Bearly Breathing (Werebears of New Hampshire #1)(18)

She disappeared into the forest as the bonding process was complete. Edwin had bonded to Grace.

He phased back into his human form and couldn’t wait to tell her the good news. He walked onto the river bank and paced back and forth waiting for her to return.

He was so excited that he wasn’t even nervous about telling Connor that he wrecked another kayak.

What is taking so long?

He stepped into the forest and looked around. “Grace,” he yelled out. “I have great news! We’re going to be together forever!”

She didn’t answer.

Edwin sat down on a fallen tree and waited. He looked down and realized that he didn’t have any clothes on. It’s okay. We’re mates now.

He caught a whiff of dog and perked up. Edwin lived as a bear in the woods for over a decade and was used to those pesky, mangy mutts always trying to steal his food and waking him up with their annoying howling. They wouldn’t dare attack him but what about Grace?

He heard a scream in the distance and was on his feet sprinting through the forest. His feet traveled light and fast over the forest terrain. Neither Connor nor Sidney could even keep up with him in the forest.

Edwin could smell Grace in the distance. That horrible chemical scent of suntan lotion covering the delicious smell of her sweat.

He burst through the trees and the wolves scattered out of the way. Grace saw him and almost collapsed to the ground.

“Great news!” he said, ignoring the wolves. They darted away and turned in circles in the distance. They wouldn’t attack when Edwin was there.

She looked at him jerking her head from side to side and shaking uncontrollably. She was talking to herself, speaking low and rapid.

“We’re mates!” Edwin said, stepping up to her and grabbing her hands. His shoulders slumped when he saw her face. She wasn’t even happy.

She glanced down at his naked body and her eyes widened. It was okay. They were mates now.

Grace jerked her head back towards the wolves. “Edwin,” she whispered, her lips trembling. “The wolves.”

Edwin exhaled. The wolves were ruining his moment. He dropped her hands, picked up a stick and threw it at the irritating flea bags. It skidded up to their paws and they retreated back into the forest. He didn’t want to hurt them. There was no need for that. He just wanted them to leave, so that he could share the good news with Grace.

“Grace,” he said, grabbing her hands again and looking into her wide eyes. “We’re mates.”

Her knees buckled and her eyes rolled in the back of her head. Edwin caught her as she fainted and collapsed to the ground.

He hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her back to the river bank.





Grace opened her groggy eyes and put her hand to her head. It was pounding. She gasped and sprang up when she remembered the wolves.

“Hi beautiful,” Edwin said. He was standing in the river completely naked with a squirming gray fish in his hand. Grace glanced down at his nakedness. It was longer than the fish.

“What happened?” Grace asked. Her memory was blurry.

“I bonded with you,” he said. His hand struck the water with blinding speed and he snatched another fish out of the river.

What was he talking about? She remembered him running up to her and the wolves just leaving after seeing him. Then she remembered him in the kayak, turning into a bear in front of her eyes. What was going on? She must’ve got food poisoning or something that was causing hallucinations. That couldn’t have been real.

Fucking Becca. Grace had to get back to limos and satellite TV and cappuccino machines. This environment was not for her.


“How are we getting out of here?” she asked.

“We’ll sleep here and walk tomorrow.” He lifted the fish up to his nose and smelled it. “Mmmm,” he moaned with a smile.

This guy is a barbarian.

“We’re not sleeping here,” she said, crossing her arms. “Get someone to come get us. One of those speedboat thingies or a helicopter.”

He tossed the fish on the ground. They jumped and squirmed around desperately trying to find water. Edwin stepped up to a tree and began ripping off branches.

“Listen to me!” she said, gritting her teeth. “I’m the daughter of a Senator. I’ll have you arrested for kidnapping.”

Edwin stared at her blankly, his penis in full view.

“Will you cover that thing up?” she said, turning her head away. But the image remained in her head. His fit abs and his muscular legs. It drove her crazy that she thought of him in that way. She was high class. Sophisticated. She didn’t associate with people like him and people like her definitely didn’t sleep with people like him. But he was definitely the hottest guy that she had ever seen naked. And her body was letting her know that it liked it.

He looked down at his package. “But we’re mates.”

“Why do you keep saying that?” she asked. She glanced back at him, trying to keep her eyes above the equator.

Edwin dropped the branches in a pile and walked over to her. He squatted down in front of her. She turned her eyes away up towards the top of the trees. “This is highly inappropriate,” she said. “I am a lady.” Although she could have offered him her shirt to cover himself but she didn’t.

“You saw me change into my bear,” he said.