Table of Contents
Bears of Burden
THORN
STORY DESCRIPTION
CHAPTER 1: Hawthorne
CHAPTER 2: Allie
CHAPTER 3: Allie
CHAPTER 4: Hawthorne
CHAPTER 5: Allie
CHAPTER 6: Hawthorne
CHAPTER 7: Allie
CHAPTER 8: Allie
CHAPTER 9: Hawthorne
CHAPTER 10: Allie
CHAPTER 11: Hawthorne
CHAPTER 12: Allie
CHAPTER 13: Hawthorne
CHAPTER 14: Hawthorne
CHAPTER 15: Allie
CHAPTER 16: Hawthorne
CHAPTER 17: Allie
CHAPTER 18: Hawthorne
CHAPTER 19: Allie
CHAPTER 20: Hawthorne
CHAPTER 21: Allie
CHAPTER 22: Allie
CHAPTER 23: Hawthorne
CHAPTER 24: Allie
CHAPTER 25: Allie
CHAPTER 26: Hawthorne
ENJOY A FREE SNEAK PEEK
KODIAK ISLAND SHIFTERS
COLTON: BILLIONAIRE BEAR’S BRIDE
Chapter one
Chapter two
Chapter three
Chapter four
Check out these other books by Candace Ayers
RANCHER BEAR SERIES
BEARS OF BURDEN SERIES
SHIFTERS OF DENVER SERIES
FREE BONUS BOOKS SECTION - STORY DESCRIPTIONS INCLUDED
THE LION’S CLAIM
STORY DESCRIPTION
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
HOME IS WERE MY BEAR IS
STORY DESCRIPTION
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Epilogue
MOST VALUABLE PANTHER
STORY DESCRIPTION
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
FULL MOON LOVER
STORY DESCRIPTION
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
EPILOGUE
RANCHER BEAR’S BABY
STORY DESCRIPTION
CHAPTER 1: Elizabeth
CHAPTER 2: Elizabeth
CHAPTER 3: Alex
CHAPTER 4: Alex
CHAPTER 5: Elizabeth
CHAPTER 6: Elizabeth
CHAPTER 7: Alex
CHAPTER 8: Alex
CHAPTER 9: Elizabeth
CHAPTER 10: Elizabeth
CHAPTER 11: Elizabeth
CHAPTER 12: Alex
CHAPTER 13: Elizabeth
CHAPTER 14: Elizabeth
CHAPTER 15: Alex
CHAPTER 16: Elizabeth
CHAPTER 17: Elizabeth
LOVING THE ALPHA
STORY DESCRIPTION
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
EPILOGUE
HAUNTED WHISPERS
STORY DESCRIPTION
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
EPILOGUE
HONOR
STORY DESCRIPTION
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
BEAR’S (mail order) BRIDE
STORY DESCRIPTION
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
PUCKED
STORY DESCRIPTION
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
HOLDING
STORY DESCRIPTION
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
TIGHT
STORY DESCRIPTION
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
NATHAN: BILLIONAIRE BEAR
STORY DESCRIPTION
Chapter one
Chapter two
Chapter three
Chapter four
Chapter five
Chapter six
Chapter seven
Chapter eight
Chapter nine
Chapter ten
Chapter eleven
Chapter twelve
Chapter thirteen
Chapter fourteen
Chapter fifteen
Chapter sixteen
Chapter seventeen
ZAREK
Dragons of Plarizakian
STORY
DESCRIPTION
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
OFFICER BEAR
STORY DESCRIPTION
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
SCREWED
STORY DESCRIPTION
Chapter 1 CLAIRE
Chapter 2 JETT
Chapter 3 CLAIRE
Chapter 4 JETT
Chapter 5 CLAIRE
Chapter 6 CLAIRE
Chapter 7 JETT
Chapter 8 CLAIRE
Chapter 9 JETT
THE VAMPIRE’S MUSE
STORY DESCRIPTION
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
DRAGON KEEPER
STORY DESCRIPTION
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
Epilogue
SNOWBOUND WITH THE ALPHA
STORY DESCRIPTION
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
UNINVITED STRANGER
STORY DESCRIPTION
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
MY VALENTINE WOLF
STORY DESCRIPTION
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
Copyright © 2017 by Candace Ayers.
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
This book is intended for adult readers only.
Any sexual activity portrayed in these pages occurs between consenting adults over the age of 18 who are not related by blood.
Bears of Burden
THORN
By Candace Ayers
Note from the Author:
I am currently recruiting readers for my review team. If you would like to participate by volunteering to read advance copies of my latest books, and leaving an honest review on Amazon, please sign up for my email list here: JOIN NOW! I contact subscribers through email when each book is ready for review. You will be under no obligation, and can accept or decline on a book by book basis.
~ Candace
STORY DESCRIPTION
Allie McMichael is running scared. Not from monsters in the closet, or creepy things under the bed, she’s scared of commitment. She has every reason to be scared after experiencing the pain of infidelity and after watching her parents’ failure of a marriage. On the run from a would-be fiancé, she finds a temp job bartending and waitressing in a small Texas town out in the middle of nowhere. True love is not on the agenda until she meets her big, burly boss, hot-as-hell Thorn Canton who lights her fires in all the right places.
Bear shifter Thorn Canton is living the easy life. Successful tavern owner, he’s surrounded by good buddies, beer on tap, and an endless supply of women to keep him company. He has no plans, whatsoever, of getting hitched up, or of finding a mate. In fact, to Thorn, a mate might be a fate equal to death.
This is a series centered around the small southwestern border town of Burden, Texas, where good ol’ bears, Hawthorne, Wyatt, Hutch, Sterling, and Sam are living easy. With jobs they love, beer flowing freely, and pretty women in abundance, the last thing these shifters are thinking about is finding a mate or settling down.
But, fate has its own plans….
CHAPTER 1: Hawthorne
“Check out the blonde in the pink dress.” Sterling Mallory whistled under his breath. “Da-yum, she’s a looker.”
I’d already noticed. I’d also gone back to her place the week before.
I stretched back in my chair and flashed a wide grin. “Go ahead, call her over. It’s been what? Twenty minutes since the last time you struck out with a woman? ‘Bout time for you to try again.”
Sterling’s big brother, Hutch, clapped me on the back and huffed a laugh. “Twenty minutes? Hell, you must’ve missed that bouncy little redhead not ten minutes ago.”
Sterling shook his head. “She was a lesbian. Don’t count as striking out.”
It counted. I slid a glance towards the bar. Abram, my assistant manager, nodded. Everything was fine, which meant I could stay and relax for a bit longer in my favorite chair at the corner table with my lifelong buddies, Sterling, Hutch, Sam and…
“Where’s Wyatt?”
Sterling ignored me and left his chair to approach the blonde, who was eyeing me, a coy smile playing at the corners of her lips. I just shook my head and tipped my old John Deere cap at her. Sure, she was a beauty, but I wasn’t about to give false impressions. I didn’t go back for seconds.
“Last I knew, Wyatt was headed up the mountain with another group of would-be survivalists.”
A shudder ran down my back. “How he deals with some of those crazies, I’ll never know. I swear that bear attracts the nut-jobs.”
Hutch nodded and then nearly snorted out his beer. The pretty blonde had just slapped the hell out of Sterling. “Another strike out. Looks like little brother is going home alone tonight.”
“Nah. He always manages to find himself a pity screw.” Even as the words left my mouth, a tall brunette came up to Sterling and cupped his bright red cheek. “See. I don’t get it, but some women love the wounded ego thing.”
The ear-splitting sound of shattering glass echoed through the place followed by a collective groan from a group sitting at one of the tables up near the juke box. As the crowd parted, I spotted Cammie rushing to clean up a massive mess of spilled beer and broken mugs. From what it looked like, she’d dropped an entire tray of drinks. Damn.
Sam Jennings chose that moment to plop down in his usual seat beside me. He followed my eyes to Cammie and her disaster and shook his head. “What’s that? The fourth time this week?”
I pushed off from my chair and stretched out my legs. “Fifth. I don’t think this is going to work out.”
I left them sitting there and joined Abram at the bar. He’d been my assistant manager for years and knew what I wanted before I did most of the time. “What’s the deal with her?”
His eyes went to Cammie then trailed over to Sam. “Your buddy bedded her and hasn’t called her back.”
Fuck. I had a strict policy about my friends staying the hell away from my waitresses. It was hard enough to keep good help around, what with dealing with a bar full of drunk shifters, and humans alike, day
after day. I glared over at my best friend and decided I was going to bleed him later.
“Think she’ll bounce back?”
Abram expertly shuffled a few beers into customers’ waiting hands. “Not a chance. She’s already told me tonight’s her last night.”
I grunted. At least she was going to finish her shift. That was more than they normally did.
As if she’d heard my thoughts, Cammie plunked the tray she’d been carrying onto the bar and without a word, without even meeting my eyes, yanked the apron off her hips, and tossed it on top of the tray before turning and sprinting out the front door.
“Dammit.”
Abram laughed like it was the funniest thing he’d ever seen. He slid another couple of beers down the bar and shook his head. “Looks like you just got a promotion, Boss. I don’t recon that apron is going to fit you, though.”
I tossed the apron towards the bin of soiled towels and picked up the tray. “Do we have some resumes left over from last time we hired?”
“I’ll figure it out,” he nodded, “You just get your cute little butt out there and earn you some tips!”
I flipped him off and grabbed several beers, assuming that’s what most of my patrons would be drinking. When I stopped by my table, Sam looked up at me with a hangdog grin.
“Sorry, Thorn. I didn’t expect her to run.”
I smacked him on the back of the head and handed a beer to Hutch. “Keep your fucking dick away from my waitresses, Sam. This shit is getting old. I got a business to run.”
He still didn’t manage to wipe the grin off his face. She must’ve been worth my ire. I shook my head and headed back to the bar, ready for what would no doubt be a long night.
The little blonde cut me off and smiled up at me. “Hey, Thorn.”
The pink dress she had on certainly did hike up her girls, and I found them distracting as hell. “Hey.”
“I haven’t heard from you so I thought I’d stop back by and say hello. I had a lot of fun the other night.”
I let a crooked smile tilt my mouth. “Me too.”
She rested her hand on my arm and batted her eyelashes. “I’m free later tonight.”
Damn. I looked around the bar and saw how busy it was. By the time the night ended I’d be exhausted and cranky. I decided that it’d be kinda nice to have a little something soft and warm waiting on me. I slipped my arm around her side, brushed my lips against her ear, and growled, “I’ll come around to your house after I close up.”
She shivered and pressed herself against me. “I’ll be here. Just find me when you’re finished.”
I watched her saunter over to her friends before I turned back to the bar. Abram had been observing with a grin on his face. When I got back to the bar, he just laughed.
“You’re just as bad as Sam. Only difference is you don’t screw the waitresses.”
Which is the point.
CHAPTER 2: Allie
Texas. Hmm… not exactly where I’d planned on ending up, but then, I didn’t really have a plan to speak of. Who knows, this might just be the hand of fate guiding me, right here. Burden, Texas. Hell, the name alone seemed to foreshadow my destiny.
Bears of Burden: THORN Page 1