Page 36 of Beast Bear

Kai scoffed, arms crossed over his chest. “Grainy cell phone footage proves nothing,” he said. Theo bristled, fists clenching.Kai flicked his gaze over the officers, then back to Theo. “I heard you killed that little girl in that bank robbery. You were never a hero.”

A cold wave of shock rolled through Theo. “That’s not true,” he said, struggling to keep his voice steady. “I saved her.”

The police watched the video on Poppy’s phone with serious expressions, no one speaking yet. Theo felt his composure fraying. He couldn’t believe Kai would twist the memory of that terrified child, the one he had risked everything to protect.

Kai snorted. “You’ve never been a hero, Theo,” he sneered. “You’re just like Serena’s father, a lifelong villain. Admit it. It’s in your blood.”

Something snapped in Theo’s chest. Shame, fury, and grief tore through him. He felt the tremor in his limbs, the warning signs he had experienced before. The rage was too great to hold back. A guttural growl escaped his throat as his body began to shift. Fur broke through his skin. His bones contorted, forcing him onto all fours. Gasps and cries came from the staff and the police, but no one could stop him.

Theo roared, the primal sound echoing off the buildings. In a flash, he lunged straight at Kai, massive paws scraping the pavement. Kai staggered back, eyes wide in sudden terror. At the last possible moment, before Theo’s bear form could collide with Kai, he spun and charged into the woods. Branches cracked under his weight, leaves scattering in his wake.

Behind him, he heard Serena’s voice, desperate, calling his name. “Theo, stop, please!” But the beast had taken over.

Chapter

Forty-Seven

Serena stood rooted in place,barely breathing, as the police and Poppy hovered around Theo’s phone. The incriminating video played on the small screen, and there was no doubt it showed Kai admitting to tampering with the ropes. The officers exchanged tense looks, then moved in to corner the culprit.

Kai, sensing the net closing around him, tried to slip away. He edged toward the parking lot exit, avoiding eye contact. But the police were too quick. They closed ranks, and one officer clamped a firm hand on his shoulder.

Serena took a shaky step forward, her voice trembling with raw emotion. “Who are you working for?” she demanded, eyes blazing with anger.

Kai offered no answer, only a smug glance that made her skin crawl. The tension built, crackling through the crowd, until the officers finally forced Kai’s arms behind his back and snapped on the cuffs.

Across from them, Poppy still held Theo’s phone, her expression a mix of shock and regret. Serena’s throat tightened with unshedtears as she turned on the administrator. “Are you satisfied?” she asked, her voice wavering between fury and heartbreak.

Poppy’s gaze dropped to the ground. “I was wrong,” she said softly, shame clear in her tone. It was an admission that struck Serena like a physical blow. She wanted to rail at Poppy, but that wasn’t what she needed. Theo was gone, chased by his own anger and grief.

She spun away from the parking lot, not caring about the startled looks from staff or the police. Her heart hammered as she raced in the direction she had seen him run. Every stride felt more desperate, tears burning her eyes. When she reached the edge of the forest, she tore off her clothes mid-sprint, her cougar pushing forward in a rush.

Fur prickled across her skin as her bones shifted with a surge of raw power. In seconds, she galloped through the trees on all fours, nose to the ground, inhaling Theo’s musky scent. Adrenaline spiked with every leap, and she sensed his presence somewhere ahead, deeper in the darkening woods. Twigs snapped beneath her paws, and leaves brushed her flanks.

She spotted him as night fell. His massive bear moved wildly through the undergrowth. Serena circled around, her heart thudding as she tried to get in front of him. She needed to make him see reason, see her.

When she finally found a narrow clearing, she slipped in front of him and shifted back to human form, trembling and naked in the moonlight. Her voice shook as she spoke. “Theo, please,” she said, holding her arms out in a gesture of surrender. “Remember who you are.”

The bear’s lumbering steps slowed. His furious eyes locked onto hers, and for a moment, Serena feared he would charge right past her. Then she saw recognition flicker within those golden depths. She drew a trembling breath. “Nothing Kai said was true. You’re a hero. My hero. I want you as my mate, forever.”

Her words seemed to cut through his haze of anger and grief. His powerful body began to ripple, fur receding into skin. Bones popped and re-formed, and with a final shuddering breath, Theo stood in front of her, naked and trembling. The night air felt charged with the intensity of the moment. She saw the torment in his eyes, but also the raw desire. He stared at her for a heartbeat, then crossed the clearing in two strides.

Chapter

Forty-Eight

Theo closedthe distance between them in a matter of seconds. His hands were rough as they grabbed her, pressing her back against the rough bark of a towering oak. The tree dug into her bare shoulders, but she barely registered the pain. All she could feel was the heat of his body against hers as he claimed her mouth in a scorching kiss.

“Theo,” she whispered, her voice trembling with need.

His cock pressed insistently against her stomach, already hard and leaking. She gasped, her hands flying to his broad chest, feeling the rapid thud of his heartbeat beneath her fingertips. His tongue plunged into her mouth, exploring every inch with a ferocity that made her knees buckle. She moaned against him, her hands sliding up to tangle in his hair, pulling him closer, desperate for more.

His hands roamed over her body, leaving trails of fire in their wake. He cupped her breasts, kneading the soft flesh, rolling her nipples between his fingers until she was crying out with pleasure. Then his mouth followed, his lips closing around one peak while his fingers teased the other. She arched into him, alow whine escaping her throat as he sucked and nibbled, sending waves of pleasure coursing through her body.

Theo’s hands moved lower, tracing the curve of her hips before slipping between her legs. She was already soaked, her slick arousal coating his fingers as he teased her entrance. He growled against her neck, the sound vibrating through her as he pressed a finger inside her tight heat. She gasped, her walls clenching around him as he began to pump his finger in and out, setting a slow, torturous pace that had her panting.

Her back arched off the tree as she came undone, her release crashing over her in waves that left her trembling. He pulled his fingers from her dripping pussy, bringing them to his mouth and sucking them clean with a low growl of satisfaction.

Then he dropped to his knees as he buried his face between her legs. His tongue plunged into her, lapping at her folds. He devoured her like a man starved, his tongue flicking over her clit until another orgasm ripped through her.

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