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  Copyright © 2019 by Fay Walsh

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  Contents

  Copyright

  Get Fay’s Exclusive Material

  Contents

  The Silver Bear’s Mate

  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

  The Extended Epilogue

  A Note from Fay Walsh

  Preview of my Next Book

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  About Fay Walsh

  Also by Fay Walsh

  The Silver Bear’s Mate

  Chapter 1

  Sven looked around. The air felt... different. He didn’t get it, but as he looked into the distance, he noticed Travis there, pacing about. He was always working to lead the shifters to success, but Sven always felt like there was something that he was hiding from the other shifters, something he feared discussing.

  “What’s the matter?” Travis asked.

  “Nothing. I'm just… thinking about things, that’s all,” he said.

  “If you notice something off, let me know at once, Sven. You’re always so quiet, but you seem to have a better grasp of the way our abilities work than I do,” he said.

  Sven didn’t want to worry about the leader. However, that didn’t mean he didn’t worry about the alpha. He had a lot on his place, and the air felt different these days.

  He wondered if this meant that another attack was close. For a guy like Sven, this could mean anything from the truth about their abilities getting out, to the possibility that everyone might be in danger.

  “Tell me, Sven, what is wrong?” Travis inquired.

  “I'm just… trying to figure it out myself, sir,” he said.

  “What do you mean?” Travis asked.

  Sven sighed, looking at the leader with a grimace.

  “Something is off. I noticed it when Billy brought over that new girl, but I'm not totally sure that there is anything else to be said. Other than, well, that,” he said.

  “I understand. I mean, I know that you have visions of what’s going on, so you know about the future, but if it’s something that we can’t fix, then don’t worry about it.”

  “Because, Travis, there are many abilities that could potentially fall into the wrong hands,” he said.

  “Sven, you need to stop worrying. I know that you’re a powerful shifter, but it’s probably just your imagination,” he said.

  Sven looked at him and shook his head.

  “I'm not imagining anything Travis. The balance of power that we’ve had up to this point has been disturbed. I'm not just imagining this, I can feel it” he said.

  “Sven, you are going to worry yourself into a headache if you don’t stop,” he stated.

  Sven looked at him with pure annoyance in his eyes.

  “You’re wrong, Travis. Trust me on this. I know that there is something deeper there that we are all overlooking. I don't understand it right now, but I’m trying to wrap my head around it. For all our sakes,” he admitted.

  “And possibly make everyone paranoid about something that they shouldn't be worrying about? You should know by now, Sven, that it’s only going to make everyone upset. You’re not doing us any goddamn favors by worrying the group,” he said.

  Sven grimaced at him. Why couldn’t Travis understand?

  “You’re the leader, but you're ignoring all of the warning signs,” he said.

  “No, I just think that we need to bide our time, wait and see what is going to happen next. I know you saw a vision, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of everything, right?” he stated.

  Sven curled his lips in frustration. He didn’t like that his alpha was acting this way, thinking that he was some hotshot guy because he seemed to know his shit.

  “You’re making a grave mistake, sir. It’s going to cost you everything, but when you realize it, it will probably be too late” he said.

  “I understand, Sven, but I'm the alpha. I'll keep my eyes open to see if I notice anything, but for now, just… keep it all to yourself,” he said.

  “Alright, sir,” he muttered.

  Sven was tired of everyone’s shit. He was happy to leave after their awkward encounter. He felt concerned because he knew what he was feeling wasn’t something that would just go away with time. If nothing else, he knew he would have to take action on his own, whether he liked it or not.

  Sven needed to figure it out, and he would need to do his own research on this. Travis didn’t think there was anything wrong. It had been going on for some time, but at that moment it was the worst it had been in a long time. Furthermore, the fact that his alpha kept describing it as just “acting weird” instead of actively seeking what was causing this disturbance, unsettled him greatly. However, this wasn’t the first time that the alpha just ignored his warnings. He did care about Travis, but the alpha didn’t think things were wrong until he saw them with his own eyes. Maybe just getting away from here would help him.

  He walked, trying to figure out where in town he could go. He noticed that the library was still open, the sign flipped to “open.” There he’d be able to at least spend some time in quiet. He stepped in, and he took a quick look around.

  It certainly left much to be desired. The rows of shelves contained books that were probably as old as Sven was, probably even older. That’s why the majority of them couldn't help him with his endeavor. Sven though was determined to find the answers he was seeking before it was too late.

  He began his research on one of the nonfiction shelves on the left. But, a presence interrupted him. When he raised his eyes from the book he saw that a girl with grey eyes was staring at him. She had her eyes lined with eyeliner, big, red lips, and wore a staid dark suit. Her black hair was pulled back, and she looked quite out of place compared to everyone else who was there. For a moment, Sven didn’t say anything. He remained still, just looking at her.

  “Yes?” he finally asked her.

  “Hey, I was just… trying to figure out if you needed some help,” she said.

  She looked nervous, and Sven lightly ran his fingers through his hair. He let out a deep sigh.

  “I mean, if you want to help, you’re welcome to,” he said.

  “What do you need help finding?” she asked.

  He couldn't explain to this girl the real reason why he was there. Instead, he simply smiled and looked at her with an anticipatory grin.

  “I mean, it can be whatever it is that I need,” he said.

  “That doesn’t help whatsoever, but I do think I can assist you with what you’re looking for. I do know the library pretty well,” she said.

  “I mean, if you want to, go for it,” he sai
d.

  She blushed, and he could tell that she was definitely not used to this kind of encounter.

  “S-sorry. Anyway. Do you need any help?” she asked.

  Sven looked at her. She was pretty cute, he had to admit, and she did have that strange charm that he enjoyed from a woman like that. But still, he definitely wished he could be alone.

  “I think I'm good for now,” he said.

  “Are you sure? I mean, I can show you books on the history of the town, if that’s what you’re looking for,” she said, pointing at the book on his hands.

  That was what he needed, and Sven nodded in appreciation.

  “I mean, that would be appreciated,” he said.

  “O-Okay! I can do that,” she said.

  She rushed off, and Sven continued to skim at the shelves. He couldn't believe that this girl was so nervous around him. He wasn’t used to women being nervous around him. Then again, he rarely talked to women, so he was a bit taken aback by her friendliness. After a bit, she came back with some books on her hands. He looked at her with a big smile.

  “Thank you very much. Can I read these on my own now?” he asked.

  Even though he wouldn’t mind her presence beside him, right now, he needed all the information he could get, uninterrupted. She looked down, giving Sven the impression that she was disappointed.

  “Y-yeah. Of course, you can,” she said.

  He looked at her with a shy grin. As a response, she blushed. She was pretty cute.

  “By the way, what’s your name?”

  “V-Vicky. You?” she asked.

  “Sven. Thank you for the help by the way,” he said.

  “Oh, you're so welcome!” she said.

  She looked red as a tomato. It was pretty cute, and he could tell from the flush of embarrassment she didn’t talk to many guys. She did have that mysterious vibe to her, which made Sven curious. He went over to one of the tables and focused on reading the books that Vicky had brought him. Occasionally, he would look up at her, resuming her work at the counter. Many of the times that he looked over at her, she was already staring at him. He found that cute, but maybe it was just being friendly, and nothing more.

  Yeah, had to be that. There was no way she’d be interested in him. In fact, he was used to girls acting a little strange around him. However, little did he know that Vicky had a lot more in her head than just a quiet encounter.

  Chapter 2

  Vicky was trying so hard not to act awkward around him. This guy, Sven, was stupid cute. It was probably just the way that he conducted himself, but she couldn't stop herself from staring at him. Whenever he looked over, she would quickly hide her face. The last thing that she needed was him to figure out that she was stealing glances at him. Although, she was sure that she was doing a poor job.

  His mysterious vibe only added to his attractiveness. Vicky couldn't help but find him charming. She didn't want to scare him off, but she wanted to at least say something.

  While he was reading quietly at the table opposite her, she took the time to study his face. She couldn't help but lock eyes with him occasionally, the gaze shared between them making her heart thump. He was super cute, and usually, the library was quiet at this time of the night. But, with his long blonde hair, perfect blue eyes, and his slight accent, she couldn't help but feel enthralled by him. She spent a few moments just watching his face, the perplexed, then curious, then calm expression he had. His eyes looked down into the book, nowhere else. She noticed his nose curl at one point at whatever he was reading. He bit his lip, and for a moment Vicky just looked at him, studying this beautiful man.

  But, she was scared. She had never asked a guy out. She was sure that she would mess up and she also dreaded the rejection. When the stranger stood up, she noted that he had a couple of books in his hands.

  She mentally congratulated fate for giving her this chance, for allowing her to talk to him once again. She looked over at the man as he brought the books he had chosen over to her.

  “Do you have a library card?” she asked.

  She knew that it was protocol, and if he didn’t, she would need to get that sorted out. He simply shook his head.

  “No. this is my first time here. Could you help me out?” he asked.

  “Yeah sure. I definitely can help with that,” she said.

  She opened up the old system that they had, and Sven scoffed.

  “That really prints out library cards? Looks like it belongs in the Stone Age,” he said pointedly.

  “You’d be surprised. I don’t know how, but it still works. I think it’s due to the fact that it’s just used for the cards and checkouts and nothing more. I can’t even use the internet on this. I don't understand why my boss hasn’t replaced it yet,” she admitted.

  “I see. Well, I guess I should give you my information then,” he said.

  Vicky awkwardly typed out the information that he gave her. Every now and then she looked at him, and every time he would gaze away before looking back at her.

  “By the way, are you free at all this coming week?” she said.

  She reddened at her words, surprised she had it in herself to ask this daring question. She expected him to maybe hesitate, but then, he shook his head.

  “I'm sorry, but if it’s a date that you're looking for, you're going to be very disappointed. I don’t really do dates. Or rather, I don’t know how to do them,” he said.

  “I understand,” she said, trying her hardest not to feel disappointed. She looked at him again, trying to figure out how to approach him. She knew for a fact that if she kept acting upset and disappointed, it would only make everything worse. But then, she looked over at one of the books that he had. It was about the paranormal, some kind of investigations into the unknown. She never really tried to make a move like this, but it was the only thing she knew that she could do, so she decided to work with this.

  “By the way, you’re interested in the paranormal, right?” she asked.

  Immediately, the tone of the conversation changed. Instead of seeming bored by her presence, he immediately looked at her with a quizzical glance.

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “Well, I do know quite a bit about the paranormal. I definitely could help, if that’s the information you’re looking for. It’s been a personal favorite subject of mine, and I've done a lot of research on it. I do believe in ghosts, and potentially shifters, that can change into animals. So, take that as you will,” she told him.

  She didn’t know that this would work. She was just being honest towards Sven and expected him to maybe be interested in this. But immediately, his gaze changed.

  “Would you want to talk about this further? I'm doing some research on it, and I've been dealing with a lot of backlash from the people that I thought could help me, so I'm looking for someone who is willing to at least provide a little bit of help to me, whatever that may be,” he said.

  “I'm not really the best at this, but I can tell you everything that I know,” she said.

  Vicky knew what he would say next would be the deciding factor. He looked at her intently.

  “What’s the charge?” he asked.

  She smiled to him with a coy grin that she hoped would convey everything that she needed.

  “If you're willing to go out on a date with me, I'll tell you what I know,” she said.

  He stared at her with a hint of surrender in his eyes.

  “You’re pretty damn persistent about this, aren’t you?” he asked.

  “Well, you're a cute and charming guy, and I'm an awkward girl. I don't know if that’s a combination that will work, but I'm willing to try,” she said.

  She was just being honest. She did find him cute, and she was curious about what he knew. Because he sure as hell did know something, he just wasn't telling anyone about it.

  “I see. So you've figured it out then. Very interesting,” he said.

  ”Well, yeah, I know a lot about it. Plus you seem nice, a
nd I want to get to know you.

  “Well, I guess I can humor you. Anyway, when do you want to meet up?” he asked.

  “When are you free? I do work second shift most days, but I can talk to my boss, and we can make this work,” she said to him. She tried her best to quell the excitement. She didn't expect such an attractive man to actually accept her offer since he seemed so disinterested until now.

  “Well, I can do next Thursday, at like 7, or so, if that works,” he said.

  “I can get the time off. That’s perfect,” she said, a smile present on her face.

  “Alright. Anyway, I'll see you around,” he said to her.