Bearly Holding On by Danielle Foxton Read Free Book Online

his back. “I'll be perfectly fine by morning. I'll only stay this one night.”
    Her father broke the hug and nodded. “Make sure your gun is loaded,” he threw over his shoulder as the group began to lead the woman home. “And god’s sake put some clothes on.”
    Awen shook her head, amused, and turned to Mati. “Well.” She sighed and leaned against his shoulder. “That was super awkward.”
    “Hmm,” he mumbled in agreement. “Let’s get back, you should be in bed.”
    Awen stifled a yawn. She was too tired to argue when he lifted her into his embrace to carry her back to his cabin. In fact, she was grateful. The day’s events had been too much for her to fully comprehend. Her brain had reached an overload.
    Mati is a shape-shifter, she thought. A bear-shifter...a were-bear. The last thought made her chuckle out loud.
    They had just stepped over the threshold into the cabin when he noticed her giggles. “What’s so funny?” he asked.
    “You’re a were-bear,” she explained, grinning from ear to ear as he laid her down on the bed. “It’s just fun to say.”                
    Mati grimaced. “I prefer shifter.” He walked over to the door and fiddled with it until he was able to shut it. The hinges were broken, but he would be able to fix them in the morning.
    As he worked on the door, Awen finally took the time to examine him. He was all muscle—hard, defined muscle. His skin shone in the lamplight, almost golden. And his butt—well, it was just as defined as the rest of him.
    Awen giggled again, suddenly feeling very mischievous. “Were-bear not manly enough for you?” she teased.
    He ignored her, making sure the door was in place properly before he slipped on a t-shirt and a pair of shorts from beside the bed. Then he grabbed a chair and spun it so the back was facing her, straddling it and fixing her with a serious stare. “You’re not terrified?”
    Awen smirked, quirking a brow. “Honestly no,” she replied, leaning back against the pillows. “I know I should be, but somehow I’m not. I don’t think you’ll hurt me.”
    “No,” he answered softly. “Never intentionally, at least. But when I’m a bear...you have to understand. It’s all instinct...all primal rage. I could have hurt you tonight and I would have never forgiven myself.”
    “So how does it work?” Her voice was eager, damn near enthusiastic. “Can you change at will?”
    He grabbed a canteen from the end of the bed and took a long swallow. “At times. Though sometimes I can’t control it. When someone is in danger it’s like I receive a call—a call to protect your people.”
    “So when we found those men close to Nez Perce…” She let the question hang in the air.
    Mati’s stare was even, calm. “I killed them.”
    Awen held his gaze, refusing to let him shock her.
    “They weren’t innocent men. They were all in the process of doing harm to someone from your tribe. I had no choice.”
    The puzzle pieces came together in Awen’s mind. “The curse…” Her brow furrowed. “Are you Uzumati? The Ghost Bear?”
    Mati ground his teeth at the name. “I am,” he confirmed, “but the story you’ve heard isn’t true. I’m not a ghost, first of all, as you can see for yourself.”
    “But how?” she asked, leaning forward slightly. “You must be—”
    “299 years old,” he supplied. “My birthday is next month.”
    “I’ll be sure to send a card.”
    The silence hung between them heavily while Awen processed everything she had just learned.
    “So you killed Princess Awesana?” she asked softly. “The woman that was chosen to unite us with the Walla Walla?”
    “I didn’t kill her,” Mati snarled. He jerked himself out of the chair, pacing the room. “I know that’s what everyone believes. But I didn’t.”
    “Then who did?” Her tone wasn’t accusatory—simply curious. “Is it not true that they found you holding the knife, covered in her blood?”
    Mati turned to her