Read Online Bear in the Rough: Bear Shifter Romance (Broken Hill Bears Book 1) by Ariana Hawkes - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ariana Hawkes
Ads: Link
laid it on the glass too, in a mirror of his. He smiled at her. Then he stepped away from the glass and was gone.
Freya gasped for breath. What just happened? People in the seats around her started muttering, asking questions.
“How do you know him?” one girl asked suspiciously.
“I don’t,” she protested, several times, her head spinning. Why did he thank me? She replayed the moment again and again. His eyes burning into hers; those luscious lips silently forming the words. Maybe it wasn’t ‘thank you?’ But what else could it be?
Some music had started up again – a loud, insistent rock anthem. The atmosphere in the stadium became very tense, the audience clapping fast. Freya looked around. The ring was empty; Troy had been carried off, or maybe he’d limped off by himself. And then a terrific roar rent the air, followed by another one and another. The hairs on Freya’s arms stood on end. This wasn’t a human sound. It was the sound of wild animals.
“Tonight, for the final part of the evening, please welcome to the stage, The Broken Hill Bears!” the compère announced. Freya’s mouth fell open as several bears ran through the tunnel and bounded into the ring. Letting off growls and snarls, they stood up on their hind legs and surveyed the audience. They were absolutely terrifying. They had black fur, light brown muzzles, bright eyes, rows of gleaming white teeth and razor-sharp claws at the end of each massive paw. People screamed in mingled fear and excitement, and Freya felt a shivery thrill running all the way through her body. One of the bears took a swipe at another one with its paw, and suddenly, they were all fighting, rolling and tumbling and pinning each other to the ground, huge jaws clamped around each other’s throats. They were only fighting for show, she realized quickly with relief. They weren’t drawing blood, and there were no howls of pain.
The show continued for a few minutes, before the bears stopped, tumbled out of the ring and returned the way they’d come. All except for one. The biggest bear of all exited in her direction and came right up to the glass. The people around her screamed and shrank away from the glass. Some of them clambered over the backs of their seats in fear. But Freya sat frozen as the bear approached her. It sat back on its hind legs and laid its front paws on the glass. She could see the sharp claws and big leathery pads in fine detail. Its bright black eyes bored into hers, somehow seeming to be looking right into her soul. And then its tongue shot out from between its jaws, and it licked the glass with the tip of its pink tongue. She laid her fingertips against the spot. And then it was gone, in the blink of an eye.
There was a shocked silence, before the voices around her started up again, demanding to know who she was and why Xander and then one of the bears had been to see her. They were getting louder, more intrusive. People started touching her, desperate to attract her attention. In the blur of faces she picked out flickers of anger and incomprehension from both men and women. They were Xander’s biggest fans, yet he’d chosen to approach her. It was too much. Way too much. She stood up, pushed her way past the crowds and rushed through the exit. Once outside, she spied a tree right at the edge of the stadium entrance. She dived behind it and sucked in a huge lungful of air. Wow . What just happened? An amazing, brave, fearless, sexy wrestling man had just picked her out of the crowd, for a reason she couldn’t begin to imagine. And, as if that wasn’t enough, a bear had then picked her out too. Were they one and the same? Why would he pick me? she replayed the event in her mind. He’d acted like he knew me, she realized.
It must be a case of mistaken identity. That was it. He thought I was somebody else. She felt oddly dejected. As weird as those moments had been, they were also pretty cool. She recalled the sight of Xander’s huge,
Freya gasped for breath. What just happened? People in the seats around her started muttering, asking questions.
“How do you know him?” one girl asked suspiciously.
“I don’t,” she protested, several times, her head spinning. Why did he thank me? She replayed the moment again and again. His eyes burning into hers; those luscious lips silently forming the words. Maybe it wasn’t ‘thank you?’ But what else could it be?
Some music had started up again – a loud, insistent rock anthem. The atmosphere in the stadium became very tense, the audience clapping fast. Freya looked around. The ring was empty; Troy had been carried off, or maybe he’d limped off by himself. And then a terrific roar rent the air, followed by another one and another. The hairs on Freya’s arms stood on end. This wasn’t a human sound. It was the sound of wild animals.
“Tonight, for the final part of the evening, please welcome to the stage, The Broken Hill Bears!” the compère announced. Freya’s mouth fell open as several bears ran through the tunnel and bounded into the ring. Letting off growls and snarls, they stood up on their hind legs and surveyed the audience. They were absolutely terrifying. They had black fur, light brown muzzles, bright eyes, rows of gleaming white teeth and razor-sharp claws at the end of each massive paw. People screamed in mingled fear and excitement, and Freya felt a shivery thrill running all the way through her body. One of the bears took a swipe at another one with its paw, and suddenly, they were all fighting, rolling and tumbling and pinning each other to the ground, huge jaws clamped around each other’s throats. They were only fighting for show, she realized quickly with relief. They weren’t drawing blood, and there were no howls of pain.
The show continued for a few minutes, before the bears stopped, tumbled out of the ring and returned the way they’d come. All except for one. The biggest bear of all exited in her direction and came right up to the glass. The people around her screamed and shrank away from the glass. Some of them clambered over the backs of their seats in fear. But Freya sat frozen as the bear approached her. It sat back on its hind legs and laid its front paws on the glass. She could see the sharp claws and big leathery pads in fine detail. Its bright black eyes bored into hers, somehow seeming to be looking right into her soul. And then its tongue shot out from between its jaws, and it licked the glass with the tip of its pink tongue. She laid her fingertips against the spot. And then it was gone, in the blink of an eye.
There was a shocked silence, before the voices around her started up again, demanding to know who she was and why Xander and then one of the bears had been to see her. They were getting louder, more intrusive. People started touching her, desperate to attract her attention. In the blur of faces she picked out flickers of anger and incomprehension from both men and women. They were Xander’s biggest fans, yet he’d chosen to approach her. It was too much. Way too much. She stood up, pushed her way past the crowds and rushed through the exit. Once outside, she spied a tree right at the edge of the stadium entrance. She dived behind it and sucked in a huge lungful of air. Wow . What just happened? An amazing, brave, fearless, sexy wrestling man had just picked her out of the crowd, for a reason she couldn’t begin to imagine. And, as if that wasn’t enough, a bear had then picked her out too. Were they one and the same? Why would he pick me? she replayed the event in her mind. He’d acted like he knew me, she realized.
It must be a case of mistaken identity. That was it. He thought I was somebody else. She felt oddly dejected. As weird as those moments had been, they were also pretty cool. She recalled the sight of Xander’s huge,
Similar Books
