by Lexi Thorne
Text copyright ©2017 by the Author.
This work was made possible by a special license through the Kindle Worlds publishing program and has not necessarily been reviewed by Latin Goddess Press, Inc.. All characters, scenes, events, plots and related elements appearing in the original Paranormal Dating Agency remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of Latin Goddess Press, Inc., or their affiliates or licensors.
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Polar Attraction
An Alpha Bear Shifter Romance
Lexi Thorne
Contents
Also by Lexi Thorne
Prologue
1. CHAPTER ONE
2. CHAPTER TWO
3. CHAPTER THREE
4. CHAPTER FOUR
5. CHAPTER FIVE
6. CHAPTER SIX
7. CHAPTER SEVEN
8. CHAPTER EIGHT
About the Author
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I dedicate this book to all of you looking for that special person that makes your heart skip a beat and drives you crazy all day long and keeps you awake at night wishing they were by your side.
Lexi Thorne
Prologue
The night's breeze carried myriad scents. Pine, fruits, a rotting carcass of some animal which smelled like it had been dead a while and ignored by the carrion eaters. Even the musky smell of frenzied sex permeated its senses, but the one scent that it searched for, remained just out of reach.
It was clear to the Wolf that it was dealing with no amateur here and for the first time in all of its years wandering the valley, it wondered if it was in over its head.
A slight rustling of leaves to the left caught its attention, and it turned quickly, snarling at the seemingly quaking shrubbery. Eyes narrowed to aid vision, and teeth bared to intimidate, it took a tentative step forward. Who gave them the right to tell it where it could and could not go? The world was free, and it was determined to treat it as such. There seemed to be no more movement from the shrubbery, and it relaxed. Probably just an animal then. Or was it?
It had arrived and set up temporary camp here, a week ago and for the most part had been living it up. In its human form, it was known as Zed. It didn't know why, but it liked the level of anonymity that came with bearing just a first name. It aided its wandering, unaffiliated lifestyle and that was just perfect.
The location had been perfect. It was aware of the clan not too far, and the territory marking smells had indicated what they were meant to indicate - no trespassing. Like they could stop it from going where it wanted. The fact that there was a human settlement close by, only served as an extra incentive. In its current form, it had developed a taste for the thrill that came with hunting, and humans proved to be particularly entertaining game. The desperate attempts to hold on to their feeble existence always excited it. The lengths they were willing to go to. The...favors, they were willing to offer, if only it spared their lives.
It had encountered other wandering shifters during its travels and had even had cause to kill a few who got into his way.
The shrubbery moved again, and it snapped back to attention. Its honed senses had always been a source of pride, and they never failed it, but it was a particularly windy night, and whatever it was that now stalked him, it was determined to remain out of reach, possibly until it was too late.
The dirty grey wolf crouched low and approached the shrubbery. It quivered again, and it growled - a warning, the last whoever it was would get, no doubt. As I watched, however, the bush quivered once more, and a rabbit jumped out. It caught sight of the Wolf and took off in the opposite direction.
Even with its senses on high alert, it recognized the slight need to pursue and make a snack of the little mammal, but it though better of it.
Where was that scent that had given it cause to worry? Or had it just been nothing?
It refused to believe that it wasn't. Whether it was paranoia or simple instinct, it knew there was something out there.
"You're trespassing."
The dirty grey Wolf was instantly at alert and turned briskly, whipping around to gaze at the naked form of a tall, well-built man of seemingly mixed ethnicity. Long, black hair shrouded a strong face, and his eyes were narrowed, and despite the relative brightness of the night, the Wolf couldn't make out the color of his eyes. Not that it mattered really, the one thing that mattered was that this man was a shifter.
With a low growl, the Wolf slowly turned back to its human form.
Zed stood almost a head shorter than the quiet, brooding man who now accosted him. He eyed his stalker from head to toe and tried to ignore the growing apprehension in his gut. He had learned that projecting confidence was always the way to go.
"Just passing through buddy. Is that not allowed?"
"Your kind is not allowed here" the gruff voice responded in a clipped tone.
Well, he was definitely not one to mince words - or skip leg day. Zed couldn't get over how imposing the man was.
The new arrival watched the rogue shifter with unhidden disdain. His kind always annoyed him, and he never hid it. When he had begun to hear news of suspicious disappearances from the human village, he had had his suspicions and decided to investigate. It was not uncommon for rogue shifters to wander the valley and trespass, but they were always easily disbanded. This man, however, didn't seem like he was used to getting told what to do.
"Like I said, mate, just passing through" his attempt at bravado didn't seem to be having its effect, but Zed was determined to keep it up.
"The missing humans, do you have something to do with it?" the other man asked simply, keeping an eye on his dubious quarry.
"Oh. That. Well, there's an explanation for tha..."
"Get out. Get out now."
"What? Just like that? Bossy aren't we?" Zed said, lifting an eyebrow.
"I should kill you. But it's my anniversary."
"Oh? Birthday? Wedding?"
There was no answer.
Zed was now left with a choice. Do as he was asked, and leave, or stand his ground. He picked the latter.
"Didn't ask for permission when I set up camp here mate. Best believe I'll leave when I'm good and ready."
The other shifter seemed to consider this for a while, and then, as Zed watched, he began to shift form.
The resulting Wolf was as large as the man himself, and Zed felt the apprehension rise. Nevertheless, he was already too invested in this, and he shifted form as well.
Both wolves stared at each other for a while, yellow eyes glinting in the wash of moonlight.
Then, with a low growl, Zed attacked.
CHAPTER ONE
THE TALE
The morning sun breezed casually in, through the slightly parted blinds. Barbara Forest responded with a deep frown. She opened an eye and reached for her wrist watch in the bed-side stool…. Knocking down the file she had been working on, she accepted it wasn’t there. The thoughts of the day before flooded her mind. ‘I must get out of bed and…’ She trailed off.
‘10: 30 AM!!! What the fff….' S
he threw off the covers and blessed the caller. The phone kept up with the shrilling noise. The little passage to the living room seemed to be a hundred in number. Barbara closed her eyes while leaning on the cool wall. Her head settled. She walked carefully into the living room and said into the receiver: ‘Forest's residence'-- ‘Good morning sleepy head,' said the voice of her Office Assistant and a friend. ‘Andrew! What the hell???' At the other end, a rich laughter rang out. ‘Well, you weren't answering your mobile phone. I bet you have fifteen missed calls from me alone--'. Her brows relaxed as she massaged her temples. She felt sick and nauseated. ‘-- ends today. Do I go ahead to apply? – Barbara!!!' ‘What was that?', she asked. ‘I said the application for the grants ends 12:00 PM today, I believe we need this for-- '. ‘ALRIGHT! Apply.' Andrew blew several kisses across to her. ‘Get off my line,' she retorted and crashed the receiver into its cradle. The corners of her lips twitched till it produced a beautiful grin. Andrew was a devil who knew how to have his way with her, or maybe-- she had a soft spot for him.
Back in the room, she took several gulps from the bottle of water, on the dresser. She stared into the mirror- the mass of blonde hair tumbled beautifully down her shoulders; large green eyes stared back at her. Her pink lips were pale and cracked from lack of care. She ran her slender fingers neatly through her wavy hair, and stared more resolutely into the mirror: jaw pointing forward, cradling tight lips; shoulders tensed- signs she was in a mind session. Something bothered the hell out of her. It threatened her calm. Barbara was a beauty- however all she saw were her failures. She sighed, and settled into the armchair at the side of the wall…
Andrew on the other side had his fat butt seated, sunk down deep in his water bed as scouting wonders began scattering every inch, here and there in his face leaving by confusing remarks of oblivion note buried around all over. ‘She likes me!' he looked straight at the wall standing painted in pink right just adjacent to where he's seated at, looking at how she's managed to smirk so eerie that way in their high school graduation shot and she still looked so awful, admirable and laced with bunches of elegance – he went some sort of trance seeing stars n' even moons as gorgeously as they would make the night beautified as they danced around her blonde hair. ‘O my o my, I wish she was really mine way back then and even n…' said as his eyes squinted which drew his attention to some fat-bellied boy, with big head, big cheek, coiled black hair laughing out loud right in the picture – it was him. He was born fat that way. Although, his momma would always try and make him see reasons he should and need to accept himself for who he was and who he would grow to be. It had always been the knowledge and the images of her mother talking him out of his self-pathetic thoughts that had kept him that far. He would hate himself for some moment and would begin to love himself further before you'd dream that happen. ‘O…! Bless you momma' he remarked as he made that kind of benediction cross signs – first to his chest, then to his head, then to his left and then lastly to his right arm and he looked quite content on the face after heaving some bulkily lousy sigh of relief. ‘Missed you momma'—‘Be In Peace momma'… every bit of the sickly reflection dangling about on his face began to rain down like the pulling down of a surging sea billow till it ran into naught with the sides of the sea shore. ‘We only are good friends and nothing more, I…guess. It had been like so right from first day together. She is uh… she is not my type.' As he needed to stand up, he placed his right hand on the bed, awkwardly and did the same thing with the left. He put forces in them having rested in them well –having them drawn inwardly into the bed to help him up to go on having the system put on, connect and do all the necessaries as expected and conversed with Barbara and him.
It was another darkly twilight time of the day, when the sun was already doing its wobbling paces down back through the woolly routes back the West. She was down at one corner busy reminiscing the very last time she was gladdened in the heart for real being in a company. She thought and thought four hours and slept on that as she smiled having recollected way back when she was so little and when his grandfather would come into her bedroom to reel her late night tales of our things be in the Arctic woods where his great… great grandfathers had their nascency before their immigration into the States. She remembers every detail even as she had gone real deep into unconscious states. It became a sort of dream within her figment with activities picturesque as she pictured the grandfather by name –Wood –who began to lay rest and hold on the legends of the bush as was being passed across to him to her to sleep. ‘Arctic forest is always there with dire cold, swooshing of cold winds, breezes, beauties of natures are best admired around there and beasts of the bush are there too surviving fine. They are there fine, roaring, bleating, chirping, cawing to feed and to be hunted down for food n' for sport; there is unlike here where cold comes to show intermittently. Listen… have you ever heard of polar bears before?' he asked… ‘I have only seen the picture of a very fluffy white one at school before' she replied. ‘O, this one was way too big. One father told me they had never seen before. It was fluffy as well and was on that day sniffing deeply the snow-earth, and restlessly at the cool, harsh wind, golden eyes in a mass of white gazed intensely into the distance, and down again at the patches of white. Then and now, white furred ears performed a rhythm- for they tweaked backwards-forwards. Great white fore and hind feet held the creature in a towering composure. With the right fore foot, it stamped determinedly on the earth, digging deep patches in the white earth. It worked with great skill with her rotund behind. It was burying its nostrils in the sand, it growled deeply and took off with a sudden force— ‘The strength of the being could not be glossed over. This polar bear, was the lord of the Arctic as my father claimed. Its fur glistened as it shifted its weight, smoothly, from fore to hind and back. It ran with precision; and dropped to a trot by the great tree. Some emotion- loathe- settled on its face, as it came to a halt where the blood made a trail. The strong shoulders tensed; and golden eyes glittered. The creature made a quick turn, content with its discovery, picked pace and disappeared into the woods.' ‘Woooow….! Could you please continue?' she asked curiously with awfulness radiating her face. ‘No no… dear. In fact, I was just beginning to think this such legendary tale might be too serious for your age.' He replied warmly. She gave him some sudden quizzicalness on the face and said in whining ways ‘No I am no kid no more: I am no more in the nursery… please… continue grandpa. 'One short balling laughter rolled out of one side of his mouth which pulled apart his moustache tagging to it some sort of dimples on his wrinkling old cheeks as his lips reflexed. ‘Alright, Wood said they tracked down the beastie meat to where his strengths could got it to to meet with the ravenous beasts of the forests cawing on top of it already, sore busy, flapping their dirty cold waspy wings about weaving the skies into what later drew around the attentions of bunches of foxes, three of them actually and we would not be able to repeal them. The beast breathed heavily the cold smoke from their innards with bunches of regression painted all over their frosty faces for the night meal which was believed would be yummy and rosy turned into nothingness and wasted expectation. He told me…' the sudden unconsciousness which befogged her senses was beginning to fade as reality on this side was already commanding her redemption abound as there was one big white bulky Volvo truck outside, driven around on chore course to help her with her wastes. The interruptions gave her missed feelings. It was on one side in her head the scenery she was presented with –daydreaming should continue undisturbed and on the other side, the filths at the other side of the apartment were already emitting into the atmosphere bad odour which was so sickly. So, she had prayed right in her mind that they should come and do the packing and they had come but at a very bad timing as they had caused one severe interruption. ‘O, damn it, what some sick chain reaction that…. wa…s' she said as she yawned. She stood up to have a look at them as they were doing the packing and that reminded her she would need to go and start getting busy too in prepar
ation for the examination coming up about the scholarship. And that again reminded her how she was so caring before she died of cancer few years back. Judith was an angel to her before her demise after she was diagnosed with cancer. That served as one of her big drives to want to study Pharmacy and to find a way around despite any forms of challenges to be the best in the course of making a living and making other things. All she felt she needed was the grant that would come afterwards, she would be able to do the handlings of the rest miscellaneousness herself. Pharmacy education was a challenging degree in the healthcare industry as was the fastest developing area of medical profession in the States at the moment.
She stood up and left to get herself cleaned up to go to the public library in New York to study even the more. Hurriedly, she was drenched with thoughts on how to merit the scholarship to study Pharmacy as there was no way no other lest she failed. ‘O, how on earth would I go about living my life if…' she remarked restlessly. She picked up her pair of boots, stooped and puts them on. She picked up her jean trousers, limped and jumped about as she tried wearing them. The t-shirt came; next, she looked for it on the hanger hung in the wooden cupboard buried in the wall next and left for the library immediately like she was way too late. ‘Hey… Howdy, Barbara! It is me' said the guy standing, resting his side to a street wall waiting.
Barbara heard, but she would not look. She had integrated in preparedness her mind in the likewise ways – that whenever she was called from behind on the street, she would not try and look back nor answer but find a way out of the particular scene; she retorted in her mind ‘I am not gonna answer ya bitch ass.' There were reasons to that as there used to be cases of robbery, rape, gangs who beat the stuffing out of their frenemies and all that. She paced even faster to avoid the supposed evil impending. ‘I am sorry about Judith… Just wait a moment so we could talk properly please…' he said as he began to move trying to walk up to her innocently.
