by Ruby Shae
Beary Guarded
(Polar Bliss, Book 2)
Ruby Shae
Beary Guarded
(Polar Bliss, Book 2)
Copyright 2016 by Ruby Shae
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
About This Book
Curvy and scarred, polar bear shifter Riley Holland, the girl with the boy’s name, doesn’t want or need a man. Even if she did, her appearance, combined with her tragic past, have prepared her for a lonely future. When a gorgeous wolf shifter walks into Polar Bliss, her family’s coffee shop, Riley allows herself one second of hope…until her worst fear comes true.
Wolf shifter, Nate McCallister, is the new, single sheriff in town, and he has no plans on changing his relationship status any time soon. His looks and job status have always kept him popular with women, but he gave up on dating a long time ago.
The moment he sees the beautiful, curvy goddess behind the counter at the local coffee shop, everything changes.
Riley would rather be alone than have a mate who finds her lacking, and when she meets Nate, she does the only thing that makes sense. She runs. Nate knows he messed up, but he’s not going to let Riley get away with running. Once he catches the sweet, guarded bear, she’ll understand exactly what it means to be mated to an alpha wolf.
Beary Guarded
(Polar Bliss, Book 2)
By Ruby Shae
Chapter One
Riley Holland jolted awake, sat up, and swung her legs over the edge of the bed to catch her breath. She gathered her long, black hair in one hand, lifted the damp locks off the back of her neck and focused on breathing in and out. A thin layer of moisture covered her whole body, and though it was snowing outside, she felt overdressed in the pink tank top and matching pajama shorts she’d worn to bed.
She’d started the night tucked under two blankets, and both were on the floor piled next to her pillow and the box of tissues she kept on her nightstand. After breaking one lamp, two alarm clocks, and cracking three containers of lotion—not to mention making enough noise to wake her brothers—she’d learned her lesson. Only light-weight non-breakables were allowed on the table next to her bed.
When her breathing was under control, she swallowed to try and soothe her aching throat, but it didn’t work. The mild ache turned into a scorching hot flame, and she subconsciously touched the long scar on her face. The wound was healed, confirming she was alive and safe, but it would always be a link to her past she couldn’t escape.
Just like the dreams.
They didn’t come as often as they used to, but when they did come, she relived the pain of that night as vividly as she had the first time. Unfortunately, the fact that he couldn’t hurt her again never surfaced in her dreams, and she had to wake in order to free herself from the nightmare she’d endured three years ago.
In reality she was free, but she still couldn’t get the nightmares to end.
She sighed and padded across the room in search of a scrunchie for her hair. Once the thick mass was secured in a loose, haphazard bun, she exited her bedroom en route to the kitchen.
She found her oldest brother, Ryker, sitting at the table waiting for her, and a bottle of water and a short glass rested on the worn wood in front of him.
She’d woken him again.
“Bad dream?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said, sitting across from him.
“It’s been awhile,” he said. “Everything okay?”
She smiled, and poured half of the bottle of water into the glass.
Her parents were killed in a hunting accident thirteen years ago, and Ryker had used his inheritance to open Polar Bliss, her family’s coffee house, and then he’d fought for custody of his three younger siblings, herself included. He’d only been eighteen years old, barely an adult himself, and yet he’d eagerly taken on the responsibility of raising three teenagers so his family could stay together. He’d been her guardian for nearly thirteen years, and she’d only managed to hide from him once.
Fortunately, it hadn’t been for long.
“Yeah,” she nodded. “It was the same old thing.”
“It’s been three years,” he said. “Maybe you should try dating again. Once you see that--”
“I know,” she said, shaking her head, “but I just can’t.”
Ryker had reminded her, many times, that her ex didn’t represent most men. Hell, if she were honest, she’d known that in the beginning. Her brothers were proof of that, and so were a majority of the men in the world, but the truth, or the fact that she’d been duped, didn’t make it easier to accept.
She didn’t need a man to be happy, and more importantly, she didn’t want one. She did, however, need to take control of her life.
“But…”
“But?”
“But, I’ve been thinking about moving out.”
“Why?” he asked, taking a drink from her water bottle.
“I’m twenty-five years old,” she said. “One day you and Ridge are going to find mates, and I can’t live with you forever. I need to be able to take care of myself.”
The house had been paid off before her parent’s accident, and except for Reid, they all still lived under the same roof. They hadn’t discussed the future, but she’d always thought Ryker would keep the house, and they’d all have their own places by now. She had a feeling once she left, Ridge would leave, too.
“This will always be your home, and you’ll always be welcome here,” Ryker said. “But if you think you’re ready, then I think moving out is a step in the right direction.”
“I’m also thinking about getting a dog.”
“Then you’re definitely moving out,” Ryker laughed. “It needs some work, but the apartment over Polar Bliss is a good place to start.”
Almost all of the businesses in Longmeadow had apartments built into the second floor, and Polar Bliss was no exception. She’d only been up there a couple of times since Ryker bought the building, but it had both a working kitchen and a bathroom, along with a decent sized living space and a separate bedroom. It would be perfect for her after a fresh coat of paint.
“Ridge doesn’t want to live there?”
“No, he’s got his eye on a little house by the lake.”
“Really?”
She shouldn’t be too surprised, especially considering how much time he and his best friend, Jane, spent at the lake, but that was the problem. She’d never imagined him sharing their spot with anyone else.
“Yeah, it kind of shocked me, too.”
“Does Jane know?”
“I don’t think so.”
She nodded and thought about her friend.
Jane was four years older than her, the same age as Ridge, and the woman and her brother had been inseparable since elementary school. You rarely found one w
ithout the other, and like Jillian, Riley’s best friend and sister-in-law, Jane had practically grown up with her family. Even if she didn’t like him romantically, when Ridge found his mate, Jane would be devastated.
“If you’re sure, then I think the apartment would be great,” she said.
“Good,” Ryker smiled. “I’ll call an inspector tomorrow, just in case, and if all goes well, you should be able to move in after some light cleaning and a fresh coat of paint.”
“That sounds great,” she said. “Thank you.”
“You’re more than welcome, peanut,” he said, using the endearment her parents favored. “Above all else, I want you to be happy.”
“I’m not sure if I can be,” she said, honestly, “but I’d like to try.”
***
Nathaniel McCallister breathed a sigh of relief when the exit that would lead him to Longmeadow, Pennsylvania, came into view. He’d only visited the small town twice before, but he recognized the picturesque, tree lined landscape, and the vast, snow covered flora called to his wolf.
After driving for nearly three days with minimal opportunities to shift, he couldn’t wait to change into his wolf and explore the wild forest land of his new home. Unlike most of the other jobs he’d taken, Longmeadow was home to two families of shifters, both polar bears, and he was looking forward to being around his kind again.
A few miles down the road, a several homes came into view, and he turned off the highway.
His new office was on Main Street, as were most of the small businesses that added to the charm of the small, snowy town, and he couldn’t wait to settle in. Despite the high visiting rate by patrons from smaller nearby towns, and the regular influx of tourists on their way to the Canadian border, the small town had an incredibly low crime rate. The sheriff’s office consisted of the sheriff and three deputies, and the four men were more than enough protection for the entire community.
Nate had been working in law enforcement for nearly ten years, in both large and small cities across the country, and the comfortable, relaxed atmosphere of a small town was where he felt most at home. The usual lack of excitement in small town law wasn’t for everyone, but he preferred it. He also favored the cold. When he saw the opening for a sheriff in Longmeadow, he’d jumped at the chance to interview for his dream job.
He’d fallen in love with the quaint village on his first visit, and on his second, he’d purchased a small, two-bedroom home on the edge of town. It was a little big for him, especially considering he’d been living in apartments for the last ten years, and had very few possessions, but it would be a great place to start a family.
If he ever found his mate.
At thirty-one years old, he wasn’t sure he would ever find her, and he was honestly tired of looking. When he first got his badge, he enjoyed the constant attention the job awarded him, but the badge bunnies got old fast, and he rarely met anyone worth a second date.
The badge was an aphrodisiac for women of all ages, all relationship statuses, and all walks of life, and they were all looking for the same thing: a notch on their bedpost that represented an officer of the law.
He’d stopped fulfilling their dreams years ago.
If he met someone worth his time, then he might start dating again, but it could only go so far. He wouldn’t marry someone who wasn’t his mate, and honestly, he wouldn’t feel right about being exclusive and wasting someone’s time. If it never happened for him, then he was content to live out the rest of his life alone, and Longmeadow was a good place to do it.
The white twinkling lights of Polar Bliss, the local coffee house, caught his eye, and he laughed as he glanced in the snowflake covered windows and maneuvered his truck past the building.
Longmeadow snowed six months out of the year, and the obvious play-on-words was perfect for the cold, white covered city. The name wouldn’t mean anything to most people—very few full humans, including his new deputies and the majority of the town’s residents, knew about shifters—but he felt certain he’d just found the first shifter family.
He’d found out about the bears from other shifters he’d crossed paths with over the years, but the only way to confirm their existence was to meet them in person. If there really were two families of bears in the area, they must be doing something right to remain undetected for so long. One family had lived there for over three generations.
He decided to confirm his assessment after he checked into the sheriff’s office.
The sky was filled with nearly black clouds, and though he was tired, he wouldn’t risk waiting to unload the contents of his truck into his new home. A large, warm, black coffee from Polar Bliss was exactly what he needed to fulfill his need for caffeine, and give him a plausible excuse, aside from being the new curious sheriff, to meet the coffee house owners.
The tiny parking lot to the sheriff’s office had eight stalls, four of which were marked Reserved, and he pulled his truck into one of the labeled spots. Though he didn’t officially start until Monday, he’d been the boss enough times to know how to build a strong partnership with the rest of his team.
Food was always involved, but so was respect and common courtesy. He wanted to issue an invite to his home for the following weekend; a barbecue would be a great way to get to know the men and their families.
He walked into the office, and was surprised to find all three deputies waiting for him.
The oldest officer, John, and the youngest, his son, Jake, sat in regular clothes, playing cards across one of the desks. The third man, Chris, was completely uniformed, and stood in the middle of the room holding a steaming hot cup of coffee. Nate knew he’d been momentarily stunned by his presence, but the man quickly recovered and held out his hand.
“Hey, man, it’s good to see you again.”
He’d met all three officers on the day he’d interviewed for the job.
“Thanks, Chris,” he said. “You, too.”
“Ginn!” John yelled. “And you owe me five bucks.”
“Oh my god, dad,” Jake said, standing. “We haven’t even said hello, yet. Let’s get to know our new boss before we unleash all the crazy.”
“Oh, please,” John said, following his son. “He knew what he was getting into.”
“Welcome, Nate,” Jake said, shaking his hand.
“Welcome to Longmeadow, Sheriff McCallister,” John said, winking. “How was the drive?”
“Oh, god,” Jake mumbled.
“Not bad,” Nate said, laughing. “I made good time.”
“Yeah, you did,” Chris said, waving his hand around the room, “but John knew you would.”
Nate nodded in understanding.
The oldest officer was more than qualified to do the sheriff’s job, but he’d passed because he didn’t want to be his son’s boss, or have the added stress of being in charge for his last years on the force. Retirement was only a few years away, and the man was focused on enjoying his time off.
He looked around the room and smiled at their efforts.
They’d decorated his desk with streamers and a welcome sign, and three Mylar balloons were tied to the back of his chair. Excluding the decorations, the desk was completely cleaned off except for a blue, card-sized envelope labeled with his name.
A folding table set up on the other side of the room donned a blue, plastic tablecloth, and held several appetizers and a cake with the words Welcome Sheriff scrawled across the top.
It was the first time a new team had done anything remotely welcoming for him, and their efforts warmed his heart, confirming he’d found his new home.
“I hope you’re hungry,” Jake said. “The cake is store-bought, but my mom and Chris’ wife made the snacks, and they said not to bring anything home.”
“I’m starving,” Nate laughed.
“Good,” John said. “Let’s eat.”
Chapter Two
Riley barely contained her laughter as she handed the customer his receipt, and wished him a nice day. Jan
e was sitting at the counter, drinking a hot chocolate, and playfully teasing Ridge. Her second oldest brother laughed loud enough to be heard over the hum of the espresso machine, and with no customers directly in front of her, Riley laughed, too. She loved the banter between the pair, and still couldn't understand why they were destined to be just friends.
Ridge and Jane got along better than any couple she knew, except—maybe—her best friend Jillian and her youngest brother Reid, which proved, at least in her mind, that a shifter’s innate ability to find the perfect mate was flawed. If Ridge and Jane weren't meant to be together, then perfect mates didn't really exist.
Not that it mattered. She didn’t want a mate anyway.
The bell on the door chimed, and the hottest guy she'd ever seen walked into the shop. He was about six-feet, two-inches tall, with blond hair and deep sapphire blue eyes. He had wide shoulders, muscular biceps, and thick, powerful thighs. His chest was covered in a fitted white t-shirt, and she desperately wanted to lift the fabric and check out his abs. When her gaze dropped lower, she flinched. The huge bulge in his jeans confirmed he was big everywhere, and fear raced down her spine, but it didn’t completely douse her lust.
What the hell?
She never lusted after men.
Ever.
In fact, until now, she’d given up on seeing any man as anything more than a friend, and even that was a stretch. The only men she really trusted were her brothers.
Mate!
What? No…he can’t be!
Underneath the surface, her bear growled, paced and tried to push her towards the man, but her human side knew better. He was a strong, powerful, drop-dead gorgeous wolf shifter, and his scent…oh god, he smelled amazing…but he was beyond pissed.
When he’d walked in the door, every woman in the place turned to look at him, but he’d ignored them all and stared directly at her. Unfortunately, the look on his face proved what she’d suspected all along…sometimes their animals made mistakes.
