Free Werebear for Valentine's: Saved by the Bear (BBW Werebear Erotic Romance) by Anya Nowlan Page B

never less than dangerous to those who did. Trish always kept a close eye on where she was putting her foot when she descended towards her home, the steep fall to the valley on one side of her promising nothing but broken bones. She was just half-way through another happy daydream about getting to know the amber-eyed man closer, which included a lot of whipped cream and a few strawberries, when suddenly she felt the ground going out from under her. Her foot slipped and the next thing she knew, she was tumbling down towards the abyss of the deep gulch.
     
    A scream parted her lips just as she came to an abrupt stop, her fall stopped by a small ledge. Trish winced, bewildered and surprised. The yelp subsided and she pressed herself against the stone wall of the cliff, the tiny edge just large enough for her to stand on, but not much more. A passing gust of wind could easily make her tumble over it, a stark realization that was not lost on Trish. Tears welled in her eyes, panic taking over her senses. She was too low down to get up without help and going down was not an option either. In a word, she was struck.
     
    For lack of a better option, as her cell phone having run out of battery during the long day of distractions, she opted for the only other thing she could do – yelling for help. Her voice was shrill and echoed through the valley, tinted with fear. The complete serenity of the surroundings struck her, Trish feeling completely alone. It was a while until she could see any movement around herself. The road wasn’t used often and she wouldn’t have been surprised if no one would walk down it for the next few days. It was all the more surprising when she saw some motion down in the depths of the snowy gorge. A familiar pair of eyes looked up at her, amber depths boring into her.
     
    Trish felt her breath sticking to her throat, the thick coat nowhere near warm enough to subdue the shiver that was running through her. His gaze made her forget her rather precarious situation for a trifling second. The man pursed his lips, looking up towards her perch. His hands were shoved into his pockets and his brown hair was slightly frosted from the light snowfall. He seemed to ponder his options.
    “You’re going to have to promise me you won’t freak out,” he said, his deep voice like honey in her ears. Her stomach twisted and turned, Trish fighting to keep her calm. She frowned, but then nodded.
    “I won’t.”
    “Promise?” he asked. His eyes seemed to twinkle with an unmistakable, almost mischievous spark, though he was tens of feet below her. She nodded again.
    “Okay then. But remember, you promised. I’m Christian, by the way,” the enigmatic man said. Trish managed a small smile. Just as she had started telling him her name, something happened that made her forget her ability to speak altogether.
     
    The tall, broad form of the mysterious man started changing before her. His impressive body grew even taller and wider, massive muscles forming a ferocious beast as he transformed from man to bear in the span of a few scant moments. His square jaw elongated and thickened, a fearsome maw taking its place. His eyes remained much the same, the same intensity remaining in his primal form as in his human one. Trish’s mind skipped a beat as she stood witness to the magnificent shift. She had only heard about shifters, whispered rumors that seemed little more than gossip, but now she was face to face with one. And it seemed that she was going to get a lot closer to him, fast.
     
    With nimble movements for such a big animal, the bear started scrambling up the rocky mountainside. He saw places to hang onto where Trish only saw solid rock coated with ice. She knew bears were great climbers, but apparently they needed to be tempted with a damsel in distress to really show their true colors. Trish shuddered as the animal trekked closer to her, its thick mane coated with snow by the time it was level with her. It, he, was