Shifter Romance: Werewolf Shifter Romance: Problem Child (Wolf Shifter Romance Baby Romance Shapeshifter Romance) (Alpha Romance Short Stories Romance Shifter Romance) by Terry Jade Read Free Book Online Page A

pulled back and sharply inhaled the sharp winter air until it hurt her lungs as the snow caught thickly on her hair.
    Didn’t really snow in England huh?
    Against her better judgment Catharina decided that this required further investigation and trotted carefully across the snow laden road. Stilettos weren’t exactly ideal, but a lifetime of wearing them whilst carrying a few extra pounds meant she knew better than most how to balance nimbly and - added advantage - they were so tall they kept her feet dry.
    A sight made her jaw drop wide open. A chink of moonlight revealed a shape – large, dark, but way too thick and tall to be human, dragging what looked like a huge sheet of metal across the dirt track road, pushing the snow along with it quite swiftly.
    Very swiftly in fact, it moved remarkably quickly for something that was so big and lumbering. Although in the distance, it appeared to be moving towards her – at some speed. One thing was for certain, it sure wasn’t any cat!
    For a moment, she froze in total horror, petrified in the full glare of the snowy road. She had walked further than she had thought away from the cottage, but now urgently wanted to get back there. Whatever this thing was it was advancing closely towards her. She grasped her flashlight and her purse tight to her person.
    This was no dog, no cat and no human being. There, in the full light of the moon stood a huge grizzly bear.
    Then she remembered something. That thing she was clutching so tightly, her purse. She opened it and reached inside and pulled out the pistol.
    Never for one single minute had she thought she would ever need a gun, not here in England. Truth be told, she wasn’t overly keen on them at home, but her dad had insisted all of them, her mom and sisters all knew how to use firearms correctly. He had also been adamant about her having this pistol.
    “But Daddy, it’s not like here, people just don’t own guns over there like here, there’s strict laws and stuff.” She’d argued, but it was to no avail. She found the paperwork mailed to her in the post the next day and, well, here she was locking and loading and preparing to shoot a bear on a desolate road in rural England.
    “Go on – just – just shoo, buzz off” She said, to the bear, she knew obviously it couldn’t understand. Deep down, she couldn’t believe something with such sensitive brown eyes could be really about to cause her harm. However, she had enough experience with wildlife to know that your heart could not always be allowed to rule your head. Her father had taught her good on that score, at least.  
    The bear just stood there, then, advanced towards her. Not in a threatening way, maybe, but she couldn’t take any chances.
    She had not intended to cause the animal any distress – let alone hurt it - just fire a couple of warning shots to make it run away. But the gun unexpectedly went off just as she was loading it. Suddenly, the bear howled a terrible howl. She had hit it!
    Shit! Shit! Shit! Blood dripped from its paw.
    Then the moon disappeared behind a cloud and she could not see properly what she was doing. Time to retreat, definitely. Catharina started walking backwards through the snow, as fast as you can do in six inch heels. When the moon reappeared she could no longer see where the bear was. This was definitely not good.
    With a stab of pure horror she saw a shape lying in the roadside where the bear had been. Bleeding, still, she had only glanced the edge of his paw though?
    But this was no animal. This shape was clearly human.
    A scream rose in Catharina’s throat, trying to airlessly force its way out of her gullet. What the actual fuck was happening. What was wrong with this place? With her? Was she having some sort of head trauma? She shot a bear, didn’t she?
    The body was face down. Oh my God. What if he was dead?
    Pure fear got the better of her but she steeled herself to go and check, when the man let out a sigh.
    He was