Grizzly Flying High (Air Bear Shifters 1) by Sloane Meyers Read Free Book Online

wilderness, and had let herself forget that she was a visitor here—a stranger among wild animals. Who did she think she was, gallivanting alone across the Alaskan backwoods like she was invincible? She hadn’t made the wisest of choices, but, still, telling herself she was an idiot wouldn’t help her in her current situation, and would only cloud her mind. She had to keep her wits about her.
    She decided to remain perfectly still, and hope that the bear would leave as silently as it had come. It seemed calm enough, which hopefully meant that it was just curious and would soon go on its way. If it charged, Amanda would make a run for the tent and try to grab the bear spray, although she had a feeling that still wouldn’t save her from a speeding grizzly. Still, it would be her only shot.
    Amanda breathed in and out with slow, deliberate breaths, trying to focus on the beauty of the night and the magnificence of the beast, rather than on the fact that she could be moments from death. And the beast was, indeed, magnificent. His giant sides rose and fell as he breathed almost in time with Amanda, and, for a moment, she forgot to be afraid. She had wanted to come out here to be one with nature, and she felt somehow connected with this bear, and with all of the natural wonder around her.
    But, just when she began to relax a little, the bear took a step toward her. Amanda froze as she watched him slowly take another step, and then another. He seemed curious, not angry, but Amanda still had trouble resisting the urge to scream. The pounding in her chest grew so rapid that she felt sure her heart was going to give out before the bear even reached her. She could feel her hands shaking, and she dropped her pen on the ground, where it landed with a plop that echoed too loudly across the stillness of the night.
    The bear walked right up to Amanda, and stuck his muzzle in her face. His black, velvety nose was as big as Amanda’s fist, and her emotions were torn between absolute terror and complete fascination. The bear breathed in deeply, taking in Amanda’s scent and letting out a few satisfied huffs. He nuzzled her under her chin, nearly knocking her backward despite the fact that the motion wasn’t aggressive at all. It was hard for a bear that large to do anything gently. Then, as quietly and quickly as he had come, the bear turned and ambled away.
    Amanda watched him go, and sat unmoving for several minutes after he had disappeared from view. She felt like she was coming down from an unbelievable adrenaline high. Never in her life had she been so sure that she was about to die, and yet, she had never witnessed such magnificence. After staring for several minutes at the spot where the bear had last been, Amanda slowly stood up. She picked up her pen and journal, and walked into her tent.
    In the morning, she would head back to civilization. She would find the nearest town and figure out a way to make her hikes a little more bear-proof. Maybe she needed to go with a guided group for this part of her adventure. Although she wanted to find herself, she didn’t want to be foolish and seclude herself so much that she was putting her life in significant danger. Amanda shuddered as she climbed into her sleeping bag, thinking about how differently the night could have gone. For good measure, she pulled out the can of bear spray and laid it next to her pillow. But she knew she wouldn’t be needing it. She had already encountered the King of this stretch of Alaskan wilderness, and he had decided to let her stay.
     
    * * *
     
    A few hundred miles away, Sawyer was having an interesting night as well. He sat, stunned, as he watched his clan gathered in their town meeting hall, arguing over whether he should be alpha. They were talking about him like he wasn’t even in the room, and he felt like he was invisible as he watched the show.
    When he had arrived back from Snow Valley earlier that day, ready for an evening of rest after the