Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 28144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 141(@200wpm)___ 113(@250wpm)___ 94(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 141(@200wpm)___ 113(@250wpm)___ 94(@300wpm)
A string of mistakes has landed Tatum alone, lost, and hungry. But Fate has a funny way of granting exactly what he needs when he’s delivered into a handsome stranger’s arms. The man immediately cares for him without question, but Tatum worries that will change when Weldon learns what brought them together in the first place. But the secrets he’s been hiding may be exactly what Weldon has been waiting for.
*This fluffy book contains a sexy bear shifter, age play, fated mates, sweet moments, and steamy scenes. My stories are low angst and insta-love. They follow relationships on the fast track, and have very happy HEAs!
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Chapter One
Weldon
Twigs snapped beneath my large paws as I made my way through the forest. I wasn’t traveling along one of the normal paths I’d beaten down over the years, so the ground was overgrown and rough.
But even though I didn't wander this way often, I knew every step of this land I had inhabited for decades. I wasn't exactly wandering, however; I was headed towards a specific location…I just didn't know where it was.
I was following the pull of my keen bear senses, which had never led me wrong. And usually, they led me to a trespasser. Even though my land was marked as private property, hikers still managed to stumble upon it. Most times, it was an honest accident. And very rarely, someone needed assistance.
Which is why I was clutching a backpack between my teeth. The bag held a change of clothes inside. If I ran across a hiker, I would shift back into my human form and get dressed before approaching them. Clothing didn’t fit my animal body, so I was always nude when I shifted. I didn't want to upset anyone, since some people found my bare ass more off putting than my bear ass.
Any time I found someone, if the hikers were up to no good, I would stay in animal form, and they'd receive a menacing growl to frighten them away. But if the trespassers appeared friendly and I was in a good mood, I'd let them take a few photos of me in bear form before I'd slip away and shift to speak with them to give them directions off of my property.
Usually, I had an indication of what awaited me. I could feel in the pit of my gut if someone was in trouble or if they were causing it. But today, I couldn't get a good read. All I knew was that I needed to keep moving.
That need escalated as I climbed a small hill. Something was luring me forward, and putting urgency into my steps. I moved quicker, my heavy paws slapping the ground and my claws digging into the dirt.
My breaths came faster, and a delectable scent hit my nostrils. It was sweeter than anything I'd ever smelled before. My mouth watered. My pulse raced. I had to find its source.
My nose led me to a tall oak tree. Its autumn leaves were beautiful shades of red and orange, but it didn't look any different from the ones surrounding it. It was different though; I could both sense and smell it.
I dropped my bag to the ground and stood up onto my back legs, digging my front claws into the tree's bark. I stretched my neck for a better sniff of the intoxicating aroma. I couldn't see amongst the thick branches and leaves, but something wonderful was up there. I licked my lips and lifted one back leg to begin climbing the trunk when a small voice froze me in place.
“Please,” it begged shakily, “Please don't eat me.”
My ears twitched, funneling in the precious sound. My nose went into overdrive, sniffing the sweet breeze as jubilant realization struck me; I'd been tracking my mate. The man I'd been waiting my whole life for, yet doubted I'd ever find, was mere feet above me. Granted, he was hiding from me in a tree, terrified I was going to eat him, but it was still a magical moment.
I hated to leave him, but not many humans knew of the shifter race. I didn't want to frighten him more by turning from a bear to a man before his eyes. So, I lowered myself to the ground, snatched my bag with my teeth, and hurried off to hide behind a closeby tree with a wide trunk.
My shift began; my claws retracted as my paws transformed into hands. My bones popped as my skeleton realigned and my skull morphed shapes. My wiry fur retreated, though I still had a layer of hair coating my thick body.
I unzipped the backpack and pulled on a pair of dark jeans and a cream sweater to block against the nip in the air. I skipped my socks, and shoved my bare feet into a pair of boots, not even bothering to tie the laces so that I could hurry back to my mate.
I quickly reached the tree once more, peering into the leaves. But before I could say anything, his voice called out to me, “Be careful! There's a bear running around out here. He might try to eat you! He tried to eat me!”
He was sweet to warn me, though he had no reason to fear. That bear would never hurt him, and would take down anyone who tried. “He was probably just curious,” I tried to soothe. “I'm sure he didn't want to eat you.”
“Oh, yes he did! He was big and fat and looked hungry!”