Romance: My Bear Boss: BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (BBW Shifter Romance, Paranormal Shifter Romance) by Ashley Hunter
Authors: Ashley Hunter
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That’s what it was. I killed the animal that took my baby sister away from me and made sure he would never be able to do the same to anyone ever again.”
The fire let out a sharp pop, making Ingrid jump a bit in her skin before she managed to tear her gaze away from him to stare into the flames.
Her mind spun, her brain tried to make sense of all of this, but she hardly could…
Could she believe him?
“Why are you telling me this?” Ingrid asked softly.
“Because…” He sighed ruefully.
“You saw too much… and I should’ve never let you stay here.”
Ingrid looked back at him, eyes wide.
“What are you saying?”
Leo shook his head, “You can’t ever leave this place, Ingrid. If there ever was a chance you could, it’s gone now.” He gave her honest to god broken hearted expression and it killed her.
“If I let you go, you wouldn’t last a day.”
--
She remained in her room for the following week, refusing to eat, refusing to move. Ingrid felt so betrayed, felt so wounded that it was almost laughably ironic. She had been planning all this time to betray their trust that she ended up being forced to accept it now with the price that she could never leave this place every again.
Ingrid had everything taken from her in one single revelation… and she didn’t know whether to hate Leo… or herself for the fact.
--
Nadya continued to bring her meals even if she hardly touched them. Silence became a constant companion now that Ingrid refused to leave her room aside from using the bathroom. Twice, Leo had come knocking, asking if she wanted to talk but Ingrid ignored him and eventually, he left her alone.
Ingrid remained in her room, staring out her window her hours and laying in her bed as she waited for the sun to rise and to fall again.
For nights, her mind replayed Leo’s words over and over, tried to weed out a single moment of deceit throughout his story.
Yet, Ingrid felt it the second his story was done, she felt that same little twinge in her heart that made her convinced that man she had saved from death row was innocent.
Leo was telling the truth. All of it.
And she just didn’t know what to do with it.
Chapter 14
Three months to the day of her capture and Ingrid woke to find Nadya waiting over her bed, watching her disinterested eyes. Ingrid rose, meeting the woman’s gaze easily before looking away.
To her immense surprise, Nadya took a step closer and grabbed Ingrid’s wrist before urging her to stand.
Ingrid could do nothing but let the woman guide her out of her the room, confused and even a little wary until she recognized the road to the library.
Once there, Nadya disappeared into the large archive before reappearing again moments later. In her hands she held a single book.
The Fundamentals of Sign Language.
Ingrid blinked up at the woman, surprised. Nadya gave her a small nod before placing the book in Ingrid’s lap.
The brunette stared down at the book, baffled but did not refuse when the maid opened the tome and began to point out letters and show them to the bigger woman with her own hands.
“Why are you doing this?” Ingrid asked after a long while.
Nadya read her lips and then turned the page toward a specific page and pointed.
I’m sorry.
Tears welled up in Ingrid’s eyes then before she ducked her head and let the young blonde maid teach her how to sign.
--
Two weeks and Ingrid could understand more of Nadya’s sign language than she had ever hoped to.
She tried to sign back just as fluidly, but soon she could actually share in conversation with her.
“I still don’t know why you’re suddenly helping me.”
Gerard insisted that you get a chance to speak to someone. I didn’t want to.
“So why?”
He can be persuasive.
This made Ingrid smile before her smile faltered. “And… Leo?”
Nadya’s signing was tentative. He’s truly sorry for this.
“Why didn’t you just kill me back then?” There was no malice
The fire let out a sharp pop, making Ingrid jump a bit in her skin before she managed to tear her gaze away from him to stare into the flames.
Her mind spun, her brain tried to make sense of all of this, but she hardly could…
Could she believe him?
“Why are you telling me this?” Ingrid asked softly.
“Because…” He sighed ruefully.
“You saw too much… and I should’ve never let you stay here.”
Ingrid looked back at him, eyes wide.
“What are you saying?”
Leo shook his head, “You can’t ever leave this place, Ingrid. If there ever was a chance you could, it’s gone now.” He gave her honest to god broken hearted expression and it killed her.
“If I let you go, you wouldn’t last a day.”
--
She remained in her room for the following week, refusing to eat, refusing to move. Ingrid felt so betrayed, felt so wounded that it was almost laughably ironic. She had been planning all this time to betray their trust that she ended up being forced to accept it now with the price that she could never leave this place every again.
Ingrid had everything taken from her in one single revelation… and she didn’t know whether to hate Leo… or herself for the fact.
--
Nadya continued to bring her meals even if she hardly touched them. Silence became a constant companion now that Ingrid refused to leave her room aside from using the bathroom. Twice, Leo had come knocking, asking if she wanted to talk but Ingrid ignored him and eventually, he left her alone.
Ingrid remained in her room, staring out her window her hours and laying in her bed as she waited for the sun to rise and to fall again.
For nights, her mind replayed Leo’s words over and over, tried to weed out a single moment of deceit throughout his story.
Yet, Ingrid felt it the second his story was done, she felt that same little twinge in her heart that made her convinced that man she had saved from death row was innocent.
Leo was telling the truth. All of it.
And she just didn’t know what to do with it.
Chapter 14
Three months to the day of her capture and Ingrid woke to find Nadya waiting over her bed, watching her disinterested eyes. Ingrid rose, meeting the woman’s gaze easily before looking away.
To her immense surprise, Nadya took a step closer and grabbed Ingrid’s wrist before urging her to stand.
Ingrid could do nothing but let the woman guide her out of her the room, confused and even a little wary until she recognized the road to the library.
Once there, Nadya disappeared into the large archive before reappearing again moments later. In her hands she held a single book.
The Fundamentals of Sign Language.
Ingrid blinked up at the woman, surprised. Nadya gave her a small nod before placing the book in Ingrid’s lap.
The brunette stared down at the book, baffled but did not refuse when the maid opened the tome and began to point out letters and show them to the bigger woman with her own hands.
“Why are you doing this?” Ingrid asked after a long while.
Nadya read her lips and then turned the page toward a specific page and pointed.
I’m sorry.
Tears welled up in Ingrid’s eyes then before she ducked her head and let the young blonde maid teach her how to sign.
--
Two weeks and Ingrid could understand more of Nadya’s sign language than she had ever hoped to.
She tried to sign back just as fluidly, but soon she could actually share in conversation with her.
“I still don’t know why you’re suddenly helping me.”
Gerard insisted that you get a chance to speak to someone. I didn’t want to.
“So why?”
He can be persuasive.
This made Ingrid smile before her smile faltered. “And… Leo?”
Nadya’s signing was tentative. He’s truly sorry for this.
“Why didn’t you just kill me back then?” There was no malice
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