Craved by Bears

Chapter 1

One

The first thing I learned was that bear cubs grow up a lot faster than human babies. The second thing was that they shift randomly. Luckily, Ruby was born as a human baby, but she first shifted into a furry little cub mere hours after birth. I haven't figured out if I can somehow nudge her shift. It would make life so much easier. As it is, she can only be fed when she's human. Her bear fangs would make mincemeat out of my boobs if I tried to nurse her. And I treasure my boobs far too much for that. Not just me, my men too.

Right now, she's suckling on my right breast, happily drinking her fill. It's strange that I only have milk when I'm human. When I'm in my bear form, my teats are empty. The situation has turned life complicated.

Finn sits down next to me, groaning as his back hits the hard back of the sofa.

"Shush," I whisper. "She's finally stopped crying."

Immediately, he stills. Ruby's been crying all night, so to have her calm and content like she is now, is a little miracle in itself. I think she's teething, but I'm not sure. There's no guide about the needs of a bear shifter baby. The guys weren't much help either, none of them have dealt with cubs before. Shortly after they were born, the bear shifter women stopped having children, so they never had a chance to have siblings. Arnold and Bertrand have tried to find information in their books, but there's not much they've discovered. Certainly not a "what to do when your baby shifts before being fed" guide. I think Ruby is hungry a lot, but there's not much we can do except try and keep her close to my boobs whenever she's human. According to Bertie, my daughter may be able to eat solid food as a cub in a few months’ time, but that feels like ages away. We've tried giving her small pieces of meat, but she generally just looks at them as if she's offended by the idea of having to eat something that isn't her mum's milk.

"It's my turn," Finn whispers. "Once she's done, get some sleep. You look like you need it."

I nod gratefully. I've been up all night. Even though the guys try and care for Ruby as much as they can, walking around the house with her in their arms, rocking her when she can't sleep, they can't do the most essential bit of the job: feeding her. So whenever she wakes up as a human baby, they also have to wake me. It's been torture, and she's only three months old. I've never been this exhausted. I don't know how women do it who don't have four caring mates. My appreciation for mothers has risen dramatically ever since giving birth. Especially my own mother.

Ruby begins to get restless again and I move her to my other breast. She doesn't try to drink. Seems like she's had enough.

"Good girl," I mutter and hand her over to Finn. He takes her into his arms, expertly supporting her head. His eyes glow as he looks down at her. Just like the other three, he's besotted with his daughter. Whenever she smiles, his entire face lights up. I love watching them, but I know I need to catch up on some sleep. I'm no use to Ruby and the guys in my current state. I don't even know how long it's been since I stayed in bed for more than three hours or so. Please let her grow up fast. Please let me sleep.

I bend down to give her a quick kiss on the forehead, then do the same to Finn, except that I kiss his beautifully soft lips.

"See you later," he says with a wink. "Sleep well."

I nod and slowly move to the bedroom. It's empty, none of my men are around. I think Torben and Húnn are hunting, while Ràn is on yet another expedition to find baby supplies in one of the houses on the island. So far, all he's found are some clothes for three or four-year-olds, far too big for Ruby. Luckily, Arnold turned out to be a master sewer, and he's been busy sewing baby clothes for his niece. That's what they call her, their niece. We've made them her honorary uncles, while Alis calls herself their aunt.

I want to run, Alis complains as if she'd heard me think her name.

I'm too tired.

You're always tired. She sounds annoyed, just like she's been for ages.

I bet you were the same with your son, I shoot back. Now let me sleep.

I feel bad for not letting her shift and run around as a bear, but there's been no time recently.

Alis sends me some mental images of her dismembering me, but I ignore her. I know that she understands, deep down. She was a mother once, too. If we ignore the fact that her son went crazy and she had to kill him, then we're not all that different.

I fall into bed, not even taking off my shoes. I've been wearing the same clothes for what seems like an eternity, but I couldn't care less. I close my eyes, willing sleep to come, but of course, it doesn't. It's always the same. As soon as I actually have time to catch up on sleep, I get insomnia. Curse my mind for not letting me rest. It replays scenes from my past and my present, always active. I hate my head sometimes.

Me too, Alis whispers. Shall I sing you a lullaby?

Are you serious?

She gives a mental shrug. If you can't sleep, then you don't rest and recover, which means I don't get to shift and take over for a bit. So, listen and relax.

And then she actually begins to sing. I don't understand the words, but it's very soothing. I assume it's a lullaby from her own childhood back in Greece, or maybe it's something else entirely. It sinks into my mind, making my thoughts sluggish and my breath slower.

Finally, I fall asleep.

I'm in a dark cave, illuminated only by a circle of candles around me. They flicker, throwing ominous shadows against the stone walls.

"She's come," a voice says from the darkness.

"That she has," someone else replies.

Both voices are strange, definitely not human. They're neither male nor female, but something in between. Something I can only describe as ethereal.

"Is she the right one?" a third person asks.

I can't see any of them. I turn around and want to walk out of the circle, but my feet won't move. They're glued to the ground, no matter how much I stretch my legs.

"What have you done to me?" I shout, panic spreading through my body. Every instinct is telling me to run, but I'm trapped inside the candle circle.

"Calm, little one," the first voice says. "We're only here to talk. You don't need to fear us."

Somehow, I doubt that.

"Then let me go," I snarl. "Prove that I can trust you."

They laugh and the second person says, "It's not a matter of you trusting us. It's quite the opposite."

"You called me here," I reply, somehow knowing that I speak the truth. "Why would you be scared of me if you summoned me?"

"It doesn't matter," the third being says sharply. "What matters is that we need answers."

Now I'm confused. "What answers? Who are you?"

"Is your child human?" they ask as one. "Or is it ursine?"

I don't reply. I don't know who they are or what they want, so I'm certainly not going to give them information about Ruby. They could be a threat.

"Answer us!" they shout, but I stay quiet. Instinctively I know that the circle both traps and protects me. If I can't get out, they can't get in. They can't harm me.

Shadows move in the darkness, but I still can't see who's speaking to me. For all I know, they could be invisible.

"Your child is the Key. We offer to protect her, but we need to know."

They're all speaking as one now, their individual voices blended into one.

"What do you mean, the Key?" I ask. Please don't let this be any more mythology crap like the Fates. I've had enough of mysterious ancient beings trying to influence my life. They don't belong in this world. All I want is to be happy with my men and my daughter. No prophecies, no evil trying to take over the world. Just my small, loving family.

"If she is ursine, you will find out soon. Once you do, bring her to us. We're the only ones who can save her."

That makes my heart beat faster. "What do you mean, save her? Is she in danger?"

I'm sounding hysterical, but sue me. It's my daughter they're talking about. I've never loved anyone as much as I love her, not even my mates. It's a different kind of love, one so deep that there are no words to describe it. An all-encompassing, unconditional love.

"You did not answer our question. We shall not answer yours. Next time, be more compliant and we may change that."