Page 22 of Sunshine for the Grumpy Grizzly

Those pricks. Why can’t they see how amazing she is? She’s ten times smarter and stronger than all of them put together.

I watch her face carefully, trying to figure out if it makes her sad. But she looks resigned. Like she’s used to it. Well, that’s the last time that shit’s gonna happen.

Like I told her last night, from now on, she comes first. And I’m gonna keep showing her that until she believes me.

6

Lucy

No one is listening to my opinions.

And for once, that’s the most beautiful thing in the world.

I make a few suggestions on how we should go about looking for the other team’s flag—of course, because I’m still a team player. But when they start talking over me, I happily fall quiet anddaydream.

About Preston.

Last night; this morning. The feeling of his lips on mine. His cock surging in my hand. That massive body trembling with desire.

For me.

This crazily hot bear-guy wantsme.

It’s so weird, but Iknewhe was a bear. I can’t explain it. At all. I just have this feeling that, of course, I was supposed to be with a shape shifter. Like I’ve been waiting my whole life for him to find me and snatch me up in his massive arms?—

Uh oh, they’re off. I was so busy staring into space, imagining Preston throwing me down on the bed and claiming me with that massive cock of his that I didn’t notice them leaving.

“Where we headed, guys?” I scamper after them.

No one answers me. They’re too busy staring at their phone screens and complaining that there’sno goddamn signal. We’re entering the other team’s territory, which is south of the resort. They ignored my suggestion that half of us stay back and defend our own territory, but who cares? All I care about is getting this task over with so I can see Preston again.

I dawdle along behind them, pen and map in hand, marking out the route that we’re taking.

It’s so weird, but I feel like Preston is close to me. Like I could turn around and he’d be right behind me, those fierce eyes burning with protectiveness. My heart aches for him. I feel like it’s reaching out for him. Like there’s a tether drawing me to him.

I let the group get ahead of me for a minute. They’re bickering constantly, and it’s making my ears hurt.

Time passes quickly and we don’t make a ton of progress. We traipse along in single file, everyone looking in all the same places. Me, I would have divided everyone up into pairs so we could maximize our exposure. But someone said something aboutstrength in numbers, and here we all are. Scrabbling up and down rocky hillsides, one after another. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. Except for the fact that I know Preston would have put the flag somewhere real smart. Somewhere that wouldn’t be immediately obvious, but wouldn’t be too obscure either.

I keep my gaze above the trail, focusing on the highest points.

At last, I spot it on top of a rocky outcrop—a red flag, fluttering in the wind. My heart gives a little jump. “Guys, here it is!” I yell.

At exactly the same moment, my alarm goes off. Crap. I’d set it for twelve p.m.—the time that Preston wants us to head back. I gaze up at the sky. It’s patchy blue and white. It doesn’tlooklike a storm is on the way, but I trust my bear man. He’s connected to the earth. I bet he understands every little shift in the weather patterns.

“Shit, there it is!” one of the men exclaims. “Come on, you guys!” He takes off along the track at a run.

“Wait,” I yell. “It’s twelve already. We need to go back, or we’ll get caught in the storm.”

He spins around and curls his lip at me. “Don’t be a lame-ass, Lucy. We’ll be there in twenty minutes, tops.”

I take a deep breath. “I don’t think so.” I pull out the map; use my finger to measure the distance. “It’s at least thirty minutes as the crow flies. But you also need to ascend a bunch as well.”

He shakes his head dismissively. “I’m gonna win this darn task if it’s the last thing I do,” he hollers and takes off again.

“Guys, this is really not a good idea. We need to get back.”

“There’s no goddamn storm coming. I wouldn’t trust a word that feral guy says!” someone else yells.

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