Bear Shifters of Alaska: Three Book Bundle Read online

  “Are you okay?” he asked as she found her footing.

  “I’m weak, but I’m okay,” she answered.

  “Come on, I’ll help you. Lean against me.” He wrapped his arm around her waist, and lifted her arm up over his shoulder. “Hold on tight. I won’t let you fall.”

  She moved cautiously, then collapsed onto a kitchen chair. “Thank you.”

  “Sure,” he said. “A drink? Some water? I have tea. And how about a bowl of soup?”

  “I’ll try.”

  They were silent as he worked and moved about the small kitchen. The large man seemed almost too big for the space he used.

  After feeding her, he sat across from the girl and asked if she wanted to talk.

  She seemed uncertain, but he was kinder than the man that kept her for ten years. She decided she had no choice but to trust him. She had nobody and nothing else. Not even the clothes on her back, no money, no anything.

  Lost and alone, Denver Beck was the closest thing she had to a friend.

  Chapter 3

  Denver watched her eat. Her cheeks were sallow, even round. She was hardly malnourished, but still looked frail in her movements. Her shoulders were sunken low, and she tried not to make eye contact. He watched her mannerisms. She tried to take up as little space as possible. She didn’t want to be seen. She wanted to be invisible. The bruises, he was certain it wasn’t a one-time thing. This was no stranger that left her for dead, but somebody she knew.

  “Lily,” he said softly, “can you tell me what you know about this? It was somebody close to you, yes?”

  She wouldn’t look him in the eye. She nodded the slightest bit. “I tried to leave.”

  He waited. There were more words, but she needed time to digest them before she could get them out. A tiny croak, then a whisper. “He wanted me to stay, but I left.”

  “You weren’t allowed to leave?”

  She shook her head.

  “Your husband? Your boyfriend? Was he abusive?”

  She swallowed hard and tried to find the words. Her body shuddered as she spoke. “He kidnapped me when I was a child.”

  Denver grabbed the edge of the table, his eyes shooting open wide. Hold the rage, ole boy, don’t let your bear out. You don’t want to scare her anymore. “Kidnapped?”

  “I was fourteen. He grabbed me from a rest stop,” she said, choking up. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

  Denver swallowed hard, forcing his anger back – not at her, but the scumbag that took her away as a child. “Does he have a name?”

  “Abe. I saw a letter once. He was careful to hide things away. I saw a piece of mail when he forgot to lock his desk. Gabriel Dante,” she said. “I think that’s his real name.”

  Denver ran to the door, flung it open and got sick. The fresh air helped him regain his composure. He twitched. A loud roar wanted to let loose, but he couldn’t let it. Not now. He’d scare her away.

  All this time…

  Shit. She’d lived in his neck of the woods. He could have saved her if only he’d known. He recognized the name of her captor. He knew who he was from in town. That fucking devil was going down. It was time to rid the earth of Gabriel Dante. He didn’t deserve to live.

  Lily watched him. “What happened?”

  “Nothing,” he said. He wasn’t ready to tell her that Gabriel lived in a neighboring town. Or used to. He’d be dead sooner than later if Denver had it his way. “Probably something I ate.”

  She wasn’t sure she believed him, but was in no place to challenge his answer.

  Denver rejoined Lily at the table. Her long dark hair hung loose over her shoulders.

  “Can I get a shower?” she asked. “I don’t mean to impose, but I feel kind of skanky.”

  “Sure, the hot water will feel good,” he said. “Let me get you a towel. Do you need help walking?”

  “I think I’m okay.” She got up and stood tentatively, then shook her head. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be okay. You won’t leave, will you?”

  “I’m right here. I promise, nobody can get to you.” He reassured her again, but now understood why she needed the constant refresher.

  As she walked, her fully padded hips moved back and forth. She was a beautiful woman, but obviously worn down. She had curves that would normally make his engine run wild. Amidst the circumstances, he pushed those thoughts aside.

  Denver went to get a clean, soft towel from the closet and handed it to her. “I’ll be right outside the door. Take your time.”

  “Thank you for watching over me,” she said.

  He heard the shower head spring to life as water sprayed and cascaded over her. Within ten minutes, she’d turned the water it off. Once again in his t-shirt, she came out with her hair wrapped in the towel.

  “The water felt amazing. Honestly, I’m worn out already. Do you mind if I sleep?”

  “Not a bit,” he answered and stepped aside. “Remember, you’re safe here. If you need anything, you let me know. Even if I’m sleeping, simply wake me up.”

  “Where are you?”

  “The sofa,” he said, watching the relief on her face.

  “I’m sorry I’ve stolen the bed from you.”

  “Take all the time you need. I’m fine.”

  “Thank you, Denver. Thank you for saving me.”

  He nodded. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  ***

  There were plans to attend to. He needed to make sure it was a clean kill. It would look like an accident. He’d take him out to the wilderness and then feed him to the wolves. They’d eat anything, even trash like Gabriel Dante.

  Chapter 4

  Lily startled awake and looked around. Her heart raced. Relief coursed through her when she realized where she was. The nightmare was over. He’d almost killed her, but she got away. She did it. After all of those years, she was free. Lily trembled as the reality hit her hard.

  She knew it could be taken away in an instant. Panic racked her brain like a bad habit. She climbed out of bed and went to look for Denver. He was snoring softly, sprawled out on the sofa. She didn’t want to wake him, but felt better in his presence. She leaned into the sofa and curled against it. Safe at last.

  Denver rolled over in his sleep, and wrapped an arm over Lily’s shoulder, completely unaware that she’d joined him. His subconscious slowly pulled him from his slumber, recognizing something was different. Denver opened his eyes and found Lily pressed against him. A smile formed over his lips.

  He gently whispered and nudged the girl. “Lily?”

  She fluttered her eyelashes and looked up at Denver. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to be alone.”

  “Come on, we’ll go into the other room. It will be more comfortable for you.”

  She nodded quietly and padded back to the bedroom.

  Denver stretched, his muscled arms reached up over him as he twisted this way and that, trying to loosen up. He followed Lily to the bedroom and tucked her in. He went to the other side of the bed, but stayed on top of the covers so she wasn’t uncomfortable.

  “This better?” he asked.

  “Yes, thank you,” she said.

  The couple went back to sleep. Come morning, Denver had wrapped up over her, his arm across her body almost in a protective stance. She was surprised to like the way it felt. Nobody had touched her in a comforting way since she was fourteen. It was a new sensation, a new emotion. She didn’t cringe under his touch and didn’t feel threatened. He was her savior, not the one that would destroy her.

  She’d been lifted up, dusted off, and given a new life.

  She’d never forget what he’d done for her. She knew life would never truly be the same, and she’d have a lot of adapting to do while she adjusted to the new world. She’d been trapped back in time when Abe held her against her will. She had no idea what had changed over the course of ten years. Overwhelmed by the thought, she took comfort against the large man beside her.

  Denver snorted and huffed. It almost sounded l
ike a low growl. She looked at him, confused by the sounds. He was sleeping peacefully, but lost in a dream. She had no clue what he was dreaming about, but he almost sounded animal-like, primal. She chuckled a little bit by the realism. Did he realize he sounded that way when he dreamt?

  ***

  On waking, Denver stumbled into the bathroom to shower. He’d need to figure out what to do with Lily. Should he bring her to see a doctor, keep her there, or send her on her way. She’d been captive since she was a teen. Did she have the ability to take care of herself? He’d better stay close, just to make sure she was okay.

  He didn’t want to take her to town in case the monster was there. In fact, he should address that situation before anything else. He’d go out for a short while, head into town, talk to a few of his buddies and see what they could arrange. The bear shifters watched out for one another, as long as they weren’t threatened in the process. He didn’t trust most of them, but had a couple of friends he’d known for years. Jake and King would be the safest choice for this kind of operation. They were mostly loners, but they’d joke about being “Bears on Patrol” and watching out for others. Some odd sense of obligation that went back too many years. A man like Gabriel Dante didn’t deserve to live in the area, let alone live. He’d brought the stench of decay to their neighborhood, and Denver didn’t like it one bit.

  He cleaned up and headed to his bedroom to put clothes on. He wasn’t thinking; he didn’t usually have company.

  Lily’s eyes practically bulged out of her head when he walked into the room. Denver was buck-ass naked. She stared at his body, then his…

  Wow.

  When Denver caught Lily’s reaction, his body took over. Fuck. He couldn’t help but get hard. He didn’t mean to be sexual, but the way she was staring. He took damn good care of his body, but he rarely had a woman there. His shaft engorged, and the head of his cock grew larger. His freshly-showered, semi-soft penis was now a raging monster of a cock, thick and hard.

  “Holy shit, you’re a beast,” she said with a giggle. “I’ve never… Wow, just wow. It’s big.”

  “Yeah, sorry about that,” he offered.

  She grinned like a school girl. “Don’t apologize. It’s magnificent. I’ve never really seen a man that way, well, with a body like yours. You’re beautiful, err, I mean handsome.”

  “Thank you,” he said, walking toward his dresser. He pulled it open.

  “Do you mind me looking?”

  “I quite like it.” He gave her a charming grin. “The attention is nice, but I don’t want you to be uncomfortable. Especially after everything you’ve been through. It wasn’t my intention.”

  “I understand. It’s just that I feel like a kid in a candy shop. I’ve been stuck in prison for so long, and now this. I feel like I won the jackpot,” she said. Lily started to laugh, then stopped, grabbing her sides. “Oh, I’m still sore.”

  “I’d like to have a doctor check you out, but I don’t want you to go into town yet. I think it might be too much. I can have a doctor come here,” he said.

  “No. Just you. I don’t want to see anybody yet. I’m okay. You’re taking good care of me.”

  He nodded. “If you promise to keep eating and gaining your strength, I’m okay with that.”

  “Do you have anything besides soup? I kind of have an appetite again.”

  “What do you want?”

  “For you to stay naked,” she teased.

  “You’re quite a sassy girl,” he answered. “For a wounded soldier, you’ve apparently got a naughty streak in you.”

  “I’ve just never…” she said and pointed.

  Denver laughed and pulled a shirt, underwear, and jeans out of a drawer. “Okay, show’s over.”

  She smiled and turned to her side, watching him dress. His chest was broad and muscled, like a picture in a magazine, and his shoulders had to be the widest shoulders she’d ever seen on a man. And his arms, oh, wow, they were like all pumped up and left her giddy. The strong muscles in his thighs were impressive, but not as impressive as his massive, throbbing cock, which was pointed right at her.

  She watched as Denver stepped into his boxer briefs and tucked himself to the side. It didn’t help. It was like a fugitive trying to escape, pressing the cotton of the underwear to its limit.

  Denver groaned. “You’re not making this any easier by eyeing me up like a piece of candy.”

  She laughed, grabbed her side, and then forced herself up. Lily leaned on her elbow, then pushed up to sitting. She had a bird’s eye view. She encouraged him playfully. “Go on.”

  Denver laughed. “What happened to the whispering shy girl I met the other day?”

  “She wasn’t sitting in front of a naked man with a body of a god.”

  “You flatter me,” he said, then shook his head. “Okay, I’m going to need to run out.”

  “Wait, I’ll be alone.”

  “You’re not strong enough, and you’ll be safe. I’m going to lock the cabin up. Nobody can get in. You’ll be okay.”

  “I’m afraid,” she said, the little girl’s voice coming back.

  “Sweetie, I need you to understand something. I wasn’t going to tell you this, but the man who held you captive – I know who he is. I’m sorry. I never knew what horrible secret he was hiding. If I’d known….”

  “You know him? You’re not going to tell him…” Her eyes grew large with fear.

  “No. I’m going to kill him.”

  “What?”

  He sat on the bed next to her. “He’ll never hurt you again.”

  She sat silently, contemplating. She’d never thought of killing him. She could have when he was sleeping, but she couldn’t cross that bridge. Death. Murder. And yet, he was a scary monster who did horrible things. He kidnapped her as a child. He forced her to spend ten years of her life with him. And yet, murder? If he was dead, she’d never live in fear of him coming to get her. Was it a matter for the police?

  “Kill him?” she asked quietly.

  “He doesn’t deserve to live.”

  “What if-”

  “He can live or he can die. There are only two choices. Living isn’t one of them.”

  “But… and what if he hurts you… or… what if you get angry with me… have you killed before?” She wrapped her arms up around her.

  “I’ll never hurt you. And don’t worry, he won’t stand a chance of hurting me. And killed before…I’m a hunter by nature.” He didn’t try to explain.

  “I don’t know. It’s so final.”

  “What if he grabs another girl, now that you’re gone? She’d have to live her life in hell. If he’s done it before, he’ll do it again,” he added.

  “But then you’ll go to jail. I don’t want you to be in trouble for me.”

  He lowered his head. “There are some things that I can’t tell you. You wouldn’t understand. You can stay as long as you want to. I won’t hold you against your will. You can leave whenever you want. But if you stay, I’ll be here to always watch over you. I’ll keep you safe.”

  “You barely know me.”

  “I know enough that I want you to stay.”

  She cautiously stood. Each time she moved, it got a little easier. Reaching up, she caressed the side of Denver’s face. “You’re a good man.”

  “If you’re mine, you will always be safe.”

  “Then I’m yours.”

  Denver wrapped both of his large hands on either side of her face and kissed her forehead. “Let me take care of this. Then we can breathe, forever free of this demon.”

  She nodded quietly, then answered in a small whisper. “Thank you.”

  Chapter 5

  She knew he had to leave, but trembled the entire time he was gone under the covers. What if somebody knocked? He assured her nobody lived nearby and it would be okay. There was a gun if she needed it, a shotgun up on the shelf. Ammunition was in the bottom drawer in his closet. He rarely used it, but it was there just the same.


  She locked the door after he left. Her heart raced wildly. In bed, she scrunched up one of the pillows and held it tightly to her body. She tried to calm her breathing, but panic and anxiety were inching in. She tried self-soothing. Nothing worked.

  Then she pictured the way he placed his hands on her face, kissed her, and told her he’d keep her safe. She’d be his. There was a slice of sanity in that knowledge, but she still wanted him to hurry back.

  By the time he returned, her stomach had twisted and knotted about a zillion times, and her mind ran away with itself. She was relieved to see him. She could finally breathe. It felt as if her lungs had frozen in time, no air getting in or out until he returned to her.

  “Did you?” She asked, almost not sure if she wanted to know.

  “Not yet. I wanted to work out a few details. Tonight. When you wake up tomorrow, you’ll never have to fear that monster again.”

  “What’s that?” Lily pointed to the bag he was holding.

  “Chocolate.”

  A smile spread over her lips. “You’re a good man.”

  He laughed and tossed her a chocolate bar out of the bag. “Eat up. You can use the calories.”

  “Well, it’s not like I should be eating chocolate,” she said patting her hips.

  “That’s bullshit. You’ve got a beautiful body. Don’t you forget it. It’s perfectly curvy, soft, and padded the way I like a woman.”

  She crinkled her nose. “Yeah?”

  “Absolutely, Lily. You’re gorgeous. I just want you healthy.”

  “Thank you.” She paused, then asked, “How? How are you going to do it?”

  “Not a conversation we should be having. The less you know the better.”

  “Denver, is it the right thing to do? Should we just go to the police?”

  “That’s one way to handle things. I think my way would be quicker, less loose ends to deal with, and you wouldn’t have to relive the entire thing, recounting what happened. You’d have to see him in court if it went to trial.”

  She sucked in air. “Oh my god, no. I can’t face him. What if he got out? Escaped?”