Page 19 of Claimed By Her Bear

Pola’s hands flew across her keyboard. The report the alpha needed was almost done. She was thriving at her new job and loved every minute of it, but today, her mind was on her mate. She eyed the clock on the wall of her very cozy office and groaned. She had another two hours before she got off work.

She had a plan.

She was going to woo her mate.

No one could resist a cute, cuddly bear who brought snacks and good things to eat.

Pola smiled. She may not be able to cook as well as her sister and mother, but she knew of a local farmer’s market where she could pick up some great home-cooked foods she was sure Shekita would love.

“Hey, Pola.”

She looked up. Her alpha stood in the doorway. Her bear immediately bowed down, submitting to the stronger bear. Eddie walked into her office and set a folder down on it.

“Alpha, how are you?” Pola stood and lowered her gaze in a sign of respect.

“Oh, please sit. We don’t need formalities in the office. Your family and mine are extremely close, Pola.” Eddie shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. She was a strong woman who everyone respected. She was tall, which was no surprise with her bear genes. She even towered over Pola’s six-foot frame. Her thick brown hair was held back from her face in a single braid. She was dressed casual in jeans and a dark shirt. “I need you to set up a meeting with this company, myself, and Selen.”

“And the subject matter?” Pola lifted the folder. She browsed through it and saw proposals for renovations for their clan center. She grew excited. Their building hadn’t been renovated before and had been a central part of their community since the early twentieth century.

“We are renovating this building.” Eddie strolled around Pola’s office. She ran her hand along the wall and sighed. “It’s about time. This building is due for updates. I don’t know why we have waited so long.”

Pola’s gaze landed on the header of the paperwork and took in the name of the company.

Harper Construction.

Her heart stuttered. This was Shekita’s company. She bit back a smile thinking how fate was pushing her mate toward her. She would have to work with Shekita, be that she was the alpha’s secretary. She had to hold back her giddiness. She dropped the paperwork onto her desk and took her seat.

“I’ll send out the meeting request right away. Did you have a certain day in mind or where you would want to meet?” she asked, reaching for a notepad.

“The owner, Troy Harper, and I, had dinner the other night and spoke a great deal. He wants to come do an assessment of the building so he can offer us an in-depth analysis.” Eddie strode over to the door. She paused and spun around, walking backwards. “See if they can come either this week or next and just work it into my schedule and Selen’s.”

“Will do, Alpha.” She gave a little wave as Eddie disappeared down the hall. Pola kicked her shoes off underneath her desk and got to work. It wouldn’t take her long to compare Eddie’s and Selen’s schedules then offer something out. Once she had a few dates in mind, she placed a call to Harper Construction.

A sultry voice came on the line. Pola was slightly disappointed it wasn’t Shekita’s. Not that she would expect Shekita to be answering the company’s phones. She was soon connected to Troy’s secretary, and they hashed out dates. After the call, she sent out the dates to the alpha’s and beta’s calendars.

Pola sat back and wondered if Shekita would be coming with Troy to do the assessment. That would give her another opportunity to see her mate. She wanted to share the history of her clan and people with her. Shekita would need to know about her people if they were to be mated. Pola knew without a doubt she would be able to convince her they belonged together.

The rest of Pola’s day flew by. Not that she didn’t love her job, she did, but she had more pressing things on her mind. She gathered her purse and keys then flew out of her office. She locked the door and headed down the hall to check in with the alpha and beta just in case they needed anything before she left. Thankfully, neither of them were in their offices.

Most times they weren’t. The two were true bears and didn’t like being inside. Pola chuckled and spun around on her heels and ambled through their clan’s building. It was like a community center for their people. It was always bustling with activity. There were plenty of classes held here for the public, traditional meetings of the clan, mating ceremonies, and a small library of ancient books that were cared for by the clan’s historian. It would do the building good to get an upgrade.

Pola slid into her car and tossed her purse in the passenger seat. She blew out a deep breath and wondered if she should happen to stop by the Lick and Bite, would she see Shekita. Grinning, she started the engine and put the car in gear. It didn’t take her long to get to Saffron’s shop.

Pola parked down the street, unable to get a close spot. She wiped her damp hands on the skirt of her dress and made her way toward the shop. It was a beautiful afternoon, and her bear was pacing inside her. It had been a few days since she’d last shifted.

“Okay. As soon as I get home later, you’ll get to come out.” Pola chuckled. Her bear pushed against her stomach. She inhaled the wonderful fresh air. She was riding on a high today. She smiled and waved to another pedestrian. Her bear head butted her again. “I promise. When we get home, you’ll get to come out. Just not right now in the center of town.”

The humans wouldn’t appreciate a large grizzly bear scampering down the main road. She giggled at the picture. It would be funny, but she’d hear it from the alpha. Lurton was a mix of human and shifters. For the most part, everyone got along well, but it would still be a sight to see a grizzly walking along.

Pola arrived at the Lick and Bite. She took in the sign above the door and smiled. Her friend had worked hard for this shop. Leaving corporate America to work for herself had been a dream come true for Saffron. Pola was happy for her best friend to return home and settle down.

Pola swung into the shop and was assaulted by the aroma of fresh paint and loud, blaring music. The bright colors on the walls were a definite change from the white walls that were present before the place had burned down. Pola scanned the shop and took in a few men working, but there was no sign of Shekita.

“Can I help you?” A tall man with backward baseball cap on walked toward her. Paint was splattered all over his clothes and matched the walls. He appeared to be pleasant, offering her a warm smile.

“Oh, um, I’m Pola. I’m friends with the owner, Saffron. I was just stopping by to see her,” she lied. Thankfully, he was human and wouldn’t be able to scent her lie. She eyed the room again and didn’t see Shekita. She inhaled, testing to see if she could pick up her scent. It was there, but faint, as if she’d left hours ago. Pola’s shoulders slumped. She’d missed her.

“She’s in her office or at the back doors. A delivery just arrived.” He motioned to the hall behind the counter.

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