Lured by the Bear (The Alaska Shifters Book 1) Read online

  Well, good riddance.

  The sun was already above the mountains, a late summer sunrise in Homer, Alaska. The rays skirted in around the lace curtains I’d added, casting beautiful designs on the tile floor and on the small kitchen table. I grabbed a few packets of oatmeal, heated a cup of water, and settled in to get some work done before I needed to go to the Callaghan’s home. Munching on a banana while I waited, I flipped open my laptop and pulled up my paper on consumer habits, buying power, and what makes them tick. It was my final paper of my college career, almost like a thesis. All of my classes had been leading up to this one, and now, with the ISC’s plan to reveal shifters, it felt like a perfect topic. In a world full of social media, it was all about spin. And with this big reveal coming up, it would be critical for us to spin every piece of media into a positive.

  The microwave beeped just as I finished reading the first page. So far so good. Editing was my favorite part—especially when I’d impressed myself with what I’d actually written. Mixing my oatmeal and adding some cinnamon on top, I was so focused on my paper that I didn’t even hear Zane until he was standing right behind me.

  “Mornin’,” he grumbled.

  I dropped my spoon in the sink and had to stop myself from swinging on him. “What the fuck?” I asked.

  “Language, Julia. Geez,” he said as though it was totally normal for him to be in my kitchen. “Have any more oatmeal?”

  He grabbed the box but I ripped it out of his hands. “What are you doing here, Zane?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, what the fuck are you doing in my house? At six-thirty in the morning?”

  He rubbed his face, his red hair sticking up all over, and opened the fridge. Grabbing a bottle of orange juice, he opened it and started to drink from the top. I jumped forward and yanked that out of his hands too.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked again. Hadn’t I asked him for his key?

  “Your father said I was welcomed any time.”

  “My father is dead, and this is my house now.”

  “Yes, yes, I know. You tell me that all the time.”

  “And did I also tell you that you can’t just show up here uninvited?” How had I not heard him last night?

  He belched and sat down in front of my computer. Eyes scanning over my paper, he looked like he was actually reading it. “This for school?” I nodded. “Sounds good. You can write.”

  Trying not to smile at the compliment, I stepped forward and closed the laptop. "Zane, why aren’t you at your own house?”

  “Yours was closer.”

  “You live down the street,” I reminded him.

  He shrugged. “True dat.”

  I rolled my eyes and tried to remember that even though he had been a friend of my father’s, Zane had always been kind to me. Almost like an older brother or a young uncle. When my dad would kick me out so he could spend time with Eliza, I’d usually go over to Zane’s trailer and play with his cat. Even as a teen. And then when he’d picked my dad’s side in the alpha challenge, and lost, he quickly sucked up their defeat and accepted Brandt as his rightful leader. In fact, I hadn’t heard Zane say one bad thing about our alpha since my father lost.

  But that didn’t mean he was invited into my home whenever he felt like it.

  “How did you get in?”

  “The key?”

  “You don’t have a key.”

  “Oh.” Zane looked up at me with his dark green eyes and a shit-eating grin, reminding me of a lost puppy hustling everyone on the streets. “Maybe you left the door unlocked?”

  “Or maybe you broke a window somewhere?” I added that to the list of things to check on this weekend. With a sigh, I sat down and tossed the box of oatmeal at him. “Are you going to tell me why you’re here for real?”

  He made himself a bowl before sitting and answering me. “It was the only way I could get rid of her.”

  “Who?”

  He shrugged. “Some groupie from the bar.”

  “Gross,” I said with a shudder.

  “I told her that my wife wouldn’t be too thrilled if I let her inside. I had to show her a picture of us before she’d believe me.”

  “What picture?”

  “The one your dad took last year when we went to Anchorage. It looks like we’re a couple.”

  “We aren’t a couple,” I reminded him. He scrunched up his face in disgust, which made me mad.

  “Of course we aren’t. But she didn’t know that.” He shoved a large spoonful in his mouth and continued talking through the bits flying out onto my table. “But if I would have gone to my trailer, she would have known I was lying to her.”

  “Well, maybe you should try being more honest with women.”

  He huffed like I’d just made the worst joke. “Sure.” He continued eating while I washed out my bowl, then stood and stretched. He was only wearing his jeans from last night but had his tee shirt tucked into his back pocket. “You going to the wedding?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay good. Let’s drive over there together.”

  I didn’t want to do that, but I also knew that Zane wasn’t totally comfortable with the clan yet. Not everyone could forgive his misplaced allegiances so easily, especially Derrick. But they were working on it. So I agreed to ride with him, and he said he’d be back in two hours.

  When we arrived at Brandt and Emma’s house, I thought we were late. They’d decided to hold the ceremonies here since it was the official gathering place for clan business. But in all honesty, I couldn’t imagine a more perfect place for the two of them to be officially united. Even if their union had happened at warp speed.

  Zane hadn’t even put the car into park when a tall, dark-haired woman rushed over to my door. Scarlett’s braids framed her face, but her frantic eyes had me jumping out to greet her right away. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Oh thank god you’re here,” she gushed. “Emma said you would be the only one that could fix it.”

  She grabbed my hand and yanked me toward the house. I spared a parting glance at Zane, hoping he’d at least grab my gift bag out of the car. Dragging me up the front stairs, I had a strange feeling. Whether it was due to the way Scarlett was acting or the fact that the inside of the house had been decorated with an exorbitant number of flowers and teal chiffon, I couldn’t tell. Well, actually, I think it was Scarlett’s behavior. She was always the calm, cool, and collected one. As the wolf pack enforcer, she didn’t share emotions. I didn’t even know that she could have emotions until this moment.

  We didn’t speak to anyone, not even to Brennan, her mate. Instead, she skirted by him, squeezed his hand quickly, and then pulled me up the stairs. I almost tripped, but thanked the world for my long legs and ability to skip multiple steps at a time.

  “Scarlett, what’s going on?”

  She didn’t respond and instead knocked once on a bedroom door and let us inside. “I got her!” Scarlett said.

  Emma, her belly getting larger every day, jumped up from a chair beside Kenzie and pulled me into a hug. “Yeah! I told Kenzie you can work miracles.”

  I looked at Emma and Scarlett for the first time and realized just how beautiful they were in their bridesmaid’s dress. Teal, of course. But cut in a style that they’d be able to wear for years to come. Scarlett had added some turquoise beads into her braids, and Emma had attached a matching blue flower to the side of her head. “You girls look amazing,” I said.

  Emma wrapped her hands around my arm and led me further into the room. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. We need your help.”

  “With what?” I asked.

  “With this.” Emma waved her hand out in front of her to reveal Kenzie. The bride sat in a wicker chair in front of a dressing mirror with a frown way too large for anyone to have on their wedding day. She wasn’t crying, but she certainly looked close to tears.

  “Kenzie, what’s wrong?”

  She stood, her tiny frame barely reaching th
e top of my shoulders. Decked out in white from head to toe, I loved that she’d chosen a classic 1940’s style gown. With three-quarter sleeves and beading that framed her ribs, she looked amazing. The fine lace overlaid the satin fabric so that the sun caught the shimmering underneath in just the right way. And the pearls around her neck and in her ears must have been the “something old” she’d decided on for her day.

  Kenzie sighed and glared at me like I was an idiot. “This!” she said, pointing her fingers at her hair. “This is what’s wrong!”

  Her red curls stuck out in every direction, but to me, they were fabulous. I always wanted hair like hers. “What?” I asked.

  She sighed and wiped at her eyes. “The stupid humidity today. I can’t do anything with this mess! I tried three different spells and…nothing!”

  Emma rested her hand on Kenzie’s shoulder. “Julia is good with hair. She can fix it.”

  “I—” I started to question Emma, but she gave me a look that said I better play along or else. Emma had always treated me like a sister, and I certainly appreciated the way all of these ladies had protected me after my father’s death. Clearing my throat, I glanced at Kenzie’s hopeful face. “Of course.” Running my fingers over one of the curls, I got inspired. “I’m thinking pin curls. What do you say?”

  “As long as I can get that tiny hat to stay on, I’m up for it.” Then she jumped forward and wrapped her arms around my waist. “Thank you so much.”

  Little did these ladies know that I’d only ever tried pin curls once in my life, and it hadn’t turned out too well. But twenty minutes later, I was spritzing on the last of the hairspray and admiring my work. Brandt knocked on the door with the five-minute warning just as I was about to excuse myself.

  “You’re an absolute life saver,” Kenzie gushed. “Ladies, lets toast.” She grabbed three glasses of champagne and one filled with orange juice from the dresser and started to pass them out. “To my new family. I never thought I could be this lucky.” Tears welled up in her eyes again and she huffed. “Okay, drink before I cry.”

  Everyone clanked their glasses together and took a sip. I simply held mine up to my lips and pretended. They were all too preoccupied to notice. “I’ll see you ladies down there. Good luck, Kenzie!”

  When I opened the door, I came face first with a massive chest. A chest in a suit that smelled absolutely fabulous. Like cinnamon and pine. And aftershave. “Oh,” I squeaked as his hands stopped me from smashing my entire face.

  “Slow down, Julia,” Derrick said with a chuckle. “No need to run away.”

  I looked up at his handsome, chiseled face and smiled, swallowing down the feeling of his hands on my bare skin. “I need to get a seat.” Get a seat? Seriously, that’s the best I could do?

  “I’m sure there’s one saved for you,” he said with a kind smile.

  I stepped away. “Okay. Sure. Um…thanks.” I started toward the stairs when he spoke again.

  “We still on for tonight?”

  My heart fluttered, and I couldn’t turn around because I knew how flushed my face would be right now. So instead I waved at him over my shoulder. “Yep. See you in a bit.” I thought I heard him laugh again as I ran down the stairs and out the back doors.

  Zane flagged me over to an empty seat where the ceremony was going to take place in a clearing on the south side of the house. I had to climb over the flowers and chiffon designating the aisle, causing a scene as I was the last one to sit. No sooner had my butt hit the chair then the small string quartet started the processional music. Derrick ushered in Kenzie’s mom, her father walking just a few steps behind. But when Derrick reached my aisle, he smiled down at me in a way that melted souls and caused accidents.

  My breath hitched. I’d had a crush on Derrick for as long as I could remember. And now that we had a chance to work together, as adults, I was hoping he would stop looking at me like a child and notice me as a woman. And by the way his eyes took in every inch of my body, I suspected we were on the right path.

  But then his dark eyes narrowed on Zane. Perhaps it was because of the way Zane’s arm was resting along the back of my chair, or because of their history. Either way, the tension was strong enough that Kenzie’s father had to clear his throat to encourage Derrick to keep moving.

  I watched him throughout the ceremony. Such an amazing man—smart, funny, kind. I had no idea how he hadn’t been the first of the group to find a mate. Although I also had to admit that I was happy about that. Derrick Ward was still available. And that meant I might have a chance.

  Kenzie and Bo were married in less than ten minutes. A simple, short, and sweet ceremony free of any spectacles. Even Kenzie’s pagan version of a handfasting ritual seemed as natural as the exchange of their vows. When they kissed, and everyone cheered, the crowd retreated to the air conditioned house where the celebration truly began.

  “Let’s dance,” Zane said, yanking on my hand and pulling me toward the open floor area where no one else was dancing.

  “Um, no way.”

  “Come on, someone’s gotta start.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Tammy said. She was one of the older females in the clan not yet mated and she also had a pension for enjoying that kind of attention.

  “Well, all right,” Zane said with a smile, holding out his elbow for her to join him. They meandered onto the dance floor and set the crowd on fire. Within minutes, the floor filled up with gyrating bodies, including the bride and groom.

  I stood on the landing, watching and laughing. There was a part of me that envied all of them. I always had a hard time letting go and having fun. I blamed my father for that. Too many years watching what out of control people can do had stopped me from ever fully being free. But that was okay, I guess. Being an adult meant acting like one. All of the time.

  “You don’t dance?”

  I flinched at Derrick’s deep voice. And then I breathed in his scent and enjoyed the tingling that flitted through my bones. “Not really my thing,” I said with a smile.

  “Yeah, me either.”

  We stood in silence for several moments, watching the crowd and trying to figure out what to say next. The electricity I felt pulsing between us had me fidgeting from side to side. I should talk to him. Say something intelligent and thoughtful. But words escaped me so I bit my lip and pretended to watch the kick line forming on the floor.

  “Do you want to get out of here?” Derrick asked.

  “Yes!” I said a little too quickly. But he only grinned. “Yes, please.”

  “Let’s go.” Derrick pressed his palm against my lower back and ushered me to the door. He waved to Bo who flipped him off and then gave him a knowing wink.

  “Is he going to be mad that you’re leaving now?” I asked as we stepped outside.

  “I told him a week ago I wasn’t staying and waiting for him to give me the stupid garter thing.” Derrick smiled, “And I knew he had something planned.”

  With a laugh, I walked down the stairs. “I need to grab my bag out of Zane’s car first.”

  “Okay, I parked in front of the garage. Meet me there?”

  “Yep,” I said with a squeak, and then immediately turned so he wouldn’t see my embarrassment. I practically skipped to the car, excited that this was finally happening.

  It’s just for work, Julia, my stupid brain reminded me. I knew that, but I was getting one step closer to seeing who Derrick really was and I just knew that I wouldn’t be disappointed.

  Dammit if Julia didn’t look absolutely stunning in her pale yellow dress that dipped low in the back. She was tall, and athletic, and built like a real woman. Her boney shoulders stuck out in a way that accentuated her collar bone. Her lean legs solid underneath the hem of her dress. How had I not noticed that before?

  I watched her walk my way, pulling the leather strap over her shoulder and making her look every bit as studious as I would want in a woman. Intelligence was a huge turn-on for me. Not many people knew that, especially not B
o as he would find some way to make fun of me. She pulled her sunglasses down over her eyes and my heart stopped. Gorgeous. Simply gorgeous. Long, brown locks of hair blowing in the slight breeze, arms swinging with determination, and a smile that my bear knew was only for me.

  “You ready?” she asked, not sure why I was just standing next to my Jeep not saying a word.

  “Yeah,” I finally managed to say. Opening the passenger door, I gestured for her to get in.

  “Wow,” she teased. “Such a gentleman.”

  “Always,” I replied, unable to stop the flirtatious tone. What the hell?

  Shaking my head, I walked around the Jeep slow enough so that I could get my bearings again. Julia was nineteen. I was twenty-five. She was too young for me and my bear. He rumbled deep below, arguing with me in his typical passive-aggressive way. I told him to shut up.

  When I started the car, Julia sighed. “Did you know today’s my birthday?”

  “What?” I asked, surprised.

  “Yeah,” she said with the cutest grin. “I’ll never forget Bo and Kenzie’s anniversary now.”

  Not sure what to say, I pulled out of the driveway and started up the long, dirt road. “So are you doing anything? For your birthday, I mean?”

  She shrugged and glanced my way. “Just work stuff with you.”

  “Well, that sounds awful,” I said without thinking. She giggled, and something twitched inside. “How about a steak dinner? At my house. I’ll cook for you.”

  She turned, shock on her face and eyes moistened with tears. “You’d do that for me?”

  It took everything I had not to reach across the seat and pull her closer to me. “Of course,” I said. “You’re clan. We should celebrate.”

  Something I said made her sad again, I could smell it. She turned in her seat and looked out the window. “Thank you,” she finally whispered, but the enthusiasm she had a few moments ago had disappeared.

  Not knowing what I said to upset her, I stayed silent. My bear rumbled below, but I ignored him. The thirty-minute ride to my house felt like hours, and by the time I parked the Jeep, I wondered if Julia would just ask me to take her back.