Bound To Her Bear (Bear Bluff Clan 1) by Harmony Raines Page B

and do my job.”
    The doctor went back into town; Eirik stood still and watched him go before disappearing into the trees. Drew flattened herself to the ground, hoping he would take off up the hill and not give her any notice. But as a bear, he would be able to scent her. She could roll in mud and try to disguise herself. No, no time. She decided to stay where she was. There was no reason an important clan member such as Eirik would ever take notice of her anyway.
    In her human form, she simply faded into the background and had done all her life. Although he used to speak to her when they were younger; they had even been friends to a certain extent. But since he had inherited his place on the council he had not said much to her, and she felt small and insignificant. Maybe that was how she liked it. She never had been overly confident, not when she had inherited her mom’s curvy body. Still, sometimes it might be nice to fantasise about a big, strong bear sweeping her off her feet and giving her a better life.
    Fantasy yes, real life? No. She didn’t live in a fairy tale. Things never worked out that way.
    She felt a frisson of energy fill the air—he had changed; now she would find out if he had discovered her whereabouts. Or, if he did scent her, whether he would ignore her anyway. A rustle in the undergrowth told her he had broken cover; she heard his heavy paws thud along the ground as he moved away from her. He didn’t even know she was there. Then he stopped. He lifted his short snout and took in her scent, there was no way he could miss it. Lowering his head, he continued on his way. Yes, he knew she was there and had ignored her.
    That smarted, as though he had slapped her across the face. But what did she expect? And, despite her hurt feelings, she tried to convince herself it was better this way. She wanted to be alone anyway.
     

Chapter Three - Eirik
    Confused, he made his way up to the high mountain plains where he liked to breathe the fresh, clear air while running full tilt across the springy grass. Why had she hidden from him?
    He hadn’t scented her at first; only as he moved away from the trees did he get that tingling sensation in his nose that told him to stop. Taking a deep breath, he had allowed her scent to reach him, pulling it in over his taste buds.
    Drew Stanton: they had known each other in school and had been on friendly terms afterwards. But since he had become part of the council, she, like many others, had avoided him. He shook his head; it wasn’t because of the council, was it? Of course not, it had more to do with the fact his father, Wayne McCormac, had given away Garrow’s Creek to Carson Frasier. He was unsure how many people knew the full story surrounding what happened, but he knew news usually leaked out.
    He sighed, his joy of being free gone. Eirik knew he should return home and do his duty for the Clan. He should get back to work, making sure there were no other issues with his father’s handling of the accounts of Bear Bluff. Then there was his mom, heartbroken by the revelations his father had sex with a bear.
    He cringed at the thought. A female from Bear Creek had preferred her bear form above being human. Some men from around the two towns would go to her and mate in bear form— something frowned upon. This female had given birth to a child. That much was true.
    Somehow, this Carson Frasier had found out Wayne McCormac's secret. Then he had convinced Wayne that he was his father, making him heir to Wayne's role as Holder of the Deeds on the council. After Wayne’s death, Carson had got his hands on the deeds from Garrow's Creek and threatened to tear the Bear Bluff Clan apart.
    All these claims were refuted with DNA proof, but his mom was still left shaken. Not being a shifter herself, she had assumed she had been a let-down as a mate, and that was why Wayne had died young.
    He stopped, wanting to get these thoughts out of his head. The autumn sun rose in the sky and