Bear King's Curves: A BBW Werebear Shifter Romance by A.T. Mitchell

listened to him snoring as I got up,
grabbed a pillow from the couch, and tucked it underneath his chubby
head.
    He smacked his lips, whining like a grizzly who'd just
come across some sour berries in the forest.
    “ Thanks for the kind words, old buddy.” I
patted him on the shoulder. “If I was Alpha, I wouldn't have to
do what I'm about to do next...”

    I saw Lyla's silhouette in the basement window.
    She was exactly where I thought she'd be, up against the
wall near storage. Victor sat across from her, the handgun in his
lap, scratching at his stubby bald head.
    I suppressed a growl and rounded the corner, looking for
the nearest entrance. The Executive Office had a couple old doors
from its time when the US Air Force used this place as housing for
local staff.
    The doors stuck out like a sore thumb. They'd been
sloppily thrown into uneven passages to conform with US safety
regulations. Not something that ever mattered to the Klamath bears
who'd built this place, and later restored it.
    I found the small silver knob and yanked as hard as I
could. Didn't budge.
    “ Damn!” I muttered, gathering all my
strength.
    I had to be careful. I was sure I could bust the door
open, but tearing in too loud might alert the asshole holding Lyla
hostage.
    Grab it with both hands. Brace your feet. On three...
    One...two...three!
    I pulled. As expected, the rotten hinges snapped, even
more easily than I'd expected. One jerk of grizzly strength took the
door clean off.
    I stuck my head in and listened closely. No footsteps or
voices. The Gods gave us small favors sometimes, didn't they?
    Propping the door up behind me, I crept in, making a
dead target for the basement where they were holding Lyla. It was
strange to be after her again, stealthier than ever, and this time
not as a killer.
    I was going to save her. I had to.
    This woman intrigued both sides of my soul, man and
bear. No, not just the wild curves she had either.
    Her scent, her eyes, the way she tossed her hair when
she sassed me back...
    For a human, she wasn't afraid of me. She tempted and
teased the bear inside me in a way no female bear or half-blood ever
had.
    Better pay attention, I told myself, rounding the corner. You want to keep on
claiming her, don't you?
    I came a couple feet from them, just around the bend,
and stopped. It was time.
    The anger prickling up inside me exploded. I dropped to
my hands and knees, bursting my clothes, growling the entire time.
    Bones cracked, rearranging themselves. Dark brown hair
burst out around my pores, and so did razor sharp claws.
    The transformation only took a few seconds in all. But I
needed every precious second. I intended to catch that bastard by
surprise and make him pay for what he'd done.
    “ Tunder!” Victor squeaked the name when saw
me.
    His gun clattered to the floor. Nobody knew better how
useless handguns were on a full sized grizzly than our kind.
    He dropped, his fight-or-flight engaged, shifting to
save his own ass. I was on him before he fully ballooned in size and
ripped out of his clothes.
    I dug my claws in, reaching to get a tight hold on his
half-furry back. The creature beneath me screamed, a bloodcurdling
roar of rage and pain that echoed through the whole basement. It was
almost loud enough to drown out Lyla's own shrieks.
    Hearing her terror sent more fire pounding through my
heart. I pushed, fatally embracing my enemy.
    I lunged at him with my mouth, getting a good hold of
his jaw. If he'd still been in human form, I would've severed his
jugular.
    Too late.
    Now fully changed, Victor pushed back. He was powerful,
just like any bear, but I was bigger and younger as a man and a
beast.
    Ignoring the claws ripping at my sides, I tightened my
hold, going straight for his face. My jaws caught his snout and began
to shred his fat, leathery nose.
    I held his mouth shut as he tried to scream. Pain,
anger, and raw fear blasted out of him. My bear tasted long overdue
blood and rejoiced.
    This is for the