Free Bought By The Military Bear: BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (BBW Shifter Romance, BBW Paranormal Romance, Military Romance, Werebear Romance) by Ashley Hunter Page B

he stumbled back a step, tripped over a stool, and fell.
     
    “No,” Kathleen whimpered as the man scooped her up into his arms.
     
    Mustering all the strength she had, she lifted her arms and pushed against his chest, one hand pressing against his face. In seconds her muscles gave out, her arms falling limply.
     
    “Shh,” the man said to her and walked through the bar.
     
    “I’ve got you now.”
     
    A weak sob shook her chest, knowing it was true and there was nothing she could do to fight it. How could she be so helpless?
     

 
     
     
    Chapter 2
     
     
    Consciousness faded in and out, the world going black for whole episodes. She saw the bar, and then the street. When she opened her eyes again, she was buckled into the passenger seat of a car, the scenery passing quickly.
     
    For a creep that had bought her at an auction, she was expecting to be dumped in the trunk or something. Instead, a blanket had been wrapped around her.
     
    The leather seats had a warmer touch, and she felt toasty on her rear and the back of her thighs. The windows were clear, with none of the hard water stains she was used to seeing. No dirt, or gunk buildup. The dash was black, smooth, with none of the sun fading.
     
    Wait, leather seats? Kathleen reached down and ran her fingers over the plush material she sat on.
     
    Oh no, a rich psycho? She’d heard about those. This was even worse than she thought!
     
    Her heart raced, and the telltale signs of adrenaline coursed through her system as her arms and legs tensed, preparing for fight or flight. The rush suddenly made her dizzy and she had to rest her head against the glass.
     
    “You’re awake,” he said. “We’ll be home soon. Just relax. I’ve got you now.”
     
    “That’s what I’m afraid of.” The words wheezed out of her throat.
     
    “No need to be afraid. You’re safe.”
     
    “No I’m not,” she said, the tears coming quickly. Desperate to escape, or at least to kill herself before he could do something unspeakable to her, she felt along the door for the lock.
     
    “Hey, hey,” he said as though he was calming a puppy, “stop that. I’m not going to hurt you.”
     
    “Creep,” she said as the edges of her vision went dark. “You’re… a creep.”
     
    The road went black. Moments later, she wondered if he could drive with it so dark outside. She couldn’t see a thing. There was no light, no shapes. They were going to crash!
     
    Kathleen’s eyes flew open, her heart beating in her chest, and she threw the covers off of her. Blinking, she looked down at the thick comforter in her hand.
     
    Where did this come from? Then she looked around at the large, lavish room she rested in.
     
    The room alone was larger than half her house, at least. Next to the bed was a table, a silver tray atop it with fruit and water.
     
    She tried to get out of bed, but her leg screamed pain at her.
     
    “Son of a!” she shouted and gripped the blankets.
     
    Slowly this time, she leaned over and picked up the glass of water. As she sipped from it, the cool water sliding down her dry throat, she noticed a couple of pills on the tray.
     
    He was drugging her? Fat chance. Kathleen drank some more of the water, and grabbed a banana.
     
    In the quiet darkness of the room, she sat and ate her fruit. A knock on the door near made her choke on the food and she coughed. The door opened, and in strolled the man.
     
    She’d been in such rough shape last night, she hadn’t noticed how well-built he was, his hair cleanly cropped and cut. Military?
     
    “Ah, you’re awake. Excellent. How do you feel?”
     
    Afraid anything she said would provoke him to violence or to take advantage of her still weakened state, Kathleen decided to avoid the question and instead bite into an apple.
     
    “All right,” he said, and dragged a chair from the wall to sit by her bedside.
     
    “You don’t want to talk. I understand. You were in quite a state the other night, and