Bear Fur Hire (Bears Fur Hire #2)(30)

“Sure, Jenner,” she muttered, driving a tent stake into the ground. “Turn into a werebear.”

“It’s just a bear.”

“Whatever.”

“I won’t hurt you so don’t take off running. It gets my instincts all kicked up when I see something running.”

Lena rolled her eyes and moved to the next tent stake. “Don’t worry. I won’t. And don’t be growling and clawing up your hands trying to scare me either, Jenner, or I’m going to kick you right in the dick.” Silence. “Jenner?”

“I’m here.” The jingling of his pants sounded, and she cast him a pissed-off glare over her shoulder. It was getting darker by the minute, but she could definitely make him out as he undressed.

“Are you serious right now?”

Jenner cracked an obnoxious grin, straight teeth white against the shadows. “I don’t want to rip my pants when I let my grizzly out.”

“Oh, naturally,” she muttered, returning her attention to the next stake. She couldn’t freaking wait until she was inside so she could scream into her sleeping bag and draw mustaches and wonky eyes all over her last sketch of him.

“You should know I’ve never shown Bear to anyone but my brothers.”

With an irritated sigh, Lena stood and crossed her arms over her chest. “You call yourself Bear?”

Jenner’s irritating smile still lingered at the corners of his lips, and she wanted to claw it right off his stupid face right now. This wasn’t funny. Not even close.

“I do because that’s what he is. Are you ready?”

“For you to wiggle around and pretend to turn into a bear? This is all of my dreams about my perfect man culminated into one moment, Jenner, so yes, I’m ready.”

Jenner hunched forward, but relaxed again and said, “First, I should set some ground rules.”

“Are you f*cking kidding me? Okay, what?”

“One, I was serious when I said you shouldn’t run. Bear likes to chase critters that give him their backs. It’s instinct.”

“Fine. Check. Go.”

“Two, no shooting at me.”

“Why would I shoot at you? The gun isn’t even anywhere near me. It’s still in the saddle you pulled off your horse you dumbass—”

“Whoa, okay, but just the same, don’t shoot me.”

“Fine! Can we get this pantomime over with, please?”

“Are you in a rush to get somewhere?” he asked, eyebrows high and eyes dancing.

“Yeah, for you to cook my f*cking dinner, Jenner. I’m hungry and irritated, and I’m about five seconds away from breaking rule number two. Now shimmy!”

A snap echoed through the woods, and she hunched down, scanning the immediate area. “What was that?”

Three more rattling pops sounded, but it was throatier than a twig breaking. “Jenner,” she whispered, heart hammering against her sternum as she turned in a slow circle.

Another volley of pops sounded, but now the air was growing heavy and too thick to breath. A great weight settled across her shoulders and fear nearly froze her in place as she slowly turned her attention onto Jenner. She didn’t understand what she saw. He was hunched forward, heaving breath, but with each inhalation, he jerked and grew bigger. And bigger and bigger until he threw his head back with another pop.

Breaking bones. The sound was breaking bones. Lena clapped her hands over her mouth as she arched her gaze up and up, following Jenner’s transformation. Tears stung her eyes as fur that shone silver in the evening light covered his skin in a wave. Eight-inch white claws shot from his fingers, and his mouth elongated as curved, razor sharp teeth replaced his own. In the span of a few seconds, it was done, and Jenner stood on his hind legs and rattled off a long growl. That sound—as familiar as her own heartbeat by now because it had been constant since she’d met him. His eyes were dark brown, and so familiar still, but she didn’t know this Jenner. This Jenner was massive, as big as Titus, and now he was stalking closer to her, dragging his weapon-like claws through the earth with each powerful stride.

Don’t run!

Jenner hadn’t lied. He hadn’t been teasing her or making something up to push her away.

Jenner was a damned werebear! Bear shifter! Bear! Whatever!

Lena closed her eyes as he came within clawing distance of her. She sure knew how to pick them. Adam had broken her, and now she’d given her heart to a man who was going to eat her. She hoped he choked on her.

She squealed a high pitched, terrified sound as Jenner…er…Bear…snuffled her stomach. But when seconds dragged by, and he just rested his head there, waiting, she cracked one eye open and whispered, “Good Bear. Don’t eat me. I’m tough and my bones splinter easily and I taste like piss and gristle.”

Bear huffed a breath, and if she wasn’t mistaken, it sounded the equivalent to a laugh.

“I’m going to pet you. Yep.” She reached out, hands shaking badly. “I’m really going to touch you,” she warned, closing her eyes again. She squealed again as her fingers brushed his coarse fur right by his ear.

Bear rubbed his head against her, and she yanked her hand back again, thinking he didn’t like it, but no. Apparently Jenner’s giant f*cking grizzly bear was a snuggler. And now there was a humming in his throat she didn’t recognize. Was he purring? She touched him again, just a quick pet, there and gone, and since he still didn’t seem inclined to devour her and pick his teeth with her bones, she ran her palm over the top of his enormous head.