My Hero Bear (Paranormal Shifter Romance) (Haven Book 2)

by Stella Night

  Dylan leaned down and took her nipple in his mouth while he thrust inside her. Then he planted kisses all over her chest, neck, and lips. Rory felt drunk with pleasure.

  He pumped his hips, sliding in and out of her with a steady, maddening rhythm. She moaned as he increased his pace, plunging himself into her deeper and deeper.

  Waves of ecstasy washed over her, consuming her with pleasure until she thought she might break into a million little pieces.

  “Come for me, Rory,” Dylan whispered.

  It was all the urging she needed. A tidal wave of pleasure rolled over her, sweeping her away with its fury. She felt her whole body tense up and shake. His body froze over hers as his cock spasmed inside her, filling Rory with his fertile seed.

  Time seemed to stop as they came together. Nothing else in the world seemed to exist but the two of them in that room, connected in a way that could never be broken.

  Epilogue

  Rory stood outside of Dylan’s house, although now it was technically her house, too. It had been five months since Rory and Dylan had been reunited and became mates. Life had seemed like a blissful dream since then.

  They’d been married almost four months now, even though the wedding just felt like a formality after Dylan had marked her as his. Still, it had been a lovely affair.

  Now that Hunter was back, Rory didn’t have to take on the responsibility of leading her clan. She was free to move in with Dylan at his family’s old home. Dylan had taken some time off from his duties as Peacekeeper. He wasn’t sure if he was done with that life altogether, but he was sure he needed to make up for lost time with Rory.

  His days were spent clearing dead trees from the clearing around the house and his nights were spent in bed with Rory. At the moment, Dylan was planting a row of saplings in the bare earth. Now that the dead trees had been cleared away, it was time to bring some life back into this part of the valley.

  It would take some time before these trees grew into anything resembling the former forest around the house, but it already felt more serene, even with just the little splashes of green the saplings provided.

  Of course, the new trees weren’t the only new life growing in the valley. Dylan looked over at his wife and smiled.

  “You look gorgeous today,” he said.

  “You mean I look fat,” she replied, patting her swelling belly.

  “No,” he said, standing up and coming over to warp her in his arms. “You look gorgeous.”

  He bent down to kiss her. She leaned her body into his, savoring the feeling of him. The sound of an approaching car pulled them reluctantly from their kiss.

  “To be continued,” Dylan said.

  “I’m gonna hold you to that,” Rory said.

  They turned to watch the green SUV cruise up the road and park in front of the house. Noah and Rachel exited the car. Rachel was holding their newborn son in her arms.

  “Oh my god,” Rory exclaimed. “He’s so cute.”

  Rachel smiled and held the baby out so Rory could hold him. She took the child eagerly, her eyes shiny with joy.

  “You better get used to it,” Rachel said. “Yours will be here before you know it.”

  “Oh, I know,” Rory said. “I can’t wait.”

  It was then that Rory noticed the other person Noah and Rachel had brought with them. It was Nina. Rory had first met her at her and Dylan’s wedding, where Nina explained her visions to the newlyweds and how she’d helped fate bring them together.

  “Nina,” Rory said, a little surprised. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

  Nina nodded, her serious face framed by her gray hair. “I wouldn’t miss it. Besides, I like to visit with the couples I’ve helped. To make sure things are still going well.”

  “Things are great,” Dylan said. “I can never thank you enough.”

  Nina smiled a grandmotherly smile. “Seeing you two together is all the thanks I need. There is one other matter I wanted to discuss with you all, now that we’re all together.”

  “Uh oh,” Noah said.

  “Here we go,” Rachel chimed in.

  “Wait, we’re not all together yet,” Dylan said. “Xander isn’t here yet.”

  Nina nodded. “Yes, but he can’t be here for this conversation. I’ve had a vision about him.”

  “Good or bad?” Dylan asked.

  Nina sighed. “Unfortunately, it’s like all the visions I have about you Sinclair boys. Foggy and unclear.”

  “Did you find a mate for him?” Rory asked.

  “I might have, although I’m not sure. What I am sure about is for Xander to find his mate, he’s going to have to go through hell and back.”

  TO BE CONTINUED…

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  Chapter 1

  Sadie had made a lot of mistakes in her life, but meeting with Patton Conrad was quickly moving to the top of that list.

  On the surface, he looked like the ideal business partner. A distinguished man in his mid-fifties, well-dressed and well-mannered. But from the moment she’d sat down for dinner at the upscale restaurant, she felt uneasy.

  It was something about his eyes. Something predatory in the way he looked at her. It sent shivers shrieking up her spine. And there was something about the way he smiled. He showed too many teeth, almost like he wanted to consume her.

  If this had been a date, she’d have bailed a long time ago. But this wasn’t a date. The stakes were so much higher.

  Sadie was desperate. The Fisher Animal Sanctuary, which she ran, was on the verge of failure. The Sanctuary had never been a cash cow, but it was never meant to be. Her father had started it as a labor of love, saving pets and exotic animals in need.

  The man had been passionate about helping animals, and he’d instilled that enthusiasm in Sadie. After her father’s death a year ago, she gladly took over running the place.

  But the Sanctuary wasn’t the only thing he’d left her. He’d also left her with a mountain of debt.

  She’d kept the place afloat as best as she could, but she had finally run out of time. No bank would consider giving her any more loans, and no one with money would even consider investing in the failing enterprise.

  So Sadie had reached out to Conrad. He was wealthy and well-connected in the state of Montana. He was well-known for throwing lavish fundraisers attended by his rich friends, and the boost from such a fundraiser could set the Sanctuary up for years.

  He’d agreed to meet with her. She’d been overjoyed until she’d actually shown up for the meeting. Now she had a twisting feeling in her gut that wouldn’t go away.

  “Some more wine, my dear?” Conrad asked.

  She cringed when he called her “my dear.” The man was more than twice her age and married. But that hadn’t stopped him from making suggestive comments all evening. Nothing too overt so she couldn’t actually call him on it. But there was a familiarity to his manner that crossed the line.

  The last thing she wanted was more wine. A clear head was necessary to walk the knife’s edge with Conrad. She didn’t want to offend him by rejecting him, but she also didn’t want him to think she was interested in him.


  Before she could decline, he motioned for the waiter. “Another bottle of the Chateau Lafitte.”

  He smiled at her again after the waiter’s departure, as if she would be impressed. He seemed put off when she didn’t gush with gratitude. She wasn’t the type of person to be impressed by extravagant displays of excess. If anything, the amount of money he was spending on this meal was offensive. One of these bottles of wine could probably pay her business expenses for a week.

  “So back to business,” he said. “I believe your little animal park could be just the thing my friends would be interested in funding.”

  It infuriated her the way he belittled her life’s work, but she held her tongue.

  “Your friends are passionate about saving animals?” she asked instead.

  His Cheshire cat grin widened. “My friends are passionate about whatever I am passionate about.” He reached his hand across the table to cover hers. “And I can be a very passionate man indeed.”

  Sadie slipped her hand away from his as delicately as she could. It took all of her willpower to keep the look of disgust off her face. Still, her reluctance to be seduced by the old pervert hadn’t gone unnoticed.

  “Of course, there’s only so much money to go around. A lot of other worthy causes need attention, as well. If you’re not interested in what I have to offer…” He let the implication hang in the air between them.

  She bit back the words that burned in her throat. If you want to get laid so badly, go fuck yourself.

  Somehow she restrained herself, searching her mind for a more diplomatic way to tell him she wasn’t interested in that kind of arrangement. Sadie would do almost anything to keep the Sanctuary going, but she’d die before whoring herself out.

  She was desperate, but not that desperate.

  The uncomfortable silence widened between them, stretching to the point of awkwardness. She knew she had to say something to salvage this meeting, but her feelings of disgust made that impossible.

  Her phone chirped in her purse. She lunged for it like a drowning man grabbing at a life preserver. Checking the screen, she saw an alarm notification from the Sanctuary grounds. One of the perimeter alarms had gone off. She frowned. What fresh hell is this?

  “Something wrong, my dear?”

  “Yes, there’s an emergency at the Sanctuary,” she said, stuffing the phone back into her bag.

  “Nothing serious I hope?”

  She shrugged. “I won’t really know until I get back. I’m sorry to cut this meeting short, but I have to get back.”

  “Well, that is a shame. We were just getting to know each other.”

  Sadie suppressed a shudder. “Another time, perhaps,” she said, even though she had no intention of meeting with him like this again.

  “Absolutely,” he said, smiling smugly, almost like she’d accepted his advances. “I look forward to it.”

  The way he ogled her cleavage shamelessly told her exactly what he was looking forward to. She couldn’t leave the restaurant fast enough.

  ***

  Conrad insisted on following her out of the restaurant to wait for the valet to bring her car around. She had tried to persuade him otherwise, but there was no discouraging him. She waited at the curb with embarrassment creeping up her insides.

  She winced when the valet drove up in her beat up van with the “Fisher Animal Sanctuary” logo emblazoned on the side. Sadie had no choice but to show up tonight in the company van. It was the only vehicle she owned.

  She’d been forced to sell her beloved mini cooper, even though it killed her to do so. The business needed the money more than she needed her trusty car.

  She just hoped Conrad didn’t think her a fool. Negotiating with the man would be hard enough without him knowing just how desperate she was. It would weaken her bargaining position and cause problems in the future.

  “Interesting choice of vehicle,” he said bemusedly.

  She hated the edge of condescension in his voice. He didn’t think of her as an equal. All he saw when he looked at her was someone he could take advantage of. She would never allow herself to be used by him, even if it meant losing everything.

  Sadie tipped the valet more money than she could afford, but she knew Conrad was still watching her and judging her.

  “Thank you for meeting with me,” she said, turning back to him.

  “The pleasure was all mine,” he cooed. “We should do it again soon. We still have unfinished business to discuss.”

  She could tell by the twinkle in his eye exactly what kind of business the man had in mind. It made her skin crawl, but she forced a smile.

  “I’ll be in touch,” she said, even though she had no intention of ever speaking to this man again.

  She drove away from his greedy eyes as fast as she could while still seeming polite. When she rounded a corner and out of sight, she stepped on the gas and tried to put as much distance between herself and him as possible.

  She rolled the window down and let the cool autumn air wash over her. The scent on the wind changed as she headed from the city center towards the outskirts of town, where the Sanctuary awaited her. The air was sweeter and more comforting.

  The place wasn’t just a safe haven for animals. It was a sanctuary for her, too. Things were simpler out there, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Montana’s version of a big city was a far cry from places like New York or Chicago, but she still felt constricted by all the cars and the people. Animals she understood. People had always been a mystery to her.

  She turned her attention back to the other mystery waiting for her. The perimeter alarm had been triggered, meaning someone or something had gotten through the outer fence. She was sure nothing had escaped. She checked the fences and enclosures every day.

  It was probably some curious animal who wandered in, attracted by the scent of the other animals. This wasn’t the first time the alarm had been triggered. It had always been something rather tame when she discovered the source of the disturbance. Still, a girl couldn’t be too careful.

  She gripped the steering wheel tightly with one hand while she reached behind her seat. Her hand located the sturdy metal case, right where she always kept it. She laid it on the passenger seat beside her.

  The tall chain link gate loomed in front of her, just visible in the beams of the headlights. She pulled the van to a stop. Near the bottom corner where the fence linked to the sturdy post holding it up, the gate had been ripped open.

  She frowned. It didn’t look like the work of a person. No, this was definitely an animal. But whatever had done this was big and strong. It had torn through the metal latticework like it was tissue paper. She would have to be on her toes.

  She flipped open the metal case and pulled out the tranquilizer rifle. It had cost her a pretty penny, but when dealing with wild animals, one couldn’t be too careful.

  Sadie had a way with animals. They tended to take a fast liking to her, almost like they understood in some primal way that she just wanted to help. But the bond of trust still took time. And that bond had to work both ways.

  If an animal didn’t take too kindly to her, the tranq gun made sure things went smoothly.

  She loaded a dart into the chamber, pressing it in until the little red puffball at the ass end of the dart was secure. She’d always thought the darts looked rather silly considering they were only used in dangerous situations.

  She eyed the damage to the fence again, trying to picture the animal that had caused such a mess. She added two more darts to the rifle, just in case.

  She opened the gate quickly with the rifle in hand, leaving just enough room for the truck to get through before dashing back to the van. She eased it into drive and the vehicle crept slowly forward into the darkness.

  The search would probably take all night. She regretted having so many glasses of wine. For all she knew, the creature was long gone by now. Having moved on to better hunting grounds. All of the animals here were penned into separ
ate sections of the grounds, surrounded by sturdy fences.

  Then again, the way the creature had torn through the gate, the inner fences might not put up much more of a fight.

  She had to make sure her animals were safe.

  The van eased up the road towards the main office building, and the headlights caught a large shadow stretched across the hard packed soil of the road. Was this the creature who’d broken in? And if so, what the hell was it doing?

  She squinted into the darkness to get a better look at the thing, but it might as well have been a piece of the night sky that had fallen to earth.