by Haley Weir
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The Shifter’s Gift:
Limited Edition 12 Book Box Set
By: Haley Weir
Table of Contents
Bears with Benefits
Mason’s Match
Liam’s Lust
Will’s Destiny
Noah’s Secret
Fire Bound Protectors
Professor Drake
Arrlien’s Honor
Crylaine’s Secret
Scryos’ Passion
North Peak Shifters
Blue Ridge Bear
Peak Point Bear
Bolt Castle Bear
Alexander Bay Bear
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Bears with Benefits
Mason’s Match
Chapter One
Outside her window, Ava heard an engine groan and brakes squeak. She peeked her head through the curtains. She looked just in time to see the postal worker slide her mail into the box, giving her home a slight frown before popping back into his truck and driving on to the next house. That didn’t bode well. She was even more reluctant to check the mailbox than she’d been earlier, but at least she would have a chance to breathe in some fresh air, and offered a much-needed break from staring at job-hunting websites.
Ava slipped on a pair of ballet flats and headed outside. Basking in warm sunshine, even just for a moment, helped improve her mood after being stuck inside her dimly lit home all afternoon. Life hadn’t been easy recently. A few months ago, Ava had plenty going for her: a beautiful apartment, a luxury car, and her dream job at a marketing firm. But everything changed when she was laid off from her job.
With her experience and contacts, she thought that finding a new one would be easy. Boy, was she wrong. Her generous severance package only supported her lifestyle for a short time. She had to move to a house with cheaper rent and a sleazy landlord. Then she was trade her car in for an old, worn-down lemon with 90,000 miles on it.
She opened the mailbox and a few envelopes and a postcard tumbled out. When she reached down to pick them up, one of the letters stood out in particular. Her landlord’s name and address were written on the envelope, with another message in big, bold, red letters: FINAL WARNING. Ava cringed, as she was dreading this moment. She knew how behind she was on paying her bills, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t keep up. She flipped through the rest of the envelopes and saw a letter with her name on it in her landlords nearly illegible scrawl. This was her worst nightmare coming true. She tucked the mail under her arm and jogged back up to her front door. The last thing she needed was to give her nosy neighbors more to gossip about.
Ava locked the door behind her and leaned against the doorframe. She took a few deep breaths before glancing down at the mail in her shaky hand. If she was going to do this, she needed to sit first.
She tucked a leg under her as she sat on the couch, pondering her murky future. Her initial fears were confirmed when she opened the letter from her landlord: he left an eviction notice that said if she couldn’t cough up the rent and utilities she owed, then she’d be out on her own.
She could not control the tears that began streaming down her cheeks. She could barely believe this was her life. It certainly was not what she imagined for herself as she walked across the stage during her college graduation. A year ago, she had a great salary, and felt confident about her career trajectory. Apparently, none of it was meant to be.
After losing her marketing job, she had no one to turn to, no shoulder to cry on. By working so hard and ignoring her need for a social life, she ostracized herself from her college friends. Even her parents wanted nothing to do with her now that she had fallen so far from grace. They were disappointed in her for not living up to their high expectations. How could their only daughter have been let go from a prestigious marketing firm? It had to be her fault; she must have done something wrong. In their eyes, there was no other explanation.
Now, she had nothing and no one.
Ava tossed the eviction notice on the coffee table, staring at it in disbelief. The person she was today felt like a complete stranger. She pinched herself, trying in vain to wake up. Maybe this was all just a terrible nightmare. She shook her head and glanced down at the other envelopes. They were all past due notices. She shuffled through the pile, finally picking up a postcard for a new dating agency. Seriously? In case her other failures weren’t depressing enough; here was a glaring reminder that she was also very, very single. She chucked it back onto the coffee table next to the rest of the mail, and then noticed a gold star in the corner of the postcard that read: “NOW HIRING!”
The thought of working at a dating agency didn’t thrill her, but something about the mailer made her feel hopeful. Plus, she was not in a position to turn her nose up at an employment opportunity. It would be another application she could add to her list, and the worst thing they could say was no. What did she have to lose? She bit her lower lip, hoping she wasn’t making a fool of herself. If her parents knew she was applying for a position somewhere like that, they would…she caught herself and stopped mind-thought. Why was she even thinking about them? They only cared that their daughter had brought shame to the family name.
She grabbed her laptop from the coffee table, opened it, and typed in the URL provided on the postcard. The website for the Prince Dating Agency looked like it catered to high-profile clients. Her new neighborhood was far from ritzy. Why had they sent this advertisement to her? She stopped this line of thinking, because it really didn’t matter. If she focused on her concerns for too long, she would talk herself out of applying altogether. She clicked on the Careers link at the bottom of the website. One of the positions they had open was for their marketing department. The requirements for the job matched her previous experience. If anything, Ava was overqualified. She hoped that management would see that as a positive, rather than a reason to reject her application.
The application was fairly straightforward. She spruced up her cover letter, tactfully describing why she was the perfect candidate for the job based on her experience, and what she could offer the company. Ava attached her resume, filled in her phone number, address, and other personal details, then hit the submit button. All of the other applications she sent out all gave her the jitters, but for some reason, she didn’t feel that way applying for this job. It felt like a weight lifted off her shoulders.
She leaned back on the couch, let out a breath, and stared at the ceiling. The job description mentioned a potential salary, and while it wasn’t as high as her old job, she would not be making minimum wage like some of the other places she applied for. With the money she would make at Prince Dating Agency, she might be able to pay enough to satisfy her landlord—and make sure her power wasn’t cut off. A girl also needed to eat, and ramen noodles were getting pretty old. She couldn’t live like a poor college kid for much longer, even if she was beyond struggling to keep her head above water with her bills.
After a few moments, she set her laptop aside. Her stomach grumbled and a pang of hunger gnawed at her. The
clock hanging on the wall read four p.m., and she was shocked. Where had her afternoon gone? No wonder she was so hungry! She headed to the kitchen and fixed herself something to eat.
After eating, she searched job-hunting websites again, and submitted a few more applications before calling it a night.
* * *
The next morning, Ava checked her email, hoping for a job offer to have magically appeared in her inbox overnight. Unfortunately, the only thing she received was one automated message saying a company had received her application, and they would get in touch if they were interested. She continued on with her day, applying for more positions, and following up with applications she had not heard back from. As she pressed send on a carefully crafted email, her cell phone buzzed.
The caller ID wasn’t much help; all it showed was a local number. She reasoned that it could be a telemarketer, a bill collector, or a recruiter calling back about a job application. While she desperately hoped it was the latter, she took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves.
“Hello?” Ava answered the phone with as much cheer as she could muster.
“Hi, I’m calling for a Miss Ava Douglas.” The woman’s voice was warm and friendly, but professional. “Is this she?”
“Yes, I’m Ava Douglas,” she replied, trying to maintain a calm, composed tone of voice. “May I ask who is calling?”
“Hello, Miss Douglas. My name is Henrietta Miller, from the Prince Dating Agency. Ms. Prince is expanding her business, so we’re hoping to hire someone for the marketing position to start as soon as possible. I’ve reviewed your application and your resume. Do you have a moment to speak about your application?”
Ava opened her mouth in surprise, not knowing exactly what to say. Only one or two companies had ever gotten back to her this quickly, and she realized they had not been worth her time. She finally cleared her throat. “Yes, certainly. Now is a perfect time to talk. Thank you for contacting me, Ms. Miller.”
Henrietta chuckled. “Please, Henrietta is fine. Great, I’m glad to hear it. I usually do an over-the-phone interview, and if all goes well, we’ll schedule an in-person interview. When we do, you’ll meet Ms. Prince. In addition to founding the company, she is also the matchmaker. She is personally dedicated to making sure all of our clients meet his or her perfect match. How does that sound?”
“It sounds wonderful,” Ava said.
“Perfect. When I browsed your resume, I noticed you have a lot more experience than the agency requires. Although, it appears you have been out of work for a while?”
Ava dug her nails into the palm of her hand, reminding herself to stay calm. Of course she knew her work status. Better to get that out of the way at the very beginning of the conversation. “That’s correct. My previous company underwent restructuring and they decided to scale down the marketing department.”
Apparently, her team had done their job too well, and the company felt they were overstaffed. That decision hadn’t played well in the months since, as the company had to lay even more people off to compensate for their error. She decided to keep that information to herself for now.
“I’m truly sorry to hear that, Miss Douglas. Sometimes life knocks you down, but don’t ever let it keep you down.” Henrietta’s heartfelt sympathy surprised and touched Ava. Her previous workplace had been so corporate. Emotions and feelings were never discussed in the workplace. None of her co-workers attempted to console Ava as she packed up her desk; they were all too busy trying to get their work done for the day.
“Thank you for saying that. I really appreciate it. It’s been hard recently, but I trust the right job is out there for me,” she answered, feigning optimism for Henrietta’s benefit.
The phone interview went on for a little while, and they discussed Ava’s work history, her skill set, and what she thought she could bring to the marketing department and the company as a whole. The more she talked to Henrietta, the more she felt at ease. She was starting to believe that this really might be the job for her.
“It’s been a real pleasure speaking with you, Miss Douglas. Your experience would be a great asset to the Prince Dating Agency. I’d love to schedule an in-person interview with you in the next few days, if that sounds good to you?” Henrietta asked.
Ava nodded excitedly. She was thrilled the phone interview had gone so well. Maybe her good vibes hadn’t simply been wishful thinking. “Yes, my schedule is open, so I’m available for the interview whenever is convenient for you.”
The sound of Henrietta typing filled the line for a brief moment. “Perfect, thank you. Let me check my schedule. Hmm…how about Wednesday at 2:00 pm?”
“That sounds wonderful. I look forward to seeing you then. Thank you,” Ava managed before breaking out into a little dance around her living room. The two said their goodbyes and hung up. If all went well; she’d be able to start living her life again soon. She tightly held her cell phone against her chest and a sincere smile spread across her face for the first time in a while.
Chapter Two
Mason knocked on the open door of his father’s study. His father was the bear pack’s alpha, and it was a sign of respect to announce one’s arrival rather than barging into the alpha’s space. Mason knew how much his father enjoyed peace and quiet. He was reprimanded more times than he could count during his time as a rowdy cub growing up under his father’s stern tutelage.
As the oldest of the four Sinclair brothers, he was supposed set an example for his siblings. Mason did well enough, in his own opinion. He started his career at the ground floor and worked his way up the ranks of his father’s company. His dad believed that Mason shouldn’t be handed responsibility without proving he could handle it.
A year ago, he’d taken over his father’s company after his old man surprised everyone by deciding to retire. The family business was excelling under Mason’s leadership. Once his father was ready, Mason would take over his position as the pack’s next alpha as well. While he enjoyed the power and responsibility of running the family business, he was uneasy about the prospect of taking over the role of the pack’s alpha. The pack greatly respected his father, and rightfully so. But Mason questioned whether or not he had what it took to earn their loyalty. The intense pressure of filling his dad’s shoes made him nervous. Besides, an alpha needed to have a mate. They needed to provide heirs for the pack’s continued existence. Mason was almost positive that was why his father had called him into the study to talk.
His father Bradley waved him inside as he spoke on the phone. “Yes, Ted, I know you’re nervous. As I told you a few moments ago, you should speak with your mate about what to buy your daughter instead of your alpha. Sally will be able to help you pick out a baby shower gift for Jessica much better than I can.” The exasperated look on his face grew, and he shook his head. After a few more moments of talking to Ted, his expression hardened as he slipped into alpha mode.
My father cleared his throat. “Ted, I’ve told you what to do. You will talk with Sally, and she will help you. I’m thrilled your daughter is having her second cub, but I have to go. I’m hanging up now. Good day,” he explained, his voice firm as he ended the call. He turned to his son. “Ah, the joys of being an alpha who everyone feels like they can talk to. It’s aggravating at times, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. You can gain the respect and their support of your pack without being a bad guy. Being overly firm with bears can lead to conflict and stress, which I wasn’t as concerned with in my younger days, mind you. But I’m beyond all of that now. I just want to put my feet up and look for property in Florida. Your mother and I want to become snowbirds.” Bradley leaned back in his chair and nodded to Mason as he sat in one of the chairs facing his father’s ornate oak desk. “But you will need to come to your own conclusions about how to best lead the pack when I pass on this great responsibility to you.”
Just as Mason had suspected. He could feel Bradley building up to a lecture on the importance of settling down to find his mate. Still
, he was a little shocked by what his father was saying now. His mom and dad were planning to make yearly trips to Florida…to be snowbirds? What would the pack do without Bradley for such long stretches of time? When were his parents planning to tell the pack about this? It blew Mason’s mind. Maybe that’s why his dad had increased the pressure recently.
“Dad, come on. Did you ask me here to talk about turning over the pack to me again? Why does it have to fall to me? What about Liam? He’s the next in line after me. He has a good head on his shoulders, and he would make a better leader. He’s COO now, and he’s done a phenomenal job.” He knew all of the postulating was useless; Mason understood his father’s position, and what his ultimate answer would be.
Bradley was the epitome of a Sinclair: handsome, stubborn, and decisive. The man knew what he wanted and when he wanted it. His strong paternal instincts allowed leniency at times, but the look in his father’s eyes told Mason that he shouldn’t even bother arguing now. It would only end poorly.
“Son,” his father began, placing his palms on his desk and leaning forward toward Mason. He adopted the same stern tone he had just used with Ted, “I respect what you and your brothers have done for our company, but do not tell me who should be leading this pack. I won’t have it. Our pack follows many ancient traditions that have helped us survive and blend in amongst humans. Are you willing to break those sacred traditions for your own selfish desires? Your generation doesn’t understand the hardships of your ancestors. You want your freedom, and you don’t want to be tied down by relationships and children. If your mother and I felt that way, none of you boys would’ve been born.”
“Dad, I don’t want to break tradition. I love our pack. They’re our family, and it’s not about having children. I’m just not ready to settle down right now. Instead of searching for a woman, I need time to grow and be a man for a while. I’ve worked hard for you all my life. Business is booming. Please, give me some credit and some space to live a little.”
