Taken by the Bear Read online

  EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2018 Stacey Espino

  ISBN: 978-1-77339-706-1

  Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

  Editor: Audrey Bobak

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  TAKEN BY THE BEAR

  Feral Instincts, 2

  Stacey Espino

  Copyright © 2018

  Chapter One

  The helicopter blades whizzed above her as she ducked down and rushed in the open door. There were six in their group, plus their leader and pilot. She pulled the collar of her coat higher once she sat safely in her seat. Callie hadn’t expected minus twenty temperatures in early June, even if it was Alaska.

  “Buckle up,” shouted the pilot. Callie had never been in a helicopter. Hell, everything she’d experienced over the past week had been checkmarks off her bucket list.

  As the helicopter left the ground, she held her breath and grabbed the edges of her seat. Even though she was nervous, she wanted to enjoy every minute of this adventure. These memories had to last a lifetime. The evergreen forest spread out as far as the eye could see. Mists filled the low valleys and snow covered the high mountains in the distance. They were in the middle of nowhere, untouched wilderness in every direction. She stared out the windows, a sense of awe filling her heart and soul. Soon she’d have to go back to her real life. Like Cinderella, her fantasy couldn’t last forever.

  Callie worked as a personal support worker in an inner city nursing home. She gave the residents the love they deserved, which wasn’t easy with the hectic schedules they were expected to keep. There had been a ninety-two year old man who appreciated her efforts so much that he left her something in his will and testament. Robert Williams had always talked about Alaska when she visited his room over the past seven years. He was a skilled storyteller, and she could feel his love for the land through his words. The gift he gave her was an Alaskan cruise with an adventure tour. He’d wanted to give her a little piece of his heart.

  She was dirt broke from humble beginnings, so an all-expenses paid vacation was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The cruise had been breathtakingly beautiful, and now she planned to savor the last part of her journey. The helicopter ride would give them a scenic view from above, then bring them to the mountains for a beginner’s hike and climb.

  Only five others from the cruise registered for the adventure. Most of them were older and stayed on the boat. She’d kept to herself for most of the trip because the other guests and couples looked down on her, even whispering behind her back like spoiled children. Just because they had money to flaunt didn’t give them the right to treat her like a second-class citizen, but she refused to allow it to ruin her good mood. And telling them to “fuck off” may not go over so well.

  “We’re heading down,” said the group leader. He sat up front with the pilot, and she had no doubt he was a local. His thick red-plaid jacket reminded her of a lumberjack. The helicopter made its decent into the snowy mountains. No sign of civilization anywhere. They finally set down in a small clearing, and were ushered out one by one.

  It was cool and crisp outside, the rich scent of black earth and pine infused in the air. The leader gathered them at a safe distance from the helicopter where they could all hear him. Callie would remember that ride for the rest of her life. The sights were burned into her memory and etched on her heart. She wished Mr. Williams had been alive to take the trip with her.

  “Welcome. My name’s Bastian, and I’ll be your guide. I’ve been doing this tour for about twenty years, so you’re in good hands.” His voice was deep to match his size.

  “Are there wild animals in there?” asked one of the men, pointing to the dense bush to the right.

  Bastian smirked. “There are definitely wild animals, but they’ll keep away. I’ve never lost a guest … yet,” he teased. Chuckles came from the crowd. “We’ll be meeting up with more of my crew a few miles in.”

  Everyone followed him, keeping single file. Callie got pushed to the back of the line. The forest was thick with underbrush, making trudging through a challenge. Some burrs clung to her sleeve, and she attempted to pluck them off as she tried to keep up. They weren’t given a break until they reached the rest of the crew a few miles in.

  Three other men waited for them, and they were just as big as the leader. Tall, broad shoulders, and thick. They started giving safety talks, telling them what to expect, and what they may see on the trails. The speech began to drone out as Callie focused on her surroundings instead of their voices.

  “Bored?”

  Callie spun around, her cheeks heating with embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I’ll pay better attention.” The group leader towered over her, his arms crossed over his chest.

  “Don’t worry about it. I’d be bored listening to him, too.” He didn’t give her much personal space. “I can give you the short version, if you like.”

  “Sure, that would be great.”

  “This far off the grid, the main thing you have to worry about is bears. This time of year, they’re hungry and many females have young cubs.”

  She couldn’t speak. There was no humor in his voice, and she really didn’t want to end up bear fodder.

  “Unmated males will be searching for a mate.”

  “I think I’m safe there. I’m not a bear.” She felt the need to toss in a bit of humor because his intensity was freaking her out a bit.

  “Oh, you’re not safe at all. Not in the slightest.”

  A strong hand came down on his shoulder from behind. “Bastian. The group.”

  He frowned, then headed back with the other man, but he kept looking over his shoulder at her. If her nerves hadn’t been frayed, she might be a little turned on. He didn’t have the classic good looks she’d see on magazine covers, but he had a rugged sex appeal that made her take notice.

  They continued their trek, going downhill toward a freshwater river. She couldn’t wait to see it. Apparently it was rife with salmon. Two men led, and two came up the rear.

  By the way the two tour guides behind her were talking, she gauged something was wrong. Their tones were concerned, a sense of urgency in their words. She tried to listen to what they were saying, but the crunch of leaves and conversations from the group made it nearly impossible.

  “I don’t like it,” said one of the men.

  “It can end up badly. Keep alert.”

  Her heart began to race. If the men in charge of the expedition had concern, that didn’t look good for the group. Her thoughts drifted to bears, wolves, and crazy bushmen with machetes.

  They all spread out when they reached the steep part of the hill. She grabbed branches and roots, her insulated rubber boots slipping on the slick earth. A woman squealed. A couple men cursed. The descent didn’t feel like a beginner trail, but she’d never done anything like this before. The farther she got, the louder the sound of the river became.

  “Don’t fall.” It was him. Bastian. He traversed the hill with ease, holding out his arm for her to grab. The other guests had spouses or friends, but she was still flattered he’d only offered to help her. It felt good to hold him, and she didn’t hesitate when she was already shaky on her feet. His body was like an anchor, solid and capable. When she lost her footing again, she wrapped her ar
ms around his waist on instinct. His arm came down around her back, holding her close. “I’ve got you.”

  She looked up to see his face. His rough stubble and full lips caught her attention. Was she staring? His eyes were hooded and too dark to even see his pupils. He had an old scar on one side of his face but it only added to his masculine appeal. The man looked like a seasoned warrior. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  I totally have a crush on this guy.

  He still hadn’t let her go. She slid her arms away from his sides, resting them on his chest. His pecs were rock hard, his shoulders massively broad. The man was built like a linebacker.

  “What’s your name?” he asked.

  “Callie.”

  “You’re all by yourself here, aren’t you?”

  She nodded.

  “Even better. Stay close to me and I’ll keep you safe.”

  Her heart did a little flip. “That’s sounds good. I’m not very good at this hiking stuff after all.”

  “You just need practice. The forest has a lot of secrets. A lot to teach you.”

  “Will you help me?”

  What I am I doing? Flirting? Falling for a guy thousands of miles from home? I should know better than this.

  He nudged her chin up. “One look from those pretty green eyes and I’m ready to move heaven and hell.”

  “Bastian!” A member of his crew called up from the bottom of the hill. In fact, everyone was way ahead of them. She hadn’t realized how long they’d been standing there together, in their own bubble of space and time.

  It was stupid for her to allow herself to conjure up fairy tale endings when she was very far from home. This man may as well live on the moon, because Alaska seemed just as far.

  ****

  His packmates were grating on his fucking nerves. He knew exactly what they were trying to do, and he wanted no part of it. They wanted him to stay away from their guest, the girl with the green eyes. It wasn’t like he hit on every woman passing through on their tour. She was the first.

  Callie was his.

  They made it safely to the river, the fresh water rushing by. The sound had always soothed him. He’d been coming to this river since he was a cub. The tourists were busy looking around and bending by the riverbank to wash their hands.

  Ranger and Drake cornered him, and he wasn’t in the mood to hear their nagging. “Problem?”

  “You know exactly what the damn problem is, Bastian. We’ve been running this business since we were kids. You going to throw it away for a piece of pussy?” asked Ranger.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Drake scowled. “It’ll only take one complaint for them to shut us down. You know they’re just looking for an excuse.”

  “This has nothing to do with either of you.”

  “If you haven’t noticed, she’s human. Like one hundred percent human,” said Ranger.

  He threw his arms up. “You’re both crazy.” Bastian shoved them aside and made his way to the group.

  “Stay away from the human,” Ranger called out to him.

  He ignored them both. Ranger was his brother. Drake and Coben were childhood friends working for them. Bastian and Ranger had taken over the family business when their father passed away, and they’d been running it ever since. For bear shifters living off the grid in Alaska, a helicopter and tour business was the logical choice. It gave them a taste of humanity and provided plenty of cash. They had no desire to live completely feral, forgetting their human halves.

  Bastian enjoyed both worlds. As much as he relished shifting into his bear, he also loved the king-sized bed in his cabin. He’d never really thought about a mate. Being the eldest brother, procreation should have been on his mind—especially at forty-four. But it wasn’t. It was in his nature to be solitary, and being alone had never bothered him.

  Things changed today when he scented her.

  He’d felt something off as soon as she entered the helicopter earlier, but he’d dismissed it. When he was near her before the hike, all bets were off. He didn’t give a fuck what his friends or brother thought. She was going to be his. There was no way she was leaving the mountain with the rest of the group. Every territorial instinct demanded Callie stay under his watch.

  Bastian should care about the business. He should care about their reputation. Only he didn’t. The pull to keep the human was stronger than logic.

  Why had the gods sent him a human mate? Did it even matter?

  He found Callie on her knees, reaching for a wild flower floating by on the current. Without a second thought, he stepped into the water at the edge of the river and scooped the flower up in his hand. His black rubber boots kept the water out, and the icy cold didn’t bother him.

  Bastian held out his palm to her. She looked up from under those thick lashes, staring for a minute before reaching for it.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  He squatted down next to her on the bank. “I’ll give you anything you want,” he said. “You’re worth more than all the flowers in Alaska.” It was no lie. Bastian was ready to do whatever it took to keep his new mate happy. And he knew he had a long road.

  Her sweet scent made his cock hard. His feral instincts threatened to take over. He wanted to strip her naked and fuck her right beside the river. His bear was completely lost, already fully committed to a woman it didn’t know existed yesterday.

  His brother’s voice kept creeping into his thoughts, like a fucking devil on his shoulder. There was no way Ranger would support him on this. She was human and one of their tourists, which always meant hands-off.

  But Bastian was the eldest. He called the shots. And nobody would change his mind on this. It was already a done deal in his head.

  Coben started giving the tourists the usual speech about the history of the land, the climate and wildlife. Bastian could recite it by heart after all these years, but today his focus was on Callie. He’d existed for the past forty-four years, satisfied with little complaint. But that was exactly what his life had been—existence. Every day the same, nothing giving him purpose.

  Now his eyes were opened and he wanted more, wanted it all. He finally understood the desire for a mate and children. His bear was in complete agreement, and he’d never felt so in tune with both halves of himself.

  The group began to follow his friends as they continued their hike along the river. There would be an amateur climb and then the helicopter would meet them at the second location at the crest of the next low-lying mountain. Bastian would allow the guests to return to the cruise ship port, except Callie. He only had a few hours to convince a virtual stranger that she belonged with him, beside him and in his bed.

  Not to mention he was a grizzly bear shifter.

  “It’s beautiful here,” said Callie. “But cold.”

  He’d been walking at the back of the group alongside her. “It gets much warmer. We’ve had a bit of a cold snap. You’ll get used to it quickly.”

  “Well, I leave tomorrow. Unfortunately.”

  “Unfortunately?”

  She turned to him and smiled. A sad smile. “No one wants to go home from a vacation, right?” Callie ran a hand through her hair, then stopped to roll it into a makeshift bun. She was stunning. She trudged along next to him through the overgrown paths, occasionally reaching out to him for balance.

  These cruises and tours weren’t cheap, so she must have a lot to go back to. Maybe a man? He needed to find out a lot without appearing like a stalker. He wanted to know everything about her. She’d suddenly become the center of his universe, and he wasn’t prepared for any of this.

  “Then stay,” he said. “Don’t go back.”

  She giggled. “Wouldn’t that be nice? Maybe if I was a millionaire, but I have no money. This entire trip was a gift.”

  His curiosity was piqued. “So you’d stay if you could?”

  “Why not? A little adventure would do me good. What about you? Do you have dreams of leaving A
laska?”

  He shook his head. “This is the only home I know. There’s no other place for someone like me.”

  “I don’t have a connection to the city I live in. My job keeps me grounded, that’s about it.”

  “No family? No husband?”

  “Just me.”

  He wished she’d elaborate, but he didn’t push for more just yet. Bastian was just pleased there was no other man to compete with. He wanted her covered in his scent, so there would be no mistaking who she belonged to now.

  “What do you do for a living?”

  “I’m a PSW. I take of the elderly,” she said. “I try my best to make a difference, but like everything else in the city, it’s too fast-paced.”

  She cared for others. He’d made a good choice. His mother had been a healer, and she would have adored Callie. If only she were still here.

  “You’re a good woman. With a kind heart,” he said. She tripped on a root, and he grabbed her arm to right her before she fell forward. Her bun unrolled, her hair falling over on shoulder. He instinctively tucked it behind her ear, mesmerized by her beauty.

  “Thank you. Again.”

  “That’s my job.”

  She bit her lip and held eye contact. “And here I thought I was special.”

  “You have no idea.”

  Bastian was alpha in his family, the eldest son, and he’d just chosen a mate.

  Chapter Two

  He was totally flirting with her.

  Callie hadn’t even tried dating for years, too overworked, and sick of the losers out there. She wasn’t going to settle for anyone just to say she wasn’t alone. The men she’d gone out with in the past had left a lot to be desired, leaving her wondering if anyone would ever live up to her dreams. She was thirty-two now, her virginity a distant, blurred memory, and she didn’t have much to offer.