Romance: Bears Seeking Bride: Double Trouble: A BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance Standalone

by Ashley Hunter

  “Looks like you need some coffee,” Sabrina teased.

  He half-smiled (the most he could do, she figured), “You don’t even know. My brother and I were out with our clan last night.”

  “Like the Ku Klux?”

  He rolled his eyes, but only slightly since it seemed to be too much effort in his state, “Not quite. It’s just kind of our family unit. It’s not that important.”

  “Hungover then?”

  “No, they just got a little rough,” his frown returned. “I don’t drink. Our dad was an alcoholic.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. He’s dead now.”

  She wasn’t sure how to respond.

  “I’m kidding,” he said with another slight smile. “I mean, my dad is actually dead, it’s just not okay.”

  “Oh, um…”

  “I really am just kidding,” he laughed. “Our dad would never drink. I’m sorry.”

  “Your mom, on the other hand, is the real alcoholic,” Sabrina gave a slight smile.

  “You got it,” he nodded. “She has vodka for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”

  “What about dessert?”

  “She usually has rum for dessert.”

  She laughed, “That’s really not funny.”

  He kept smiling (a good look for him, she thought), “No, it’s not. I appreciate you playing along though.”

  “I’m going to the library to work on some stuff between classes. Want to join and get some coffee from the cafe?”

  “You want to get coffee with me, huh? When I’m such a pretentious bore?” he continued packing up his things. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather ask my brother?”

  She felt nerves run up and down her arms. Did he know David had asked her out?

  “I prefer a bore from time to time,” she answered. “I figured I would just invite you since I’m going anyway.”

  “I need to get some coffee, obviously, so I’d love to join.”

  They walked together to the library amiably by discussing their new classes for the semester. Lucas even apologized for being cruel to her in their math class - he’d had other classes where he did all the homework for “pretty girls,” so he didn’t want the same thing to happen.

  “Ah, so you think I’m pretty, huh?” Sabrina chuckled.

  “I… I do,” Lucas shrugged. “You happen to be my type, I guess.”

  “So non-committal!”

  They ordered their coffees and took a seat in the corner of the lounge area of the library. Both pulled out homework to work on, though Lucas still appeared too weary to focus on anything. Still, this time he did help her with some of the math in her new Statistics class, which she happened to understand much better. Overall, Sabrina was surprised at how well they were getting along.

  “I don’t know if you’d want to, but a friend of mine’s band is playing this Saturday. It’s an all-ages show, if you wanted to come,” Lucas asked cautiously. “You’re welcome to invite your roommate, if that would make you more comfortable.”

  “I think I might be down for that,” Sabrina tried not to seem too eager. “Do you want my number so you can give me the details and everything?”

  “Oh, yeah. That would be helpful. I’m afraid I don’t go out that often.”

  “You really are a bore, huh?”

  “I guess I am,” he gave a slight smile.

  They continued doing homework together until they both had to go to class. Coincidentally, they had class at the same time, but on different ends of the campus. Sabrina thought about her dilemma all through her last class.

  She wasn’t sure if she should still go on the date with David (which she didn’t really want to go on anyway), but then again, Lucas seemed to make their date a friendlier venture. Perhaps he just wanted to get to know her so that he knew the girl his brother was dating.

  That didn’t seem incredibly likely, but she thought that made more sense than both the handsome brothers being interested in her. That didn’t seem possible. As she walked home, she couldn’t figure out.

  She reached for her door to unlock it when the tall hipster boy from the party the night before opened it.

  “Oh, hello,” the boy said. “You must be Sabrina.”

  “You must be the cute boy from Delia’s English class,” Sabrina responded, albeit a bit shocked herself.

  “That sounds like me. I’m Zach.”

  “Hello. Can I go into my apartment now?”

  “Oh yes, sorry. I was just leaving,” he blushed slightly, then called back inside. “Call me later, Delia.”

  “Okay!” Delia’s voice could be heard from upstairs.

  Sabrina sighed. At least Delia had her love life figured out, Sabrina thought. The apartment would probably be in chaos, if not.

  V.

  Delia voiced her opinion that Lucas’s date did seem friendlier (but most likely hoped for more), while David’s date got right to the point. She suggested going on both - most likely for the vindictive reason to destroy the two - in order to “make the correct decision on who to date.”

  Yet, Delia didn’t seem to actually care about the situation since she and Zach were constantly together. Their relationship was growing fast. Sabrina almost expected them to suddenly get engaged in a few months. It had only been a few days, and they were inseparable.

  Sabrina decided to go on the date with David in the prettiest blue dress she owned.

  She rarely wore it because it was too fancy for day-to-day wear, but she figured if she were going to a nice Italian place, it might be okay. She arrived at exactly seven, worrying that David wouldn’t be there. She waited outside, hoping he’d meet her there.

  She waited five minutes, then went inside to ask if the reservation had been placed and if he’d arrived. The hostess said he had not. Out of awkwardness, Sabrina waited outside for David to arrive. She waited another five minutes.

  Then another five. She decided she would leave after another five minutes, but as it came to the last minute, David came striding up.

  “You’re here!” he grinned. “I didn’t know if you would come.”

  “You are late,” she responded. “I was just about to leave.”

  “I’m sorry. I really thought you weren’t going to come.”

  She shrugged, “We should probably get to eating since you’re so late on the reservation.”

  “Oh, it’s okay. They know I’m always late here.”

  She decided not to ask why he was well known at the restaurant (or how many girls he’d taken there.) It didn’t really matter, in the scheme of things.

  The hostess greeted him by name and led them to a nice table near the back. Sabrina could see why David would bring multiple women here - the restaurant looked gorgeous.

  David ordered for them, and then sat with his head rested on his hands, just gazing at her. She wanted to say she didn’t like when other people ordered for her, and she didn’t appreciate him just staring at her, but he looked so handsome in the dim light that she couldn’t help but smile.

  It helped that he no longer made fat jokes about her and actually seemed quite kind. He was alarmingly charming. He’d even ordered her a delicious meal.

  “How was the dinner, despite me being so late?” David asked as they waited for the check.

  “It was quite good,” Sabrina responded. “Thank you for inviting me out.”

  “Thank you for giving me a chance after all my awful jokes.” He paid, then clapped his hands on the table. “Would you like to get some ice cream?”

  “No, I have some homework to do. I should probably just go home.”

  “Ah, that’s no fun. Come on, you’re young.”

  “I am, but Chemistry is hard. I need to work on it. Do you want my notes from the class you missed, by the way?”

  “Nah, Lucas has it covered. Can I at least walk you to your car?”

  She nodded, “I would like that.”

  They walked slowly - David didn’t have any sen
se of urgency at any time. With her short legs, Sabrina preferred to walk faster to offset her small stride. She had to slow down in order to match his speed. Eventually, they arrived at her car.

  “Well, thanks again,” she said awkwardly, not sure what else to say.

  “You’re very welcome, Sabrina,” he smiled.

  He then leaned in slowly, giving her more of a chance to pull away if she wanted to, and kissed her. This time, it felt more natural, less rushed. His lips still felt soft and warm, but his mouth tasted better. She couldn’t taste the cheap beer on his breath.

  “I hope,” he said softly, “you let me take you out again. Can I have your number?”

  “Yes,” she replied, then repeated her number for him to enter into his phone.

  He kissed her once more and went on his way. She sighed, wondering if she should even go to the show with Lucas. Then again, there was vulnerability about him missing from David.

  Though David played the game well, being with him felt a little superficial; still, he sure could kiss. When Lucas called her to see if he could pick her up for the show, she decided to go through with it. Why not?

  VI.

  Lucas arrived on time to the minute. Sabrina had worried lateness would be a family trait, but it seemed Lucas didn’t have the same laissez faire personality as his brother.

  “Is your roommate coming?” he asked after arriving.

  “She said she and her boyfriend may show up later,” Sabrina answered with a shrug. “They were going out to dinner or something.”

  “That’s probably better. I invited some friends too just in case, but they are all going to a party.”

  “Is your brother doing that too?” She hoped he was.

  “Oh yeah. If there’s a party, he’s there. Shall we go?”

  “We shall.”

  Lucas moved faster than David and appeared to be more mindful toward his surroundings and Sabrina. He asked if she’d like to go to dinner and offered several suggestions for her to choose from. At the Thai restaurant she’d chosen (and had wanted to go to for some time), he didn’t order for her and even asked what she thought would be good for him as that he’d “never eaten Thai food before.”

  He made pleasant conversation and didn’t stare at her throughout the meal. He, of course, did make eye contact, but it wasn’t the same as when she went out with David.

  They walked to the show - which was in an outside venue downtown near the restaurant - and seemed to be hitting it off. Lucas was funny and smart, though sometimes his pretentiousness did come out. Still, he appeared warmer than he ever had. She actually enjoyed his company.

  “So, who is it that’s playing?” she asked as they waited for the music to start.

  “My friend, Ben. I think he’s playing first, so if you don’t dig it, we can always leave after his set,” he responded. “The other bands are supposed to be good though too.”

  “Ah, okay. I’m sure it will be good then.”

  The music started, and it turned out Ben was a very good musician. The music was groovy and easy to dance to. With Lucas being so stiff normally, Sabrina was surprised when he actually started to dance, bringing her in to dance with him. He had a good sense of rhythm, and when he put his hands on her waist to dance closer with her, she felt a surge of electricity flow through her body.

  “Hey! There you are!” Delia said, breaking them apart with surprise. “I thought I saw you, but I couldn’t believe you were dancing!”

  “Oh, you must be Sabrina’s roommate,” Lucas stuck out his hand to shake. “Is it Delia? I believe we went to high school together.”

  “Delia, yes,” she grinned and shook his hand. “This is my um… this is Zach.”

  Zach held out his hand, “I’m her boyfriend. Nice to see you, Lucas.”

  Lucas shook his hand, “Nice to see you as well, Zach. I thought you’d be at the party.”

  “Yeah, Brandon is there keeping an eye on them, so I figured I’d come here instead. But we’ll leave you to your dancing. Sorry to interrupt.”

  Delia gave Zach a look, but he dragged her away with a whisper in her ear.

  “You know Zach then? Did he go to high school with you guys as well?”

  “No, he’s an old family friend. He lived in a more remote area, so he went to school somewhere else,” he said, then brought her in to dance again. “Now, where were we?”

  The continued dancing throughout the rest of the shows, though decided to leave towards the end of the last band - it wasn’t either of their kind of music.

  Delia and Zach decided to stay for the last act, but Delia promised to be home that evening to “talk over everything.” Sabrina and Lucas walked slowly to the car, talking the whole way. The car ride, though was comfortably quiet.

  He walked her to her door, and stood with his hands in his pockets awkwardly on the stoop with her, “Well, that was fun. Did you have fun?”

  “I did,” she answered. “Thank you for asking me to go.”

  He nodded, “Of course. Could I text or call you sometime?”

  “I don’t know. Can you?”

  He chuckled, “May I?”

  “I believe you may. That should be acceptable.”

  “Great. Well… um…”

  “Well.” She waited for him to kiss her.

  “I’ll see you later then,” he said, giving her a quick hug and then quickly leaving.

  She frowned. She really thought she’d get a kiss out of that. Especially with how forward David had been. With a sigh, she opened the door to see Zach and Delia sitting at the couch.

  “Um… hi,” Sabrina greeted awkwardly. “I thought you guys were....”

  “We need to talk,” Zach said grimly as he stood.

  VII.

  Sabrina sat on the couch next to Delia, who seemed more interested in the gossip than concerned about Zach’s seriousness.

  “So, you’re dating both David and Lucas Bogart,” Zach asked.

  “I went on a date with each of them,” Sabrina answered. “I guess I would consider going out with each of them again, but eventually I’d have to choose.”

  “Well, before you get too far with this, there’s something you should know.”

  “Oh really?”

  Zach took a deep breath, “They both are interested in you because they want to marry and impregnate you to add you to their bear clan.”

  “What?”

  “They - and many of their friends - are bear shifters or, I guess, were bears. They transform into bears at will, though usually on the full moon. Their group of other bear shifters are their clan. Normally, the members of the clan try to marry early to keep the clan going.”

  “That is literally the craziest thing I’ve ever heard,” Delia said.

  “Agreed,” Sabrina nodded.

  “Do you transform into a bear?” Delia asked.

  Zach shook his head, “My family are protectors of the bear shifters. That’s how I know.”

  “Why are you telling us this then?”

  “Well, I was going to have to tell you anyway, Delia. Also, Sabrina is your friend. I didn’t want her to be thrust into something she wasn’t ready for.”

  “Why would they both want to have me in their clan?” Sabrina asked.

  Zach shrugged, “I’m not sure. I did hear David say he wanted a girl with child-bearing hips because his kids were likely to be large. I don’t know if Lucas shared that sentiment. He doesn’t really talk about those things with me.”

  “I can’t believe this. So, they didn’t really like me at all? They just wanted me to birth their bear children?”

  “Oh, I’m not really saying that. As I said, I’m not sure of their intentions.”

  “I… I can’t handle this right now. I just can’t. I’m going to bed.”

  She went upstairs and darted toward her bed. She avoided her phone, which had texts from both Bogart boys. She stayed in bed for days, missing her classes and avoiding even Delia.

  She only le
ft her room to stock up on food. She hated that she’d believed two handsome boys would want to date her and that she’d let them trick her. She almost could expect it from David, but Lucas seemed different. She supposed she really knew nothing about men at all.

  After about a week, Delia knocked on her door. “Sabrina, you have some guests.”

  “I’m not interested,” Sabrina responded.

  “I don’t think they’re going to leave until you come down, and Zach and I have plans to make out on the couch.”

  “Wouldn’t want to ruin your plans with Zach.”

  “Come on, Sabrina. Stop acting like a baby.”

  “Fine. I’ll be out in a second.”

  Sabrina thought about sneaking out her window, but she figured that would be difficult with her being on the second floor. She got dressed out of her pajamas and made her way downstairs.

  The Bogart twins sat on the couch, while Zach leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and Delia sat in her chair. David seemed as nonchalant as ever, while Lucas looked genuinely worried.

  “Look at that, Lucas, she’s alive!” David grinned, throwing up his hands as Sabrina came down the stairs.

  “What do you two want?” Sabrina asked, taking a strong stance in front of them.

  “Well, Lucas was worried about you, so I tagged along. Also, Zach told us to come.”

  “I told her about the clan,” Zach said. “I thought she deserved to know since you’re both dating her.”

  “We’re not both…” Lucas started, then looked between Sabrina and David. “I specifically asked you not to ask her out, David.”

  David shrugged, “You asked, but you talked her up so much that I wanted to try my hand at her.”

  “Well, that’s insulting,” Sabrina replied. “You only thought about dating me when your brother said he wanted to date me?”

  “Oh, it’s not like that. I mean, I liked your ass.” Lucas, Sabrina, and Delia rolled their eyes. Zach appeared stony-faced. “And, I mean, you seemed like you’d be a good woman to add to the clan.”

  “Because of my child-bearing hips?”

  “That certainly helped. But, I mean, you’re pretty too. And smart, and um… nice.”