The Bear Claw Tales- Complete Series Read online

  The fact that supernaturals walked amongst humans, or normals as they were called, was a secret that must be kept at all costs. Each group had their own way of enforcing this rule, and there were other agencies that helped track down and take care of anyone who was a threat to that and a handful of other absolute rules.

  Fact was, a feral Bear had no place amongst society. In short, Marcus would be hunted and later put to death if he went feral. A strong probability if he remained unmated.

  This odious task was usually carried out by the Alpha of the Bear Clan in question. For him that would mean his father. Fuck.

  Okay, time to Shift, he told his inner beast. He visualized the thick, dark fur and the hefty weight of his other self.

  His body trembled in response to the magic that responded so readily whenever he called forth his Black Bear. He was easily double the size of any normal black bear and right then, every single inch of him was on edge.

  The next day, he was leaving Barvale to visit one of the new Bear Claw Bakery locations. His job was to evaluate the site and make sure it was up to their specifications.

  He’d leave all this business of finding a mate till he got back. This new store was the perfect excuse for a few days of relaxation. Just what he needed!

  As the eldest, he got first pick when it came to travel. He’d use this as a mini vacay. After all, it was his business plan that led them to lease spaces in Stein Luxury Hotel & Resorts.

  Bear Claw Bakery had over a dozen locales up and down the east coast already, but with these new mini storefronts in the popular hotel chain, they’d launch into an entirely new level of renown and fortune.

  Famous locally and in the tri-state area for their wide selection of organic, non-GMO, freshly brewed coffees and teas, not to mention their made-to-order fresh fruit or veggie smoothies, Marcus knew they’d benefit any tourist establishment.

  They also served a delectable assortment of freshly baked bread, muffins, cookies, pies, pastries, croissants, and other goods throughout the day.

  He was thrilled with the prospect of Bear Claw Bakery becoming a household name. Of course, the new mini bakeries in the hotel chain had shortened menus, but they were damn good ones. Marcus made sure of it.

  His brothers had helped him decide what products they’d sell at these smaller bakeries. Of course, baking would be done on the premises. That meant finding chefs. Good ones.

  Marcus had spent months interviewing and training the right people to manage the new locations. Finding experienced chefs was handled by Daniel. The Bear may be a woman hater now that his fiancée had dumped his ass, but he could sniff out talent fast as lightning.

  Taylor, his youngest brother, came up with the idea to feature fresh local produce in their stores according to each location. Marcus and Daniel readily supported the decision. Real ingredients for real people.

  All three brothers took turns to visit the new locations, and there were just a handful left. Marcus’ turn was next. And not a minute too soon. This mate business was making him nuts. He couldn’t wait to land in paradise!

  He booked the hotel room for an extra week instead of the normal day or two the trip usually entailed. He couldn’t remember the last time he just relaxed. He was long overdue.

  This time tomorrow he’d be sitting on a beach with a tumbler of Clover Bite, his favorite brand of artisan whiskey, and soaking up the glorious sun. But right now, he needed to Change.

  His Bear hated to fly. The idea of soaring thousands of feet above land was ludicrous to the beast inside him.

  Marcus found it best to let him out before a long trip. Alright, buddy, let’s run, he said to himself and let out a short roar as his body changed to that of his hulking Black Bear just before he took off into the woods.

  Chapter 1

  Leya Tremayne sipped from her glass of chilled Chardonnay and listened to her impeccably dressed boss over their shared appetizers.

  She sighed and nodded her head in all the appropriate places, but her mind was a million miles away. I can’t believe this is happening.

  When her big, handsome boss asked her to accompany him to dinner, she’d had a minor heart attack. All her daydreams over the past few months were finally about to come to fruition! Or not.

  She’d been certain her luck had changed, but after nibbling on a stuffed mushroom, not her favorite appetizer by the way, and watching him order a fruity cocktail that made her shudder, he started confessing his real reason for asking her out. This cannot be happening to me again!

  “You don’t have any plans tonight, right?” he’d asked while perching on her desk earlier that evening.

  Like the desperate jerk she was, she nodded her head and agreed with him. Even though it was Friday night and damned presumptuous of him to ask her to go with him on such short notice.

  Oh well, she thought, that’s what you get for being obvious. Still, at least I’ll get a nice dinner. Those had been her thoughts when he first brought up the subject of his super sexy, super skinny, and somewhat bitchy girlfriend.

  Several blue cocktails later, he was still rambling on about his relationship with the tall, model-thin, Tris Beverly, and they hadn’t even ordered their food yet.

  Leya sighed miserably as she tried to appear sympathetic. Hmm. More like just pathetic, she rolled her eyes. Was she doomed to be a shoulder for guys to cry on forever?

  “She said I was insensitive!” he said and took another swig from his Blue Hawaiian.

  What kind of a man drank a Blue Hawaiian at an Italian restaurant for Pete’s sake?

  “I’m sure she didn’t mean it, Gary. You’re the least insensitive man I know,” Leya said with an appropriate amount of concern in her voice.

  She really wanted to end this nightmare of a dinner, but she didn’t want to offend him. The man was her boss.

  Unfortunately, he seemed to think she was also his therapist. She sighed and looked longingly at the next table. Ooh, shrimp scampi over linguini! Totally drool-worthy.

  Gary asked another question, and she nodded hoping it was the correct response. Her stomach grumbled.

  He continued on and on, so, yes must have been the right answer. Good guess, she thought and sipped some wine.

  Her stomach continued to grumble. Reminding her the half a mushroom appetizer was all she’d eaten since lunch.

  Typically, it did absolutely nothing to quell her appetite. To put it bluntly, Leya liked food. She looked down at her ample figure. Well, duh.

  “It’s just that Tris is so hot! A guy would be crazy not to want her, right? But-”

  “Uh huh, but Gary-”

  “See, I knew you’d get it, but she…”

  While he droned on, Leya gazed longingly at the happy couples enjoying dinner. Why am I here? She’d worked for Gary for two years, and though they’d been friendly, he never asked her out.

  Clearly, he was head over heels for Tris, and she was a fill-in. She paused as his perfectly manicured fingers captured hers.

  Startled, Leya stopped at the sudden feel of his absurdly soft hand. No fireworks, but maybe…

  “If only I could have fallen for a shy and vulnerable girl like you, huh?” He winked and took another swig of his bright blue drink, oblivious to the way his words sliced through her heart.

  Leya knew her limitations. She was nothing like the thin, beautiful Tris. Nope.

  Leya had an ongoing love affair with sweet rolls and mocha lattes that showed. Okay, she was over-weight, and she knew it.

  She exercised regularly and tried to eat sensibly, but sometimes it was difficult. She worked long hours and often ate on-the-go.

  Working as an administrative assistant in the big city was non-stop. The job had quickly lost its luster, but she stayed because, well, she’d been afraid to leave.

  She had crushed on her boss since meeting him. Forever it seemed, but finally, tonight, she realized he’d never notice her as a woman. He saw her as a secretary and a buddy. A shoulder to cry on.


  She withdrew her hand from his. Maybe they could have salvaged the meal, but Gary didn’t even signal the waitress.

  She didn’t get a chance to order as he sent the woman for drink after drink! He just kept guzzling his Blue Hawaiian and moaning about his girlfriend.

  Well, at least one good thing would come of this. She sighed and ran a hand over her pulled back hair.

  Leya had to move on. She sighed as she paid the bill, Gary having forgotten his wallet at work. He stood to say goodnight and nearly toppled the table over. Just great. She’d have to see the jerk all the way home. Ugh.

  “I can drive perfectly, I’ll be fine. Always drive myself,” he grumbled.

  “No, really,” she insisted.

  After about ten minutes of refusing, Gary agreed. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the man had suddenly caught a case of the hands.

  The entire taxi ride, he’d tried to cop a feel, which wasn’t all that easy to avoid in such a confined space. His too-soft hands groped her over her clothing no matter how many times she shoved them down onto his own lap.

  “That’s enough, Gary. Okay, we are here. Thank you,” Leya said to the driver as she paid the fare.

  “No problem, lady, you sure you don’t need any help with him?”

  “Um, no thanks, it’s okay,” she smiled at the man’s kindness and exited the cab to find Gary sitting on the curb, attempting to take off his shoes.

  “No, don’t do that here, Gary!”

  “Why not? I’m tired, and my feet hurt!” His whine hurt her ears, and she wondered how she ever imagined herself in love with this baby-man! Another fantasy bites the dust, she thought and rolled her eyes before hefting him off the curb.

  “You’re almost home now. Come on, upsy-daisy,” she struggled under his weight as she helped him into the elevator.

  Leya used the wall to try and keep him upright, but she lost hold of him when one of his hands suddenly dropped onto her blouse.

  “Leya, Leya, Leya, you know, you have got one giant pair of boobs on you-”

  “Mr. Trainer! Stop that!” She pushed his hand off, mortified by his behavior.

  He started to slide down the wall, all the way to the floor. She had half a mind to leave him there, but being the responsible idiot that she was, she forced herself to help him up again.

  She gritted her teeth and grabbed his hand to stop its wandering only to have him push his face way too close to hers.

  The smell of sickeningly sweet alcohol made her want to vomit. She turned her face to avoid his slobbering kiss.

  “Come on, Leya, Leeyyaa, maybe I should lay ya? Lay ya, Leya, ha, ha!” He snickered loudly.

  She was tempted to drop him where he stood. The rat! But she made it this far and she’d see the asshat inside. Ugh.

  “Mr. Trainer, please remember you’re my boss, and this is unprofessional!”

  “Puhleease! Everyone knows how you feel about me, you know, Tris was even jealous, and I couldn’t believe it! I mean look at her and look at you! I told her, Leya is a good secretary, but I am not into chubby virgins!”

  Heat burned her cheeks at his drunken admission. Did he really see her as nothing but a fat secretary who’d be so desperate to take what he was offering? OMG! And what did he mean everyone knew?

  Mortification was making it difficult for her to breathe. He continued as if unaware of her sudden stiffness and pallor.

  “You’re fat, but not bad looking,” his hand roamed again, and she was almost too stunned to move, “yeah, I mean, why not, I could take one for the team. So Leya, want me to lay ya?”

  “What?!” she screeched.

  “Come on, maybe I can show you what you’re missing, I can knock that halo off your head, a pity-fuck now and then is good for the soul, they say,” he giggled like a schoolgirl and dropped his hands to grab her ass. That’s it! Before she could react, the door opened to reveal a pissed off Tris.

  “What the hell?”

  “I think this jackass is yours!” Leya said.

  “Oh, baby, there you are, I was just, uh-”

  “Gary your hands were on her ass!”

  “Come on, Tris, you know she doesn’t do it for me. She’s a fatty nobody, but you’re the one I want,” as he fumbled with his apologies, Leya, narrowed her eyes and unceremoniously pushed him.

  Gary stumbled forward, caught off guard. He surged forward and knocked over Tris. They both stared at her from their positions on the floor of his apartment with their mouths hanging open.

  “Leya?”

  “You little tramp-”

  “Nuh uh, you don’t get to call me names. That’s it, I have had it. Mr. Trainor, I quit!”

  With those words ringing in her ears, Leya Tremayne took the stairs two at a time. She stood outside trembling in the chilly night air as she hailed another cab. The noise and lights of the big city were nothing more than a blur through her unshed tears and the noise in her head.

  She went home to her apartment and the first thing she did was turn on her laptop. After sending two short but sweet emails, one to HR and one to Gary.

  She informed them both of her decision to quit without notice and thanking Gary for his generous agreement to giving her two-weeks’ pay up front. Take that you jerk. She also gave them instructions on where to send the few personal items she left in the office.

  Afterwards, Leya looked around her rental. It was a decent size, but it was sparse. As if she’d just moved in. She sighed and closed her eyes as she realized she hadn’t made a single real friend in the two years since she’d left her parents’ home and travelled to the big city to work for that jerk!

  She was tired of being unappreciated and pitied! Leya sucked in a breath, willing herself to calm down. What she needed was a fresh start! But first, a little rest and relaxation.

  Minutes later with an airline ticket and hotel room booked, Leya let out a long sigh.

  Paradise, here I come!

  Chapter 2

  Marcus breathed in the warm, hibiscus-scented air and smiled. His Bear chuffed and snorted in his mind’s eye. The huge beast happy with their little escape. Paradise!

  A little business mixed with a few nights on the beach was just what the Bear ordered! He’d worry about finding someone to settle down with later. Ugh. Settle. He hated that word.

  Once upon a time he would have wanted something else, something like Ignatius and Dolores Devlin had! His great-great grandparents were rumored to be truly matebonded as only fated mates could be.

  Such an occurrence was a rarity among Shifters. His father told him the tale of their love when he was just a cub. But Marcus didn’t believe in fairytales anymore.

  His mother and father had a strong no-nonsense kind of marriage until his mother died. His father mourned her in his way, they all did. It had been three years now.

  His father retired from the bakery, but he still ran their small Clan. He was whole after his wife’s death, leading Marcus to believe that his parents were not a truly matebonded couple. They were not fated mates. Maybe it really did only exist in fairytales?

  He shrugged. So, what? He just needed someone to fill this ache in his chest, to settle his Bear, then his life could continue like it had been. But first things, first, vacation time.

  “Welcome, Mr. Devlin!”

  “Hi, Mr. Gordon,” Marcus had been in contact with the hotel manager the past few days organizing his stay.

  He nodded and took the man’s hand careful not to squeeze it too hard. Mr. Gordon was a normal. Marcus looked around the huge lobby of the hotel and smiled. The open concept was fluid and very modern, unlike most of the other hotels, he stayed at.

  This one had undergone renovations recently, and Marcus approved. The lobby was large and clean. Inviting was the word that came to mind.

  The guests seemed to think so too as they milled about with wide, happy smiles on their sunburnt faces. This was going to be the perfect place to relax before he went back home and resumed his search for a mate.
Mr. Gordon motioned for a bellhop to come and take Marcus’ bags.

  “Shall I show you to your room, Mr. Devlin?”

  “Let me drop in on the store first. I’ve missed Mrs. Leeds.”

  “Ah, certainly, sir! The Bear Claw is a most welcome addition, and the guests are raving about it!”

  “Great to hear, Gordon.”

  “Certainly! I will send your things up ahead of you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Anytime, sir!”

  Marcus nodded and turned to the shining glass doors of the Bear Claw Bakery. When he entered, he was greeted with the familiar scents of their famous morning honey buns and sweet raisin rolls.

  His smile grew broader as his impeccable sense of smell told him Mrs. Leeds followed his instructions regarding their signature recipes to perfection.

  “Mr. Devlin! I see you’ve come to check on me!” a booming, accented voice reached his ears.

  “I see you’ve added that coconut honey bun we’ve been discussing to the menu? I’ll take two to go and a large iced coffee, black, darling!” He greeted the older woman with a warm hug and friendly smile.

  “Oh, yes! You will love it, I am sure! Right away, sir!” She smiled at him and swatted him playfully when he tugged open her apron strings.

  “You tease, now if you go wandering round the island this visit, you just watch yourself, a pack of wild dogs was seen just last week over at your favorite lookout point, Mr. Marcus,” she told him and giggled like a girl when he kissed her round cheek.

  Her hands went to tidy her pretty, gray braids as she moved quickly behind the counter and told a young man to fill his order in her native tongue. She smiled at him with all the warmth of a grandma to her young cub and he grinned like one back.

  “Thanks for the warning, dear.”

  Cheerful music played through the speakers, as Marcus quickly checked the equipment over. After taking a few notes and listening to some of his feisty manager’s suggestions, Marcus took his bag of goodies and his iced coffee and left the store.