by Bianca D’Arc
John might have retired from active duty, founded the town that had been his pet project for decades, and even found a powerful, smart and incredibly sexy mate. In fact, he’d met all his goals—something he never expected to happen this soon, or this easily. Though, to be honest, the past few days, watching Urse take such big chances facing the leviathan, and then, almost dying… Well, that hadn’t been remotely easy.
But they’d survived. And they were together. Nothing would come between them now. They were true mates, deeply in love. Bonded on a soul-deep level. Life, for them, was going to be so good from here on out.
The rest of the world though... There were still big problems out there, including the leviathan and its minions waiting just off shore. More than that, there was the threat of Elspeth and her Venifucus fanatics.
If they had their way, no place—including the cove—would be safe.
So John had agreed to work in the shadows, with Cam. He believed that by doing so, he could help protect his mate, his people, and the world in general. John couldn’t really talk about it to anyone right now, but he knew Urse would understand, as would his men, when the time came.
The kiss ended and Urse looked up at him, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she studied him. The smile on her face was peaceful. Content.
“Keep your secrets for now, my love. I trust you.”
He gave her a light squeeze, hugging her. “That means more to me than you will ever know,” he whispered near her ear. “And I will never, ever betray your trust, my sweet strega.”
She pushed back so she could look into his eyes. “I know that, silly bear.” Her teasing broke the serious mood, as did the way she stroked her hands over his body, stopping in some interesting—and exciting—places. “Now, how about we get started on making at least one of those little cubs you were talking about?”
He lifted her into his arms and strode toward the bedroom.
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Their laughter echoed through the house, filling it with joy and hope for the future.
*
Thanks for reading Alpha Bear (Grizzly Cove #4). If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review.
The next Grizzly Cove story is called Saving Grace. Scroll down for a sneak peek…
A complete list of all of Bianca’s books, separated by series, follows the excerpt. You can also check out Bianca’s website at WWW.BIANCADARC.COM. Or you can sign up for Bianca’s Newsletter to be alerted when new books are released.
Excerpt from Saving Grace
© 2016 Bianca D’Arc. All Rights Reserved.
Chapter One
Jack Chambers liked the solitude of being outdoors, away from people, especially in the winter. Regardless, he always made at least a few appearances each month at his brother’s house, which was usually filled with his new sister-in-law’s family and their mates. The ladies liked to organize family meals every weekend, which was something Jack and his brother, Brody, hadn’t experienced since before leaving home.
Things in the cove had been simpler when it had been just the guys from their old military unit. All single. But now, four of Grizzly Cove’s residents were mated, including Jack’s brother, Brody, and the Alpha, John.
Things had changed drastically in the cove, and while it was a happy time for the newlyweds, the rest of them were all on alert because of the threat still coming from the water. The creature known as the leviathan was still out there, a mostly unseen menace, watching and waiting to pounce, given the slightest opening.
John’s new mate, Ursula, was a powerful witch. She had nearly died placing magical wards to keep the leviathan out of the cove itself and away from shore for the most part, but there was still a problem. The evil creature was still out there, waiting for any break in their defenses to feed upon the power of anyone caught out, away from the safety of the wards.
The leviathan and its army of smaller minions kept trying to break through the wards and encroach closer to the cove, but so far, they’d been unsuccessful. Better safe than sorry, though, so all the residents of the cove had decided to stay vigilant.
Which was why Jack was out here, walking the shoreline after dark, doing his job as Game Warden of Grizzly Cove. The title was mere ceremony, as were most of the officious-sounding job titles given to the former military members of the growing community. Their real function was as guards, lookouts, spies and peacekeepers. Goddess knew, they’d acted in all those capacities during their time working for Uncle Sam. Now they were using those hard-earned skills to protect and defend their new town.
There had been real trouble a few weeks back, before the wards had been placed. Deputy Zak Flambeau’s new mate had been attacked right on the beach by a tentacled creature trying to drag her into the water. Only Zak’s ferocious claws had been able to stop it. He’d shredded the tentacle, which was now resting in a refrigerator in the back of the town hall, parts of it having been taken by courier for further examination by specialists.
Nobody had known what the heck the animal was, but it had reeked of magic. Black magic. Not friendly in the least. After that, the water, and most of the beach, had been declared off limits, but only the lone polar bear in town seemed to mind. He actually liked swimming in temperatures that would freeze the balls off any other normal bear, the crazy son of a bitch.
Jack had gone all the way around the cove on his rounds, checking the perimeter and making sure all was well in the woods and beach that bordered their little town. He was up by the southern tip of the cove, where the land met the sea, almost at the end of his rounds. His house wasn’t too far away, which was why he began and ended his scouting of the perimeter from this point each evening. He liked the isolation of living on the edge of the ocean. Something about the waves he could see from his hilltop home called to him, though he didn’t really understand why.
Just a few more minutes and he’d be able to go home and clean up in time to head over to his brother’s place. Family dinners were sort of mandatory now that Brody had claimed a mate. Jack didn’t begrudge him that. He really liked his new sister-in-law. But Jack and Brody had never really been as close as some of the other siblings in their group. They’d been born a generation apart, and Jack was more of a loner, preferring to spend time in the woods—either in his fur or out of it—more than with other people.
Which was probably why they’d given him the job of Game Warden when they were passing out titles and duties. Their Alpha, John, knew each of the men too well to give them a job for which they weren’t suited. Settling in Grizzly Cove was supposed to be a reward, not a punishment, so John was sure to give each of the guys a choice if they wanted to work in a job or not. Most were content to serve the community they were all trying to build, in one way or another.
Jack was happiest on his own, and observing nature—and potential threats from humans, shifters, or Others—was his specialty. So his job was a near-perfect fit.
Stepping over a rise in the dunes, well away from the danger that might possibly be lurking in the water, Jack looked out over the expanse of rocky sand toward the shoreline. His night vision was excellent, but he had to squint to be sure he was seeing what he thought he was seeing.
Sure enough, there was a crumpled shape lying on the sand not far from the receding waterline. The tide was going out, and it looked like something—or someone—had washed up on the beach. Was it alive? Was it a trap to get him closer to the water?
Only one way to find out.
Jack approached cautiously, but with some speed. If it was a trap, he didn’t want to give the enemy time to plan every move. It was better to rush the scene, Jack thought, though others might’ve disagreed with his tactics. Of course, Jack had always been a bit unconventional. For a bear, he was a bit of a lone wolf at times.
As he drew closer, he could see pale skin that had an almost luminous glow. And the red of blood. The coppery scent hit him as the breeze shifted, and he knew that whatever it was on the
beach was gravely injured. Maybe even dead.
But no. He saw the faint rise and fall of breathing as he got closer. It was alive. For now.
And…female, he saw, as he got closer. But she was like no female he’d ever seen before. That glow was the fading of what could only be described as scales. And as he watched, her lower body dried and became two legs instead of a single, thick tail.
Holy shit.
He’d found himself a mermaid.
To read more, get your copy of Saving Grace by Bianca D’Arc.
About the Author
Bianca D’Arc has run a laboratory, climbed the corporate ladder in the shark-infested streets of lower Manhattan, studied and taught martial arts, and earned the right to put a whole bunch of letters after her name, but she’s always enjoyed writing more than any of her other pursuits. She grew up and still lives on Long Island, where she keeps busy with an extensive garden, several aquariums full of very demanding fish, and writing her favorite genres of paranormal, fantasy and sci-fi romance.
Bianca loves to hear from readers and can be reached through Twitter (@BiancaDArc), Facebook (BiancaDArcAuthor) or through the various links on her website.
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Other Books by Bianca D’Arc
Paranormal Romance
Brotherhood of Blood
One & Only
Rare Vintage
Phantom Desires
Sweeter Than Wine
Forever Valentine
Wolf Hills*
Wolf Quest
Tales of the Were
Lords of the Were
Inferno
Tales of the Were ~ The Others
Rocky
Slade
Tales of the Were ~ Redstone Clan
The Purrfect Stranger
Grif
Red
Magnus
Bobcat
Matt
Tales of the Were ~ String of Fate
Cat’s Cradle
King’s Throne
Jacob’s Ladder
Her Warriors
Tales of the Were ~ Grizzly Cove
All About the Bear
Mating Dance
Night Shift
Alpha Bear
Saving Grace
Guardians of the Dark
Half Past Dead
Once Bitten, Twice Dead
A Darker Shade of Dead
The Beast Within
Dead Alert
Gifts of the Ancients: Warrior’s Heart
Epic Fantasy Erotic Romance
Dragon Knights
Maiden Flight*
The Dragon Healer
Border Lair
Master at Arms
The Ice Dragon**
Prince of Spies***
Wings of Change
FireDrake
Dragon Storm
Keeper of the Flame
Hidden Dragons
Sea Dragon
Science Fiction Romance
StarLords
Hidden Talent
Talent For Trouble
Shy Talent
Jit’Suku Chronicles ~ Arcana
King of Swords
King of Cups
King of Clubs
King of Stars
End of the Line
Jit’Suku Chronicles ~ Sons of Amber
Angel in the Badlands
Futuristic Erotic Romance
Resonance Mates
Hara’s Legacy**
Davin’s Quest
Jaci’s Experiment
Grady’s Awakening
Harry’s Sacrifice
* RT Book Reviews Awards Nominee
** EPPIE Award Winner
*** CAPA Award Winner