The Bear's Desire (Paranormal BBW Werebear Shifter Erotica) by Haley Nix Read Free Book Online Page A

the ground around her. The
touch of sun on her back was the only warmth she felt in this brisk
environment.
    She was at peace here, so much so that
she wondered whether she should give it all up and come back to the world of
nature. The quiet serenity of the woods was surely an improvement over the
noisy chaos of the city. Besides, this was her natural habitat; every sensation
in her body at this moment seemed to verify this fact. She felt at home in
these woods.
    But still, there was dangers to a life
out here in the wild. There was no police protection, no courts, no justice in
the woods. Life was dictated by the law of nature: kill or be killed .
Stella had to be wary of her surroundings when she took these secret walks. A
lone wolf, even one of her caliber, was still vulnerable to attack. Eventually
she’d have to sleep. Who would watch her back then?
    That’s why she always made her way back
to the train before night fall. As much as she wanted to come out and hide in
these woods for days on end, spending the night alone was too great of a risk.
    Stella looked up to the sky, gauging the
height of the sun to tell what time it was. She still had a few hours left,
she’d extend her journey a bit further before turning back towards the train
station.
    Over the following hours, the shadows
cast by the trees grew longer as the sun disappeared behind the mountains on
the far side of the Hudson River. Stella knew it was dangerous to stay, but she
couldn’t help herself. She climbed further to reach the open face the mountain.
Before long she found herself at the top of a large cliff and lay down, resting
on the overlook – it was the perfect vantage point for watching the gorgeous
winter sunset currently in progress.
    Stella concentrated on the majestic
scene before her, watching the last glimmers of sun dance on the choppy water
of the river. It was a windy day down below, and even up on the mountaintop she
wasn’t immune to the chilling breeze. She shivered as the sun and its warmth
disappeared. Only a small sliver of it showed over the top of the mountain,
painting the sky in shades of red, orange and pink.
    Then the sliver disappeared and darkness fell all
around her. It was nearly pitch black as she made her way back down the
mountain. Fortunately, she had the lights of the riverside houses below to
guide her for part of the way, but occasionally they dipped out of view and she
found herself ensconced once more in blackness of the most impenetrable type.
The moon had yet to rise tonight.
    Her body was nearly shaking in the cold.
With the disappearance of the sun, the temperature must have dropped over
twenty degrees. Stella knew it would only get colder. How had she even
considered the possibility of staying overnight in the forest? Without a den to
sleep in and keep her warm, staying overnight would practically be a form of
suicide.
    Since leaving the wilderness for the
human world, Stella spent most of her time in the city and her body simply
wasn’t adapted to the harshness of the world outside. If she ever wanted to
escape the confines of her human life, the path back to the shifter world
wouldn’t be easy. It would take time to acclimate, to readjust, to build up her
toughness in the face of the elements.
     
    ***
     
    Stella continued down the mountain and
into a ravine. It was a treacherous path, but it was the fastest way back to
the station. She envisioned herself one hour from now sitting comfortably in
the cozy cabin of the train, watching the light of the moon playing on the
water of the river, sipping a hot cup of coffee as she made her way back into
the city.
    But she was still far from the train
station. If it took as long to get back as it did going up, she still had more
than an hour to go. In the darkness, it could take even longer. As fearless as
Stella was, even she began to feel a sense of nervous apprehension. It didn’t
help that suddenly she could feel eyes on her, watching her tread her