Bear Fire: Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (BBW) (Pine Ridge BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance Series Book 4) by Belinda Meyers Page A

palm grew hotter, as if to compensate for her new power.
    Jackie opened her mouth. Smoke
poured out of it. Smoke. Could it be
… ?
    Only one way to find out.
    Feeling new energy course through
her, she shot to her feet, causing Walsh to stumble backward.
    “Yes, goodbye,” she told him, and …
breathed.
    Fire shot out of her mouth and
enveloped him. He screamed and said a word of power. The fire dimmed, then
faded. She sucked in a breath then let it out again in a great whoosh . The fire rushed around him even
as he made arcane gestures. The fire wreathed him, encased him like a cocoon,
but she could see through it; it wasn’t burning him. Somehow he was using his
powers to protect himself.
    She grinned. Maybe he could hold
off a small amount of her fire, but he couldn’t hold off a lot.
    She drew in an even deeper breath
and shot another plume at him. It enveloped him, the fire shooting high over
his head now as though he were a living torch. Through the flames she could see
him grimacing and fighting to keep his concentration—to keep the flames at bay.
    “Too bad,” she said. “You wanted my
fire. Well, you can have it!”
    He screamed. Ha! The fires had
eaten through his shields. With a sudden girlish shriek, he ran toward the
springs and flung himself into the water. Smoke rose up, and when he stood
again he was naked, his clothes burned away, and covered in soot.
    Dripping wet and utterly
ridiculous-looking, he started to leave the water.
    Matt, who had knocked both golems
off the edge of the nearby cliff, casually ambled over and roared in Walsh’s
face, spraying spittle. Walsh paled and stayed where he was. Grinning, Jackie
helped Tannenbaum to his feet and they crossed to the springs and stood over
Walsh. Jackie ran her hands through Matt’s fur and leaned her weight against
him.
    “You’re finished,” Tannenbaum told
Walsh. “Do you surrender?”
    Walsh glared at them for a moment,
then sagged. “I surrender.”
    Tannenbaum snapped his fingers and
a pair of magical handcuffs appeared around Walsh’s wrists. Another snap and a
glowing gag appeared over his mouth, preventing him from speaking any spells.
    Tannenbaum paused. To Jackie, he
said, "I know this is illegal, but I would like to give you the right to achieve
satisfaction."
    "Satisfaction?" she said.
    "That's right. Walsh stole
your fire. In my book, you have the right to avenge yourself if you want it. To
kill Walsh."
    Jackie switched her gaze from
Tannenbaum to Walsh. The evil wizard's eyes widened and he said something
pleading against his gag. For a moment Jackie was tempted to do it, to avenge
herself, or maybe ask Matt to do it. Walsh had killed her grandmother and her
father, and probably many others, too. He deserved it if anyone did.
    Jackie glanced to Matt, and his
bear eyes bored into her. She could feel his support, his understanding. He
would go along with whatever she needed.
    At last she sighed. "No. I
won't let Walsh make me a killer. He's done enough to me. He won't do that. And
if he's dead he can't face justice. T, send him to the big house."
    Tannenbaum grinned. "It will
be my pleasure. I will transport you to the holding cell now,” he told Walsh,
who narrowed his eyes but didn’t fight it. He was probably relieved not to have
been roasted. Tannenbaum spoke a few words and Walsh vanished. Tannenbaum
turned to Jackie and Matt. “Now I’ll alert the Council and have him and Jeremy
tried. You may have to appear as witnesses at some point, but maybe not.”
    “Thank you for everything,” Jackie
said. “And you,” she added to Matt. “I never could have done this without you.”
    He nuzzled her with his wet black
nose, and she kissed his furry cheeks.
    Running her fingers through his
fur, she said, “I … love you.”
    His liquid black eyes stared into
her, and she could feel something inside her stirring. It was … it was her dragon . It was roaring out its longing
for Matt and his bear. It had found its mate and