Claimed by the Bear: Beauty Bear Clan 2 Read online

  She smiled through her tears. “You certainly took your time telling me. Why?”

  He shrugged. “You were Mark’s sister. Off limits.”

  “Fucking stupid me and your honor code!” She swore. “Didn’t you ever think to ask me what I wanted. All these years… I’d never have left if I thought…”

  She bit her lip looking away. Surging upward, Creed caught her around the nape with a big hand. “What do you mean, you wouldn’t have left? Left Beauty for the city, you mean?”

  She nodded, meeting his eyes. “After Mark, I didn’t want to be here. Everyone told me it was best to make a clean break… But if you’d have asked me, I’d have stayed. But I didn’t think you saw me that way. I thought you just saw me as Mark’s irritating kid sister. A brat.”

  He chuckled, thumb stroking her neck softly as he sat up with her in his arms, cradling her smaller body with his. “You are a brat. But no, I never saw you as a kid.”

  “Creed?” she asked, hands splayed out over his chest, her gaze intent on him.

  “Yes, love?”

  “Aren’t you supposed to be ill or something?”

  He blinked, then looked down at himself. Shit, she was right. He felt better than he had in years.

  “See? See! It wasn’t Carve!” Harrison all but screamed, his face pale as he gestured at Creed. “How could he be on his feet if it was Carve? He’d be deader than a dodo!”

  His voice brought Creed back to the matter at hand and he rolled to his feet, leveling a murderous expression on Harrison. Urging Kait out of harm’s way, he stalked toward the guy, only stopping to slide a sideways glance at Dean.

  “He’s mine.”

  The Prime shrugged and spread his arms. “He attacked while your back was turned. He’s all yours.”

  The Prime turned away. Lilly looked Harrison up and down before nodding curtly. “May your soul be welcomed with loving arms.”

  “What?” Harrison babbled as the two bears walked to the edge of the pit and hauled themselves out, Dean boosting Kait up to Lilly. “No, no, no…you can’t leave me here with him. It wasn’t Carvix. It was horse sedative mixed with rat poison. Just something to slow you down.”

  Was it fuck. He didn’t trust a word that came out this lying little asshole’s mouth.

  “Makes no difference,” he growled, and anger boiled within him. This piece of shit had tried to end him. Why didn’t matter. How, or the fact that it hadn’t worked, didn’t matter. What mattered was that he hadn’t managed it…

  Creed grinned nastily.

  “You’ve had your fun. Now it’s my turn.”

  The change ripped over him in less than a heartbeat. Fire raced through him, his body contorting as it snapped from one shape to another. Within an instant, he went from a six-foot two-hundred-pound guy to over four hundred pounds of pissed off werebear as he advanced on the terrified Harrison.

  “Please, no, don’t hurt me…” the smaller man whimpered, eyes wide and no hint of his bear in them at all. Obviously the creature had decided it wanted no part of the retribution that was coming Harrison’s way.

  Creed roared, jaws wide, and swiped. His massive paw cut the air, lethal claws heading for Harrison’s face. At the last minute he pulled the blow, parting the skin almost delicately. Surgically. Something deep inside told him that, with whatever the little bastard had used on him still in his system, the claw marks would scar. They’d always be there for everyone to see. For everyone to know that Harrison had tried and failed. That he’d been found wanting and begged for his life.

  Standing, Creed folded his bear easily back within himself. “Fuck off, Harrison, and remember today. Remember you owe me your life.”

  “Yes, Enforcer. Thank you.” Head bowed, Harrison scuttled away, getting out of the pit as fast as his legs would carry him. Creed watched him go and then looked around the clan lining the edges of the pit, making sure to meet the eye of each and every one of Anderson’s little supporters.

  “Anyone else?” he demanded, throwing his arms out wide in challenge.

  There was shuffling of feet but no one answered. No one was willing to step into the pit with a bear as big as he’d proven himself to be.

  A hard look on his face, he swept a final bow and turned to stalk toward the side of the pit, his movements filled with the power of his bear just under his skin. There was no difficulty. No pain. He and the creature were finally one.

  Looking up for a second, he met Kait’s eyes and smiled. Now he knew why he’d never been able to shift properly.

  He’d been missing a part of himself.

  He’d needed her… the other half of his soul.

  Now he had her, she had him, and their happily ever after was just about to begin.

  * * *

  If you enjoyed the book, please consider leaving a review, even if its only a line or two; it would make all the difference and would be very much appreciated.

  * * *

  Thank you!

  You might also like…

  Sometimes things that go bump in the night make the best bodyguards.

  When Iliona is attacked by a demon, help comes from an unexpected source… Cal, the hot gargoyle from her local coffee shop. Her stone hottie has some secrets of his own though, namely a ‘twin’ born of stone and just as hot as he is. With everything from a demon to redcaps trying to kill her, can Iliona track down a serial killer before she becomes his next victim?

  Born of stone to protect… They’ll stop at nothing to keep her safe.

  Freed from their curse Cal and Gran relish their new freedom. Working at Frankie’s Coffee Shop isn’t the most glamorous, but it beats sitting on the roof of a church. And for Cal, Frankie’s has another advantage…the curvy beauty who comes in for coffee. He feels a pull toward her he can’t explain, especially not to Gran, who hates anything human.

  When the chips are down, Gran comes through, but will the secret he’s kept close to his heart for centuries destroy them all?

  Read More…

  They killed her sister. Now she'll make them pay...

  Her sister slaughtered by rogue vampires, Maria wants blood. Rogue blood. Lots of it. In vampire society though, even halfbreeds like Maria are cosseted and protected . She must fool her family into thinking she's the perfect Kyn lady, fight like the demons her ancestors were, and somehow get rid of the annoying but sexy Kyn warrior who just won't leave her alone.

  He's the king. And he’s done taking orders.

  Furious at the Elder Council's demand that he find a wife, Marak takes to the streets to vent his rage on the rogue who plague the streets. He doesn't expect to find a sexy vampire hunter who has no idea who he is nor his passionate and all-consuming reaction to her. Human, she can't be his. Without his help, she won’t survive the streets. He'll train her, get her ready to hunt… and do his best to keep his hands to himself.

  But when a rogue attack almost ends Maria’s life, Marak is forced to give her his bite. Bringing her over into his world, he discovers she's been keeping secrets just like he has... Can they see past the lies and betrayal to what really matters, or is their happily ever after, and the fate of the Royal line, doomed with their love?

  Read More…

  About the Author

  Mina Carter is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of romance in many genres. She lives in the UK with her husband, daughter and a bossy cat.

  * * *

  Connect with Mina online at:

  mina-carter.com

  * * *

  WANT THE LATEST NEWS AND CONTESTS?

  SIGN UP TO MINA’S NEWSLETTER!

  http://mina-carter.com/newsletter/books/

 

 

 
-moz-filter: grayscale(100%); -o-filter: grayscale(100%); -ms-filter: grayscale(100%); filter: grayscale(100%); " class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons">share