Waking Her Bear: A Hot Paranormal Fantasy with Witches, Werebears, and Werewolves (Weres and Witches of Silver Lake Book 8) Read online

  Waking Her Bear

  Weres & Witches of Silver Lake

  Book 8

  Vella Day

  Copyright © 2017 Vella Day

  Waking Her Bear

  Copyright © 2017 by Vella Day

  Kindle Edition

  www.velladay.com

  [email protected]

  Cover Art by Jaycee DeLorenzo

  Edited by Rebecca Cartee and Carol Adcock-Bezzo

  Published in the United States of America

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-941835-34-0

  Print book ISBN: 978-1-941835-35-7

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief questions embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  On a mission to secure medicine for a friend, witch Missy Berta encounters much more than she ever bargained for. Accidentally waking a sleeping werebear, the sexy stranger spins a wild tale that Missy can hardly believe. Struggling to fathom his story, she’s inexplicably drawn to his charm, his unwavering desire to protect her, and of course, to his irresistible, mouth-watering body.

  Zane Barons is completely out of his element. While his skills to survive are limited in this strange realm, he’s delighted to have met such a delectable and curvaceous human. She might treat him with kindness, but she seems determined to avoid spending time with him.

  Hell bent on proving that she is his fated mate, Zane will do anything to make her happy—except walk away.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  About the Book

  Epigraph

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Excerpt from Melting Her Wolf’s Heart

  Other Books by the Author

  About the Author

  Beneath the calm and shimmering surface lie intrigue, power, magic, and danger.

  Welcome to Silver Lake—where appearances can be deceiving, and what you see isn’t truly what lies below.

  Chapter One

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  An Unexpected Diversion (book 1 of Hidden Hills Shifters)

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  *

  Missy Berta was in a panic as she hurried to leave work. She was in need of some specific herbs to help heal her good friend, Anna Fairchild, who was expecting her first child next month. Anna had come down with the flu, and Missy knew what she needed to do in order to help her and her baby, but only one of the two ingredients was readily available. Natalie Fremont owned the local herb store that always carried the ginger root, but she was out of Reishi mushrooms. The only place to find any was south of town near the caves. Not wanting to waste any time, Missy gathered her herb bag and rushed out of the Crystal Winds Spa.

  Thankfully her mom and her cousin Teagan had told her they would cover for her while she went in search of the needed medicine. No one would ever question the fact that Anna’s health came first.

  Once in the car, Missy rolled down the windows to breathe in the fresh May air, willing her pulse to slow. She was confident her magic would help Anna, but only if she could find the precise ingredients.

  Normally, the late spring in Tennessee was Missy’s favorite time of year, but her worry over Anna’s condition tainted her joy. The sunshine, the chirping birds, and the scent of new blooms usually centered her, but not today. Something else besides Anna’s illness was bothering her though Missy couldn’t put her finger on what that was. For some reason, she felt a sense of impending doom. The odd part was that Missy rarely had premonitions. That honor belonged to Teagan.

  Once Missy approached the entrance to the path that led to the caves, she cut the engine, grabbed her canvas bag, and jumped out. She probably should have stopped at home for her hiking boots, but she’d only be climbing the hill for a short distance, so she hoped her sandals would be sufficient for the short trek. Besides, time was of the essence.

  With her herb kit slung over her shoulder, she began the journey up the rocky mountain trail. By the time she reached the large field that bordered the hillside, the sense of foreboding no longer had a tight grip on her emotions.

  In the past, she’d often found these mushrooms in a cave that was only a short walk along the ridgeline toward the hillside. Between the ginger, the mushrooms, and her magic, Missy was certain she could reduce Anna’s flu symptoms without harming the baby.

  The vista of Silver Lake never failed to stun her with its beauty, but today she didn’t have the luxury of admiring the view. Finding the mushrooms was her top priority.

  Near the mouth of the caves, she spotted a clump of Reishi mushrooms, and Missy mentally pumped a fist. She picked them quickly, and relief at locating these few helped to settle her nerves. Unfortunately, she needed a lot more to make the right strength potion.

  Hurrying on, Missy located the three-foot wide cave entrance without any problem, but as soon as she stepped inside, a strange vibration rattled her bones. Respecting her sixth sense, she stopped and looked around. Anticipation and unease battled for her attention. Her heart beat way too fast and that was never a good thing.

  “Hello? Is anyone here?” she called, her voice a little shaky.

  Missy had never encountered anyone in this cave before, but it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that someone might be there. In bad weather, campers often sought refuge inside, but perhaps this summer day had brought out lovers who wanted some privacy.

  When no one answered, Missy figured it was her imagination. Retrieving the flashlight from her bag, she flicked it on, expecting the tightness in her body to ease, but it didn’t. Most likely, she was just worried about finding enough medicine to help her friend.

  Swinging the light around, she searched for her prize, but there didn’t appear to be any in the main entrance area, which meant she’d have to continue deeper into the caves. While she doubted anything bad would happen, it was always possible a wild animal that’d decided to seek the coolness of the caves would attack if scared. Fortunately, part of Missy’s Wendayan powers included exuding an aura of safety that seemed to calm even the most outraged beings.

  Careful not to trip on any protruding rocks, Missy did a slow grid search to make sure she didn’t miss any
of the sorely-needed fungi.

  About a hundred feet in, she spotted what she was searching for. Aha! Luck was on her side. Thrilled that her search had been short, she squatted down and carefully pinched off the caps then placed them in a plastic bag. She’d extracted about ten of them when a growl came from deep inside the cave. From the low tone, it was most likely a bear. Damn. While a bear shifter wasn’t a threat, a real bear with cubs would be.

  Holding her breath in order to distinguish her heartbeat from any wild animal sounds, Missy remained still, listening for movement. Even though she detected nothing more, she decided she had collected enough mushrooms to make the potion for Anna.

  Careful not to make any noise, Missy rose. While she could probably calm even a mother bear, she didn’t want to test her theory. Turning off her light so as not to attract more attention, she twisted around and headed toward the entrance. In the dark cave, she stepped on a small rock that shot out to the side, causing it to ping against the wall, just loud enough to reverberate in the quiet cave. Crap. Her muscles locked, and her breath barely eked out.

  Move.

  Inhaling deeply, her muscles finally engaged, and Missy scurried forward with more care this time.

  “Don’t leave,” a deep voice sounded from behind her before she’d even had the chance to take dozen steps.

  Startled, she flicked on the flashlight, and when she spun on her heel, the light landed on the man’s face. What skin she could see of his face behind his untrimmed beard appeared unlined. His dark tangled hair, which brushed his broad shoulders, implied he might have just shifted. That or he was some homeless man.

  He instantly lifted his hands in front of his face. “Hey.”

  She backed up. Missy hadn’t meant to blind him, but he had startled her. She lowered the light to his chest and noticed he wasn’t carrying any weapons. While that was a good thing, the fact he was naked was not.

  With effort, she kept the beam above his waist, not wanting to glance at his lower half. Fearing he might do something to her, she continued to move closer to the entrance.

  “Where am I?” he asked, his words coming out thick as if he’d just awoken. When he reached up and dragged his hand across his neck, his shoulders slumped.

  She’d have thought the answer was obvious: he was in a cave. The confused man stepped forward while she continued her backward movement a bit faster this time, all the while keeping her light on him.

  “Wait. Don’t go,” he pleaded. Missy halted but said nothing, her heart pounding too hard. “This is a little bit embarrassing, but I need some clothes. If you could find something for me to wear and leave it outside the cave, I’d be eternally grateful.”

  Really? Did he think she’d have an extra set of clothes on her—ones that might fit his large body? She then recalled a few stories her sister had told her about some embarrassing situations her mate had found himself in after shifting. Perhaps this man was merely desperate and in need of some help. “What happened to your clothes?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What about your wallet and keys? Are they gone too?”

  He glanced to the side. “Yes.”

  It was decision time.

  Trust him or run?

  *

  Zanedar Barons had never met someone who wasn’t a shifter, which meant one thing: he was in the Earth realm. Well damn. Right now he had two choices: one was to tell this delicate creature the truth about how he’d come to be there and chance her running away, or two, he could make up a story whereby she might help him. Mentioning he was a shifter was too risky since as far as he knew, humans weren’t aware of his kind.

  As much as he hated to deceive anyone, he had no weapons and no way to buy anything. Basically, he was at this woman’s mercy. Without her aid, the next few hours would be harder than they needed to be. Stealing wasn’t his thing.

  Not wanting to scare her off, Zanedar stepped backward and his right leg buckled. Had he not reached out and grasped the rough cave wall, he might have fallen. Stupid injury. Hibernating must have triggered his bear’s need to conserve energy and had shut down its ability to heal him.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, with a voice as strong as a steal blade, yet light and sweet as the finest wine.

  Tell the truth or lie? “I don’t know exactly. My best friend just died, and I remember deciding it might be a good idea to get stinking drunk. Apparently, I was mistaken. After that, it’s all a blank.” He swept his hand around. “Somehow I ended up in this cave.” He was rather pleased that he’d come up with that story, though much of it was true.

  “I’m sorry about your friend.” She continued to edge backward, but he couldn’t let her leave.

  “Thank you. I’m Zane… Zane Barons.”

  Thankfully, she stopped. “I’m Missy Berta.”

  He liked the rhythm of the name. He liked a lot more than that about her, but he needed to focus. Figuring out how to deal with being on Earth had to be his first priority. “Nice to meet you, Missy Berta. So do you think you can help me find some clothes? I’d hate to have to live in this cave for the rest of my life.” Zane smiled, hoping to disarm her.

  She lowered the beam of light so that it lit the dirt at his feet. “I guess I could ask my sister. Her husband might have something you could wear.”

  While doubt filled her voice, he was thrilled she was considering helping him. He was also pleased that she hadn’t said her husband might have something for him, though he wasn’t sure why he should care.

  She’s your mate, his still sleepy bear chided.

  You’re wrong. If he were staying, however, he wouldn’t mind enjoying someone as delightful as this woman.

  “Zane, are you okay?” she asked, sounding worried.

  He must have been staring. It was because his body had yet to fully wake. The last thing he needed was for her to doubt his sanity. “I’m still trying to get my bearings.”

  That wasn’t a lie. Even his bear was grumbling, trying to rouse himself.

  “I understand. I said I could try to get you some clothes.”

  “That would be great.” He’d been led to believe that most of the men here were rather small. Wearing a shirt and pants made for the average man might prove difficult, but he couldn’t be too picky.

  “I need to go outside to make the call,” Missy said, her words hesitant, almost as if she was considering running. “Cell reception inside the cave is non-existent.”

  He wanted to question her about what she meant by cell reception, but that might lead to her asking him things he wasn’t ready to discuss. “Okay.”

  When his sweet smelling savior turned around and rushed toward the light, he followed her outside, remaining a good distance behind her. All of the women he knew could shift and fight if they were scared, but human women, he was told, had no such skills.

  When she finally reached the forested area and turned toward him, he couldn’t help but stare at her beauty. Her skin looked to be as soft as a doe’s, and the color of her hair was a rich auburn, like the leaves of fall. Missy only came up to his chest, and while she wasn’t slim hipped, he had no doubt he could have picked her up with one arm. Delicate women weren’t something he often encountered, but he definitely found her shape highly stimulating.

  I wonder why, his snarky bear retorted.

  Zane needed his inner bear to go back to sleep. The long rest must have addled his brain. Don’t even start with that mate stuff again. I could never mate with a human.

  Don’t be so sure.

  Zane shut out his bear as the intriguing yet feisty woman pulled out something small and rectangular from her bag. Keeping her gaze on the item, she ran her finger across the surface and then placed it to her ear.

  Her eyes lit up a moment later. “Izzy, I’m so glad I got a hold of you. I need a favor,” she said. “I know you’ll think I’m crazy, but I was picking mushrooms in one of the caves on the south side of town for a potion I need for Anna who has the
flu, when I ran into a disoriented man hiding in the caves.” She lowered her voice. “He’s naked. He said he lost his clothes somehow.” She turned her back to him, but her voice still traveled. “I don’t know if he is. No, I don’t think that would be a good idea. Just listen. All I need is for you to bring me some of Rye’s old clothes. Or better yet, could you send Rye and maybe even Kalan?” She glanced over her shoulder at him and ran her gaze up and down his body. “I’d say he’s about six feet eight.” Her eyes stopped briefly at his cock. “Um…it’s quite thick. I mean he’s quite muscular. Thanks.” She lowered her arm and faced him, still holding the odd device in her palm.

  It must have been the lighting under the canopy of trees, but he swore blue sparks shot off one of her arms when she’d looked him over as she spoke into that little box.

  “Did you find some clothes?” he asked, needing to take his mind off this alluring creature. His body was slowly waking up, which was why he had to keep himself covered with his hands or turn his body to prevent her from seeing his arousal.

  “Yes. My sister said she was confident she could find something to fit you. It will take her at least half an hour to get here though.” Missy lowered her gaze and sucked in a breath. “Your leg is cut. Do you need help?”

  The unfamiliar sympathetic tone cut straight through him. Now that he was mostly awake, he could heal the gouge that sliced him from thigh to knee, as well as the injury to his joints, but if it meant she’d stay around longer, he’d let her look at it. “I’d like that.”

  She opened the bag slung over her shoulder, pulled out something, and then immediately stuffed it back inside. “On second thought, I probably should wait until my sister and her husband arrive.”

  Damn. Zane actually had to work hard not to let his chest cave. She was afraid, but he had no idea how to let her know he’d never harm her. To think he’d been so close to having her trust.

  “No problem. It doesn’t even hurt.” To show her he was no threat, Zane slid down to the ground to wait for her sister to arrive.