by Ruby Shae
Bear Seeking Bride: Drew
(Bear Canyon Brides, Book 5)
Ruby Shae
Bear Seeking Bride: Drew
(Bear Canyon Brides, Book 5)
Copyright 2015 by Ruby Shae
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the author.
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement (including infringement without monetary gain) is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $ 250,000.
Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in, or encourage, the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
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
Lily Wellington, a curvy, rare female bear shifter, lives in Bear Canyon and works in her brother’s sandwich shop. She’d love to get married and start a family one day, especially after she sees her brother find happiness, but the only man who holds her interest is her brother’s best friend, the town sheriff, and he finds her disgusting.
Bear shifter, and town sheriff, Drew Riemann has been in love with Lily since the moment they first met. Unfortunately, he made a promise to her brother and has been paying the price for nearly four years. When Luke gets married, Drew decides he’d rather break his word than live in agony one more day.
Drew and Lily start dating, but when Lily finds out his plans for the future don’t include her, she runs. She refuses to waste time with a liar; regardless of the way he makes her feel. In an effort to move on, Lily makes a decision that puts her in a dangerous, life threatening situation. Luckily, her mate won’t let her go without a fight.
Bear Seeking Bride: Drew
(Bear Canyon Brides, Book 5)
By Ruby Shae
Chapter One
Lily Wellington followed the small group of people present at her brother’s wedding to the buffet table one of her new friends, Olive Mallory, had arranged. The oldest Mallory Brother, Trent, and his wife Olive, had offered the use of their backyard for the small, impromptu ceremony.
The newlyweds hung back from the crowd and talked in whispers while everyone else filled their plates with homemade appetizers. Olive was an internationally acclaimed, award winning chef, and her food was divine. She’d even made the cake, which acted as a centerpiece on the beautiful table decorated in lavender and white.
The happy couple soon joined them, and everyone laughed when her brother corrected his new bride, Caroline, stating they would need two pieces of cake to take home instead of one. She had a feeling their plans didn’t involve eating the delicious dessert, and she shook her head and laughed the image away while grabbing another mini quiche.
Caroline was perfect for Luke.
After everything she and Luke had endured during the four years they lived with their aunt and uncle after their parents died, she’d often worried he would end up alone, unable to trust anyone with the secrets of his past.
When Caroline bounced into the sandwich shop Luke owned, their attraction was palpable. Before Luke had said anything, Lily had known the woman would be her new sister.
Now if she could only find a mate of her own.
Five years ago, the government acquired several plots of land and sanctioned them as shifter towns. Many humans protested the lands, claiming segregation and violations of civil rights, but most shifters welcomed the change, herself included.
In Bear Canyon, they lived peaceably with other bears, and didn’t have to worry about scared, uninformed full humans protecting themselves from predators. They still interacted with humans, in fact, she had several human friends in the city, but their animals had more freedom to be themselves in the shifter towns.
Bear Canyon housed about five thousand residents, and the only humans present were mated to bears. Female shifters were rare, but she hadn’t known how rare until she and Luke had moved into town four years ago. The men outnumbered the women three-to-one, and most of the men ignored her. Though lots of curvy, plus-sized humans were finding mates, it seemed no one wanted a short, soft, curvy bear.
Especially not the town sheriff.
She glanced across the table, and found Drew staring at her. Hope flared, her heartbeat accelerated and she smiled unconsciously, even though she knew what would happen next. As usual, he locked his jaw, narrowed his eyes, frowned, and then looked away as if disgusted with her.
If only she could feel the same about him.
At six feet, three inches tall, he towered over her and stood a couple of inches taller than Luke. His light brown hair matched his eyes, and while he wasn’t as wide as her brother, he was still incredibly muscular and strong. In her dreams she often imagined him picking her up with ease, and she knew he could do it despite her weight.
She’d wanted him from the beginning, but after their first introduction, his actions and rarely spoken words had made it painfully clear that he’d never want her in return.
She sighed and left the table in search of a bottle of water. The coolers were in the shade, under the trellis, and she appreciated the moment of solitude.
“Why so glum, peanut?”
She smiled at the familiar voice behind her, and turned to steal a hug from the loveable bear. Joe Doyle, the man who’d acted as her father for the past sixteen years, embraced her in his strong, loving arms.
“Just thinking,” she said into his chest.
“Don’t worry,” he said, rubbing her back, “he’ll always be your brother.”
“Oh, I’m not worried about that,” she said, picking up her plate again.
“Then what is—” he stopped midsentence. “Oh, is this about that sheriff you keep staring at?”
“Dad!” she said through clinched teeth. “Shut up!”
“Why? He’s looking at you, too. I don’t see the problem.”
“The problem is he’s not interested,” she explained. “The only time he doesn’t look at me as though I’m a huge disappointment is when Luke is paying attention. Then I get a small, courteous, tolerant smile and nothing more.”
Drew also happened to be her brother’s best friend.
“That’s not true,” Joe said. “He’s looking at you like a man in lust. In fact, I feel like I should have a word with him.”
Right. Drew didn’t lust after her. He didn’t even like her.
“Don’t you dare,” she threatened, digging her claws into his forearm.
“Relax, peanut,” he laughed. “I was just kidding. It looks like Luke and Caroline are getting ready to leave. Let’s go say goodbye.”
A wave of sadness rushed over her as she realized she’d soon have to say goodbye to Joe again, too. When she and Luke had decided to relocate to Bear Canyon, Joe had opted to stay in his home. A four hour drive now separated them, and she didn’t get to see him as often as she wanted to.
This is a happy occasion! Stop feeling sorry for yourself!
She joined the group of well-wishers and when it was her turn, she hugged Caroline tightly.<
br />
“Thank you for not giving up on him,” she whispered. “Welcome to our family.”
Lily had played a small role in helping the couple get together, and Caroline offered her gratitude in return.
Next she hugged her brother, and couldn’t stop the onslaught of tears from falling down her cheeks.
“Hey, what are those for?” Luke asked. “You never cry.”
It was true; Luke had rarely seen her cry. During the horrible years with their aunt and uncle, she’d been frightened most of the time, but he’d taken the brunt of the pain. As he’d healed, she’d always tried to keep a smile on her face to cheer him up, and often filled the silence laughing at her own lame jokes. Later, after Joe found them, she’d smiled naturally all the time.
“These are happy tears,” she assured him. “I’m so happy for you, brother.”
“Thank you,” he said, and kissed the top of her head. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. See you soon.”
In fact, she’d see him tomorrow. Luke owned the best sandwich shop in town, Well’s Sandwich Shop, and Lily worked there with him and helped run the place.
She pulled out of his arms, wiped her eyes and herded out to the curb with the couple and the rest of the guests. Everyone waved goodbye until their car disappeared around a corner in the direction of Luke’s home.
The couple wouldn’t leave town for a week, and then it was to clean out Caroline’s apartment and her desk in the office where she worked, not for a honeymoon. They’d decided to carefully plan that trip once everything else was settled.
On her way back inside the house, Joe sidled up next to her.
“I have to pick up a few things before I leave,” he said, “so Drew is going to give you a ride home.”
“What?” she screeched. “How did that happen?”
She hated the fact that she was twenty-eight years old, and for the second time in less than thirty minutes, she’d squealed as if she were a teenager. No wonder Drew kept his distance. He was three years her senior, and didn’t need a mate who acted like a school girl.
“I asked him, and he said yes,” Joe said. “This is your chance to talk to him without Luke around.”
She saw Drew advancing on them, and Joe smiled and walked away.
“How could you?” she seethed in his direction, but he ignored her.
“Your dad said you need a ride. Are you ready to go?” Drew asked.
Oh, God, this should be fun…not!
“Yeah, just let me get my purse.”
She stepped around him and forced herself to walk away at a normal pace. As much as she wanted to run and hide, it would do her no good. Of course, Joe was nowhere to be found. She said her goodbyes, thanked her host and hostess, and grabbed her bag. She found Drew waiting for her by the door, frowning at her, yet again.
“Thank you for waiting,” she said, and then led the way out the front door toward his car.
A soft growl escaped from his lips and she rolled her eyes.
Yeah, I don’t want to do this anymore than you do, buddy.
He used the remote to unlock the door, and she jumped into the car locked her seatbelt into place. As much as she wanted to be alone with him, she couldn’t wait for the short trip to end.
***
Drew Riemann inwardly cursed and forced himself to look away from Lily.
Again.
He’d been invited to witness Luke’s wedding to Caroline, but he couldn’t stop looking at Lily, or thinking about her. Damn, but he wanted to sink his cock into her warmth. Every time he caught a glimpse of her, or caught a whiff of her tantalizing scent, his cock would stand up and take notice.
He’d been semi-hard all day, and it reminded him why he couldn’t stay in her presence more than a few minutes. Trying to find new and unsexual things to think about became increasingly difficult because his mind betrayed him every time, changing his images into visions of his cock sinking into Lily’s warm, wet cunt.
Shit!
He walked into the kitchen feigning the need for ice, and opened the freezer. He wanted to step inside the huge, restaurant style appliance and stay there until his teeth chattered. Then he’d have to get warm and Lily could…
Fuck! So much for that plan.
God, he wanted to go home and rub one out more than anything. He knew he should be celebrating the happy couple, but he couldn’t wait for them to ride off into the sunset so he could hit the road.
If he had to stay too much longer, he’d end up embarrassing himself.
He walked back outside and joined the others at the buffet table. As everyone filled their plates with appetizers and snacks, his eyes automatically searched for Lily.
She stood on the other side of the table, and added a small amount of the finger foods to her plate. It wasn’t enough, and he wanted to tell her to eat more, but it wasn’t his place.
He knew she tried to watch her weight, but he didn’t understand why. Most male bears preferred curvy women, but most female bears were slim. She had the advantage, though she didn’t seem to know it.
Her platinum blond hair bounced around her shoulders in spritely layers, matching her always cheerful, giggling personality. Considering her past, her positive outlook on life was refreshing. Both Luke and Lily had scars from their childhood, but while Luke’s were more severe and hidden, Lily’s was visible. Instead of marring her beauty, the mark that extended from her left eyebrow to her hairline was sexy as hell, and it turned him on in ways he couldn’t explain.
As if she could read his mind, Lily locked her deep blue eyes on him. For a moment he couldn’t look away from her gaze, but when she smiled at him, he was lost.
He thought about her with another man, and though he knew the image was imagined, it provided the anger he needed to deflate his cock. He frowned, gritted his teeth, narrowed his eyes and looked away from her. The betrayal cut deep, even though it hadn’t been real.
I can’t go on living like this.
It had been four years since she’d first walked into his life, and four years of living in hell in order to honor his friend’s request. He wasn’t going to do it anymore.
He loved Lily, and he knew, without a doubt, she’d been created especially for him. He wanted to mark her as his mate, marry her, and spend the rest of his life making her happy. His heart ached every time he had to walk away from her, and he refused to do it any longer.
Tomorrow he would talk to Luke, and either get the man’s blessing, or lose his best friend. Either way, starting tomorrow, he wasn’t going to hurt his mate, or deny himself, anymore.
“Looks like you’ve just made a decision on something huge.”
Drew tore his gaze away from Luke and Caroline’s car, and focused on the old bear standing next to him. He’d been so engrossed in his thoughts, Joe had momentarily startled him.
“Yeah, I did,” he said.
“Does it have anything to do with my Lily?”
Joe acted nonchalant, but Drew’s years on the force had taught him a thing or two, especially about bears. The bear might be a cuddly father figure to Luke and Lily, but he was no stranger to taking the law into his own hands when he deemed it necessary. Drew figured anything pertaining to Luke and Lily was necessary.
“It does,” Drew responded carefully.
He didn’t want to give anything away without talking to Luke first.
“Good,” the old man said. “Speaking of Lily, I have a few errands to run before I leave tomorrow. Do you think you could give her a ride home?”
I’d love to give her several rides.
Joe raised an eyebrow, and Drew focused.
God damn! He couldn’t even control himself when talking to his mate’s father. He needed to get a grip.
“Of course,” Drew replied, “It would be my pleasure.”
“Great, meet us by the door in two minutes.”
Joe dismissed him and Drew walked back into the house, desperately trying to get the image of f
ucking Lily on the hood of his car out of his mind.
Fuck!
He wasn’t sure how he’d survive alone in the car with her, but he felt as if Joe’s suggestion meant more than a simple favor. The man trusted him, and he didn’t want to let him down.
He forced himself to walk back to the front door, and watched as Joe moved hastily away from Lily and disappeared into the crowd. She called after him in a desperate whisper, but the man ignored her. His mate was mad, and from the slight color in her cheeks, she was also embarrassed.
“Your dad said you need a ride. Are you ready to go?” Drew asked.
“Yeah, just let me get my purse.”
He watched her walk back to the kitchen in carefully measured steps and gather her belongings. She spoke briefly with their hosts and then strode back toward him with her head held high. He frowned as his cock started to harden again.
“Thank you for waiting,” she said, and then walked passed him out the front door.
He couldn’t help but stare at her ass as she walked in front of him, and a soft growl escaped from his lips. He’d never been jealous of a pair of jeans before, but there was a first time for everything. He wanted to caress her curves the way her pants hugged her round ass and thighs.
If she heard his growl, she ignored him and he felt grateful. He used the remote to unlock the car, but before he could open her door, she jumped into the seat and locked her seatbelt into place. Her actions annoyed him, mostly because he knew she wasn’t accustomed to being treated the way she should be, but he used the feeling to his advantage.
He got into the driver’s seat and maneuvered the streets to her apartment as if by rote. She didn’t say a word until they were a block away from her home.
“Why do you hate me so much?” she asked.
He glanced at her, and realized the courage it must have taken her to voice her concern. She sat still as a stone and looked straight out the windshield, as if expecting him to reply with some callous response.
