“That was beautiful. I feel like I was coming in rainbows,” she whispered. His lips curled in a smile.
“You’re beautiful, baby. The most beautiful thing I’ve seen in my life.” He pulled his cock out of her, and she made a sound of disappointment. But then he turned her onto her side, and, very carefully, entered her from behind. He made a deep, animal sound as his cock slid all the way in, his big hand cupping her ass cheek.
He seemed to like this positon a lot, his hips butting against her generous ass, as his cock stimulated her in a different way, rubbing up against the front wall of her pussy. His hands wandered all over her, cupping her breasts, or gently stroking her clit. He began to thrust faster and faster, and suddenly, he flipped her right onto her front, and she felt his teeth graze the back of her neck as his motions became jerky and rough. It was a lot to take, but she loved it. Olsen. This big, rough, bear man taking her, crushing her beneath his weight, claiming her as his.
As his orgasm hit, his teeth broke through her skin, and he shot his seed deep inside her, pumping again and again until he was spent.
At last he stopped moving. There was a long, still moment, and then he jumped up, his hand going to the back of her neck.
“I hurt you. I’m sorry, Dolores. I couldn’t help myself.”
She raised her hand to the spot. It didn’t hurt, but it tingled intensely. “What have you done to me?” she said carelessly, unconcerned.
“I marked you.” His tone was heavy, contrite.
She rolled onto her back. “What do you mean?”
“I mean I gave you a mate mark. You’re mine now. Forever. Like it or not.”
She frowned, touching it with her fingertips. “What if I don’t like it?”
“Too bad.” He growled. “I’ll come after you. Do whatever it takes to make you happy, and love you until you surrender.”
Butterflies fluttered in her stomach and she flashed him a brilliant smile. “Then it’s lucky that I like it a lot.”
He smiled too, and he’d never looked more handsome and at peace. He took her into his arms, holding her tenderly while he planted soft kisses all over her face.
“I like mating a lot, too,” she said, sleepily.
“I wasn’t too rough for you?”
“No. You were incredible.” She snuggled in against his chest and drifted off to sleep.
Olsen didn’t sleep. He lay awake, watching all the little movements she made in her sleep – her eyelashes fluttering on her cheeks, her lips pursing – and listened to the quiet sound of her breathing. She felt like silk in his arms. Like something too soft and delicate for a rough-hide bear like him. But she was his. She was his mate. His first and only. It still felt like a dream: him, a bear too rough and wild to live with his own shifter clan, meeting a human, the most intelligent, beautiful woman he could imagine. And she wanted to be his mate. He pushed his face into her soft dark hair, inhaling the sweet, feminine scent so different from his own, and, for the first time in his life, he let himself dream about the future.
Epilogue
It was a soft, golden day in late August, and Dolores, Tamika and the whole clan stood in a sacred spot, deep in the woods. Everyone was wearing simple white clothes, according to tradition, and Dolores was wearing a loose gown that had been passed on through generations of bear shifters. Her glossy dark hair was flowing, and she had a headdress of blue and pink wildflowers. She looked so stunning that Olsen’s throat practically closed up every time he looked at her.
Tamika spoke the necessary words for the first part of the service, and then Olsen stopped her.
“Can I say a few words?” he asked.
“Of course, my dear!” she replied, eyes glistening with happiness. Olsen shot her an affectionate glance. He’d been to plenty of shifter ceremonies by now, and Tamika was always the most excited, happy person there.
He cleared his throat, took a folded piece of paper out of his pocket, and began to read:
“I want you all to know that I haven’t memorized this speech. I’m reading it directly from a piece of paper. This will become important as I come to tell you my story.”
And then he told his life story. Everything that had happened, from his bear youth; though losing his family; to being taken in by Connor. Then he moved on to the most important part – meeting Dolores. The bears listened with rapt attention, and when he got to the part where Dolores taught him to read, their mouths hung open. They glanced at each other, and he knew what they were muttering to each other: Olsen couldn’t read? No way, bro? I never knew. Neither did I. He allowed himself a rare moment of pride and satisfaction.
When he was done, Dolores threw her arms around him, and the other bears followed, one at a time.
“That was beautiful, Olsen,” Tamika said, wiping tears from her eyes. She spoke the final words, and Dolores was officially his. The ceremony didn’t matter so much to him. All that mattered was Dolores. She was his from the moment he’d given her the mate mark, planted the seed inside her that would soon grow to become the first of their cubs. But more than anything, he’d wanted to show her and the rest of the bears that he could read confidently. That he was a mate she could be proud of.
Afterwards they celebrated in the backyard of Olsen’s cabin – which was now Olsen and Dolores’ cabin – cooking up a huge barbecue with beer and champagne. Late in the afternoon, Niall came up to Olsen, hesitantly.
“I’m sorry, Olsen. I didn’t mean those shitty things I said to you. I was a jealous ass. You’re stronger than me. You’re a more talented craftsman. And Dolores was your match. I had no right to act like that. You deserve an amazing woman like her, more than anybody. Can you forgive me?”
Olsen ignored Niall’s outstretched hand and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug.
“It’s forgiven, bro. I would’ve felt the same as you, I’m sure. Don’t give it another thought. And you’ll find your match soon. We’re all on hand to help you.”
Then he turned back to Dolores, who was watching them with a radiant smile. She was his everything. All he ever needed.
“I love you,” she mouthed, and he mouthed the words back to her, his big, animal heart leaping in his chest.
THE END
A Thank You from Ariana Hawkes
Hi, thank you so much for reading Olsen and Dolores’ story! I really hope you enjoyed it and if so please consider leaving a review; even if it’s only a line or two, it’ll make all the difference, and it will be greatly appreciated.
If you’re up for more Shiftr dating app fun, there are ten more books waiting for you in the world of Hope Valley!
I’ve included a free bonus story for you here – Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love (Kristin). It’s the second book in the series, make sure to check it out.
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Thanks again for reading – and for all your support!
Yours,
Ariana
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ALSO BY ARIANA HAWKES
Shiftr: Hope Valley Dating App Romances
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 1 (Dina)
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 2 (Kristin)
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 3 (Melissa)
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 4 (Andrea)
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 5 (Lori)
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 6 (Adaira)
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 7 (Timo)
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 8 (Jessica)
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 9 (Ryzard)
Shiftr: Swipe Left For Love - Book 10 (Nash)
Broken Hill Bears
Bear In The Rough (Broken Hill Bears Book 1)
Bare Knuckle Bear (Broken Hill Bears Book 2)
Bear Cuffs (Broken Hill Bears Book 3)
Christmas Bear Shifter Romances
Bear All I Want For Christmas Boxed Set
Bear Magic Christmas
Bear My Perfect Gift
Polar Bears’ Christmas
Lost To The Bear
Ravished by the Ice Palace Pack
Bonus story: Shiftr: Swipe Left For Love (Kristin)
Hope Valley Dating App Romances Book 2
1
Dina and Lauren sat on their close friend Melissa’s balcony, enjoying the last of the summer sun. Half of the trees in the nearby park were already turning to the orange and red of early fall. Dina usually didn’t enjoy the cold of winter, but this year she couldn’t wait to be snuggled up with her big, sexy bear mate, watching her belly grow bigger every day.
She and Lauren snuck glances at Melissa as she walked around her apartment, putting together some drinks and nibbles. They could hardly contain their excitement at the secret they were about to reveal to her. They had recently met their mates through Shiftr, a secret dating app that connected human women with shifter men. Lauren had got together with Connor, her sexy bear-shifter, and, according to the rules, she was allowed to tell one other person about the app’s existence. She’d picked Dina because she was her number-one best friend. And now Dina had got together with Logan, her own bear-shifter mate, it was her turn to pass on the good news to someone else. The choice had been between their two closest friends, Melissa and Kristin, and since they couldn’t decide which one, they’d wound up flipping a coin.
Dina was tanned and glowing from her honeymoon in Mexico, while Lauren was blooming with vitality, and her belly was huge.
“Are you sure you’re not having twins?” Dina said as she held her hand on Lauren’s belly, feeling a series of firm little kicks.
“Yeah, I had a scan,” Lauren replied, with a smile. “And I was so nervous the whole time. Imagine if they’d seen a little bear in there!” Dina laughed and rubbed her own belly, with deep affection for the life growing inside her. She was just starting to feel kicks, or so she thought.
“I can’t wait to find out if they’ll be shifters too,” she said.
“Apparently it might take years before we know. Connor says that pure-bred bear shifters usually have their first shift around age 12, but no-one really knows with half-humans,” Lauren said.
“I don’t care either way. As long as they’re strong and healthy, I couldn’t be happier,” Dina said.
Melissa came out onto the balcony with a tray of food. Then she went back in and returned a moment later with two tall glasses of something dark red and garnished with mint leaves, and a glass of rosé.
“Two pomegranate mojito mocktails!” she said proudly. Dina and Lauren eagerly sipped from the straws.
“Wow! I totally can’t tell that it’s not alcoholic!” Lauren exclaimed.
“It’s the mint,” Melissa said. “It convinces your brain that there must be rum in there too.” She stared at her glass of wine and sighed.
“I feel bad for drinking in front of you guys though.”
“No, don’t be silly,” Dina said. “You’ve had a tough day. You deserve it.”
Melissa visibly relaxed as she sipped her wine, the tension leaving her pretty features.
“I do love working for a charity,” she said. “But I just hate the way the bureaucracy gets in the way of, you know, helping out people in trouble. Anyway, I don’t want to talk about work. Let’s see your honeymoon photos!”
Dina pulled an album out of her purse, and opened it on the table. The three women pored over the photos excitedly. There was one picture after another of Logan and Dina looking deliriously happy on a Mexican beach.
“Your husband is so handsome,” Melissa said, with her usual sweetness. Logan did look amazing in his board shorts. His powerful shoulders and pecs and abs glistened in the sun. Dina looked adorable next to him, in a stunning red polka dot one-piece. It had wide, white shoulder straps, and a cute white belt at the waist. Her long black hair was loose, and her hazel-green eyes sparkled in the sunlight.
“It was such an amazing vacation,” Dina said dreamily. “I wish we were back there. All of us together!”
“When are you getting married, Lauren?” Melissa asked.
“As soon as this one’s out of me and I go back to normal size,” Lauren said with a cackle. “I’ve dreamed of my wedding and the dress I’ll wear for so long that I don’t want to go through it with a baby bump!”
Lauren had already had her shifter mating ceremony, and the public wedding was just for show, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t super excited for it.
Melissa’s fingers drummed on the table, and she suddenly reached out and took a large gulp of her wine.
“So, I have something exciting to tell you girls,” she said, her blue eyes brighter than ever.
“What is it?” they replied in unison.
“I’ve started dating someone!” she said. Lauren and Dina stared at her for a moment. This was great news, but it hadn’t been part of the plan at all.
“Who?” Lauren asked, recovering first.
“Someone from the wedding!” Melissa said, deliberately making them wait.
“Who?” Dina prompted, as she and Lauren held their breath.
“Timo!” she said, and Dina and Lauren exchanged a quick glance.
“That’s great!” Lauren said. “He’s a great guy.”
“Yeah, I really like him,” Dina added. He was a member of Logan and Connor’s bear clan, so they both knew him well.
“How’s it going?” Lauren asked.
“Well, I think,” Melissa replied. “We’ve only been on three dates, and he seems to like me, but he hasn’t kissed me yet.”
“He’s pretty shy, so that doesn’t surprise me,” Dina said, aware that Timo was one of the more retiring members of the clan.
“To be honest, it’s just great to be going on dates with a guy,” Melissa said. “I can count on one hand the number of dates I’ve had since Dan and I divorced, and that was almost three years ago.”
“Where’s he been taking you?”
“Steak restaurants mostly,” Melissa said with a laugh. “Which I love, of course. But it isn’t doing my figure any favors!”
“Not true,” Lauren said. “You look fabulous. You’re so petite and curvy.”
Melissa did look great today – bright and radiant. Her dark blonde hair hung in pretty curls over her shoulders and there was a rosy pinkness to her pale skin. She’d evidently gotten a confidence boost from dating Timo.
“Do you think you guys are suited, long term?” Dina asked. Melissa stared up at the sky, resting a finger on her bottom lip – an adorable trait of hers that always accompanied deep thought.
“I’m not sure,” she said, at last. “I’ve got nothing against shy guys. I think they’re really sweet and genuine. I’m just not sure it’s what I need for myself.”
“That’s ok, honey,” Lauren said, patting her hand. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of either. You’ve got to find the guy who’s right for you.”
“I do want to keep dating Timo though. He’s nice and funny. I feel like I want to take more time to get to know him better.”
“Sounds like a sensible plan,” Dina said. “Some guys are more of a slow burn.”
Whenever Melissa wasn’t looking in their direction, Lauren and Dina shot secret glances at each other. They badly needed to confer. Lauren picked up her drink and sucked up the last third of it, and Dina copied her.
“Ooh, you guys finished quick. Do you want a refill?” Melissa asked.
“Yes please! I can’t get enough of it,” Lauren said. They handed their glasses to Melissa and she took them through to the kitchen.
“Timo’s been keeping that one quiet!” Lauren said, in a low voice.
“That’s just the way he is though,” Dina said. “Do you think they’re a good match?”
“I don’t know. To be honest,
I can’t really see them together. But fate works in mysterious ways.”
“Speaking of fate, it seems like the coin landed on the wrong side. But maybe we should tell her about the app anyway, so she can keep her options open?” Dina said. Lauren shook her head.
“Melissa’s not that kind of girl,” she said. “I know her. She’ll continue to date Timo until they’ve either got married, or she’s absolutely sure that they’re not compatible. She always follows things through to the bitter end.”
“Then I guess we’d better go share the good news with Kristin instead,” Dina said. Lauren nodded, looking tense. It would be a little more nerve-wracking telling Kristin about the dating app. Partly because they thought that she’d be harder to convince than Melissa, but mainly because she was a journalist for the Hope Valley Echo, the town’s daily paper, and they were worried that it would be difficult to persuade her to keep it a secret.
Melissa came back with two more pomegranate mocktails.
“Enough of my news,” she said, depositing the drinks on the table. “What was it that you were so excited to tell me about?”
“Oh, ironically enough, we were just going to say that we thought Timo might be dating someone, since he’s been a little mysterious lately,” Dina said, thinking fast. Melissa gave a tinkle of laughter.
“That’s so neat!” she said, her cheeks warming with shy pleasure.
The three women spent the rest of the evening chatting about the honeymoon and the pregnancies and the plans for Lauren’s wedding, until Connor came by to pick Lauren up. Dina left as well. As she taught elementary school, she never stayed out late on school nights. They said goodbye to Melissa wistfully, hoping that Timo would be the one to make her happy.
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