Page 1 of Coveted By The Bear

Prologue

Thunderclouds gathered overhead, rolling across the sky and blacking out the sunshine faster than I could shrug on a clean pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

Today was the day.

My life as I knew it was all about to go to shit.

I looked out the window of the busted down single wide where I parked my ass after every shift and tried to silence the monster inside me.

But it wasn’t working. Nothing would.

I thought after all these years of working sixteen, sometimes eighteen, hour days as a Soldier for the Clan, doing anything my Alpha fucking asked, would have paid some of the debt I owed to Niall Tiegs, the ruling Alpha of the Willow Creek Clan.

He was the only father I’d ever known. My parents died when I was a cub and Tiegs and his wife Michelle took me in, raised me until I was old enough to live in this old trailer alone.

Hell, I would have done anything for him.

Fight his wars. Plant his fields. We were an agricultural giant in these parts. What Shifters knew as the Willow Creek Clan, humans knew as the Willow Creek Agricultural Group.

But that old Grizzly had one more demand. One more impossible ask. Only, I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it this time. My Grizzly reared up inside me, the almost unmanageable beast snarled and clawed.

Tiegs wanted me to mate a Sow from the Shadow Legion Clan.

Zara Wells. Grizzly Shifter. Never before mated.

It should have been a no brainer. A contract between Clans. Something humans and supernaturals alike had done for thousands of years.

She was a good woman. I’d seen her a handful of times, but it was too much to ask the Fates that this female be the one meant for me.

Beautiful as she was, the only feelings that stirred within me when I looked at Zara were regret and shame. Shame that I was never going to love her. Regret that both our Clans were trying to force this pairing.

I knew it would be difficult. But I didn’t realize it would be impossible.

For my sake and for hers, I couldn’t go through with this. My animal was already tearing me apart just for considering it.

Fact was Zara Wells deserved more than a broken Bear who could never love her for a mate.

Maybe I did, too.

Something moved in the woods behind my house where my gaze was focused. I narrowed my eyes and gritted my teeth.

I’d sent a message to her, but I didn’t know when or if she’d even respond. Her brown hair was down, and she looked thoughtful as she waited for me in the copse of trees. I bolted outside.

Fuck. This was going to suck.

“Zara,” I murmured my greeting and offered a slight bow.

She gave a slight bow of her head, her lips trembling as she did. She tucked her hands behind her back and straightened her shoulders.

“Thank you for meeting me. I think we should talk,” I said.

“Of course. I think that’s a good idea, given the circumstances we’ve been put in,” she replied.

“Look, I believe in plain speaking,” I started, rubbing a hand over the back of my neck.

I was having a hard time getting a cue from her and appreciated her quiet strength and graceful stance.

I was a fucking monster. Not worthy of her to begin with.

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