Bewitching The Bear

by Vanessa Devereaux

  Bewitching the Bear

  Kalispell Shifters

  Vanessa Devereaux

  Published by selfpublishpreneur.com at Smashwords

  Copyright 2020 Vanessa Devereaux

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes.

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  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Thank You

  Social Networks

  Back to Top

  Chapter 1

  Cade took a slow look around. This empty space was going to be his future motorcycle shop. Charlie had left him, Ian, and Trey an inheritance on the condition they use it to fulfill their dreams. Cade hadn’t needed much time to think about his so he’d gone ahead and purchased the empty store front. He looked out of the window and saw the young woman who was opening the store next to his, getting out of her car.

  He whistled. Now, that’s what he called cute. Maybe he’d go next door right now and introduce himself. After all, they were going to be neighbors.

  He stepped outside, locked the store door, and then walked down the sidewalk to her place. He wasn’t quite sure what she was selling, but as he stepped inside her store, the smell of soaps and incense was almost too much for his senses. He sneezed and then sneezed again. He looked up to see the young woman standing by the cash register.

  “Hi, I’m Cade Mallory. I’ve just purchased the store next to yours.”

  “Yes, I’ve seen you a couple of times in the parking lot.”

  She didn’t seem that friendly, but that was okay. The Mallory charm could win over anyone.

  “And I didn’t catch your name,” he said.

  “Probably because I didn’t tell you.”

  Geez, cute but hostile.

  “You do know it’s not polite not to introduce yourself when someone’s told you their name, right?”

  “Is that a rule created by bear shifters?” she asked.

  Cade stood with his mouth open. Who’d been telling her about him … them being…?

  “Down the street is a craft store run by two cougar shifters. The woman who owns the café next to them is human but expecting a baby with a bear shifter.”

  Someone had been shooting their mouth off. “Who told you?”

  “I don’t have to be told anything. I know this town is full of others like you.”

  “How?”

  “Because I have secrets, too.”

  *****

  Gillian rushed to the store window, almost tripping over the unpacked box of soaps that she’d failed to notice in her sudden haste. When she arrived by the door, she dodged behind the scented candle display because Cade Mallory had stopped walking, turned, and was now looking back at the store. The last thing she wanted was him thinking she had any interest in him. Well, yes, he interested her, all his kind did, but she didn’t want him getting any ideas thinking that maybe she wanted to pursue him in a sexual or romantic sort of way. The last thing she wanted was anything complicating her mission.

  She sensed he’d given up looking and had continued on his way. She took a quick peek and knew her instinct had been spot on. He was heading back to his own store. He had a nice butt. In fact, he had a nice everything. That’s why she’d been so snotty to him. Gillian knew she had to keep her guard up. She couldn’t remember a time when she’d been so rude and had refused to give someone her name during an introduction.

  Leaning against the wall, she realized she shouldn’t have revealed that she knew all about their animal shifting community. That would make him more curious about her. Perhaps make him come looking for answers which would translate into him hanging around more. Yes, she’d made her first mistake during her Quest. However, this was new territory and she had to cut herself some slack.

  She bit her bottom lip, something she always did when she got nervous, well not so much nervous, but lacking in confidence, about her abilities to lead a group.

  Damn. Mistake number two, telling him she had secrets too. She knew right now Cade Mallory would be wondering what they were. Even in a million years, he’d never guess correctly. However, she’d already made two mistakes.

  Bears were inquisitive. The Kalispell Shifters had the mother of all secrets. Yes, even bigger than her own. He was bound to tell the others all about her and that she knew about them. Maybe realizing that they both had things they didn’t want revealed, both parties would leave each other alone.

  Gillian glanced outside again. Cade Mallory was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he’d keep to himself. Perhaps she’d never see him again. That was a good thing, right?

  Problem was, she wanted to see him again.

  She took a deep breath. Getting involved with anyone, getting involved with this particular shifter meant game over. Fall for him, make love with him and it was all over with a capital A, over. Not just for her but for everyone else too.

  Glancing outside one last time, she knew she’d made mistake number three. Normally, her sixth sense would have told her he was still lurking but she’d let her guard down by obsessing over him. He was the object she’d intentionally made her Achilles’ heel so what did she expect? He was still in view and now standing in the parking lot talking to another guy and both were checking out a motorbike.

  By the way he stood admiring the machine and running his hand over it, it was obvious bikes were his passion. She’d never liked them and right now she was just a tad jealous of all the attention he was lavishing upon it.

  She walked back farther into the store, glancing momentarily at the antique Mirror on the wall. An image of her riding on the back of the motorbike, holding onto Cade as her hair whipped around in the wind, came into view. Gillian tried to look away but she’d placed the mirror there so she could see brief glimpses into the future which would keep her on track. During a Quest, Mirrors were still allowed so she wasn’t cheating.

  Right now, her future was blatantly obvious. She glanced in the Mirror again, this time seeing herself bent over his bike, panties down and sitting around her ankles, her skirt hitched up to her waist… She took a side step, no longer able to see her reflection, and ran both her hands through her hair. There was to be no messing around with the bear.

  Gillian rushed to the door, this time making sure the bolt was in the locked position so she didn’t get disturbed again.

  The delivery man had set five boxes by the back door. She’d probably be here all night unpacking the contents but she had nothing else to d
o. She walked to the storage room, propped open the door, and slid each pack safely inside. Gillian reached for a knife and glided its blade through the packaging tape on the first box.

  The scent that had been trapped inside now traveled toward her nostrils, telling her it was the order of essential oils. The ones she’d blend together to help people cure all sorts of ailments. Opening The Apothecary had been a brilliant idea. The perfect way to pursue her passion, share her gift with others, and all while working on slaying the Quest.

  Even though, she was in the back of the store, she could hear someone trying to open the front door.

  Don’t tell me he’s back again.

  She walked to the cash register, peeked to the front, and was relieved to see her Aunt Louise standing outside waving to her.

  Gillian walked to the door, turned the lock, and stood aside to let her enter.

  “The place is beginning to look like an actual store and not an empty concrete block. I’m truly impressed,” said Aunt Louise.

  “Hopefully, it will be a big hit with the locals.”

  “I’m sure they’re going to love it. Paranormal beings are much more open to alternative ways to cure their ills than are regular folk,” Aunt Louise assured her.

  She’d always been supportive of everything Gillian had done and she’d been on board with the idea of the apothecary from day one.

  The noise of a motorbike being revved made both of them look out of the window.

  “Oh dear, don’t tell me this neighborhood is frequented by a motorbike gang,” Louise said.

  “No, it’s just the guy from next door. He’s opening a motorbike store next week and he stopped by to introduce himself. He’s a bear shifter.”

  “Really. Your neighbor is one of the paranormals?”

  She looked at Gillian and had obviously sensed, in her voice, the attraction.

  “Oh my, you’ve picked a bear shifter for test one. Not that I’m surprised you always did love a challenge. You get that from your father.”

  They continued to look out of the window.

  “His name’s Cade,” Gillian added.

  “Who’s name?”

  “The bear on the left,” said Gillian, realizing full well her aunt knew who she was referring to. Aunt Louise and her late father had a similar sense of humor and had their own special way to tease her.

  “Um, handsome fella. I have heard through the grapevine that bear shifters have a sexual appetite like no other.” She put her hand on Gillian’s forearm. “You, my dear, have your work cut out for you.”

  Gillian didn’t want to think about that right now. She just wanted to focus on the first step and that was getting the store looking perfect and customers walking through the door.

  “You know you arrived just in time to help me unpack today’s delivery. I want your advice about how to display the carrier oils. Should I put them above or below the essential oils?”

  Gillian linked her arm through her aunt’s, encouraging her to walk with her to the back of the store.

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were suddenly trying to change the subject,” Aunt Louise said.

  Back to Top

  Chapter 2

  Cade knew he was being watched. He’d seen the older woman enter the store and then, she and, oh, if only she’d been polite enough to give Cade her name, stood there watching him. When he’d glanced over, they’d quickly darted out of view.

  “Cade, what’s wrong with you all of a sudden?”

  His brother’s voice jarred him from his thoughts.

  “What, oh, just thinking about the person who owns the store next to mine.”

  Trey glanced over his shoulder.

  “Pretty is she?”

  “How did you know the person is a she?” Cade asked him.

  “The glint it your eyes.”

  Cade laughed, knowing it was the phoniest one he’d ever produced. He wasn’t great at fooling anyone, but especially one of his brothers. He continued making an adjustment on the ignition, hoping Trey wouldn’t discuss the topic of his next-door neighbor any more.

  “She knows all about me,” Cade finally announced, realizing, he did want to talk to someone about his encounter with her.

  “What that you snore louder than anyone I’ve ever known. And that without fail, fart like the devil after you’ve eaten the sampler platter at the local Mexican restaurant.”

  Cade laughed again, but this time it was real. How could he not find that last remark funny because it was spot on true. One thing all three Mallory brothers had in common was the joy of teasing, especially those they loved.

  “I do neither of those two things,” he said, knowing another common trait was not admitting to your weaknesses. “And that’s not what I’m referring to. She knows I’m a bear shifter, also knows about all of us being shifters too.”

  Trey dropped the wrench he was holding. “How?”

  Cade shrugged. It had been a huge shock to him too.

  “Have you told anyone else about her?” asked Trey, now sitting on the bike.

  “Nope, only met her about thirty minutes ago.”

  He wanted to say and since that time, he’d thought of nothing else and not just because of what she’d revealed. He’d felt the pull of something between them. Yes, sexual but something more, something a lot deeper than that. He’d never experienced it with a woman ever before. Maybe it was what the other guys had felt when they met their human mates. Two magnets meeting for the first time, the pull stronger than you could ever imagine.

  While he didn’t hate humans, they weren’t his favorite of beings. Although, all the human wives of bear shifters were great women, and yes, his soon to be sister-in-law, Eve, was downright fun to be around and had made his brother happy again. Something he never thought would happen. But Cade Mallory falling for one, getting in bed with one… marrying one. The world would end before any of that ever happened.

  “Earth to Cade, come in please. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you had the same starry-eyed look in your eyes that Ian had when he first met Eve.”

  Cade swallowed hard, twice. So, his brother had seen physical evidence of his attraction. It hadn’t been Cade’s imagination.

  “But you do know better. One human in our family is going to be enough. There will never be two,” Cade assured him.

  Yeah, assure your brother but what about you? Bet your last dollar on it. She was pretty with a capital P.

  Trey pulled out his phone from his back-pant pocket and began texting.

  “What are you doing?”

  He had the weird feeling Trey was going to call her store and reveal that his big brother had a crush on her. Yeah, he’d done that a lot when they’d been younger. Trey had even made a public announcement when Cade had lost his virginity.

  “I’m calling an emergency shifter meeting. We need to find out more about her,” Trey told him.

  Cade had been thinking the very same thing but for a completely different reason. Even though she’d been off hand with him, all he’d wanted to do was jump over the counter and kiss those luscious pink lips of hers.

  “We’re all set. We’ll be meeting at your store in an hour. I’ll go grab some refreshments,” said Trey.

  His brother slid onto the seat of the bike and started it up.

  Before he could say anything, his brother was leaving the parking lot. Cade glanced one more time over at her store. The Apothecary. Wasn’t that potions and medicines? He wondered if she had anything to cure lusting after someone who was clearly all wrong for him.

  Back to Top

  Chapter 3

  “You have beautiful penmanship just like your mother,” said Louise.

  Her mother, her mentor and guide. And holder of one big secret.

  “It isn’t just your great beauty that you inherited from her.”

  Gillian stood back to look at the handmade sign she’d made to advertise the grand opening of the store.

  “I still
don’t know how my mother could have kept that sort of thing from me,” said Gillian.

  “Now, now, my darling niece. You might have gotten your looks from your mother, but as far as wisdom and stepping up to the task at hand, you inherited that from your father. If anyone can get us through this, you can.” She put her arm around her and pulled her in close, kissing the top of her head as she did so.

  “Everyone’s counting on me and…”

  “I wasn’t going to tell you this but your grandmother is arriving for the grand opening. I know she’s old and is forgetful these days but she is still a great resource. There are no rules that say you can’t call upon the elders for a quick pep talk.”

  “Grans is coming here to Kalispell?”

  It set off both panic and excitement. Grans and her mother had never seen eye to eye. She’d never been one to hold back what was on her mind and many times Gillian had overheard her telling her dad that her mother had been the wrong pick for him. Maybe she’d sensed something about her mother’s past and hence her apprehension.

  “Don’t let her know I’ve given away the surprise,” Aunt Louise said. “You know how she loves to make grand entrances.”

  Attention getter like no other. Words rolled off her tongue that had often made Gillian blush. She hoped she’d be on her best behavior during her visit.

  “Mom’s the word or should I say grandmom is the word. And where is she going to stay?” Gillian asked. Her apartment above the store was still in chaos. Unpacked boxes and suitcases sat in each room and every night she had to climb across them to get into bed.

  “It’s all arranged, she’s going to be with me during her entire visit. We thought you had other things to focus on besides entertaining her. We’re even thinking of going to Glacier National Park while she’s here. She’s going to love the store. Don’t be surprised if she wants to whip up a few batches of this and that.”

  “Well, then we’d better get this sign in the window to give everyone in town notice that we’ll be opening for business on Saturday. You want to grab the tape?”