Page 2 of Bearly Taken

I looked down at the device on the couch.

Reed was calling.

At the sight of his name on the screen, anger coursed through me.

Not even anger—rage. Pure, violent rage.

I grabbed it off the couch and stormed across the room, finally ripping the door open.

The most gorgeous man I’d ever seen was standing on my doorstep. Tan skin. Curly brown hair. Warm golden eyes. A chin that could cut stone, though it was covered in a few days’ worth of stubble at the moment.

He looked tired.

Much more tired than I’d ever seen him before.

But that barely registered, because I was furious.

Lifting my phone, I said, “So you do still have my number, you just didn’t bother to use it.”

He blinked.

I glared.

He finally started, “I don’t?—”

“No, youdon’t. You don’t get to show up here and demand to see your son after you bit me, knocked me up, and walked away. You don’t get to come back to town and demand to be a part of the life I fought so fucking hard for. Not after leaving me to suffer through the hellish shifter pregnancy, postpartum, and baby stage without a partner. You don’t know what it’s been like, you didn’t care, and you don’t get to claim me now. Youdon’t. I’ll send you a picture ofmyson, so you know what you’ve missed. Goodbye.”

With that, I slammed the door in his face and locked it quickly.

My heart pounded as I pressed my back to the wood, squeezing my eyes shut and forcing myself to breathe.

It was fine.

I was fine.

He wasn’t going to take Parker away from me. No one was. No onecould. I would’ve had to sign the breeding papers to give the bear clan any power over him. Signing would mean moneyfor me, which would give Parker a better life, but it was risky without knowing how Reed would react. So, I hadn’t.

And sure, a custody court could probably force me to share time with Parker’s father, but Reed wasn’t going to do that. Not when he hadn’t bothered coming back or sending a message to make sure I wasn’t pregnant.

Letting out a shaky breath, I finally lifted my phone and pulled up my messages with Reed. Apparently the old texts hadn’t been automatically deleted, because I saw our last conversation on the screen.

Reed

I’m in town. Want to meet up?

Me

Sorry, out with friends right now

Maybe next time ;)

Reed

At the Grill?

I’d never answered.

I hadn’t admitted it to anyone other than my best friend who’d lived in New York at the time, but we’d been friends with benefits for years. There were only a few guys in town I was attracted to, and after you’ve been with a bear shifter, it’s extremely difficult to go back to sleeping with human guys.

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