The Bear Shifter's Second Chance

by Jasmine Wylder

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Bonus Content (Limited Time Only)

  Paranormal Romance Collection

  Paranormal Vampire Romance: Chosen by the Vampire King

  About Jasmine Wylder

  Jasmine’s Other Books

  Facebook

  © Copyright 2017 by Pure Passion Reads – All rights reserved.

  In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

  Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

  The Bear Shifter’s Second Chance

  Fated Bears: Book Two

  A Paranormal Romance

  By Jasmine Wylder

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Bonus Content (Limited Time Only)

  Paranormal Romance Collection

  Paranormal Vampire Romance: Chosen by the Vampire King

  About Jasmine Wylder

  Jasmine’s Other Books

  THANK YOU so much for downloading this book!

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  Chapter One

  The tenth interview. And then she was done for the day.

  Adela Choi had to repress a yawn as the young woman finished telling her about her experience as a nanny. It wasn't that Jasmine was boring, in fact she sounded quite qualified to be looking after Adela's two-year-old daughter, Luci. Jasmine was bright, friendly, and comfortable to talk with.

  But Adela hadn't gotten much sleep the previous night, since Luci had decided that she didn't want to sleep and spent the whole night crying every time she was put into her bed. It made for a difficult night.

  "Sorry," Adela said as Jasmine paused, no doubt seeing that she had gotten distracted. "Luci's being very clingy lately."

  "I understand. I have some tricks that we can use to help ease the separation anxiety when you leave in the mornings." Jasmine folded her hands on her knees and smiled. "Anyway, that's me. I love working with children, so being a nanny was just a natural progression."

  Adela nodded and closed the scrapbook Jasmine had handed her of the previous children she had worked with. They all seemed to love her. "Your resume is certainly impressive. Everybody I've called about you had nothing but praises to sing about you."

  "That's sweet of them." Jasmine's smile widened. "I miss them, but I needed to get out of that city. Coming to a smaller urban environment felt like the best decision."

  "And you just answered my next question, why are you looking for work." Adela laughed. "Do you have any questions for me?"

  "Yes. I'd like to ask you why you're looking for a nanny?"

  Adela smiled slightly. "Well, I've been working as a housekeeper for my friend for almost five years now, and now that Luci is getting older, I want to be more self-reliant. There's only so much of the 'housekeeper' work I can do without feeling like he's just taking care of me."

  Jasmine nodded. "That's understandable. A lot of the mothers I work for are in similar situations."

  Adela let out a breath, relieved not to be judged for her reliance on Isaias for so long. "I've been doing a lot of management for him on the side, and so I decided to start up a business. I'd love to bring Luci along with me, but as you can imagine it's difficult to work with customers when your child is demanding attention."

  "What business are you getting into?"

  "Selling local novelty and artisan crafts."

  Jasmine's eyes widened. "You mean that neat little place on Main Street? You're opening it?"

  "Yes." Adela smiled. Her advertising campaigns were paying off. The grand opening was going to happen sooner rather than later, and she was getting nervous and excited. She stood and offered her hand. "Thank you for coming out today. I've got a couple more interviews to do, but I'll let you know by tomorrow what my decision is."

  Jasmine shook her hand. "Thank you. It was a pleasure to meet you."

  "And you."

  Adela showed her to the door, then went to the kitchen for another cup of coffee. She yawned as she entered to find her friend, Becky, feeding Luci some applesauce. Luci licked her lips as she brought the small spoon to her mouth.

  "How'd it go?" Becky asked.

  "Good. I really liked this one. She had a gentle vibe to her. I think she'd do well with Luci." Adela set the machine to percolate and kissed the top of Luci's head. Her daughter babbled, a few words clearer than others, and went back to eating. "I wish that you were sticking around for the first few days, though."

  Becky gave her a sympathetic smile. "Isaias and I haven't really had a honeymoon yet. I know it's not a great time for you, but—"

  "You're already packed." Adela waved her hand. "I understand, I'm just being selfish. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Honeymoons are important, especially when your rich bear shifter husband is whisking you off to an Inuit village to get first-hand knowledge of their traditions for the latest best-selling fantasy you're writing."

  "It's not a best-seller until it's for sale and lots of people buy it."

  Her coffee was ready and Adela poured it into a travel mug. "Do you mind watching Luci a while longer? It's a couple hours before my next interview and I want to get to the farmer's market. It's getting to the end of the season and there are a few Christmas presents there that I want to pick up."

  Becky nodded, so Adela grabbed her keys and headed out. The truth of the matter was that she was nervous about this business venture, but she was also jealous. For a long time, she felt like her employer Isaias, who might as well be a brother to her, was too lonely and isolated. When he finally found his mate in Becky, it made Adela realize just how lonely and isolated she was. And watching them have their happily ever after begin brought up the disaster that her relationship with Luci's father was.

  So, she had decided to take this business leap. The only problem was that now that she was making it, the thought of leaving Luci with someone she hadn't known her entire life left her breathless. What if something happened and she wasn't there?

  "Nothing is going to happen," she told herself. "I can't live my life in fear."

  It was always relaxing to get to the market. The bustle and noise, the energy that made everything exciting and yet was still at a pace you could set yourself. She loved
picking out fresh veggies or going through the intricate new designs people came up with for their novelty wares.

  As she was bending over to look at a beautifully quilted baby blanket, wondering if she might soon have someone to give it to, a shadow cast over her. She glanced up and her breath caught in her throat. Her heart fluttered. Something inside her twisted and she couldn't stop herself from biting her lip.

  He was still every bit as beautiful as he was when she first laid eyes on him. Taller than she was by two feet, with wide, muscular shoulders and, when shirtless, abs that looked like they were made of steel. There was a new tattoo on his neck, a bright red flower that reminded her of the first time they had made love. It was ridiculous to think of, except she had gotten so excited that she'd bitten him at that spot and actually drew blood.

  Marcus Haught. The man who had ruined her for any other.

  "I thought you were still in jail," she managed to squeak out.

  Marcus shrugged. "I got out early for good behavior. And, oh yeah, because I helped the investigators take down a dangerous batch of criminals."

  She hated the way her gaze kept begging her to look at his lips. His full, kissable lips. Stop it! He had broken her heart before, utterly betrayed her, and there was no way she was ever going to take him back even if he wanted her to… which honestly, he probably didn't.

  If only she'd been able to get over him.

  He threw her a wicked smile that had once had her ripping off her clothes no matter where they were. Not this time. Adela started to move on. She needed to get away from him before she did something stupid like start to fantasize what it would be like to be back with that man who was all muscle, his body caging hers, feeling like her extra weight wasn't something to be ashamed of, but rather what gave her so many curves that he couldn’t keep his hands off of them…

  "I heard you have been looking for a nanny for your little girl," Marcus said, following along after her. "I'm looking for a job. Ever consider getting a manny instead?"

  Adela had to snort at that. She had been interviewing people with incredible records, impeccable references and years of experience. Marcus was an ex-con who belonged to a motorcycle club and was covered head to toe in tattoos. He'd certainly cause a stir at the park. Although given that he'd be interacting with lonely trophy wives, maybe not the type of stir that would get him kicked out.

  "I think I have it covered," she replied dryly. "Besides, if I hired you, you'd be working in Isaias' house, at least to begin with. I'm not so certain that you'd do very well in those circumstances."

  Marcus scowled. "You're still living with him, then? So why can't he look after his own kid?"

  Adela tensed. She should have known it would come back to this. It would be very easy for her to say that Luci wasn't Isaias' daughter, but Marcus never seemed worried enough to ask her about it. He had assumed it, and if he was going to think the worst of her, why should she correct him?

  "Luci is mine," she snapped. "And I can't help but think that might have been aimed at me. Why can't I look after my own kid?"

  Marcus held up his hands. "That isn't what I said or meant."

  Adela knew it, but she couldn't let herself soften. If she did, then who knew what would come next? She continued to walk.

  "I'm just saying that he's married now. Why are you still living with him when it's clear that he doesn't have any interest in you anymore?"

  She stopped and turned to him. Her arms folded tight over her chest. She had explained her relationship with Isaias to him more times than she could count, but he never listened. What use did she have for a possessive, jealous bear shifter in her life? If seeing him brought back the memories of them together, talking with him brought back why they had split up.

  He had assumed that Isaias was Luci's father. He didn't ask. Just attacked Isaias and when Adela finally managed to break them apart, he had yelled at her that she could have at least had the decency of breaking up with him before she got herself pregnant with another man. There had been no other men, but at that moment she knew he wouldn't have believed her even if she had told him the truth.

  It was the end of it for her. She was pregnant and scared and didn't need the added pressure of taking care of his ego and reassuring his insecurities. So, she had ended things right then and there.

  "What I do with my life is none of your concern," she said eventually, fighting to keep her voice even. "Leave me alone."

  Marcus trailed after her for another few feet before he snorted and turned off. Tears sprang to her eyes as soon as she heard the roar of his motorcycle peeling away from the farmer's market. She left without buying anything, and just sat in her car for a few minutes, fighting to bring herself under control again.

  Why did he have to be so pig-headed and stupid?

  If she told him the truth now, that he was Luci's father, would he believe her? He always insisted on wearing condoms when they had sex. He wanted fun and kids were a responsibility he didn't want to have to deal with. It was the reason he had automatically assumed that Luci wasn't his daughter, but he could have at least had the decency of asking her. Listening to her. So, why hadn't he?

  Part of her wondered if he knew they were part of the two percent that condoms didn't work for. If he knew all along, and only accused her of cheating so he would dodge the bullet that came with parenthood?

  If he had, it was his loss. Adela sucked in a deep breath as she pulled from the parking lot. Luci was the greatest thing to ever happen to her. Unexpected? Yes. Hard? Definitely. But she wouldn't trade away her precious baby for anything in the world. And if Marcus ever got his head out of his butt, then maybe he could have the joy that was being a father.

  But one thing was clear. There was no second chance for him and Adela. There was no way she was ever going to open herself up to that hurt and pain again. Never.

  Chapter Two

  Why had he followed her scent to that market? Marcus could have kicked himself in the head as he drove through the streets on his motorbike. His hands clenched from the encounter still as he struggled to bring himself down from seeing her.

  When he caught her sweet, honeyed scent with its dash of chili, it was like he wasn't even in control of himself anymore. Before he even stopped to think, he was following her. And then when he saw her, all the old feelings came rushing back. She had gained weight since they were together and she had never been more beautiful. Her curves were to die for. It was all he could do not to throw her over his shoulder, take her to some bushes for a reasonable amount of privacy before he worshiped her from head to toe and reminded her that he belonged to her.

  Only he didn't. He'd allowed her to have that hold over him once and he swore never again.

  He cut the motor of his bike and toed down the kickstand before climbing off of it. He straightened his leather jacket before he walked into the bar where his club liked to hang out. It wasn't a large group, only a couple dozen, but they had a reputation. They hadn't needed to do much besides let the world know they could all turn into bears to get people to avoid them.

  And then they'd all been arrested at one point or another, and the Matriarch kicked them from the clan without even asking if their arrests were warranted. She didn't want 'troublemakers' in her clan. Marcus' own eviction still stung. Less than a year ago he'd gotten involved in a kidnapping–kidnapping Adela to hold her for ransom–but he had only been a part of it so that he could protect Adela, to make sure the others didn't hurt her. And he had nearly been killed to do so.

  Come to think of it, that was why he couldn't get her out of his mind. Because of his near-death experience. That was it. In a few months he'd be right as rain again.

  "Haught," a man at the bar called, waving him over.

  Dr. Eneko Alava's wide face broke into a grin as Marcus trudged through the group. He clapped the doctor on the back and ordered his drink. Whiskey, plain. Marcus grunted his thanks as he took the drink. "Well, it's a surprise to see you here, Alava. Aren
't you supposed to be requesting a government grant for that little clinic of yours?"

  "That was months ago. Where have you been?"

  Marcus shrugged. "Jail."

  Alava grunted. With the amount of disinfectants clinging to him it was difficult to smell the bear on him. Probably also had to do with the fact he didn't shift much. The doctor prodded his shoulder. "How's the gunshot doing?"

  Marcus downed the draught, wincing as he remembered the bullets tearing into his chest. It was sheer force of will that had stopped him from dying. His heart twinged as he thought about it.

  "How's it doing? I've got a bullet lodged in my chest, right against my heart. But the flesh has already sealed around it and I'm a shifter, so really what is the point of trying to remove it? Even if it does breach an artery or vein, I'll just heal, right?" His expression darkened. "I haven't found any surgeons willing to go in after it."

  Alava frowned but shook his head. "If you come to the clinic I can take a look. It might help if there is a doctor on your side recommending it be removed. Can't do anything about the surgery, though. I don't have the resources or the training to go that close to your heart."

  "How romantic." Marcus snorted. "Doc, I'm touched. I never knew you cared about my heart."

  Alava laughed. "You wish. But I'm serious. Come down for a couple of x-rays at least."

  Marcus shrugged noncommittedly. He wasn't going to the clinic. There was no point. There wasn't anything that Alava could tell him that he didn't already know. The position of the bullet was facing inwards, less than a centimeter from his heart. How it ended up stopping there when he was shot at such close range was a mystery. Perhaps it deflected off another of the bullets that had been put in him.

  It didn't matter, though. Even if there was something that Alava could tell him, it wasn't like the bullet was life-threatening. He just had to be a little careful to make sure it didn't punch through. There were sick kids that went to the clinic that needed Alava's resources a lot more than he did.