Wounds to Bear (Heart of The Bear #1)(4)

“Who?”

The barrel of the gun caught Corey’s chin, the icy metal tilting his head up until he met the man’s cold blue eyes. And he understood why the man smelled wrong. He was a wolf who couldn’t shift.

“Greyson Black.”

Corey fought the scream clawing up his throat.

The man was after his dad.





Three





His blood was on fire.

Roman swallowed, and that hurt as much as breathing. He usually healed himself in bear form; doing it as a man sapped strength he couldn’t afford. He needed—

Her. His bear growled at him, wanting to claim her. Now.

He had to stop thinking of her, picturing the curvy body he knew she hid under those oversized trousers, picturing her trapped between him and the wall as he drove himself into her heat—

With a groan, he changed position, and a fresh wave of pain burst through him.

“Roman?”

Her low-pitched voice wrapped around him, along with the lavender and vanilla scent he’d already marked as her. He opened his eyes, found her bent over him, wearing a plaid shirt. The neckline gaped enough for him to see the curve of her full, firm breasts, cradled by lace. He groaned again, his already hard cock standing at attention. It really had a mind of its own; he didn’t have the strength for sex, no matter how loudly his bear grumbled.

“Okay,” he whispered, flinching at his raw voice.

“Liar.” She straightened and crossed her arms, like she knew he’d been looking down her shirt. “I should put you right to bed, but I think some food in your stomach is going to help you heal. Can you eat?”

“Always.” He needed the meat he had been smelling since he lumbered into her front yard. If he hadn’t been so distracted by his shoulder, he would have smelled that sinfully delicious scent from the trees.

“Good. I have some clothes for you.” She picked up a neatly folded pile off the coffee table and held them out. “They were left behind by my ex, and they might be a little big, but at least you won’t be…” A charming blush stained her cheeks, and she shifted her gaze to the wall behind him.

“Thanks.” He reached out to take the clothes, forgetting about his shoulder. He growled when fresh pain spiked him. “Damn it.”

“Let me help you.” She draped the shirt over her shoulder, then knelt in front of him, the jeans in her hands. “Foot up.”

He obeyed, smiling at her bent head. God help him, she was adorable, treating him like a toddler who needed mommy to dress him. He was beginning to understand his brother Elijah’s fascination with human women. Carefully, he slipped his other foot in the worn denim, grimacing when he saw how dirty it was. He always showered after a shift and a run in the woods. Not happening today.


Jenna slid the jeans up to his knees, and to his disappointment she stopped, pulling the shirt off her shoulder as she stood.

“Let’s get this on you, then I’ll figure out the jeans.”

“Okay, Doc.” He hid another smile when she looked at him.

“Amused?”

“I haven’t had a woman dress me since I was in training pants.” He let the smile spread across his face. “I like it.”

She blushed deeper, and his cock twitched. Damn she was pretty, with that color flushing her cheeks. Roman found himself enjoying her company—not something that usually happened with a human woman. They were so fragile, so skittish. She had attacked him with a storm door, and after he probably scared the hell out of her, offered to help him.

Not a normal human woman. Shit—he couldn’t—

You can, his bear growled, pushing his need to claim her closer to the surface. Those lush hips and high, round ass drew him. She was petite, but he had already been given a taste of her strength. She would bear his cubs, and have the care, the strength to wrangle them when they needed it—

“Roman.” Her low, husky voice snapped him out of the daydream. His bear clamored for attention, wanting to touch her. Hell, he wanted to do so much more than just touch her. “I’d like to get you dressed before the sun rises.”

He stared at her. She smiled back. Shit.

“I can finish,” he said, his voice a gruff, angry rumble.

It worked. Jenna handed him the shirt and stood. “Fine. I’ll get the stew ready, and see how much food I have in the house, since I’m about to be invaded.”

Her cool voice, and the narrowed blue eyes, left an ugly guilt in his chest. She stalked across the living room, to the huge, open kitchen Roman had spent countless hours in. Why Grey had sold this place was still a question Roman couldn’t get an answer to; every time he asked, Grey would mutter something about wanting Corey closer to family.

His mate left two years ago, the most flighty female shifter Roman had ever met. She had considered Corey a burden, and needed to find herself while she had time. Grey had shut out the family right after she disappeared, so that answer didn’t sit with Roman.

Personally, he’d been relieved when the woman left. She’d done nothing but make Grey and everyone else around her miserable, which told Roman she had never been meant as Grey’s forever mate. The only good thing from their brief union     was Corey.

Now Corey was out there, with a bastard intent on revenge. And it was Roman’s fault.