Page 22 of Hot For Her Bear

Her bear was stubborn. She was injured and cranky. The process of healing had already started. The wound to her shoulder was no longer oozing blood. The other claw markings from the fight were healing also. It would take a day or so before she would be completely healed.

Give me control, she snapped. She closed her eyes and pushed her bear back. Even though her animal could come to the forefront, Dasha was still the stronger of the two. She transformed back to her human body. Her bones reshaped, popping into place as they shortened. Her fur receded into her skin. Within a minute, she was resting on her hands and knees feeling like a newborn baby.

Her breaths came in pants. She rested for a moment before lifting her head to meet Sega’s patient eyes. There was a single question in them.

“I think I should be able to make it,” she whispered. The fight had taken a lot out of her.

He moved forward so she could place a hand on his shoulder. She inhaled sharply and regretted it. The burn rippled through her lungs. She winced and held on to his shoulder. She looked back up to see Saffron standing with Nick and Abe.

Dasha was glad Saffron had been safe. She was going to have to talk to her mate about trying to interfere in a bear fight.

She distracted Bishop,her bear growled.

Dasha ignored her animal. Saffron should have just stayed completely out of the way and hid. There had been a reason she had drawn him away from Saffron’s house. She hadn’t wanted to chance them doing any damage to her property.

But the moment he had moved toward Saffron, Dasha had lost it. Her bear went feral at the thought of him getting closer to her mate. She would die before she would allow any harm to come to Saffron.

Dasha gripped Sega’s thick fur and followed him along the path he had taken to get to her. She stumbled a few times, but she was able to right her footing. She was naked but didn’t care. She was a bear shifter, and nudity was second nature for her.

Dasha held on to Sega while he continued to lead the way up toward the others. They grew closer to the top, and she straightened her back to try to appear strong for her mate. She wanted Saffron to see her as a capable mate, someone who would be able to protect her.

The moment they reached the top, Saffron was at her side. Concern was evident on her face. Dasha held her arms open, and she flew into them. Dasha held back a grimace from the pain. She couldn’t care less about it and would rather have her mate in her arms.

“You’re hurt,” Saffron exclaimed. She leaned back and glanced up at Dasha’s face.

“I’m fine,” Dasha breathed.

“You are not.” Her gaze landed on Dasha’s shoulder.

The skin had been torn from Bishop’s bite. It wasn’t as mangled as before with her healing process kicking in. Her body was riddled with wounds and bruises. All of them were no longer bleeding. She ached but was sure another shift and rest would help her heal.

“We’re going down to the river to see if we can find any trace of Bishop,” Abe said. He came to stand by Dasha. He was a friend of her brother’s and had been an enforcer for a few years now. “I’m glad to see you’re okay, Dasha. Bishop is a tough son of a bitch. We’re going to find him.”

“You think he would have survived the fall?” Saffron asked in disbelief.

“I’m pretty sure. We bears are hard to kill. The fall may have injured him, but since we don’t see a body, we’re going to assume he landed in the water.”

“Don’t worry, ladies. We’ll find him,” Nick said.

Sega gave a growl as if to echo his agreement. Dasha gave them a nod to save some of her strength and not speak.

“If we need you, we know how to find you.” Abe gave her a salute before turning away. He stood with Nick, conversing in a low, hushed manner.

Dasha trusted the enforcers would find him.

The alpha of their clan wouldn’t take too kindly to Bishop attacking her and still going after her mate. It didn’t matter if Saffron carried her mark or not, she belonged to Dasha. He’d overstepped a line that he would have to answer to the alpha about. Dasha would log the complaint and share her encounter tonight with their alpha.

Edwina Fang, better known as Eddie, was a fair alpha who upheld the laws of their clan. She was tough and would ensure justice was served for Bishop breaking the laws. The Fangs and the Primes were two families who were close and the first to settle in their small town of Lurton, Montana. Eddie would hear her out and be on her side.

Bishop would pay for what he’d done.

“Will you be able to walk?” Saffron asked. She wrapped her arm around Dasha’s waist and held on to her.

“If it kills me,” Dasha muttered.

“Nobody’s dying,” Saffron snapped. Her eyes were wide and red as if she had been crying.

Dasha groaned, loving the feel of her mate’s hands on her naked flesh. Now wasn’t the time to be thinking of the thought coming into her head. She was injured, but it didn’t keep her from wanting her mate.

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