Wildest Bear: A Shifters in Love Fun & Flirty Romance (Bewitched by the Bear Book 1) Read online

  Wildest Bear

  A Shifters in Love Fun and Flirty Romance (Bewitched by the Bear - Book 1)

  V. Vaughn

  Sugarloaf Press

  Copyright © 2018 by V. Vaughn

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover by Wilson Rowe

  Editing by Jodi Henley, Red Adept Publishing and Angie Ramey

  Sign up for V. Vaughn’s newsletter to hear about more shifter romance books.

  Contents

  About This Book

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  About the Author

  About This Book

  WILDEST BEAR

  A Shifters in Love Fun and Flirty Romance

  Bewitched by the Bear - Book 1

  by V. Vaughn

  Clan witch Tally knows she’s fortunate to have married Marcel. Before the alpha of the Ouellette clan allowed it, witch and werebear relationships were strictly forbidden. And now she realizes there may have been a very good reason for the rule. Their toddler twins are shifting in a clan where that doesn’t happen until after puberty. And it’s taking place in a world full of humans who don’t know werebear exist.

  While Tally could try to use magic to control her children until they’re old enough to understand the implication of spontaneous shifting, it’s not foolproof. And it’s not a chance she’s willing to take, because the humans who do know werebear exist want them wiped off the planet. Now that Tally and Marcel’s twins are a danger to the clan, Tally must find a way to keep everyone safe. But she fears that because her children are half werebear being a witch might not be enough.

  1

  There is nothing more nerve-wracking than inviting childless girlfriends over when you have little kids. And there is no such thing as a quick errand when those toddlers are twins. My version of cleaning for my friends today was tossing all the toys in a laundry basket and calling it a toy chest. But when I pulled out graham crackers and juice for appetizers earlier, I realized I needed to go to the grocery store for grown-up snacks and wine. Because I could really use a drink that packs more punch than vitamin C.

  “Mommy!” cries out Adam. “Hungry.” He reaches over and grabs Ava’s piece of cheese she hasn’t finished yet, and my daughter’s little face scrunches up as she begins to cry.

  I reach down into the grocery cart designed like a child’s toy car and take Ava’s snack out of Adam’s hands. “Honey, you don’t get to take your sister’s food when you finish yours. We’ll have dinner as soon as we get home.”

  “No!” he screams as he reaches for the cheese again.

  I grab his hand to stop my son, but before I can use a stern voice to tell him no again, a low rumble forms in his throat and fur sprouts on his skin. Oh no! I glance around to see if anyone is watching us, but we’re the only ones in our aisle. Even so, we have to get out of here fast.

  In a split second, I call upon my witch powers and act. A small fireball flies from my fingers toward a display of cans, knocking it over and causing a commotion. I grab my kids out of the shopping cart and tuck Adam face-first into me with the hope his clothing will hide the fact he’s turning into a bear. Fortunately, a screaming Ava is under my other arm, and as I practically run out of the store, I convince myself people will think I’m just another mother abandoning her cart because of a child having a temper tantrum.

  The side door to my minivan automatically opens when I hit the remote, and by the time I get to the car, I’m able to squeeze in the back and close us off in tinted-window privacy. I let out a whoosh of air. “Well, that was fun,” I say. I smooth back Ava’s hair and notice she still has a piece of her cheese clutched between her chubby little fingers. I lift her hand. “Look.”

  Ava’s tears stop instantly, and she smiles as she begins to eat her food. I place her in a car seat and then turn to Adam. The door lock clicks annoyingly as he fiddles with it, and I notice he’s back to his human form. I wonder if he even realizes what just happened. Since me freaking out usually means my kids will follow, I maintain my cool. “And you, little man, no more stealing your sister’s food. Got it?” I tickle his belly, and he giggles as I put him in his car seat too.

  I let out a heavy sigh and think about how lucky I am. Since I was a teenager, I’ve been in love with Marcel, a sexy werebear who makes my pulse race every time I see him. But I used to be sure I could never have him. No werebear clan would ever allow a witch like me to be more than their medicine woman. Not that Jean Luc, the alpha I serve, ever made me feel as if I weren’t part of the clan, but witches and werebear didn’t entertain romantic relationships. Not publicly, anyway. Let alone get married with the alpha’s blessing.

  I fasten my children’s seat belts and climb into the front of the van. Fortunately for Marcel and me, a lot has changed in the secret world of werebear over the last five years. A clan in Maine put out a spiritual call for half-werebear women to come and bear children in order to remedy the curse that had made their females barren. The next thing we knew, the halves started to appear for other clans too, and they even made it to my Canadian clan of Ouellettes.

  So I suppose that’s why Jean Luc allowed the marriage between Marcel and me. Humans and werebear have been sneaking off together for decades, and while the affairs and children produced by them were kept secret, it was believed werebear traits in halves were dormant. It was the hope that with three-quarters-werebear blood, the offspring of a half and a full werebear could become new members of the clan that so desperately needed them.

  I maneuver my way through the grocery store parking lot, and my blinker ticks as I wait for the traffic light to change. As with many things in life, Kimi, the medicine woman who put out the call for half women to come to her clan, couldn’t have predicted what would happen. It was discovered that once those half-werebear women were bitten, they became werebear too. I shudder as I recall watching the excruciating process that spontaneously happens when a half is bitten. Full werebear never have to endure that. Instead, they learn to shift once puberty hits.

  In theory, Marcel and I knew our children would have the choice to let their werebear side lie dormant or change. And Jean Luc assured us they’d be allowed the opportunity when they became adults. When I was pregnant, Marcel worried that our children would torture him with magic, and maybe one day, they will. I discovered my powers around the age of five, but they only amused my grandmother, the previous Ouellette medicine woman who raised me. And since full-blooded werebear don’t shift until they’re teens, it never occurred to me to be concerned about little children tormenting me with their bear side. Until now.

  I glance in the rearview mirror when I hear giggling and notice Adam licking the smeared remains of cheese off Ava’s fingers, and despite my worry, I smile. I swear my twins spend their time trying to make each other laugh. And I’m convinced when they’re older they’ll have a secret language just so they can communicate what might set me off in a hissy fit for their further amusement.

  Whatever set Adam
off earlier, though, is long gone. I recall that one of the ways teenage werebear learn to shift is to dredge up something that is embarrassing or makes them mad. Adam’s shift had to have been his anger at being told he couldn’t have Ava’s food. While the shifting isn’t a big concern—my children are half werebear, after all—I’m not sure how to control it in a small child. And that makes me worried about what this means for the safety of our clan. The people in this town cannot find out werebear are in their midst if we want to survive, and if my children can shift before they understand the implications of their secret getting out, they’re not going to be allowed to have the normal childhood Marcel and I so desperately want for them.

  One of the mandates of most werebear clans is that children assimilate with the humans they’ll share the earth with. Witches are accepted more easily by humans, and it’s never been a concern for my kind to keep what we are secret. Especially since most people think we’re not nearly as powerful as we are. But Marcel is not a big fan of me nurturing our twins’ magical abilities as we discover them for a good reason. Before we were allowed to be together, I unleashed my magic, and many werebear and witches in the area now know of my strength. So not only does my husband fear the twins won’t be old enough to understand what their power means, but using it where the wrong people might see it isn’t a good idea. So I agreed to a compromise. We’d deal with only the abilities the twins discover by accident until they’re teens, at which time we’ll teach them to shift and uncover their magic.

  The idea that our children would accidentally shift wasn’t even a consideration, and now we’re going to have to figure out how to teach two-year-olds to control their intense emotions. I realize that’s hardly the end of the world, but my stomach is in knots just the same, and my insecurities rush to the surface.

  What’s upsetting me is more than the fact my son shifted; it’s that I’m not equipped to deal with the werebear side of my children. I feel as if I’m living on borrowed time as it is, because werebear have true mates, and those true mates are other werebear, not humans with magical abilities. No matter how much Marcel thinks he loves me now, one day, his true mate could come along and make him regret the fact he’s tied to me. My throat tightens, and I inhale sharply as I imagine the pain. When that day comes, my world is going to shatter into tiny pieces I’m afraid I’ll never be able to put back together.

  I shake off my pessimistic thoughts and try to focus on the more immediate problem. Not that it makes me feel any better, though. I’d bet my last eagle talon Jean Luc never would have agreed to let Marcel and me have children if he knew our two-year-olds would be shifting because we put the entire clan at risk of discovery.

  2

  I gaze at my twins sitting at their kid-size table, oblivious to our predicament, as they smear pasta with tomato sauce all over their faces in an attempt to get the noodles in their mouths. I make my way over to the sink to wet a rag as I hold my cell phone between my cheek and shoulder. “Bella,” I say when my friend answers my call. “Don’t hate me, but I need you to stop at the grocery store on your way here.” I chuckle. “Look for an abandoned kiddy cart in aisle three.”

  Bella laughs. “No problem, Tally. It sounds like you’re having a day.”

  “You could say that,” I say as I approach my kids, looking for claws or fangs. “Thanks for doing this.”

  Ava says, “Mommy, no,” as I wipe food off her face, and Adam whines when he sees me headed for him next.

  “You’re welcome. You can tell us all about it soon,” says Bella. “I’ll even put those little darlings to bed if you want.”

  “You say that now…”

  Bella laughs. “There’s always boarding school. Just two more years.”

  I chuckle too before I realize that even though she’s joking, boarding school isn’t an option now that I know Adam can shift. “Actually—” I sigh. “Never mind. I’ll tell you all about it when you get here.”

  “Wow. I think you need that wine sooner rather than later. Dawn and I will be there as quick as we can.”

  Once I end my call, I tend to my children. “Okay, my little pumpkins. It’s bath time so that you’re in jammies and as cute as can be for Auntie Bella and Auntie Dawn.”

  Little feet patter as my children make their way to the bathtub, where they’ll splash enough water to clean the floor too. It’s likely a bear thing, because my kids love their bath.

  As water thunders into the tub, I strip food-caked clothes off Adam. The moment his diaper is off, he grabs his privates and squeals with delight. It makes me chuckle as I remove Ava’s clothing too. I think about Marcel, who is away on clan business. He loves giving the kids their bath, and I wish he was here right now. I hate that I’m going to have to tell him about Adam shifting over the phone. I also hope this isn’t as big a deal as I’m afraid it is. Marcel is one of Jean Luc’s top men, and my husband idolizes his alpha. The last thing Marcel’s going to want to do is disappoint him.

  I turn off the water and plop my little ones into the tub. Ava immediately grabs the cup I use to pour water over their heads and douses herself, while Adam lies on his belly. “Look, Mommy. I’m swimming.”

  “I see that.” I squirt shampoo into my hand, and I begin to lather Ava’s hair.

  Love for my children fills me and swells my heart to the point I can’t contain it. I’m not sure, but I think when I feel this way, it seeps into my children through our genetic magical connection, because Ava stands up and grabs me to give me a soapy hug as Adam giggles and says, “Mommy, it tickles.”

  “Hello!” Bella calls out.

  “Up here!” I grab the cup to rinse my daughter’s hair.

  My friend’s heels click on the bathroom tile as she enters, and she perches herself on the closed toilet as she say, “Look at the two cutest kids ever. Hi, guys.”

  Adam ignores her as he plunges a toy boat under the water and makes an explosion sound. Ava says, “I want a spar-ly drink, Bella.” She’s referring to the drinks that Bella spells to send off tiny fireworks.

  Bella grins at her. “If Mommy says it’s okay, you can have a sparkly drink. With an umbrella.” She looks at me. “Dawn dropped me off, and she’s getting us Chinese.”

  “I wanna sword,” says Adam.

  “I brought one of those too, little guy,” says Bella.

  I lift up Ava from the water and say, “Incoming.” Bella’s the kind of woman who dresses up every day as if it’s normal behavior, but even in her skinny jeans and low-cut blouse, she’s doesn’t think twice about grabbing a towel and holding it open for me. She then wraps my little girl up tight. I say, “Her pajamas are on her bed.”

  As soon as Bella and Ava are gone, I soap up Adam’s hair and decide to approach the subject of his shifting. I say, “You got angry at Mommy today when I wouldn’t let you have Ava’s cheese.”

  “I sorry, Mommy.”

  “I know, sweetie. I’m not mad at you, but do you remember what happened when you got upset?”

  “Grrrrr.”

  I tense up as Adam growls, but he doesn’t shift, and then it hits me why he would do it. Marcel would never shift in front of the children, but if he drops something or hurts himself, he does let out a low growl. I say, “That’s what Daddy does when he gets mad.”

  Adam nods.

  Water drips as I lift him out of the tub, and I rub his body with a towel. I’m not sure what to do to make Adam understand he can’t shift again, but I also don’t want to make it a big deal that tempts him. I decide to drop it until I’ve spoken to Marcel and we come up with a plan. “Daddy will be home tomorrow. I miss him. Don’t you?”

  “Yeah.” Adam has other things on his mind, though, and he squirms to get away. I release him so he can run naked down the hall to the bedroom where Ava and Bella are. Once I clean up the bathroom, I follow.

  Bella has both the kids in their pajamas, and Adam’s wet hair is combed. She’s working on Ava’s when I sit on the end of Adam’s bed.

>   I say to Bella, “Once you’re done there, would you make the kids their drinks? I need to see if I can talk to Marcel.”

  She looks at me with concern, and I mouth, “Later.”

  Bella nods and jumps into questioning the kids about what color they want their drinks to be. I leave and make my way to my bedroom, where I pick up my cell phone and call my husband.

  I listen to the phone ring and worry. My husband is a clan warrior, and he’s off doing dangerous things I’d rather not think about. He can’t always take a break to chat with his wife, so after I hear his voicemail greeting, I say, “Hey, babe. I was hoping to talk, but this can wait until tomorrow when you get home. All I’m going to say is that your son is following in his daddy’s footsteps. Can’t wait to see you. Love you. Bye.”

  I lie back on my bed and try to tamp down my anxiety. As I breathe to calm my racing heart, I listen to my kids giggling with Bella. She’s great with them, and I decide to let my friend do her thing as I take a second to pull myself together. While I adore being a mom, the job is so underappreciated. I’ve never been so tired and disorganized in my life. I’ve also never been happier. I’ve just calmed down when my phone rings with Marcel’s tone, and I sit up to answer.

  “Tally, I have some exciting news.”

  I inhale sharply because Jean Luc has been looking to branch off the warriors to lessen the leader, René’s, load. “You do?”

  “It’s not official, but you’re talking to the new head of warrior training.”