Amir (BBW Bear Shifter Moonshiner Romance) (120 Proof Honey Book 3) by Becca Fanning Page A
Authors: Becca Fanning
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the jaw. Darius started swinging wildly, his hands flying, not connecting, but just trying to hit something.
Knox took a step back, away from him. He dropped to the ground, putting his hands down like he was doing a push up. Jasmine thought this was odd, but her confusion turned to shock when Knox’s clothing burst and split, revealing thick black hair. He stood up and the man that had been Knox was now a huge black bear.
She gasped. Darius reacted much the same way. His jaw hung open and his eyes were huge as he backed away. Knox growled and leapt at him. Darius turned and ran, and Knox chased after him.
Jasmine watched them run into the woods. Minutes later, Darius reappeared and ran to his car. He got the door open, whipping his head around frantically. He climbed in and didn’t even have the door closed fully before he sped off, kicking a dust storm up behind him. She kept watching for Knox. She didn’t know if he’d come out as a bear or a man, but she kept her eyes on the place where he’d disappeared into the woods.
“Everything okay?”
Jasmine jumped and let out a startled scream. She turned to face Slade.
“Sorry,” he said. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
She pointed to the door, her speech failing her. “Knox… Darius…” She shook her head. “He turned into a bear.”
“Ah.” Slade nodded in understanding. “I guess you didn’t know he could do that?”
She blinked at him. So, this was something people knew about? So, it had actually happened then and she hadn’t imagined it.
“Don’t be afraid,” Slade said. “I know it might seem a little strange at first. You’ve probably heard horrible stories about shifters.”
She nodded slowly, thinking back to her childhood and the stories people told. That they were terrifying beasts capable of horrific things. She could see why people believed that. Knox as a bear had been quite scary.
The front door opened and Knox walked in, wearing only shorts. “Hey. Everything okay?”
Jasmine just stared at him, at his muscular bare chest. He had a collection of thick black curls in the center, and she could see the veins popping from his arms.
Slade said, “She saw.”
“Oh.” Knox gave her a concerned look. “Let’s just sit down and talk, okay?”
She walked numbly to the couch and sat. He sat across from her on the chair.
“Please don’t be afraid. Are you afraid?”
“I—I—”
He let out a breath in a hard sigh, then reached out slowly to take her hand. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m a shifter. I can change into a bear, but it’s something that I control completely. It doesn’t happen by accident or if I get mad or anything like that. I’m not like the Hulk. And even when I am a bear, I’m still me. I know what I’m doing and who I am and who you are.”
She stared into his gold eyes, listening carefully.
“Did you see that Darius showed up?”
She nodded.
“I chased him off. I doubt he’ll come back. Usually people get pretty scared when I shift. Do you have any questions?”
She thought about how all five of them were so huge and had the same gold eyes. “Are you all bear shifters?”
“Yes. That’s primarily why we live together. We’re actually a clan. Slade is the alpha. That’s also why we deal in honey.” He quirked his mouth into a crooked grin and shrugged. “Bears like honey.”
She chuckled a little at that.
“How’s your hand?”
She looked down at the place she’d been stung. It was now just pink, and the swelling had gone. She held it up to show him.
“Good.”
They sat in silence for a while, staring at each other, or at the floor, or at the wall.
Finally, he said, “Are you okay? Are you totally freaked out? Say something.”
“It’s surprising,” she said. “But I think… I think I’m not afraid.”
Knox moved to sit beside her. He reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I will do whatever I
Knox took a step back, away from him. He dropped to the ground, putting his hands down like he was doing a push up. Jasmine thought this was odd, but her confusion turned to shock when Knox’s clothing burst and split, revealing thick black hair. He stood up and the man that had been Knox was now a huge black bear.
She gasped. Darius reacted much the same way. His jaw hung open and his eyes were huge as he backed away. Knox growled and leapt at him. Darius turned and ran, and Knox chased after him.
Jasmine watched them run into the woods. Minutes later, Darius reappeared and ran to his car. He got the door open, whipping his head around frantically. He climbed in and didn’t even have the door closed fully before he sped off, kicking a dust storm up behind him. She kept watching for Knox. She didn’t know if he’d come out as a bear or a man, but she kept her eyes on the place where he’d disappeared into the woods.
“Everything okay?”
Jasmine jumped and let out a startled scream. She turned to face Slade.
“Sorry,” he said. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
She pointed to the door, her speech failing her. “Knox… Darius…” She shook her head. “He turned into a bear.”
“Ah.” Slade nodded in understanding. “I guess you didn’t know he could do that?”
She blinked at him. So, this was something people knew about? So, it had actually happened then and she hadn’t imagined it.
“Don’t be afraid,” Slade said. “I know it might seem a little strange at first. You’ve probably heard horrible stories about shifters.”
She nodded slowly, thinking back to her childhood and the stories people told. That they were terrifying beasts capable of horrific things. She could see why people believed that. Knox as a bear had been quite scary.
The front door opened and Knox walked in, wearing only shorts. “Hey. Everything okay?”
Jasmine just stared at him, at his muscular bare chest. He had a collection of thick black curls in the center, and she could see the veins popping from his arms.
Slade said, “She saw.”
“Oh.” Knox gave her a concerned look. “Let’s just sit down and talk, okay?”
She walked numbly to the couch and sat. He sat across from her on the chair.
“Please don’t be afraid. Are you afraid?”
“I—I—”
He let out a breath in a hard sigh, then reached out slowly to take her hand. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m a shifter. I can change into a bear, but it’s something that I control completely. It doesn’t happen by accident or if I get mad or anything like that. I’m not like the Hulk. And even when I am a bear, I’m still me. I know what I’m doing and who I am and who you are.”
She stared into his gold eyes, listening carefully.
“Did you see that Darius showed up?”
She nodded.
“I chased him off. I doubt he’ll come back. Usually people get pretty scared when I shift. Do you have any questions?”
She thought about how all five of them were so huge and had the same gold eyes. “Are you all bear shifters?”
“Yes. That’s primarily why we live together. We’re actually a clan. Slade is the alpha. That’s also why we deal in honey.” He quirked his mouth into a crooked grin and shrugged. “Bears like honey.”
She chuckled a little at that.
“How’s your hand?”
She looked down at the place she’d been stung. It was now just pink, and the swelling had gone. She held it up to show him.
“Good.”
They sat in silence for a while, staring at each other, or at the floor, or at the wall.
Finally, he said, “Are you okay? Are you totally freaked out? Say something.”
“It’s surprising,” she said. “But I think… I think I’m not afraid.”
Knox moved to sit beside her. He reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I will do whatever I
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