Undercover Bear: Gavin (BBW Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance) Read online

  Undercover Bear

  Gavin

  Terra Wolf

  Contents

  Copyright

  1. Gavin

  2. Tasha

  3. Gavin

  4. Tasha

  5. Gavin

  6. Tasha

  7. Gavin

  8. Tasha

  9. Gavin

  10. Tasha

  11. Gavin

  12. Tasha

  13. Gavin

  14. Tasha

  15. Gavin

  16. Tasha

  17. Gavin

  18. Tasha

  19. Gavin

  20. Tasha

  21. Gavin

  22. Tasha

  23. Gavin

  24. Tasha

  25. Gavin

  26. Tasha

  The End

  27. Undercover Bear: Grady

  From the Authors

  About Terra Wolf

  About Meredith Clarke

  ©2016 Terra Wolf

  Gavin: Undercover Bears

  All Rights Reserved worldwide.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, uploaded to the Internet, or copied without permission from the author. The author respectfully asks that you please support artistic expression and help promote anti-piracy efforts by purchasing a copy of this book at the authorized online outlets.

  This is a work of fiction intended for mature audiences only. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Some may be used for parody purposes. Any resemblance to events, locales, business establishments, or actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is purely coincidental.

  All sexual activities depicted occur between consenting characters 18 years or older who are not blood related.

  Please Sign Up For My Newsletter for new release updates!

  NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

  Created with Vellum

  1

  Gavin

  Even in the dark, I could tell the tiger sitting next to me wasn’t happy to be here. I turned at the next right, taking us deeper into the outskirts of Seattle. I was hoping it would be farther from the clutches of Purest, Inc.

  She had barely spoken two words since Harrison dumped her into my Jeep. Her arms were crossed and her eyes were locked on the scenery rolling past us.

  She huffed as I turned again and steered us onto a dirt road.

  “Where are you taking me?” she asked, although she refused to look at me.

  “Somewhere you’ll be safe. Somewhere I can keep an eye on you.”

  “I told Harrison I can take care of myself. This is ridiculous.”

  “Would you rather I dump you on the side of the road and let you take your chances with Purest, again?” I threatened.

  I saw how her shoulders twitched and back stiffened when I mentioned the organization.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean that.” My job was to protect her, not scare the shit out of her.

  She closed her eyes. I didn’t know what she had escaped from, only that Harrison had broken her out, and it was up to me to keep her safe until she testified against the organization that had been kidnapping shifters.

  Harrison had gone undercover weeks ago, and we were just now getting enough information to nail them to the fucking wall for what they had been doing. Shifters had been disappearing, and Purest had no problem killing them for the necessity of their experiment. I couldn’t let them get their hands on Tasha again. She was the most critical witness we had.

  I would never forget the bodies we found in the city. How could I? Purest had tortured and butchered shifters like pieces of meat. It made my stomach turn at every crime scene.

  “Here we are,” I announced, parking outside of my retreat.

  Her eyes widened. “This? This is where you’re keeping me until the grand jury meets?”

  I didn’t see what was wrong with it. It was my fishing cabin. The ultimate man cave, or in my case, bear cave. I loved it. The most important part was that it was off the grid and away from Purest activity in Seattle.

  “It’s home sweet home.” I slammed the Jeep door behind me as I jumped to the ground. I walked around to the other side to let Tasha out, but her boots were already in the dirt.

  “I’ve got it.” She waved me off.

  “Okay, let me show you around.” I led her along the sidewalk and up the front porch steps. I stopped behind the last rocking chair to slide a piece of wood to the side, pinching the key between my fingers.

  “This is your top notch security? A key hidden on the porch?” She rolled her eyes.

  I pushed it in the lock and turned the handle. “Would you have looked there?” I challenged.

  She didn’t answer and followed me inside, taking in the cabin I’d always thought was a man’s paradise. But looking at Tasha’s reaction, I might as well have taken her to a dumpy motel off the interstate.

  “Er… There’s a bathroom down the hall.” I raced in front of her, turning on the lights. “And you have your own room.” It wasn’t big, but sometimes the guys from the department would come up here with me to fish for a weekend. The extra bedroom was a bonus.

  “Thanks.” She folded her arms again. I was beginning to think that was a permanent tiger pose of hers.

  “There are towels under the sink. And my room is right next door. If you need something.”

  “I doubt that. I can take care of myself, detective.”

  “Come on, you don’t have to be formal with me. It’s Gavin. Just call me Gavin, okay?”

  The hallway was narrow and there wasn’t much space between us. For a second, I thought she would exhale and let go of all the built up hostility she had, but she walked away and closed the guestroom door in my face.

  “Good night,” I called through the wood paneling.

  I trudged back to the Jeep and grabbed our bags and a few groceries I had brought for the stay. Harrison wasn’t sure how long I would need to keep Tasha off the radar, only that her life was at stake if Purest found her again. We would have to wait for the grand jury hearing and that wouldn’t take long, maybe two to three days.

  I placed the paper bags on the kitchen counter and opened the cabinets and refrigerator, stocking the supplies.

  I hauled in a load of wood from the woodpile and started a fire. Within minutes, the cabin glowed with warmth from the flames. I pulled out my phone.

  “Hey, man, we made it,” I reported.

  “Good. How’s she doing?” Harrison asked.

  I rubbed the back of my neck. “She’s in her room. Good, I guess.”

  He chuckled. “Just watch her. She’s tough, and I’m worried she doesn’t think she needs us.”

  “That’s an understatement. You didn’t tell me she didn’t want protection.” Keeping someone safe who wanted to be left alone wasn’t going to be easy.

  Harrison conceded. “She’s been through a lot. She was in a cage for two months. It’s going to take time for her.”

  “Yeah, I guess, but I can’t help thinking that part of this is her personality. She’s a spitfire.”

  Harrison chuckled. “Well, she is a tiger. Just keep her safe.”

  “Got it, brother. I won’t take my eyes off her. I’ll check in with you tomorrow.”

  I hung up and stared at the fire.

  I had already figured that out. Maybe it was her personality. Maybe it was because she was a tiger shifter. But whatever it was, Tasha didn’t want my protection, and she was hell bent on making sure I knew that.

  2

  T
asha

  I circled the small bedroom a hundred times, trying to think of a way out of here. I promised Harrison I would testify. I owed him my life, but I didn’t think I was trading being a captive of Purest for a captive of another sort.

  Detective Grayson, assigned to watch me, was a bear shifter like Harrison and being holed up with him in this tiny cabin was not part of the deal. Everywhere he walked, suddenly, the rooms and spaces were smaller. He was tall with broad shoulders, and his muscles rippled in his arms even when he smiled. Not to mention he had golden brown eyes that were warm and sexy. I shook my head. I had been a hostage too long if I was looking at the bear detective that way.

  I thought my head was finally clear of the drugs Purest had pumped through my system, but the detective made me question that. This couldn’t be happening. I had to find a way out of here. I could keep myself safe until the hearing. I wouldn’t break my word to Harrison, but I couldn’t stay here either.

  I cracked the bedroom door, noticing the orange and yellow shadows bouncing off the walls. He had made a fire.

  I walked out to face him.

  “Oh, hey.” He was sitting on the couch, cleaning his gun. He pulled back on the safety and tucked it against his chest, clipping it in the belt. “You hungry?”

  I shrugged. “I guess I could eat.”

  “I brought some groceries.” Gavin jumped from the couch and walked toward the kitchen.

  “Just exactly how long do you think we’re going to be staying up here?”

  He turned toward me, his jaw flinching. “As long as we need to until the hearing.”

  I pulled out a chair at the kitchen table and dropped into it. “What’s for dinner?”

  “How does a burger sound?” He lifted his eyebrows, waiting for my answer.

  “Did you bring cheese?”

  “Yes, plenty of cheese.”

  I smiled for the first time since Harrison had handed me off behind the precinct like ransom. “Then, yes. I’ll take a cheeseburger.”

  Gavin grinned, and I noticed just how perfect and straight his teeth were. I turned to look at the table instead. My life was in danger. I had just been rescued. I wasn’t going to react to sexy smiles and teeth.

  I watched as he pulled an iron skillet from the cabinet and began making patties.

  “How about a beer?”

  Before I could answer, Gavin twisted off the top and slid one in front of me. “Figured you could use that after what you’ve been through.”

  I took a slow drink. “Thank you.”

  I didn’t want to talk about Purest, Inc. I didn’t want to relive the kidnapping or being held hostage by them. Not even the rescue. Those bastards were going to pay for what they did, and I’d do my part in court. Just once, I’d tell the story.

  “How do you like your burger?” Gavin’s question caught me off guard. I guess I was going to think about Purest whether I liked it or not.

  “Umm… Rare.”

  “Makes sense.”

  “Is that some kind of tiger crack?” I challenged, trying to ignore the way his lips looked on that beer bottle.

  “Nah. Just messin’ with you. I don’t know that many tigers.”

  “Well, I don’t know that many bears.” I glared at him.

  “Maybe we can change that.” He sat across from me, handing me a plate stacked with a mouth-watering cheeseburger. I couldn’t help it; one whiff, and I took the biggest bite I could. I hadn’t had a decent meal in months.

  I wiped my mouth with a napkin. It was delicious.

  I made the mistake of looking across the table at Gavin, and suddenly, I realized the burger wasn’t the only delicious thing in this room.

  3

  Gavin

  I guess I’d never given much thought to other shifters before. It was my job to know about them. It was my job to know about a lot of things. But her eyes threw me. They were round and innocent, but the purple and lavender hues almost knocked the wind out of my lungs. In the Jeep, I didn’t get a good look at her. Harrison had deposited her in the seat and closed the door while the car was still in drive. But like this, sitting across from her with the crackling fire, the beers, being out at the cabin, all I could do was stare into the pools of amethyst like some kind of love-struck teenager. Fuck.

  I shoved back from the table and threw my plate in the sink. I needed a cold blast of air. It was my mission to protect her. Tigers had purple eyes. That was standard. I needed to get over that. I couldn’t let beautiful eyes or anything else distract me during this assignment.

  “I’m going to check the perimeter. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” I hurried for the door before she could join me.

  The leaves crunched under my feet. It felt good to be back at the cabin. Although, I’d never been here under these circumstances. I’d never used it as a safe house for someone else. If what Harrison said about his findings at Purest was true, Tasha probably survived some rough things. She may have been tortured like the victims we found on the street. Purest only had one intention—dissect shifters until they knew everything about them. None of our kind was safe as long as the organization was in operation. I didn’t know how to approach her about what happened to her. Maybe there was a way I could help if I knew what she had experienced.

  I ran my hands through my hair. This wasn’t what I was used to. The job was about investigating, taking down criminals. How did I end up with this assignment? Why was I suddenly a bodyguard? I looked over my shoulder at the cabin. I could see her through the window, washing dishes and drying the plates as she stacked them.

  She moved gracefully through the kitchen, her movements certain and strong. I turned when I heard a twig snap behind me and slowly pulled the gun from the holster. I scanned the woods before I saw a raccoon scale a tree. I re-holstered my weapon, feeling the surge to protect her washing over me. It had come on strongly, almost overpowering me. I sure as hell needed to have a talk with my bear.

  She was the job. She was the mission. Purple eyes and soft lips didn’t matter. I had to protect her, not give in to the animal impulses that were beginning to beat through my veins.

  Being a cop came to me naturally. I had an instinct to protect. But I’d never felt it take over my body like it did when I heard that twig break. My gut wrenched. My heart hammered. In that split second I was willing to kill to save her, and I lowered my head, knowing all of it was coming from my bear.

  I turned for the cabin. I sure as hell hoped the hearing was soon, because I didn’t know if my bear was strong enough to be locked away with this tiger for long.

  4

  Tasha

  “No! No!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, thrashing my head from side to side. “No!” But I was being pinned by my shoulders. I struggled to free myself, but the arms that gripped me were strong.

  I could feel the scratchy hospital gown rake across my skin. It was suffocating me.

  “Tasha, wake up. Wake up.”

  Finally, I opened my eyes. Gavin was sitting on the edge of the bed, shirtless. His dark eyes were filled with worry. It took me a few breaths to remember where I was—in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, under the protection of a bear shifter.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, rubbing the side of my arm.

  I tried to sit forward and register the dream. I had been back at Purest, in one of their test labs. I could almost smell the chemicals in my nose as my nostrils flared. I closed my eyes.

  “I’m fine,” I lied.

  “Hold on. Let me get you some water.” He walked out of the room and returned with a cold glass. “Here.” He handed it to me. “Take a few sips.”

  I did as he instructed, although I don’t know why. I was too shaken to think for myself. The dream had felt so real. I could almost feel the burn in my pores from the needles. There had been so many needles. Day after day. They never ran out.

  They didn’t care how loudly I screamed. They didn’t care that I was a person. All they could see was the animal.
An animal they liked to keep locked in a cage.

  I looked at Gavin. “Thank you.”

  “No problem.” He smiled softly. “Want me to hang here for awhile until you fall back asleep?”

  It was a tempting offer. An extremely tempting offer, especially with the smoothness of his skin rippling in the dark. I didn’t know bears emanated such warmth, but I had to face the Purest demons on my own. I didn’t want help. And I wasn’t in a trusting mood. I didn’t know if I would ever be.

  “I’m all right.” I placed the glass next to the bed. “I don’t need that.” My tone was harsher than I intended, but he rose from the bed quickly.

  “Good night. I’m just across the hall.”

  “I know.”

  “Tasha, you’re not alone.” He nodded his head at me as he closed the door behind him and I stared at the ceiling, knowing there was no way I’d be able to sleep again tonight.

  I thought about how to escape. I planned the entire thing in my head. I would slink to his room and retrieve the keys from his dresser. I saw him drop them there earlier. Bears were heavy sleepers, right? He wouldn’t hear me. I’d be quiet and stealthy as I let myself out the front door. I’d start up the Jeep and be hours on the road before he even figured out I was gone.

  Why was I staying? Why was I putting my trust in a total stranger? I pulled the quilt to my chin. I ran through the scenario again—all I had to do was put my feet on the floor and get dressed. Then, I’d have my freedom back. I could put miles between Purest and me. Miles between Detective Grayson and me.

  I glanced at the glass of water he had placed next to me. Stay and let the bear watch me? Or run and take my chances alone?

  5

  Gavin