The Blessed And The Beast

The Bear and The Beauty – One: Charlie

The Bear and The Beauty

Chapter One: Charlie

Charlie’s P.O.V.

I could hearthem laughing from here. There were a hundred yards of thick trees between us, and I could still hear them laughing at me.

The corner of my lips pulled up at the sound. Even if I was the butt of the joke, it felt amazing. Before them, I never had someone willing to treat me as an equal. Let alone to be so bold as to laugh at me to my face.

But as I grabbed a large glob of the thick green slime from my chest, I let a chuckle slip out too. It dripped through my fingers, stringing through them to the ground just as I reached the river’s edge.

I deserved this. I knew better.

Yet, I still ended up covered in troll snot because I was careless. There were worse ways to end up after a battle with a rogue troll, but being drenched in their mucus was not my favorite.

Flicking my fingers to the side, the slime smacked loudly against the leaves of the overgrown bush next to me.

He would bring in a nice payday, but getting his remnants from my clothes and memory would take forever.

Oh, if my brother could see me now. He would be furious. Risking my life to chase monsters and sleeping in the forest with five men. Of course, they were in separate bed rolls and tents, but just thinking about him seeing how I lived now… I could picture the vein in Killian’s forehead threatening to burst.

He hated having his heir so far away and out from under his thumb. It was part of the reason why I left. Whenever he vocalized his dislike for my occupation, he always said it wasn’t suitable for ‘the heir’ to be putting herself in danger. Not once had he said he was worried about ‘his sister.’

There was a big difference. One I resented.

As soon as I had the opportunity, I fled home like the hounds of hell were on my heels.

To be fair, they technically were. An angry Lycan was one thing, but the Lycan king? Forget about it.

sweat coated every inch of my body, and I excitedly eyed the water. The only good thing to come of accidentally puncturing the pocket of mucus that trolls had

the only woman here, I usually

turn

hands fisted into the sand, and I rubbed it over my top first. It had been the easiest way for a quick clean, and when the small pebbles washed away through my fingers, I reached down and grabbed

the struggle of pulling the wet long-sleeve top from my body. I should have learned my lesson by now and switched to leather. The men had offered to make me some

men smelled like by the end of the day. Somehow, it managed to be more pungent after a day of working around camp than when we were out stalking, chasing, and slaughtering

no idea. While I appreciated my family of misfits and monster

damp and would have to hang it up around camp, but it was better than it

as the uneven stones beneath me bruised my tailbone, and I kicked the

bother to lay them out. They deserved their punishment of sitting tangled up in a wet ball for the time

of a man was bent over the bank of the river almost 20 yards downstream, rinsing what looked like blood from his hands. His thick forearms were

Growing up surrounded by Lycans, I was used to shirtless, muscular men walking around. But he put them to shame. I was sure if one wanted to, a full-grown Lycan could hide behind him, and no one would be

brown or black from the distance, but I wanted to find out. I felt stuck in place for a moment as the breeze shifted and his

could drown in it and would greet the Goddess with open arms and thank her for creating such a

Him. My mate.

his heels, watching me. He looked entertained but not as excited as I felt. My hands were still behind me, holding my back off the rocks, and my knees were bent as I held my injured

cheeks promptly burned down my neck and over my chest as I realized my position. His eyes roamed over me greedily, stopping to examine the thin see-through bralette I was wearing and the

now I was second-guessing everything. Nudity

not interact with their kind often, but I

A bear shifter.

from me, and somehow that made me feel even more exposed than when he was staring. I wanted his eyes on me.

Classy.

wet hands through his black hair, clearing the strands back from his forehead.

he could make something that simple look so

couldn’t do that covered in slime. I dove back into the water, arching my

cold water in the hot summer heat was exactly what I needed to regain my composure. So far, I had done nothing to attract him to me, and I wanted to make

giddiness filled me at the prospect of him joining