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GROWLING FOR MORE

ALEXA RILEY

Contents

Growling For More Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Epilogue Epilogue Epilogue Riding Red Chapter 1 Stalk the Author

Growling For More

Bleu has been living an isolated life away from the clan of Gray Ridge. He’s a happy bear shifter, building furniture and being alone…until a little curvy woman literally crashes into his life. When he pulls her from her car after she wraps it around a tree, he is blindsided by the connection. Never before has he wanted a mate, but finding Lola changes all that.

Lola didn’t plan on her deadbeat mom blowing the rent and then skipping town, so she’s without a home. Again. But this time it’s going to be di erent. Hearing whispers of shifters in Gray Ridge, she takes o in search of something, anything, that can bring some light to her life. When her car slips and she ends up in danger, she never expects her rescuer to be the one to give her everything she’s ever wanted.

Will being snowed in lead to steamy nights and mating bites? You betcha!

Warning: This is a short shifter story filled with sweet, cheesy possessiveness and lots of growling. Obviously. Go ahead and read it. You know you want to!

NOTE: This book was previously released in Kindle Worlds. It has now been re-covered with bonus material added and is now available on all Amazon platforms in the Kindle Unlimited program.

Copyright © 2017 by Author Alexa Riley LLC. 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, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email to riley_alexa@aol.com http://alexariley.com/ Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

Edited by Aquila Editing Cover Designer: Mayhem Cover Creations Photo By: Sara Eirew Photography

to the hubs: my life, my love, my mate.

Chapter One LOLA

“Y

ou window licker.” I bring the heel of my cowboy boot down on the dash of the car, making me jerk the car into the wrong lane before I right the wheel again. Thankfully, there wasn’t any oncoming tra c.

The rap music completely dies under my assault. It had a good run. I rub the spot I just kicked in appreciation that the radio even lasted this long, but I had to give it one last kick just in case. It had worked twice before.

I’ve been on the road for over twelve hours, and Gray Ridge is approaching as fast as the snow is starting to fall.

And it seems to be getting heavier by the second. I’ve never driven in snow. Heck, I’ve never even seen it in real life before. The closest I’d ever gotten was when my tiny online graphic design company got asked to do brochures for some fancy ski lodge out in Colorado. I’d spent three days looking at stock photos of snow.

I debate pulling over and just maybe touching it for a second. I bite my lip, mulling it over in my head. Picking up my phone, I see I’m twenty minutes outside of Gray Ridge.

Maybe it isn’t such a good idea. I need to get to town before the snow gets too thick. My bald tires can’t take much more

of this. I’m not sure any part of this car can take any more of this. The thing could fall apart at any moment.

At the thought, I hear a loud click come from the engine.

“Edith. Don’t you do it.” I glare at the check engine light.

“We can’t get stranded out here! Those shifters could be here.” I glance out both side view mirrors, then my rear view. “We need to investigate before we just stumble across one in the wild. We get ourselves into trouble when we don’t plan first.”

I try to reason with Edith, but she has a mind of her own and her time is clearly coming to an end. Maybe getting this wild hair about finding out if these shifter whispers were true wasn’t such a great idea, but I needed out of town, and for some reason this was the only thing that was driving me.

Almost like there was an invisible string pulling me.

I knew the moment I saw that eviction tag on the door of the apartment I share with my mom that she hadn’t paid the rent and mostly likely spent my share I’d given her. I didn’t feel like sticking around and picking up the pieces this time.

I packed a bag, grabbed my laptop, and took o after leaving a note of my own taped to the door. Told myself I’d go as far as Edith would take me, and I headed in the direction of Gray Ridge.

I still haven’t even heard a peep from my mom. I’m not sure why I thought she’d be calling my phone begging me to come back. Oh, yeah, money, that’s why. Still, over twelve hours after I’d left and not a single call or a lousy text. Who am I kidding? She probably hasn’t made it home yet. She can up and disappear for days on end.

Shit, is that what I’m doing? I cringe at the thought of being like my mom. My mom likes to be di erent. New people in and out of her life all the time. She never keeps a boyfriend more than a month. She thinks of herself as a

hippy. I had another word in mind, but I kept that to myself.

She’s still my mom after all.

Flipping on the wipers, I wince at how it’s only making it worse. The snowy ice smearing makes it almost impossible to see out of the window. I can’t see for crud now. I check my phone again and it still says I’m twenty minutes away. Grr. How is that even possible? I’m stuck in the Bermuda Triangle of shifter land. Oh, my God. It’s like the one Friday the Thirteenth movie and I’m just going in circles, but instead of having a beat-up van, I have an old Volvo.

I glance at the speedometer and see I’m only going fifteen miles an hour. I push down on the gas to pick up speed, but my tires don’t agree. I’m instantly sliding, the car spinning out in circles.

“Edith, get it together!” I yell at the car, but she once again doesn’t listen to me.

We hit a metal rail that gives way too easily, sending us over the snow-covered hill. We slide down, and the journey feels like it takes seconds and hours all at once, until the car comes to an abrupt halt. My head hits the steering wheel, making pain shoot through my body all the way to my toes.

Cold air enters the car, and the chill cuts right through me. I can’t seem to open my eyes. I feel shattered glass all around me. The car groans, and I pray that we aren’t going to slide any more. I don’t think I can take another hit like that. I inhale deeply, trying to pull air into my lungs, but the cold just makes it burn.

I’ll freeze to death out here. The tracks, no one will see them with how fast the snow is coming down. They’ll be covered in minutes, most likely. Now the little bear-covered underwear I put on don’t seem so cute anymore. I thought they would be lucky to help me on my shifter quest. Now, when they find my body, they’re going to see I’m a twentyyear-old woman wearing little bear underwear.

I open my mouth and let out a scream, hoping someone will hear me, but all I hear in return is the sound of the wind picking up. The cold settles into my bones as everything goes black.

Chapter Two BLEU

T

he snow is really starting to come down, and I know it won’t be long until several feet coats everything. They said it would be the worst snowfall we’ve seen in over twenty years. I decide to bring in an extra load of wood from the shed. Just as I reach the porch, I hear a loud screech in the distance, followed by the sound of a crash. Dropping the wood, I leap from the porch, shifting before my paws hit the snow.

This is a dangerous time of year to be on the roads, so I hope whoever this is is okay. I run through the forest, trying to make it to where I heard the noise. I’m not close to the road, but my hearing is good, even in human form. When I’m almost there, I hear the sound of a female screaming.

The sound sends panic down my spine, and I run even faster.

When I come to the bottom of a hill, I see an old, beat-up car flipped on its side. I bolt towards the car. Climbing on top, I look in and see a woman passed out inside. The window is busted open and she’s already dusted with the falling snow. I rip the door open and then shift back to human form in case she wakes up and I scare her. Reaching down, I pop her seat belt, pulling her from the car. I look

back inside and see only a small bag. I grab it and throw it over my shoulder before climbing o the car, holding her gently.

Mine. The word hits me hard.

Looking down at her, I see she’s tiny and shivering. She’s not dressed for cold weather, so I hold her to me and make my way back to the cabin as quick as I can in human form.

The way the storm is coming down, she won’t be getting her car o the bottom of that hill for quite some time, and if she doesn’t get warm soon she’s going to freeze to death. Her delicate-looking skin won’t be able to take it.

Pulling her closer to me, I hurry through the trees and snow, getting back to my cabin in record time. I carry the little thing straight inside and head to the fire, holding her and dusting some of the snow away. Her clothes are completely soaked and she’s shivering in her sleep. Her lips are blue now, and her teeth are chattering. I don’t know what to do.

“I’ve got to get you warm, little one.”

She’s so incredibly tiny. Her body must be frozen to the core. Laying her down on the blanket in front of the fire, I start to strip o the wet clothes. Her blonde hair has soft gold touches to it in the firelight, and it reminds of the color of honey.

I take o her thin, long-sleeved shirt. Her simple white bra underneath is soaked, so I have to take it o , too. I look away as I cover her with a blanket, trying to keep her modesty intact as much as possible. I don’t know this woman, but I would hope that if someone were to find my mate, they would take care of her without hurting her. The thought of her having a mate makes a growl rumble in my throat.

Mine. The word hits again even stronger than before.

Carefully I remove her wet jeans and boots, only to discover her underwear has little bears all over it. I smile, thinking the little cubs are cute. Maybe if she likes bears…

I stop the thought before it starts and cover her with another blanket. Leaving her by the fire for just a moment, I go to my room and stoke the fire in there. The room is bathed in the glow of the fire in moments, and I throw a few fresh logs on to keep the room warm.

When I go out to the living room, I’m careful to remove her panties while she remains covered before I pick her up and carry her to my bed, tucking her in under the thick blankets and watching her settle into sleep.

I sit on the edge of the bed and brush a few strands of hair away from her face. She looks young, maybe late teens, early twenties. Her round cheeks are finally starting to show some color and she’s stopped shivering. As my fingers stroke her cheek, she lets out a long sigh and snuggles into the covers more deeply.

She’s so tiny and fragile. She needs someone to take care of her. Maybe that’s what brought her here. I could protect her easily. She is so small, I could just carry her around with me everywhere. No one would dare to even look at her.

The storm is howling outside now, and I’m so thankful that I found her when I did. Had she been out there another hour, she would have surely died. There’s no telling how long this storm will go on, so she’ll have to stay here until it passes. And then she can leave.

Maybe she doesn't have to leave.

The thought of keeping her flows through my mind, and I sit there, letting it play out in my head. How it would be to keep her for my very own. Having a curvy little thing like her to warm my bed at night.

I leave her there and go to the living room, picking up her soaked clothes o the floor and hanging them in front of the

fire to dry.

Looking at the panties, I turn around to make sure no one is watching. I know that I’m alone, and the woman is in the next room sleeping, but this somehow seems sneaky. Picking them up, I bring them to my nose and inhale. The little cubcovered panties smell like her sweet pussy, and I growl into them.

I shouldn’t be doing it, but the scent has my mouth watering and my hand going down the front of my pants. I grab my thick cock and feel it pulse as the scent of her sweetness makes my inner bear ache with need. We won’t go to her, and we won’t take what she isn’t willing to give. But my bear and I can sit here by the fire, smelling her pussy and thinking of all the things we would do to the little blonde in our bed.

Chapter Three LOLA

I

wake up warm and comfortable, my eyes heavy like I’ve been sleeping for days. I try to reach up and rub them, but my arms are pinned. I’m stuck in the car. The thought hits me hard, taking me back to the slide down the hill. The pure fear that rushed through my body, being trapped with no escape.

My eyes fly open in panic, and I’m looking up at a wooden ceiling. The room is lit by a small fire in the fireplace. I lick my dry lips and try to remember how I got here. There was a man. A giant man. He pulled me from the car and carried me here.

I wiggle, freeing my arms, and that’s when I notice I’m naked. Sitting up, I take a better look around the room.

Everything is wooden: the walls, ceiling, and floor. The walls look like they’re made out of wooden logs. It’s rustic. Even the giant bed I’m in looks like someone hand-carved it.

Getting up from the bed, I wrap a blanket around myself.

My knees almost give out, but I catch myself on the end of the nightstand. I hear a loud crash from somewhere in the cabin, then I hear what sounds like a freight train heading towards me.

The door bursts open, and the biggest man I’ve ever seen in my life is standing in the doorway with a look of panic on his face. I feel like I should be the one with that look. In three long steps he’s in front of me, picking me up. I squeak as he puts me back down on the bed.

“You’re going to hurt yourself.” His voice is deep and gru , and I know I’ve heard it before. He must have talked to me. I can remember dipping in and out, and each time I’d hear his voice whispering to me. His hand brushing my face.

“I’ll keep you safe. Nothing will hurt you when I have you,” he’d said. And I believed him.

He starts running his hands over me like he’s checking me to make sure I’m uninjured. He pulls part of the blanket o me, and I should protest because I’m naked, but all I can do is stare at him.

His hair is a dark chocolate brown and looks like it might be due for a trim. Or maybe he’s just been running his hands through it a lot, making it look messy. Even on his knees next to the bed as I sit on the side, he’s still taller than me.

Wow. This guy is freaking ginormous.

One of his hands brushes my hip, and it’s so soft it makes me giggle. His eyes shoot up to mine and he just stares, eyes locked on mine. His eyes are just as richly brown as his hair, but a thin gold circle runs around his pupil. Then his eyes drop to my mouth. His attention there makes me lick my lips, and a sound comes from deep in his chest.

The hand on my hip digs in a little.

“I’m Lola,” I finally say.

He nods like he already knows that, and his eyes drop down further. The blanket is pooled at my waist. This time he licks his lips when his eyes land on my breasts.

I should cover myself, but he’s already seen it. He’s the one who pulled o my soaked clothes, I’m guessing.

“You already know that?” I ask, breaking him from his boob-trance. He jumps up, turns, and heads for a dresser. He pulls out a shirt and throws it to me.

“It was on your driver’s license, which I have confiscated,” he informs me, his back turned to give me privacy to slip the shirt on. I go to stand, and he turns, rushing back to me, gripping me by the hips.

“You’re going to hurt yourself,” he says again. It’s clear he doesn’t want me out of this bed.

“Bathroom?”

He nods and carries me into the bathroom. He flips up the toilet lid and sits me down and just stands there.

“You’re going to watch me pee?” I raise my eyebrow, and he turns around, giving me his back like that is any kind of privacy at all.

When I can tell he's not going to let me to pee alone, I get on with it. I get up to wash my hands and he comes up behind me, putting his hands on my hips like he’s holding me steady.

I look in the mirror at him, our eyes locking. He looks like he hasn’t slept in a few days. Or shaved, for that matter.

“You going to tell me your name?” I cock my head to the side.

“Bleu.” He turns me, picking me up again, but this time I wrap my legs around him. His steps falter, and that’s when I remember I don’t have any underwear on. Only his giant shirt that drops to my knees when I’m standing.

“I will feed you, then bathe you.” He says it like there’s no room for debate as he carries me through the house, sitting me in a sofa chair in what looks to be his living room.

Then he heads to the kitchen and starts pulling stu out of the refrigerator.

“Are you a cop or something?” He’s bossy enough to be one.

“No. I’m a carpenter.” He pulls some pans out of a kitchen cabinet and starts cooking. His eyes keep popping up to look at me like he thinks I’m going to make a run for it.

Heck, I don’t even know where the fudge I am.

The carpenter thing makes sense, though, with all the wood around here. Almost all of the furniture looks handmade.

“You said you confiscated my driver’s license,” I remind him. That’s why I thought he was a cop. Oh, and the bossy thing.

“Yes, you clearly shouldn’t be operating a vehicle. You need to go somewhere, I’ll drive you or I’ll go get what you need.”

I just watch him, unsure what to say to that. It takes me a minute to wrap my mind around it. I pull back the curtain I’m sitting next to and see everything is covered in snow.

And by the looks of it, it’s still coming down hard. How long have I even been here? It’s clear I can’t go anywhere now, and the sun looks to be setting.

“What about when it’s time for me to go?”

A deep growl comes from the kitchen, making me look that way. Or maybe I’m not going anywhere after all.

Chapter Four BLEU

H

er sharp blue eyes watch me in the kitchen as I prepare her something to eat. I don’t say the words “you’re not leaving” out loud, but I think she understands.

Maybe she thinks I’m acting this way because of the storm, but in reality, I’m keeping her For the past two days I’ve stood guard over her. She slept for so long I began to worry about her, but finally she’s woken up. Seeing her lying there so helpless as she slept made my heart ache, and I knew I wanted to keep her. She needs someone to care for her and keep her safe, and I can do that. She will make a fine mate, and my bear completely agrees. Her wide hips are perfect for breeding and carrying young. I shouldn’t have looked at her naked body as long as I did, but I couldn’t help it. Her breasts were so full, and it made me think of her nursing our babies. Then I thought about suckling her there to taste the sweetness for myself.

I growl low in my throat, and I try to cover it with a cough. She has no idea what I am, but she’s not going anywhere. She’ll find out soon enough, but she’s mine no matter what.

I bring over the tray of food and set it down in front of her. I see her eyes grow wide with shock.

“Wow. That’s a lot of food.”

Looking down, I see the bowl of soup, sandwich, fruit, chicken, potatoes, and bread.

“You have been asleep for a long time. You need your strength. Eat.” “Maybe just the soup to start with. I’d like to warm up a bit.”

She takes the bowl in her hands and tips it to her mouth, drinking the broth first. I go over to the fire and throw some more logs on top of the pile, making sure she’s getting enough heat.

I can show her what a good mate I can be. I will care for her like no other, and she’ll want to stay. That’s my plan. To make her dependent on me and to show her that I’m willing to do whatever it takes to please her.

When I walk over to where she’s seated, I stand there watching her drink the soup.

“This is really good. Thank you so much for rescuing me.” She looks up at me and then looks away as if she’s shy.

“Why don’t you sit down?”

I realize then that maybe my standing over her is making her uncomfortable. So I kneel down in front of the couch.

She lets out a small laugh, and it makes me feel warm all over. Like when my bear gets to go play in the water. It’s as if I’m happy all over.

“Are you going to kneel there and watch me eat?”

“Yes.” “So where am I? How far did you carry me from my car?”

“About four miles.”

When the bowl stops before it reaches her lips and she raises an eyebrow, I explain.

“I have good hearing. And you’re not heavy.”

“My car must have made a really loud noise,” she says.

After she takes another sip, she looks at me and then leans closer, as if to share a secret.

“You know, I hear there are shifters in these woods.”

She looks around the room as if to spot one. Little does she know there’s one kneeling in front of her.

“Really? You heard that?”

She nods her head and takes another sip, but I can see the excitement in her eyes. “Yes. It’s the reason I was coming this way. I was hoping to run into one. Maybe find out what they’re like.”

“Why?” I growl the question, thinking of her taking another shifter male. The thought of her wanting someone else makes me want to prove how much stronger and better I am than everyone else.

She shrugs her shoulder and sets the now empty bowl down. She picks up a piece of fruit. “I don’t know. My life, um, kind of sucked where I was, and I was looking for a change.” She bites her lip as if nervous about what to tell me.

“I guess I thought something magical might be just what I needed. I know that sounds silly.”

“It’s not silly,” I interject. She can want whatever she likes. I’ll be the one to give it to her.

“Thanks.”

The smile she gives me makes me want to tell her she found a shifter, but maybe she isn’t ready for that yet. But I like seeing her smile.

I watch her nibble on the fruit until she says she’s finished. Then I stand and pick her up in my arms.

“Bleu, what are you doing?”

“Bath. You need a soak.”

When I pick her up, her legs go around my waist again, and I feel her naked heat pressing against my loose shorts.

There isn’t much keeping her pussy from me, and the

thought of breeding her makes my cock lengthen and harden.

Lowering her a little so I can feel her heat against me, I hear a little gasp leave her lips. I’m sure she knows what it is, but she doesn’t say anything as I carry her to the bathroom.

Once inside, I set her down on the counter and take a step back. She looks down at the obvious tent in the front of my loose shorts, but I don’t say anything. It’s only natural that my body would respond to hers in this way. She’s the most beautiful woman in the world, so it must be pretty common for males to have erections around her.

I reach around to turn on the water for the tub. It’s a giant log that’s been hollowed out, and it’s big enough for even me to stretch out in. I add some fresh lavender to the water to help her relax, and then I lumber back to where she’s sitting.

I reach for the hem of my shirt and pull it over her head.

Seeing her big breasts again makes me think of them full with milk, and I lick my lips. To taste them would be an honor, and I’m hoping she allows me to do that once I’ve proven I’m a good mate for her.

I pick her up, and once again her legs go around my waist, but this time she pushes down a little so that my prominent erection rubs against her. Her hard nipples rub against my chest. Breathing deeply, I can smell her heat, and I realize she may have need.

“Are you needing me, Lola? Would you like my mouth or cock?”

Chapter Five LOLA

I

stare at him in shock. Did he just say what I think he did? His face is completely neutral, like he just o ered to get me a cup of co ee rather than announced that he wants to pleasure me. Was that normal to him?

His eyes lock on mine, then drop to my lips. I can tell from his hard-on that he likes the idea, but I’m thrown by how easily he o ered to do that. I don’t like it, and it sparks something deep inside me. Jealousy.

“Can you put me down please?” I ask, but when I wiggle, his very hard cock rubs against me again. I have to bite the inside of my mouth to keep myself from moaning and showing that I liked it.

He reluctantly puts me down in the tub, and I bring my knees to my chest, trying to cover myself a little. Wow. How has this flipped so fast? He studies me for a second, then turns, heading out of the bathroom. I let out a sigh of relief and lie back in the tub. The thing is massive, but it would have to be to fit him.

I close my eyes as the warm water starts to rise higher and higher on my skin, relaxing my muscles. When I feel something touch my leg, I almost jump out of the tub, but Bleu grabs me, stopping me.

“Bathrooms are unsafe. I’ll make sure next time I have a towel in here before I leave you alone. You’ll hurt yourself.”

He says it like he wasn’t the one who just scared the shit out of me.

“I wouldn’t have jumped if you hadn’t scared me.” I put my hand to my chest, trying to calm my heartbeat. “How does someone your size move so quietly?”

“I see. Your hearing isn’t as good as mine. I’ll take care to always make noise when I move around you so as not to startle you.” He grabs some soap and rubs it on the washcloth in his hand, then starts rubbing it down my leg, washing me. I don’t know what to make of this man.

“I can wash myself,” I tell him and reach for the towel, but he just goes farther down my leg and away from my grasp.

“I take care of you.” His tone is firm and soft, making something sit sweetly in the pit of my stomach. He finishes washing my leg, then moves on to the other. It feels good, and I want to lie back and relax. I should feel odd about letting a man I don’t even know wash me, but if he wanted to take advantage, he would have done it by now. Everything with him seems to be about keeping me safe. I don’t think anyone has ever worried about my safety. Not even my own mother.

I’d always spent more time worrying about hers. Even when I was as little as five, I was always trying to make sure she ate and cooked our meals. This is di erent. It’s nice, and I want to soak it up.

He starts to wash farther up my thigh, and my legs open a little for him. “You always just o er to pleasure women?”

The question just pops out of my mouth, jealousy rearing its head again.

“No. I’ve never o ered to pleasure a woman before,” he says simply. The cloth touches between my legs, his big hand

making my thighs open wider for him.

I feel my breathing catch. I can barely look away from his hand between my legs, but when I look up, he’s looking at my face.

“I only o er for you.” His other hand grip the side of the tub as he leans in a little. “I will only ever do that for you.”

Then he’s leaning in more, and I can’t look away from the gold in his eyes. His mouth lands on mine, and the gold blends to something else as our lips connect.

His mouth is strong but soft as he pushes his tongue into my mouth. I can feel the hunger and desperation in this kiss.

Like he’s been starving for me, and with one touch he’s lost all control and is going to take every bit of the kiss he can get.

The hand between my legs drops the cloth, and I feel his finger slide between the lips of my sex. I gasp when he slides across my clit. He pulls his mouth away, resting his forehead against mine.

“Like this?” He half growls as he does it again, making my hips buck. I want to wiggle closer, needing the pressure.

He touches me with a teasing softness. I want something harder.

“Yes, please,” I beg, opening my legs even wider, giving him all the room he might need.

“Tell me.”

I open my eyes to see him staring at me, waiting for me to tell him what I want.

“Harder.”

His presses his finger a bit firmer.

“Right there.” I cry out my head falling back as he picks up speed. The orgasm hits me fast and hard, making my whole body jerk. Bleu keeps up his motions, and I have to jerk back away from his hand as the sensations are too much.

The sound of a growl fills the bathroom and makes my eyes fly open. Bleu’s breathing is heavy and his face is hard, almost like he’s angry.

“I want more.” He stands, taking me with him, making me squeal as he lifts me from the bath in one quick motion.

In a few short steps I’m on my back on his bed, my legs hanging over the side. He drops to his knees between my thighs and pulls my legs open.

“I’ve never done this before, but I will learn fast. I made you cum already. I’m sure I can do it again.” He licks his lips, moving in closer to my pussy.

“What do you mean you’ve never done this before?” I stare down at him between my legs. I sure as heck have never done this either. I stayed as far away from men as possible. The men my mom had coming and going never gave me the urge to even date.

The most I’ve ever done was with Timmy, who stole a kiss in the third grade, and I kicked him in the shin because his breath smelled like the cafeteria’s macaroni and cheese.

His hand comes up between my legs, and he parts my lips like he’s studying me. His other hand opens my legs a little more before trailing down my parted lips. Then he starts to push inside me, and I hear a grunt.

“Bleu,” I moan, my head dropping back on the bed, not caring about my question anymore. I feel his hot breath on my exposed clit.

“I’ve never touched a woman before, but I’ll practice a lot and be perfect for my mate,” he growls before his mouth lands on my clit.

Chapter Six LOLA

H

is mouth lands on my pussy, and I almost come o the bed at the touch. I’ve never had someone put their mouth there before, and it’s magical and a little embarrassing. But most of all, it’s freaking wonderful and I never want it to end.

He’s sucking on me, and while it’s aggressive, it’s still gentle, and I moan at the feeling. His tongue is everywhere, and suddenly so are his hands. Running up my thighs, pushing them wider apart, and then a finger slips inside me and he hums against my sensitive skin.

“Jumping Jesus,” I squeak when I feel him push another inside me.

Suddenly, he takes his mouth away, and I make a sound that’s a cross between a moan and a whine.

“Did I do something wrong?”

I look down and his eyes look almost all black. I shake my head emphatically. “No, no, no, no. It was exactly right.

Please don’t stop.”

“You are mine, Lola. You say my name.”

Before I can ask him what he means, his hot mouth and tongue are back on me again and my eyes are rolling to the back of my head. I start to yell out something unintelligible,

and then I realize what he meant. I love that he wants his name to leave my lips, so I say his name as I reach down and run my fingers through his hair.

“Yes, Bleu. Just like that.”

He growls against me, and I feel the fingers inside me, stretching and rubbing until he finds my sweet spot. I can hear how wet I get when he rubs it, so he must know it, too.

Feeling my cheeks burn with heat, I try not to think about what he’s doing. Instead, I think about how vigorous he is about giving me pleasure and how he seems to love being down there. He can’t seem to get enough of me.

I close my eyes and arch my back, trying to raise my pussy up and take the orgasm that is so close. One of his big hands splays across my stomach, and he holds me down with his strength. The sheer power in that touch has me shivering with more desire than I thought possible. Being held down by him as he laps at my clit drives me wild.

My legs start to shake, and then they tense as the single greatest orgasm of my life rockets through me. I scream into the cabin, but the wooden walls absorb my cry. I say his name over and over as I give in to the pleasure he’s giving me, falling deeper for this man.

After a few moments, I feel the smile on my face grow as he gives me little kisses. I’m back on earth, and all my senses are coming back. I hear a strange sound and open my eyes. I look around the room, but after a second I realize what I’m hearing.

Looking down at where Bleu is kneeling at the end of the bed, I see his arm and shoulder working fast. I can’t see down between his legs, but from the sounds of it, I know exactly what he’s doing.

He’s got his eyes closed, and his face is still between my legs, inhaling my scent and taking little licks every now and then. As if he’s tasting me while he jerks o . The sight is too

fucking hot, and I shouldn’t be turned on all over again watching him.

But there this giant man kneels, at my feet, jerking o his cock to the taste and smell of my pussy. Who wouldn’t want this? Who wouldn’t be turned on by this kind of power? That I drove him to such need.

I open my legs wider and pull my feet up on the bed to give him every inch of me. His eyes fly open and he growls, as if I might try to go somewhere. Our eyes stay locked as I watch his arm speed up, and I can’t stand it anymore. I need to see what he’s doing. His eyes are a bright gold color, and then turn a little black. It should be scary, but it’s only drawing me in. It’s only turning me on even more.

“Let me watch, Bleu,” I whisper. I should be shy about asking for it, but I’m ready to cum again from this sneaky act, and I don’t care.

He slides two fingers up to my pussy and slips them inside me again. There’s no pinch of pain this time, so he must have worked me over pretty good when he was eating me out before.

Keeping his fingers in me, he works them in and out as he leans back a little so I can see down to his lap.

I audibly gasp as I see his long, thick cock disappear into his fist and then peek out of the top. He grips it roughly at the same pace he penetrates me with his fingers. It’s almost like he’s actually having sex with me at the same time he jerks o .

It’s so dirty and feels so wrong, but I can’t stop my hips from moving with his fingers. I push down on them when he presses inside me, and I act as if I’m having sex with his hand. I ride his fingers as if they’re the big cock in front of me, and I moan when I see pearls of cum leak out of the tip.

He leans in every so often to rub his face between my legs.

He doesn’t lick me or try to suck my clit, he just rubs it on

him. It’s as if he’s trying to get my scent on him as he pleasures himself. The sight is the most erotic thing I’ve ever seen, and I can’t hold back much longer.

Reaching down, I rub my clit as he jerks o . His big body, the dark hair covering his chest, leading down to his cock, is so strong and sexy. Seeing his dick, I lick my lips and think about taking him into my mouth or into my body. I clench around his fingers, and he must feel it because he growls the second I do it.

His gold and black eyes bore into me as I rub my clit and get myself o . Having his eyes on me as I watch him jerk o is all it takes to send me over into another powerful orgasm.

Although I want to close my eyes and fall back on the bed, I keep myself upright. I want to watch the second he goes o , and I don’t want to miss any of it.

I’m rewarded for my e ort not a moment after I loudly shout my pleasure. And somewhere in the back of my mind, I’m thankful that we’re in a remote cabin.

My eyes don’t move from the tip of his cock as he slips his fingers from my channel and brings them to his mouth. He moves over me and cum jets out onto his stomach as he sucks my pussy juice o his digits and orgasms all over himself.

I watch with held breath as his thick cum coats the dark hair there. He keeps jerking his cock. His eyes are closed and he moans around his fingers as his huge cock releases onto his stomach.

“Oh my,” I whisper, and it’s enough to snap him out of his trance. I regret it, wanting him to enjoy his orgasm as much as I just enjoyed mine. But when I see the look in his eyes, regret is the last thing I’m feeling.

Chapter Seven BLEU

I

have the scent of her all over my face, but I need more.

Cumming on myself wasn’t what I wanted, but I had to release. If not, I would have taken her roughly, and I want to go slow. But now, seeing that she watched me, I need her all over again. It’s as if I never came. My balls ache to have her.

I fought it the whole time I was tasting her pussy, the warm sticky juice like honey to me.

“Lola.” My voice is husky, and I see her shiver again with desire when I say her name. I’ve been dreaming about this for days. Finally tasting my mate. Giving her pleasure and everything she could want. Nothing prepared me for the reality. If I thought the need for her before was hard to control, I was very, very wrong.

“Take me, Bleu. I’ll give you whatever you need.” Her legs part even more, opening just for me.

Her words of submission make my bear come forward. He wants to mate, and I’m not sure Lola understands what that means. I can’t explain it to her now, I’m too close to the edge. Right now, I need to claim her as mine, and that’s the only thing that will make me sane again.

“You will be mine. If I mate you, you cannot leave. I will hunt you down and bring you back to our home.”

I sit up and watch as she licks her lips. She looks me up and down, and after just half a second, she nods.

“Mine,” I growl and reach out, flipping her over and pulling her to the edge of the bed.

Blanketing my big body over hers, I pull her tightly to me and feel the seed on my stomach rub between us. It smears on her back, and I love the feeling of marking her in every way possible. It turns me on knowing my seed is on her body, rubbing into her soft skin.

My big legs bracket hers. I reach around to her pussy, push her thighs farther apart and pulling her ass back towards me. I want her in an easy position to rut, and she is so little that this is probably the only way I can mount her.

“I’ve never done this before. But I will be good to you, Lola. I will be careful and make you cum. You like when I do that.”

I feel her lean her body more into mine, and I place my cock at her entrance.

“I’ve never done this either, Bleu. This is crazy.” I growl at her admission that I will be the first to ever have her. I wonder if she doesn't care for other people. She’s the first to ever spark my attention. I like having my cabin out by itself where no one can bother me. I thought I liked being alone, but if the past few days have taught me anything, it’s that I don't want to be alone anymore.

“It’s not crazy. You are my mate. This is what mates do,” I tell her simply. This is just how it will be. We have the crazy need because we’re meant for each other. I was made just to take care of her. It’s clear she needs to me do so. I will feed her so she isn't so small and make sure she isn’t allowed behind a wheel again.

She’s small now, but I will be gentle with her and treat her with care. Pushing past her soaked folds just slightly, the

head of my cock penetrates her. Her muscles squeeze me, but after a second she relaxes and I push more of me into her.

The feeling of wet warmth sucking my cock has me growling. My bear is so close to the edge, but I rein him in as I try to remain calm and let Lola adjust to my size.

When she relaxes under me, I lean down and kiss her shoulder. I feel her warm, sweet skin on my lips as the need to bite her rises, and suddenly, marking her is all I can think about.

“More, Bleu.”

She wiggles on my cock, and I feel inches of me slip into her tight body. I grit my teeth and try to hold o . I will mark her. I will make her mine in every way possible. The chant appeases the bear in me, and I focus on giving Lola pleasure.

I will always put her first.

I start to pet her clit as I gently give her the last few inches of me. She responds to my touching her, and I hear her moans start to get louder. I’m happy to have not caused her pain during our first time because I plan to take her many more times tonight.

She leans back a bit, seating herself on my lap. When she’s there, I gently rock us while I rub her pussy and feel her clench on me. The vice grip she has on me tightens. I wrap my free arm around her waist and hold her while I thrust up into her.

I start with short strokes, her tight pussy giving a little resistance, and build to longer ones. Soon she’s bouncing on my cock, all the way up and then slamming back down. She’s taking me and moaning for more, proving that she fits me perfectly, but then she gives me more than what I hope for.

Her head tilts to the side, her curly, honey-blonde hair exposing her bare neck. As if something passes between us and suddenly the path is clear, she says the words I’ve longed to hear.

“Bite me.” They trip so easily from her lips, it’s like she’s been saying them to me her whole life. I’d always wondered if true mates really existed. I saw it before with my parents, but I just didn’t know how true it really was, but this moment proves it. Her body knows she’s mine. She might not fully get it, but the core of who she is does.

The two words have me salivating and doing just as she asks. Without a second of hesitation, I place my teeth on the place where her shoulder meets her neck and I bite down.

My sharp teeth barely break the skin, but I taste a tinge of metallic flavor and I immediately lick it away. I can feel her pulse against my tongue, the mating between us becoming stronger. Keeping my teeth in place, I thrust harder, needing to claim her body as well as her spirit. She is mine for keeps, and I want her to feel it in her soul.

When her clenches become tighter, I feel her shudder under me as an orgasm takes over her little body. It’s then my own need kicks in, and I spill my seed into her. It’s the strongest orgasm of my life, and something more is coming from me into Lola. While our bodies are twined together, our hearts connect as one. She has become mine in every way, and my bear lies down in relief.

We’re more than mated now.

Chapter Eight LOLA

A

fter Bleu made love to me, he picked me up and brought me back to the bathtub, saying I needed to clean up and this time he would join me. I hate the thought of washing him o me, but as if he could sense my hesitation, he explained that he would put it back on as soon as we were out.

I can’t explain some of these barbaric thoughts I’m having about him, the things I want from him. But they’re there and he seems to get and understand them. It’s like he knows what I want before I can even say it. And even more, I don't feel embarrassed about it. It feels natural.

I lie back against his chest, his big body wrapped around mine in the warm water. We soak in a comfortable quiet as he rubs my shoulders and kisses every bit of me he can reach.

“What made you ask for this?” he says, kissing the tender place where he bit me. The kiss to the mark makes a warm feeling grow in the pit of my stomach.

I pause, not knowing how to say what I think, and then I chicken out. “I don’t know.”

He wraps his arms tighter around me and nibbles on my ear.

“You are my mate now, Lola. I know when you’re not telling all that is in your head. Why?” “It’s hard to explain.”

“Try.” My curly hair is piled up on top of my head, and I feel his tongue trail down my neck. It’s distracting and wonderful at the same time.

“Something just came over me. I can’t really put it into words. I just had this overwhelming feeling that if you bit me, it would all be okay.”

“What would be okay?”

“My whole world. It felt like if I let you do this, that I would never have another worry. That I’d find what I was looking for.”

I feel him smile against my neck, his embrace so full of love.

“That’s it exactly.”

He places his lips on my skin, and I close my eyes, loving the feeling of us together. I don’t know how it’s possible to go through something like this in such a short space of time, but I feel like I’ve found the other half of my soul. Which is freaking crazy.

“I must tell you, Lola. You must know all of me.”

I turn in his arms, the huge tub giving us ample room. I look in his eyes and see a small bit of concern, and it makes me place my hand on his heart.

“What is it, Bleu?” My fingers dig into his chest hair.

“The shifters you spoke of earlier, they’re real.”

I smile at his words, thinking how incredible that is. It sounds magical and makes me feel like happily-ever-afters are out there. It was what I was looking for deep down when I hopped in my car and headed this way. Straight to Bleu, it would seem. I think that’s what I was looking for when I hopped in my car. Something pulled me this way. “That’s

really cool. Do you know one?” I wiggle in his lap, trying to get a little closer, not liking any space between us. I’ve never been this intimate or close with someone before, and I’m savoring every moment of it like it could be snatched away from me at any moment.

He nods his head and looks deep into my eyes. The gold swirls around his pupils, and I feel almost like he’s pulling me into a trance.

“I am one.”

With his words, his arms tighten around me, but I don’t understand why.

“You are one? You’re a shifter?” I try to lean back to get a better look at him, like I might have missed something, but he holds me closer.

“I will not let you leave, Lola. You are mine. We are mated.” His words come out in a half growl. Looking at him, I feel completely confused. So I just shake my head.

“Bleu. Stop. I’m not going anywhere. Are you serious?”

“Yes.” I bite my lip, not wanting to o end him but really needing to know more.

“What kind are you?” I whisper it like someone might hear us, even though I know we’re alone.

My eyes run up and down his big body, and I wonder if there are Bigfoot shifters. He’s flipping huge.

“A brown bear.”

I smack myself on the forehead and let out a laugh. Duh, Lola. Of course he’s a bear.

“I can’t believe you’re real.” Reaching out, I touch his face and look him over like I’ve never fully seen him before.

As if I’m trying to look for the magic.

He pulls me closer and suddenly he’s standing up in the tub and carrying me with him again. We leave a trail of water behind us as we enter the bedroom. He stands me up in front

of the fireplace and dries me o with a towel I didn’t see him grab.

“You are not leaving,” he says, and I can’t help but roll my eyes.

“Bleu, I have nothing out there waiting for me but a busted car and deadbeat mom. Meeting you has been the single greatest thing of my life. Why would I leave this?” He looks at me, but still I see a hint of doubt there. “Even if I had a family that wanted me, or somewhere else I needed to be, I would never leave you. You said it, we’re mated now.

You just need to tell me what a mated shifter wife does so I can be the best damn shifter wife there ever was.”

“Wife?” he asks, smiling and raising an eyebrow.

Oh, shit. I hadn’t realized I let that just slip out.

“Or whatever. I mean, mate.” I stumble over my words, but he picks me up and pulls me to him, carrying me to the bed.

“You are mine. In every way.”

“Do I get to see you as a bear?”

I blurt the question out, and I feel so silly for asking it. He just smiles and puts me on the bed, climbing on top of me and snuggling into my neck.

“Yes, he would very much like to meet you.”

“Is he the same as you, or will he try to hurt me?”

He sits up fast, and a serious look takes the place of the smile that was there just a second ago. It makes me sad that I took the smile away, and I want to put it back on his face.

“He would never hurt you. We are one, my bear and I. We both want you, we are both mated to you, and we both love you.”

“Love?”

How is this possible? This is some insane crazy shit. We met, like, thirty seconds ago. How are we in love?

“Yes. It is the way. I know you are my fated, true mate. I live out here away from the big clan of Gray Ridge. We have runs once a month and sometimes I go to them to check in with Stone. He’s our leader. I drop some things o and pick up any supplies I might need.”

“So is he my leader now, too?”

“In a way, yes. But with how I live, it will be as if it is just you and me.”

“I like the sound of that.” Wrapping my arms around his neck, the smile I was missing comes back.

“I make furniture out in my workshop. I sell it to one of the dealers in town, but otherwise, I like to stay here.” His hand comes up, cupping my face. “Now I will want to stay here even more with my mate to take care of.”

Suddenly, something hits me, and I worry that we’ve made a mistake. “Bleu, what about pregnancy? We didn’t use anything.”

I’m not on any kind of birth control, and he sure as heck didn’t pull out. It never even occurred to me until just now.

Then a wave of sadness flows over me. What if humans and shifters can’t breed? Will I never have a baby with my mate?

“Why would I use anything to stop a cub from growing in your belly? We should be lucky to have one. Maybe we will be blessed and have many.”

“We can have babies?” I hear the hope in my voice, and as crazy as this sounds, I want it to be real. I want it to be true.

If there is one thing I’ve always wanted, it’s a family. A real one. Not like the one I had growing up.

“Yes. You are human, but you will carry our cubs. They will be able to shift like me.”

I feel the grin on my face growing bigger as I think about our little babies running around the cabin. I picture our lives together and what our future could hold.

“I like the look in your eyes.” His gold-rimmed eyes scan me with such tenderness.

“I like the life I see here with you.”

“Good. Then I don’t have to chase you in the woods.”

I feel him bury his face in my neck, and I let out a giggle as he growls. “Maybe you can pretend to chase me. That sounds kind of fun.”

The hard ridge of his cock rubs against my pussy, and my laugh turns into a deep moan. I feel tingly all through my body, as if my nerve endings are on high alert. I rub against Bleu’s big body, feeling the hair on his chest against my hard nipples.

His mouth moves down my neck to my aching breasts, and his hot mouth latches on. I raise my hips, welcoming him into me as the pleasure starts to race through my veins.

When his cock is lined up perfectly, he’s hesitant to thrust in.

Reaching between us, I stroke his thickness until his hips buck forward and he’s entering me. I’m beyond full from his length and girth; not a single inch of space inside me goes unfilled. When he took me before, I felt a little pain at first from my virginity breaking, but he was so easy and slow that soon I was the one begging for more. Now that I’ve had him inside me, I know what to expect, but at this angle, he’s even deeper.

“Don’t hold back, Bleu. Harder.”

I feel his hesitation, and it’s as if I can read his mind. He’s trying to be careful with me, but I know he will give me what I want. He won’t ever deny me my pleasure.

“Yes, mate.”

He thrusts hard this time, and it makes me gasp out in pure ecstasy. The fullness of his aggressive body is almost too much for me. He’s rutting on top of me like his animal is

here in his place, and for some reason that makes me even wetter.

His perfect strokes hit me in exactly the right spot, and it only takes me minutes before I’m tensing under him as my orgasm rolls over me. It’s deep and fierce, and I cling to Bleu as he growls into my neck. When I feel his teeth on my skin, I orgasm a second time, the pleasure almost too much.

His hot seed fills my body and I writhe with joy.

Somewhere in my heart, I want a baby to take hold. I want to be connected to him in every way, and I want it now.

No more waiting for my life to start. I’m going to grab ahold of him and the life that I want and make it happen.

I’ve let too many things pass me by, and I’ll be damned if this gets away.

Chapter Nine BLEU

I

watch Lola as she works on her laptop, clicking away at a speed that can’t be human. Her eyes are trained on the screen in concentration. I let out a growl, perturbed that she can’t seem to take her eyes away from it. The sound makes her eyes come to me as a smile pulls at her lips. My growl stops instantly once I have her attention on me, and she just shakes her head and goes back to clicking away.

I’ve never had a jealous moment in my life. I’ve seen other mated shifters get jealous when other males get too close to their mates, but I seem to get jealous of everything when it comes to Lola. I want her attention on me. Maybe I’d let myself go too long being alone and now I want to soak up every moment of having a mate.

“The wireless modem will be here tomorrow,” she reminds me for the third time this week.

When she’d told me she ran an online business doing graphics for brochures and making business cards, I made sure she had whatever she needed to keep doing that.

I was just thankful that she did something that would keep her at home with me. Locked away in our cabin. I’d never been so happy to have a cabin out in the middle of

nowhere before. I thought I enjoyed isolation before, but now I fucking love it.

I wasn't too happy when a man came to install the internet she needed. He had beady eyes and kept looking at my Lola. She’d just rolled her eyes at me when I growled at him. Lucky for me, she seems to think my jealousy and protectiveness over her are cute. Even after I made her wait in the bathroom until he was gone.

Over the past few weeks I’ve learned more and more about her. She has shitty parents. Every time I think about it, I want to track them down and rip them apart with my bare hands. Someone like Lola should be cherished and taken care of. I will gladly take that place, even if she gives me a heart attack with her clumsiness at times.

She wants a family that cares about each other, and I will give her that. I’ll prove to her that I will give her everything so she’ll never leave me.

“Don’t you have work to do?”

I grunt my response. I do. I took her to town last weekend to meet Stone and some of the townspeople. I dropped o some orders and picked up a few more, but I can’t seem to pull myself away from the house.

I know I’m going to have to start to let loose a little, but the thought of something happening to her because I wasn’t around to make sure she was okay scares the ever-loving shit out of me. I couldn’t go back to the life I had before. Odd how I relished that life weeks ago, but now the idea would be my worst nightmare.

I love her, but Lola is damn clumsy. Just today I stopped her from walking into the door, and then she tripped over nothing. Nothing. Just fell right over her own feet. I’m starting to think I was made to be a shifter just so I’m fast enough to keep her little ass safe.

I growled at her when I caught her from hitting the floor.

She just shrugged it o like it was no big deal. “Must have been daydreaming about you,” she’d said.

“I’ll do it after your device comes tomorrow. Have you—” She cuts me o , already knowing what I’m going to ask.

“Yes, I checked the tracking and it will be here tomorrow. We just have to go to the post o ce in town.”

I don’t know what a wireless modem is. I just know it means she can move her work area out to the barn where I do all my wood carving. Then I can keep her near me.

“Come here,” she says, eyes still trained on the computer.

I’m instantly on my feet moving towards her. I’d had her in my lap while she worked, but she’d made me put her down because I couldn’t stop touching and licking her, which led to us on the floor or back in the bed.

I should feel guilty. Her body is so little, and I just keep pinning her down and taking her. I can’t seem to get enough of my scent on her.

I look over her shoulder to a screen that reads, Wooded Designs. I see pictures of di erent things I’ve made, some from the house, some I’d shown her out in the barn, and some I took to town.

“Now people can just place orders online and even send requests.” She clicks through more pages, showing me.

“You made this for me?” I feel a little guilty that I’ve been growling at her looking at her laptop when this whole time she’d been doing something for me.

She beams up at me. “Yes. You like it? I’ll keep track of everything for you. All you have to do is make the stu and tell me project dates and things.” The smile lights up her whole face.

Just like that, she makes me lose control. I can’t stop myself from picking her up and molding my mouth to hers.

Her legs come around my waist as I pushed my tongue inside her mouth.

I hold her tightly to me, wanting to feel every curve of her body. I push her back against the wall, and I can tell by the smell of her desire that she’s ready for me. It fills the air, making my nostrils flare and my hunger to be inside of her uncontrollable.

I need inside her. Now. Reaching between us, I free my cock, yanking her shirt up roughly. I pull the panties she has on to the side and slide right into her. Her little body is always ready to take me. Her legs always parting to give us what we both need.

I growl into her mouth as I plunge in and out of her. My tongue matches the movements. Her fist-tight pussy grips me in a possessive hold. I start moving faster, pounding deep into her cervix with each hard thrust. I want to fill her there.

The pleasure is almost more than I can take. I want to get lost and to let myself go over the edge, but I want to watch her go first.

When I feel her contract around me, I pull my mouth from her, wanting to hear the sounds of her pleasure as she cums while I drive in and out of her.

She screams my name, her body jerking under mine, but I don’t stop. I want another one. Her eyes start to fall closed, her lush lips parting. I bend a little, nipping her at my mate mark, making her jerk away.

“Another,” I demand.

“I don’t think I can.”

I growl, knowing I’ll get it. I wonder how many times I can make her cum before I do.

Chapter Ten LOLA

W

e’ve fallen into a comfortable rhythm, Bleu and I. It’s been a little over a month since he saved me, and it’s been the most wonderful time of my life. Every morning I wake up wrapped in his arms, and we spend our days side by side. I sit at the desk he made me in his woodworking shop and take care of our businesses. I answer his emails and try to put requests on the books, but he fills up so fast now.

“You’ve got three more requests for the sweetheart bench.”

I smile at him over the laptop and he grunts as he goes back to what he was doing. He made us a bench to cuddle on for the front porch, and I posted a picture of it online. But as soon as the first request came in for one, he said no. That was meant for me, and no one else would have it. I have the picture on the website showing his craftsmanship, but people keep trying to buy it.

Checking my emails, I sort through the junk and follow up with clients. When the email I’ve been waiting on pops up, I start to smile but bite my lip to keep from doing so.

“Bleu, I’m getting kind of hungry.”

It’s all I have to say and he pops up from what he’s doing and walks towards the house without a word. It’s kind of funny how he does that, but I can’t help but love it. All I have to do is mention one little thing about wanting to eat and he’s bringing me a giant plate of food.

As soon as I hear the door click shut, I’m in motion. It’s taken me all week to set this in place, and I want it to be absolutely perfect. I scurry around the shop, getting it ready, and just as I finish I hear him wiggle the doorknob.

I dart behind my desk, and I’m thanking my lucky stars I didn’t trip along the way, or it would have sent Bleu running.

I try to control my breathing and act calm as he strides in with a tray of snacks for us. I say “us” because there’s enough for ten people, but he thinks this is how much I should eat.

“Here you go, my mate.” He kisses me on the lips as he places the food in front of me.

I pull up a blank page on my computer and type random letters and words, trying to look busy as he goes back to work. After just a second he makes a noise and I stop typing.

I look out from behind my computer and pretend not to notice anything is wrong.

“Thanks for the snack. I was starting to feel weak,” I joke, but he doesn’t look up. “Everything okay, Bleu?”

Trying to keep my tone even is an e ort.

“Just looking at the requests you left for me. It’s odd, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten asked to do one of these before.”

I stand up and casually walk over to where he is standing, holding several pieces of paper in his hand. Each week I print out the requests for him, and he picks and chooses what he feels like doing next, and then I schedule it on the calendar.

“Which one is it? There were so many I didn’t really get a good look at them all.”

He looks at me and then looks back to the paper. “This one on top.”

I move beside him and take the paper from his hands. I know this image well. I searched for days to find the perfect one.

“Oh, how pretty.” I hand him the paper underneath the picture. It’s a printout of the email I just got. He takes it from me, and I make a humming sound as I look at the picture. “Maybe you could do one for practice first.”

“Lola?”

Looking up, I see Bleu’s gaze is glued to the paper in front of him. I give him another moment to let it register, and I stand there with the biggest grin on my face, waiting for it to click.

“Lola. Is this...does this mean…?” He stammers over his words and then looks to me with big watery eyes.

I start to cry, immediately moved by his expression, and just nod my head. He drops the email from the shifter doctor I saw two days ago confirming I’m six weeks pregnant with our bear cub, and scoops me up in his arms.

“A baby? We’re going to have a baby?”

“Yes,” I say in a thick voice as he buries his face in my neck.

I can feel the joy rolling over him in waves, because it passes to me as well. Last week when we’d gone into town to drop o some orders, we went next door to see the clan doctor and get a checkup. I’d told Bleu it was to make sure I was okay to have children, but I had suspected I was already pregnant. I slipped the doctor a note when Bleu wasn’t looking and explained I wanted to surprise him. Thankfully, she played along, and as we were leaving she said she would email me with some follow-up questions.

I feel his lips on my neck and then he’s looking into my eyes. The gold is swimming in tears of joy, and I swear I

could almost burst from happiness in this moment. His mouth comes down on mine, and the sweet kiss turns passionate in half a second. Suddenly, I’m being laid out on one of his woodworking tables and he’s slipping o my leggings. He’s hurriedly unbuckling his jeans and getting his cock inside me as fast as he can.

When he enters me, I’m wet and ready like I always am for him. I moan at his thickness and look up into his eyes.

His big hand rests on my lower belly as he eases in and out of me. His face is tender, but there’s still the raw need there, too. His passion shows as we couple and celebrate the next chapter in our lives.

He makes me cum three times on that table before he finally carries me to the house. But not before he grabs up the picture of the baby crib I had printed out and given to him. I knew this would be the first of many things he would make for our little cub, and I’m sure he’ll start working on it the second he lets me out of bed.

Epilogue LOLA

I

Three months Later…

dance around the kitchen letting my new dress flare out all around me. I’ve never been much of a dress girl, but with my baby belly it’s much easier to wear them, and they’ve grown on me. Not to mention my mate loves them, too. I’ve even developed the small habit of not wearing panties under them when we’re at home. It drives him crazy in the best of ways.

I pick up one of the cookies I just iced and take a big bite. I moan at the delicious taste. My addiction to icing has gone to all-new levels. I lick my lips thinking about how I could lick this o my mate. My body starts to tingle at the idea. All the di erent places I could put it on him… It would drive him crazy. I smile thinking about it.

I bounce toward the door when I hear a car come up the driveaway. He was faster than I thought he’d be. Bleu had to run to town to pick some stu up from the store and drop o a delivery. I’ve now banned myself from going to the store because I can’t stop myself from trying to buy everything, and Bleu is no help in the matter. He just encourages me, telling me I need to get bigger. Getting bigger right now is

not something I need help with. Shifter babies develop faster than human babies, and I already look like I’m full term.

Which I pretty much am for a shifter baby.

I swing the door open, ready to throw myself at my mate, but freeze when I see a man I don’t recognize standing there.

“Hi,” I say, a little shocked. No one comes around here.

Heck, Bleu doesn't even like a delivery people to come here.

It’s why we pick all our mail up in town at a PO box. My mate is the jealous, possessive type to the extreme. I don’t know who this man is, but I need to get him out of here and hope the wind blows away any trace of him once he’s gone. My bear will not be happy if when he gets home he smells another man has been here. Though the sex will be crazy hot.

Not that it’s not always crazy hot, but when the lick of jealousy grabs him he’s relentless in marking me for the next twenty-four hours.

“I’m looking for a Lola,” he says.

A load growl sounds from behind the man, and like always when I hear that sound, my nipples tighten with need, only this time I gasp when I feel wetness. I look down to see that I’ve leaked. A first for me. I stare at the small wet spots in shook. My breast milk is coming in already.

“No one looks for Lola but me,” Bleu rumbles loudly. I can’t fight the giggle at his ridiculous comment. The man turns slowly to look at Bleu. “Step away from her.” Somehow his voice is even more deadly than before.

The man raises his hands. “I’m just looking for her, man.

There was a missing person’s report filed on her.” The man drops the papers he has in his hands and takes a few steps back from me. He almost falls down the porch steps. I don’t blame him. Bleu is big. Crazy big. Heck, the man is a bear shifter.

“You want my mate,” Bleu growls. I should not think it’s cute that he thinks everyone in the whole world wants me,

but I do.

“Bleu, come here,” I say in the sweetest voice I can muster. He does as I ask. He’s by my side instantly, but his eyes never leave the man.

“I’m fine. I’m not missing,” I tell the man. I never thought about someone reporting me missing before now.

I’d left a note for my mother. To be honest, I didn’t think she would care that I was gone. If anything, she just misses someone cleaning up after her. Sadly, I don’t miss her at all, and she’s not someone I want in my life anymore. Neither does our baby boy, who will be here very soon. In fact, she is someone who wouldn’t be able to keep the secret of what my baby and mate are.

I was told it’s hard for baby shifters to control their shifts.

Having her around my son will not be an option. I stand firm on this. Besides, Bleu gets irritated when I bring up my shitty parents. He hates that I went through that. Can’t wrap his mind around my mom not cherishing me.

“Tell anyone where she is and I’ll hunt you down.” Bleu’s words even make my skin break out in goose bumps.

“Not a word.” The man turns, runs toward his car and jumps in. Gravel flies up as the man peels down our long driveway as he tries to get away from Bleu as fast as possible.

“Your jealousy is at an all-time high,” I laugh as I turn to look at him. I place my hands on his chest, knowing my touch will cool him down. It always does. My mate might get hot o the top, but I know I can always bring him back.

Tame my beast.

He licks his lips, his nostrils flaring “What is that smell?”

His breathing grows deep. “It’s you.” He takes a step back from me, his eyes going to my breasts and reminding me that I leaked. Before I can respond, he’s pulling me into the house and slamming the door behind his.

My dress goes flying over my head and is quickly tossed away. Bleu rumbles deep in his chest. “You answered the door with no panties on.” His eyes darken. Or bra, but I don’t say that out loud.

“I thought it was you.” I stick out my bottom lip in a small pout that always works to get me out of trouble.

Bleu licks his lips, his eyes trained on my tits. He seems to have forgotten everything else. I look down to see a drop of breast milk escaping my nipple. Before it can drop away and hit my stomach, Bleu’s mouth latches onto me, giving a hard suck.

I moan and my knees give out. I don’t fall, though. I never fall now that I have Bleu. He would never allow it. He lifts me easily and carries me through the house.

“Grab the icing!” I yell out, pointing to the container on the counter. Bleu doesn't even ask why. He just does as I ask like always. He can never not give me something I want. If he’s going to lick stu from my body, I should get to do the same.

Epilogue BLEU

A

Another 10 months later…

low growl rumbles from my chest, making my eyes fly open. My bear is completely alert. The delicious smell of my mate fills my lungs, but this is di erent. I suck in another deep breath, trying to make sure I’m catching the right scent coming from her little body. Warmth fills me when I realize what it is I’m smelling from her.

Pregnant. I take another deep breath, catching not just the scent of one baby but two. Twins. I swear my heart skips a beat with excitement. Lola is going to be over the moon.

I smile, looking down at my mate, who is wrapped in my arms, her blonde hair spread out all around us as she sleeps.

Her lips are parted ever so slightly, making me want to kiss her. Sometimes I still can’t believe fate brought her to me, that I went from wanting to be alone to now wanting to fill our home with our children.

Pride fills me that I once again got my mate pregnant.

Even though when she carries my cub inside her, it drives me a little crazy. My protectiveness of her multiplies tenfold. I try to tell myself I’ll be better this time. I was only that way the first time because, well, it was our first and so new

that I didn’t know what to expect, but I know that’s bullshit.

I’ll still be like that. I’m already itching to get out of bed and make my mate a giant breakfast to make sure she eats enough not only for her but the cubs inside her belly. Now she’ll be eating for three.

Slowly I slip out of bed. Lola shifts, rolling a little and kicking her blanket o some as she does. I pause when her legs spread, giving me a view of her bare pussy. Her nightshirt rode up in the night. Or maybe it’s still up from when I pinned her to the bed in the middle of the night.

I take a step back towards the bed. My mouth waters, knowing right now she is going to taste even sweeter than normal, something I didn’t think was possible until the last time she got pregnant. I lick my lips. Maybe I should make sure she’s pregnant. Before I even finish the thought, I’m on her.

My broad shoulders spread her thighs wide as I take a long lick of her pussy. She moans and thrusts her hips, wanting more of what I’m giving her. One of her hands slides into my hair, gripping me. I growl against her and she moans my name.

“Bleu.” I look up to see her eyes are heavy lidded as she watches me suck and lick her. I start to thrust my hips against the bed. My cock is hard and leaking cum from the taste of my sweet mate. It wants to be inside her, but I need to taste her more. Her taste is addictive, and if she’d let me I’d never leave this spot between her thighs. Because I was right. I can taste it. I’ve bred my her. Soon she will be round with my cubs once again.

I slide my finger into her tightness. We both groan. She locks down around my finger and I know she’s close already.

I suck her clit into my mouth as her body jerks and she shouts my name, making us both cum.

I ride out the wave, sucking and licking her, letting the orgasm wash over her and trying to ignore my own. I want to focus on her, but my cock has no control when she is near.

When her body is completely lax I sit up. She’s smiling, but her eyes are closed and she looks to have fallen back asleep. I kiss her stomach before pulling her nightshirt down and covering her back up with the blanket before making my way to the bathroom to clean myself up.

When I return, I smile when I hear my son make a grunting noise from the other room. Slipping from our room, I take the stairs two at a time until I reach his bedroom door.

I shake my head when I see he’s in cub form and trying to get out of his crib. I walk over and pick him up. I flip him over so I can rub his belly as I make my way back downstairs.

He cuddles back into my arms, his eyes already falling closed.

Getting River out of our bed had taken some time and he still looks like he’s not going to give up without a fight. In cub form he’s more mobile and he’s learning that quickly.

He’s going to keep us on our toes.

I head toward my bedroom knowing when they both finally wake up River will want his mama. When I walk into the room Lola sits up, her arms out for River. I slide him into her arms. She cuddles him close, lying down again.

I stand there, torn between starting breakfast and crawling back into bed with them. When Lola reaches an arm out for me I’m done for. I slide into the bed behind her and cuddle my whole world closer.

Life couldn’t be more perfect.

Epilogue BLEU

T

Eight years later…

he house is quiet, and I pull Lola closer to me in bed.

“I swear being around bears all the time, all I want to do is sleep.”

Smiling against her neck, I kiss my mark and nuzzle against her. “I’ve tried to tell you. Just give in and do what I say.”

I built a second floor onto the cabin when Lola found out she was pregnant with our first cub. Soon after our first boy, River, was born, she got pregnant again. We had our twin girls, Violet and Marigold, thirteen months after River. Then we decided to slow down. So of course she got pregnant again right away with our youngest son, Forbes. Four kids under four years old has kept us busy. But one thing is for sure, they’ve always slept great. Lola says it’s all the hibernating we like to do, but I just laugh and pull the covers over her.

It’s Saturday and all the kids are upstairs sleeping in, and I take advantage of our alone time.

Our businesses have grown over the years, and we have people in town who help us manage them. Luckily for us, we

get to keep our privacy a good bit while the kids go to school and we work from home. We’ve established our careers, so we work when we want and we play when we want. But we always have weekends at home with just the family. The time with our young is precious and goes so fast. But I would be lying if I didn’t think they always pick the worst times to try to come talk to us.

Spooning behind Lola, I reach down and pull her leg over my hip, opening her for me. I slip my hard cock past her wet folds and slide home. She moans softly when I’m fully seated, and I do the same.

“I locked the door. You can go back to sleep now if you want to, mate. I’m just going to cum and keep my cock in you for a little bit longer.”

I slide my hand over her hip and between her legs, rubbing her exposed clit. I know exactly how to touch her to get what I want, and I know for a fact she isn’t going back to sleep. Not without at least two orgasms.

She looks back at me with a wicked smile and grinds down on my cock. Her smell of desire grows between us, and I give her what she needs. I will always give her anything she desires for as long as we both live.

“I love you, Bleu,” she whispers as we make love.

“I love you, too, my sweet Lola.”

We had a chance encounter that turned into more than either of us expected. But when I first held her in my arms, I knew she was mine. I’ve spent every day since then holding on to her, and I will spend the rest of my life doing the same.

She and our cubs are my whole world, and it’s more than I ever dreamed of. She gave me this life, and I will show her just how grateful I am.

THE END!

Riding Red FAIRYTALE SHIFTER BOOK 1

G

ray Ridge, Colorado is a quiet town, but this Halloween there's a mating moon, and the shifters' need to breed their fated mates runs strong.

Ruby is the proud owner of Red's Goodie Basket, and as the new girl in town, she's looking for business. But when the local sexy sheri , Dominic Wolfe, keeps the customers away, she finds it's hard to stay mad when burning with desire.

Dominic is a shifter, and his wolf wants Ruby. Since the second he laid eyes on her, he's been fighting the need to mark her as his. But when the mating moon is full, he won't be able to control his wolf any longer.

Tricks and treats are the last things on his mind when the mating heat takes over, and his obsession is put to the test.

Warning: This story is a sexy twist on a classic fairy tale, complete with a red cape, a basket of goodies, and a hungry wolf. It's written to make you smile, turn you on, and help you celebrate Halloween!

Chapter 1 RUBY

“W

e can't serve those!” I look down at the cookies, which are shaped like tiny dicks, and I try to convince myself I’m seeing things. It’s 5:30 in the morning, and I haven’t had any co ee yet, so maybe my brain is still putting things together. I scan the tray again, hoping I’m wrong. Nope. Definitely little cocks.

“Why not?” Gwen picks up one of the cock-shaped cookies and bites o the head, making me cringe. I don’t have a penis, but I can imagine that would hurt. “They taste delicious. I added a hint of pumpkin spice. Bitches love pumpkin spice.” She nods her head like it’s a fact that bitches love pumpkin spice. She finishes the cookie, moaning appreciatively. It gives a whole new meaning to ‘swallowing’ here at Red’s Goodie Basket.

“Do bitches like biting the heads o dicks too?”

Gwen scrunches her nose and looks down at the batch of cookies on the prep table. “They don’t look like dicks.

They’re broomsticks.” But even as she defends herself, she tilts her head to study them.

“Pubic hair.” I point to what was supposed to be the bristles of a broom, then slide my finger across what I’m

guessing should have been the actual broomstick. “The cock.”

She bites her lip, and I can tell she’s trying to find a way to prove me wrong.

“Gwen. If it’s a freaking broomstick, why is it cumming?”

The end of the cookie has white icing shooting out of it and clearly looks like cum.

“That’s the magic coming out! It’s a witch’s broomstick!”

She says it so earnestly that I’m not sure who she's trying to convince here, me or herself.

“Yeah, something’s coming out of it all right.”

Suddenly, we both bust out laughing. I should be frustrated, but laughing feels good. It’s something I haven’t done in a while, and I let it out, enjoying the silliness of the situation.

When we finally stop laughing, a worried look crosses her face. “It’s fine.” I try to reassure her. I only opened the bakery a little over a week ago, and I’m sure she thinks I might fire her. What she doesn’t know is, she’s the only person who applied for the job. For some reason I had a hard time transitioning to this quiet little town in Gray Ridge, Colorado.

If it wasn’t for the tourists who pass through, I wouldn’t have any business at all. Lucky for me there’s a national park nearby that keeps my little shop busy. I’m just not sure how long it will last once the snow starts hitting the mountains and the line of tourists slows down. I was told some of the roads get shut down around here after the first snow. Maybe by then the people who live here will start to warm to me.

Otherwise it’s going to be a tight few months, and I’ll have to pull more from my savings. As the holidays are fast approaching, I’m hopeful everyone will need desserts.

It’s coming close to the end of October, and I thought some festive Halloween treats would be a good idea. When I

mentioned it to Gwen, she jumped all over it, wanting to make them herself. She always seems to want to stay here as much as she can. I had a pile of paperwork to cover last night, so I gave her a shot at the cookies on her own. I went upstairs to my little apartment/o ce over the bakery and left her to it. This morning I’m seeing the error of my ways.

When I hired her, I knew she didn’t have any experience, but she seemed eager to learn. Whenever I made stu , she watched my every move, absorbing all the information she could. I had gone to culinary school and was more than happy to teach her all my tricks. It’s been nice having someone to talk to who shares my interests, but she still has a long way to go when it comes to culinary crafts.

“Okay, we don’t have to serve these. What else did you make?”

Gwen makes her way over to the cooler, pulling out more cookies. She walks back over to me, putting down a huge tray of orange pumpkin cookies that read ‘EAT ME’ in giant black lettering.

“Why ‘eat me’?” I ask, looking at the perfectly made pumpkins. Perfect other than the message, of course.

“It’s subliminal messaging to the customers.” She nods her head like she’s been working in advertising and knows this is a selling secret. “People will just have to buy the cookies and eat them because the cookie told them to.”

“Anything else?” I cross my fingers behind my back, praying we might have something we’ll be able to sell today.

Now I’m not so sure if I want us to be busy today. I need to whip up some usable cookies and Halloween treats on top of the normal stu I sell. That would keep me in the back all day with Gwen running the counter by herself.

“I did some cupcakes too.” She bounces back over to the cooler, her excitement clear. Two seconds later she comes strolling out carrying a tray of cupcakes all iced in green,

black, white, and orange. The only problem is there seem to be more cocks sticking out of the top of them.

“What is this?” I point to what clearly looks like a dick on top of a cupcake. Not that I’ve ever had experience with a real one, but I do have a Tumblr account.

“Those are fingers. Don’t they look creepy-cool?” I can tell she’s excited about this. I even fear she stayed extra late last night making them. Her face has a giant smile pasted across it, and I can’t seem to bring myself to pop her bubble.

“They’re great, Gwen.” I grab one of the trays, going to load it into one of the cases up front. I plot where I can put them, thinking maybe I can hide them behind a giant stack of Rice Krispie treats and some cakes or something. I could put them on the bottom row, but kids would be at eye level with them then. I guess I’ll have to put them on the top, and I cringe inwardly.

This is not going to win me any favors with the locals who already avoid me. They don’t seem too happy that I’ve taken over the town bakery. It’s the only reason I have as to why so many turn and walk the other way when they see me. I haven’t been in this town long enough to make anyone mad.

You’d think I came and stole the bakery or something the way everyone acts. I saw it for sale online and made an o er, and if they didn’t like new people, maybe they shouldn’t have put an online listing for the world to see!

The site even showed you the paperwork of how successful the previous owner had been and explained that the only reason it was for sale was because the owner passed away, and the remaining family couldn’t run it. But business wasn’t quite so booming now that I was running the place.

When I saw this place I knew it would be perfect for me; a fresh start somewhere new, and I could leave the sad memories behind. After my grandma passed, I was all alone.

She raised me after my parents died in a car accident when I

was five years old. After high school I’d gone to college, got a degree in business, but couldn’t seem to settle into anything.

The only time I ever felt happy was when I went home to my grandma’s and when I was in her kitchen baking. That’s when I knew I had to make baking my life if I wanted to be happy.

My grandma pushed me into culinary school, and sadly it wasn’t long after I graduated that I lost her. After I closed her estate, I knew I wanted to open my own bakery, and I searched for the prime place. When I stumbled across this little town with this perfect little bakery, something about it drew me in. When I stepped inside the first time, I knew this was the place; I felt like I fit. It was almost as if the bakery was waiting for me, like my fate was here.

Pushing through the door from the kitchen to the front, I set the tray on the counter and start making co ee while I set up the display cases. Maybe I’m being too hard on myself; I haven’t been here that long.

Gwen follows behind me, and I see her go to the trays in the window of the store and start placing treats on display there too. Shit.

Maybe when we open I can send her on an errand and throw all of them out while she’s gone. I could tell her they sold like crazy, but then she just might want to make more.

Double shit.

Finishing our morning set up, I walk over to the window display and move things around a little. Once everything is set, I flip the sign over from ‘Closed’ to ‘Open’ and unlock the door. I head back behind the counter and watch as people pass by the bakery, making their way to their own shops to open. A few people I don’t recognize come in for a co ee, eyeing the Halloween cookies. I went ahead and put the ‘broomsticks’ out too. Might as well if I’m doing the other ones. If they don’t sell, I can always take them to the nursing

home down the road like I always do with my extras. Maybe they wouldn’t notice they looked like little cocks.

“I think I’ll run down to the hardware store later and get some Halloween decorations. Add some festivity to the place.

I know some of the kids will be trick or treating up and down the street Saturday for Halloween. Maybe some of them will drag their parents in or something if it looks festive.” I try to sound excited, but Gwen just snorts, making her blonde hair bounce. You’d think I’d be making a killing with her working the front counter considering how hot she is. She eats more of the merchandise than I do, but I’m not sure where her lean body puts it. Mine all goes to my hips and ass.

“Gwen, you were born and raised here, right?” I ask, already knowing the answer. I’ve heard her talk about her brother. She lives with him, and she constantly complains that he doesn’t let her do anything. I actually think her applying for this job was an act of rebellion. After seeing all the Halloween dirty treats she made, I’m starting to think she’s sexually repressed. Not that I can point fingers. I’m a twenty-four-year old virgin, and Gwen’s only three years younger than me. But I wasn’t the one making cock treats.

“Yep, born and raised,” she says, turning and leaning her hip against the counter next to the register.

“Was most everyone around here born and raised here?”

The town seems so tightly knit, like there’s this club I can’t seem to break into. It’s like I haven’t performed some secret rite of passage yet or something. Every day I keep hoping something will give; that it’s just a fluke people aren’t coming in yet. Maybe they don’t know the bakery is back open, but I’m starting to think in a town like this everyone knows everything about everyone.

She shrugs her shoulders, and I can see her choosing her words carefully. “Most are from here, but Alp— I mean, my brother, likes to welcome in strays from time to time.”

“They don’t seem too welcoming to me,” I mutter, not wanting to insult her brother. Why would it be his job to do the welcoming? I hadn’t even met the man, and if he’s some kind of welcoming committee for the town, then he sucks at it. I’ve been here for three weeks, and I have no idea who he is.

“Well, it will just take some time.” She leans in a little closer to me, and I hear her sni .

“Did you just smell me?” Grabbing my shirt, I sni myself thinking maybe I stink or something, but all I smell is sugar. No matter how many showers I take I think it’s ingrained from cooking sweets all the time.

“No,” she says, stepping back from me like I asked her a crazy question when she's the one sni ng me.

“You like working here, Gwen?”

“I love it! You’re not going to fire me because I smelled you, are you? I can decorate the shop if you like. Halloween is in a few days, and I'll get it done today. Or it is the treats?

You hate them? I can do them over again. Just show me how you like them. Please, you can’t fire me. No one else will hire me. My brother won’t let them and…and—” “Gwen. Calm down,” I say, cutting her o from her rapid-fire rambling. “I’m not going to fire you. I…it’s just… like a second ago when I made the suggestion about the decorations, you snorted like, “no one is coming in here,” and, well, if no one comes in here, neither of us will be working here.”

“Oh!” She sighs like it’s no big deal, and I just stare at her, not understanding her at all. “They’ll come after.”

“After?” I wave my hand trying to encourage her to finish her sentence.

She hesitates and then looks around the room. “After Sheri Wolfe stops scaring people away.” She says the words like I pried them from her using torture.

At hearing his name, my eyes shoot to the front window to see if he’s loitering outside my shop again. I thought cops drove around in their cop cars, eating donuts, but the one here walks up and down Main Street all day, eating my cookies and drinking my co ee. He stops in front of my bakery more than anywhere else and glares in here like I’ve done something to o end him.

It was his family who owned the bakery before I did, but I was told that he wanted to sell it. The lawyers explained that he didn’t have the time to run it, which I could understand if he was the sheri . And no way could I see him running a bakery. He’d eat himself out of house and home.

The man was a jerk-face. A sexy, giant jerk-face who was my biggest customer, but still a jerk-face, and he could barely form a sentence on the best of days. At first I thought maybe he could only grunt and growl. But then I saw he didn’t have a problem speaking to other people. I’d heard him talk to Gwen a few times and everyone else, but with me it was like I was too much of a bother or something. If he couldn’t stand me, why was he always hanging around all the time? Why did he sell me the shop? It’s not like I twisted his big, hairy, muscled arm or something. In fact, it was the opposite. I remember that day like it was yesterday.

When I came to see the place, I was so excited. I knew before I’d even got here I was making an o er. The pictures online showed me it was everything I wanted. The place was even decorated in my favorite color, red. All I'd have to do was get a new sign.

I was so excited to finally see it in person, but the first time I walked inside all I saw was him. I thought he was sitting at a mini table in the bakery, but it didn’t take me long to realize the table wasn’t mini. No, he just made it look that way because he was so big.

I stood mesmerized by him, my whole body coming alive.

It was a feeling I’d never felt before, like warmth washing over me. His big silver eyes grew bigger at the sight of me.

But then he stood from the table and stormed out of the bakery. Just before he hit the door, he threw over his shoulder, “It’s hers.” He made it clear he was done with me and the bakery. Or so I thought.

For some reason it knocked the air out of my lungs when he dismissed me so easily. I shouldn’t have been so taken aback by him. I wasn’t one to get noticed by men. I’m short, chubby, and have curly red hair that I can barely control. It’s why my parents named me Ruby. So having him all but ignore me shouldn’t have hurt so much, but it did.

Then I found out he’s the sheri . I felt like he came in here to poke me, and now I find out he’s keeping people away from the shop too. What’s this? Some scheme he does or something? Sells the bakery, drives the bakery person out of business and buys it back for dirt cheap, then does it all over again to someone new? I can’t even report him because he’s the freaking sheri .

Maybe that’s it. That day he saw me, he knew I was an easy mark. Well, the next time I see him I’m going to give him my two cents. Really give him something to growl about.

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