Brock Moore
Brock has enough on his hands as alpha bear shifter and Lieutenant of his firefighter rescue team, handling a serious case of dangerous fires around the Reno-Sparks, Nevada area. Family has always come first, and when his mother phones him with a cryptic message, he knows something's up. It's another reason he's hesitant to take the next step with Sky, the shapely, captivating and feisty bombshell he wishes he could one day call his one true mate...if only there weren't so many barriers and secrets standing in their way. Somehow, all those hurdles start to seem small when the competition comes sniffing around Sky.
Sky Grayson
Sky has been through the ringer, but refuses to let misfortune dictate how she leads her life. Ever since she met Brock she knew he was the one. Easy on the eye, strong, protective, yet broody, they fit together like bears to honey, so how did this love connection turn into a string of Brock booty calls with no sign of commitment at all? Frustrated, she briefly entertains the idea of letting go of Brock in favor of Rhys Dillon. He's the mysterious, sexy as sin, big tipper who shows up at the Steak and Ale Saloon wanting to sweep Sky off her feet and show her how much she's really worth. Now she has to choose.
Author’s Note
Alpha Fire Bear and all of Bella Love-Wins’ shifter stories are set in a world which includes both natural born shifters and shifters who are turned by a mystical immortal mystery woman named Theriona. The entire saga is called The Marked Chronicles. For the most part, humans are not aware of their existence. Alpha Fire Bear tells its own story and can be read on its own.
1
It was no use. Death was coming for them.
Brock was in pain. The darkness pressed all around him, pulsating and warbling like it was made out of sound. He tried to open his eyelids, but they were heavier than they should have been and only half cracked open before fluttering closed again. His right shoulder ached and his left leg burned—no, seared with pain.
He tried again to open his eyes again. This second attempt went much better.
The highway was dark, illuminated mostly by the moon. High above, stars twinkled, encouraging Brock to go back to sleep. Deep down he knew he shouldn’t. The damp grass pressed into his back, soaking his shirt, making the pain increase by the second.
Groaning, he turned his head to the side. Across the road, the gnarled guardrail was bent and twisted. It was the last thing he had seen before his head slammed against the dashboard and darkness enveloped him.
How had he gotten onto the grass? Where was the car? Where was Dad?
Panic fluttered in his stomach. He heaved himself onto his forearms, attempting to sit up. Pain shot through his chest and he collapsed back onto the soft grass.
“Dad,” he choked out. The word came out in a whisper.
No one responded. A breeze picked up, rifling through the hoop pines. Somewhere far away a siren sounded. Were they coming for him? The car. The other driver. It had all happened so fast. Right as they came around the bend in the highway the headlights were there, on the wrong side of the road. Brock's dad had swerved, but it was already too late.
Just then, a shadow moved, blocking out the moonlight.
“Dad?” he whispered again in a question.
It was not Dad. Long hair cascaded down, sweeping over his cheeks. An oval face moved close to his. The stranger's breath was warm and her scent was sweet. It washed across Brock's skin and soothed him.
“Do you want to live, Brock?” the woman asked.
He only remembered thinking the word yes. He could barely think, let alone speak, yet somewhere deep in his mind was the question of how this stranger knew his name.
“I can help you survive, however you must know it will change you…forever.”
Whatever she was offering, he was ready to accept, especially if she could relieve some of his pain and help him find his father. With extra effort, he nodded.
The woman pressed her lips softly into his, and as she did so a wave of pleasure and ease swept across him. The kiss was tender and delicate and most of all, it was unexpected. The pain in his legs and shoulder subsided. His head became clearer just as she lifted up from the kiss.
“You will live, Brock Moore, but you are not the one.”