Montana Wild Bears: Books 1-4 Bundle (BBW Paranormal Werebear Shape Shifter Romance Boxed Set) (15 page)

Julian could feel the shift coming over him and he only had enough time to pull away from Susie a bit before he turned. She yelped in fright, grasping for her t-shirt just as Julian’s big bear filled the small living room of her family home. A sickening crack resounded, followed by Susie screaming in pain and clutching her arm. The couch and the coffee table were turned into a pile of trash as Julian tried to find a place in the room where he wouldn’t break anything. Susie stared at him with eyes full of anguish, her arm bent at an awkward angle – he had accidentally stepped on it as he was backing away.

Julian shook his head, draining the glass again. The rest had gone by in a blur. He’d needed a few minutes to calm down and change back, but there was little he could do after that. Her arm was broken and she needed to see a doctor, so he had driven her to Bear’s Grove.  Her parents had shown up soon after and Julian had been properly mortified at the situation. Susie’s mother was hysterical and her father glared at him like he’d just ran her over with his truck. After that, he had vouched to himself that he’d never let his bear hurt anyone he loved again, which had meant that his bear needed to be repressed.

He’d stopped seeing Susie, even if she said repeatedly that she forgave him and she knew he didn’t want to hurt her. Even worse, he’d stopped shifting altogether, alienating himself from his brothers and father. His mother understood him, and his sister Jacqueline had stood somewhere between the two extremes, but it scantly mattered. There was nothing for him in Montana anymore, and as soon as he finished school, he packed his truck and got out of there. It was too painful being so close to Susie and to his roots, knowing that it wasn’t safe for him to give in to his animal side. Maybe one day, but not then. That day had never come and Julian wasn’t sure if he was ready for it even now.

He stared at the fire, which was starting to die down. His lips were pressed into a thin line.

Can you be sure she’s safe with you now?
Julian asked himself. He’d been with plenty of women since Susie, but they had scantly mattered to him. No one made him feel, made him react like she did. Even at her cottage, he’d felt his rational mind quiet down and his emotions take over. He had not planned on asking her out, but seeing her face-to-face had given him no choice. Julian had to have her, if only for a moment. He’d just have to make sure that his bear knew who was in control this time.

“Well, guess I need to find a phone now,” Julian said to himself, scraping himself off the couch with a weary sigh. His stomach was in knots at the thought of taking Susie out, considering all they’d been through before. But he couldn’t help himself. His bear was so certain that she was the mate meant for them, and if he’d learned one thing during his business ventures, then it was to never doubt his instincts. They were never wrong.

CHAPTER FIVE

“What the hell, Julian!” Susie exclaimed with a gasp, clutching his arm as a black helicopter descended down onto the parking lot in front of her diner. Curious faces were gathering on the windows and doors, the patrons of the diner all curious to see what kind of antics the Arder boy was getting into again. He’d always been the one with the tricks up his sleeves, a lot more carefree than his down to earth brothers, and that had earned him the reputation of one of the local favorites. The fact that he was the former sweetheart of Susannah Maple didn’t hurt either. His return had caused quite a stir, and Susie wasn’t sure whether the chopper was more for show or function – Julian had always loved a good performance. Now he just had the means to put on his owns.

“A car wouldn’t get us where I want to take you, that’s all,” he said, flashing that devilish grin at her. He put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into him. Susie’s breath caught in her chest, feeling the warmth and tightness of his body. He walked her towards the chopper, a door opening to accept them. Julian helped her in, and she tossed one look over her shoulder, catching Alice’s beaming face and her encouraging thumbs-up. Susie hadn’t quite been prepared for the kind of antics the middle Arder was now capable of, and she was beginning to wonder if she’d maybe bit off more than she could chew.

The door latched shut and Julian put a pair of headphones on her head. He took her bag from her hands and set it down next to a big picnic basket sitting between the two facing seats. With a motion of his hand, he told the pilot to take off again, and Susie’s stomach dropped through the floor as she felt the iron beast climb into the sky. She watched in wide-eyed surprise as the diner grew smaller and smaller until it was just a speck in the distance, the helicopter heading towards the mountains with a dizzying whir.

“I thought we could fly over Bear’s Grove and some of the mountains before going where I was planning to go. I don’t think you’ve really seen Montana before you’ve seen it from up here.” Julian took her hands in his again, and Susie felt another shudder in addition to the one the flight was giving her. She tried to keep from looking into his eyes, certain that otherwise she wouldn’t look anywhere else but at him for the rest of the flight.

The scenery took her breath away just as he had. The Cabinet Mountains loomed at each angle, snow-tipped peaks set apart from one another by deep, green valleys. The helicopter was taking a wide, rolling path through the nearby mountains, Susie knowing all of them as the backdrop of her life. Now, she was given a chance to see them up close, and it was a sight that wouldn’t soon be forgotten. She hadn’t noticed it until the chopper started slowing down and heading for a ledge off of one of the mountains, but she had been clutching Julian’s hands tightly, her nails digging into his skin. Susie let go of his hands with a start, and the man chuckled in reply, shaking his head.

“Don’t worry about it, Susie. Ready for our date?” he asked, the helicopter seconds from touching down on the ledge overlooking Bear’s Grove and the valley it sat in. Instead of replying, Susie grabbed the handle of the picnic basket and jumped out as soon as the door opened, a big grin on her lips.

“More than ready,” she chirped, leaving the headphones on the seat. Julian scrambled out after her, grabbing Susie’s bag and another bag he had brought with him. The helicopter took off, the pilot waving to both of them and leaving Julian with a conspiratory wink. Susie had to swallow the knowing smirk she felt brimming in her. Leave it to Julian to find a way to seclude himself from the world in the most spectacular way possible.

Susie dropped the basket and walked closer to the steep ledge, wrapping her arms around her. She had worn a thick jacket, preferring to prepare for anything instead of expecting Julian to be demure in his plans. The tall man came up behind her and carefully slipped his arms around her from behind, enveloping her in his warmth. She felt positively tiny next to him, her ample curves seeming barely enough next to his 6’7’’ stand and broad shoulders. He leant in a little and she could feel his breath tickling her neck, making her giggle – a noise she hardly ever emitted.

“What do you think of the view?” he asked. She cast a long look across the rolling mountains and the lush greenery below them, Yellowhead River snaking just past Bear’s Grove. She could almost make out the red roof of her diner, but only just. The pilot had taken on a long looping path through the wild Cabinet Mountains, but brought them pretty close to home at the end.

“I think it’s gorgeous. Thank you for bringing me here,” she said, glancing up at the blue-eyed billionaire. He smiled softly, squeezing her tighter against him. She knew she shouldn’t fall for his charms quite as easily, but she didn’t want to fight what felt right. It had taken her so long to get him to talk to her again, to face her without immediately feeling guilty for hurting her so long ago that she didn’t want to do anything to ruin it. Even if it did only feel like a beautiful daydream for a while.

“I thought we should come somewhere where we’d be reminded of who we were,” he said, his words pierced by a hint of carefulness. Susie pursed her lips before nodding, watching the smoke rise out of chimneys in the small settlement. Funny how perspective made things look a lot different.

“I agree. So, what’s the plan, mister billionaire?” she asked, teasing him. Julian scoffed good-naturedly.

“Hey, I can play the average Joe if you want. But I used my prerogative to sweep you off your feet.” He paused for a moment. “Is it working?”

Susie laughed and nodded, twisting around in his arms to face him. Her hands rested on his chest as she looked up, falling into his blue eyes just like she thought she would.

“I may be a little swept.”

“Good. On with the proceedings then,” he said, releasing her gently from his grasp. Susie was a little disappointed as he pulled away, heading back towards the big picnic basket and the pile of bags.

Patience, Susie. You both need to be careful. No rushing into things,
she reminded herself. She’d tried so hard since seeing him the previous day to not get her hopes up too high. It could very well be that he just wanted to mend fences and that he looked at her as little else than pleasant company, a ghost from his past. Susie took a deep breath and conjured a smile back on her lips, heading over to see what he was doing.

Besides, what would a billionaire want with a small-town girl anyway? He could get anyone he wanted. He might not be the same guy you remember, Susie.

Julian was busy unpacking a lavish dinner, tucked away in hotboxes and thermoses. Susie’s eyebrows hiked up as she recognized some of the containers and the tablecloth he was laying down on the cold ground, right next to a small fire pit. It was stocked with wood and there was plenty for later as well – Julian had obviously put some thought into things. Just as he lit a match from a matchbox he snuck out of his back pocket, Susie’s curiosity couldn’t be contained any longer.

“Are those from the diner?” she asked, pointing at a few of the dishes. Julian nodded, looking impossibly sheepish. The man may have changed, but there was plenty of the boy she remembered still in him. She remembered that look from way back when they got caught doing something they shouldn’t have, and he used his impossible charms to talk their way out of trouble.

“They are, yes. Did you know there aren’t that many caterers around here? Odd, huh? Your friend Alice helped me out with most of it. Sleeping with the enemy, huh?” he asked as the fire roared to life. Now it was Susie’s turn to scoff.

“I’ll have you know that Alice is a perfectly nice kid. She just has the misfortune of getting dragged into clan business.”

“Yeah, don’t we all,” Julian said, a note of sadness in his voice. He grabbed for the other bag and pulled two thick blankets from it, as well as a self-inflating mattress. Moments later, he had pulled Susie down into his lap and tucked her into one of the blankets, despite her animated protests.

“Hush. Have some
delicious
ham sandwiches instead,” he said, letting her curl up next to him after he was done with the important task of making sure she was warm enough. Julian handed her a container with sandwiches and opened up another, which filled the air with the scrumptious smell of Alice’s special beef stew. Susie hadn’t noticed how hungry she was before Julian had presented her with the possibility of eating. She accepted a spoon and gratefully shared the hotbox with him.

The fire cast light and warmth around them, driving away the cold. It felt surprisingly cozy sitting there next to Julian, eating an impromptu dinner and staring out at the wilderness. The sun would set soon, and Susie had a sneaking suspicion that he had brought her up there for exactly that reason – to share in the might of a beautiful Montana sunset. She sighed, leaning against Julian. There was an almost endless supply of questions she wanted to ask him, but she wasn’t sure if she was supposed to just blurt them out or take a more refined approach. She would have known what to do with the old Julian, but this version was new and improved – maybe he needed a different touch?

Just start slow.

“How’s Jackie?” she asked, sipping from a cup of spiked tea. Leave it to Julian to think of everything. Julian shrugged, casting her a sideways glance.

“She’s alright. I don’t think Jackson has called her yet. I think they don’t want to drag her into it unless there’s nothing else left to do, what with her and Ryder and their past. But I think he’s getting there. Why else would he have called me up, you know? I bet Jonah is just a bit behind me. Got to get the trifecta together to scare the opposition, even if it includes one defective corner,” he said, his voice getting darker. Susie caught it and gave him a worried look. Hearing him talk like that made her heart hurt. She’d felt for a long time that what happened with Julian was her fault. Maybe if she’d reacted differently, maybe if she had said something else, maybe if she’d tried harder… maybe it would all be different. He’d told her time and time again that it wasn’t anything she said or did, but something he needed to deal with on his own, but she knew him too well to buy that. He didn’t want to hurt her and that had made him shut out a big side of himself and his family along with it.

“I haven’t seen her in forever. I miss her,” Susie said, brushing over the more problematic topic. She’d have plenty of time to come back to it later, but she didn’t want to rip open old wounds too soon. Her and Jacqueline had been good friends at school, especially since her fallout with Julian. She had been invaluable in understanding the way Julian and other werebears thought and really the only reason why she’d managed to stay sane throughout all of it. Then, Jackie had fallen into her own version of a torrid love affair, daring Ryder for a couple of years. Every time it blew up, Susie had been there to help Jackie pick up the pieces, until there wasn’t enough to pick up to save either the relationship or Jackie’s desire to stay in the Cabinet Mountains. She had left just like Julian, and Bear’s Grove rarely heard of her anymore. Susie had a sneaking suspicion that Jackie was the missing piece of the puzzle in making Ryder and Jackson resolve their issues. But, then again, she was equally as sure that the addition of the fair-haired werebear could also make things a lot more explosive.