Free Lord of the Bears (Wild Ridge Bears Book 1) by Kimber White Page A

human
hand. I clicked the next frame and covered my mouth with my hand.
    The bear was gone. In its place the rippled muscles of a human chest
and corded veins and flesh where fur had been. I clicked to the last frame. It
was blurry, like most of the others, but there could be no mistake. He stood in
profile, motionless, but the camera had captured the raw power of his stare.
Two dark brown bear eyes staring after me from a human face.
    Jax.

 
    Chapter Eight
    Jax
    A few uneventful and productive days at the mine did wonders for my
mental health. Nora was still very much on my mind, but it felt good to get
back to normal. While Simon had poached about a dozen good men from me, the
best of my crew had stayed behind. Hard workers, solid men. Loyal. That meant
everything to me, and I wasn’t afraid to say so. They were glad to have me back,
and I knew I could never really repay them for keeping this claim afloat while
I’d been away.
    I could almost pretend the last year had never happened. We got into a
rhythm of long days, hard work, and no drama. It was exactly what I needed to
put Nora behind me. I knew the other crews were watching. It wasn’t just Simon
and the Marshalls. Everyone was looking to me to make sure I still had my head
in the game. Though I hated the scrutiny, I understood it. It was nothing less
than I would have done if the tables were turned.
    At the end of the workday, I headed up to the company store. My crew
had hit a minor snag clearing a new shaft. We were short on lumber and men, so
I was hoping Cullen’s crew might be willing to help me out until I had it
sorted. He was waiting for me at the back of the store with a cold beer in
hand.
    “I knew there was I reason I liked you best,” I said as he slid a
bottle toward me. It tasted like heaven going down, and I grabbed a spot on the
bench beside him.
    “Seems like you’re settling back in all right,” he said, hissing as he
took a long draught of his own beer.
    “No small thanks to you. I mean it, man. You saved my ass keeping my
crew together while I was gone.”
    Cullen brushed me off. “And you’ll do the same for me if and when the
time ever comes. Every one of us is going to need it, and you know it.”
    “Yeah. When’s the last time you went off for a big sleep?”
    Cullen shrugged. We didn’t need to go to ground very often. Some men
went their entire lives without it. But, if we were hurt or sick, or dealing
with grief, sometimes going off alone like I had was the only way to heal. I clinked
the neck of my bottle to his. Nobody ever went into hibernation when things
were going well.
    “It’s going to be a good season. I can smell it. Can’t you?”
    I couldn’t help myself. I leaned back against the wall, closed my eyes
and took in a great, cleansing breath. Cullen was right. There was copper in
the air, and every one of us could practically taste it. When I left last year,
we were on the verge of hitting a new, potentially mammoth vein. The men had
taken a few detours, but we were on the hunt.
    “Man, it’s good to be back,” I said. “And I’m proud of you. When I left
your father was still riding your ass pretty hard. How’d you get him to finally
take a back seat and enjoy his retirement?”
    Cullen’s father, Hank James, had only recently let Cullen take over,
just like my father. But, unlike my father, Hank had wanted to hold on for as
long as possible. Since I’d been back, I’d seen him around a few times, but he
seemed content to finally let Cullen run the day to day operations. But there
was no doubt Hank was still very much on the family throne.
    Cullen choked on a swig of beer then wiped his mouth with the back of
his hand. “Yeah. Well, it just depends on what day it is. Hank’s still in the
ass riding business, I’m afraid. He just tends to save it for around the house
instead of in front of my crew.”
    “Well, then I’d say that’s real progress.”
    “What about Caleb?” Cullen asked. “I