Page 19 of Coveted By The Bear

“You can’t hide from us. We’re gonna take our vengeance out on you. You fucking worthless human,” he sneered.

The excitement in his eyes at the prospect of doing me harm. I felt sick to my stomach, but I didn’t take all those self-defense classes in the city for nothing.

I looked around, saw a long, flathead screwdriver beneath the desk to my left and I grabbed it.

It wasn’t much. But it was something.

“Come on, Tommy Boy. Time for some fun,” the second man, or bear, or bear-man, Rick, snarled.

I stood up, holding the screwdriver in front of me like a sword, and I tried not to whimper as the men ripped the office door right off its hinges.

“Aren’t you going to cry, human?”

“Fuck you!” I said, anger and fear making me tremble like a leaf.

The sound of something crashing through the garage doors echoed loudly, and the two attackers turned and crouched as an enormous creature, bigger than theirs charged inside.

The beast swatted at the men with enormous claws, and they went flying. Tools, metal, sheetrock, and glass scattered everywhere, and I ducked and closed my eyes to protect them.

My heart hammered inside my chest, and my flight or fight instinct was screaming at me to move my legs. But the only way out was through them. And I wasn’t suicidal.

The now familiar sound of popping reached my ears, and I watched as the third bear changed from animal to man. But this man I recognized and all my fight left me as I sank to my knees and dropped the screwdriver.

“Miles?” I whispered.

“Get the fuck away from her!” he roared with inhuman fury.

My two attackers turned on him, and I watched in abject horror as they viciously beat and tore at each other with half-animal claws. Miles was still human, but his hands and his jaws were shifted into something else.

Bear.

Chapter Nine-Miles

My animal was going crazy at the thought of Tommy Boy and Rick coming here to hurt Hope.

“You fucking traitor!” Tommy bellowed, lashing out with his claws.

I ducked and smacked him out of my way, scratching across his entire chest in retaliation.

“Keep him busy, Tommy. I’m gonna kill this whore,” Rick told him.

Fuck.

I knew he was the real danger. But Tommy was in my way. The fucker was big and strong.

He was dumb as a brick, but he took orders well. They both did.

Hell, I should know.

I trained them.

Maybe it should have bothered me that these men had zero loyalty or compassion for where I stood. But they should know the deal.

“Walk away, and I won’t kill you,” I growled.

The smell of Hope’s fear was acrid. My Bear was beyond incensed, and my chest was rumbling nonstop.

“Tiegs said we gotta end you, Miles, for your disrespect,” Tommy growled.

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