Free Betray The Bear by T.S. Joyce

down.
    He wasn’t going to do this again. He’d learned his lesson the first time and he’d be damned if he put his heart in the path of a woman again.
    But…
    Anya was needy, and caring and she always smelled aroused, like she wanted him to take her across the nearest table all the damned time. Her smell was probably what was driving him slowly to insanity.
    Jake and Tessa had separated, exhausted from three fights in a row , and he waved them off. They had done well enough for today. He jotted Anya’s name onto the list and made notes on who would be best to pair her up with until she was strong enough to take a bigger bear. He would list all of her struggles on here, then come up with a plan to work on them.
    Did he think she was a spy still? Maybe. He didn’t know anymore. He certainly wasn’t as confi dent as he’d been yesterday, and he couldn’t just go treating her like a pariah her entire probation. Her little fists-of-fury show last night had been pitiful. It wasn’t just acting either. She was really trying to hurt him with punches that felt like cotton ball blasts, and that shit wouldn’t fly in the upcoming war. She’d be killed for sure.
    The thought made him swallow hard, once. Twice. The vision of her laying on a blood soaked battlefield elicited a growl from his chest.
    F ucking Nathan for claiming her.
    Fucking Nathan for letting her go.
    “Today we have someone new joining us,” he called out to the class, who were waiting for him to instruct the next lesson. “She is is a transfer from the Long Claws and holy shit…”
    Joanna he recognized immediately, but the bear beside her had his mouth hanging open. Pitch black fur covered her body, but her face looked like it had been dipped in milk. Perfectly white fur covered her face and trailed down her neck. Her chest was the same creamy color and her eyes were a clear sky blue.
    “Dude,” Wayne drawled from beside him. “What is she?”
    “Andean. Get back in line,” Chase said without looking at him. When the shifter didn’t move, he shoved his head and Wayne stumbled back to stand beside the others.
    His trainees were whispering amongst themselves , and he shot them a shut-the-hell-up glare. Their response of silence was immediate. Smart bears.
    Anya paused and looked warily from side to side, and Joanna grunted in question beside her. She was uncomfortable, maybe because of all the people she didn’t know watching her, so he said, “Jake and Tessa take a break. The rest of you, ten laps around the arena. When you’re done, you’re free to go.”
    Their strides made sloshing sounds against the drying mud and Anya seem ed to settle, if only a little.
    Trying to regain his composure, he cleared his throat. “You’re going to face off here. Up on hind legs, let’s go.”
    Jo stood steadily, already well-practiced at this drill.
    Anya stood and lost her balance, then stood again. Lurching forward, she landed on all fours and tried again.
    “Jesus, you can’t even balance on your hind legs? You haven’t spent enough time as a bear then. Again. Keep trying until you’re steady.”
    She looked frustrated but it had to be learned. And he had to teach it. Any balance issues had to be hammered out before she took a swing , or she’d just fall back and expose her vitals.
    On the eleventh try, she curled her lips back from gleaming white teeth at him, but held her position.
    “Good . Now, Jo, slap her.” A grunt came from Jo as she looked at him in confusion, but he crossed his arms and ordered, “Now.”
    Drawing up, Jo swiped the pad of her giant paw pathetically across Anya’s shoulder. Anya fell over. He rubbed his face and hoped it would help keep his building headache at bay.
    “I like a good lady bear fight as much as the next dude, but this has my dick limper than a wet noodle. Slap her hard, or I’m going to change and Anya will be learning to fight a grizzly.” His voice cracked across the clearing with the order. It had