Page 11 of A Bunny for the Bear
“I’m sorry for upsetting everyone.” Pressing a hand to my chest, I fought to contain the emotions tumbling through me.
Were they all upset on my behalf? Was this someone finally expressing empathy for what I’d been through?
I hadn’t meant to say all that when they asked. There was even more I could share, yet I held back a good portion of it all. Partly because I didn’t want to burden them. Partly because trauma dumping on a first-time friend group experience seemed wrong. I was already dangerously close to oversharing territory.
“Whatever you’re thinking, stop it,” Souli said as she pulled me into a hug. “Your story is not your fault. Those fucking idiots don’t know the gem of a shifter they had in their midst. I’m so glad you found us, that you came here. We’ll be your family from now on. You won’t have to worry about anyone hurting you ever again.”
As if Fate decided to test her words, a second later, we heard the same voice from the phone call earlier call out, “I’m here, auntie!”
The group turned to greet the man. My eyes widened upon seeing him. While I’d grown up around large shifters, I hadn’t seen a man of this stature since entering this town.
His large frame had to tower over everyone else’s by a few inches. For me, it would be over a foot. I knew it even though he hadn’t reached us yet. He was thick all over with muscle. His shirt practically fought to keep the seams intact with how it was stretched over him.
And his face.
Oh, Fates. His face was so handsome. A thick beard covered his jaw. He had two bushy eyebrows and a mustache the same brown as the long hair he had pulled back in a tight bun. Brown eyes managed to sparkle despite the darkening evening sky.
“My baby is here,” Souli cried as he reached the group. She stepped away from me to hug him but stopped short when a growl tore from his lips.
I took a step back at the sound. His eyes swept across the group as if searching for an enemy. Somehow, I knew it was me he was looking for. I couldn’t explain it. Maybe call it intuition. Or maybe a fear response.
Either way, my flight instincts told me to hide NOW. Shifting behind Nolan was simple with everyone’s attention on the snarling man.
Souli’s voice rose. “Enough of that, son. What is wrong with you?”
“Where is he?” the man replied. “Give him to me.”
With each word, I felt my body heat. It was like my fear wanted to mix with desire because of how attractive I found him.
No. Bad body. Run from big man, don’t fuck him.
As if the man could read my thoughts, his gaze found me where I peeked out around Nolan’s side. His eyes flashed a bright gold a second before all hell broke loose.
The air shifted as his clothes burst from his body. I recognized the shift for what it was. I’d seen plenty of them happen in my old pack. They didn’t care about clothes being damaged or what was going on around them. If their beasts wanted free, then they’d let it come out.
In place of the man, a large bear stood on its hind legs. He roared at the group, which created a flurry of reactions from them all.
Souli was the most vocal. “Hutton Reyson! You put that bear away right fucking now, young man. Get control of yourself!”
Champ stepped in to grab his mate when it was obvious there was no reasoning with him. This Hutton person didn’t want to hurt her, yet they also weren’t backing down.
Nolan took a step forward, leaving me defenseless. I whimpered, only to find Barrett's hand slipping into mine. “Let my mate handle it,” he said softly. “He’s trained for this type of stuff.”
I sucked in a breath and nodded. I’d forgotten Nolan was the sheriff and a bear shifter himself. He’d be the best fit to get things back in line.
“Hutton,” Nolan barked as he kept moving toward the large dark brown bear.
I realized as I watched that his fur was the same color his hair had been. For a split second, I felt the urge to run my hands over it. As quickly as it came, the desire fled, replaced by fear.
“Shift!” The demand rippled around us. “Stand down!”
Each word Nolan spoke came out with more Alpha power than I was used to. This man held an authority I hadn’t ever come across. To know how gentle he’d been earlier with his mate while we ate, I almost couldn’t believe it was the same person.
Yet it was.
I knew he was.
My brain worked overtime to put this new information together. It was a struggle because I’d only known what it was like in theold pack. This new place brought up all kinds of contradictions I’d never considered possible.
