Read Online Unbearable Desire (Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance) (Bear Valley Clan Book 1) by Serena Nox - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Serena Nox
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challenger reared back at the last possible moment and Kai was left with a mouthful of soot-black fur.
Dov lashed out with his own paw, and whipped Kai's head backward. Kai tasted blood as he bit his tongue and the taste enraged him. He roared upward onto his hind legs, swung his mighty paw with the whole force of his eight hundred pounds behind it.
His great claws caught Dov just as the challenger leapt forward to attack. Dov was impaled just as he was making for Kai's throat, tearing open his belly with the force of his own jump.
With an anguished scream, Dov fell to the side, as blood gushed onto the trampled grass of the river bed. Kai looked on in horror as the white snakes of Dov's entrails poked through the wound. The link to Dov's mind let him feel every agonizing breath as if it were his own.
"I did not mean..." Kai began, sick dread filling his mind as he watched his rival panting shallow gasps. "Ayla!" he bellowed.
The female appeared instantly at his side, already shedding her bear form. With her human fingers, she plucked newly sprouted grasses and pressed them to the wound to stanch the flow of hot blood. "He needs human medicine," she declared. "This is more than I can heal." Kai felt her quiet fear and hung his head.
"Then so be it," he ordered.
"I will do this," she responded, then whistled to her cubs. Keir and Lew bounded forward, their human forms not quite fully men, but no longer the small, skinny boys they were.
"My clan has a vehicle and one who knowledgeable of driving." Mathe had stepped forward now, his human face creased with concern. A moon's length of living with the Bear Valley Clan had linked him to their minds, and now he shared Dov's pain just as much as the rest did. Perhaps even more, as his omega status opened him up to Dov's emotions too. Hot rage and resentment poured off of Dov in waves.
"Then so be it," Kai responded quietly. "Be as quick as you can."
"I will do this," Mathe nodded, then shifted mid leap, bounding away in his bear form like black lightning.
"Dov," Kai ventured. "Stay alive."
His mental link was weakening with each pulse. He was losing control of his shifts, his bear and human forms ebbing and flowing as his power over himself waned. But he found the words to speak aloud, his human voice rasping as he choked. "I will kill you for this, I will make you pay."
Noelle
"Are you sure you don't want to come with me?"
Gabby looked at my hands and I followed her gaze. The small box seemed too small, and strangely light. It was not right. It should have been more of a burden. But this was all that was left of my Gran.
"I...can't." Her eyes were wide with panic as she stared at the box. "Please, Ellie. I just can't see her just...disappear like that."
I shifted the box in my hands, heavy dread closing around my throat. When my sister said she was coming up the peak to scatter my grandmother's ashes, I had envisioned us doing it together. I would bury a small bit at the foundation of the cabin. Then the two of us would hike up to the overlook and let her ashes be carried on the breeze down across the valley below. Then we would embrace each other, our duty as Palmers having concluded as the sun peeked through a break in the clouds.
That was how I envisioned it anyway.
But I had forgotten about my sister's terror of the woods. And I hadn't reckoned on her fear of the ashes I now held in my hand.
"I hate it, it just doesn't seem right. When I die, Ellie, I want you to bury my body so that you can have a place, an actual place to come and visit me."
"But Gabs," I said softly, "she wouldn't actually be there. She's not here anymore."
That panic flared in her eyes again. "I hate that too," she spat.
"Gabby, we have to honor her wishes."
"Her wishes were selfish and stupid."
I put my hand on Gabby's arm. In spite of the brilliant sunshine and the balmy warmth, my sister was still dressed in a
Dov lashed out with his own paw, and whipped Kai's head backward. Kai tasted blood as he bit his tongue and the taste enraged him. He roared upward onto his hind legs, swung his mighty paw with the whole force of his eight hundred pounds behind it.
His great claws caught Dov just as the challenger leapt forward to attack. Dov was impaled just as he was making for Kai's throat, tearing open his belly with the force of his own jump.
With an anguished scream, Dov fell to the side, as blood gushed onto the trampled grass of the river bed. Kai looked on in horror as the white snakes of Dov's entrails poked through the wound. The link to Dov's mind let him feel every agonizing breath as if it were his own.
"I did not mean..." Kai began, sick dread filling his mind as he watched his rival panting shallow gasps. "Ayla!" he bellowed.
The female appeared instantly at his side, already shedding her bear form. With her human fingers, she plucked newly sprouted grasses and pressed them to the wound to stanch the flow of hot blood. "He needs human medicine," she declared. "This is more than I can heal." Kai felt her quiet fear and hung his head.
"Then so be it," he ordered.
"I will do this," she responded, then whistled to her cubs. Keir and Lew bounded forward, their human forms not quite fully men, but no longer the small, skinny boys they were.
"My clan has a vehicle and one who knowledgeable of driving." Mathe had stepped forward now, his human face creased with concern. A moon's length of living with the Bear Valley Clan had linked him to their minds, and now he shared Dov's pain just as much as the rest did. Perhaps even more, as his omega status opened him up to Dov's emotions too. Hot rage and resentment poured off of Dov in waves.
"Then so be it," Kai responded quietly. "Be as quick as you can."
"I will do this," Mathe nodded, then shifted mid leap, bounding away in his bear form like black lightning.
"Dov," Kai ventured. "Stay alive."
His mental link was weakening with each pulse. He was losing control of his shifts, his bear and human forms ebbing and flowing as his power over himself waned. But he found the words to speak aloud, his human voice rasping as he choked. "I will kill you for this, I will make you pay."
Noelle
"Are you sure you don't want to come with me?"
Gabby looked at my hands and I followed her gaze. The small box seemed too small, and strangely light. It was not right. It should have been more of a burden. But this was all that was left of my Gran.
"I...can't." Her eyes were wide with panic as she stared at the box. "Please, Ellie. I just can't see her just...disappear like that."
I shifted the box in my hands, heavy dread closing around my throat. When my sister said she was coming up the peak to scatter my grandmother's ashes, I had envisioned us doing it together. I would bury a small bit at the foundation of the cabin. Then the two of us would hike up to the overlook and let her ashes be carried on the breeze down across the valley below. Then we would embrace each other, our duty as Palmers having concluded as the sun peeked through a break in the clouds.
That was how I envisioned it anyway.
But I had forgotten about my sister's terror of the woods. And I hadn't reckoned on her fear of the ashes I now held in my hand.
"I hate it, it just doesn't seem right. When I die, Ellie, I want you to bury my body so that you can have a place, an actual place to come and visit me."
"But Gabs," I said softly, "she wouldn't actually be there. She's not here anymore."
That panic flared in her eyes again. "I hate that too," she spat.
"Gabby, we have to honor her wishes."
"Her wishes were selfish and stupid."
I put my hand on Gabby's arm. In spite of the brilliant sunshine and the balmy warmth, my sister was still dressed in a
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