Page 5 of Chosen By The Grizzly

Her skin smells like cherry blossom.

She’s young, no more than twenty-five, and… Something roars through my veins. Something hot and hungry and urgent…

She’s unmated.

I inhale again and again, filling my lungs with her intoxicating virgin scent.

But what’s that? A sharper tang of fear. I frown. She’s afraid of this forest? I don’t blame her. It’s no place for a human. What is she doing out here all by herself?

I shouldn’t care. What I should do is go after her, show her my teeth and claws and make darn sure she never thinks about coming back here again.

But the thought of her fear is like a knife in my gut. I don’t want to scare her any more than she is already.

I’ll just go back to my cabin, pretend I imagined that delicious waft of virgin scent. Maybe I did. I snicker to myself. Five years alone in the wilderness, and a whole lifetime without a mate, and I’m getting olfactory hallucinations. That’s real fucked up, Trentino.

No, I didn’t imagine it. My beast doesn’timaginestuff. Itreacts. And right now, it’s all but electrified with need. All it can think about is tracking this female down, and putting a claim on her.

Shit. I’ve never felt this way before. But now it’s happening. My animal has awakened. My blood is flowing hot in my veins, and my cock is pulsing like a heat-seeking missile.

Before I know what I’m doing, my beast is following this heady feminine scent into the trees.

Can’t hurt to see what she looks like, I guess. I’ll just take a quick look at her, then I’ll go back to my cabin, and jerk off before my balls explode.

The tang of her fear gets more and more dominant with every step. She’s heading toward the old campsite. There’s a flicker of orange light in the distance. She’s started a campfire for herself? Smart girl.

I make sure to walk silently. I might weigh 700 pounds, but like any bear, I can be light on my feet when I need to be.

I’m not far away now. My heart swells with every step, and my whole body buzzes with anticipation. I reach the end of the path and the clearing opens up.

I direct my gaze to the campfire eagerly.

She’s not alone. The air is full of a sickly artificial flower odor, and I make out three, four five figures. All human females. Damn. I should’ve been prepared for this.

They’re all standing close together. So, which one is she? I look from one to the other, to the other.

When I zero in on the one who’s crouching down in front of the fire, my heart bangs against my ribcage.

That one.

Of course.

There’s no doubt. How could there be?

Mate, my bear purrs.

I let out a long sigh. She’s the one. Didn’t I know it the moment I picked up her scent for the very first time?

As she stirs a spoon in a pan, I watch her, fixated. Burning to take in every little bit of her.

She has long, curly dark hair, which is hanging down like a curtain, obscuring her features. She’s dressed in practical hiking gear, but there’s no concealing her killer curves. My mouth waters as I stare at her full, round tits straining beneath the white fabric of her shirt. When she dusts off her hands and stands up, I’m treated to the sight of curvy hips and a full, round ass.

And, glory of fucking glories, she turns her head in my direction, and I see her face for the first time. She’s wearing glasses, which frame a pair of huge hazel eyes. She has a small, snub nose with a scattering of freckles, and sweet, cherry-shaped pink lips. She also has the cutest dimples in her cheeks. My chest aches. She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in my life.

As I gaze at her, mesmerized, she tilts her head to the side. My breath catches. I could swear she’s looking directly at me. But that’s impossible. Human eyesight isn’t that sharp. And it’s dark. She frowns, removes her glasses, rubs them on her shirt and puts them on again. She keeps on staring into the trees, then she takes a step toward me. My heart jumps into my throat. She can’t have seen me. But does she sense something? Does she know her mate is here—?

“Callie!” one of the others calls. Her eyebrows draw together, as if in annoyance. Then she turns a one-eighty and returns to the group.

I close my eyes.

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