by V. Vaughn
Desired by the Bear Book 2
V. Vaughn
Sugarloaf Press
Contents
Copyright
Foreword
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
About the Author
Copyright © 2016 by V. Vaughn
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover by Ravven
Editing by Jodi Henley and Red Adept Publishing
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Foreword
Tally’s trip through the portal revealed a shocking truth and put her in jeopardy. When Tally is pulled once again she accidentally takes Nadia with her. Having just found her true mate, Nadia was hopeful she’d finally realize a peaceful destiny. Being sucked into another dimension threatens to take away the man she loves and her chance at happiness.
While Izzy works alongside Jean Luc to keep the clan safe from the hunters that loom on the horizon and deal with the aftermath of the discovery that Kelsey is Henri’s daughter, Kelsey falls deeper in love with Val. But as Kelsey prepares for a life as a werebear, evil forces step in with the intent to alter her fate and destroy the Ouellette clan.
1
Kelsey
This is so unfair! I haven’t done anything wrong, and I’m being treated like a criminal. I rub my arm where an Ouellette warrior grabbed me. He and another warrior think my mother and I are hunters, so they brought us to the office building of Ouellette Yachts to wait for Jean Luc Ouellette, the clan’s alpha, to come deal with us. I’m not quite sure what a hunter is, but I have a good idea. To think a weak human could kill werebear seems ridiculous to me, but apparently I look like just like a hunter named Cat.
The plastic chair I’m sitting in was dragged in here for me, and it’s hard under my bottom as I squirm, so I get up to pace instead. I’m being held prisoner in a small room that appears to be unused. Val, my werebear boyfriend, isn’t allowed to talk to me, and they put my mother in a room of her own too. I hug myself as I recall the sound of bears roaring. I’m not so sure this werebear world is for me. I’ve never been more terrified than I was when Marcel and Val started sprouting hair and their hands turned to large paws.
I thud down in the chair and drop my head into my hands. Minutes ago I was on top of the world, and now I’m accused of being a killer. Tears come again. Talk about a roller coaster ride. In the past week, I’ve managed to go from a simple girl starting her dream job, to finding out I’m half werebear and falling in love with my true mate. I was ready to become a werebear too, so I could be with Val forever. Now I don’t think it’s such a good idea.
The door knob rattles as I try it. I’ve moved on to anxiety mixed with a dose of panic. I don’t know how the werebear justice system works, but it’s likely a swifter version of what humans do. Bile rises in my throat as I think about what could happen if Jean Luc believes his warriors. Would they kill me?
I think back to the day I drove to Safe Harbor for my internship at one of the most prestigious boat-building businesses on the Atlantic coast. I stopped at a gas station not too far from here, and the young boy working there looked so much like me he could have been my brother. And I definitely freaked out his mother. I wonder if this Cat girl the warriors mistook me for is related to that family, and if maybe I am too. I should have listened to my mother and never come here. But... Val. I love him with all my heart. I could never leave him behind.
I thud back down in my chair. Val went ballistic when he discovered I was being taken. Marcel’s large body blocked me from most of it as he trapped me against a railing. And while I was terrified, the sight of Val shifting into a bear was exciting at the same time. Definitely an it’s-so-wrong-that-it-felt-good moment. I know he’d do anything to protect me, and I have to hang on to the hope he won’t let me die.
I put my feet on the edge of the chair and hug my knees. Tears tickle my chin as they drip off, and I think about being with Val. Last night after work we had sex for the first time, and it was phenomenal. A sob racks through my body when I imagine I might never be with him again. Why is this happening to me?
The doorknob rattles again, and the cotton of my sleeve is rough on my face as I swipe away my tears quickly. It’s Jean Luc and Val, and I scan my boyfriend quickly to make sure he’s okay. When I look at Jean Luc, he says, “Kelsey, you’re free to go.”
I let out a big breath and rush toward Val. The worry etched on his face falls away as he sighs and pulls me into an embrace so tight my spine cracks. But I don’t care. The relief that washes over me is much greater than any discomfort I feel. He asks, “Are you okay?”
I take a shaky breath and let it out as the man I love holds me. “I’m fine now.” I squeeze him back as his touch comforts me. Oh! “What about my mother?”
Jean Luc says, “I need to talk to her, Kelsey.”
I pull away from Val to gaze at my boss as fear makes my heart beat faster. “Don’t worry,” he says, “I’m sure she’s not a hunter.”
Val grabs my hand, and I hold tight as if he can keep anything bad from happening. “Do you know who Cat is?”
Jean Luc’s face is serious when he says, “I’ll know more after I talk to Rachel.”
Jean Luc looks at Val. “Take Kelsey home.” His face softens as he glances at me. “I know this was scary for you, but innocent people don’t get punished in my clan. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“Can I see my mother before I go?”
He nods, and Val leads me out of the room and through the hallway a few doors down. When she sees me, my mother holds out her arms. A leftover sob escapes my lips as I rush to her embrace, and her touch soothes me the way it did when I was a little girl. I pull back to say, “Was this was all a misunderstanding? Do you have any idea who Cat is and why she looks so much like me?”
My mother sighs. Her fingers are soft on my cheek as she tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but Jean Luc and I will get to the bottom of this.”
I don’t understand what my mother could possibly know, and I ask, “Why are you involved?”
She smiles. “When I was with your father, Jean Luc and I were friends. I’m going over to his house for dinner. Don’t worry, everything will be fine. It’s just old friends catching up.” She glances at Val. “Tend to your mate. I think you both need it.”
Val says, “We do.” He smiles at me. “You brought out my protective side.”
I recall how his mouth turned into a jaw full of huge teeth and his hands were replaced with large paws that had claws as long as my fingers. A shiver of terror mixed with lust runs through me. “I saw. That was kind of
amazing.”
My mother grins. “Sexy too, right?”
“Mom!” My face burns with embarrassment.
She chuckles. “I remember the feeling.”
Val puts his arm around my shoulders to lead me out the door, and I say to my mother, “I’ll see you later. Popcorn and a movie?”
She smiles, but I see worry in her eyes when she says, “Sounds like a plan.” I know my mother well enough to realize she’s not telling me everything. Especially since this is the first I’ve heard about her knowing Jean Luc. She heard me talk about him for months before I came here. Because he’s a werebear and friends with my father, I understand why she didn’t say anything to me before, but it makes me uneasy just the same.
The ocean air greets us when we get outside, and I take a deep breath and revel in the briny scent. I was a prisoner for less than an hour, but it’s like I’m smelling freedom. I say, “Today taught me I’m not cut out for crime.”
Val chuckles. “That’s good, because I don’t think orange is your color.”
I gaze up at the man who’s my true mate, and while I’m deliriously happy, I think there are parts of my new world I’m not prepared to handle. I say, “I need to know more about hunters.”
“This might require wine.” His voice is light, but I’m not sure he’s joking.
I glance at the stairs of our building and remember the terror I felt when Marcel had me trapped behind him as Val was trying to get to me. I shudder, and Val asks, “What’s wrong?”
I know I’m overreacting, considering what I experienced will probably become normal soon, so I try to make light of my feelings and say, “I was remembering how afraid I was when you guys got fur and fangs. It was kind of intense.” I bump him with my shoulder. “I might need to see you as a bear so I can get used to this world.”
“Yeah, you should. There’s a lot I need to explain to you.”
The wood railing is rough under my hand as we climb to Val’s apartment, and I ask, “How is it humans are a danger to you--us?”
“Guns, sheer numbers, and a strong desire to rid the world of a perceived danger.”
I stop in my tracks. “Are werebear a danger?”
“No.”
I flash back to when Val and Marcel were in partial bear form. It was scary, and I understand why humans would be afraid. Is that something I want for me?
We’ve reached his door, and I notice it’s shattered. He must have forced it open before the knob had turned. To save me. My heart flips, and I realize I’m being a stereotypical girl that loves her big, bad boyfriend saving the day. But I can’t find it within myself to roll my eyes, because if I’m honest with myself, it’s part of his attraction. Val in my life does make me safe.
When we get inside Val says, “We want to live peacefully with humans. But every time a hunter gets killed because a werebear is protecting himself, they use it as fuel to fan the flames of their prejudice.”
Bottles clink as Val removes wine from the fridge, and I think about the reality television shows focused on hunting Big Foot and searching for the Loch Ness monster. I ask, “How do the hunters operate?”
“I don’t know much because I’m not a warrior, but I believe they’re bands of people that take it upon themselves to track us down.” Liquid gurgles into glasses as he pours us a drink. He hands me mine. “Honestly, I’ve never had to give them much thought most of my life. It’s only been recently they’ve become a serious problem.”
“So what do we do about it?” I ask.
“Before today I would have told you not to worry, we have warriors to deal with that for us. But now I think we both need to learn more.”
I take a sip of my wine and let the alcohol warm my throat when I swallow as I consider Val’s words. The fact I look like a known hunter, and suspect I might be related to Cat makes my stomach churn. What have I gotten myself into? I glance at Val and see a man I can’t imagine being without. Whatever trouble is headed our way, I have no intention of running from my true mate.
2
Nadia
Once Marcel and I learned that Kelsey was working with Jean Luc the day we saw Cat, we knew Kelsey was telling the truth. She’s no hunter, and she’s certainly not like Cat. Those tears she shed were real. Jean Luc suspects the two women who are nearly identical in appearance are in fact related. And apparently he knows Kelsey’s mother Rachel, who we also brought in. Marcel stuck around to help Jean Luc, and I was dismissed. Probably because I’m not technically an Ouellette warrior. So I went to my apartment to shower, eat, and get ready for a night out with some of the guys I trained with today.
Marcel was supposed to give me a ride, but I have no idea how long he’ll be working, so I included him in a group text when I asked Xavier to pick me up instead. My mascara tube clatters as I set it down on the sink, and I gaze at myself in the mirror. It’s been almost a week since I was chased away from my high-profile modeling career by hunters who found out what I was. And now instead of two hours in a chair to get a full face of makeup and a gorgeous hair style, I’ve applied mascara to my blond eyelashes and slicked my super-straight locks into a high ponytail in less than five minutes.
Originally I was sent here to the Ouellette clan in Canada to work on boats, but it didn’t take long for Isabelle, another polar bear and the sister of the De Rozier alpha, to figure out her brother had actually sent me to help protect her from hunters. Even though she’s a fierce warrior in her own right, she’s now pregnant, so her brother Tristan doesn’t want to take any chances. So instead of hammering nails, I’ve been training with Isabelle and the other warriors, which suits my personality much better.
The best part of my new life is I’m going to go hang out with my kind instead of pretending to be someone I’m not. I can drink beer, swear, and play pool with a bunch of werebear warriors instead of smiling, sipping expensive champagne, and laughing at jokes that aren’t funny, all while posing in case the paparazzi are taking my picture. I miss the ego boost of my past fame, but my new life is turning out to be a decent alternative.
My phone buzzes, and I pick it up to find that Xavier is on his way. As a female warrior for the De Roziers, I was at the bottom of the heap being the weakest polar bear. But here where I’m stronger than the black bears of the Ouellette clan, I get a lot more respect. I hope it won’t take long for me to gain a spot on their team.
I make my way out to the parking lot so Xavier doesn’t feel as if he has to come to my door. The rumble of a motorcycle sounds in the distance, and a grin covers my face when one pulls up next to me. “Hey, nice ride,” I say.
“Thanks.” Xavier says as he hands me a helmet. “The weather’s warming up and I figured you wouldn’t get cold, so why not.”
It’s true, the climate here is warmer than what I’m used to, and I’m hot most of the time. I glance at the helmet Xavier offers but don’t take it. I’m sure the bar is only a couple of miles away in this small town. “Do I have to wear that?” I pull my ponytail over my shoulder. “I mean, the hair?”
He chuckles. “No, princess. You’re good.”
I swing my leg over the back to sit. “I deserve that, but you better not get used to the name.”
“That’s right, you’re the Ice Queen. I should be calling you Queenie.”
I slap his shoulder. “Shut up and drive.”
Xavier’s shoulders are shaking with laughter as I hold on to his waist, but I’m smiling too. I like our easy banter. I was right, Reggie’s is a quick ride. We pull into a parking lot full of trucks jacked up high, with custom paint jobs and wheels that could climb over small cars. My kind of place.
Rock music and the buzz of conversations drift out the doors as a couple leaves, and we approach the wooden building. When we get inside, Xavier takes us straight to the bar. My naturally blond hair draws attention in a town full of redheads and brunettes, and I pretend I don’t notice the people staring at me as we walk by. I’d be nervous, considering I’m being hunted, but we�
��re in werebear territory, and the stray human in the mix is not only identified, but wouldn’t stand a chance here if they tried anything.
When I see the bartender is male and staring at me, I push my way in front of Xavier. I ask, “What’s on draft?” I decide I want a Canadian beer and order what Xavier wants. I know that the guys probably have the chivalry thing engrained in their heads, but I don’t want to start off with them thinking they should pay for my drinks. I’ve got a hefty bank account from my modeling stint, and I have no trouble using it.
Two chilled bottles are wet in my hands as I grab our drinks. Xavier says, “Follow me.”
He leads me over to the pool tables, and I recognize a few guys from the gym. They’re hanging out around a game, and I say hi before I’m drawn to a man bending over to take a shot. His butt is round and firm in a way that makes me want to grab it. And when I take a breath I get a little woozy. Whoa. I inhale deeply, and it’s as if I’ve been drugged because a euphoric wave washes over me. Could it be?
A cue ball cracks, and a cheer erupts from the guys, but the sounds are all background noise to the sensations swirling around in me. The man notices our connection too, because he stops laughing to whip around and stare at me. If this were a tacky movie, some sappy music would play and the camera would blur out the rest of the room as the two of us gaze at each other. And in my mind, that’s exactly what happens.
He reaches his hand out for me, and I take it. The moment I do he yanks me against his body, and firm muscle is hard on my soft breasts, making my nipples contract as the electricity practically sparks off us. He whispers, “It’s about fucking time,” and he kisses me. The crowd around us only comes into focus again when they begin to hoot and holler as my true mate claims me with his tongue. Before we take things too far for a public place, I break away panting.