A Bear of Her Own Read online

  A Bear of Her Own

  A Sizzling Hot Paranormal Romance Novel

  Fay Walsh

  Copyright © 2019 by Fay Walsh

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  * * *

  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

  A Preview of the Next Book

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  About Fay Walsh

  A Message from Fay about Starfall Publications

  Chapter 1

  Alana sighed, getting the last box into her new home, back in the hometown where she had grown up.

  “It feels right,” she said to herself.

  The barren space felt more like home than her shitty apartment in the city ever did. It was massive, and for the price she was paying, it would be worth it.

  She went to her car, heading to the small grocery store in the middle of town. The parking lot was empty, except for one person’s bike and a couple of cars in the employee parking lot. Alana stepped inside, heading to the aisles and getting food she would need for the week.

  When she got to the counter, an older woman stared at her. Alana smiled back.

  “I would like to pay for these,” she said.

  “You must be new here. I heard someone moved into Leonard’s old place,” the older woman said.

  “Yeah, I'm Alana. I moved here recently,” she said.

  “Very nice. Well, I'm sure you’ll find this town quite charming,” she simply said.

  Alana nodded as she looked around the small grocery store, and then the shops nearby.

  “I'm guessing you guys don’t have department stores out here, do you?”

  “Nope. Everything is family owned.”

  “Makes sense. I-”

  Suddenly, she heard a voice, one that she immediately recognized, but that she hadn’t heard for a long time. She whipped her head around, eyes fixated on the man across from her.

  “Travis?” she said, her eyes wide and her mouth agape.

  The brown-haired man smiled back at her, a teasing grin.

  “Hey, Alana. It’s been a long time,” he said.

  “Yeah. I mean, I never thought that I'd see you again,” she said.

  She couldn't stop staring at his muscular, solid chest, swept back brown hair that touched his shoulders, and his hypnotizing blue eyes. Suddenly the sound of the woman pulled her back into reality.

  “Do you want to finish this transaction?” she asked.

  “Oh yes! Sorry about that,” Alana said, a blush obvious on her face.

  She quickly paid for her items, heading out from the checkout area, but she waited for Travis She was surprised that Travis never left their hometown, since it had been about eight years since they graduated from high school. They weren’t necessarily close back then, but she did have a crush on him.

  When he finished, he walked over to Alana, looking her over. It was obvious he was checking out her body, judging from the way that his eyes continued to wander, but it didn't bother her. Instead, it made her smile.

  “So what brings you all the way out here? I thought you were still living in the city?” he asked.

  “Fuck that. It’s too expensive, and with the new taxes, I had to get out. Chicago is a mess,” she added.

  “I don’t blame you. Why do you think I ended up out here?” he asked with a slight tension in his voice.

  Alana stopped for a moment, looking him over. He seemed strong, and he had grown quite a bit. She also noticed the bulge in his pants, making her blush.

  “Y-yeah, totally. I mean, it seems like you have a good life going here,” she said.

  Travis looked away slightly, hesitating to speak.

  “You could say that.”

  The conversation ended there, and Alana’s eyes wandered.

  Fuck, how do I continue the conversation?

  “So, what are you doing out here?” she asked.

  “I run a ranch. I've been taking care of cows since I graduated high school, and I sell them off to butchers and the milk to stores, both locally and nationally,” he explained.

  “Cool, I'm still writing. I don’t know how much you read, but I've been pretty busy with my work,” she said.

  “I see. That’s good. I'm glad you’re doing something you love,” he said.

  There was a tone of jealousy as he said that, prompting Alana's brows to furrow at his words.

  “Something the matter?”

  “No. It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it,” he said.

  Alana looked at him, her eyes veering around at his body. Earlier, he seemed pretty open, but something had triggered this newfound reticence, the urge to shy away from her words.

  “You’ve changed,” she said.

  “How so?”

  “Well, I remember in high school you were all over me, and earlier you were greeting me like I never left. I'm sorry if I struck a nerve,” she said.

  “No, it’s fine. It’s just... different that’s all. I know that you’re here now, and I honestly thought I'd never see you again. Don’t worry though,” he said.

  “Telling me not to worry when I'm concerned won’t make me worry any less, you know,” she teased.

  “No, I'm fine. I just have a lot of ranching to do when I get back. My farm is pretty big, you know,” Travis explained.

  “I understand. I have a pretty big place too,” she replied.

  “Oh yeah, the rental market is super cheap here. I was renting for about a year before I ended up buying. Of course, I had the help of some friends," Travis explained.

  “Oh, you’re living with people? Must be pretty easy then, and having roommates must help,” she said.

  “You could say that, yeah,” he said with his voice growing quiet.

  Alana nodded, feeling a bit stiff. “I mean, you’re welcome to come over whenever I finish getting the place ready. Might take a few days, since I've got some commission work and edits to wrap up. Or maybe I can come over to your place. I don't want to sound desperate or anything,” she said.

  There was a long pause, and Alana immediately started to shake her head.

  “Of course, if that’s not what you want--”

  “No, I do Alana. I'll let you know what happens. I'll need to get my place ready for people as well,” he said, the tension becoming awkward.

  “Well, I'm glad. By the way, you’ve grown a whole lot. I'm glad that you’re doing better,” she said.

  However, Alana felt that her words weren’t hitting the spot, her voice hollow as she uttered them.

  “Thanks, Alana. You have too. You’ve become quite the sweet lady,” he said.

  “Thanks.”

  There was a pause, and then, she noticed Travis start to move towards the right.

  “Anyways, I should be heading back to my place soon. I need to get dinner started and get the cows inside,” he said.

  “Okay! Well, I'll see you around,” she said.

  He then walked to his car without another word, turning on the engine, and as he drove away, Alana felt torn. She walked over towards her car, but then after a second, she heard the sound of the door open.

  “Oh Miss, you forgot this!” the old lady said, handing Alana a couple of coins.


  “Oh, you can keep the change,” Alana said.

  The old lady pocketed it, smiling.

  “Thank you. And I will say, be careful. That boy is a bit strange. He never comes out to town unless he needs to buy food, and we’ve never seen the other guys that live with him. Do be careful,” she said.

  Before Alana could respond, the old lady headed back into the shop, closing the door. Alana walked to her car, her thoughts racing as she tried to grasp what the old lady meant.

  Was Travis dangerous? What did this all mean? Did I do something wrong?

  Alana felt the connection, but she noticed he grew more aloof as time went on. However her mind continued to recall his sexy body, his beefy arms, and the boyish looks that kept roping her in.

  Chapter 2

  Travis hustled to his car, keeping the conversation as short as he could. He kicked the engine on and drove out of the parking lot, his thoughts racing. The drive back to the ranch house wasn’t a long one, and Travis made sure Alana wasn’t tailing him. He didn’t want that.

  Fuck she’s gotten hot. But, I can’t let her come close. I just can’t.

  Travis continued to think about this for the entire drive home. He knew better than that. He was an alpha, and it would end in a piss poor manner if he wasn’t careful.

  She’s grown a whole lot, but I can’t do that to her. She’s not ready.

  However, Travis couldn't stop thinking about how much she had changed, and the way that her body had matured. In the past, he remembered her as the skinny, flat-chested girl that he was friends with, and he remembered she would always have her hair in a ponytail, showcasing her green eyes. While in the past he had found her cute, now that she had grown up, and after all the bullshit of high school, she had gotten even more attractive than he thought possible, with luscious curves, large breasts that stood perky and appetizing, and a thick butt that he just wanted to smack. Just thinking about her caused his cock to slightly harden, a need in his body.

  Fuck. I need to stop thinking about this.

  As he turned into the driveway of the ranch, he parked in the back, making sure nobody could see him. They had put up a bunch of hedges for privacy, but when he walked near the doorway to the den, he saw a familiar bear-like figure nearby.

  "Benjamin, you should know better than shifting willy-nilly,” Travis stated.

  “Sorry alpha, I was just out hunting, and I thought it would be better this way,” Benjamin said.

  “Yes, but you should know the people here are nosey, and the last thing we want is to have them find out. You know what happens when humans find out about us,” Travis stated in a snappy, yet caring manner.

  Benjamin nodded. “I know, I know. Either you and Darren need to take matters into your own hands and eliminate others, or we have to leave,” he said.

  “Good. I'm only doing this because I don’t want you to get hurt,” he said.

  Benjamin nodded, smiling.

  “Thanks. Darren is inside. He is working on getting food for everyone, and he needed to talk to you,” Benjamin stated.

  “Good. Thank you. I can tell that you’re getting better though, you’re maintaining form for more than thirty seconds.”

  Benjamin beamed. “Thank you, sir.”

  With a smile, Travis headed inside. Billy was over by the stove, cooking food.

  “I thought Darren was making food,” Travis said.

  “Darren is in his office, but it’s all good. I'm making some special food for everyone tonight!” Billy said.

  “Just make sure it’s edible, please.”

  “Can do!”

  Travis smiled to himself at Billy’s antics, and then headed to the office after knocking. Darren was there and he looked up sternly at Travis.

  “Sorry for having to give dinner duties to Billy. I was making sure the barriers are maintained. I heard there was another incident recently,” he said.

  “Fuck. Was it a lion shifter? Or something else?”

  “Not sure. I've been trying to get information, but the police department is keeping this one quiet since it was just a few cows,” Darren explained.

  “Lovely. So, I guess we’ll need to fix this one on our own,” Travis said.

  “Yes indeed.”

  Travis was about to leave when Darren spoke.

  “You look different,” he stated.

  Travis looked at Darren, his eyes focused on the long-haired shifter.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You met someone, didn’t you? I can see it in your eyes. Hesitation.”

  Travis took a moment to process what he should do.

  Is it right to tell just Darren? Or should I let the whole pack know? No, everyone needs to hear this.

  “I'll tell you all at dinner. It’s a bit big,” he said.

  “Very well. I can tell, especially from the way you keep looking away, and the fact that you have your hands in your pockets,” Darren pointed out.

  “That obvious huh?” Travis said with a chuckle.

  “Indeed. Anyways, let me get these reports filed. Check on our livestock with Benjamin, and make sure the newbie doesn’t try shifting again. He should know better than that,” Darren said.

  “I was planning on doing that anyway. As the alpha, I have to watch my entire group,” Travis said.

  He walked out, seeing Benjamin outside near the doorway.

  “Let’s check on the animals, shall we?”

  “Yes,” Benjamin said with a smile.

  The duo headed over to the pen with the chickens, Travis noticing one of them was gone.

  “Did you take any of the chickens for food?” he asked.

  “Yeah. Don’t worry, nobody got in. The barrier is pretty strong,” Benjamin said.

  “Good. How is that training regimen I gave you going?”

  Benjamin turned red, pushing his hands through his hair.

  “Could be better I guess,” he replied.

  “Well, keep working on it. The clan needs you. I know that you’re new to this, but you have to take responsibility for your share too.”

  “Will do sir!”

  Travis chuckled. “Enough with the “sir” shit. I may be the alpha here, but you don’t need to so subservient.”

  The two finished their rounds, and when they came in, Billy put some fish and veggies on their plate. He had a whole plateful of them, enough to satisfy their appetites since they were all bears. The group sat down, with Sven sitting next to Billy with a pursed look on his face. He pushed his glasses up, reading the book he had in his hands.

  “It’s dinnertime, Sven. You can read later.”

  He put it away and nodded. After everyone started to eat, Darren glanced over at Travis who immediately knew what he was communicating.

  “So something happened today, and I feel like you should all know,” he said.

  “Really? Could’ve fooled me,” Billy said.

  “That’s because you don’t notice anything,” Sven snapped.

  “I kind of noticed. You’re acting way nicer, and less cold," Benjamin said.

  Travis felt a blush creep up. “I didn’t know it was that obvious. Well, the truth is, I met someone today,” he said.

  “Human or shifter?” Darren asked.

  “Human. She’s a girl I went to high school with. Her name is Alana, and she’s grown to be quite beautiful,” he said.

  “So when are you gonna bang her?” Billy said.

  All of the guys flashed him a look of disdain. Billy dropped his fork, putting his hands up and smiling.

  “I'm kidding, I'm kidding.”

  “Anyways, it’s caught me a little off guard. She lives here now, and she is quite pretty. I just...I don’t want to go for it yet,” he said.

  “Why not?” Billy said.

  “Because you know what we are,” Darren snapped.

  “Well yeah, but it’s not like it’s a bad thing,” Benjamin said.

  “That’s not it guys. I'm worried it might scare
her. I mean, she’s sweet, but a bit sheltered. She doesn’t know anything, and I'm worried that, if I tell her, it might scare her away,” he said.

  The guys all looked at one another, and then Darren spoke.

  “I would have to meet her first, but if you think that she’s not ready, don’t let her see you. I don’t really trust humans myself, but it’s obvious she’s left an impression on you,” he said.

  “Yeah, you shouldn't pussyfoot around about this,” Billy said.

  “Billy, you’re too happy-go-lucky about all of this. You should exercise more caution,” Travis said.

  “I'm trying, but I can see that she's made you blush, and you’re thinking about her right now,” he said.

  Travis grimaced. “I hate it when you’re right.”

  “You should just go for it! I mean, I'm new and have no intention of finding a mate, but the alpha should do it, right?” Benjamin said.

  “That’s right, the alpha does need to find a mate.”

  “And you’ve been our alpha for a long time, Travis. You know having a mate puts you at an advantage in the shifter world. The connection between a shifter with a mate is much stronger than without, and I know that it affects how others see you,” Darren said.

  Travis bit his lip, nodding.

  “I know but, I'm also worried about the people here. I'm worried about letting a human in. I know people can be cruel towards shifters, you’ve heard the stories,” he said.

  "But not every human is like that. Oh well, I doubt she’ll be fitting for the clan anyway. If you want to go for it, you can,” Darren said.

  “Geez, no need to be so cold Darren,” Billy said.

  “And you don’t need to be so carefree! This isn’t a game,” he snapped.

  The dinner table was immediately engulfed in silence. Finally, Sven broke it.

  “I don’t care what you do, just don’t cause trouble,” he said.

  “There you go. You have three people who want this. Darren will open up eventually,” Billy said.