Free To Love a Bear by Kay Perry Page A

he looked over his shoulder, directly into my eyes.
     
    “Trying to skulk away, little wolf?”
     
    I drew myself up proudly and sat regally, giving him my most haughty look in wolf form. He snorted inelegantly and turned back to his line. I wavered between backing away quietly and taking this opportunity to get it over with and apologize. I took a hesitant step forward, drawing his attention again.
     
    I paused, realizing that if I shifted and talked to him, I would be bare assed naked. I did not want to apologize naked. Catching sight of his gear bag, I nuzzled through it in the hopes of finding something to cover me. I grabbed the fleece blanket folded inside and took it behind a tree before shifting into my human form. Wrapping the blanket around my chest, I was glad it was large enough to cover my body so no skin was showing. I walked out from behind the tree, catching him watching me.
     
    “I…”
     
    “Who gave you the right to go through my things?” he interrupted.
     
    I reeled back like I had just been slapped. The blanket slipped slightly when I stepped on the back hem and Andrew’s eyes followed the motion.
     
    I readjusted the blanket and growled menacingly at him, which he replied with a growl of his own.
     
    “I don’t know what crawled up your ass and died, but I suggest you get it removed. Promptly.”
     
    “You’re very rude, Miss Parks.”
     
    “You have no right to snap at me like that.”
     
    “You’re the one who wrecked my morning and went through my things!”
     
    “Oh I wrecked your morning now?”
     
    “Look...” he started.
     
    “Shut up!” I snapped, surprised when he actually complied. Running a hand through my hair, I blew out a breath. This morning run to blow off some steam seemed to be having the opposite effect. “God! I was all prepared to apologize but I’ve realized it’s a waste of my time with a beast like you.” I stomped away, shifting mid stride. I had a moment of perverse satisfaction when Andrew jumped at the speed of my shift.
     
    Chapter 3
     
    I was tired, sweaty and dirty. Needless to say, I was not having fun, so when the wind shifted and I caught a whiff of a certain bear shifter, I had no desire to exchange pleasantries.
     
    “Instead of creeping in the shadows, you could help us move.”
     
    “I have other things to do, Miss Parks.” Andrew stepped out from behind the oak he was leaning against.
     
    I snorted. “Doesn’t look like it.”
     
    Andrew’s nostrils flared angrily. “Fine.” He strode forward with long, ground-eating strides and picked up the two-seater with one hand and carried it into the deceptively spacious cabin.
     
    I was jolted by an unwanted surge of arousal, my mind immediately shifting to ideas of what that type of strength and power could do in the bedroom. I swiftly veered away from the cabin and the group of shifters in an effort to hide the smell of my arousal from their hypersensitive noses, but was clearly unsuccessful based on Andrew’s inhale and the snickers of the others.
     
    Andrew dropped the couch with a loud bang in the cabin before walking away into the woods without saying a word. The snickers turned into chuckles and I spun on my heel, silencing them with a lethal glare. “Shut. It,” I growled. As I walked back to the moving van, laughter followed me.
     
    Chapter 4
     
    I bit into my juicy burger and sighed happily as I was assailed by the delicious meaty flavors. As a “thank you” for helping him move, my father was holding a barbecue for all the volunteers in the shared picnic area behind the main lodge and I was happily indulging in his generosity.
     
    I saw my dad wave Andrew over as he exited the lodge and hid my grimace by taking another bite of my burger.
     
    “Andrew, come join us.”
     
    Even from this distance, I could see his shudder as he took in the large group of people milling about in the clearing.
     
    “No, thank you.”
     
    “It’s really no problem.