The Bear In Me: A BBW Bear Shifter Romance Read Online Free
Author: Amy Star
beside her, it didn’t seem quite so sinister. She leaned against the window and spotted a dark shape flying above them and pointed it out to Sam who squinted and quickly made the determination it was a bald eagle, probably a fledgling.
They made a large loop, and both fell into silence, but Emily could feel Sam occasionally looking over the passenger seat at her. Each time she tried to catch his glance he quickly brought it back to the steering wheel or the dashboard, his brow scrunched up as he made a concerted effort to look concerned over the mileage or gas intake. She made it a small game between them, pretending not to notice his sideways glances and luring him in, and then quickly turning her head as if she’d seen something out the front window.
Her impertinence finally struck her on the fourth or fifth time and she bit her lip again. What am I doing , she repeated. It was easy to get carried away. Sam was very handsome. There was a rugged structure to his face, something at once tough and uncompromising but at the same time filled with kindness, a strange benevolence that she had never known growing up in the city. Maybe it was just the way country-folk were. Being so far from civilization and other people, you had to look out for each other – maybe it was just something that rubbed off on you the more isolated you were.
Still, she had to be careful. She knew that shifters like herself, whether they were Wolves or Bears or forms she had only heard rumors of, were often the subject of prejudice. Even in a remote town like this, there was always danger. It was a cynical but predictable element of human nature, one she had learned to deal with a long time ago. I was taught well , she thought, suddenly thinking of her parents for the first time in years. The realization that it had, in fact, been years since she’d thought of them was even more of a blow, and she leaned against her hands again and turned her face away from Sam.
“You alright?” He asked suddenly, his voice several decibels quieter.
She took in a deep breath before she answered and turned, the fabric of her open collar crinkling as she moved. “Yeah, just… lost for a moment.”
“What’cha thinking?”
She hesitated. “My parents, actually. It’s funny. I haven’t thought about them in a long time. I think it’s this place. They would have liked this place. Sorry.” she apologized again.
“It’s okay.” Sam said, stepping on the brake at a yellow light, “I take it… your parents, I mean. You’re talking about them in the past tense.”
“They died when I was very young. I was raised by a family friend.” She explained, “I think the woman who took care of me probably didn’t want the job but felt obligated, y’know? She did well enough though, considering what a brat I was. But she didn’t want to be a mother, and I didn’t want to be a daughter. I learned to take care of myself.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Emily.” He said. It was the first time she’d heard him use her name, and the intimacy of that utterance struck her as magical. She could feel her heart thump faster against her ribs.
“It’s alright, really! They had good lives while they were here.” She said.
“If you don’t mind me asking, what happened to them?”
“I’d rather not… talk about it, if that’s okay?”
Sam nodded. “No problem. I’m sorry. My parents passed away too. It’s a bit difficult to deal with, when it happens. Like an empty spot opens up that you’re not sure can ever be filled.” He said, his voice becoming more and more distant. Emily must have
They made a large loop, and both fell into silence, but Emily could feel Sam occasionally looking over the passenger seat at her. Each time she tried to catch his glance he quickly brought it back to the steering wheel or the dashboard, his brow scrunched up as he made a concerted effort to look concerned over the mileage or gas intake. She made it a small game between them, pretending not to notice his sideways glances and luring him in, and then quickly turning her head as if she’d seen something out the front window.
Her impertinence finally struck her on the fourth or fifth time and she bit her lip again. What am I doing , she repeated. It was easy to get carried away. Sam was very handsome. There was a rugged structure to his face, something at once tough and uncompromising but at the same time filled with kindness, a strange benevolence that she had never known growing up in the city. Maybe it was just the way country-folk were. Being so far from civilization and other people, you had to look out for each other – maybe it was just something that rubbed off on you the more isolated you were.
Still, she had to be careful. She knew that shifters like herself, whether they were Wolves or Bears or forms she had only heard rumors of, were often the subject of prejudice. Even in a remote town like this, there was always danger. It was a cynical but predictable element of human nature, one she had learned to deal with a long time ago. I was taught well , she thought, suddenly thinking of her parents for the first time in years. The realization that it had, in fact, been years since she’d thought of them was even more of a blow, and she leaned against her hands again and turned her face away from Sam.
“You alright?” He asked suddenly, his voice several decibels quieter.
She took in a deep breath before she answered and turned, the fabric of her open collar crinkling as she moved. “Yeah, just… lost for a moment.”
“What’cha thinking?”
She hesitated. “My parents, actually. It’s funny. I haven’t thought about them in a long time. I think it’s this place. They would have liked this place. Sorry.” she apologized again.
“It’s okay.” Sam said, stepping on the brake at a yellow light, “I take it… your parents, I mean. You’re talking about them in the past tense.”
“They died when I was very young. I was raised by a family friend.” She explained, “I think the woman who took care of me probably didn’t want the job but felt obligated, y’know? She did well enough though, considering what a brat I was. But she didn’t want to be a mother, and I didn’t want to be a daughter. I learned to take care of myself.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Emily.” He said. It was the first time she’d heard him use her name, and the intimacy of that utterance struck her as magical. She could feel her heart thump faster against her ribs.
“It’s alright, really! They had good lives while they were here.” She said.
“If you don’t mind me asking, what happened to them?”
“I’d rather not… talk about it, if that’s okay?”
Sam nodded. “No problem. I’m sorry. My parents passed away too. It’s a bit difficult to deal with, when it happens. Like an empty spot opens up that you’re not sure can ever be filled.” He said, his voice becoming more and more distant. Emily must have
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