Free Bear Unbound: A BBW Bear-Shifter Romance (Shift Your Fate Book 1) by Cara Wylde
Authors: Cara Wylde
past your bedtime,” said Amber.
Tyler got out of the car and opened the door on Amber’s side. He offered her his hand, Amber took it, and it was a good thing that she did, because the second she stepped out of the car, she lost her balance and fell right into his arms. He held her tightly and helped her stay upright. At first, he thought she had done it intentionally so she could steal a hug without Ava thinking it was weird, but then Amber looked up at him and he saw the fear in her blue eyes.
“Oh my God, are you okay?” he asked. “Amber, what’s wrong?”
Amber tried to speak, but her tongue refused to cooperate. Her throat was dry, her temples pulsed with a terrible headache, and her thoughts were a jumble of words and images she couldn’t make sense of.
“Mommy?” Ava opened the car door and ran to her mother’s side. She clung to her light summer coat, her tiny fists holding the fabric for dear life.
Amber closed her eyes for a second and tried to breathe evenly. This was a panic attack, she was sure of it. Why it was happening, she had no idea. But it was a panic attack, and she knew how to stop it from getting worse.
Tyler held her with one arm, and grabbed her face with the other, although he wasn’t sure what he was doing. She had her eyes closed, and if she fainted, he wouldn’t know how to bring her back.
“Amber, stay with me,” he said in a firm voice. “I’ll take you upstairs and call an ambulance, okay?”
Ava was close to crying. She sniffed her nose and pulled at the coat harder, hoping this would make her mommy open her eyes.
“No…” Amber whispered. She swallowed heavily and tried to stand on her own. She felt like a rag in Tyler’s arms. “No ambulance…”
Tyler breathed out in relief when he saw she could talk. She opened her eyes, and he realized how tired she was. The sparkle he knew so well was gone, as if something huge and painful had just hit Amber right in the heart and left her weak and helpless.
“I’m fine now,” she said. She put her arm around Ava’s shoulders and pushed herself away from Tyler’s embrace. She could stand now. Everything was good. “I… It’s the stress.”
Tyler nodded, but didn’t believe her. No one reacted like that to stress. She had eaten well at the restaurant, so she couldn’t be weak because of that. He took a step back to offer her and her daughter some space, but his senses were alert. If she have any sign that she was about to collapse again, he would catch her immediately. He would use his shifter speed if he had to.
“I’m fine, really.” Amber smiled weakly. “I just need some rest.”
“Has this ever happened before?”
Amber looked at his slightly furrowed brows and understood this was important to him. He didn’t believe her, although she had no idea why. As far as she knew, there couldn’t be any other explanation than the stress Stephan had caused her in the past few days.
“Yesterday,” she admitted. “It was right after I talked to…” She didn’t say his name. Ava didn’t need to know she had talked to her father. “It was because I had skipped breakfast, though. I felt much better after I ate.”
Tyler nodded again, but his mind was working frantically. The bear was agitated in his chest, growling and snarling, as if Amber’s fatigue would go away if the beast threatened it.
Amber took Ava’s hand.
“We have to go now,” she said. “It’s late.”
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”
“I’m already better.” She smiled reassuringly. “It’s nothing, I promise.”
As he watched her and Ava enter the building, Tyler whispered to himself: “I hope you’re right, Amber. I hope you’re right, and it’s just the stress.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Since that Saturday evening, Tyler took Amber and Ava out almost every day. A week passed like that. Ava was absolutely charmed by Tyler, and Amber was bursting with happiness. Stephan had stopped calling, which
Tyler got out of the car and opened the door on Amber’s side. He offered her his hand, Amber took it, and it was a good thing that she did, because the second she stepped out of the car, she lost her balance and fell right into his arms. He held her tightly and helped her stay upright. At first, he thought she had done it intentionally so she could steal a hug without Ava thinking it was weird, but then Amber looked up at him and he saw the fear in her blue eyes.
“Oh my God, are you okay?” he asked. “Amber, what’s wrong?”
Amber tried to speak, but her tongue refused to cooperate. Her throat was dry, her temples pulsed with a terrible headache, and her thoughts were a jumble of words and images she couldn’t make sense of.
“Mommy?” Ava opened the car door and ran to her mother’s side. She clung to her light summer coat, her tiny fists holding the fabric for dear life.
Amber closed her eyes for a second and tried to breathe evenly. This was a panic attack, she was sure of it. Why it was happening, she had no idea. But it was a panic attack, and she knew how to stop it from getting worse.
Tyler held her with one arm, and grabbed her face with the other, although he wasn’t sure what he was doing. She had her eyes closed, and if she fainted, he wouldn’t know how to bring her back.
“Amber, stay with me,” he said in a firm voice. “I’ll take you upstairs and call an ambulance, okay?”
Ava was close to crying. She sniffed her nose and pulled at the coat harder, hoping this would make her mommy open her eyes.
“No…” Amber whispered. She swallowed heavily and tried to stand on her own. She felt like a rag in Tyler’s arms. “No ambulance…”
Tyler breathed out in relief when he saw she could talk. She opened her eyes, and he realized how tired she was. The sparkle he knew so well was gone, as if something huge and painful had just hit Amber right in the heart and left her weak and helpless.
“I’m fine now,” she said. She put her arm around Ava’s shoulders and pushed herself away from Tyler’s embrace. She could stand now. Everything was good. “I… It’s the stress.”
Tyler nodded, but didn’t believe her. No one reacted like that to stress. She had eaten well at the restaurant, so she couldn’t be weak because of that. He took a step back to offer her and her daughter some space, but his senses were alert. If she have any sign that she was about to collapse again, he would catch her immediately. He would use his shifter speed if he had to.
“I’m fine, really.” Amber smiled weakly. “I just need some rest.”
“Has this ever happened before?”
Amber looked at his slightly furrowed brows and understood this was important to him. He didn’t believe her, although she had no idea why. As far as she knew, there couldn’t be any other explanation than the stress Stephan had caused her in the past few days.
“Yesterday,” she admitted. “It was right after I talked to…” She didn’t say his name. Ava didn’t need to know she had talked to her father. “It was because I had skipped breakfast, though. I felt much better after I ate.”
Tyler nodded again, but his mind was working frantically. The bear was agitated in his chest, growling and snarling, as if Amber’s fatigue would go away if the beast threatened it.
Amber took Ava’s hand.
“We have to go now,” she said. “It’s late.”
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”
“I’m already better.” She smiled reassuringly. “It’s nothing, I promise.”
As he watched her and Ava enter the building, Tyler whispered to himself: “I hope you’re right, Amber. I hope you’re right, and it’s just the stress.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Since that Saturday evening, Tyler took Amber and Ava out almost every day. A week passed like that. Ava was absolutely charmed by Tyler, and Amber was bursting with happiness. Stephan had stopped calling, which