Bluecollar Bear: Paranormal Werebear Small Town Romance (Black Oak Bears Book 1)

by Anya Nowlan

  And why exactly was she telling him all this? She had no idea. But the way he looked at her, hanging off every word, she couldn’t stop herself. Leaning back against the wall, she ran through the two weeks she had spent in Black Oak so far, focusing on moments that had made her feel welcome, and calm.

  “At first I found it a little weird when people came up to me on the street, already knowing my name, asking me how I was,” she mused. “I thought everyone was just being nosy. But now, when I go to get my morning coffee, or take a trip to the grocery store, those same people wave and come up to chat… I kind of hate it,” she laughed, surprising herself. “But it’s actually kind of sweet, too.”

  Chuckling, Pierce looked at her, curiosity in his gaze.

  “You’re a fish out of water, aren’t you?” he asked.

  “What about you? You’ve lived here all your life. Haven’t you ever thought of leaving?” she countered.

  “Not really,” he shrugged. “This is my home. It’s where I grew up, it’s where all the people I care about are. I know every street, every back road. This place is like air to me. I’m happy here.”

  “It’s that simple?” Tory questioned.

  She had lived in New York all of her adult life, but she had never felt about it the way Pierce felt about Black Oak. From the way he spoke, it was clear his home meant a lot to him. There was a connection between him, the town, the people. It was alien to Tory, but also intriguing.

  “No need to make it complicated,” Pierce shrugged, holding her gaze.

  There was a good three feet of space between them, but it felt like a lot less. Were they still talking about the town? She guessed not. But in a place as small as Black Oak, Tory knew her choices were less a private matter, and more fuel for the rumor mill.

  Some things were complicated, weren’t they? Suddenly, looking into Pierce’s brown eyes, she wasn’t so sure. It wasn’t like she had to commit to something, or put her heart and soul out there. All Pierce had done was ask her out. It wasn’t like he was proposing marriage.

  He stepped closer, tilting his head at her. Stubble shadowed his squared jawline, his hair was a mess. It was just the sort of look advertisers and photographers spent a lot of time and money perfecting, yet on him it was effortless.

  He probably hadn’t even looked in the mirror before stepping out of his house, looking like a tousled underwear model.

  The jerk.

  “What are you thinking about?” he asked, as Tory’s heart beat fast in her chest.

  “You know…” she stalled. “Whether giving you my number would be a mistake or not.”

  “Is there any way I can sway your decision?” he asked, stepping closer still.

  “I don’t…” she hesitated, her back against the wall as Pierce slowly boxed her in.

  There was an intensity in his eyes that made her forget about everything around her, and about all the silly rules she had set up for herself. There was being careful, and then there was being so careful you missed out on your own life.

  That hurt, bitter part of her tried to rear its head, but when she was suddenly face to face with Pierce, the warring voices inside her head quieted. Carefully, like she were made of glass, he placed a hand on her shoulder.

  Without even meaning to, Tory found herself leaning closer, pulled toward him. His head dipped, that musky scent of his enveloping her as their lips met. It was tentative, gentle, testing at first.

  But as her lips parted and his tongue snaked into her mouth, it became something entirely different. Tory’s head swam as his body pressed against hers. With a groan in his throat, Pierce gripped her other shoulder, holding her in place as he kissed her breath away.

  It was deep and lingering, filled with a passion that made her core clench. When they pulled apart, she was breathless, clinging to him as he rested his forehead against hers. This wasn’t her. She didn’t just kiss men she barely knew, and definitely not in her place of work.

  Yet here she was, willing to throw all logic to the wind.

  Chuckling to himself, Pierce pulled away to look her in the eye.

  “Did that convince you to give me your number?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Tory blurted out, gathering herself.

  What the hell else could she say?

  Eight

  Pierce

  Standing in front of Black Oak’s most popular restaurant as the sun slowly began to set, Pierce had to admit – he was nervous. Was Tory even going to show up? This was in no way a predictable woman, and despite the kiss they had shared, he still sensed some hesitance on her part.

  Maybe that was why he had arrived fifteen minutes early? So that if he spotted her changing her mind and running the other way, he could chase after her? He didn’t really know the answer, but there he stood anyway, in his button-down shirt and slacks, wondering if he should have worn a tie or not.

  Since when do I care about ties?

  Sighing to himself, Pierce kept his eye on the streets, breathing in the crisp, fresh air. Clouds were beginning to roll in, dark and heavy, and wind tousled the row of trees on the edge of the sidewalk.

  When Pierce took out his phone to check the time, he spotted a familiar face looking at him from across the street. Eyes narrowing, he watched the woman’s expression change when she saw him notice her. She smiled at him, but he didn’t smile back.

  Bonnie.

  His bear was instantly agitated as he watched his former girlfriend cross the street and head straight for him. Did Bonnie really think he wanted to talk to her? Did she not realize he had put two and two together and realized what she had done after the break-up?

  He crossed his arms as she came to a stop in front of him, tucking her long, dark hair behind her ear. She’d gotten bangs since he had seen her last, and was wearing a skintight dress and high heels.

  “Hey,” she said, looking happy to see him. “What’s up?”

  “What’s up?” he responded, incredulous. “Is that all you have to say to me?”

  Bonne frowned, crinkling her upturned nose.

  “I don’t understand,” she said. “Is something the matter? I just came over to say hi.”

  Pierce was not in the mood to play games with his ex, especially not when Tory was due to arrive soon. And despite his annoyance at the whole situation, he didn’t really want to get into an argument with Bonnie, either.

  The past was the past, and he had already moved on. He didn’t need any clarity, or closure – he already had it. A relationship with Bonnie was never going to work out. Even if they hadn’t broken up when they did, things would have still been over for them the moment he laid eyes on Tory.

  So, he took a deep, calming breath, and looked Bonnie straight in the eye.

  “Hi. I hope you’re doing well, but I’m kind of expecting someone and don’t have time to chat,” he said.

  Bonnie glanced at the restaurant, and then at his attire. Hand flying to her hip, she scoffed to herself.

  “What, you going on a date or something?” she questioned.

  “I am,” he replied evenly.

  “Not wasting any time, I see,” she remarked, bitterness coloring her tone.

  “Look, I’m not getting into this with you,” he replied. “We’re over, and after what you put me through after our break-up, I really don’t feel like we have anything more to say to each other.”

  “What I put you through?” she raised a brow at him. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  Pierce’s patience was fraying. This was a big night for him – his first date with his mate. He wanted to enjoy every moment of it, and didn’t need his mood soured by having his past coming back to haunt him.

  But it looked like Bonnie wasn’t going to let it go, and was still waiting for an answer.

  “Where should I begin?” he asked, his brows creasing. “Are you trying to say you weren’t the one putting my name and number on Craigslist? Or that it was someone else that keyed my car?”

  “What?�
�� Bonnie scoffed. “You can’t actually believe I had something to do with any of those things.”

  But her indignation was just a little off, her outrage just a shade too unconvincing for him to even entertain the idea of her telling the truth.

  “Who else?” he countered.

  “I don’t know, your friends could have been pranking you with the calls,” she replied, throwing up her hands.

  Is she serious right now? Pierce couldn’t help but think.

  “And they also decided to key my car?”

  “That could have been an accident,” she insisted. “Maybe someone parked too close or…”

  Pierce shook his head, a harsh laugh escaping his throat.

  “Please, stop,” he said. “I don’t really care anymore. Now if you’ll excuse me…” he trailed off, turning his attention back to the street, looking for Tory.

  “So you’re just going to ignore me?” Bonnie wouldn’t let up. “We had something real, and you won’t even talk to me anymore?”

  Pierce didn’t even know what to say. Had he not made himself clear? He had no intention of wanting to hurt Bonnie, but she seemed to be putting a lot of importance on a relationship that only lasted for a few months.

  “As I said, I hope you’re doing well,” he replied. “But this conversation is over.”

  Bonnie’s eyes widened as she stared at him for a moment. But Pierce’s attention was already drawn to a familiar figure rounding the nearest corner, her scent hitting him like a punch to the gut.

  Bonnie’s gaze followed his, but Pierce just stepped away from her and toward Tory, greeting her with a hug. In her long black dress, leather jacket and her hair down around her face, she looked different from how he was used to seeing her.

  She smelled familiar though, and felt familiar in his arms, too.

  “You showed,” he said, when he let her go.

  “Worried I was going to stand you up?” she asked, a smile tugging at her lips.

  “Just for a moment, there,” he replied.

  He saw her gaze swing over his shoulder, and knew she had to be looking at Bonnie. They both turned toward the woman, and it was clear Bonnie was not happy. Well, that wasn’t Pierce’s problem anymore. And if Bonnie didn’t want to see him with someone else, she should have left when he made it clear there was nothing left to discuss.

  “Hello,” Tory said tentatively, as Bonnie glared at them.

  “Tory, this is…” Pierce started to explain, but Bonnie cut him off.

  “No one important,” she said, turning on her heel and stomping away.

  Tory blinked up at Pierce, and he couldn’t blame her for being confused. So was he, to be honest. What had Bonnie hoped to gain from their conversation? He didn’t know, and he wasn’t sure how to explain it all to Tory.

  Nor did he really want to. This night was supposed to be about him and Tory.

  “So, uh, what was that about?” Tory asked.

  Pierce sighed, cursing his luck for running into Bonnie in the first place. But he knew he had to tell Tory something, lest she come to her own conclusions, or think he was hiding something.

  “Come on,” he said, unable to resist wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “I’ll tell you inside.”

  Nine

  Tory

  The restaurant Tory had agreed to meet Pierce at was cozy, with soft, muted lighting and simple, elegant décor. Their table was near the back, giving them a fair amount of privacy. Their orders already taken, with a glass of white wine in front of Tory and a glass of bourbon in front of Pierce, they sat opposite each other, a candle flickering on the table between them.

  Despite the romantic atmosphere, Tory couldn’t stop wondering who the woman was she had seen outside, and why she had seemed so pissed at Pierce. As if reading her mind, he broached the subject before she could.

  “That was Bonnie, the woman you saw,” he explained. “We dated for a few months a while back, but it didn’t work out.”

  Tory had to admit, her curiosity was piqued. There seemed to be a lot more to the story than that, and even though bringing up exes on a first date was a no-no, she couldn’t help it.

  “May I ask why?”

  Pierce thought about it for a moment, his dark eyes fixing on something in the distance.

  “She wanted more than I could give her,” he finally said. “I didn’t want to waste her time.”

  “So she was looking for something serious and you weren’t,” Tory commented.

  He looked at her, an unreadable expression on his face. Perhaps she shouldn’t have pushed the subject, relationships were a private, personal matter after all, but Tory was desperate to get a read on Pierce.

  Their kiss had unlocked something in her, and the more time she spent with him, the more she couldn’t get him out of her mind. And that was dangerous. She didn’t want to pursue something only to be cast aside. Again.

  “It’s a little more complicated than that,” Pierce replied, hesitating for a moment before continuing on. “You’re aware Black Oak is known as a shifter town?”

  “Well, I know there was supposed to be a bear clan around here somewhere,” she nodded.

  “That… might be a little bit of an understatement,” he said. “We do have a clan here, quite a large one, actually. But shifters come here from all over the country, either looking to be close to their own kind or just wanting a fresh start in a place free of prejudice.”

  Tory listened, fascinated. This was all news to her. Her knowledge of shifters was rather limited, mostly because she never had that close of a connection to anyone from that world. There were articles written about them here and there, but since shifters tended to keep to themselves, you could never be sure if the authors of those articles had a legitimate source, or were just making stuff up.

  In any case, shifters usually didn’t like to draw attention to themselves, which was probably why Tory hadn’t been aware of how big of a part of the population shifters actually made up here in Black Oak.

  But why was Pierce telling her all this? Unless…

  “As you’re probably already figuring out, I’m a shifter,” Pierce said, making Tory’s eyes widen.

  “I was… putting two and two together,” she replied.

  “And the thing with shifters is, our love life is a little different,” Pierce explained, studying her reactions. “You’ve probably heard we believe in soul mates.”

  Tory nodded, keeping her expression neutral. That was pretty much common knowledge. She didn’t know how it actually worked, or how shifters went about finding their mates, but she knew it was very important to them.

  It was something she hadn’t put that much thought into, really. The whole concept was a little too rom-com for her. Having only one person out there in the whole world that you are meant to be with? That sounded more scary than romantic. What if you never found your mate? Was your life just incomplete?

  “Well, I knew Bonnie wasn’t mine,” Pierce shrugged.

  Tory leaned forward, curling her fingers around the stem of her wine glass.

  “But how did you know?” she asked.

  “I can’t really explain it. I just knew,” he replied. “And I’ve been around people who have already found their mates. They have described this overwhelming pull toward that person, and the sense of certainty. I never got that with Bonnie.”

  Tory mulled that over. She couldn’t really grasp what it must be like to just know if a person was right for you or not. In that sense, shifters were at an advantage. Mere humans were left to wing it, looking for red flags or common interests, going on date after date, attempting to gauge if the stranger you’re sharing a meal with is someone you’d also want to share a future with.

  “Wow,” she muttered under her breath. “I mean, I don’t really know what to say. Did you explain that to Bonnie?”

  “I did,” he replied. “But I’m not sure she really got it. She seemed to think we needed more time together, that things might change f
or me. I told her they would not. She didn’t take it well.”

  “That has to be hard to come to grips with,” Tory said. “The fact that some higher power has decided you two just aren’t meant to be.”

  “It is what it is,” Pierce just shrugged, and she had to laugh.

  “That’s a bit blasé, don’t you think?” she asked.

  “I can’t change how I feel, and I can’t change how Bonnie feels. I was true to myself, and I don’t want to apologize for that. Bonnie has to find her own path, and learn to accept there’s no bad guy here. It just wasn’t meant to be,” he replied.

  Tory fell silent for a moment. This was a more serious Pierce than she was used to, and she appreciated him laying it all out there. She didn’t doubt his honesty, and what he said made a lot of sense.

  Hasn’t everyone tried fooling themselves into thinking a relationship was right when it was clearly wrong? She knew she definitely had. But all it did was drag on something that was never going to last.

  “I get it,” she replied, taking a sip of her wine.

  The cool liquid coated her tongue, fresh and crisp. She couldn’t help but notice the way Pierce watched her lips on the rim of the glass, seemingly mesmerized.

  “Anyway, I didn’t ask you out to talk about my ex,” he said. “I want to know about you.”

  Tory tensed for a moment. Talking about herself had never been something she enjoyed, but with her recent failures, she found it even more challenging. But after all Pierce had just told her, it was only fair she open up, too.

  There was a level of comfort between her and Pierce that made it easier, as little sense as that made. Something about him put her at ease and made her stomach do flips at the same time. A part of her still resisted, though. She didn’t want him to think of her as damaged goods.

  Should I tell him the truth?

  Ten

  Pierce

  “I moved here from New York,” Tory started, tucking a strand of golden-brown hair behind her ear. “It’s been quite an adjustment, I’m not going to lie. But I’m starting to really like it here.”