Captivating The Bear. Jane Godman

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СКАЧАТЬ do something stronger than ever. He glared at his electronic tablet, searching through his contacts. When he drew a blank, he tossed it aside in annoyance. Nothing? He wanted action and his usual sources weren’t helping.

      Stretching full-length on the bed, he willed his body into something that resembled a relaxed pose. Even if there had been a task for him, he was in no frame of mind to undertake it. Coiled tight as a spring, he needed to get his head straight before he went charging off on a rescue mission.

      Ever since he had been driven out of his homeland by his enemies, the urge to help others had been Ged’s driving force. There were many ways he could have done that. Working with children, donating a percentage of his earnings, volunteering in a deprived country...the list went on.

      He didn’t have to risk his life rescuing other shifters who were in danger, but that was what he had chosen to do. He knew what an analyst would say about his motives. Danger, excitement, risk...all of those were factors. But there was more to it. Ged had grown up knowing from an early age he was the heir to the throne of Callistoya.

      Monarchy and immortality were strange partners. The werebears of Callistoya had eternal life, but they were not invincible. Like other shifters, they could be killed by silver, fire beheading and some illnesses. Since their magical kingdom had always been peaceful, Ged had expected his father’s reign to last forever. Then everything had changed. Ged had barely reached shifter maturity when his father had been murdered and he and his brother, Andrei, had been forced out of their homeland.

      Driven into exile, his rightful place on the throne snatched from him, his reputation ruined, he had attempted to return and fight back. That was when he had discovered that his enemies had used magic, as well as villainy, against him. Though prepared to fight evil, he had been unable to combat the sorcery that barred him from entering Callistoya.

      Although his old life had been snatched away, Ged had been raised to serve and protect. His duty to others came first. Even though he no longer had a country over which to reign, those feelings of service and honor hadn’t gone away. They had simply found a new direction.

      Raised voices distracted him from his thoughts. Standards must be slipping if the tiniest sound was allowed to penetrate the luxurious corridors of the fifth floor of the Palais Hôtel. When the commotion continued, he paid closer attention, his finely tuned hearing distinguishing individual sounds. A woman’s cry of protest was followed by a scuffle and a grunt of pain.

      Frowning, Ged got to his feet. Pulling sweatpants over his boxer briefs, he went through to the sitting room and opened the door to the corridor. The sight that met his eyes was unexpected.

      One of Beast’s security guards was lying on the elegant rug, clutching his groin and groaning. At his side, a uniformed member of the hotel’s staff was slumped against the wall with both hands clasped over his nose. Blood was seeping through his fingers.

      In the center of the corridor, Rick, Ged’s friend and trusted security manager, was grappling with a tall, slender woman. From where Ged was standing, it looked a lot like the woman was winning.

      As if to confirm that judgment, Rick’s opponent chose that moment to break free of his grasp. Instead of escaping while she had the chance, she neatly spun around and delivered a back kick direct into Rick’s chest. Across a distance of several feet, Ged heard the air leave his friend’s lungs in a rush as he dropped to his knees.

      Torn between admiration for the neatness of the move and concern for his friend, he stepped forward. “What the hell is going on here, Rick?”

      Rick managed to gesture toward the woman and wheeze out a few words. “Climbed...the damn balconies.”

      Over the years, there had been some daring attempts to get close to the band. Fans had hidden inside delivery trucks, tried to stow away on board the tour bus, even disguised themselves as journalists or caterers. But risking life and limb to scale a building followed by an assault on security staff? It was a unique approach.

      Ged’s intention, as he stepped forward, was to take over where Rick had left off. Whoever this woman was, she was a formidable fighter. Even so, she wouldn’t stand a chance against him. As she swung around, it hit him. It was the same rush of arousal he had felt earlier, concentrated now because she was so close. The overload of pure sensation made him feel slightly dizzy.

      Twin realizations, both equally potent. She was a bear shifter. And she was his mate.

      Dark brown eyes, flecked with gold, regarded him for a moment or two; then she smiled. The expression had the same effect on him as the kick to the chest had on Rick. It drove the breath from his lungs. Unlike Rick, Ged managed to remain on his feet.

      “I needed to see you.”

      He gazed down at her, unable to speak. This couldn’t be happening. The fates couldn’t be this unfair. It was bad enough that his mate appeared to have come storming into his life in search of him—and he would have to turn her down—but why did she have to be so damn gorgeous?

      He became aware that Rick, who was getting to his feet with difficulty, was talking.

      “Shall I call the police?”

      The woman took a step closer to Ged, placing one hand flat on his naked chest. “Please. I have to speak with you.”

      He half expected to look down and see her palm print burning its way into his flesh. That was how her touch felt against his skin. She branded him in that instant, and it was the most perfect thrill he had ever felt. Oddly, it brought his senses back into clarity.

      Yes, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen...but she was in trouble. Although that was apparent from the plea in those incredible eyes, there were other, more tangible clues. She wore flat, leather ankle boots that had taken such a beating they were almost useless. Her jeans were faded and stained and the long-sleeved T-shirt she wore over them had a tear that left one sleeve hanging half-off. The exposed flesh of her arm was a mass of scratches and cuts, some of them deep enough to appear serious. Her long, dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but the sheen was long gone, as though it hadn’t been properly washed for some time.

      In their human form, both male and female bear shifters were generally above average size. This woman was tall, her head reaching almost to Ged’s shoulder, and her build was similar to that of an Olympic swimmer, long and lean with endless legs, broad shoulders and slim hips. But she was too skinny for her frame. It was the false thinness that follows illness or extreme dieting. The pallor of her skin and dark shadows under her eyes seemed to confirm Ged’s assumption that she hadn’t been eating properly just lately.

      Yet she kicked the hell out of three guys? All because she wanted to see me? Even a bear shifter had limits, and she looked like she had been pushed to the end of hers, yet she had found that inner strength. This had to be a story worth hearing.

      “No police.” There was a good chance he would regret that decision later, but she was a shifter and she was in trouble. Helping in these situations was what he did. Ignoring the look of reproach in Rick’s eyes, he held the door of his suite open for the woman to step inside. “Do whatever it takes to cover this up...” They were familiar words to Beast’s security manager. “I’ll speak to you later.”

      When he entered his suite, his unexpected guest had discovered the hospitality tray. Having already devoured half a pack of cookies, she was gulping mineral water so fast it was running down her chin.

      Ged closed the door, leaning against it as he СКАЧАТЬ