Bear Fire: Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (BBW) (Pine Ridge BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance Series Book 4) by Belinda Meyers
Authors: Belinda Meyers
Ads: Link
gave him
hope.
“Really?” she said.
He cupped her cheek with his hand.
“Really.”
She brought his palm to her lips
and kissed it. “Okay, then,” she said. “I’ll tell you my story. If you want to
know.”
He made himself nod, feeling as he
did his heart buck against his ribs. Somehow he knew what he was about to hear
was important. Maybe super important. It might—shit, he knew it would—change his life forever.
A weak, sad smile hovered at her
lips, then faded. “Matt,” she said softly, “I’m a shifter, too.”
He grunted in surprise. “Really? I
didn't smell anything. Weird. What kind?”
That sad smile came again, then
just as quickly vanished. “Dragon.”
He rocked back. “Dragon?”
She flipped onto her back and
stared up at the ceiling. Propping himself up on his elbow, he laid himself
sideways to regard her.
“Well, part dragon,” she amended.
“Like, a small part. It was my grandmother who was a full dragon shifter. My
grandfather was human, and he never Turned. And none of their kids were
shifters, either. But one of their kids had me. By that time the blood was
thin, diluted, and I could never shift completely. But I could make wings pop
out on my back, and I could … well, I could breathe fire.”
Matt whooped, then put a hand over
his mouth (in case of a golem) and whooped more softly. “That’s awesome!”
“I’m glad you think so. My father
and mother were horrified, especially after I set the kitchen on fire one day.
I was just trying to toast bread with my breath.” She smiled sheepishly. “It
got toasted, all right.”
“Ha! You go, girl!”
“Anyway, I grew up trying to keep
it a secret. And trying not to scorch Judith Eans’s hair when she called me
Baby No-Breasts. Or sometimes No Bump.”
“Ouch.” Matt grinned and let his
gaze stray to Jackie’s generous bosom. “Well, you showed her eventually.”
Jackie cleared her throat, drawing
his eyes to hers again, but she did it with a pleased-looking smile. “Well, all
the while I knew my grandmother had a terrible enemy. She loved me more than
any of her other grandkids, and she took me deep into her confidence. She told
me all about this evil mage named Walsh and how he’d made war upon her and her
kind for hundreds of years.”
“He’s immortal?”
She winced. “Kind of. See, he uses
his powers to steal the …” Jackie swallowed, and Matt could tell that what she
was about to say next was key. Starting over, she said, “He uses his powers to
steal the fire from dragons. When that happens, it’s like he takes their souls.
He breaks them somehow. In here.” She tapped her chest. “They can never Shift
again. But he can use that fire to lengthen his own life.”
“Like a vampire.”
“Yes. Something like that. Well, he
had a grudge against my grandmother’s clan—my clan—because one of them had
wounded him long ago. Scorched his arm before he could steal that dragon’s
fire. He’s still burned to this day. None of his magic could heal the wound,
and his right arm is twisted and shriveled.”
“Serves him right.”
“My grandmother told me all this
when I was very young, and growing up I would always keep my eyes open for some
sinister figure with a twisted arm lurking around the playgrounds and malls.”
Matt swore under his breath. “He
was your boogeyman.”
“Exactly.” Jackie nodded, satisfied
that he got it. “Well, one day when I was about sixteen and just learning to
control my powers Walsh did find me. I was coming home from a date—my
second-ever date, with Jimmy Gottlieb; he was so cute in that blue blazer—to
find Walsh waiting for me outside my parents’ house. I was coming up the
walkway to the front door—alone, Jimmy had gone—when Walsh just sort of …
materialized. I don’t know if he was hiding behind a bush or using his powers
to cloak himself, but he just appeared. Instantly I knew who he must be. He was
dressed elegantly, but his right arm was in
hope.
“Really?” she said.
He cupped her cheek with his hand.
“Really.”
She brought his palm to her lips
and kissed it. “Okay, then,” she said. “I’ll tell you my story. If you want to
know.”
He made himself nod, feeling as he
did his heart buck against his ribs. Somehow he knew what he was about to hear
was important. Maybe super important. It might—shit, he knew it would—change his life forever.
A weak, sad smile hovered at her
lips, then faded. “Matt,” she said softly, “I’m a shifter, too.”
He grunted in surprise. “Really? I
didn't smell anything. Weird. What kind?”
That sad smile came again, then
just as quickly vanished. “Dragon.”
He rocked back. “Dragon?”
She flipped onto her back and
stared up at the ceiling. Propping himself up on his elbow, he laid himself
sideways to regard her.
“Well, part dragon,” she amended.
“Like, a small part. It was my grandmother who was a full dragon shifter. My
grandfather was human, and he never Turned. And none of their kids were
shifters, either. But one of their kids had me. By that time the blood was
thin, diluted, and I could never shift completely. But I could make wings pop
out on my back, and I could … well, I could breathe fire.”
Matt whooped, then put a hand over
his mouth (in case of a golem) and whooped more softly. “That’s awesome!”
“I’m glad you think so. My father
and mother were horrified, especially after I set the kitchen on fire one day.
I was just trying to toast bread with my breath.” She smiled sheepishly. “It
got toasted, all right.”
“Ha! You go, girl!”
“Anyway, I grew up trying to keep
it a secret. And trying not to scorch Judith Eans’s hair when she called me
Baby No-Breasts. Or sometimes No Bump.”
“Ouch.” Matt grinned and let his
gaze stray to Jackie’s generous bosom. “Well, you showed her eventually.”
Jackie cleared her throat, drawing
his eyes to hers again, but she did it with a pleased-looking smile. “Well, all
the while I knew my grandmother had a terrible enemy. She loved me more than
any of her other grandkids, and she took me deep into her confidence. She told
me all about this evil mage named Walsh and how he’d made war upon her and her
kind for hundreds of years.”
“He’s immortal?”
She winced. “Kind of. See, he uses
his powers to steal the …” Jackie swallowed, and Matt could tell that what she
was about to say next was key. Starting over, she said, “He uses his powers to
steal the fire from dragons. When that happens, it’s like he takes their souls.
He breaks them somehow. In here.” She tapped her chest. “They can never Shift
again. But he can use that fire to lengthen his own life.”
“Like a vampire.”
“Yes. Something like that. Well, he
had a grudge against my grandmother’s clan—my clan—because one of them had
wounded him long ago. Scorched his arm before he could steal that dragon’s
fire. He’s still burned to this day. None of his magic could heal the wound,
and his right arm is twisted and shriveled.”
“Serves him right.”
“My grandmother told me all this
when I was very young, and growing up I would always keep my eyes open for some
sinister figure with a twisted arm lurking around the playgrounds and malls.”
Matt swore under his breath. “He
was your boogeyman.”
“Exactly.” Jackie nodded, satisfied
that he got it. “Well, one day when I was about sixteen and just learning to
control my powers Walsh did find me. I was coming home from a date—my
second-ever date, with Jimmy Gottlieb; he was so cute in that blue blazer—to
find Walsh waiting for me outside my parents’ house. I was coming up the
walkway to the front door—alone, Jimmy had gone—when Walsh just sort of …
materialized. I don’t know if he was hiding behind a bush or using his powers
to cloak himself, but he just appeared. Instantly I knew who he must be. He was
dressed elegantly, but his right arm was in
Similar Books
