Free Wild Bear (Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance) (Rescue Bears Book 2) by Scarlett Grove Page A

skin. She let out a soft moan, wanting him to take her in his arms and comfort her. She wanted him to take away all the pain and sorrow and make it right.
    “I have to work this damned banquet, Lily. Take the keys to my cabin, and you can rest there,” he said, pulling the keys out of his pocket. He dropped them into her outstretched hand. “It’s down the path out the back. Cabin number four.”
    “Can I just wait here for a while?” she said.
    She didn’t want to be alone. Even if Shane had to work, being close to him was better than being alone.
    “Sure. I’m off in a few hours. Then Levi will have to let me go on the search.”
    He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek before drawing back. The feeling of his lips on her skin sent a shock of desire through her. Shane turned back to the kitchen, leaving her standing in the break room.
    She couldn’t just sit here. She had to find her child. But how? What could she do? She was just a human and the best search and rescue bears in the state were out there looking for Theo. A dish washer came into the room and gave Lily a confused look.
    She couldn’t just sit here all day with employees coming and going. Lily stood and walked into the kitchen. Shane was there, directing his crew like a general. It was a thing of beauty to watch him work.
    Her heart clenched with pride. That man was hers. He belonged to her. She squeezed her eyes closed, feeling so overcome by emotion. He turned and caught her eye before hurrying across the kitchen to take her hand in his.
    “What is it?” he asked.
    “I can’t stay in there,” she muttered.
    “Go to the cabin. I’ll be there after my shift then I’ll take you to Alpha Station,” he said decisively.
    “All right,” she said, turning to leave out the back door.
    She trudged down the path past the exquisite view of the lake. She couldn’t even see how beautiful it was on this side of the lodge through her worry.
    Cabin four sat near the shore under a grove of ponderosa pine. She climbed the front steps and twisted the key in the lock. Inside, she found a simple but comfortable two-bedroom cabin. There was a big fireplace in the living room and a decent sized kitchen. It was warm inside. Warmer than she ever left her own place, and it thawed out her chilled bones.
    Lily set her purse on the coffee table and curled up on the couch, feeling exhausted.

11
    S hane walked into his house to find Lily sleeping, curled up on the couch. The sight of her sent his bear into a roaring frenzy. The grizzly inside growled and clawed for his mate. It was a feeling Shane was all too familiar with. He’d been holding his grizzly back from claiming the beautiful little human for so long.
    He closed the door, trying to be quiet, but Lily shot up to sitting with a sharp gasp of breath.
    “I didn’t mean to wake you,” he said in a low voice.
    “I’ve been sleeping? Shit. Where is Theo? Did they find him?”
    “Levi says they’re closing in on his location,” Shane said.
    “They still haven’t found him?” Lily said, so distraught it made Shane’s chest hurt.
    “He’s a bear. He’ll be fine,” Shane said, but he was still worried.
    The child had been raised by a human. He wouldn’t have the survival skills of a native bear or of a shifter who’d been raised by shifters. It filled Shane with regret, thinking of all the things he’d missed teaching his son.
    “Are you going to the Alpha Station?” Lily asked, standing from the couch.
    “Levi told me to stay here. He won’t allow me on the mission,” Shane said through clenched teeth.
    “Why?” Lily yelped.
    “He’s still angry about me missing work. He says I’m too close to this to be of any real use on the rescue.”
    “I can’t just sit here,” Lily said, storming past him toward the door. “I’ll go up there myself.”
    Shane grabbed her arm and twisted her back to face him. She was angry. Her eyes were red from crying, and she looked like she was about