Bearly Consenting: Russet Falls Series by W.H. Vega Page A

discarded clothing.
    She froze, her brown eyes cautious, but frightened.
    It had been years since she had seen Drew in his bear form.
    Drew couldn’t understand what she was doing in Russet Falls—and
why she was standing ten feet away from him, holding his clothes.
    Yet the sight of her calmed him.
    “Drew?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
    Drew tried to acknowledge her, and sat back slightly on his
legs, hoping to show that he wasn’t going to hurt her.
    She took a tentative step towards him, still clutching his
shirt.
    “It’s you, right?” she asked softly.
    Drew tried to respond, but it came out a cross between a
growl and a whine.
    Avery stepped closer still, and Drew could see her internal
struggle. She seemed almost sure that it was him, but she still wasn’t entirely
certain.
    She was just two feet away from him now, and a breeze came
rustling through the trees, blowing her scent directly towards him.
    Even in bear form, Drew couldn’t resist being turned on by
Avery.
    She was dressed in a cotton dress, her pink toenails peeking
out of her sandals.
    She took one step closer, and then she touched him, twisting
her fingers into his fur and sighing.
    “It’s you,” she said happily. “I was looking everywhere for
you.”
     Drew let her play with his fur, enjoying the quiet moments
together before he would have to shift back.
    Finally, he knew it was time, plus the smell of Avery was
almost too much for him to handle. His bear senses were so heightened.
    He removed himself from her, moving away.
    Her face fell, and then she understood. “Oh. You’re going to
shift.” She hurried in the opposite direction, making sure to give him more
than enough room.
    Drew’s bear wasn’t quite ready, but Drew needed to be back
in human form. Shifting back to his human self was always harder, and he had to
force himself to do it. He felt his muscles contract and shorten, and he felt
the ripple of his fur disappear within him. His eyesight weakened, and he felt
his keen sense of smell leave him.
    Avery politely turned in the opposite direction so Drew
could dress.
    Maybe she had seen the obvious erection he had.
    Drew couldn’t help chuckle as he grabbed his clothes and
pulled them on.
    “It’s not like you haven’t seen it before.”
    He saw Avery flush bright red. “That’s beside the point,”
she stuttered.
    Drew shrugged. He yanked his pants on, and pulled his shirt
over his head. “All done,” he told her and she slowly turned around, giving him
a shy smile.
    “I guess you’re wondering what I’m doing here,” she said
nervously, playing with the hem of her skirt.
    “It’s not important now,” he said gruffly, overcome by
seeing her while he was feeling so unsure of himself. He moved towards in three
large strides, and then pulled her to him.
    She sank against him, and he could feel her relax. He held
her closely, but she suddenly pulled back.
    “Drew,” she chastised.
    “What?”
    “I can feel it, you know.”
    He rolled his eyes. “Feel what?”
    “You know what! You have an erection!”
    “So what? I can’t help it that I’m attracted to you.”
    She sighed and bit her lip, clearly wrestling with something
inside. She was so damn beautiful when she did that. It made Drew want her even
more.
    “We were so good together, Avery,” he said in a husky voice,
“We could be that way again. You could give me another chance.” He pulled her
towards him, kissing her, but she pushed back again.
    “That’s not why I came.”
    “Then why did you come? I don’t understand. You didn’t tell
me that you would be here this weekend too.”
    “It wasn’t actually planned,” she admitted.
    He smiled slowly. “So you’re following me? Stalking me?”
    Now, Avery rolled her eyes. “I’m not stalking you!” she
protested. “I just felt like you might need someone on your side,” she looked
away, unsure of herself. “I know how it is with your family.”
    Drew was touched. He