Bearly There (Redwater Shifters Book 1) Read online

  At least he knew how to treat a mate from seeing both his parents and grandparents have healthy, loving relationships. How was he going to replicate that type of love if he was always working? I'm not, plain and simple. He was however tired of everybody and their brother getting involved in his personal life. Grams he could understand, she was his kin, but everyone else needed to butt out. Especially the council. Noah fucking Sanford. Noah was the person pushing mating the most, and Mason wasn't sure why. I'm keeping an eye on him. Squirrelly bastard.

  Before there had just been faint whispers about mating, then six months ago Noah brought the subject up to the council for discussion. Discussion? His personal love life? No fucking way was what Mason had said at the time. But even the alpha couldn't control everything and the council discussions were one of those things. Within the first month, Mason had gone through all the females of mating age in his sleuth. As if he wouldn't recognize his mate at first scent, but he went along with it to hopefully end the mate talk. It didn't work. At all.

  In fact, things only got worse. Nathan and the others close to him were pulled in and made honorary members so they could help him find his mate. Gene was assigned to be his wing man, which for the record, Mason didn't need. Gene had a hell of a time, though, talking Mason up as if he were the Goddess's gift to creation. There was no way that helped in any way, but at least it was a distraction and some fun.

  Mason wasn't sure what Carter's role was supposed to be. He definitely didn't believe in the whole mate thing, being the ultimate player. Having a different girl for every week, and on more than one occasion he had come to the office with a red mark on his cheek. Apparently, Carter had trouble remembering names or calling girls the right name. Lately, he had taken to just calling them all sweetheart. Sweetheart this, and sweetheart that, Mason wanted to punch his friend in the face for his womanizing ways. No matter how many times they had gotten into an argument about it though Carter would claim he didn't know the whole story and change the subject. Refusing to speak about it. Whatever it was.

  Nathan had then been used to contact other sleuths to set up meetings between their females and him. That had been the step that took things too far. He wasn't going to go around the country looking like a desperate fool to find a mate. Especially not for some old geezer who more than likely just wanted something for himself. Mason had discreetly canceled all the meetings. Every time someone asked he just said there were no females of interest and would spend the weekend prowling the forest in his bear form.

  This past weekend, there had been no random wolf in his territory. Who or whatever was in there must have been relatively new. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, but had really only been thirty minutes, Mason scented blood. The air had turned acidic and smelled strongly of iron. He held up his hand stopping their forward progress. They were close, he could feel it. His instincts were telling him to go slow and take his time. Within seconds the wolf trotted proudly into sight.

  It was a tiny creature compared to others he had seen and looked too skinny. He could see the poor things ribs. The fur also looked dull and slightly matted. Carter leaned slightly towards him, in the process snapping a twig. Idiot. Mason glared at Carter while he gave a sheepish smile and his signature innocent eyes. He rolled his eyes, sighed and turned back to face the wolf. Mason knew in an instant that they were dealing with a shifter because wide and bright silver eyes stared back at him.

  ****

  Shit, fuck, holy balls! I knew this was too good to be true. Ella stood as still as a statue, taking in the details of the two newcomers in front of her. She had been caught completely off guard. After that feast she had, she and wolf were having a joyful stroll. Admiring the woods, it truly was a beautiful place. Too bad she was probably going to be killed or worse sent home. Ella lifted her nose and scented the air. Sweet mother of nature. One of them scented deliciously, a musky man scent that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Another thing she smelled was fur, the strangers were shifters but slightly different. They were too bulky to be wolves.

  Ella scanned the area quickly, looking for her exit route. She could probably outrun these two if she had the element of surprise on her side. One of the men started to move towards her, catching her attention. It was the tall blonde one. He was the best-looking man she had ever seen, with a defined jaw covered in a light beard. Almost like a lumberjack. He regarded her with onyx eyes. Ella shivered. Those eyes were peering into her soul and she didn't like that one bit.

  Blondie, as she was referring to him, held himself with an air of confidence. It was recognizable to her that this man was the alpha. Meaning the dark haired man looking at them curiously was this territory's beta. Fan-fucking-tastic. With her previous experience with alphas not being the greatest, Ella began to shake. She hunched down on the ground trying to make herself smaller. Show him that she wasn't a threat or feral.

  "Little wolf." He began, the low tremble of his voice washing over her frayed nerves. Oh, my. If she had been in human form she was sure she'd have a blush across her pale cheeks. "Do not be afraid, we won't hurt you." Blondie sounded genuine, but she had been deceived before. No way would an alpha let some unknown shifter just tramp through his territory without punishment. If he did, he wouldn't be a very good alpha. At least that's what she had been raised to think.

  When she finally peaked up he was closer to her, and Blondie's eyes were now a beautiful pale green that reflected the moonlight. The beta stood only ten steps behind him. Far enough not to scare her, but close enough to help if she turned into a wild beast. Not that she would, they hadn't given her a reason to attack them. Up close the man was far more than good looking. He should have been somewhere on the cover of a magazine. Not wearing a flannel button up in the woods. His face was one of perfection.

  Ella hoped she wasn't drooling but couldn't blame herself. Any woman with eyes would do the same thing. He seemed to be waiting for her to do something.

  "Dude, what you thinkin' up there?" Blondie seemed to be taking in her every detail. It was unnerving. She knew she wasn't in the best condition right now. Even though she would never have a chance with this god now crouched in front of her, Ella was still self-conscious. A dip in that river last week wasn't doing her any good now. Just my luck.

  "Definitely shifter. Can't tell it's age or gender. Thing's tiny and much too skinny." Well, that was just peachy. Not. So Mr. Alpha Hotness couldn't even tell she was a woman. That one hurt. Gone was her wonderfully toned and curvy body. It had been the first thing to go when she left home. Only eating what she could catch was hard at first, but after getting used to the small diet it became normal to her. Ella couldn't even remember the taste of cooked food. She knew she was small in stature for her age and was the runt of her pack, had been the smallest all her life. It didn't mean anything to her and she never let it hold her back. Ella was sized more like a coming of age pup but was fully grown.

  "Can't tell? What your nose broke?" The beta huffed a laugh, giving the alpha a smirk. She cringed waiting for the retribution to be swift, but instead nothing but a disgruntled growl trickled out of Blondie's throat along with a head shake. He was humoring blatant disrespect but didn't seem fazed in the least.

  "Asshole." He mumbled then louder. "No, but all I can scent is fur. Nothing else." Oh Goddess, can this get any worse? Of course, all he smelled was fur, she hadn't taken a real shower with soap and shampoo in three years. Not wanting to get caught again she stayed completely off the grid. No public places whats so ever, meaning the closest she got to bathing was in the local rivers or streams. Definitely not the best, but not horrible either.

  Out of nowhere, Ella saw a group of four new men formed a circle around her, Blondie and beta boy. Only one of them stood out, he was huge. He reminded her of her middle brother by the way he stood and surveyed the scene. Whoever the big guy was, he was a natural protector. When his gaze landed on her, she could see the determination turn into sadness. He unfolded his arms an
d sat casually on the ground.

  "What the hell are you doin' Gene?" The beta was looking confused now. Ella wanted to laugh at how comical everyone in this group was acting. The alpha, who should have been tougher than nails was laid back. Beta boy, back there was still on the defensive, even though she hadn't so much as twitched in his direction. Now this newcomer was acting so casual it was throwing her for a loop.

  "Letting the wolf know I'm not a threat. I'm a giant compared to it, don't want it getting terrified and attacking do ya?" The giant, as he so called himself, asked with a raised red eyebrow. Blondie agreed with his idea, plopping on the ground only feet from her snout. Bringing that magnificent scent with him. She greedily inhaled it. He let out a low chuckle, Ella hadn't been discreet in sniffing him.

  "Great idea Gene, Carter." He called to the beta with a wave of his hand. So Gene was the friendly giant and Carter was the beta. She stored their names in her memory for the future, having a feeling she would need them. Carter was slowly inching closer, causing her to roll her eyes. Get on with it already. When he sat beside Blondie Ella cooked up a harebrained scheme and like always didn't think twice.

  With a quick wink at Blondie who looked shocked, she play lunged and snapped the air in front of Carter. The fool jumped half a foot in the air and screeched like a dying bird. Ella tried to cackle but it came out as a loud snort as she laid back down peacefully on the ground. Gene bellowed out a loud laugh while pointing his finger. All the guys, including Blondie, were laughing. Carter just gave her the evil eye. Somebody needs to lighten up.

  "That was fucking great, that wolf's a feisty little thing." Gene said while wiping the tears from the corner of his eyes from laughing so hard. She gave him a wolf like smile, getting one back in return.

  Chapter Three

  Feisty indeed, and cute too. Mason shook his head at its antics. Clearly, it was no threat to them and surprisingly quite friendly. The little wolf in front of him was a contradiction. It looked like it had been in the woods for quite some time after further inspection, but it still knew he was an alpha. The wolf knew how to interact with other shifters and apparently how to have fun. Carter could learn a thing or two from this.

  Gene and the wolf were smiling at each other, something about that made his insides twist up. He hadn't felt that before but knew he didn't like it. For some reason, he wanted the wolf's attention. All of its attention. No less would do, like before when it couldn't keep those bewitching silver eyes off of him. He cleared his throat and sent an annoyed look towards Gene, whose confusion was written all over his face.

  I don't know either buddy. He swiveled his gaze back to the tiny creature in front of him. As much fun as this was, the whole sleuth was waiting for him to return. They had been out for at least an hour based on how the moon was now in the center of the sky. Time to move this show along.

  "Little wolf, look at me." He said his voice boarding on demanding. Goddess, what is happening to me? It looked at him with wide eyes and seemed to be shivering slightly. Damn it, now he was feeling guilty for scaring the wolf. Little thing probably thought he was going to eat it. "Don't be frightened little one. I promise no harm will come to you in my territory." Out of his peripheral vision, he could see Carter's eyes almost bugging out of his head.

  So he was acting a little overbearing and out of character, but this creature was too cute to ignore. It was just a young pup, lost and alone. He could help it find its way home and have things back to normal in a few days time. Mason wouldn't feel this overprotective forever.

  "Alright, you fuckers give this tiny thing some room." Gene said standing while motioning everyone back. "Mason, get this taken care of. Your Grams was freaking out back in town." He nodded his head, showing he was already on the same path. Everyone took five steps back leaving a ten-foot berth between the wolf laying in the middle and the guys.

  "Alright little fella, you need to shift so we can head to town." Carter said with his arms crossed and feet shoulder length apart. He was in his I'm the beta and you need to listen to me pose. Mason gave him a narrowed stare, making him slump his shoulders and lower his eyes in submission. That's right, I'm the alpha.

  The wolf looked around the circle, contemplating what, he wasn't sure. Then it shook its head no. No? Nobody told Mason no, he was the alpha. He was the one to tell people no. "I think you misunderstood. Shift. Now." He deepened his voice giving it the alpha command. Any alpha could do it, making whoever the command was spoken to do his bidding. Mason didn't like to use it, but would when the occasion called for it.

  It let off a little growl which was more adorable than threatening. So much so that he had to work to keep the smile off his face. However, that small happy feeling dissipated when the wolf shifted before their eyes. In one fluid motion that seemed unreal, even for a shifter, the wolf transformed into a tiny person. Stepping to its feet, he was met with the face of an angle. The wolf, who they thought would be a pup, was really a beautiful woman. The most beautiful woman he had ever laid his eyes on.

  His eyes traveled across her high cheekbones and little button nose. Her lips were plump but chapped and cracked. He assumed that when she was healthy the woman would be more than an angel. Likely a heavenly goddess. Black hair reached down to her waist, it was a curly wild mess but damn everything to hell. It was adorable. She was tiny in height too. Mason assumed she was only five foot tall, maybe reaching the middle of his chest.

  For being underweight her body still drew his attention. Her breasts were perky with pink nipples drawn up tight from the cold air. Which was sweeping over her pale flawless skin highlighted by the moonlight. She was a little skinny for his taste but he could feed her until she was perfect. Curls the same color as her hair covered the apex of her thighs leaving him to imagine just how she looked down there. His pants began to feel tight as his cock hardened. This woman would be his. He wanted to roar for all the world to know he had found his mate.

  The thought clicked into his brain and within seconds he knew it to be true, only his mate could get such a visceral reaction out of him. Then he realized something. His mate was standing naked in front of five unmated and very male shifters. Oh hell no.

  "Eye's down now." The words were barely comprehensible with the constant growl in his throat. All the heads snapped to the forest floor as if it was the most interesting thing they had ever seen. "Mine." Came out from the depth of his soul, in a guttural tone that surprised even him. Her eyes, which he now noticed were a deep blue, snapped to his. They were as wide as saucers and her own surprise showed on her delicate face.

  She gaped at him for a moment before bringing her hands up to cover her mouth, while she began to shake her head. Those beautiful eyes of hers looked misty, and tears began to gather in the corners. Over-protectiveness blazed through him. No one would dare hurt her again, not even him. Mason wouldn't allow it. He walked towards her slowly, his hands held palm up to show her he wouldn't do anything she didn't want.

  "Shh, little wolf. Don't cry, I'll protect you from the world if I have too." Instead of that statement calming her, she seemed to get more upset. Her sniffling turned into full blown sobs. Holy shit, what am I doing wrong? He ran his hands through his hair and pulled making the blonde strands stand up everywhere. Mason began to pace back and forth getting more agitated by the second.

  "Mason man, you need to calm down. Getting upset isn't helping anything." Mason was so far gone that he just growled while ignoring Gene. His pacing didn't pause and now he was glaring at his mate for no reason at all. "Motherfucker." Mason could hear Gene taking deep breaths. Gene was known for being soft on females and cubs. "Damn it. Get yourself together before I lift my eyes and kick your ass for scaring that poor little lady. Not to mention I'll get a nice eyeful of her."

  The growl was constant but deepened at that last comment. He didn't need Gene poking the bear, literally. He could feel his skin tingling with the need to shift, but held it in. That was the last thing he needed to happen.
A giant grizzly bear towering over a crying tiny mate. No, thank you.

  ****

  Through Ella's blurry vision she could tell something wasn't right. Blondie, who was actually named Mason as she had heard him called, was pacing. The blonde hair that had been perfectly tousled before now looked like it had been zapped by electricity. His scent had changed to fur and from the small distance between them, she could see his skin rippling. Never before had she seen someone hold back the shift. To her that was sacrilegious, not to mention prohibited.

  Something must have set him off. It took her a minute of thinking, but she realized it was her. He must have thought she was upset with him claiming her as his mate. In reality, it was quite the opposite. Ella's tears were one's of joy. This complete stranger was willing to protect her from harm. Putting his whole pack in jeopardy when he didn't even know what would be coming for her, and they would come if they ever found her.

  That one act of kindness was more than she had seen in too many years to count. She was so overcome with emotion Ella couldn't hold it inside of her. Even with her being a dirty and smelly mess, this specimen of pure man wanted her. His noticeable erection wasn't missed by her. Mason's eyes on her felt like a psychical caress on her body, making her feel pretty when she knew she looked like pond scum. Maybe worse than pond scum. She couldn't really be sure.

  The growling seemed to be making the ground vibrate or it was just making her shiver uncontrollably. She was sure the growling was supposed to be scary, but for her, it was just insanely sexy. Ella was beginning to understand how mates found each other. The pull she felt towards Mason already was unbelievable. She could only imagine what it would feel like after they had completed the mating. Which was the biting and sex part of things. Being a virgin Ella didn't know much about sex, but the biting part was pretty self-explanatory.