The Bears of Blackrock, Books 1 - 3: The Fenn Clan Read Online Free

knew why she was there, why she’d left home with no immediate plan of return, he might not be so keen to spend time with her. Still, it was a relief to hear him say it.
    “You know, I’ve actually tried to find you a few times,” she said, startling herself.
    “Really? Well, you knew where to find me.”
    She chuckled. “Yes, well. I wasn’t actually here. Was looking on Facebook, didn’t have any luck.”
    He snorted. “Well, you wouldn’t, would you? I’m not on that god awful site.”
    She smiled. “Why does that not surprise me?”
    “Because you knew me pretty well,” he said, moving closer to her. There was a strange tension in the air between them, like someone holding two magnets just far enough apart to keep them from smashing together.
    “I’m so glad you’re here, Catie. Bennett told you I asked about you -”
    He straightened, glancing off down the road.
    She shook her head. “No, though I fear you’ll find me far less entertaining than you were expec -”
    The sound of a branch cracking off in the trees startled them both, coupled by an ominous rumble. John closed the space between them in three strides, coming to stand between her and the tree line. The world was black there on the dirt road, miles from everyone and everything, and dark in every direction save for stars overhead. John reached behind him, pushing her to stand at his back as a black shape appeared between the trees, moving toward them with deep, rhythmic exhales.
    “Oh my god,” she whispered, too terrified to scream. The shape before them was the size of a car, moving through the trees with slow deliberation. She grabbed the folds of John’s shirt, pressing herself to hiss back as though he were made of stone; as though standing behind him might make her invisible.
    The shape stepped out from the woods and took several steps into the gravel road, coming to stand just a few yards from them. John stood silent and still, watching the beast as it moved around them. Catherine clutched John tighter as the bear took another step toward them. My god, the smell of it.
    John squeezed her hip as he kept himself facing the huge animal.
    It took another step forward, growling.
    “Hey bear,” John said, stepping back, pushing Catherine as he held her behind him. Despite the terror she felt, and the tense feel of John’s body, his tone of voice was calm. He spoke as though he was greeting a college buddy on the dark path, not a great predator that could very well be looking for its next meal.
    The bear stood its ground, and John spoke again, this time with a little more force. “Hey bear!”
    The bear surged toward them, and John shoved her backward, lunging toward the animal as though he meant to fight it. “Hey bear!”
    The animal recoiled from his sudden aggression, grunting in protest, but retreating with every step John took toward it. “Hey now! On your way! Go!”
    With that, the bear turned toward the other side of the dirt road and hunkered into the darkness, the underbrush crashing beneath it as it went.
    Catherine stood there shaking, watching the tree line as though it too was alive and hoping to eat her. John stood his ground a moment. He called after the animal one more time, then turned back to her and lunged for her just in time to catch her from collapsing in the dirt.
    “Hey now, stay up. Come on, Catie. Come on. You’re alright.”
    She took hold of his shoulders, letting him hold her while her knees found purchase beneath her.
    “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s go back to camp, alright? You’re alright.”
    “We can’t. You can’t run. You don’t run from a bear! We can’t move. What if he’s watching and we turn our backs? What if it comes to camp? It could come to camp. It’s gonna come to camp!”
    “Shh. Shh, Catie. Shh. Look at me.”
    She couldn’t take her eyes from the tree line, hissing her every word as though the leaves overhead were listening to her, conspiring against her.
    “Look at