Nailed (Black Mountain Bears Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

moment, he shifted to gain better footing and feedback. In his bear form, the scents of the area bombarded him and it took him a second to focus.
    A huge, blooming laurel bush flanked the rock he’d dived off of and he sniffed around it, soon finding a small path that had been trodden very little, but was still clearly a path. It led down a steep, treacherous bank to another ledge obscured by vegetation. He sunk his claws into the earth and made his way down.
    Another ledge lay hidden behind the foliage and he found that it extended behind the waterfall. It was just wide enough for Aidan to traverse on his huge feet.
    The sound of the falls was almost too loud to endure, but as he made his way back into the cave behind, it grew muted. A light fell down in the far reaches of the vast cave and he instinctively walked toward it. There was an opening above, that must go up beyond the source of the waterfall.
    Even the light inside this space came from Gaia. The water, too. Even if she didn’t see fit to heal him, being here, in her presence, would be a blessing. He might even manage to find a way to forgive himself here, if he had enough time.
    In that moment, he understood for the first time that the tragedy he needed to overcome wasn’t the loss of his and Autumn’s baby, but the loss of his respect for himself.
    Aidan sat down in the middle of the empty cavern, staring out at the backside of the waterfall, and simply let himself be.

Chapter Four
    “Y ou want to see all the waterfalls in the Sanctuary.” Orrick repeated Jade’s words as though he didn’t quite believe her and was trying to understand.
    “Why is that so strange a request? There are others besides this one, aren’t there? I’m just so tired of hanging around the lodge. If I’m going to live here, I should get to know the place, right?”
    Orrick and Sten exchanged a private glance and Orrick shook his head slightly. “That could take months, though. There are literally hundreds of waterfalls scattered around the place.”
    Jade’s face fell. They weren’t going to go along with it. She let out a soft sigh.
    “Never mind. Forget I asked.” She bent to gather her clothes from the pile beside her blanket and began to dress. It felt odd to be the only one in clothes when the pair of them were still gloriously, beautifully naked. She turned to go and a large, warm hand gripped her elbow.
    “Hang on,” a deep voice sounded behind her.
    She turned to look up into Orrick’s face, her skin prickling at the nearness of this huge, gorgeous male specimen. Was he actually about to take the initiative now?
    He dropped his hand quickly to his side, flushing a little as though he’d committed some breach of etiquette.
    “I didn’t say we can’t do it,” he said. “But maybe you don’t want to see all of them in one trip. What if we just show you the five best falls inside the Stonetree Clan’s territory? They’re all along the same waterway. This one’s part of it. And they lead all the way to Gaia’s Falls in the center of the Sanctuary, which is the most beautiful of all of them.”
    He sounded so earnest and eager to please, she forgot for a moment that she was irritated. She supposed having a pair of males willing to cater to her every need couldn’t hurt, even if their solicitous nature turned her off otherwise. It would be like having a pair of Jaspers to hang out with, but less inclined to get a rise out of her. She could do a lot worse, under the circumstances.
    Jade looked up at Orrick, then at Sten, who looked back expectantly. A smile tugged at her mouth. This was precisely what she needed—a few days on a hiking trip to clear her head would do wonders for her mood.
    “That sounds perfect. Can we leave today? I can pack my gear and be ready in an hour.”
    “Definitely,” Sten said, face breaking into a huge grin. “We’ll meet you on the front porch of the lodge.”
    With that, the pair of them shifted enthusiastically, their