BEAR'S CLAIM
By
Natalie Kristen
BEAR HEAT series
Bear's Bride (Book 1)
Bear's Kiss (Book 2)
Bear's Claim (Book 3)
Copyright © 2015 Natalie Kristen
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are used fictitiously or are the products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual locales, events, establishments or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
About this Book
Aubrey Williams is determined to forget the one night she spent with Thor McKenzie. She is a dedicated, capable nurse, and she will focus on caring for her patients instead of thinking of a big, sexy Black Bear who touched her in the night and rocked her world.
But she has no idea just how much her world is about to change.
When one of her patients dies mysteriously and suddenly, Aubrey finds herself caught up in a deadly operation where the stakes are higher than she could ever imagine…
Thor McKenzie is a big, scarred Black Bear who has just returned to the clan from a dangerous undercover mission. Aubrey is sweet, fun and loyal, and even though he wants to claim her and spend forever with her, he knows that one night is more than he deserves with the beautiful, curvy human.
There are lives hanging in the balance, not just Aubrey's.
Something sinister is at work, and Thor may have to fight a battle where there can be no winners...
*****
CHAPTER ONE
Aubrey Williams tottered out the door of Curry Corner, swaying and singing tunelessly with her best friend, Cora. The owner of Curry Corner was Prisha Singh, Caleb's beautiful mate. Prisha was an amazingly talented chef, and her exotic, spicy curries certainly lived up to their reputation. They sure packed a punch and were not for the faint of heart. Her signature dish, Devil's Curry, was hotter than hot, and Aubrey felt like she had just swallowed a mouthful of dynamite when she took her first spoonful of Devil's Curry. It was incredible, spicy and exploding with flavors. She loved it! In fact, Aubrey loved every single dish and that's exactly what she told Prisha.
Prisha had graciously hosted the party for the entire Black Bears clan at her restaurant. It was supposed to be a welcome back party of sorts. The Black Bears were welcoming their Alpha, Ethan Flint and his mate, Cora, back from their honeymoon, and Thor McKenzie back from, in Baxter's words, “the depths of the underworld”.
It had been a great party. The food was amazing. And the company—what could she say? They were simply the best! Aubrey luurved the Black Bears! Her best friend, Cora, was their Alpha's mate, so she hung out with them a lot. The Black Bears were a cool bunch, fun-loving and easy-going. They sure knew how to let their hair down and party, but they never messed around when they were on a job.
The Black Bears Group was a top-notch security firm and everyone knew that the Black Bears had the best trackers, investigators and interrogators in the city. The Black Bears worked with a lot of government agencies and large multinational companies on security matters, and they never, ever let a client down.
Aubrey knew most of the clan members pretty well. But she'd only just met Thor McKenzie tonight. Thor had been working undercover, disappearing off the face of the earth to burrow into the bowels of the underground world. He had infiltrated one of the largest and most powerful gangs in the city, and had been instrumental in the capture of Ray Shapez, the Boss of the biggest, bloodiest underground gang.
Having just returned from the underworld to the land of the living, Thor had seemed aloof and reticent during the party.
Aubrey had tried to chat him up, but he had kept his answers to her questions short and polite. He had been gentlemanly but cool towards her. Maybe he was still stuck somewhere between hell and earth.
What a pity. Aubrey thought Thor was hot. Well, he would be hotter if he smiled more. But as it was, he was a dark, brooding, smoldering package. He was tall, broad and ripped, and his rugged face was made even more handsome by those deep, intense mismatched eyes. His eyes were startling, riveting and they gave him an aura of mystery. His right eye was as blue as a clear summer sky, and his left eye was dark green.
Aubrey would love to get to know Mr Dark and Brooding better, but Thor didn't seem interested.
Aubrey shrugged and hiccuped. Real pity. But it was his loss, not hers.
She wasn't the silent, brooding sort. She never stayed silent, not for long anyway. And life was too short to brood over anything.
Plus, it had been a truly wonderful party. She'd had a great time. She had been surrounded by good food, good friends and mugs of frothing beer. What more could a girl want?
Aubrey hiccuped again and giggled. She'd had lots to eat and perhaps way too much to drink tonight.
“Thanks, Prisha,” Aubrey slurred. “I had a great time! Great party, and great restaurant! I loooove your food, and I love you!” She threw her arms around Prisha and sighed dramatically.
Prisha laughed. “Thank you, and you're welcome. Please, come to Curry Corner again,” Prisha said earnestly. “I'll be going back to my hometown for a while, but the restaurant will remain open. Ali, Nurin and Jennifer are here,” she said, indicating her three loyal employees. “They'll keep the restaurant running while I'm gone.”
“Okaaaay,” Aubrey said in a muffled voice, her face still buried in Prisha's neck.
Cora tut-tutted as she came to pry Aubrey off Prisha. “You! You're as drunk as a bicycle!”
“You're funny, Cora,” Aubrey said, waving a finger in her friend's face. “Everyone knows bicycles can't drink beer. They don't have mouths. And why are there two of you?” Aubrey narrowed her eyes in disapproval. “Have you been drinking, Cora?” she nagged.
“Of course not! I haven't had a single drop. No beer for the cub,” Cora announced, pointing at her belly.
Aubrey grinned. “I can't wait for your adorable cub to arrive! I'm going to spoil him or her rotten!”
Ethan came over, shaking his head at her. “We'll give you a lift home. Cora's right. You're as drunk as a skunk.”
“Skunk on a bicycle?” Aubrey chortled. “Nah, it's okay. You take care of Cora. I'll hop in a cab and...”
“I'll drive her home, Alpha.”
Aubrey looked up and saw that it was Thor who had spoken. He wasn't looking at her though. He simply addressed his words to Ethan, and his expression was straight and humorless.
“Hmph! I think I can go home on my own,” Aubrey sniffed.
But Ethan nodded and smiled. “Thanks, Thor.”
Aubrey swayed on her feet and staggered but Thor was already by her side, steadying her with a hand on her waist. Aubrey shivered. His hand felt warm and strong against her body, and she had to suppress a whimper when she felt his hot breath on her neck. She found herself leaning against him and she could feel the heat radiating off his powerful, solid body in waves.
If her beer-addled brain couldn't think straight before, now she couldn't think at all.
His presence, the sheer, scorching proximity of him, was overwhelming.
“I...I don't want to bother you,” she managed to stutter, tilting her face up to blink at his grim profile. “Really, I can...”
“It's no bother,” Thor answered tersely.
There were more thank yous, goodbyes and hugs. Aubrey pulled away from Thor and went to kiss Prisha on the cheek. “Thanks again, and congratulations!” she told Prisha. Pri
sha would be getting married soon, if all went well. Aubrey grinned at Caleb, the Beta of the Black Bears, and gave him two thumbs-up. “Good luck! We await your good news!”
Caleb grinned back. He was going back with Prisha to her hometown to formally ask her parents for her hand in marriage. Prisha's family was a traditional Indian family, and Caleb respected his mate's customs and traditions. “Start planning the wedding,” Caleb said, puffing out his chest with pride and confidence. “I'll win her family over. I'll turn on the charm and impress them. I'll do anything to get their approval and blessings.”
Prisha smiled at her mate. “Just be yourself. They'll love you, Caleb. I know they will. In fact, my mom loves you already.”
“I love weddings!” Aubrey squealed. “I can't wait!” She blew the happy couple a kiss as Thor shook hands with Caleb and Prisha. “Bye now! Have a good trip!”
The Black Bears began to disperse, calling out their thanks and teasing Caleb and Prisha a little as they left. Aubrey could still hear Baxter's terrible singing even from a few blocks away.
“Shall we?” Thor asked, offering her his arm.
Surprised, she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm and let him lead hertowards the car park opposite Prisha's restaurant. When she staggered, he curled his arm around her waist and held her tight.
“Steady now,” he said gruffly.
Thor opened the door of his black Audi and helped her into the passenger seat. Aubrey sank into the plush leather seat and her eyes fluttered shut for a moment. She took a deep breath and inhaled the warm, seductive scent of polished leather, minty aftershave and him.
The smell was clean and masculine, and when Thor got into the driver's seat and started the engine, she found herself folding her arms over her breasts and crossing her legs. Her breasts suddenly felt heavy and full, and there was a maddening throb between her thighs.
Biting down a whimper, Aubrey clenched her muscles and grimaced.
The beer was playing havoc with her system. She was getting turned on just by sitting in Thor's car.
Blame it on the beer, she repeated to herself.
It's not her.
It's not him.
It's the beer.
Keep telling yourself that, Aubrey.
CHAPTER TWO
Aubrey stabbed her key at her front door again. She cursed and squinted at the key. It was the right key, was it not? Or had it magically changed shape?
“Here, let me,” Thor said, easing the key out of Aubrey's hand.
Smoothly, he unlocked the door and held it open for her.
Aubrey took a step forward and hesitated. Turning to Thor, she said, “Thank you for driving me home.”
“It's my pleasure.”
Aubrey gave him a long look before advancing slowly towards him. “Was it really?”
Thor frowned at her.
“You hardly spoke a word to me during the entire ride.”
Thor's throat moved as she stood toe to toe with him at the threshold of her front door. Aubrey stared up into his mesmerizing, blue-green eyes. She didn't tear her gaze away even as she felt herself losing her sense of balance. It was like falling into the ocean and soaring into the sky at the same time. The sensation was both frightening and exhilarating, confusing and liberating.
Thor gripped her shoulders to stop her from coming closer to him. He was trying to keep her at arm's length but she wasn't having any of it. She had to know. She had caught him staring at her when he thought she wasn't looking. She had seen the hunger and want in his eyes. And even in her drunken state, she could feel his overpowering hunger for her.
But he was fighting his desire for her. Just like he was fighting her now.
Aubrey didn't like to play games. She was straightforward and open with her feelings and opinions. God knows she had gotten into trouble more than once for calling someone out and telling it as it was.
Life was too short for games.
People only played games to gain power over another. Head games, political games, power plays and lies.
Aubrey had been lied to before. She had wasted years on a relationship that wasn't even real. She had sworn that there would be no more games, no more pretense in her life. She was thirty-one years old. And if thirty was the new twenty, then she was only twenty-one. Young, but not naive. Youthful, but not immature.
If she liked someone, she'd just go ahead and let them know. That was how she had become best friends with Cora. They had been browsing side by side at a rack in a department store and they had both picked the same dress. She and Cora were the same big-girl size, and it so happened that there was only one dress left in that size. Cora had insisted that she take it, and Aubrey had expressed her appreciation by dragging Cora down to a nearby cafe and treating her to coffee and cupcakes. She had taken an instant liking to Cora and she just knew that they would become great friends. So she had just gone ahead and asked for Cora's phone number so they could stay in touch. And stay in touch they did. Cora became her shopping buddy and since they had the same taste in clothes and food, they often went on food expeditions as well, checking out the newest restaurants and eateries in town. Their friendship had grown from strength to strength, and there was absolutely nothing she wouldn't do for Cora.
Aubrey felt the same instinctive pull towards Thor. She just knew that they would be good together. She had felt the electrifying attraction the moment their eyes met across the table at Curry Corner. But Thor had looked away and refused to make a move. He was trying to resist her, but...why? Why play games with each other?
They were both adults, fully capable of knowing what they wanted.
Aubrey placed her hand tentatively against Thor's broad chest. She could feel his heart beating powerfully against her palm. She pressed closer to him.
He didn't push her away.
Aubrey looked up and searched his grim, handsome face.
She liked him. She had liked him the instant she heard his laugh in the restaurant. Thor had been joking with Baxter and Caleb, and his deep, resonant laugh was the first thing she heard when she poked her head through the door of Curry Corner. She'd had to work late and the party had started without her. But Cora had asked her to be there, so there she was.
Thor had a bright, open laugh, a laugh that came from the heart. When he laughed, his brilliant eyes crinkled and he looked so much younger, more carefree and relaxed.
But once his smile faded, she saw the tension settle on his huge body again. The man had a lot on his shoulders. Undercover work was stressful, dirty and bloody. It was a lonely and dangerous job. You couldn't walk in the light, and you had to straddle the murky gray area between white and black. You saw things you would never forget. You had to do certain things that would forever taint your hands and soul. You had to immerse yourself in a violent, criminal world and not blow your cover. Your sanity, your life, so many lives, hung in the balance.
Aubrey understood all of this. She was no stranger to stress, pain and trauma. As a nurse in Hope Hospital, one of the largest and oldest hospitals in the city, Aubrey dealt with pain and trauma, blood and death on a daily basis. She saw what shock, pain and anger could do to sane, gentle people. But she also saw how much a touch could heal and comfort.
Thor needed that touch.
He'd had to work alone, cut off from most of his clan so as not to arouse the suspicion of the Mob bosses. Thor had sacrificed much to ensure that a ruthless, dangerous crime boss was brought to justice. He protected his clan, his city, his people but he never claimed credit or recognition.
He was a hero. In her eyes, in her heart.
Aubrey tilted up her face to him, searching his dark, burning eyes. He was barely breathing, but she could feel his blood pounding under her hand.
She saw the attraction, the desire, the want in his eyes. His eyes flashed with fierce, feral heat for an instant before he wrestled his lust down and jerked away from her.
Thor mi
ght deny the powerful attraction between them, but Aubrey didn't want to pretend that nothing existed between them.
She would not deny her heart and her body.
And she would not deny them both.
“Why,” she whispered.
He scowled at her. “Why what.”
“Why...won't you take what you want, Thor?”
Thor swung his gaze back to her. His eyes flared with raw, primal hunger and lust. She could feel his heart thundering against her hand, his muscles pulsing and tensing under her fingers.
“You don't know what you're doing, Aubrey.” His voice was low, almost a growl.
“I do know. I'm not drunk, not that drunk anyway. I know exactly what I'm doing, and I know what I want,” she whispered. “But I won't force you.” The corner of her lips quirked up. “Just say no, and I'll let you go, big guy.”
In the silence, only the sound of their mingled breaths and pounding heartbeats could be heard.
Thor grabbed her suddenly and pulled her into the house. Kicking the door shut, he spun her round and pressed his hands on either side of her head against the door.
Aubrey blinked up at him, her bosom heaving as she flattened her back against the door.
The sound of their breathing was loud and harsh in the darkness of her living room.
“Aubrey.” Her name escaped on a tortured, ragged breath.
Then he leaned in and kissed her.
CHAPTER THREE
Thor kissed her like a starving man, or rather, like a drowning man. He couldn't breathe, couldn't get enough air but he didn't want to surface. He wanted to plunge into her and have his fill of her. Slake his lust, relieve his hunger, find release and redemption.
But one taste of her and he knew he was done for. There was no going back. He had been in dire, deadly situations before, but he had always been in control. This time, everything was spinning, spiraling, soaring out of control. His heart, his mind, his body.
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