Your Cross To Bear Novels & Stories

Yet, I still crossed it. I know I had to find Lily. I had no choice but to find the girl. I shifted once I crossed, knowing that my black pelt will make it more obvious I was not part of their pack, but I will be easier hidden in the shadows. I ran through the trees, picking up the faintest scent of Lilacs. It led me further and further away from safety but closer to Lily. That was… up until my senses got overwhelmed by the smell of coffee. O crap…

As I land on all fours I stretch out and shake my fur to get the rest of the skin and blood off. My bear's name is Yona. It's Cherokee for bear. Our mate stood there smiling like a lunatic. "Holy crap. This is amazing. You are so furry." She walked up and started running her hands through our dark brown fur. She didn’t even mind getting a bit of blood on her hands. It was mostly off but there was always a bit left. Humans were usually terrified of Yona. He has a huge scar on his right eyelid. Another scar on his side and a huge scar down the left side of his ribs. All from war. All from trying to defend his people and the people who stood up for him.

“He wants to watch you come undone. That spark you’ve got? That fire? He doesn’t worship it. He breaks it.” I nod slowly. The ache in my chest sharpens into resolve. “Thanks,” I murmur. “Really.” He touches my arm, quick and fierce. “You promise me, Lana. You see him coming, you turn the other way. You call me if you can’t. I don’t care if it’s the middle of the night.” “I promise,” I whisper. Because I mean it. Because I have to. Because Nathan Cross is the kind of man who leaves beautiful wreckage behind.

Nothing and no one else in the room mattered as I watched this man get around to teaching. Everything about him screams power and poise. He moves gracefully, but there’s also a certainty in his movements. His confidence and cockiness are as clear as day, and on any other man, I’d probably think it was too much. On him, it was somehow perfect. “Is everything fine Miss Cross?” he breathed into my ear. I was so lost in thought, I hadn’t even seen him coming. “Everything’s fine.” I hated that I sounded like nothing was fine.

“He crossed the rainbow bridge a few years ago.” “Oh, I see,” he answered. “And didn’t he come back?” She raised an eyebrow. Clearly, he had never come across that phrase before. “Um… what I meant was that… he passed away,” she clarified awkwardly and added, “so he’s not coming back, unfortunately.” “Oh!” He cleared his throat and smothered an embarrassed cough. “Yeah, I got it. It’s really sad when they have to go.” “Hmm” She lowered her eyes.

The mountain valley echoed with harrowing screams, the metallic scent of blood saturating the air. I stood still, watching, waiting for their demise, when suddenly, a gunshot cracked through the stillness. The bear, startled by the sound, turned sharply and bolted back to its cubs, gathering them before vanishing into the forest's shadows.

I touched the cross at my collar and whispered, "Carlo, judgment day's coming." Those years of payback. And now? The end was in sight.

Xander's fangs extend, and Coal's eyes widen as he looks at Xander's fangs and red eyes. "You hurt my baby boy once. Do it again and I'll be the one killing you, and not with an injection like last time. I'll rip your heart out of your chest myself, right after I drink you until you're almost dry! It would be a shame to let that bear's blood go to waste!" "Hey!" Bear scolded as he pushed forward suddenly. Xander rolled his eyes and flicked his fingers at him, shooing Bear away. "I know, get out of here!"

I paused and was quiet for a minute. I took a deep breath and shook my head to get rid of a traumatic memory, “Sorry about that. Anyway, I want to give the guard a custom watch for being good at his job. The band will be a bunch of Saint George’s crosses, connected at the top and bottom. I am going to engrave a warrior’s prayer for protection on the cross.”