Return To The Bear (Bear Valley Shifters #3)(5)

“I want to be with one man,” she said, swaying toward him like her body still required his heat. “And I want to be his only mate. You can’t give that to me. I need more.”

His face grew ruddy and his eyes took on a dangerous glint. “You would have me forsake all other women, just so I could be with you?”

She lifted her chin defiantly. “Yes.” Her mother and father had mated for life. Blood Den encouraged those kinds of relationships and she’d dreamt of one day finding that. Nathan was powerful and sexy, but Long Claws had never lived by clan rules. They felt they were above them and gave more power to their animals, forsaking human instincts.

Nathan didn’t want a mate. He wanted breeders.

“My love?” Anya asked from the entrance to the stairway. She was a slight thing, mousey almost, with dirty blonde ringlets and an easy smile for Nathan. She always looked at him so adoringly, Joanna had mistaken it for love when he’d first started collecting his mates. It wasn’t though. She was like his other women. High on the power that being mated to the alpha brought, and very well-bedded. That probably looked a lot like love to bear shifters raised to expect this kind of pairing. To Joanna, who’d seen real love, it was terrifying to think she could be like Anya someday.

With long strides, Nathan reached Anya and slid his hands around her waist. He kissed her, lingering as if addicted to the taste of her. His hand drew up and cupped the back of her head and he tilted her back, and dipped his mouth to her neck. She moaned and pressed against him.

Maybe he wouldn’t notice if Joanna just slipped behind them and disappeared down the stairs.

“Anya, I want you on my bed. Joanna, sit in that chair over there. This will be your punishment for running.”

Aw, crap. More torture. Joanna ambled over to the chair and plopped down with her legs crossed. Maybe if she clamped them hard enough, her hormones would get the message to shut the hell up.

Nathan undressed Anya on the bed, and she turned and threw Joanna a smile over her shoulder. “Is she joining us today?”

A severe look dashed over his face, but he replaced it with his usually stony countenance by the time Anya turned to look at him. “Not today, love.”

Love? The man didn’t know the meaning of the word.

Tenderly, he lay Anya on his bed and shot Joanna one last lingering look before he pushed his shaft gently into his mate. His muscles rippled as he thrust slowly, ever courteous to pay special attention to Anya’s breasts and neck. The slick sound of them screwing shot warmth down Joanna’s middle and she tightened her legs even more. Damn him for doing this to her. He’d been teasing her for weeks, seducing her slowly and now he was flaunting sex in front of her like she was some plaything.

Anya threw her head back and whispered his name, and Nathan’s gaze found Joanna’s as he rocked. “Legs apart,” he said in a strained voice. “Let me see you.”

The brute. The only thing keeping her from orgasming right along with Anya was her tightly clenched legs.

“Now,” he barked out.

Uncrossing her knees, she slowly slid her feet apart and clenched her hands against her thighs, fighting the urge to touch herself.

Nathan’s gaze didn’t leave her sex as he came into Anya. Joanna felt empty and wished anyone but Nathan would look at her like he just did.

She’d crumble soon and give into him. She couldn’t fight her body’s needs forever. And when she did, her favorite parts of herself would be stifled forever.





Chapter Two


Joanna ambled down the pathway that led to the small house she shared with three other shifters. She’d lived here for two years but still, calling it home didn’t feel right. Two of her roommates were still working at the gardens, but Audrey was sitting at the table reading a magazine with a plastic container of chocolate pudding sitting open in front of her. Joanna wasn’t a huge Audrey fan, so she nodded a minimalist greeting and strode down the hallway to take a cold shower and find some clothes.

When she stepped into the small space, however, she drew up short. The bed had been stripped and all of her belongings had been removed. The carpet had been vacuumed and cables hung out of the wall where her small television set used to be. Even her oil painting prints had been removed, along with their nails.

Rushing for the kitchen, she asked Audrey, “What happened to all of my stuff?”

She smirked, the little beast. “Blake came by and packed your things. He left that.” Audrey nodded her chin toward a folded piece of paper on the living room coffee table.

Unfolding the letter, her chest constricted like someone was sitting on top of it as she read.



You’ll be living with Nathan’s mates in the big house from now on. You’ll find your belongings in the room closest to the kitchen. Dress quickly. Our alpha wants you to join him at dinner. He says he is making a big announcement about you. Don’t be late.

-Blake, Second to the Alpha



Second to the Alpha? Putting his rank on a letter like this was such a dick move. She didn’t need to be reminded that he was still higher up and could order her around. She crumpled the paper into a tight ball, shoved it in her mouth, screeched her fury and shot it past her lips like a bad news canon. It bounced off the wall and she glared at it, debating whether or not to set the horrid little thing on fire. The audacity of that irritating, conniving—