Wild: Part 2: Bear Essential Billionaire (werebear romance): Bear Essential Billionaire, #2

By Vivi Anna

**Includes a BONUS STORY**

Part 2 of 3...

Sylvie is on the run again...can Alex make her stay for good?

Bear-shifter Alex Torben likes the quiet life.  He and his family run an adventure camp in the Northern British Columbia wilds, with guests four times a year at most. Away from civilization and complications, it’s the life Alex has always wanted.  It’s a life he’d go to extremes to protect.  All that changes when he finds a tormented young woman with a lot of secrets hiding in his boat…

Running. That’s all Sylvie can think about.  She needs to get as far away as possible before he can find her.  Nothing can protect her from his wrath.  There is no safe place.  But when Alex finds her and offers his help, she thinks maybe there could be some salvation after all.

Also available:

Wild: Part Three

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vivi Anna
• Release date: Aug 20, 2015
• ISBN: 9781516311590

Vivi Anna

A BAD GIRL at heart, Vivi Anna likes to burn up the pages with her original unique brand of fantasy fiction. Whether it's in ancient Egypt, or in an apocalyptic future, Vivi always writes fast paced action-adventure with strong independent women that can kick some butt, and dark delicious heroes to kill for. Once shot at while repossessing a car, Vivi decided that maybe her life needed a change. The first time she picked up a pen and put words to paper, she knew she had found her heart. Within two paragraphs, she realised she could write about getting into all sorts of trouble without suffering the consequences. When Vivi isn't writing, you can find her causing a ruckus at downtown bistros, flea markets, or playgrounds.

Book preview

Chapter One – ALEX

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Jesus Christ!  I jump out of the truck and race after Sylvie into the woods.  She’s surprisingly fast for someone so little.

She runs like the devil is after her, zigzagging left and right avoiding trees, and leaping over fallen logs like an Olympic hurdler.  In the thick fog, it’s difficult to keep track of her.  I can hear her though. Her breath is labored as she sprints through the brush.

Sylvie! I yell.  Stop!

Except she doesn’t.  It seems my voice has prompted her to go even faster.

I pick up my speed, but instead of chasing her directly I sprint a few feet to the right.  I will hopefully outflank her and cut her off before she reaches the river that cuts through this part of the woods.  My fear is that in her state of mind she’ll try and cross it and get caught in the current and be swept downstream.

I hear the river before I see it through the dense bush and thick fog swirling low to the ground.  The air is getting heavier with moisture.  I can feel it on my face and forearms as I sprint through the trees.  There’s a storm in the sky and it’s going to be a downpour for sure.

A flash of movement and color draws my attention.  I turn and dash to the left.  Sylvie is just about at the river.  I grab her around the waist and twirl her around before she can launch off the bank and into the water.

She kicks and struggles in my arms.  Let me go!

What are you running from?

Him!

We’re alone, Sylvie.  It’s just me and you here.  I carry her away from the river.

I saw him, she sobs.  I saw him on the road.

You said you saw a cougar on the road, Sylvie.  Is that what you’re scared of?

She sags in my arms and really starts to cry.  I settle onto the ground and cradle her in my lap.  She wraps her arms around my neck and buries her face into my shoulder.  As she purges, I rub her back and murmur to her.  I’d never felt so much raw emotion before.  It pours out of her like sand through an hourglass.

The first few fat raindrops hit me in the face and I look up at the sky.  I hope that the thick foliage of the trees will protect us from the onslaught I sense is coming.  But my hope is quickly dashed when what seems like buckets pours down on us.  Sylvie gasps as rainwater drenches her almost instantly.

I’m up on my feet, dragging her with me.  I half carry, half drag her back into the woods toward the truck.  It’s slow going because I can’t see a blasted thing in front of me.  The deluge of rain pounding leaves and tree trunks is deafening.  There’s a bright flash in the sky and an instant crack of thunder which makes us both jump.  We’re in a dangerous area for lightning.  There have been a few forest fires started in the past year from violent storms blowing through.

We have to get out of here as quickly as possible, but I can’t carry her without fear of stumbling over something and dropping her, or worse breaking my ankles.  I survey the area around us and don’t see any sort of shelter.  There is something I could do, but there would be no going back after it.  I would be exposing myself completely.  She would see the very root of me.  I’m not sure I can let that happen.  Despite her being my mate, I’m not sure I’m ready.

Another blinding flash above us and a quick crack.  The storm is right on top of us.  I can smell the ozone in the air.  It’s a warning sign of the next bolt, which zips right over our heads.  Static electricity sizzles over my skin.  Lightning strikes a tree within a hundred yards of where we stand.  It splits the trunk in half.

I grab Sylvie and haul her over my shoulder, running as fast as I can back the way we came.  Every minute, I have to wipe my eyes to keep the rain from blinding me.  I weave through the trees, feeling the impact of Sylvie bouncing up and down on my shoulder.  I can just imagine the jolts she must be feeling with my every step.  There’s a downed tree in front of me.  I leap over it without a problem.  It’s my landing that’s shit.

I hear my bone snap before I ever feel it.  Momentum takes me down and Sylvie with it.  I try and not drop her on the forest floor like a duffle bag, but it’s hard when I can’t put any pressure on my left leg.  She lands hard on her back, in a giant mud puddle.  I drop to my knees in the same waterhole.

I reach for her.  Are you okay?

She nods, then looks down at my foot.  You’re bleeding.

There are a few ribbons of red in the puddle.  When the bone snapped it must’ve broken the skin.  There’s no way I’m going to be able to walk out of here on it.  And there’s no way Sylvie can carry me.  I’d be surprised if she even had the physical strength to be my crutch.

What are we going to do?

I look her in the eyes and see a tortured soul but an honest one.  I can’t keep this from her, if we are going to get out of here safely.

Move back, I say.

Why?

Just do it.  I lean forward onto my hands.  And Sylvie, whatever you see, don’t run.

What do you mean? What’s going on?

I don’t answer her.  I close my eyes and force the shift upon me.  I don’t have time to strip off my clothes.  That would probably scare her more than what’s going to happen.  It’s the only way I can heal the bone and carry her back to the truck.  That’s if she doesn’t run away in absolute fear and disgust of what is about to transpire in front of her.

Once, I had Riley film me shift.  I’ve see my brothers and my father shift many times, but I’ve always wanted to know what I looked like morphing from man to bear.  It wasn’t pretty.  In fact, it was grotesque and not for someone with a weak constitution or stomach.  I figured Sylvie didn’t have a weak bone in her body.

I try to keep my eyes on her as my body changes.  At first she looks like she’s going to bolt or get sick.  She crouches up against a tree, her eyes wide.  Then I think maybe shock has kicked in because she doesn’t move, doesn’t even flinch as my bones snap and elongate and hair spikes through every skin pore like an overgrown Chia pet on steroids.

I can’t watch her for long though as my face expands and my nose pushes out into a snout.  As my eyes shift I clamp them shut.  It’s too painful otherwise.  When it’s all done, I shake my massive form from snout to tail.  It feels good to stretch out those muscles.  I see my shredded clothing beneath me.  It’s amazing how many pairs of jeans and t-shirts I go through.  Our family alone could keep Levi Strauss in business.

When I turn to look at Sylvie, I give her a gruff snort.  She gets to her feet, nearly falls over, then holds herself steady by the tree next to her.  There is definitely fear there.  I can smell it beyond the odor of rain.  But there’s something else there too.  Curiosity maybe?

Finally she shakes her head.  I knew it.  I knew I wasn’t dreaming.

I huff at her again, letting her know I understand what she’s saying.

Can you understand me?

I move my big head up and down, like I’m nodding.

She smiles.  Wow.  Just wow.

Another crack of lightning flashes nearby reminding me of the danger we’re still in.  I move toward her.  She reaches out to me, and I nuzzle her hand, tapping it upward.  I hope she gets what I need her to do. But she just continues to pat me on my head, like a pet.  This wouldn’t annoy me so much if we didn’t need to get the hell out of here.

I push her hand away, then get lower to the ground in front of her.

Do you...do you want me to get on you?

I huff as an affirmative answer.

She slowly grabs hold of the fur around my neck and kicks a leg over my back.  I need her to hurry, but I don’t want her to fall off when I run either because it’s going to be one hell of a bumpy ride.  I give her the time to get on me securely.

When I feel her firmly spread eagle across my back, I push up to my full height. She sways a little, but then grabs hold of my ears tightly.  Another dangerous lightning bolt spears the sky and I start to move. At first I amble slowly, making sure she has got a hold of me. Then I take off.

I bound through the trees.  As I do, Sylvie completely presses her body to mine, wrapping her arms around my neck, gripping my fur tight.  I can’t imagine the ride is pleasant for her, but it beats the alternative, being stuck in a storm with no shelter to speak of.

I run at full speed and it takes me a mere fifteen minutes to reach the truck.  When we get there, Sylvie slides off me and I collapse to the ground.  My leg is not as