Alpha’s Prey: A BBW Bear Shifter Romance (Bad Boy Alphas Book 11)
Alpha’s Prey: Chapter 11

Caleb

I wake up like I’ve been in hibernation. It takes me a long time to figure out where the hell I am.

The research cabin.

Miranda’s near-death experience.

Fates, how long did I sleep?

I stumble out of bed, only to remember I have no clothes here. Great. Hope she doesn’t mind the morning wood.

I replace my way to the bathroom, take a piss and rinse out my mouth with water. By that time, I realize the cabin smells delicious. Like baking sweet bread. I wrap a towel around my waist and pad out to the kitchen. Miranda is sitting behind her computer, watching me with soulful concern. The memory of what I shared with her last night comes back like a dull ache.

“G’morning,” I mutter. “What day is it? I feel like I just slept for months.”

“Just for a night. About sixteen hours, though. How do you feel?”

I consider. “Better.” I rub my beard. “It was good to talk. I feel like I’ve been through the wringer, but came out the other side without so much baggage, if that makes any sense.”

She lifts her intelligent green eyes to mine. “Perfect sense.” She gets up and pours a cup of coffee from the pot and hands it to me. “I don’t have much for food here, but I’m making you blueberry muffins. You know, for saving my life again.”

I step over to her and pull her soft form against mine and kiss the top of her head. “That’s sweet of you.”

On the floor, her dog thumps his black furry tail at me.

“How are you, Dog?”

Bear surges to his feet and runs over to me, tail wagging.

I drop into a chair and take the dog’s head into my hands, rubbing his face and praising him. “You’re a good boy, aren’t you? Are we friends? You’re not too scared of my bear?”

Bear turns his head to lick my hand.

I lift my gaze to Miranda. “What about you? Not freaked out?”

She shakes her head. “I love it. And I promise I will never, ever breathe a word to anyone. I don’t betray my friends.” She stumbles over the word friend, and I have to shove away the silent urgings from my bear to claim her.

She’s not claim-able.

She’s a human.

I’m a shifter.

She has her research. Lives in Albuquerque.

I’m still grieving.

Except the sharp dagger of pain that’s been between my ribs ever since Jen and Gretchen died isn’t there today. It’s eased to a dull ache.

Because of Miranda. And not just from her comforting me last night, although that went a long way to healing my broken soul. No, it’s because of the sex and the laughter. The companionship. And yes, the friendship.

And love, my bear whispers.

Love.

Fuck. I’m not capable of love again.

No, I can’t pursue this.

I clear my throat. “Thank you. That’s extremely important, Miranda. I appreciate your respect for our secrecy.”

“Of course.”

I believe her. She’ll honor me in this, I’m sure of it.

Her phone beeps and she bustles over to the oven and pulls out the muffins. My stomach rumbles.

“I hope you made more than one pan of those, because I’m gonna eat all twelve myself,” I warn her.

Her laugh is musical and magical. It fills the room and lights up the corners of my soul that haven’t heard laughter in years. “You go ahead. They’re all for you. I’d offer to make you dinner, but I’m not really set up for entertaining here.”

I pick a hot muffin out of the tin and toss it between my two hands to cool it off. “This will do. I love blueberries.”

She laughs again. “I noticed. And now I know why.”

I stuff half a muffin in my mouth. “Why?” I ask with my mouth full.

She rolls her eyes. “Bear food.”

“Oh yeah.” I give a sheepish grin and demolish the other half of the muffin while picking a second one out of the pan.

“How often do you change into a bear?” she asks, eyeing my naked torso like it’s dessert. She’d better stop looking at me like that, or it’s on like Donkey Kong.

I shrug. “I don’t know. Once a week? Once a month? Depends on what I want to do.”

“What were you doing yesterday?”

“Keeping an eye on you. When are you going to wrap this research up so I can get back to hibernating?” It’s not like me to tease or joke. Hell, it’s not like me to even smile, but I crack a grin so she knows I’m not a complete asshole. As much as a disruption as she’s been to my life, I will miss her when she leaves.

The brightness in her face dims. “My tablet was ruined by the water so I lost all the work I did at your place. At least I didn’t lose my whole pack. I was actually trying to shrug out of it before you saved me. So I still have my samples. I need another day or two to finish collecting and then I can head back.” Her voice strangles at the end, like leaving gives her pause, too. I don’t mean to, but I catch her eye, and the two of us lock gazes, arrested by what’s unsaid between us.

“I gotta go,” I blurt. “I’m going to drive into town and make that phone call we talked about. I’ll replace you when I’m done to make sure you’re safe out there. Keep Bear close to you at all times. Closer than yesterday, understand?”

“Um… but you’re naked.” She glances down at the towel around my waist.

I shove another muffin in my mouth. “I’m gonna shift. Wanna watch?” I grin because I know she does. My bear is showing off now.

“Oh my God, yes.” She follows me outside. I toss back one more muffin before I close my eyes and surrender to the animal within me. Thoughts scatter. The ability to think and reason decreases. My instincts sharpen. Inside my head, I’m still me, but different parts of my brain are activated. It’s a little like having super powers while drunk.

I drop to all fours and lumber to the steps of the cabin, putting my front paws on the top step where Miranda stands. She draws in a sharp breath. I lift my snout to look her in the face. Her expression is no less awed than the first two times she saw me. She tentatively reaches out, but her hand freezes halfway to my head, like she’s too scared to actually touch me.

I lower my head and gently butt her in the middle.

She giggles, hand landing on my head. She strokes the sides of my face, crooning softly, “My God, you’re magnificent. So beautiful. So breathtaking.”

I let her enjoy my bear a few more minutes, then whirl and lumber off. Her answering gasp rings in my ears as I run to my cabin.

Caleb

I drive down to Pecos to get my cell phone to work.

“Caleb. What’s happening?” Garrett’s always had a no-nonsense way of answering the phone.

“Hey. I have a question for you, wolf.” I’m not one to mince words, either.

“What is it?”

“When I was there for a fight, I caught a strange scent. Not shifter. Not human. Something different.”

“Vampire?”

“No. I smelled them, too, but that scent I recognize. No, it’s shifter, but no recognizable animal. More than one. A few guys.”

“Ah. The three stooges.”

“Excuse me?”

“Did you ever hear of Data-X?”

“No. What is it?”

“It was a government and privately funded research lab. The test subjects were shifters and humans they were trying to genetically mutate into shifters. The scent you caught is the result of their experiments. Men who were mutated into shifters. Some more successfully than others.”

Prickles run over my skin. A mutant bear. Something not bear, not human. That’s what I’m looking for.

“Where is this Data-X?”

“They had labs out in California and Utah. They hid them in out of the way wilderness areas. One of our pack was a prisoner there as a youth. We closed the last one down last year and freed the remaining prisoners.”

“So there’s a bunch of mutants running around free now?” I snap.

Garrett growls low into the phone. “I assume you’re asking this for a good reason.”

“Yeah, I am. That scent. That fucked up mutant scent. I smelled it on the dead bodies of my wife and kid.”

Garrett curses. “Okay. Fuck. I guess that would explain it. Well, let me talk to the three stooges. They’re not killers, any of them, I’m sure of that.”

“Yeah, I know. Different scents. But similar.”

“I will ask Parker to call you. He’s the sanest of the three. He might know of some bear experiments. Or Sam, our wolf brother might, but he escaped years ago. Or Nash, a crazy fucking lion. I’ll text you their numbers after I talk to them. Sound good?”

I can’t describe the relief pouring through me. I know I owe Garrett my life, but honestly? I never felt that grateful to him for letting me live. Now I’m feeling the love, though. “Yeah. I really appreciate it, Garrett. Thanks.”

I may be close to getting answers. Finally.

And I can’t pretend this progress isn’t because of Miranda. She woke me up out of my stupor. Shook me. Sent me back into the ring with my head on straight.

I’m sitting in my truck, parked in front of one the local bars wanting to show my gratitude. She made me muffins. What can I do for her?

Besides make her come ten times before sunrise, that is.

I look up and realize I’m staring right at the answer.

A large “Trivia Night Tonight” sign hangs in the bar window.

Trivia Night. Didn’t Miranda say she loved Trivial Pursuit? Seems like I need to take my girl for a night on the town tonight.

And yes, I know she’s not my girl.

But just for one night—probably our last—I can enjoy the company of the sexy scientist.