Bearly Escaped Read online

  "I didn't know that. Sorry for assuming otherwise. Let's order drinks and then you can tell me your life story."

  The waiter stood motionlessly as Spencer moved his finger to find an appropriate one.

  "Snakebite for the lady, and ...", he ordered with a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

  "Umm. I think I'm going to regret this but Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri for the gentleman." She thumped the menu down.

  She clasped her hands together and leaned on them, a crooked smile on her face. Spencer was besotted.

  In the pale lighting, she looked exquisitely gorgeous. Her full lips moving frenetically as she talked. Her ample chest bouncing as she readjusted herself.

  Our mate is too sexy. Can't control.

  His inner bear too had awakened. It had both a ravenous horniness and a murderous rage which taken long years of control and practice to rein in the beast but the desires remained.

  "So, you were telling me about your story?"

  "Nothing fancy. Typical suburban family and I ventured into music and they say, made a pretty dime."

  "Oh, that's all. What's the juicy stuff?"

  Spencer had to lie. There was no way he was revealing the truth about his shifter family, at least for now. How he had escaped from his murderous half-brothers after his beloved dad had died. that would have to wait.

  The worry that Ari would run away, creased his forehead even as he thought of a white lie.

  "That I'm scared of walking alone at night."

  "That's just you trying to stay safe. Don't worry, I won't leak anything to the tabloids", she whispered animatedly as the waiter appeared with their drinks

  "You go first," Ari proffered at him.

  The daiquiri looked nothing like anything he would drink and Spencer acted as if he was miffed with it.

  Ari giggled as she lifted it and offered it to him. Spencer was glad to see his mate be happy.

  Taking a sip, he let it swirl in his palate and replied thoughtfully

  "That's not too bad. Not too fruity at all. I like the gin and lemon undertones."

  "Wow, you know your drinks."

  "That's one of the perks with money. Let's see you drink mine."

  Ari took an empty gulp looking at the snakebite, as she smelled the still faint bitter , whiskey in the air.

  "Now don't tell me you won't fulfill your end of the bargain?"

  "Uhm, yes, yes I will." Ari bravely gulped some and immediately spat it out.

  Spencer had begun to laugh and start making fun of her, but he stopped instantly. He rushed to her frantically grabbed the snakebite and kept it on the table and put his handkerchief on her mouth, wiping it.

  "Are you all right? ", Spencer enquired with a worried look.

  'I'm all right, "Ari said after a momentary pause, readjusted and looked gratefully at Spencer while he continued wiping slowly.

  Spencer felt a lot of love and affection towards his mate.

  No harm would befall her! He would make sure of that

  He wasn't sure if it was the prophecy pulling them together or just plain love.

  Sitting back to his seat, he smiled again as he realized that he was getting horny by the minute.

  "The waiter sure seems to be taking his time."

  "He probably thinks we are lovebirds!" Ari grinned.

  "Let's keep that aside and tell me about your wildest fantasy while we wait!" Spencer leaned back on his chair and relaxed.

  "I would love to be on a private jet sipping champagne jetting around from."

  "That's not wild. That's what happens two weeks out of the month with me. Sorry, maybe not for you. Get me something wilder. Like really wild. I'm pretty sure that I can make it happen," Spencer replied

  "Hmm," Ari bided time while she rubbed her temple.

  Spencer grabbed the snakebite in front of them and took a sip, turning the glass innocuously so that he could sip it from where she had sipped earlier.

  Ari, with her hard upbringing, noticed everything and she liked this simple act of romance. It told her more than what lips could say.

  Yes! Mr. Spencer wants to taste me, taste my lips, taste my body!

  She swallowed, sending desire deep with her and she felt lust pool between her legs. Her nipples hardened and she could feel the tight embrace of her satin restraining them tighten even more.

  She shifted, spreading her legs, wanting to be taken then and there.

  Spencer handed back the drink to Ari, playfully daring her to take a sip.

  "Maybe you start with yours!", she took the crystal whiskey glass and set it done. Every action seemed like it was in slow motion. As his warm caring fingers touched her, she found them caressing and that send another warm jolt deep inside her. She looked up and saw the hunger in his deep foreboding eyes.

  All she could think of now was how much Mr. Spencer, her boss, now wanted her and she longed to touch him, to caress that carnal hardness that she was sure was springing up between his legs. What if she could reach it and stroke it? Would that surprise him? To see her so forward and leading?

  The mere thought sent her brain reeling into ecstasy. This was so new to her. Sure, she had had her flings, but nothing compared to this. This feeling of excitement had no comparison.

  "OK, I've banged girls in the most luxurious of the hotels and most opulent of the villas but never in a public restroom. Maybe that's gross but I want to try it."

  Spencer's eyes were overcome with lust and Ari felt the heat in them and a bundle of nerves started heating up deep inside her, in her belly and she realized she wanted to get fucked this very moment.

  "And you know what my wildest fantasy is at this moment?"

  "tell me."

  Ari closed her eyes and imagined it.

  She reaching under the desk and grabbing Spencer's cock and then stroking it.

  Marveling at the size of it, she was groping it again to make sure that she was not being fooled.

  Nope, it's that big!

  "Hello! "Spencer had snapped his fingers making Ari open her eyes

  "Sorry! I was thinking of something!" Ari said as she readjusted herself

  "I like girls who make the first move. Tells me that you have pluck. And pluck matters a lot in business and life, "Spencer smiled.

  C H A P T E R 9

  Giggling with excitement, Spencer reached out to Ari's face to cup her cheeks and felt the nervous energy visible on her face.

  He was too fixated on her big, round loving eyes and how it framed her gorgeous face, to notice two guests dropping in unnoticed to either of them. His inner bear was cautious and the eerie silence rattled it, but Spencer was too besotted with Ari to care.

  He heard them now. From the corner of his eyes, he picked up movement and bam! stood up at once. Ari wore a panic-stricken look as she grabbed his hand for comfort. He saw the fear in her eyes and turned around.

  Two giant, burly men with huge beards stood about fifteen feet away. Their menacing looks were enough in themselves to signal bad intentions; the AR-15 automatics in their hands confirmed it.

  The restaurant looked eerie without people. It was sparse when they came in and somehow everyone was gone. The line cooks, their host, everyone.

  This doesn't look good. Looks like we are in a pickle! Our mate is in danger! Bring me out now!

  The bear was tugging at him to shift and confront the attackers. There was no way he was going to scare Ari with his bear form right now. It was too risky. She appeared to be infatuated right now. He didn't want to rock the boat. Maybe later.

  The fact that the gunmen had not immediately opened fire meant that there was still a chance they could be bought or persuaded.

  Spencer shrugged off the bear and addressed the men.

  "Nice costumes gentleman. Fancy some dinner?", Spencer asked with a loud-throated voice even as he loosened his tie.

  They looked at each other and snickered loudly.

  "We are her for you and you know it," one of them re
plied as he pointed his rifle at Spencer.

  "Anyone of you esteemed gentlemen fancy, say, five hundred thousand each, to just leave us alone?

  Money was not the solution to all problems, but it sure as hell could solve most. The path to being a billionaire was paved with a lot of successful negotiations. But this kind of negotiating, negotiating with mercenaries was new to him. These mercenaries lived short, violent lives. If it hadn't been for Ari, these guys would've been crawling on all fours by now. How he wished he could shift and show them what he could really do! The fact that he knew what he could possibly do, if push came to shove, gave him confidence that maybe he could pull it off and call it a day.

  The guys stood still as they appeared to evaluate the offer.

  Spencer knew he had fucked up, driving to this derelict part of town, alone. He didn't need any bodyguards; his bear was enough for him. Maybe he ought to rethink about bodyguards.

  His bear bristled with anger at the men who threatened his mate's life but shifting was not an option on the table.

  The thick Kevlar under the tactical vests, rubber knuckled fingerless black gloves, thick elbow pads, tactical scopes; all of these details screamed at Spencer. These men were battle-hardened professional hitmen without a doubt and had come prepared. The shifter black-ops training instructors had drilled into them the importance of spending time on canvassing and evaluating the enemy before developing tactics.

  Spencer moved back by Ari's side and grabbed her by her waist to steady her frayed nerves. Ari leaned in and found comfort in his strong, steady stance, and muscular frame that she was partially embracing.

  The duo looked at each other and pointed their guns at the couple.

  Ari froze with her hand on her throat. Robberies were not uncommon in the city, especially at the tiny supermarket where she worked. But the fear never vanished. She stood rooted to her place, even as Spencer tried reasoning with the gunmen.

  "No deal! We don't deal with a dead man walking. There's a big juicy target on your back. We don't want to risk losing that."

  Spencer now moved Ari behind her, shielding her from the gunmen's direct line of fire.

  His body and brain were primed with adrenaline. A hundred different scenarios played in his head in rapid succession. His brain, trained to evaluate the one with the least collateral damage was busy.

  His shifter healing could be trusted to take care of a couple of large-caliber bullets without a hitch. If he had shifted, it bought enough time to take them out. But it would slow him down. Healing fast enough from automatic gunfire was impossible. Besides, there was no way to completely shield his mate with his relatively puny human body.

  Shifting into his bear form could afford him the element of surprise but the large caliber bullets meant that these guys were prepared for that eventuality.

  Let me out! you know you have to!

  The inner bear growled, ripping into his consciousness, wanting to break free from the enormous control that had kept it bound almost all its life. All that strength coupled with rage threatened to obliterate anything and everything. Spencer knew why. His fated mate was in danger and he knew he wouldn't be able to hold the leash for long. He didn't want to. There was nothing more he wanted right now than to let loose his shifter and tear down these men, by instinct; even though he knew that was not the most intelligent of the choices he had.

  Spencer turned to Ari and whispered, "Duck under the table, close your eyes, it will be over soon! Trust me!"

  Adrenaline honed his senses —which were already better than a mere human's —to another level. He heard her lick her lips, swallow hard, and mutter a soft okay. Her fingers tightened around his arm; not willing to leave at all.

  He touched her arm, looked into those bejeweled pools of sheer beauty, and smiled.

  I don't care what it takes, we will protect you, no matter what!

  "Trust me on this," that was all that came out.

  He pushed Ari back and concentrated his attention on the electrical breakers in the back. Almost immediately the breakers exploded and it was all dark.

  Now let's see how you handle the dark!

  His mind flashed back to the training under his father, when it was all new to him and he struggled to live with the shifter identity and the great power that came with it. He had explained to him the basics and Spencer had spent long nights, eyes watering as he concentrated his entire consciousness on a single unwavering candle flame.

  This self-control was paramount to living amidst humans as a shifter; it required keeping an even keel between the animal within you and the human. The temptation to lose it was all too real. But once the animal had control, it was considered well-nigh impossible to shift back. The mental leash was the most important part of the training. The same concentration helped shifters to achieve success in the world of men. A striking number of them were billionaires and powerbrokers. And an equally striking numbers were employed as mercenaries.

  It also afforded the shifters certain psychic abilities.

  He glanced behind to ensure that Ari was in a safe place and grinned looking at the now-panicking men in front of him.

  "What the hell!" the men gasped and looked at each other. They had come prepared. Acute night vision goggles slipped out from the top of their tactical pants.

  Spencer didn't waste time. A message had to be sent to the one pulling the strings. There was no redemption for these men. No forgiveness. Only death.

  He let go of the leash holding his inner beast and smiled. There was no escape now for the condemned men in front of him.

  Spencer growled as the shifting started.

  The raw power rushing through his veins scared him. The rage building up had finally broken free, and it engulfed his whole being even as it shifted. It wouldn't take long for the transformation and it wouldn't take much longer after that for him to finish these men.

  Seeing him shift, their eyes popped open and they stared, not knowing how to make sense of what was happening in front of them. Their orders had been to be prepared for anything, even wild animals like bears coming their way- — which sounded crazy to them —but the money offered shushed their questions and they had come prepared, at least weapons wise. But not for this. Their target was now a massive Grizzly bear. Men could be taken out effortlessly. But a full-grown bear, filled with rage and the intelligence of man was dangerous.

  They opened fire, sticking to what they knew best. Spencer's rage intensified, and it seemed for a moment that he might literally explode and kill them.

  To distract the line of fire away from Ari, he bounded away on all fours to the right, towards the entrance of the restaurant. This would also let him block and nullify any attempts at an escape.

  He let out an ear-shattering growl; one so loud that Ari ran out from under the desk and rushed to the back which Spencer noticed.

  It was still dark occasionally lit by the muzzle flashes. He glanced at her again and wondered if she had made it safely into the kitchen but there was not time for that.

  That would come later. This business couldn't wait. He couldn't wait.

  Spencer was now behind a flimsy partition wall, crouching on his haunches, ready to strike at the hint of an opening.

  The firing continued; his thick bearskin afforded him some protection but not for long. His ten-foot frame also painted him as a big target in the small confines of the restaurant so he didn't want to try a frontal attack yet.

  By alternating to reload, the gunmen were able to keep firing away and this frustrated Spencer. He pounded his fists on the cold linoleum floor causing it to cave in. A lull came over the firing as the gunmen tried to make sense of the noise.

  Spencer, saw his chance and jumped up, hitting the ceiling, and landed near the gunmen. The disturbed ceiling sent dust and debris flying. Then the floor shook under the enormous impact of the full-grown Grizzly.

  The gunmen, scared out of their wits, eyes popping as they heard him growl near them. They fel
t the warm heat of the bear's breath and realized that he was behind them. The low growling only terrified them further. They quietly tried to reach for their handguns

  Their blood froze as they turned around and saw the raised hackles on the bear. The man on the right faltered and turned around to make a run for the door.

  Spencer raised his massive paw, as big as the man's head, and let it fly across his chest. The sleek honed claws ran like a butter knife through him and he fell, his rifle bouncing alongside him on the hard floor. Blood pooled on the carpet, as the man lay writhing in pain.

  The remaining man, fell to his knees, throwing his rifle away.

  "Let me go!"

  Spencer's rage had yet to subsume and he elbowed the man to his head, sending him spinning back with a bloodied nose to the ground. Flailing like a rag doll, the man came to a stop against the wall.

  Still heaving with all the rage in the world, Spencer bounded after him and laid his thick paw on the almost lifeless body of the man, wanting to crush him to a pulp.

  "Spencer!" Ari cried out, twitching in fear, in no direction in particular.

  The lights were still off and she still couldn't see a thing. Why is she calling for me?

  His murderous rage stopped in its tracks. The pain in her voice was palpable. It was not the pain of loneliness but real visceral pain.

  She's hurt! Our mate is hurt! We need to save her first!

  Reluctantly, he stepped off the still lifeless man. He was not dead yet and yet would never know how close he was to death.

  Spencer rushed back and growled at Ari.

  C H A P T E R 10

  Something was off.

  Spencer had instructed her to hide beneath the desk and she had.

  How the hell is he going to fight off those gunmen?

  Strangely, though there was no logical reason for her to let him fight them, she somehow felt that he could pull off something.

  Maybe he was going to try negotiating again. The gunmen didn't seem to be of the agreeable kind though. But Spencer was after all a successful businessman. Maybe he had something better than money to offer on the negotiating table. Maybe he wanted to keep it a secret from her.