to come home to Poppy being a little more relaxed, but the moment he opened the front door he sensed a change within her. It was hard to hide his real bear from her. The bees, the cub, his senses—all of them were incredibly difficult to hide. Especially from Poppy, who was now living with him.

After Poppy went to bed, he sensed she was still nervous around him. At least her body felt different. He took a quick check of the perimeter, then sat on his back porch listening to the night. Wilder could hear the rabbits, the birds, a few deer running around in the distance. He saw clearly as well.

There was no threat to his home, but he always found peace at nighttime. This was where true solitude existed, and peace of mind came. No one was out there, threatening to take it all away. He knew this sense was always fleeting. The real truth was someone, somewhere was always planning to make life hell, to take, to steal, to ruin. That was what humans did. The illusion was safety. It took him a long time to accept that, and now that he had, he didn’t look back. He relished moments like this, brief, teasing flashes of safety. They were always short-lived.

At the sound of a gasp, he turned to see Poppy. She was in a pair of flannel pajamas. He’d gotten them years ago from a store. They were fucking ugly things, a garish blue and yellow, but on Poppy they looked cute. He would have much preferred her in nothing.

“I thought I heard you up,” she said.

Wilder glanced toward her. Poppy’s body may be sending her warning signs that he was a predator, but did it also tell her she wanted him?

He sensed her attraction, and it made her nervous. He loved when she flicked her hair, or tucked it behind her ear. Little telltale signs that spoke volumes, even better than words ever could.

“You’re up late,” she said.

“I’m just keeping an eye.”

“Do you ever need a lot of sleep?” she asked, with a giggle.

“Sometimes.”

He did love his sleep, but that was usually through the winter. He liked to snuggle down, and he couldn’t help but look toward Poppy. She was standing with her arms folded which distorted the shirt she wore. However, he was able to get a clear look at her body underneath. More than a generous handful. If she decided to stay with him through the winter, he would have a lot of fun with her.

“What woke you?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I just couldn’t sleep. Did that cub settle all right?” she asked.

“Perfectly.”

“That’s good.”

He moved across the bench, giving her space to sit beside him, and he patted the seat next to him. Poppy didn’t hesitate in taking the seat beside him, and she offered him a smile of thank you.

He smelled her. Tonight, she was like vanilla, sweet, mouthwatering. He loved vanilla. Poppy tucked some hair behind her ear, and he couldn’t resist looking at the curve of her neck. She was so beautiful.

“Were you really being serious about me staying here?” Poppy asked.

“I don’t say things I don’t mean. I’ll keep you safe here.”

“Then, if it is okay with you, I would really like to stay.” She nodded her head. “I think this is going to be a good place for me.”

“Do you want to risk going back home to get anything?”

Poppy shook her head. “I was late on the rent. Those photographs were supposed to help me.” She sighed. “I hit on hard times. Nothing ever goes to plan, does it? My landlord has probably already rented my place.” She shrugged. “There’s nothing I can do about it now, but you know, I think this is a good thing.”

“Why?” he asked, loving her voice.

“Simple, I think everything happens for a reason. My life going from bad to worse meant I was supposed to meet you. This was all meant to happen. It’s like some weird twist of fate, but that’s how the world works, and that’s what I believe.” She turned to look at him, with a pretty smile on her lips. “And that is what I believe now.”

“Fate?” he asked.

It was odd, because he was a bear, and fate said he was destined to find a mate. One woman in the whole world who would accept him for who he was, who wouldn’t run away.

Poppy was his mate. He sensed it the moment he started to follow her. With each hour, and the fact he didn’t want to kill her, he knew his feelings were strong. They went far deeper than anything he’d ever experienced. He’d tried to fight his bear on this, but the beast was usually right. A human and a bear. It was laughable, but it wasn’t unheard of.

He heard stories of bears mating with humans, and they were happy. Wilder didn’t think it was possible he would ever be happy with a human. Not after all he’d experienced. Yet, here he sat on his back porch with a human he was willing to risk his life for to keep safe. This is what being a mate meant.

“Do you think it’s stupid?” she asked, and even though it was dark, he saw her nibbling her lip.

When Poppy found out the truth, he had a feeling he was going to have to chain her to his bed. The revelation that he was a shifting bear would be hard for most people to digest. Perhaps Poppy would be different.

There was time yet.

His bear wanted to get to know Poppy. Just having her close, the beast in him was settled, but he knew it would only be a matter of time before he wanted to be released. Time was ticking. For now, he was going to enjoy this woman, but he wasn’t going to think of her as a human.

She was his Poppy, and that was all she needed to be.

Chapter Seven

Poppy was either out of her mind or a trailblazer. Who followed their dreams these days? Who believed in fate? It felt wrong to throw her life away to shack up with a stranger. Not that she had much of a life to salvage back home.

What if he was being nice, having pity on her because she was running for her life? Maybe he loved his solitary existence and she was pushing herself on him. What if her instincts were right and she should be very afraid of him?

This could be her only chance at love. She had to give it a chance, right?

Her mind was a muddle of insecurity.

She needed to have a heart-to-heart with Wilder to make sure they were on the same page. There was no denying the attraction and connection between them, but living together was a serious commitment.

Over a week had passed now and it was time to have a serious talk about the future. Even if the forest called to her and his simple lifestyle was addictive, she wanted this to be about them before anything else.

She had showered before bed and was drying her hair as she walked up the hallway. There was a bolted room that always made her curious. On the outside of the cabin, the window was boarded over with heavy metal. He’d told her it was just storage, but that was another oddity that didn’t sit well with her.

He wasn’t in the living room, so she ventured outside. Sometimes he was chopping wood or tending his bees. He was an excellent hunter and they always had fresh food for their dinners.

“Wilder?”

There was no sign of him and she couldn’t hear anything but nature. The sky was darkening and soon evening would settle in. Already streaks of pink could be seen behind the tree line, peeking through the lacey network of leaves. The world around her was stunning but terrifying. Almost like Wilder himself. She was desperately attracted to him but there was something darker under the surface that unsettled her.

She started to wander along the beaten paths. He always kept to the same routes to preserve nature, so he had to have gone this way.

“Wilder?”

She slowed as she neared the dense wall of forest, darkness concealing whatever dwelled within. Poppy wasn’t that brave. She remembered the cub and was relieved Wilder rehomed him, but how did he do that? He said he’d found a home for it, but what did that even mean? She kept accepting what he said without questioning him further. Did he find a bear family? How could that go over well? A rehabilitator? There were definitely no neighbors within hiking distance. That same wave of nerves made her uneasy.

She wanted to ignore her instincts because on the surface everything was perfect. More than perfect, and she didn’t want to ruin that.

Poppy had been so engaged in her own thoughts that she hadn’t noticed she wasn’t alone. Some of the leaf litter crunched, and she turned to see a wolf hunched low, teeth bared. When she turned to look the other way, she realized she was already surrounded. There had barely been a sound. The ultimate predators.

She started taking slow, small steps backward, away from the forest. Her heart was pounding in her chest so hard it was deafening in her own ears. How long until they moved in? Ripped her to shreds? She couldn’t even scream. Her voice had completely stopped working. So much for her beautiful paradise. Humans and nature couldn’t mix.

Hot tears traced down her cheeks, born from fear and desperation. Then there was a new noise, heavier steps coming from within the forest. The wolves stopped growling, turning to face whatever was approaching.

It was him. Wilder.

He had an axe over one shoulder, wearing his familiar red plaid jacket that smelled like him—campfires and cedar. She nearly melted in relief, but even an axe wouldn’t be enough against a pack of wolves.

“Wilder,” she whispered. “They’re everywhere.” She tried not to move a muscle.

He didn’t stop walking, not even a pause to assess the situation. Wilder came straight to her and pulled her into his arms, holding her against his heat like they were in some kind of romance movie. She closed her eyes and cried into his jacket.

“You’re safe, Poppy.”

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and looked up at him. There was no fear in his dark eyes. She looked to the side, then the other side, finally stepping away from him and doing a full circle as she tried to catch sight of the wolves.

“Where did they go? You saw them, right?”

“They’re gone. Flighty things.”

“What? No, they were ready to kill me. What did you do?” she demanded.

He shrugged. “I don’t know, Poppy. Animals are unpredictable.”

They held hands as they walked back to the cabin because she was still uneasy, but now had even more questions.

“Don’t you ever get scared? Are you even human? I mean, there are wolves and bears living right next to your house.”

“We have an understanding.”

She wanted to scream. This wasn’t normal. Or was it?

“Why were you out there, anyway?”

This time he stopped. He held both her shoulders. “Something tripped one of my cameras,” he said. “I found boot marks.”

She swore she’d hyperventilate, but he squeezed her shoulders a bit to ground her.

“They’ve found me! Those poachers. Oh my God. Do you think they’re watching us right now?”

“The house is secure. I’ll figure things out and keep you safe.”

This couldn’t be happening. Maybe there was a logical explanation.

“Maybe it was a hiker?” she asked.

“Maybe.” But he didn’t sound confident about that.

They got to the house and he made sure his dogs were inside, and he locked the doors. She didn’t like this. He was right—humans did ruin everything. She sat on the couch and hugged her knees.

“Don’t be nervous,” he said. “I’ll never let anyone hurt you.”

“They have guns, Wilder.”

“And they’re in my forest.”

She didn’t know what that meant but she was tired of trying to second-guess everything. If they made it out of this alive, she’d never question him again.

****

Wilder slipped from the house after making sure Poppy had eaten and calmed down. He didn’t want her to hate his home and return to the city. After finally finding his one true mate, he couldn’t risk losing her. If those poachers tried to fuck this up for him, he’d make them live to regret it.

Right now, he had to secure his property and make sure Poppy was safe. Since she’d been staying with him, he hadn’t been doing his usual reconnaissance of the shifter lands. He made scaring off the poachers and protecting wildlife a high priority. For years, he’d kept his land safe, earning him some sort of reputation as a giant bear in the human world. Poppy had come to photograph him, only there was no giant bear. It was only him in his shifted alpha grizzly form.

It wasn’t just bears he helped, but even deer or other wildlife that needed rehabilitating. He’d bring them to his cabin and help them recuperate.

As for trespassers or threats, that’s when his grizzly came out.

He followed the tracks and scouted the area around his home. The faint scent of diesel caught his attention, so he travelled farther down the ridge. There was evidence of a firepit, cigarette butts, and the litter they left behind. He bent down, picked up a butt, and sniffed it. It was the same as the ones he found at the murder scene of the mother bear. They were still looking for Poppy. They wanted the evidence that could be used against them, but they would get much more than that.

Wilder wasn’t naïve about guns like his parents were.

He knew about humans and had blended into their world from time to time, but preferred to stay away from them.

Wilder moved along the trail, knowing they couldn’t be too far based on when they’d tripped his camera. They had to have seen his cabin. What were they waiting for? Maybe they were unsure if Poppy was staying at the cabin. He’d have to keep her inside and out of sight, unless they already knew she was there.

Five minutes later, he slowed down. He’d found the men. They were fixing a UTV that had been damaged over a downed log. Only a fool would try to bring any type of vehicle his deep into the unforgiving wilderness. The only way through was hiking by foot.

“We don’t have the part,” a man said.

“Well, what the fuck do you expect me to do? I’m improvising.” The other man was laying on his back, grease on his hands as he worked on the UTV.

“Give it up. We know where she is, and the longer we wait, the greater the risk.”

“We don’t know what we’re dealing with,” said the other man. “What if it’s a ranger? I couldn’t find anything on a map or deed for a house.”

“If it was a ranger, she’d be home and we’d have the law chasing down our asses. She’s scared and we can end this here.”

“We have her car, her address, everything. If she tries to leave, we’ll find her before she goes to the cops.”

“No, we end this here. A dead girl can’t make problems for us.”

Wilder counted five men and many packs of supplies, and he assumed weapons as well. It was worse than he thought. The poachers had been watching them and knew Poppy was at his home, and they’d seen him, too.

Only they’d be much safer with a ranger than with him. In fact, he’d start lessening the threat tonight. Wilder shifted into his fur, his bones breaking and elongating, his fur covering his body. He tensed as the power of the shift took over, finally leaving him as an animal.

He sniffed the air and pawed the ground with his mighty paw and claws. It felt good to be one with his beast again. They were in sync, Poppy the priority for both of them.

The human taking a piss on the periphery of their temporary campsite was his target. He bound in, slashing and tearing with claws and teeth before the man could make a sound to alert the others. It was fast, precise, and lethal.

Now there were four. His hope was they’d find their mutilated friend and it would scare them into leaving the forest. He was being merciful for now, even though they didn’t deserve it.

Wilder needed to be home with Poppy. Reassuring her, courting her, and protecting her. If the hunters didn’t leave his forest soon, he’d deal with the other four.

Once he got home, he found Poppy on the sofa, reading one of the old classic books he’d salvaged long ago.

“The bees okay?”

He stopped in his tracks for a minute, then went along with it. “Yes, the bees are secure.”

“That’s good, because I know how much you love your honey.” She barely looked up from the pages.

Wilder sat on the wooden coffee table he’d built, taking the book from her hands and placing it carefully beside him. “I want to show you something. Are you up for a bit of cooking?”

“Well, after everything, I’m not very sleepy.”

She followed him over to the kitchen area. He’d been wanting to share different things with her, and he couldn’t keep waiting. “Have you ever had honey marshmallows?” he asked, as he got all the simple ingredients together.

“Definitely not, but they sound amazing.”

After adding the ingredients to the pot, he instructed her to keep stirring. He stood behind her, telling her what to do every step of the way. She was so small compared to him. He breathed in her scent, closing his eyes to savor the delicious smell. His mate. He snaked his arms around her waist from behind, bending over to breathe deeply along her neckline. She didn’t pull away or flinch from his touch.

Wilder kissed her neck just below her ear. “They’re perfect with hot chocolate.”

He heard her breathing change, and felt her desire like perfume in the air.

“I’m excited to try them,” she said. “I love trying new things.”

They’d gotten to the final step and had to let the honey marshmallows cool before cutting them. She washed her hands, then turned around, drying them on her pants.

“Can we talk?” she asked.

“Yes, what about?”

Did she know about him? Did she question if he was human? Did she want to move away from his cabin and back to the city and her comfortable lifestyle? He tried to keep stoic, terrified of her talk.

“About us.”

Fuck.

“Okay. Let’s sit down.” He took her hand, leading her to the plaid sofa.

They were close, and he couldn’t stop staring at her. Her blonde hair was almost dry, and she looked so beautiful and natural. Like an angel.

“I know you said I could stay here, but I don’t want to be an inconvenience or something to be tolerated. I just want to know your real feelings for me, no matter what they are. Please don’t lie or tell me what you think I want to hear. If there’s any chance of this working, it has to be two sided. I hope this all makes sense.”

“This is what you wanted to talk about?” His hackles eased.

His little mate actually wanted to be here, and only worried about being accepted. Happiness and relief flooded his body. He thought he’d been fucking up his mating, but maybe things were going better than he’d thought.

“I’ve made you uncomfortable.”

“No,” he said quickly. “But I haven’t done my job well if you have to second-guess my intentions.”

“What are your intentions?” she asked.

“Poppy, everything that’s happened before now was leading up to you. You’re the one I’ve been waiting for. My mate. The only woman I want in my life.”

“But you barely know me. And I’ve caused so much trouble.”

“We’ll change that,” he said, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles. “But never doubt how far I’d go to protect you.”

Chapter Eight

What did he mean by how far he’d go to protect her?

Poppy pushed that to the back of her mind, because at that moment, his hand was on her cheek, and she didn’t want to think about anything else. His touch set her on fire with a need that surprised her. No man had ever made her feel this way. It was like she wasn’t even in control of her own body.

She didn’t know what compelled her, but she leaned forward and turned her head to press a kiss to his inner palm. At the same time, the moment her lips touched him, she felt this wash of arousal consume her.

Wilder let out a low guttural growl, and she couldn’t resist staring at him. She was unable to look away. Their connection was strong, linking them in an unseen bond. He looked so sexy. Wilder brought his other hand up, cupping her face. Poppy wanted this, she wanted this kiss. He leaned in close and his lips brushed across hers. It was the most magical feeling in the world.

His lips were strong, but they danced across hers, feeling so light. She couldn’t help but let out a moan because it felt that good. So all-consuming. She didn’t want his kissing to stop.

She reached out and put her hands on his waist, and she didn’t know when they stood up, only that they were and Wilder’s large hands moved down toward her waist. One hand wrapped around her back, while the other sank right to her ass and gripped the flesh.

Another moan escaped her. She felt heavy, willing, and needy. Almost as if having an out-of-body experience. His touch set her on fire. Then he broke the kiss, and Poppy missed the feel of his lips already.

“Do you trust me?” he asked.

“Yes.” It was such an easy question to answer. How could she not trust him? He’d taken care of her where a group of men were attempting to kill her. She couldn’t help but have a brief moment of panic knowing the poachers might not be too far away, but then again, she knew Wilder would take care of it. Her faith in him was absolute.

“Good.”

She let out a cry as he suddenly had her over his shoulder, and they were walking toward his room. How could he be that strong? He was all thick, hard muscle. She couldn’t help but admire his tight ass. She’d never considered herself an ass lady before, but Wilder’s butt in jeans looked absolutely divine. It should be illegal to look that good in a pair of jeans. The urge to give his ass a squeeze was strong, but she held herself in check, because she refused to pass that boundary and touch him in that way.

She didn’t have to wrestle with that urge for long, because within a matter of seconds, she was tossed on his bed, and he started to remove her clothes. There was no time to process what he was doing. His hands were everywhere, as she went from fully clothed to naked within minutes. Normally she’d feel insecure, but there was no time to ponder it. 

He was touching her all over. Almost savagely. It was as if he’d spent a lifetime holding back. But it was definitely making her hotter. This was how she imagined he’d be in bed—almost animalistic.

She arched up against him as he went for her tits, and he cupped them in his palm. Poppy realized he was completely clothed, but as she went to reach for him to remove his clothes, his mouth was already on her. His lips were on her neck, sucking at her pulse, but he didn’t linger there, even though it sent goose bumps erupting all over her flesh. He started to kiss down her body, his mouth landing over her tits.

Poppy didn’t even realize what she was missing not having a man, until his mouth was on her body. Each touch, each lick, sent shockwaves of pleasure rushing through her body. The pleasure was intense, her pussy throbbing. As he took one nipple into his mouth, biting down on the bud, he’d quickly soothe it with the flat of his tongue. When he took the whole nipple into his mouth and sucked, she didn’t know if she was going to survive this pleasure.

He moved to the next nipple, giving it the same attention. Then he started to dip down, his huge shoulders engulfing her as he pushed her back. She had no choice but to lay back amongst the pillows, and he started to spread her thighs immediately. She was about to ask him what he was doing, but he answered her question without her needing to ask.

Wilder began to lick and suck at her pussy like a starved man. Almost feral. Taking her clit between his teeth and making her gasp on that fine edge between pain and pleasure. She wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to stand it.

He lapped at her, building the pressure in her core, and then he dipped down and she thought he was going to take her right there with his tongue, only he pulled back. Poppy didn’t know if she could take much more as he worked on her clit, sucking and lapping. The pleasure was unlike anything she’d ever experienced, and he pushed her spiraling right over the edge.

“Wilder!” she kept chanting his name.

As she calmed a degree, she didn’t know if she should be embarrassed or not with how quickly he brought her to orgasm.

Her body didn’t even feel like her own, but somehow, as he was licking her pussy, Wilder had gotten naked. He was sexier than she even remembered. A light spattering of hair covered his strong pecs and led down, down, down. As he climbed onto the bed, it amazed her just how small she felt in comparison to him. She wasn’t used to this feeling. He was so much bigger than her in every way that counted.

Wilder rested his weight on one arm, then reached down, gripping his hard cock. She wanted to look down more, to see him, but she was so enraptured by his gaze, it was impossible for her to move. She didn’t want to.

His gaze thrilled her. Savage. Intense.

“You’re mine, Poppy.”

Then she felt the tip of him, gliding down the slit of her pussy. He bumped her clit, and even though she had climaxed just moments before, his touch stole her breath away. She couldn’t help but react to it. She was ready for this. Eager. And she was so wet.

He dipped down, and she felt the tip of him at her entrance. In one hard, sharp thrust, he filled her, sliding in deep. She gripped his arms, arching up. She closed her eyes, and he groaned, filling her with his thick cock.

He gripped her hip, and then pulled all the way out of her, only to slide back inside. It was beautiful torture. With how big he felt, Poppy expected some kind of pain, only each thrust of his cock ignited little sparks of pleasure through her whole body. She no longer belonged to herself, but was at the mercy of him. It felt so good, and she didn’t want it to stop.

Wilder did stop, though, when his cock was fully deep inside her. She felt so full, so stretched, so unbelievably claimed by this man. They stared into each other’s eyes, and it was like she couldn’t look away. his was her man.

Poppy never felt like this, so possessive, and consumed with her need to claim him. At first, she was a little unnerved, and as she stared into his dark eyes, she was pretty sure she saw a bear.

A large bear.

Kind of like the one she’d been looking for that very first day.

It made no sense to her, but Poppy wasn’t afraid of this bear, because it was magnificent. She watched the reflection in Wilder’s eyes. There was no way she was going to be able to tell anyone about this, because it didn’t make any sense to her.

He took hold of her hand and clasped it beside her head. He did the same with her other hand, and again put it at either side of her head. There was nowhere for her to go. She was at his mercy.

But Wilder was not going to hurt her.

Mate.

Mine.

Keep him.

Those words rang through her mind, and she couldn’t make any sense of them. This felt like fate. Actually, it felt deeper than fate. This was meant to be. She belonged to Wilder. This made total sense to her now.

Together.

Life mates.

And then, he started to fuck her, and Poppy’s mind was completely blown, as she slipped into ecstasy.

****

Wilder made his way toward the poachers. By now, they would have found one of their dead men, and as he got closer, he heard the panic.

He was in his bear form, as his senses were on even higher alert from this angle. After making love to Poppy all night long, he’d left her in bed, so he could check the threat and danger. The rest of the men were around a small fire. The embers already smoldering away.

“We just need to leave it,” one of them said.

“We’re not leaving until we take care of business.” This came from another.

“What about fucking Lionel? You saw that mess. Whatever did that to him is still out there!”

Wilder smelled the fear like acid in the air. He liked that they were scared but like most humans, they were also stubborn and if they were not careful, that would be their undoing.

He watched them for several minutes as one of them argued, and another sat quietly. They were not going to give up on Poppy, and that made them even bigger fools than he expected. They were not going to get to her. That was a battle they had already lost long ago. They continued to argue, but Wilder had seen enough.

His perimeter was secured, and he got to his home and let himself inside, putting on the locks. He’d already changed back into his human form, because he knew Poppy was not ready to see him as a bear—if ever. He needed to gain more of her trust first. Also, he knew her body was ready to take him and to mate. His bear wanted to breed her, to fuck her day and night until she was so full of his cum she’d become pregnant with his cub. Their cub. She’d be a perfect mother, he knew that.

He took a couple of steps inside his home, closed his eyes, and inhaled her fragrance. The moment she stepped into his world, her scent had been all over everything, and it made his mouth water for a taste of her. His cock was already standing at attention and even though he spent last night balls-deep inside her, he knew it still wasn’t enough. He needed more. He’d been pent up for decades, and now that he had his mate, he wanted to enjoy her.

Wilder made his way toward his bedroom, and he let himself inside, and sure enough, there she was, blanket covering her ass, but her legs and upper back were exposed. She lay on her stomach, one leg cocked to the side, but the blanket hindered his view.

He climbed onto the mattress and pressed a kiss to her calf. Then he moved to her other calf and started to make his way up the bed, shoving the blanket right out of his way. He stared at her shapely ass.

Poppy let out a moan.

“Good morning,” she said.

“Morning, beautiful.”

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I’m staring at this curvy ass,” he said, and he squeezed the cheeks together, but then couldn’t resist sinking his teeth gently against one full cheek.

She let out a little yelp, and tried to pull away, but he was not going to let her go that easy. Moving to her other cheek, he bit that one as well.

“Sensitive, baby?” he asked.

“I’m not used to someone playing with my ass.” She sounded a little breathless, and he scented her arousal. Letting go of her ass, he slid a hand between her thighs, dipping his finger into her tight cunt, feeling how wet she was.

She rocked against his hand, and he rewarded her by adding a second finger. She started to wriggle, and Wilder wanted to taste her, to pleasure her. When she screamed his name, nothing else compared.

He fucked her a few times, then pulled his fingers from her pussy, to which she gave a subtle moan of protest. This made him laugh, and he couldn’t resist swatting her ass, and then rolled her to her back. Right when he spread her legs, she gasped.

“Wilder, what are you doing?” she asked.

He loved the shocked surprise in her voice, and he couldn’t help but smirk.

“I want your pussy on my face.”

He held her hips and then lowered his mouth to her pussy. He slid his tongue against her clit, then glided down to penetrate her perfect pussy. The taste of her called to his bear. He’d never been so attuned to his bear, especially when it came to mating with a female. He flicked her clit with his tongue relentlessly, noticing the instant change in her.

Poppy was not used to being touched, and with just a few strokes of his tongue, he sent her over the edge into an orgasm that had her slapping the bed, and her fists tightening within the sheets.

Another moan echoed off the walls. Wilder wasn’t happy with how fast she came, and now he intended to prolong it. He wanted her to be completely blown away by the pleasure, so he went back to her cunt and plunged his tongue inside, tasting her creamy release, rubbing his face across her folds. Slowly, he ate her pussy, and when she couldn’t take any more, he took her clit gently between his teeth until she was writhing on the bed.

She was so close, but this time, he didn’t push her over that edge. He kept her balanced at the peak, forcing her body to build to an even better orgasm.

His cock was rock hard, and he just wanted to thrust deep inside her.

Wilder pushed his own needs out of his mind and focused on his woman. Building her up, taking her to that edge was all that mattered to him.

Chapter Nine

Poppy woke up as the sun rose. She wanted to take more pictures of all the beauty around her. Even though she’d hated her job and the financial struggle, photography was still her passion. After pulling on one of Wilder’s oversized sweaters, she grabbed her camera and headed out the back door.

She took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air. This was paradise.

Poppy settled carefully on her stomach near a big wood pile at the edge of the forest. She zoomed in on a spiderweb, intricately decorated with morning dew. The pictures would turn out amazing. Then she took some shots of wild mushrooms with the perfect shades of light from the rising sun.

The songs of birds grew louder as time passed. She shifted up into a sitting position and crossed her legs. Maybe if she was quiet enough, she’d get some pics of the wild birds around them. There were so many colorful species. As she scanned the trees with her zoom lens, she froze. Poppy lowered her camera and looked toward the trees to her right.

It was him.

Wilder.

He was squatting there, watching her, a look a pure adoration on his face. She’d never felt so special or wanted at that moment.

“Were you spying on me?” she teased.

He stood up and started walking toward her.

“The forest likes you.”

She smiled when he offered her a hand, then helped her to her feet.

“We’re getting to know each other,” she said.

When she left in the morning, he’d been sound asleep beside her in the bed—or so she’d thought.

“You have so much passion for the land I love.”

“How could I not?” she said. “Everything I look at amazes me.”

“And you like to take pictures.” He nodded to her camera.

“I don’t know why. When I see beauty, I want to capture it forever. I always see things through the eyes of my lens.”

He used a finger under her chin to tilt her head up.

“What I’m looking at is even more beautiful than the rarest wildflower.”

Why was she blushing? Especially after everything they’d done together the past couple of days. She wanted to tell him he was blind, but she wasn’t going to put herself down anymore. So, she kept quiet, savoring the way he looked at her. Although she was hoping for a kiss, he didn’t make a move.

“There are so many things I want to show you,” he said. “Beautiful things I think you’d love as much as I do.”

“I’d love to see them.”

“Are you okay hiking?”

She shrugged. All she could remember was the terrifying hike to escape the poachers, but she was up for creating better memories. “I think I can handle it.”

“We should leave right away. The views are better in the early morning.”

They spent the next little while getting dressed and packed some food in a backpack Wilder wore. He’d fashioned her a walking stick perfect for her height.

She followed him out the back door, and he had to tell Fester not to follow them. As always, the dog obeyed him without fuss. There was still dew on the long grass, leaving wet marks on her boots. As they entered the forest, it was like stepping into a different world. The light filtering down from the forest canopy cast shades of green over everything. If felt like walking into a fairy tale. He wasn’t moving fast like that first day. It was more leisurely and enjoyable.

“How far is it?” she asked.

“Not too far. Just at the ridge ahead.”

She asked to stop a few times to take pictures, and he was always patient, waiting until she was ready to continue.

Once they got to the ridge, she saw exactly what he was talking about. The valley below stretched out for what seemed like forever, a blanket of green forest with a lingering mist giving it an ethereal glow.

“I feel so small,” she said.

Everything was put into perspective with views like this.

He chuckled. “This is ancient shif—. This is ancient land. It must always be protected.”

“Like you protect the animals.”

“From those who would harm them.”

“The humans,” she added because she knew it was what he was thinking.

“The poachers,” he said. “Not all humans are bad.”

He put his arm around her, pulling her close. Wilder leaned down, brushing his lips against hers. Nothing else, just a quiet intimate moment. “Aren’t you going to take your pictures?”

Honestly, all she could think about was the warmth of his arm and how she was falling in love with him. She never wanted to leave this place. It felt like a completely different world from the one she’d left behind.

She smiled against his lips. “I’ll be taking a lot.”

Wilder suddenly froze, his head turning to the forest.

“What is it?” she whispered.

“Nothing. Take your pictures.”

Poppy looked to the trees but saw nothing, so she got her camera ready and headed over to the edge of the ridge where she got to her knees to take photos. It was too bad there was no money in nature pictures because all of these were going to be breathtaking. People only wanted drama, gossip, and the next big thing.

She took so many pics, loving the way the mist lazily passed over the valley. Sometimes an eagle would glide across, so she waited to get that perfect shot. When she got an exceptionally good one, she got up to tell Wilder. He always seemed interested in everything she had to say.

But she stopped dead in her tracks.

A massive grizzly was standing on the edge of the forest watching her. There was nowhere for her to go except over the cliff. The bear raised its nose and sniffed the air, then turned and disappeared into the underbrush of the forest.

She exhaled the breath she’d been holding, feeling dizzy for a minute. Poppy was still on edge. The bear could come back any minute. She was just wondering where Wilder was when he came out of the forest next to her.

“Wilder, there was a giant grizzly over there a minute ago.” She pointed to where it had disappeared. “I think it could be the one I was trying to photograph. It was huge. We should get out of here before it comes back.”

“It wouldn’t hurt you,” he said.

“How do you know?”

“Just a hunch.”

She narrowed her eyes. Most people would be afraid of a bear that close. Wasn’t he afraid of anything?

****

That night, Wilder made a firepit, adding enough wood to get it roaring. He had a bench near the pit that he’d made himself years ago. Poppy wanted to roast some honey marshmallows, so he’d carved some twigs she could use.

They sat together on the bench, a large old patchwork blanket over their shoulders. Her childlike wonder and awe only made him fall deeper in love with her. He wanted to give her everything, make all her dreams come true. Only life was never so simple.

He knew the poachers were still here. On his land. If they didn’t give up on Poppy, he’d kill every last one of them. Until the hunters were back in their human world, he wouldn’t be able to rest or enjoy the simple pleasures without that constant unease hanging over him. Until Poppy was safe and could wander their land without fear of man, he’d be on guard.

She giggled as her marshmallow caught fire, bringing it close to blow out. “I managed to ruin my marshmallow,” she said.

“No,” Wilder said, carefully pulling it off the end of the twig. He blew on it for a few seconds then offered it to Poppy. She opened her mouth and took a big bite. “The burn brings out the taste.”

“You’re right.” She smiled, wiping the edge of her lip.

He ate the other half, and out of nowhere they were kissing. The sweet taste lingered between them. Her heat was strong, an aphrodisiac he couldn’t resist. He combed a hand into her hair, holding her head as their kiss deepened.

With the sound of branches cracking, she broke the kiss. Through the dancing flames, he could make out the shapes of several coyotes on the other side of the fire. Poppy nearly fell backward off the bench to get away from them, but he grabbed her before she could fall.

“Wilder!”

He hushed, holding her close. “They’re just warming up by the fire.”

“What?”

“It’s okay. They won’t hurt you.”

She pressed herself as close to him as possible, nearly disappearing under the blanket. “How? How is that possible? Why aren’t they afraid? Why aren’t you afraid?”

“They’re just curious.”

“About us?” she asked.

“About you.”

She looked up at him, pausing.

“Don’t worry, Poppy. Coyotes are smart. They don’t pick fights they can’t win.”

“So, you’re saying you’re scarier than a coyote?”

“I didn’t say that.”

He was getting uncomfortable. One day she’d find out the truth about him and everything between them would fall apart. What human woman wanted to mate with an animal? He’d lose her, and he couldn’t let that happen. The only way he could keep her was to hide his shifter side forever. It wouldn’t be easy, but she was worth the effort. There was no way she’d love him for what he truly was.

After a while, the coyotes returned to the forest. Poppy visibly relaxed more once they weren’t watching her. She was never at risk because they knew she was under his protection. Out here, everything claimed territory, and Poppy belonged to him.

“I still can’t imagine you living out here alone as a boy.”

“That was a long time ago,” he said.

“I know, but how? Didn’t you try to hike out of here? Did people never pass by?”

“Once I accepted I was alone, I survived. There was no other choice. As the months and years passed, the forest became who I am.”

She made an exasperated sound.

“There should be a movie made of your life. Seriously.”

“No, it would be too boring. I sleep, eat, and chop wood. Nobody wants to watch that.”

She swatted him. He got up and scooped her and the blanket into his arms. Poppy squealed and held him tight around the neck.

“How do you do that?”

He had to remember to hide his strength from her. He was getting too sloppy.

“Years of chopping wood.”

He carried her back to the house. Before he went to bed, he’d put out the fire and make sure it wasn’t smoldering. Tonight, he’d also check on those trespassers. He’d heard their UTV miles away earlier, so they’d gotten it working. Nobody came out this far, and having those murderers so close to home didn’t sit well with him.

“I want to know more about you growing up in the wilderness,” she said. “I have so many questions.”

“Later, Poppy.”

She made cute sounds of protest, but he ignored them.

Once back in the house, he set her down to her feet. She draped the blanket back on the sofa and undid her sweater.

“Thank you,” she said.

“For what?”

“Today.”

He sat down on the sofa. “You had a good day?”

“It was perfect. Well, except for the bear and coyotes.” She straddled his lap and he held her waist. She ran her fingertips over his stubble.

“They didn’t hurt you.”

“Still. It was scary. One day I might not be so lucky.”

He groaned as she wiggled her hips over his cock slightly.

“You don’t need luck.”

“No?”

“Not while you’re with me.”

She searched his face. “How can you say that like it’s a fact?”

He hesitated for too long, always working to keep his secret. It was getting harder each day.

“I know these woods, and the animals. If anyone can keep you safe out here, it’s me.”

He didn’t tell her he was king of this ancient shifter forest. Predators cowered in fear when his bear was nearby. The forest animals knew the difference between a hunter and a killer. There was a system of respect and hierarchy that had been in place since he could remember. Poppy didn’t realize that the safest place in the forest was by his side. He could protect her from any threat.

Except his parents weren’t a match for the human weapons.

His hate for man bubbled up, but it faded away again when he looked in her eyes.

She was nothing like them. And he’d stop at nothing to protect his little human mate.

Chapter Ten

Everything was perfect.

Poppy couldn’t have asked for a better experience. She felt absolutely blissful. Wilder was amazing, and there were times she could even forget why they’d been brought together. It was like the poachers who were intent to kill her were part of a whole other life. A life she didn’t need to think about or acknowledge.

She didn’t want to remember her lonely old apartment where she was always alone. The constant hustle and bustle of the city. The need to make money. Working. She loved living off the land, being with Wilder, filling her days with everything he’d made of his life. It was perfection.

She felt at peace. For a long time, she didn’t think she was ever going to feel at peace, and yet here she did. If only that little nagging suspicion would leave well enough alone. She didn’t want to think about what it meant. She didn’t want to think why the animals listened to Wilder, nor the fact he seemed to hear things that were not there.

Over the last few days, she’d noticed little oddities about his behavior. Moments certain wildlife would come close to him, and he’d twitch his head toward the sound, but then he’d give a shake and pretend it was some kind of bug that whizzed past his ear. Even when wasps got close, he didn’t flinch, and in fact, wasps stayed away from him as well. She couldn’t forget the bees either.

Each time he brought back more honey, there was not a single sting on him. There were times he left and told her to wait inside, and she would listen. The last thing she wanted to do was annoy him or to run the risk of getting hurt.

Wilder protected her.

Yet, there was still that niggling doubt, and then the other night with the damn coyotes. They were dangerous and it wasn’t like anyone told a story of coyotes being friendly. They hunted as a damn pack. They didn’t leave humans alone just to share their heat. It was a kill-or-be-killed world, yet they didn’t attack Wilder. They did look at her as if she could be the potential next meal, but then they took the warmth of the fire and in the next breath were gone. She tried not to think about what that meant, but it sucked.

There was something about Wilder she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Like that giant bear, the one that had gotten her into all this trouble in the first place, as she was determined to capture a single image of it. Wilder being so confident it wasn’t going to hurt her, but he wasn’t even there to see it. He wouldn’t tell her where he had wandered off to.

There were a lot of secrets in his world, like now, he was gone again, and she was inside his home. Maybe it was a result of living your life in the wilderness. He was almost more animal than human in some ways. That had to be the explanation.

She moved toward the window, overlooking the main front garden, but all she saw ahead was forest. She quickly pulled away, because the truth was, the view reminded her of so many points in horror movies. She was not a horror movie lover.

Wandering into his kitchen, she opened up the fridge to see the meat in a bowl defrosting for tonight’s dinner. There were vegetables they’d gathered together from the garden. She closed the fridge and sighed.

Wilder did venture out into the real world, as he had shelf-stable milk and a pantry full of long-life staples. He promised to take her with him the next time he ventured to town. Apparently it was quite the hike, especially lugging the stuff back.

It wasn’t that she wanted to go into town or talk to anyone. She just wanted to help support him, to do couples’ things. She actually loved this life of living off the grid, relying on the land. She would never be good at hunting, but she certainly loved to tend the vegetables.

There were still so many questions without answers, and she didn’t want to keep prying.

All of a sudden, she was pulled out of her thoughts as Wilder stepped through the front door, and the first thing she noticed was the big beaming smile on his face.

“Well, you’re the prettiest sight to see,” he said.

He brought the freshness of the outdoors with him. She couldn’t help but laugh. Poppy moved toward him, throwing her arms around his neck.

“I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” He pressed his face against her neck.

“Why do you keep going out and leaving me like this?” she asked. Then, she gasped. “Did you see that bear? Did you see the poachers? Are they still hunting us?”

He cupped her face and tilted her head back and he had this beautiful smile on his face. “Everything is all right. The bear makes its appearance from time to time.”

“And you’re still not frightened? It was a giant bear.”

“Nothing frightens me. I told you, I respect the land, and the animals know I’m here to care for them.”

She sighed. “Do you think there is ever a chance I won’t be afraid? I hate that you’re so kind and so open and I’m afraid all the time.” She pressed her head against his chest. “I don’t want to scare them away.”

“You won’t.”

“What about the poachers?” she asked, and that uneasy slice of fear rushed down her spine. Would they ever give up, or were they still intent on seeing her dead? She didn’t like thinking about it, and wished the problem just disappeared.

“They’re still close. They’ve made camp a few miles away.”

“This isn’t good,” she said. “Why won’t they leave?”

“They’re determined to get what they want.”

“I put you in danger.” She lifted her head, and she felt her shoulders slump. “I never wanted to hurt you.”

He kissed her. “Stop it, Poppy. You’re not going to hurt me, and some hum— I mean people, they just don’t know when to let something go. It has nothing to do with you.” He kissed her lips again.

“What if I just give them the memory drive with their pictures on it?”

He shook his head. “At this point, it wouldn’t change their intentions.”

She felt an answering spark flood her whole body as she looked up at him.

They stared at one another, and it was like his eyes changed color, they went from a dark brown to almost black, then back again to brown. Poppy knew she must have imagined it. Especially as, within the next second, he picked her up in his arms and was carrying her right to their bed.

****

The poachers still being close was not Poppy’s fault. They’d been close to the house when Wilder killed one of them, which had sent them packing, but just a few miles away. They were not giving up on killing Poppy.

The only problem they had now was trying to figure out what killed their friend. He did have them afraid, but not to the point they were willing to give up on Poppy, and he didn’t like that. Also, he sensed her curiosity was getting the better of her. She kept looking at him questioningly. She wanted answers. He got it. After all, he was a bear, and he wasn’t human.

Poppy was different. He glanced over to where she lay on the bed. To keep her questions at bay, he’d made love to her all night long. He couldn’t get enough of her. There were plenty of traps around his land, and he went and set more up, so he could keep Poppy safe.

She let out a sigh, and he hadn’t even realized he’d been staring at her ass, and he quickly pulled his gaze up to look into her eyes. There was a pretty smile on her face.

“Hello,” she said.

“Good morning.”

She sighed. “It’s morning already?”

“Yes, it is.” His cock was already hard as rock. Her ass was calling to him, and he leaned over her, to kiss her cheek. “Did you sleep well?”

“You know I did. You made sure of that.”

He eased some of her hair out of the way, exposing her shoulder, and he couldn’t resist kissing her exposed flesh. In the back of his mind, he knew he could not keep the truth from her his whole life—that would be unfair, because any kids they had were going to be bear shifters. Shifter DNA was always dominant. There was no way he was not going to mate with Poppy. He dreamed of breeding her. He wanted a family. For so long now, he’d been living alone, and he hadn’t even realized what he’d been missing. He was used to the peace and quiet, and the moment Poppy entered his life, he suddenly realized he had a chance to fall in love.

He was falling for Poppy. Hard. She called to every single part of him. His heart, his soul, his need to protect her.

He moved into position over her, and he tilted her ass so she offered up her pussy. Sliding her legs open, he gripped his cock and found his way toward her core, as he pressed forward. He slid deep into her cunt, and she cried out, arching up against him. He felt every ripple of her pussy. She was already flooded with his previous releases. His scent covered her, which is one of the reasons the other animals left her alone. She was marked. She was owned. She belonged to him, and no animal within his forest wanted to make him angry.

Poppy moaned, but she didn’t pull away, she pressed up against him, wriggling her pussy right onto his dick. He gripped her hip, then he pulled out, and he looked down at where they were joined, because he thought it was a fucking marvel at how perfect they fit together. He loved how plump and inviting her ass was. Sinking balls-deep inside her, he gripped her hip and closed his eyes, feeling her warmth surround him. She was so fucking tight.

Letting go of her hip, he moved his hand between her thighs and found her warmth. The moment he reached her clit, he paused in his thrusts and focused completely on her. He massaged her clit, feeling her pussy tightening around him.

He’d spent a lot of time last night licking her pussy. She tasted so damn good. He truly couldn’t get enough. Right now, all he wanted to do was pull out of her tight pussy and lick her until she came on his mouth. Her nectar was the sweetest honey, and he truly didn’t think that was possible, as he loved the taste of his bee’s honey. He’d gladly feast on his woman all day long.

She moaned his name, and the sound echoed off the walls. It was the sweetest sound, and the moment he tipped her over the edge, he had no choice but to grit his teeth, because he was so close to coming apart. The pleasure was next level. Just with the pulsing of her pussy, he was sure he could see stars.

He couldn’t take much more, and he pulled his hand away, then gripped her hips as he pounded inside her, filling her with his hard cock. Wilder attempted to be gentle, but he was too far gone on the pleasure scale to be gentle. He thrust hard and deep, and it was like he hadn’t known release, as with a few sharp thrusts, he filled her, spilling his seed deep inside her cunt.

Wilder tried to keep most of his weight off her, but he felt a little weak after that, and every part of him tingled. Poppy wriggled beneath him, and he moved to the side, but he stayed balls-deep inside her, not giving his seed the chance to escape. He wanted every chance to make her pregnant.

“You’re frowning,” Poppy said.

It was an odd angle to have his dick still inside her, and for her to be able to see him, but his dick was not leaving her pussy.

“I’m just thinking,” he said.

“What about?”

He looked at her and didn’t want to worry her. “Just the poachers.”

He felt her instantly tense up.

“They’ve still not gone?”

He shook his head. “They will.”

“But you’re worried.”

“No.”

This made her frown. “I’m confused.”

“They will move on eventually, or the forest will teach them a lesson about poaching.”

She gave a little shiver. “You make it sound like the forest is alive.”

“It is, Poppy. The trees, the wildlife, it’s all alive, and trust me, no one wants to fuck with nature. It has a habit of biting back.”

Chapter Eleven

Poppy had been alone for almost an hour. She was getting a bit bored. When she was bored, her imagination went wild. Sometimes it wasn’t a good idea to be alone with her thoughts. She started to overthink all Wilder’s oddities when she’d promised herself they weren’t worth the trouble. They were happy together, and that’s all that mattered.

All her life, she never dreamed of having a happily ever after, and each day with Wilder was a dream come true. But as she paced around the little log house, her attention kept diverting to that locked room in the hallway. The room bolted from the inside and the outside. The forbidden temptation that wouldn’t stop invading her thoughts. Maybe that room had answers. Maybe he was a serial killer. She shook her head, feeling like an idiot. She needed to just mind her own business.

But she couldn’t.

Poppy decided it would eat away at her until she knew what was inside. Maybe then she’d stop doubting Wilder. It was probably old storage, something boring and unimportant. She searched around all the drawers in the house, looking for a key. She wasn’t having much luck until she found a large key in his night table drawer. It was an old-fashioned skeleton key, and she admired it as she brought it into the hallway. Sure enough, it fit the lock.

She froze, her heart pounding in her chest. This felt wrong but she couldn’t stop herself. Poppy turned the key and pulled open the heavy, reinforced door. It was pitch-black inside, a waft of stale, musty air greeting her. It mustn’t have been opened in a long time. She cautiously stepped inside, feeling around for a light switch on the wall.

Once the lights flicked on, she gasped as she took in the scene. The walls were a mix of steel and heavy timber, appearing to have been repaired numerous times. All the walls were gouged over six feet high with thick claw marks. Broken chains hung from the ceiling and large tufts of fur were stuck in the wood, along with obvious bloodstains.

It was a torture room.

Her stomach twisted in knots.

That’s why Wilder wasn’t afraid of bears. He brought them here to torture and kill them. He is a poacher. Or was a poacher. Maybe something worse. She started to cry in deep waves, sobbing for everything she’d discovered and the future she knew was no more. She should have known everything was too perfect.

Poppy cautiously walked around the room, watching where she stepped, running her fingertips along all the deep claw marks. The poor bears were trying to escape. Maybe that’s where he got his money—selling bear parts on the black market. She wondered what he did to that poor bear cub. He’d disappeared with him. All the mysteries were shrouded in this dark secret.

Did he know the poachers coming after her? She didn’t know what to do or to believe.

Poppy wiped at her eyes, the tears blurring her vision. She almost wished she could have lived in blissful ignorance, but no, this was a major discovery. Wilder wasn’t the man she thought he was.

She needed to leave this fake paradise and go back to her real life. It may be hard back in the city, but at least she’d be able to sleep at night. There was no way she could ignore this nightmare room, whether he’d changed or not.

Poppy got dressed in warm layers, filled her backpack with her belongings and some food and water. Then she kissed the three dogs goodbye, which only made her cry more. She slipped out the front door and headed in the direction she’d come weeks ago. If she kept going straight, eventually she’d get to her car or at least find someone to help her.

If Wilder found out she discovered the truth, maybe she’d end up trapped in that torture room. There must be a completely different side to him, and she didn’t want to discover it.

She began her long trek, feeling nervous being alone, but more determined than ever to get away. No way could she be here when he returned from wherever he was. She needed to move quickly.

After hiking for miles in the extremely rough terrain, she heard faint voices. She paused, hoping they were other hikers like that family they’d come across before. First, she took a drink from her water bottle. Then she moved a bit closer to see who was talking. She saw a UTV and several men packing up equipment. She parted the weeds a bit more and that’s when she knew it was the poachers looking for her. She held her breath, feeling caught between bad and worse. How would she get by without them noticing? But she couldn’t stay put forever.

Poppy couldn’t believe the situation she was in, and didn’t know why her thoughts immediately went to Wilder. He wasn’t her savior anymore, he was a freak, some sicko that trapped and hurt wild bears. No wonder he was out here alone. He wasn’t normal at all.

She started to pull back when an arm came around her from behind, covering her mouth so she couldn’t scream. He was strong and rough. She could barely breathe as he pulled her back into the forest. Poppy kicked her legs, trying to get out of his grip. She dug in her heels but it was no use. He wreaked of alcohol and body odor.

“Look what I have here!” he shouted. “A nosey little photographer.”

The men she’d seen through the weeds only moments earlier came over to them. They laughed and hooted.

“She actually came right to us.”

The man holding her let go and they all circled her as she sat on the ground.

“You’ve cost us our friend,” one of them said. “We should kill you too.”

She didn’t know what he was talking about. Her heart was beating so fast it was hard to catch her breath. This was it. They’d been hunting her for weeks and now they had their chance to kill her. It was surreal. And there was nothing she could do about it.

“Her boyfriend might be nearby. He’ll know where the bear is.”

“The boss said he wants the bear taken alive.”

“Fuck.”

“We have her and that’s what matters. He’ll give us what we need now.”

Her mind raced with ways to preserve her life. She came up empty. The only chance she had was using the memory card against them, but it was in her bag with her camera.

****

Wilder came home from his rounds, young fawn in his arms, and found the door to his secret room open. And Poppy was gone. He didn’t know where she was. Usually, she listened to him when he asked her to stay inside while he was away. It was for her own safety.

Why would she run? He looked inside the room, but old memories came rushing back. He immediately pushed the door closed. There was no way she’ d be able to figure anything out by seeing the room. No way she’ d be able to connect the dots and discover who he really was.

Right now, he needed to find her and talk to her. She was obviously suspicious enough of him to try to open his locked room in the first place. Maybe it was time to tell her the truth about everything. Hiding his true identity forever was no longer an option.

He set the injured fawn down on the dog bed and brought a bowl of water close.

Wilder stepped outside, testing the air. He knew precisely the direction Poppy had taken but it was a while ago as the scent was muted. He’d have to track her in his fur. That was the fastest way to get around the forest. She could be in danger. He had a satchel around his chest with a change of pants, and nothing more. He wanted to find her before dark so she wouldn’t be cold or afraid. That was going to cut it close as the sun was already starting its slow descent.

Wilder squatted down, bracing himself on an outstretched hand as he called to his bear. Within seconds, his bones contorted and snapped as they shifted from human to bear. His body grew, his muscles thickening, and hair sprouting from his skin. His nails changed to massive claws. As soon as it had started, he was fully transformed into his alpha grizzly bear. The shift was often uncomfortable but it was nothing like in his youth. He’d learned to master and control the change with practice over the decades.

He pawed the ground briefly, then bound into the forest.

The closer he got to his mate, the more he could sense her. He was on the right trail, sounds becoming clearer and scents becoming more potent. The poachers were nearby. He’d run nonstop, so he found Poppy just as the sun faded into the horizon. The cover of night would aid him now.

The poachers had her. This was the one thing he’d feared all these weeks. The reason he’d been with her at most times and kept her safely in the house when he was away. She was still alive because he could hear and sense her. She was afraid. That enraged his bear. They didn’t want to see his bear angry, but tonight they would.

He patrolled the perimeter of their camp. They were starting a fire to fend off the darkness. Wilder could see them all perfectly. There were four males. Poppy was sitting against a tree with her hands tied behind her back. She didn’t appear injured.

Although he was grateful she was still alive, he had to wonder why they were keeping her breathing after trying so hard to capture her. She had the evidence, so without her, they were in the clear. But she was still here.

He watched intently, taking in every move they made. Wilder had to remember the lesson from his parents’ legacy. To never underestimate human firepower. He had to wait until they were all away from their guns, even though his instincts wanted him to react without caution.

“We’re wasting our time. Maybe he doesn’t know where it is.”

“He knows.”

They started separating. One headed into the bush to take a shit. With three by the fire, and no weapons in hand, he took the opportunity to save his woman. Wilder bound toward the fire in his fur, immediately swatting one man to the side, sending him hurtling into the trees.

“It’s him! It’s him!” one shouted.

Wilder slashed the front of his torso, immediately killing him as his bloody body collapsed to the ground. His bear stood on his hind legs, roaring as he targeted the other two men. He dropped back down, the earth seeming to shake. Wilder chased down the third one, grabbing him by the thigh with his teeth, biting down hard as he swung the body like a rag doll into a tree. Before he could get the man in the forest, he heard the UTV’s engine rumble to life.

The last man made his escape, but Wilder’s only focus now was Poppy. He bound over to her. She looked absolutely terrified of him, and it broke his heart. He wished his bear could speak so he could tell her he’d never hurt her. To tell her she could pet his thick fur and find safety in his presence. Now wasn’t the time. She’d been through enough already.

After one more look at her, he disappeared into the forest where he’d left his satchel. Wilder pulled on his jeans. He reappeared shortly after in his skin.

“Wilder!” she shouted. “Be careful!”

He loved that she worried about him.

“Let me untie you,” he said, bending down next to her.

Once her hands were free, she swung her arms around his neck squeezing tightly. She was crying, her stomach convulsing.

“I don’t know what to think anymore,” she said.

“Everything will be okay. Let’s get you home.”

Then she pulled back, her brow furrowed. “No, I can’t.”

“Why?”

“You’re not who I thought you were.”

He froze. Had she figured out the beast of the forest was him? Was she rejecting him even before he had a chance to tell her the truth himself?

“Who am I?”

“Not what you wanted me to believe,” she said. Then she added, “I found your secret room.”

He swallowed hard. That room brought back a lot of unwanted memories. He’d moved on long ago and didn’t want to think about it. But seeing the room shouldn’t have revealed anything to her. It was empty, unused for decades.

“It’s just an old room. I’m the same man I was yesterday and the day before that. The man who loves you.”

She cried into her hands. “I wish I could believe that, Wilder.”

“I’ll explain everything. Answer any questions you have. Just come home with me. This area isn’t safe. More men could return. The authorities could come searching for the beast.”

“It was a bear,” she whispered.

“You saw it?”

She nodded. “He looked right at me. His eyes were dark ... like yours.”

Chapter Twelve

“All bears have dark eyes.”

Poppy had been able to stop shaking, and she looked over to the now resting fawn and wondered why she ever thought Wilder was a monster. After he got her back to his home, he’d gotten her a hot chocolate, and then she watched as he tended the fawn.

His entire manner was that of caring. His movements were slow as not to startle the fawn. He spoke quietly, softly. Such a contrast to his massive, intimidating size. Everything about his actions screamed caring and loving.

Yet, she couldn’t get the vision of that room out of her mind. She lifted her hot chocolate to her lips and took a sip. It tasted so damn good. Must be his honey.

Wilder came out from his bedroom, and he pulled out a chair. He’d changed his clothes and had taken a shower. So much had happened so fast. Poppy wasn’t sure what to think.

For the longest time, he just sat there, and neither of them spoke. Was he hurt she’d run away? Angry? She didn’t want to look at him, because the disappointment just ate away at her.

“You think I’m a poacher,” Wilder said after the longest time, and this made her jerk her head up to look at him.

“I saw that room,” she said. She couldn’t help but look behind him, as if she could still see it now.

Wilder sighed. “It’s not what you think.”

“It looked like you tortured bears or something. How could you do something like that!” She felt sick.

After all, she had seen what those damn poachers had done to that bear, and Wilder even helped the cub.

“Is that what you do? Torture the parents, then put the kids into some kind of sanctuary and hunt them down when they’re set loose?” Poppy asked. “Is it a game to you?”

Wilder slammed his fists down on the table, startling her. “I have never, nor will I ever, murder another living being in my life. I know what humans do to bears, and to all kinds of beings just for the sheer sport of it. There are fucking wars because of it, so don’t ever compare me to poachers or humans. I have never given you any reason to question me. Not a single one.”

Poppy was shocked by his outburst. The passion in his voice took her breath away.

“That room is not what you think it is. I have never hurt, nor tortured an animal in all my life. Hunting and murder are two different things. The way you are today tells me you’re not ready to know what that room is about.” Wilder got to his feet, and he shocked her more by grabbing his jacket and storming out the door.

Only, he came back. “If you have absolutely no trust or belief in me, then fine, run off. Those poachers will kill you the moment they get the chance. Make a decision. Either trust me and have faith in me, or put yourself at the mercy of real monsters.” And with that, he slammed the door closed.

Poppy could only stare at the door, a frog in her throat and an overwhelming feeling of shame. In his eyes, she saw the anger, even a little hatred, and she felt that instant hit of guilt. She got to her feet and moved toward the door, only as she looked outside, there was no sign of Wilder. He was gone.

There was no way she could leave. The poachers were out there, and she looked toward the corridor where that room was, and she saw the key was still in the lock, but the door had been closed. Why hadn’t Wilder taken the key? Why was he so upset?

For weeks they’d shared everything, fell in love with each other, and then she pulled this stunt. No wonder he was pissed. She looked toward the fawn that was now sleeping. When Wilder had been shouting, the fawn had been alert.

Poppy looked around the kitchen, and she sighed. She had accused Wilder, but the state of that room made absolutely no sense to her. How could he not have been torturing animals? Yet, his outburst screamed of an innocent man with nothing to hide. Had he done bad things in the past and changed? She wasn’t ready to know what that room was? Did that mean Wilder was going to talk to her about it?

She dropped her head into her hands and felt like sobbing. This wasn’t good. She wished she could go back in time and not jump to conclusions. She looked around the kitchen, and it seemed so cold and empty. It was already dark outside.

Poppy didn’t know if Wilder was even going to come back, but if there was a chance, she was going to get a meal on the table as a peace offering.

In the fridge, were some meats labeled “stewing,” and another smaller pouch labeled “ground meat.” Wilder had an antique meat grinder bolted to the wooden counter. There was no time to stew any meat, as she wanted to make sure dinner was ready when Wilder got home. She grabbed the ground meat, then got to work on the vegetables. She was not the best cook in the world, but she did try her best.

Poppy chopped up some onion, carrot, celery, and got that started in the pot, along with the ground meat. Once that was stewing, she searched the cupboards for more essentials and found some canned beans and tomatoes. There were also some seasoning blends, and she grabbed them as well, and just let her hands do all the work. After all, her mouth had caused a great deal of trouble, and she didn’t want to upset Wilder.

With the meat bubbling on the stove, she peeled some potatoes and got them boiling as well. She found some sour cream and cheese, and got to work on grating the cheese. By the time the potatoes were boiled, she turned to see Wilder returning, and gone was the anger in his eyes. She felt instant relief that he was back safely. He also looked a little taken aback to see she was here cooking for him.

“Hi,” she said. “Dinner won’t be long. I’m just mashing the potatoes right now.” She offered him a smile and gave him her back.

She sensed that he didn’t move for the longest time, and she kept herself busy, serving him a large bowl, then serving herself some. Maybe next time, rather than jump to conclusions, she should just come into the kitchen to cook. That seemed the safest of all options.

Poppy put the filled bowl of food in front of him, along with a knife and fork. Wilder sat down at the kitchen table, and she joined him, sitting opposite, waiting expectantly.

At first, he didn’t eat. He just stared at her.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I saw that room and I jumped to conclusions and I shouldn’t have. I shouldn’t have run away, and those poachers, they think you can locate that bear.”

She was not going to hide from him. Wilder had saved her, already what felt like a dozen times since they’d met.

“I do know how to locate that bear,” Wilder said.

Poppy’s eyes went wide. “Those other men were killed, Wilder. You’re going to need to be careful.”

“You don’t think I should lure it into a trap, bring it back to my room and torture it?”

She looked at him, and it was so stupid. “No, I don’t.”

“But it killed a man, possibly more.”

Poppy picked up her fork, and she glanced over to Wilder. “Well, maybe the bear felt threatened, and perhaps those poachers deserved it.”

****

Wilder needed to get out of the kitchen. He couldn’t believe Poppy thought the worst of him. That fucking room was his own personal nightmare, and even now, he didn’t want to think about it.

Those fucking poachers were not leaving well enough alone, and he finally had Poppy back to safety, and now, she had cooked him a delicious meal.

He wasn’t angry with her anymore. He could only imagine what she must have thought seeing that room. It had been so long since even he’d been inside it. He could not blame her for being afraid.

After he left the kitchen, he didn’t linger in the yard, as he needed to clear his head, and especially find a way to abate the rage that consumed him. The only way he could control his bear, was by having complete and total control, and that meant over his emotions as well. There was no room for error, otherwise someone would get hurt, and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt his woman. Poppy didn’t deserve that. But she did deserve an explanation. How did you tell a human that the big grizzly bear and himself were one and the same? That he’d been a bear shifter all his life. His parents were bear shifters, and he’d always been alone.

Not only were there bear shifters, but wolves, coyotes. Those were just two of the shifters he’d met coming through this very forest. They all had an understanding. So long as they didn’t trespass on his land, they were quite welcome to coexist. It had suited him for a long time.

Sure, he talked with a few of them, even invited one or two back for coffee and allowed them to rest for the night. But, by morning, they were gone. Sometimes he wrote to them and started a friendship.

After he’d checked the perimeter and finally returned back to his home, he’d discovered Poppy had cooked for him. Her apology meant a great deal to him, and that was another reason he knew she was his mate and belonged to only him. He could forgive her. Her apology was sincere. They were not empty words and had real feeling behind them.

So, he wasn’t angry with her anymore. However, he did take another shower and told her to get some rest. The fawn was still fast asleep and only moved when he was close, but she knew nothing bad was going to happen to her.

Rather than sleep with Poppy, he took a spare pillow and some blankets he didn’t need out into the living room. He removed his clothes but kept on his boxers, extinguishing the light as he made his way toward the window.

Something wasn’t right with those poachers. They wanted the bear alive. They wanted him alive, and they somehow knew there was a connection between him and the beast. He’d been sloppy. They hadn’t quite figured out yet that they were one and the same.

This was bad because he’d noticed there was a new poacher. They must have called another of their buddies to take the place of the man he’d killed. They were not going quietly, and seeing as tonight he’d killed another, he wondered if another human would take his place.

They knew where he lived. The only reason he came back here was because as of right now, it was the only safe place in the forest. Everywhere else was at risk. The poachers were defenseless here. The only way to keep him and Poppy safe was to remain here.

He looked out into the night, knowing there would come a time soon when Poppy was going to know the truth.

At the sound of her moving, he turned his head just before she came into view.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hi.” He didn’t move from his spot near the window, giving her space. He sensed her nerves.

“You’re still awake.”

He didn’t say anything, just looked at how beautiful she was.

The fawn looked up at Poppy, but then deemed her not to be a threat and went back to sleep. It wouldn’t be long before he’d be able to release her back out into the wild. He’d gladly have a whole pet sanctuary for every injured animal he found. But he’d learned long ago the forest was their sanctuary. It was the humans ruining it for them all. He tried to keep the forest safe. However, some humans were relentless.

She gave him a gentle smile and stepped closer. “I miss you.”

“Poppy, you need tonight to clear your head.”

She rushed forward and grabbed his hands. “I don’t need tonight. I don’t ... I was foolish to think the worst of you, but please don’t ... sleep out here alone. I can’t stand it.”

He looked down at her hands. So small compared to his own. She was human and vulnerable and she didn’t know the truth.

“I had no right to be angry,” he said.

“Yes, you had every right. I was foolish and you didn’t give me permission to go looking in that room, and for that, I am sorry.” She sighed. “I shouldn’t have gone into that room, and I shouldn’t have ran off, and that is my fault. That is not your fault.”

Wilder hated this, because he could use this to his advantage. Use her guilt to make her forget all about it and just live with what he said. But it wasn’t right. She deserved to know the truth. Poppy was his mate. She wasn’t just some random human.

He reached out and tilted her head back so he could look into her eyes. She’d noticed that his eyes were the same as his bear’s. His bear’s temper was the same as his. There were a lot of things he and his bear shared.

It was how he was able to control himself for so long.

“Poppy, there’s something I need to tell you...” He stopped because he never thought for a million years that this was how he would tell his mate he was a bear. He never thought he would be this nervous.

And then he heard it—the unmistakable sound of twigs snapping way too close to his home.

Chapter Thirteen

“Someone’s here,” he said.

Poppy didn’t see or hear anything out of the ordinary.

“How do you know?”

He was already ushering her down the hall, his sense of urgency palpable.

“Wilder. What’s happening?”

They stopped in front of the forbidden room. He held both her shoulders, looking her in the eyes. “I don’t have time now. I need you to stay in the room. It’s the safest place in the house, completely reinforced.”

“In there?”

“Please, Poppy. Just trust me on this.”

She wasn’t going to argue with him, even though the thought of hanging out in that nightmare room was the last thing she wanted to do. He opened the door and rushed her inside before sealing the heavy door shut. She didn’t even have time to kiss him or say goodbye. By the time she turned, the door was closed and he was gone. At least there were lights because the windows were boarded up with metal. She wrinkled her nose at the smell.

Had the poachers crossed onto his property? Was it the bear? She was desperate to know what was going on out there. She chose the cleanest spot on the floor without blood or fur and sat down, hugging her knees.

It was hard to hear anything from inside the reinforced room. Not even muffled sounds.

Poppy wasn’t sure how much time passed, but she guessed about an hour had gone by when she stood up to stretch her legs. How long was she expected to wait? What if Wilder needed her help? What if something happened to him? Her imagination was on overdrive again.

She began to pace, looking around at things she hadn’t noticed last time. There were marks along the doorframe, like those used to measure a child’s height each year. She wondered what they were. Near the door, there was an antique timer of some sort with a red push button. She’d never seen anything like it, and she imagined Wilder built it from old parts like he did with a lot of things around the house.

The red button was a temptation. She ran her fingertips over the top of it, trying to figure out what it could be for. The room was old, so it probably didn’t do anything. And she was bored. And curious by nature. Poppy figured what’s the worst that could happen and pushed the button.

Immediately, iron bars dropped down in front of the door, making her scream and jump back. She looked around, nothing else seemed to have changed. Her heart was racing in her chest, and a bunch of fresh dust floating in the air from the bang. She cautiously approached the bars, holding them with both hands. Poppy felt like a monkey in a cage, and the panic started to set in. There was no way out. The bars rattled as she shook them, gentle at first, and wildly as she began to freak out.

“Wilder!”

What the hell was this room for? Why would the button to trap the bears be on the inside? He’d be trapped inside with them. Nothing made sense, and now because she couldn’t mind her own business again, she was trapped.

As time passed, desperation set in. If something happened to Wilder, she’d die in here. There was no way out, he’d made sure of that. She had no food, and in her panicked state, felt like she couldn’t breathe.

“Help!” She reached through the bars, banging on the main door with a closed fist. “Wilder!”

She decided to try the window. Maybe there was a way to get the metal out, a level something. As she tried to pry her fingers under the thick metal, the massive claw marks made her shudder. Whatever was trapped in here had tried to escape, just as she was now.

The loud sound of the metal gate made her spin around.

It was Wilder, lifting up the bars, locking them back into place high above the door. She cried and ran to him, a mix of relief and turbulent emotions. Poppy wrapped her arms around his waist and he held her head against him.

“It’s okay. I’m here.”

“I’m sorry. I pushed the button.”

He chuckled softly. “I should have expected that.”

She leaned back, glancing around the room. “Wilder, this place. What was this room for?”

“Me.”

Poppy shook her head. “I’m serious. Whose room was it?”

“Mine.” He held her wrists, and she didn’t pull away. No more jumping to conclusions.

“I didn’t want to kill a deer, a hiker, or someone’s dog because I couldn’t control myself yet.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked. This was not sounding good, and she found herself holding her breath.

“Since I was thirteen, I locked myself in here every full moon. I couldn’t trust myself. Couldn’t control ... my bear.”

“You had a bear?” So, she was right. He was hurting wild bears in here.

“No, Poppy. I am a bear.” He looked down at her, no hint of humor in his voice.

Why was he saying dumb things like this. Was he crazy?

The sound of breaking glass had him pulling away.

“Smoke,” he said.

She smelled it, too.

“Get the fawn and the dogs in here. Understand?”

She nodded rapidly, rushing out after him. The smoke was pouring into the living room. All his beautiful antiques and plaid furniture, everything he’d built was going to get destroyed. She felt fear and anger and sadness all while madly ushering the animals back to the safe room.

Wilder threw something back out the window. He had no weapons. How would he stop them from coming in and killing her?

There were gunshots outside and she screamed, scaring Milly. She scooped her with her other arm and carried her the rest of the way. Once she settled the fawn and the three dogs safely in the room, she sealed them inside by closing the heavy door. Poppy put the key in her pocket. She returned to the melee. The men were trying to get inside.

“Oh my God, Wilder.”

They were breaking down the front door, the frame was splintering and giving way. Then the entire door fell inward, crashing down on the wooden floor with a heavy thud. It was hard to see with the smoke and darkness. One of the men took a step inside and immediately shot Wilder. He grunted. She screamed so loud she startled herself.

“Wilder!”

Poppy started to run to him but he held out his arm barring her way. “Stay back! Stay behind me.” Then he turned around to look her in the eyes. “Whatever you do, don’t scream.”

He was bleeding, his shirt stained red, blood dripping onto the floor. She couldn’t lose him. The same poacher aimed his gun in her direction, but Wilder rushed forward, struggling to disarm the man. Other men started pushing into the little house to help their friend. Wilder was outnumbered and gravely injured.

Then everything changed.

Wilder squatted down, yielding, or so she thought. His shirt started to rip, right down along his spine, his back changing, growing. He slowly began to rise, not because he was standing up, but due to his size. Hair began to replace skin, and the energy in the room changed. Within seconds the huge grizzly she’d seen by that campfire was standing in the living room.

And he was angry.

****

Wilder bound forward, using his immense size and strength to overpower the human males. He slashed and tore with claws and teeth, not holding back because he was the only thing between them and his mate. None of them would be left alive to be a threat to her again.

His wound was already stitching together, the shift aiding in his healing. If he’d stayed in his skin, the gunshot could have killed him. Right now, no pain in the world would stop him from protecting Poppy.

The room became quiet. Only the scent of gasoline and smoke wafting in the air.

He’d killed the men who’d entered his home, their bodies lifeless, and there was no chance they’d survive their wounds. His bear was still hyped up on adrenaline, grunting as the bloodlust overpowered him.

Then a voice came from outside in the darkness.

“Wilder. I know who you are.”

The bear and human fought in his mind to make sense of this. How did this stranger know his name? Why weren’t they running in fear?

He headed to the door, not wanting any more threats to enter the house. Everything he loved was in there. He walked out the broken doorframe and stepped onto the soft earth. There was a male near the tree line. Alone.

“I knew about your parents. A shame that was. But what you’re doing would have them rolling in their graves.”

His bear tested the air. The man talking wasn’t entirely human. He must be a shifter. He kept moving toward him, fully intent on ending his life.

“You know she’s human, yet you’ve claimed her. We’re a dying breed, but you’d willingly dilute our bloodline. Don’t you understand the importance of keeping our shifter blood pure and not diluting it with humans?”

This was confusing him. He was expecting poachers wanting to kill his mate because she’d taken photos of them. This shifter knew too much, and he needed to know what was going on. Wilder wasn’t fully healed yet, but he shifted back into his skin to communicate.

“You call it love. Every traitor calls it love. That’s the lie that always comes first. Then come the mixed litters, the forgotten traditions, the empty dens. I’ve seen it happen,” the man said.

“Who the hell are you?”

“My name’s Alder. Those men you killed were just humans on my payroll.”

“What payroll? Poaching bears?”

“This isn’t about poaching or vengeance. It isn’t hatred. It’s surgery. You cut away rot before it reaches the heart.”

“You’re fucking crazy. I saw that sow you killed. For what purpose?”

“That wasn’t me. My men were instructed to find the beasts of the forest. She was just collateral damage. What matters is that your ancestors bled to keep our kind hidden, to keep our blood our own. You throw all of that away because one human smiled at you?”

“She’s my mate.”

Alder laughed. “Don’t speak to me of the mate bond. Fate isn’t holy. It’s blind. Wolves have leapt off cliffs chasing instinct. A wise man knows when to deny the beast.”

“I’ll never give her up, and I suggest you don’t push me on it. Take one more step toward my mate, and you’ll learn exactly how far I’ll go to protect what’s mine.”

“You weren’t chosen to protect her. You were chosen to protect us. You forgot which oath mattered,” Alder said.

“I’ve been on my own since I was twelve years old. I never took a fucking pledge of allegiance. Leave. Right now. Because the next words out of your mouth are going to decide whether you walk away from this.”

He shrugged. “Fine. Have your fun. Play with your human toy. Make sure you don’t breed with her, or I’ll be back.”

Alder shifted into a bear and disappeared into the forest.

Wilder hadn’t seen any bear shifters since living here in the wilderness, just wild bear. Right now, he wished it had stayed that way. He waited, staying rooted in place until he was certain the shifter had left.

Then he remembered Poppy. She had to be terrified. He rushed back to the house, entering through the hole in the front. He was surprised to find her in the exact same spot.

“Poppy?” She must be in shock. He approached her and tilted her chin up.

It took a few moments before she said anything. “The room was for you. So you couldn’t escape and hurt anyone. Those claw marks and blood were yours.”

He nodded.

“Now I understand.”

“I should have told you sooner,” he said.

“Probably.” She almost smiled.

Silence settled between them.

“Say something,” he said.

She studied him. “You’re a bear.”

“Yeah.”

“An actual bear.”

He swallowed. “Poppy, I understand if you’re scared.” What he needed was for her not to decide he wasn’t mate material anymore. What if all this was a turn off or deal breaker?

“I’m not,” she said.

“You don’t have to lie.”

He exhaled. “You just found out the man you’re sleeping with turns into a six-hundred-pound predator.”

“Is it six-hundred pounds?”

He blinked. “I don’t know. Probably closer to seven.”

“Wow.”

Wilder rubbed a hand over his face. “I thought you’d be scared. That you’d want to run when you found out.”

She stepped closer, placing her hand on his chest. “I’ve watched you care for bee colonies, find a cub a new home, and mend an injured fawn. That tells me who you are.”

“The bear is part of who I am.”

“I know.”

“You don’t understand,” he said.”

“Then explain it.”

“My bear is instinctive. Protective. Territorial. Because if someone threatened you...” His voice turned rough. “I don’t know where the line is. I’d tear them apart before I thought twice.”

“Would you ever hurt me?”

He answered without hesitation. “Never.”

Chapter Fourteen

Poppy watched as Wilder put the finishing touches on his home to make it secure again. It had been two weeks since they were attacked. The fawn he was helping to heal had already been let back into the wild. It amazed her how kind and gentle he was with all the animals.

They hadn’t really talked about his revelation. At first, she thought it was a big fat lie, but then everything else fell into place. The reason she thought of Wilder when she saw the bear. Why the bear disappeared whenever Wilder was nearby. The way the bees reacted as well as other wildlife. It completely explained the cub. It made total sense, and she didn’t feel crazy anymore. Bear shifters weren’t a fantasy.

“All done,” Wilder said.

She looked at him, and she thought about that room. “Your parents were killed?”

“Yes.”

Wilder didn’t talk about his bear shifter, and he didn’t talk about his past. They hadn’t talked about what went down a couple of weeks ago. She was done hiding from it. It felt like a living thing between them, creating an invisible rift.

“And that’s why you had to hide yourself in that room, to keep other ... beings safe,” she said.

“My parents were gone before they could teach me how to control everything.”

She felt so sorry for him. It must have been a nightmare. “You were lonely,” she said.

“I didn’t think of it as loneliness.” He shrugged.

“I can’t imagine having to go through any of that. I mean, I went through puberty, and I guess I could be a bit of a monster. Most women are at least once a month.”

Wilder laughed.

“I feel like it doesn’t compare to, well, you know, the whole body shifting.”

“The first time I can remember, it wasn’t fun. I hated it. It hurt,” Wilder said. “I remember after it, I didn’t fully transform, and it’s known that some shifters struggle, and it takes several days to transform completely, to shift. For others, it could take the process of months.”

She winced. “What was it like for you?”

“About three days in my first months. Every single day, it hurt like hell. It’s what I imagine hell is like.”

She frowned. “Do you want to talk about this?”

“Poppy, you’re not running away screaming.” He put the hammer he’d been using down on the dresser he’d also repaired.

She didn’t pull away, because she wasn’t afraid of this man. He protected her, even when he didn’t know her.

“You’re the only one I want to talk to about this. Three days, and each time, it seemed to hurt worse than the time before. I remember coming to, and the house was trashed. I wasn’t expecting it, and I couldn’t remember a damn thing. The pain was all I could remember, and that was when I got to work in advancing the room my parents had already started.”

“Your parents started that room?” she asked.

He nodded. “They were planners. They planned for me to be ... strong.” He reached out and took her hands.

Poppy waited for fear to settle in. Panic. Nothing. She didn’t feel any worry or stress, as Wilder held her.

She’d ran away when she saw that room. Ran at any sign of danger, and yet, as she stared into his eyes, it was like she knew with every single fiber of her being, she was ... home.

“You’re not afraid?”

“No, you’re not going to hurt me.” She reached up and cupped his cheek. “I know that.”

Wilder pressed his face against her cheek.

“You’re not going to run and try to sell my story for money?”

Poppy burst out laughing. “Please, they’d have me committed. There is no way anyone would listen to me, and besides, I like my life here with you. Bees don’t sting me, and you’re an amazing cook, and do you hear that?” she asked.

They were both silent.

Silence.

Resplendent quiet.

“It’s so peaceful here, and you’re right, humans suck, and I should know, I’m one of them.” She laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

“You’re different, Poppy. You always have been.” He reached out and stroked a curl behind her ear. “I know this is a lot to take in.”

“It’s fine. I just have to get used to the fact you’re a bear ... shifter?” She smiled and frowned. “So, you don’t use that room anymore?”

“No, I never lose control.”

“This is probably good.”

“Do you want to run away?” he asked.

“No, I want to understand you more, and it makes so much sense. Like I said, it explains the bees and the way animals react to you. It kind of all falls into place, and makes me think everything is a little less weird.”

“Are you tempted to take a picture and send it into the press?” Wilder asked.

She frowned. “Absolutely not. No. I would not do that to you.” It was different when she thought of him as just being a bear, something rare and majestic. He was still rare and certainly majestic, only hunters, poachers, other people would gravitate to these parts to find him, to hunt him, and she couldn’t allow that to happen. Rushing toward her camera, which against all odds had actually survived all of the chaos, she held it out to Wilder. It wasn’t much, but it was something. Within it was the evidence of the poachers, as well as a possible, singular shot of Wilder as a bear.

“This is yours. All of it. Do with it as you wish.” She went onto her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

They’d not had sex for the last two weeks. Wilder was being the perfect gentleman, but the moment his grip tightened around her waist, she couldn’t help but gasp. The way he touched her, it brought back so much passion and spark.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him. Letting him know how much she needed him. In response, Wilder grabbed her ass, but this time, he lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her toward his bedroom.

Within seconds, he had her on her back, as he pressed his cock against her core. She started to tear at his clothes, wanting to get him naked. His body was raw masculinity and she’d never get enough of him. Knowing he was also a bear was somehow a turn on.

“You’re mine, Poppy,” he said, stripping her clothes off.

“Yes, yes, I’m all yours.” She felt desperate. Poppy didn’t know what was riding her, just that she couldn’t help herself.

Wilder kissed her, and then trailed his lips down her body, taking one nipple, then the other. She was putty to his demands. She didn’t want him to stop. Her body was at his mercy.

He licked at her nipples, sucked on the buds, and glided his tongue further down her body, until he got to her pussy. Wilder pressed his hands on either side of her thighs, holding them open, and then, his tongue began to work between her thighs. He licked up and down her clit, going down toward her cunt, penetrating her.

She felt mindless. Needing his cock. It was a compulsion.

She came so close to her orgasm, and Wilder held it back, moving between her spread legs, and she looked into his eyes. She knew she saw the bear and Wilder at the same time, and there was no fear. The truth hadn’t scared her. It felt like it had finally set her free.

She cried out, instantly seeing bliss as he pressed forward, taking her in a long, hard, searing stroke. He pulled out, and he wasn’t too gentle as he slammed balls-deep back inside her. He was so long and thick, more than she’d ever imagined possible.

This was different. It felt more powerful, and the orgasm it was stronger than ever. He didn’t need to touch her, but she felt herself going to that edge, and he pushed her over the brink, and there was no control. She shattered into a million pieces, and the pleasure rushed through her.

She screamed his name, and then Wilder sped up. Poppy realized, all this time, he’d been holding back for her. Did he think his bear repulsed her? Now there was no reason to hold back anymore.

****

Wilder looked out into the darkened sky, with more questions than answers. Alder hadn’t exactly been clear. He’d been using the humans to what? Round up bears, hunt them down, and force them to mate amongst their own kind. He was an extreme purist, and he should really mind his own fucking business.

Both Wilder’s parents had been bears, and yet that hadn’t stopped humans from killing them. Bears were not stronger together, but he felt like he needed to hunt for Alder.

It had been a long time since he met another bear shifter, and although he couldn’t fucking stand Alder for the fact he worked with humans, he couldn’t deny that the other man might have some knowledge he might need.

It had been nearly three months since Poppy learned the truth about him, and he knew they had a true mating. He’d felt the difference in him, but also, he sensed the chance within Poppy.

She was not becoming a bear.

She was pregnant, with his child.

Poppy smelled different, and she carried an aura with her, and Wilder hated that he hadn’t considered the possibility of what a bear child might actually mean. He could lose his mate, and the very thought had his bear tearing up inside. They were in a state of panic, because for the first time in his adult life, he was finally happy. He’d found a reason to live, a purpose to keep fighting another day.

He and Poppy were compatible in so many ways. Their only difference—he was a shifter, and she was human. This is why he’d spent the past few weeks exploring the forest, looking for any scent or trail Alder might have left behind. He knew it was a long shot, but it was something he needed to do.

Bending down, he ran his hand in the wet dirt. It had been raining for three days straight. A freak heat wave had struck the country, and any sign of snow was not going to happen. Although, he’d lived through days where it was sunny in the morning, raining in the evening, and completely snow-covered by nightfall. The weather was unpredictable.

He sniffed the air and caught the scent of something. It was soft, subtle, and faint. He breathed in again, feeling that hope blossoming in his chest.

When had Alder first come to his forest? Why hadn’t he seen or heard of him before now?

He didn’t have any answers. All he knew was, he had a desperation to speak to him. To set things straight. He wasn’t going to have a threat hanging over his mating and their child.

Wilder was about to stand up, when something pushed him down, knocking him on his ass.

“Your human is making you weak,” Alder said.

Wilder gritted his teeth, as he’d fallen on a stone, which dug into his back, and the truth was, a bear shifter he might be, but he was still fucking old. Stones, just as damn plugs under the foot, still hurt.

“I’m not weak,” Wilder said, springing into action. He looked ahead in the forest, but Alder was not where he’d been moments ago. Wilder was not used to being close to another alpha, however, an alpha is what he sensed within Alder.

“Are you ready to get rid of your human whore?” Alder asked.

The insult was the final straw.

Alder may be an alpha. He may have gotten the upper hand, but no one messed with his mate, nor called her names.

This time, as Alder went to strike, Wilder was ready, calling on the power of his bear, as he intercepted the attack, wrapping his fingers around Alder’s throat, and within a matter of seconds, had him thrust against a tree. He’d transformed his arm only, and it was not even close to the full moon. Wilder mastered this skill many moons ago. Boredom had a way of making most people learn a skill they did not think they had.

Trapped. Unable to move. He held Alder at his mercy.

“Let me go,” Alder gritted out between clenched teeth, but it was only because Wilder gave him some leeway to be able to talk.

“Insult my mate again, and I will rip out your throat.”

“It’ll grow back,” Alder said.

“I know, and then I will gladly rip it out again. Try me, let’s see who’s lying.”

He stared at Alder, just as Alder stared right back at him. Seconds passed, maybe even minutes, but the fact remained, Wilder wasn’t joking.

“I mean no disrespect.”

Wilder didn’t let him go, because right now, he didn’t trust him. “My mate is with child,” he said.

Alder’s eyes went wide.

“You seem to know what’s going to happen. I need to know if my mate is going to live, or if I must consider if she should remain pregnant.”

Alder was silent.

That silence continued.

“Test my patience, Alder, and I would be happy to play with you and use you as my chew toy.”

It would be a battle of wills, but it would be fun while it lasted.

Chapter Fifteen

“We’re an endangered species,” Alder said once he’d let him go. “Humans are pure evil, and you’d gladly allow them to replace us by mating with one?”

“She’s not evil.”

“Look around you,” Alder said. “Or are you in ignorant bliss living out here in this forest? If you haven’t noticed, they’re killing the trees, the air, and the water every single day.”

Wilder took a breath because he couldn’t disagree. He’d felt the same way before Poppy showed up. But those that didn’t change went extinct. And you couldn’t ignore the mating call once it happened. It was something that chose you whether you liked it or not.

“I’m not saying humans are good. Most are not. But you can’t force your beliefs on other shifters.” He paused. “Are you mated?”

Alder furrowed his brow. “I have no plans to mate. My job is to protect our race from dilution.”

“And who the fuck put you in charge?”

“My parents were killed the same as yours. Only I see the injustice in that, and you don’t.”

Before Poppy came into his life, he was much the same as Alder. He hated humans and what they were doing to the world and the animals around him. But he didn’t make it his personal mission to police all shifters.

“If I don’t breed my mate, I won’t have offspring. At least now there will be more shifters in the world. That’s more than you plan to do.”

“Not shifters. Half-breed freaks diluting our race. You’re allowing humans to take us over on an existential level, to end us completely.”

Wilder crossed his arms. “You’re unmated, so you wouldn’t understand. If the mating call brought you a human, you’d be busy fucking her right now.”

Alder laughed. “That would never happen.”

He wasn’t sure he’d be able to talk any sense into the other bear shifter. His views were extreme and rooted deep. Wilder needed answers.

“And if it did, what would happen? Do you even know? Can shifters and humans breed safely?”

Alder smirked, enjoying his discomfort.

“Is it growing within her now?”

“Answer my question,” Wilder said.

The other man clasped his hands behind his back and paced the area slowly. “How was your adolescence? Uneventful?” He scoffed. “Imagine that for your own children. Maybe worse as they’ll have human weakness from their mother.”

Wilder shook his head. “Stop bullshitting with me. Do you know of other mixed matings or not?”

“All I know is that your choices go directly against my beliefs. We’re shifters, protecters of the land. A unique, endangered species forced to live in the shadows due to humankind. You’ll have us fade into oblivion.”

“Fuck this,” Wilder said. “You’re of no use to me.” He was going to shift and return to Poppy. As much as he wanted answers he couldn’t get from his own kin, it wasn’t going to happen with Alder.

“Wait,” Alder said. “Just pray your child is born in human form, otherwise your mate won’t survive the birth.”

Then he shifted and bound into the forest before Wilder could ask the million follow-up questions in his mind. How could he ensure the baby would be in human form at the time of birth? He was born as a cub but his parents were purebred shifters. He had no clue if their child would be born in skin or fur. He couldn’t lose his mate, couldn’t live without his Poppy.

“Don’t come near my land again,” he called out after the bear. “Next time I won’t be so forgiving.”

Was Alder crazy enough to kill his child if it were born alive? Would Wilder have to be on guard of their little piece of paradise forever?

He hadn’t told Poppy she was with child yet. If she couldn’t stay pregnant safely, he didn’t want her to get excited. Wilder wished he had more information, more security that she’d survive the pregnancy.

He returned to the house. Poppy was around the back watering the garden. She looked adorable in the simple floral dress she’d made herself from old fabric in the house. He watched her for a while, as he often did. She fascinated him. Her passion. Her gentleness. She’d make an excellent mother, and if their cub acted up and she couldn’t handle it, they’d have a father who’d set them straight.

Wilder remembered how she’d offered him her camera. It was symbolic showing she chose him over everything else, even her passion. He could never take that away from her. He wanted her to take her photos, to capture nature and beauty behind her lens.

“I know you’re there,” she said without turning around. Her tone was playful.

“I have a beautiful view.”

She snorted. “I’m getting fatter every day being here. I think it’s your honey.”

“You look perfect. All I can think about is fucking you.”

This time she turned her head around. “You’re impossible.”

“It’s true.”

She stood up, dusting her hands off on her dress. Her blonde hair was loose and tousled. She looked like an angel.

“I watered the vegetables, pulled the weeds, fed the dogs, and I checked on the bees, but I can only do so much there without getting bitten.”

He got out of his crouch, rising to his full height. “Let’s see if the honey is ready.”

They both walked over to the hives, the sun shining and birds singing, and Wilder carefully pulled out one frame ripe and dripping with honey. His bear roared within him at the sight.

“Wow, it’s so beautiful and dark. Too bad we couldn’t sell it,” she said.

“Sell it?” he snapped. “Then there’d be less for us. Here, take a taste.” He dipped one finger into the amber honey and offered it to her. She held his wrist and wrapped her lips around his finger all the way to his first knuckle, then slowly pulled back. His cock immediately hardened in his pants. She maintained eye contact with him the entire time. The little human was playing with fire.

“So good,” she whispered.

He licked his lips which suddenly felt way too dry. “More?”

“I wonder what else we could dip in honey.”

He imagined her pussy covered in honey, a personal fantasy. The fact she was pushing that line with him right now was surreal.

“Anything you want,” he said.

She bit her lip. “You know what, you always give me pleasure. It’s my turn to give it to you.” Poppy ran her hand over the front of his pants and the hard erection.

She unzipped him and dropped down to her knees. His cock bobbed in front of her once released. He hissed through his teeth when she grabbed it by the base.

“Poppy...”

“The honey. We need lots of honey.”

This was crazy but also the best thing that ever happened to him. How did he get so lucky? Wilder used the honey from the frame and let it run from base to tip along his cock. Poppy’s lively tongue traced along his length, gathering the sticky sweetness.

When she wrapped her mouth around his thick head, he couldn’t help but growl. He set the frame haphazardly back on the hive and held her head as she bobbed up and down his cock. His eyes lolled back in his head from the pleasure.

She made mewling sounds and used her tongue in wicked ways. His little human was driving him wild, his balls pulling up tight and pre-cum slipping out the tip.

Poppy wanted to pleasure him for a change, but she didn’t realize just how much he loved living between her legs. He wasn’t a man. He was a beast. Right now, he didn’t want to come down her pretty little throat. He wanted the taste of honey and pussy on his tongue and his dick driving deep inside of her.

He tugged her hair back, her mouth coming off him with a pop. Her eyes were half-mast, her lips swollen and sticky from the honey.

“My turn.”

He grabbed one of the patchwork quilts that were drying in the sun on the clothesline. It was warm and dry. Wilder folded it in half on the grass and pointed to it.

“Dress off. Lay down and spread your legs nice and wide for me.”

“But—”

“Now, Poppy. My bear wants to eat your honeyed pussy.”

Her eyes widened, maybe half believing him. She pulled off her dress and stepped out of her panties. As she settled down on the soft blanket, she bent her knees up but didn’t open them.

He leaned over, forcing her legs apart, her pussy wet and glistening in the sunlight. Wilder got the honey frame and let the fresh honey drop down, dripping along her big tits, down her stomach, and pooling on her ripe pussy.

The sight was the ultimate temptation for a bear shifter. He gritted his teeth, his control wavering. He bent down, crawling over her, starting with her breasts. Wilder alternated suckling her perky nipples and lapping at the honey. He kept moving south, enjoying the journey down. He indulged on her lush curves, over her soft stomach and hips until he reached the apex of her thighs.

“I’m going to eat you, Poppy. I’m not stopping until you’ve scared away every bird in this forest.” Then he covered her pussy with his mouth, lapping, sucking, and flicking until she did just that.

****

Wilder had been acting off the past couple of days. She just knew something was on his mind, but he refused to admit anything. Was he worried about that bear shifter? Poachers? Their future?

There was so much she wanted to learn about him. As the reality settled in more and more each day, she was becoming more fascinated with the fact he was only part human.

“You know that thing you like doing to me?” she asked.

He was sitting on the front wooden porch, taking a break from chopping firewood. She sat beside him.

“Which thing?”

“Your mouth and my private areas.”

He smiled.

“Well, I’m going to have to cut you off.”

Now he frowned, twisting around to face her, looking like a little boy deprived of his favorite toy. “Why? Don’t you like it?”

“I love it, Wilder. But I don’t know how else to get you to talk to me. Really talk to me.”

He exhaled.

“I’m just worried,” he said.

“About the bear?”

“No, about you.”

“Me?” That was the last thing she expected to hear.

He took her hands in his, looking oddly solemn. “Poppy, you’re pregnant.”

“What? I am? How do you know?”

“I just know,” he said. “We can sense these things.”

She was taken aback by the news. Why hadn’t he told her sooner? This was the last thing she thought was on his mind. Why wasn’t he happier? Was this a good or bad thing?

Poppy never expected to become a mother, but the thought wasn’t awful, it was beautiful. She’d love to have a baby with Wilder, her one true love. They could have a simple, perfect life out here in the wilderness. Wasn’t building a family the ultimate goal?

“And you’re not happy about the news?”

“Poppy, nothing could make me happier, but Alder told me he’d be back if I bred a human. I don’t want him coming back to hurt either of you.”

She thought about it. If she was already pregnant, they’d figure things out. There were no other options. She’d protect her baby to her last breath, and she knew Wilder would do the same.

“We’ll deal with anything that happens. I’m not going to live in fear,” she said.

“There’s more.”

“Okay...”

“I don’t know anything about mixed species matings. I’m not a human male, Poppy. I don’t want to put you at risk.”

“A little late now. I wouldn’t be able to get pregnant if we weren’t compatible,” she said. “Isn’t that how nature works? Everything will be fine.”

She put her hand over her lower stomach. This was all unbelievable. The thought of a little life, half Wilder and half her, growing inside of her was a miracle. He’d be an amazing father, she had no doubt about it. Calm, patient, strong, and capable.

“We don’t know that,” he said. “I can’t risk losing you.” He cupped her cheek and kissed her forehead. “You’re all I have.”

“I love you, Wilder. We’ll be a real family. You, me, the baby, and the dogs.” She put her hand over his. “Have a little faith.”

Chapter Sixteen

Have a little faith.

Wilder hadn’t believed in faith for a long time. The weeks ticked on by, and he couldn’t help but admit they were the best moments of his life. Even before his parents passed, he never felt like this. It was consuming.

He woke up every morning, and when he turned to see Poppy, she calmed the beast within him. Wilder always thought he controlled the beast, but the truth was, Poppy did. His bear found a sense of peace with Poppy he’d never experienced before, and it felt incredible. Every second with her was a breath of fresh air.

Then of course, the problem. Alder had gotten into his head. Now as he looked at his woman, and the fact she grew bigger every single day concerned him. That worry was becoming bone-deep, and he couldn’t ignore it.

She was getting bigger and bigger, month by month. Their baby was growing, and she glowed. There were some nights he woke up in a cold sweat, because of the nightmares he had. The fear his child might tear through his woman’s body, killing her, terrified him. He found it hard to focus, and he knew he was upsetting Poppy with his lack of communication. What was he supposed to tell his woman? Pregnancy was an amazing time, a beautiful experience. Not one filled with fear as every second passed.

He didn’t go looking for Alder. Instead, he did something he hadn’t done in a very long time. He went in search of his parents’ belongings, looking for any source of diary, or anything that might help him to think, or figure this shit out.

Nothing was helping. His parents didn’t keep any journals, no notes of passing pregnant females. Many days Poppy was busy with the garden, as she’d taken to wild living so beautifully. Some mornings, he’d come back and find her canning and preserving their fruits and vegetables. They had yet to go into town, but they would need to soon, as they were getting low on staples. He’d make the trip alone as he didn’t want to worry Poppy with the poachers or push her body too hard in her condition.

Wilder stood out on the porch as Poppy’s arms circled his waist. “You know, you’re not fooling anyone,” Poppy said.

He tensed up.

“You’re wanting to go to the store without me because you’re worried I’m going to do too much.”

He turned and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You’re right. That’s it.”

“Don’t worry. I know we’re going to need some stuff soon. I don’t mind staying here. I’m going to harvest some more pumpkins, and then I’ll grab the last of the cabbages. I’m thinking tonight we could have a hearty soup, what do you think?” she asked, moving away from him to grab her basket.

She was dressed in a flannel shirt and a large pair of sweats he’d gotten for her. She looked so cute with her Wellington boots, and she had a handkerchief on her head, holding her hair back. Poppy looked every part the country girl—ready, prepared, and pregnant.

Poppy reached out and took his hand. “You do know it’s going to be all right,” she said.

This was his curse. It had to be. He’d never cared about humans, and in fact, didn’t even feel guilty about killing them, yet he was looking at his woman, his reason for getting up in the morning, and breathing. She could die, and it might be all his fault.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“I’m feeling great,” Poppy said. “But watch this.” She called him over as they made their way toward the bees.

Usually, Poppy made him go straight ahead so they knew not to sting her, however, fear gripped him as she stood amongst the bees, and there was not a sting at all. They treated her as if she were a bear.

“How cool is that?” Poppy asked.

She stepped away. “I don’t like to get too close, just in case they change their mind.” She let out a giggle. “I figure they’ve come to realize I’m not going to hurt them. What do you think?”

His child was stopping them from hurting her.

His child was a bear.

He had to be cursed to finally find love, and now, it was going to be stripped away.

“Wilder, are you okay?” Poppy asked. “I thought you would love this because it means I can help you out a lot more.” She moved to step in front of him.

“I’ve got to head into town,” he said. “There are a few supplies we need.” He looked at her, and then closed the distance, gripping the back of her neck, pulling her in for a kiss. His son or daughter was growing, and they were a bear. His baby was going to kill his only love.

He reluctantly pulled away, and made his way toward his truck, which he only ever took out for special occasions. Climbing into the truck, he took off, getting onto the main road, and then drove all the way toward the main grocery store, only he didn’t stop there. He kept driving.

For over an hour he drove before finally pulling up in the middle of nowhere. There were no passing cars or trucks, or pedestrians. He’d come to this place many times, as it was on the verge, where you could see the forest far and wide. From this angle, it didn’t look scary. It looked ... peaceful. No one knew of the dangers lurking beneath when you were standing on the outskirts looking in.  

Wilder lived for this, he relished it. This was his life. This was who he was. There was no shame in it. And yet, he felt so fucking angry. Finally, he found a woman that was all his, and he had no way of knowing if she was going to survive the pregnancy. How could he love a child that killed its mother?

Wilder did something he hadn’t done since he was a lot younger and lost his mother. Tears gathered in his eyes, blurring his vision. He couldn’t tell Poppy the truth. It would scare her, and she needed to be afraid, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not to her. It wasn’t right. Nor was it fair. He loved her more than anything in the world, and she was going to be taken from him.

Life was so fucking cruel.

****

Poppy was not an idiot, nor a fool. The way Wilder reacted with the bees told her all she needed to know. The bees’ newfound liking to her was not because she was kind to them. The baby inside her was changing her.

She had the morning sickness, the aching body, the sore breasts, and the cravings. Wow, the cravings were something strange. She wanted peanut butter spread over a steak with lots of whipped cream. There was even a hint of chocolate sauce as well. This would make total sense if it was to go with ice cream. She didn’t want the ice cream. Her only interest was the steak. It made no sense to her, yet that was exactly what she wanted. They were just some of the mild cravings she got. Never mind the honey. Now she understood Wilder’s infatuation with it.

Then she’d noticed her yearning for the forest. She didn’t want to go running, because she never wanted to run in her life. What she craved was to feel it beneath her feet. Sink her toes into the world and just bask. Some nights she would dream of running, of feeling the cold air across her furred back, and she felt like this was her child. She didn’t know if she was pregnant with a son or daughter. It didn’t matter.

The other strangest feeling—she was pretty sure she heard either her child’s bear, or Wilder’s. Sometimes the word “mine” whispered in her mind.

She sensed more than she actually heard. Was it Wilder? Was it her child? She didn’t know, she only knew she wasn’t afraid. There was no harm to her.

She put her hand on her swollen stomach and stepped onto the porch, to look out toward the setting sun. It was cold, and usually she would grab a blanket to keep warm, but just recently, she hadn’t needed it. She wasn’t getting as cold as she used to.

Wilder was getting more and more withdrawn as the days went forward. He’d stopped making love to her, even though she knew he woke with an arousal, and some mornings, it was like he would forget. He’d put his hand on her hip, kiss her neck, thrust his aroused cock against her ass, and then his hand would shift, he’d touch her swollen stomach, and it seemed to instantly repel him. She didn’t know how to get through to him, to make him understand that everything was going to be fine. She knew it deep in her heart.

“Your daddy loves you very much,” she said, putting a hand to her stomach. But did he really? Did he regret the pregnancy?

It was getting dark and late. Finally, she had no choice but to step inside their home. She closed and locked the door, and made her way toward the soup. She’d already made bread rolls, and they were still warm, cooling down on the counter.

The dogs were fed. The house was clean. There was nothing else for her to do other than sit and eat, which she did. She decided to not wait for Wilder, and instead, grabbed a bowl and got a nice couple of ladles of soup. She’d been stewing the meat for most of the day, and it was on the bone, so she shredded it off. It was so tender. Then, she added the vegetables back in, with lots of herbs and seasonings. She made her way toward Wilder’s chair and took a seat. This is where she liked to sit when she was enjoying her soup, especially when he wasn’t here himself. She missed him, so very much.

Wrapping the blanket around her body, she snuggled in and ate her food, hearing the old ticking clock. It was so quiet, besides the dogs’ snores, which were just adorable.

Poppy had just finished her food, when there was a sudden booming knock on the door, startling her.

Fester growled toward the door, and Poppy got to her feet. She walked to the kitchen to put away her bowl, and then made her way toward the front door. She knew it was a bear. This was not Wilder, though.

“Let me in,” the male voice said. “I know you’re in there.”

“If you’re looking for Wilder, he’s not home,” Poppy said.

“Fine, I’m looking for you.”

“I don’t know who you are.”

“Open the fucking door now.”

Poppy stepped away from the door.

“Damn it, I just, look, I know you’re pregnant, and I know you’re human, Poppy. My name is Alder, and I’m an acquaintance of Wilder’s.” He said all this from the other side.

He’d mentioned Alder, and that he’d been working with poachers. She put a hand on her stomach.

“I’ve been doing some studying and some research. You’re pregnant with Wilder’s child, and I’m guessing right around now, you’re sensing a whole lot of different things.”

Poppy didn’t like that he seemed to know more about her than even Wilder did. She didn’t trust him.

“Are you afraid? Right now? Are you afraid of me?”

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him to leave, but she stopped herself and just waited. Was she afraid? No, she wasn’t. Was this her own stupidity, or was this her child’s thoughts and feelings?

“Your instincts are right.”

“You hate humans,” Poppy said. “And I may be pregnant with Wilder’s baby, but I am still human.”

“I know, and trust me, I’m sorry. Look, I had some beliefs but things happened that ... shattered them.”

There was something in his voice that made her open the door, and she looked to see a rather unkempt man. He had a lot of facial hair, and his eyes were bloodshot.

“Did you know what Wilder was when you met him?” Alder asked.

“I didn’t have a clue. He saved me from the poachers because I’d gotten evidence of them killing a bear.”

Alder growled and Poppy stepped out of the way as he brushed past her. She looked at the door, and then toward him, and she pushed the door closed. There was no way to get in touch with Wilder.

Alder sniffed the air. “Something smells good.”

“It’s soup,” she said. Before she got a chance to offer him a bowl, he immediately went to it and started to eat from the pan where it was still simmering. “You, of course, can have some.” She held her hand out, but there was no point in directly offering, seeing as he had already taken a bowl.

“I told them not to kill the fucking bears. Wilder was right to kill them. Fuck me, that is good. You cooked this?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder to look toward her.

“Yes.” She also jerked her head in a nod. “You didn’t think I could cook?”

“I didn’t expect humans to do ... anything good.”

“You’ve had an awful experience, haven’t you?” she asked.

Chapter Seventeen

She watched him eat, still wondering when Wilder would return. Although he hadn’t done anything to hurt her, she didn’t trust him. How could someone go from wanting the entire human race to die, to wanting to offer help only months later?

“Awful experience?” he suddenly answered. “Yeah, I’d say I had an awful fucking experience. Not much different than your mate’s. Humans slaughtered my family and burned our forest to ash. Not sure how I survived.”

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“It opened my eyes, made me stronger.” He finished the soup and began pacing the room, touching a lot of things with interest. “I focused on shifters and realized the damage humankind had on our race, on our world.”

“I can’t argue with you. Sometimes I’m ashamed to be a human myself.”

He turned and looked at her, his head tilted in curiosity.

“I was going to kill you. And the little half-breed growing inside you.”

She immediately hugged her stomach. There was nothing she’d be able to do to protect herself and her unborn baby from Alder. It didn’t stop her motherly instincts from firing off. She took a couple steps backward.

“Relax, I said was. Past tense.”

“So, I’m supposed to believe you had an epiphany and suddenly love humans?”

“Hell, no. I still hate them. Things just took a detour of sorts and I started researching,” he said.

“Researching what, exactly?”

“Wilder put the idea in my head. He was worried about your mixed mating. Wanted some kind of reassurance that the baby inside you wouldn’t hurt you.”

That’s why he was acting so strangely the past few months. He didn’t hate the baby, he was just worried about her safety. She wished Wilder was home so she could hold him and tell him how much she loved him.

“And?” she asked.

He shrugged. “I found evidence of a couple other such unions in other forests. Seems it is possible for our species to procreate,” he said. “But not guaranteed safe. The fertility rates are low, and the risk to the mother is great in the last trimester. If the baby shifts before it’s born, it could inadvertently kill the mother.”

She began to panic. Poppy wanted to raise her child and start a family, not die in childbirth.

“Well, how do I stop that from happening?”

“I’ve found some ways,” he said.

She wasn’t sure why he was suddenly on their team, but she was suspicious. Why did he even want any of this information if he hated humans?

“Are you going to tell me?”

“First I need some information from you.” He sat down on the arm of the sofa.

“From me?”

“A few weeks ago, my bear was caught in a trap. I couldn’t get out, and trust me, I tried. After days I was weak from dehydration. I thought it was the end of me, which seemed fitting to be taken out by a human trap after everything they’d already done to me. Then she came by.”

“Who?” Poppy asked.

“A hiker, I guess. I’m not sure. She wasn’t afraid of a grizzly bear, only concerned with getting the bear trap off my foot. Any other human would be terrified or want to turn me into a carpet. Not her. She tended the wounds and brought me berries and water from the creek. Once the trap was off, I was able to heal quickly. I got my strength back, but instead of ripping her to bloody shreds, I walked away.”

“Great story.” She tried not to roll her eyes. This guy was no Prince Charming by a long shot.

“Don’t you get it? I didn’t want to hurt her,” he said.

“Alder, what’s your point? I’m not following.”

He ran a hand through his hair, nearly growling with frustration. “I’m just saying I could see the temptation Wilder faced. It made me curious about the mixed mating thing, so I did some research.”

“Okay, I get it. You judged Wilder and every other shifter with eyes for a human, but once you fell for one, the rules changed. Very noble of you.”

“I haven’t fallen for a fucking human, I could just see there might be a little good in some of them. It’s not something I ever considered before.”

All Poppy wanted was the information he supposedly possessed about keeping her child from ripping her apart before being born. She couldn’t care less about his hard-on for a human hiker.

“Okay, so can you tell me what you found out?”

“First, you tell me what human females want in a male.”

“I thought you didn’t like her,” she said.

He smashed a fist on the coffee table. “It’s for research!”

“Okay, whatever. Human females like flowers and romance. They also like good manners and self-control.”

He grunted at the last comment, appearing like he was getting ready to leave.

“And what about my pregnancy?”

“It’s complicated. There are a lot of forest plants involved. You wouldn’t understand. I’ll have to talk with Wilder.”

“Well, as a matter of fact, I’ve studied almost every plant in the forest.” Her random knowledge of herbs and plants was really starting to pay off, living off the grid. Now, it may even save her life.

“Well, this recipe must be made two weeks before the baby is ready. You take it every evening.  It will sedate it enough that it will not be able to shift. But it won’t harm it.”

Her heart leapt with joy knowing there may be a way to ensure a positive outcome. Should she trust him, though? Maybe this was all an elaborate plan to kill her half-breed baby. To keep his race pure.

****

Wilder had all the supplies in the back of the truck. He’d even stopped by a local artisan on the highway and bought a wooden baby cradle. Everything was a mix of emotions within him, excitement and fear, love and hate, hope and despair.

He began the long drive home in the dark. Poppy was probably getting worried. Maybe he’d talk to her, prepare her. Maybe not. It was a huge burden holding onto this kind of information and not being able to share it.

As soon as he’d parked his old truck under the arch of trees he kept it hidden under, he knew something was off. Then he scented Alder, and his hackles went up. Had he kept his promise to destroy his mate? His child? He’d warned that bear to stay away from his home and land, so this time he’d make him live to regret it. Was he too late?

Wilder rushed toward the house, wrenching the door open. He found Poppy sitting at the small kitchen island and Alder standing across from her. They were looking at something on the table.

“What are you doing here?” Wilder said. “I warned you to stay away.”

“Wilder...” Poppy turned around to see him charging inside the house. He planned to fuck up that grizzly once and for all.

“It’s not what you think.”

Poppy reached out and grabbed his arm. “He can help us, Wilder. He can help our baby.”

This gave him pause.

“Help us?”

Now he noticed what was on the table. Papers with numbered directions, drawings of plants, and a few leaves and herbs from the forest.

“You remember what I told you about the baby shifting before birth?” Alder asked.

Wilder only nodded once.

“I found a way to counter the danger. A recipe with ingredients easily found in your own forest.”

“Why are you deciding to tell me this now? Why should I trust you?”

“Because he’s in love with a human, too,” Poppy said.

“She’s lying,” Alder snapped. “I was researching, nothing more.”

He didn’t like his mate being so close to the volatile bear shifter. Wilder helped her off the stool and led her to the sofa. Once she was sitting comfortably, he put his hand on her stomach, finally allowing himself to communicate with his child. He’d been avoiding the connection all this time because of his fear for Poppy’s safety.

He instantly felt the child, its love, innocence, and strength. It was a boy. He knew right away. Wilder would have a son to teach and pass down all his knowledge.

Then he remembered Alder was in his home, and he shouldn’t trust anything he said. A man didn’t go from devoting his entire life to shifter purity to researching and helping mixed couples. It didn’t make sense, and could be a trick to kill their child. He remembered when Alder said he’d be back if he bred his human. And now he was in his living room.

“And this concoction, how did you discover it?”

“I found other shifters who’d taken human mates. This recipe will sedate the child enough to keep it from shifting in the womb. I thought this was what you wanted. Last time we met, it’s all you spoke of.”

This meant Poppy would be safe. Their child wouldn’t be able to kill her before or during the birth. That burden and worry had taken over his life for months, and if this was true it would be a huge weight off his shoulders.

“How can I trust you?”

“If I wanted to kill her, I’d already have done so. You weren’t here to protect her, after all,” Alder said.

Wilder growled, the urge to shift overwhelming him.

“It could be poison.”

“It’s not,” Poppy said. “He told me all the plants I’d need.”

“And you just gave it to us out of the kindness of your heart? There must be a catch. What do you want?” Wilder asked.

“No catch.”

“He just had some questions about getting a human female to like him,” Poppy said. “That’s it.”

Alder ran a hand down his face.

“Did you already strike out with every bear in the forest?” Wilder asked.

“I’m leaving now. You have what you wanted.”

He watched as the other bear head to his front door. Maybe they wouldn’t have to be enemies forever.

Once alone, he locked the door and got to his knees in front of Poppy.

“I’m sorry I took so long,” he said. “I was feeling sorry for myself. Worried I could lose you.”

“You should have said something. We’re supposed to be a team.” She ran her fingers through his hair, and he rested his head on her lap. He loved his woman more than life itself.

“I didn’t want to scare you.”

“Well, it did sound scary, but now we have something to help. I have all the directions and list of plants. We can use them fresh or dried, so we can start collecting them tomorrow.”

“Definitely,” he said. “I won’t risk not being able to find them in time.”

He exhaled, feeling such a sense of relief.

“I thought you regretted the pregnancy,” she said.

Wilder shook his head. “I just didn’t want to lose you. I’m excited for the baby. I never thought I’d be a father.”

“You’ll be a great dad.”

Poppy grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him closer to her. He leaned in, the bond between them strong. They kissed, softly at first, gentle. He loved her. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for her.

Her tongue slid across his, the kiss deepening. It had been a while since they’d had sex because he was preoccupied with worry and afraid to hurt her. But if his woman could carry a bear, surly she could handle his cock. Her tits were huge, her curves lush, and the fact he could sense her heat made it a temptation he couldn’t resist.

Chapter Eighteen

It was getting closer, and Poppy knew she had less than a week to gather all of the ingredients she needed. Wilder was starting to panic, and she didn’t want to worry him, so she told a tiny little white lie that wasn’t so bad. He didn’t need to know she was missing one small plant that happened to have had a bad season, which is why she couldn’t find any of it.

Wilder seemed happier. He’d even done the finishing touches on the nursery and rather than ignore her little bump, he’d put a loving hand around her stomach, kissing their child. She loved the attention. Loved that he finally started to show some feeling for their baby.

She also hadn’t told Wilder that Alder hadn’t quite disappeared. Every now and then, kind of like now, when he’d find her in the forest, he would assist her in gathering the herbs and plants she needed.

“Hello, Alder,” she said, sensing him even before she heard a twig snapping.

“It’s getting closer,” Alder said.

Alder and Wilder both knew she had special abilities that had only happened because of their baby.

“Yes, it is.”

“And Wilder doesn’t know you’re missing the final ingredient.”

“No, he doesn’t, and you promised you were not going to tell him. Do you think if I play classical music twenty-four-seven, it will stop him from doing his first change inside me and tearing me apart?” She spoke the last part in a singsong voice, as she didn’t want her child to panic.

She knew he was just a baby, but that didn’t matter. She wanted to know her son was loved. Wilder had accidentally let it slip that they were having a boy, and it wasn’t like she could fault him.

“If that is his way inclined,” Alder said.

She looked toward the other gruff man and knew he was lying. There had been a lot of changes to him in the last few months. He stopped looking unkempt and actually took the time to shave, although he randomly still had stubble, but it didn’t look dirty. It added a masculinity and sense of control to him.

“You’re learning to be nice, that is so sweet. So, go on, tell me how did it go?” Poppy asked.

Alder continued to keep coming to her for advice, which she found so utterly adorable. She found him quite lovely, especially when he was trying to get a woman to fall in love with him.

“She accepted the flowers,” Alder said.

He’d been stalking, well, not according to his words. He hadn’t been stalking, but he’d been watching his little hiker, who happened to live in town and owned some kind of bakery. She wasn’t quite sure if the woman owned the bakery or just went there often or worked there. Alder now went every single day to get a treat. He’d become partial to a ginger cookie. His words, not hers.

“And?” Poppy asked.

He winced, which meant it didn’t go quite as well as they’d hoped. “She’s allergic.”

“Oh, no,” she said.

“Yeah, so, that didn’t go quite according to plan, but I’m not disheartened,” he said. “She did sneeze, and there were red blotches that came up on her skin.”

“Perhaps what you need to do is ask her out for coffee, do you like coffee?”

“I do.”

“Then try that,” she offered as way of a suggestion.

“And if she says no?”

“Then you accept no, and perhaps be her friend.”

He growled.

“And be there for her, but as a friend. You know, let her trust you.”

“And then take her back to my ... place.”

Poppy shook her head and laughed. “No, not back to your place.” She gritted her teeth, as she pressed a hand to her stomach. The baby kicked and twisted inside her. Unable to contain her cry of pain, she felt sweat cover her brow.

“Poppy?”

“I think my baby is in distress,” she said, as he turned and she couldn’t contain her scream.

“It’s time for you to take that medicine.”

“It’s missing that ingredient,” she said. “I couldn’t find it, and with how hot it’s been and the ground was so dry, we have not had ripe conditions.”

“Which is why I brought you this,” Alder said, holding out a glass jar. “I’ve been growing some in my green house. Ever since I found out about the interspecies risk, I grew it.”

She gasped. “Why didn’t you say anything?” she asked.

“Because they’re a pain in the ass to grow. Why do you think I’ve not been able to spend a lot of time in town?” Alder asked. “I’ve been babysitting this, and if you die, I’m not going to even consider pursuing my feelings for ... her.”

Alder would not tell her the name of the woman he had fallen for, and that was fine. Wilder had told her it was because he didn’t want to create a connection. In Alder’s head, while it was still just the hiker or the baker, or the woman, there was no connection. It sounded so lame, but with these men, it made total sense. She couldn’t exactly argue with it.

She bent forward and let out a scream. It hurt.

Alder picked her up, and Poppy tried to tell him to stop. If Wilder knew or sniffed him, it would drive him crazy.

“You’re overexerting yourself. We need to get you to your home and finish this now.”

Poppy wanted to argue, but also knew if she did, Wilder would suffer just as much as her baby. She had been overdoing it, especially when Wilder wasn’t looking. She wasn’t trying to hurt him. She wanted to enjoy her pregnancy with him.

“You’re not going to argue with me?” Alder asked.

Instead, even though she didn’t want to, she held on as Alder started to carry her back through the forest. Neither of them talked. They just stayed silent, she rested her head against his chest, thinking about her child, and it worked.

Slowly, her son stopped moving and causing her pain, but for how long?

****

Wilder loved his woman more than anything in the world. She was everything to him, and yes, he would love their child, but it wasn’t going to be the same.

“I’m fine. We’re going to be fine,” she said.

Seeing Alder bringing her back to the house exactly two weeks ago had crushed him. The two had somehow become friends, and it was all because Alder was trying to win some other human’s heart. He got it, but he was also a little jealous. They should not be getting along. However, without Alder, they would not have the final ingredient, and he already sensed his son was not as active.

Wilder looked toward his woman, and he knew her time was near. Perspiration beaded on her brow, and she tried to hide the pain she was in, but there was no mistaking it. Not anymore.

There was no one to help bring his son into this world. There was just him, and in his spare time, he’d been reading everything he needed know, to do all the right things.

“I think it’s time,” Poppy said. She let out a sob, and then he sensed her contraction, and she tried to hold in her screams.

“Baby, just let it out. Scream if you have to. I don’t care.”

“I don’t know if I can do this,” she said, after releasing a scream. Her face was bright red, and the sweat glistened on her.

The nightdress she wore was covered in her sweat to the point that it was nearly sheer. He saw the hard point of her nipples and the tension in her stomach.

“I’m going to have to check,” Wilder said.

“No, no, no, you can’t, you can’t do this, Wilder. You can’t watch.”

“I’m the only one here,” Wilder said, “And I am not going to let you do this all yourself.”

“I’m here,” Alder said.

Wilder turned toward Alder, who was in the doorway, and he looked pale. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“You should hold your mate, Wilder. Hold her, and I can do this. I’ve seen births and I’ve been there.”

“Human births?” Wilder asked.

Poppy screamed.

“No, shifter births, but you’re going to want to hold her, and you’re going to need to help her. Humans are more delicate and their pregnancies come with a great deal of risks.”

Wilder looked to Poppy who was panting. “I can do this. You don’t want him looking.”

“I don’t want him looking either, but Wilder, we don’t have a choice. Get up here now!” She screamed out the last part.

Wilder stepped away and looked at Alder. “If anything happens to her, I will fucking end you, do you understand?”

“I happen to like Poppy. I’ll do everything I can, and if I see your child turning, do I have permission?” Alder asked.

Wilder looked toward Poppy. He couldn’t live without her. “As a last resort,” he said.

And then, he gripped his woman.

“What is a last resort?” Poppy asked.

“I will do whatever is needed to stop your son from turning,” Alder said.

“Do you mean to kill him?” Poppy asked.

“No,” Wilder said. “He will sedate him.”

It was a risk he was willing to take with Poppy.

“No, Alder. You do not sedate him. We trust in the medicine. Birthing is hard, and stop scaring me, both of you.”

There was no time for talking as Poppy screamed, the veins in her neck popping out. Wilder sat behind her and continued to look at Alder, as Poppy pushed. Before their son was even out, he heard his wail—the scream that said he had a healthy set of lungs on him.

Alder smiled, and it was the first smile he’d ever seen on the man. Another push, Poppy collapsed against him, and there he saw his little boy.

Alder took care of everything, and rather than swaddle their son in a blanket, he handed him to his mother.

His little son.

His boy.

So precious.

“Look what we made,” Poppy said.

Wilder looked toward Alder and nodded at him. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Alder was washing his hands. “My job here is done.

Poppy lifted her head. “Would you like to see him?”

Alder nodded and came closer.

Wilder didn’t like how close he was, and then Alder chuckled. “He looks like his momma as well as his pop.”

“Thank you,” Poppy said. “For everything, and if your woman doesn’t want you, she is a fool.”

Wilder nodded, and he held his woman. His son’s hand was clenched and as he reached down to touch him, his little boy held onto his finger.

“He has a strong grip,” Wilder said.

“He is perfect,” Poppy said. “Don’t ever use sedation.”

“I couldn’t risk you.”

“I can handle it. I know it’s strange, but I don’t think he wanted to hurt me.” Poppy smiled and tilted her head back. “I guess he’s like his father in that way.”

This made him smile. “Then he and I will get along great.” He leaned down and kissed her head. “But this will be the only child we have.”

Poppy sighed. “No, it won’t be.”

“Poppy!”

“What if I want a little girl, or a brother and sister for our boy?” she asked. “Are you going to stop having sex with me?”

Wilder growled.

“See, I knew it, and besides, as much as you love making babies, I can already see the love in your eyes for our son. We’ll have more.”

“You’re bossy,” he said.

“I need to be, I’m surrounded by bears.”

The End

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BONUS SAMPLE CHAPTER

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BROKEN BASTARD

Killer of Kings, 2

Sam Crescent & Stacey Espino

Copyright © 2017

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Sample Chapter

“Scarlett, are you being serious? No, I know you’re not being serious, because if you were, you’d be insane,” said Lisa.

“I have no choice. You heard Carter. He’s going to cut twenty freelancers this year alone.” Scarlett hooked her oversized purse over her shoulder, and then reached for the stack of colored file folders. “I can’t lose this job.”

“Fine, I get it, but this is suicide.”

Scarlett rolled her eyes. “You’re being dramatic.”

She made her way to the office elevator, her friend tailing behind her. Her next interview might be unorthodox, and theoretically a bit dangerous, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She’d only been at this company for eight months, officially still on probation, so she’d be one of the first her boss would cut. Scarlett was damn good at what she did. One day she hoped to reach reporter level, but right now she had to give the stories she always found to someone else. The truth was, her boss took the stories she’d researched and gave them to other girls. Still, she was determined to show her worth, and how valuable she could be as a reporter.

It wasn’t easy getting a personal meeting with Alexei Semenov. He was a big-time crime ringleader, not the biggest, but it would still be headline news. Her boss, Wilson Carter, had to see her value after closing an interview with a name like Semenov. Scarlett was sick and tired of pinching pennies and fighting just to maintain the status quo. She wanted to make something of her career, not to mention she didn’t have enough money for next month’s rent.

“Are you taking a camera crew?” asked Lisa, holding the elevator door open with her hip.

“Yeah, like that’s going to happen. Look, I’ll be fine. Promise. Semenov wants to portray a favorable image to the media, so he’s going to be on his best behavior.”

Lisa sighed. “You’re impossible. See you tomorrow then? I’ll bring the coffee.”

“Thanks.”

The doors began to close, and Scarlett watched her friend disappear from view. She wouldn’t admit that her heart raced like a freight train, and her hands felt clammy. If she wasn’t in such a dire predicament, there was no way she’d be heading out to meet one of the most hated men in the city. The man was a Russian mobster, and she had no wingman, camera crew ... nothing.

Forty minutes later, she stopped her Kia Rio in front of a set of massive iron gates. She double checked the address she’d scribbled on a piece of paper, but this was definitely the place. The gates began to open, swinging inwards, so she continued to drive along the long path. She admired the manicured grounds, water fountains, and old-world architecture of the mansion coming into view.

She took a deep breath as she parked the car. You can do this, Scarlett.

The sky started turning a mix of orange and pink, signaling the sunset was fast approaching. She didn’t like meeting at night, but she couldn’t get off work early and Mr. Semenov insisted they meet at eight o’clock sharp.

Scarlett lugged all her supplies out of the passenger side. She’d brought an older model video camera with tripod, voice recorders, paperwork, and her laptop. This was a huge deal, so she wore her best suit, reserved for only the most important occasions. The wine-colored skirt and jacket did a great job at concealing her explosive curves. Her extra weight was only another reason she had to make this work. Wilson Carter only kept the young, thin girls at the front of the house, and the same was true for the news and weather editions of his cable network.

As she walked up the custom stone staircase toward the entry doors of the house, she was flanked by Alexei Semenov’s security detail. She held her breath as they approached her.

“I have an appointment at eight o’clock for an interview,” she said before being asked. Scarlett swallowed hard after speaking. The three men didn’t smile, their faces solemn as they glared at her with enough malice to make her question her decision to come. One of the men snatched her bags away from her and began rooting through them, while another patted her down like a common criminal.

“Mr. Semenov will see you in the sitting room.” Then he opened the door and motioned for her to enter. The foyer was bigger than her entire apartment, with vaulting ceilings and shiny white marble floors. There was enough artwork and stone sculptures in view to fill a small museum. She walked forward, in complete awe. No reporter had been through these doors, so she was one of the privileged few to see the inside the Semenov mansion. It probably helped that she wasn’t a reporter, and there was no mention of her in any of the articles she had been part of, not even as a researcher. She was a nobody, fighting to be a somebody.

“Sit here,” said another man, pointing to one of the sofas. “He will be with you shortly.”

She nodded and sat down, resting her bags by her feet. Within minutes she was alone in the sitting room. The place was quieter than a mausoleum. Scarlett tapped her foot, her nervous energy not letting up. The doors to a study were partially open ahead of her, the glow from a desk lamp catching her attention. Should she take some pics? She didn’t want to do anything that might get her into trouble, so she didn’t risk it. Instead, she began to attach the tripod to the clunky old video camera in preparation for the interview. After today, maybe they’d trust her with the newer equipment.

At just a few minutes to eight, a couple men in suits rushed down the hallway, brandishing handguns. She gasped and froze. There was commotion just out of sight, and then a gunshot shattered a large clay vase, the shards raining down on the marble. Scarlett dropped to her knees and crawled to the end of the sofa to hide. Oh God, why didn’t I listen to Lisa?

The doors to the study flung open, and a huge man in a navy suit stood in the entryway with an automatic weapon in both hands. He looked like the damn Terminator. She heard different men yelling in Russian but couldn’t understand a word. The big man didn’t even take a step before he collapsed to the ground after another gunshot rang off, the sound echoing in the massive sitting room. Then she saw him, Alexei Semenov, coming around from the grand oak desk in the office. Scarlett recognized him immediately. His stern, wrinkled face was always plastered on the news.

What the hell is happening?

Alexei spoke in a cool but arrogant tone, in his own language. Who was he talking to? Then a different man dressed in all black strode toward the office. He came out of nowhere, like a ghost. She noticed the hand holding his gun was covered in ink. In fact, the tattoos even peeked out from the top of his collar, climbing up his neck. He looked like a force, death personified. The two men spoke briefly, a calm exchange, and then she watched as the tattooed man put a single bullet between Alexei’s eyes. It all seemed to happen in slow motion—the gunshot, the spray of blood, the lifeless body crashing to the floor.

Scarlett let out a scream but quickly covered her mouth with both hands. It was too late. The killer turned his head and looked directly at her crouched down at the end of the sofa.

He cursed, holstering his weapon, and came toward her. She screamed again, toppling back onto her ass.

“Shut up,” he said, yanking her to her feet.

“I’m innocent. Please don’t hurt me...”

He noticed the video camera equipment on the sofa, and it set him off. With a powerful thrust, he smashed it against the stone floor and stomped it out of existence.

“You one of his whores?”

She struggled to speak, completely tongue-tied, so she shook her head. He growled, glancing around the ceiling of the room before grabbing a handful of her suit jacket and tugging her along with him. They ended up in a small, windowless room with wall to wall surveillance equipment. Probably every room in the house was being filmed on the small televisions, including every angle of the property. He took something out of his jacket, slapping it down on the desk. He hunched over, but she couldn’t see past his massive frame. When he stood back up, she saw the explosive device with a timer rigged to it. Forty-five seconds and counting.

She stared with her mouth agape. Was she dreaming? No, this was definitely a nightmare, one she wished she could wake up from. Things like this didn’t happen to women like her. Scarlett could imagine the headlines now: Thirty-six-year-old spinster dies grisly death, leaving behind no one and nothing. God, how pathetic. She nearly began to cry thinking of all the life she’d wasted. At least someone at her office would get a headline story out of this mess, but it sure wouldn’t be her.

Before she could react, he pulled her through the hallway, shooting every man that came into view with the pistol in his free hand. When they were in the parking area, the bomb in the surveillance room went off, the ground quaking beneath her feet. She flailed, but he had an iron grip on her arm. When she saw her piece of shit car, she wondered if she could get free long enough to make a break for it. Then she remembered her keys were in her purse, still in the sitting room.

“Please let me—”

“Don’t fucking speak,” he warned, his voice deep and authoritative. He popped open the trunk of a black BMW and shoved her in. She screamed and kicked, but he only slammed the trunk down over her, blanketing her in darkness.

****

Fuck! Fuck!

This was Bain’s first official contract working for Killer of Kings, and he’d wanted to prove himself a valuable asset. He knew the rules: no witnesses and a clean hit, nothing unusual from his other work. Bain wanted to send the woman in his trunk straight to hell, but she didn’t look like she belonged at Semenov’s place. Cops didn’t give a shit about dead criminals, but an innocent victim would lead to investigations and news reports. If it got back to Boss that his mission wasn’t clean, he’d look like a fucking amateur.

So his witness was going to disappear without a trace, and nothing would be linked back to him or to Semenov’s assassination. He still wasn’t sure what the fuck he was going to do with her, but he’d figure that out later. Killing was what he did best, and he’d handled worse complications. Bain drove a few miles up the road, then got out to remove the false magnetic plates. He opened the trunk to toss them inside, ignoring his human cargo. She gasped when she saw him, although with no street lights on this stretch of road, he’d be a dark shadow. Not that it mattered if she saw him clearly or not because he wasn’t letting her live.

“I’ll do anything. Please let me go. I promise I won’t say anything.”

She definitely wasn’t one of Semenov’s girls. Bain had been scoping out his interactions and routines the past week, and the old bastard preferred his bitches stick thin and highly processed. His witness had thick curves and not a stitch of makeup—definitely not Semenov’s type. He wasn’t sure what she was doing there—maybe applying to scrub the toilets or some other domestic shit. Then he remembered the camera equipment.

“Why were you at Alexei Semenov’s house?”

“I was just on a job, I mean I was doing an interview ... well I was going to do an interview,” she stammered. “I’m a reporter. Well, I’m a researcher trying to be a reporter. I swear I don’t know him or you or anything about what happened.”

Of all the damn luck. A reporter, researcher, whatever the hell that meant.

“Who knows you were there?”

“Nobody.”

He didn’t believe a word she said. For all he knew there would be a media frenzy tomorrow. He’d have to keep her breathing until things settled down. Once he was sure her disappearance wasn’t an issue, he could finish her off and burn the remains at the dump a couple counties over.

“You should have stayed home.” He locked her back in the trunk.

Bain had a house in the rural area outside the city. He didn’t like noise, people, or distractions. He valued his privacy.

After his contract with Bernard Sutherland went bad, Boss had shown up at Bain’s house uninvited. He wasn’t sure how the fuck he got his address. Bain had refused to work for Killer of Kings when Viper signed on years ago, not comfortable being under anyone’s control. But Boss wasn’t ready to give up, offering him the kind of cash he couldn’t refuse.

No one else popped by to pay a visit. Salesmen were greeted with a shotgun, and soon no one dared to set foot on his property. His house wasn’t luxurious. It was a shitty, century farm house that had been deserted and sold off in a power of sale. He liked that it was off the grid, open concept, and surrounded by acreage. There was no way he could live in a cramped condo or row housing. The confinement of city living didn’t suit him.

He unlocked the front door and disabled his security system. It cost more than the damn house. Bain dropped his duffel bag on the slab kitchen table and unzipped it. He’d only used his handguns today, so it wouldn’t take him long to clean them. All his weapons were well maintained, clean, oiled, and precision tested. This contract had been easier than he expected. Easy money was always a good thing. Then he remembered the woman in his trunk, and his mood soured.

Bain pounded his fist on the table, the weapons clanging together in the bag. Just thinking of her pissed him off. He hated complications.

He shrugged off his jacket, and then grabbed a black garbage bag from the cupboard and returned to the car. There were few stars in the sky, the darkness only cut when the light in the trunk clicked on. He stared down at the woman. Sweat matted her hair to her cheek, and even the minimal lighting made her squint. She held her forearms in front of her face in a defensive posture.

Bain shoved the bag over her head and heaved her out of the trunk. “Walk. If you try anything stupid, I’ll kill you.”

She kept quiet as he led her into his house. This was the first female in his place. When he fucked around, he did it anywhere else. Those occasions were few and far between. He was raised in hell itself, forced to seduce and fuck rich, older women so his captors could bribe them or get closer to their husbands’ money. Sex had become something he hated, a punishment. He preferred the brutal beatings over the nights in strange beds, knowing he often had to murder the women he’d been forced to deceive.

Once inside, he locked the door and led her to the basement. He never went down there, but he wasn’t going to keep this bitch under foot, so it was going to be her home until he decided otherwise. Bain thought about how much he hated women, but that wasn’t true—he hated everyone. The whole world was against him, and even God abandoned him long ago.

The wooden stairs leading into the basement were rickety, each step punctuated with a groan or creek. There was only one lightbulb swinging from the ceiling, barely lighting up the damp space. Once they were on the concrete floor, he tugged the garbage bag off her head and tossed it aside. She gasped for air, brushing her hair off her face. Her eyes were wild with panic, a look he’d seen too many times to count.

“Where are we?” she whispered.

“It’s your final destination. No hard feelings, but damn, you were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

She hugged herself. “What are you going to do to me?”

“Relax. I’m not raping you,” he said, insulted. Bain could get any pussy he wanted. He didn’t need to kidnap women just to get laid.

“Please let me leave.”

“That’s not happening.” He pulled an old wooden chair from the darkness and set it against the wall. “Keep quiet down here. If you annoy me, you won’t eat.”

“But—”

“I don’t think you understand how this works. It’s very simple. You do as I say or things go bad for you. Behave yourself, and you’ll get food and bathroom privileges.”

He wanted to get the fuck upstairs, the dankness already creeping along his skin. There were a few facts he needed from the woman—her name, family history, basic description. It would help him keep tabs on the news reports and aid him in digging deeper if he needed to.

Bain took a section of hair that had escaped her loose bun and felt it between his fingers. Then he tilted her chin up and took a good look at her—brown hair and green eyes.

“What’s your name?”

“Scarlett.”

“Scarlett what?”

“Scarlett Meyers.”

“You married? Kids?”

She shook her head.

“Your parents work for the government?”

Scarlett narrowed her eyes. “No, why does any of this matter? I’m nobody. I’m not a threat to you or anyone.”

He put a finger to his lips. “Who do they work for?”

“I don’t know.”

Bain grabbed her jacket and gave her a quick jerk. “Hey, I asked you a fucking question.”

Her eyes welled up with tears. “I don’t know! My dad left when I was six, and I haven’t talked to my mom in years.”

Good. The fewer people looking for her, the better. He pressed her shoulder down to get her to sit on the chair, then squatted down and patted her hips, feeling for pockets. “You have any weapons on you?”

“No.”

His cell phone rang, so he stood back up and walked away from her.

“You get the job done?” asked Boss.

“I always get the job done.”

“That’s what I like to hear. I have another contract for you. Interested?”

Killing was all he knew. From the planning stage, surveillance, to pulling the trigger, it was all a rush. Something dark resided in him, for as long as he could remember, and it seemed his job as a mercenary was the only thing that kept it sated.

“Sure, why not?”

“Excellent. Now that Viper’s retired, I’m short a good man. You can go far with Killer of Kings, Bain.”

Bain wasn’t worried about the next paycheck or maintaining a lavish lifestyle. His life was no frills. He also had so much fucking cash that he was already set for life. He did his job because he had to.

“Help me!”

He whirled around. The little bitch had some nerve. Bain glared at her, his jaw twitching with his rising anger.

“Who was that?” asked Boss.

“Don’t worry about her. You’re not the only one I work for,” he said, dismissively. “Text me the details. I’ll be busy for a while.” He put his phone in his pocket and crossed his arms over his chest. There were so many wicked things he could do to Scarlett to make her pay for her disobedience. He’d doled out every kind of torture in his day, most learned from personal experience. Right now, all he cared about was ensuring she kept quiet while he was away on his next hit. With his luck, someone would come to his front door and hear her screaming.

“You’ve been a bad girl, Scarlett.”

She stared at him, her big green eyes roaming over his body. He looked down at himself. Over the years he’d gotten so much fucking ink that there wasn’t much skin left untouched. It was a necessity, his way of covering up the past, an attempt to change himself into something new. It was never enough, the scars and memories continuing to haunt him.

“What do you think I should do to you for that little stunt?”

Her mouth opened, then closed. “I didn’t mean it.”

“Of course you did. You’re trying to save yourself, but what you don’t realize is there’s no escape. Nobody knows where you are, and by the sounds of it, nobody gives a shit.”

“You’re never letting me leave?”

“There you go, now you’re catching on. But until I can trust you, I’m sure you understand why I have to use this.” He pulled out a black gag from his back pocket, waving it in front of her, and then motioned her to walk up the stairs. There was no way he could stand coming down into the shitty basement to check on her every few hours. The dank space was worse than he remembered, so he’d keep her within arm’s length for now.

When they got to the top of the stairs, she made a break for it.

End of sample chapter

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