Tempted by the Bear - Book 1 Read online

  Tempted by the Bear Book 1

  V Vaughn

  Sugarloaf Press

  Copyright © 2015 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 Croco Designs

  Editing by Jodi Henley and Red Adept Publishing

  Don’t miss an installment from V. Vaughn. Sign up for her newsletter.

  Contents

  Part I

  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

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Part II

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Part III

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  About the Author

  Part I

  Annie Le Roux - Tristan De Rozier’s so hot he might be the reason his glacier’s melting under his polar bear feet. But he turns mate attraction into a curse when his very presence makes my blood boil in anger. Figures he’s my true mate.

  Isabelle De Rozier – When a polar bear clan lives in fear of extinction it’s easy to make a deal with the devil and move to Maine. Tristan and I didn’t count on discovering the woman that we’ll betray is also his true mate. This changes everything. After a lifetime of Tristan taking care of me, now it’s up to me to take care of business.

  Chapter 1

  Annie

  The dough lands on the floured surface with enough force that a white cloud poofs up. I attack it with my hands to knead out excess air and give the bread texture. That man! That stunningly gorgeous beast of a man named Tristan De Rozier is going to be the death of me. He’s a polar bear shifter who also happens to be my true mate. I lift the dough up, slam it down again, and give it a punch for good measure.

  “Wow, who got you so worked up?” Carly asks as she enters the kitchen.

  I glance over at my sister-in-law. Carly and her friend Sierra came to us less than a year ago to help save our clan. While she’s my brother’s true mate and a powerful alpha, she’s also become my best friend.

  “Three guesses, and the first two don’t count.”

  “I don’t understand why you don’t give in to him.” The coffee pot clatters as she removes it to pour herself a cup. “He’s so hot, he might be the reason that glacier of his is melting.”

  I snort and push a strand of hair out of my face. “Let me count the ways. One, he’s naked all the time. Do we really need to see that? Two, he taunts me as if I’m the one who’s lovesick, when I know it has to be both ways. And three--” I sigh. I want to be courted. I want wine, roses, and adoration. “He takes such pleasure in embarrassing me.” My throat tightens. “I hate it.”

  Carly’s mug thumps on the counter, and she reaches out to stop my hands with hers. “You want romance and not little boy crush?”

  I nod as I swallow down the urge to cry. “Is that so much to ask?”

  “No. It’s not. But men can be stupid when it comes to stuff like this.”

  “And if I give in, he’ll think he can always treat me this way. So until he gets a clue, expect a lot of baking to happen.”

  The back door lets out a hollow echo as someone enters the mudroom that separates the kitchen from the outdoors. Within moments, the second door opens, which means the shifter who went out for a run is probably still nude. If that weren’t enough of a clue, my body’s slight hum of sexual tension confirms it. I don’t look up as I say, “Good morning, Tristan.”

  But this man doesn’t like to be ignored, and large hands land on the counter on either side of me as he whispers against the back of my neck. “Annie, love. You really should join me some morning.”

  He’s smart enough not to press any body parts against me, but my imagination has my blasted hormones reacting anyway. Joining Tristan as a bear would mean getting naked to shift with him, and I’m sure that’s exactly what he wants. But he’s never going to get it if he doesn’t get a clue. I decide to take action. “Sorry, love, I need a little more than a boy who swings his dick around. We can talk when you become a man.”

  Tristan chuckles at me as my bold words bounce off his rock-hard body. He and his twin, Isabelle, have been houseguests for more than two weeks, and I’ve lost my patience. My face is flushed with shame, and my stomach churns, because I hate to lose my cool.

  Carly’s voice is dangerously close to her alpha tone when she says, “I wouldn’t laugh if I were you. Annie doesn’t get mad, but when she does, you better find a way to suck up quickly or you’ll be eating garbage scraps.”

  Tristan has enough brain cells to remain quiet as he leaves, and I let out a big breath when Carly’s hand lands on my shoulder. She turns me around for an embrace and says, “I’m sorry. You don’t deserve this. Those stupid guiding spirits are supposed to be smart and give us what we need. Who the hell thought you should get a big oaf of a polar bear?”

  “He is a big oaf, isn’t he?”

  “Not only that, but did you know his obsession with sweet potatoes is making his fur orange?”

  “No!” My body shakes with an uncontrollable giggle.

  “Yes, but don’t tell him.”

  I squeeze Carly’s arm. “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “You’ll never have to know.” She kisses my cheek and grabs her coffee cup to leave. “Can we have sweet potato fries for dinner tonight?”

  “What a lovely idea.”

  I place the bread dough in a pan and set it on the fridge to rise.

  The cutting board thunks down in the sink to be rinsed. But the aroma that floats to my nose tells me my blueberry muffins are done, and I abandon the dishes to remove them from the oven. I smile to myself when I use Sierra’s trick of extending my claws and pulling out the muffin tin instead of using a potholder. It’s funny how the brand-new werebears have taught this lifelong one a thing or two about our world.

  The low rumble of my mother’s car sounds in my super-sensitive ears, and I glance at the clock to discover she’s early for our weekly business breakfast. I know why. She’s anxious about the De Rozier clan assimilating into ours. While there are only twenty-five of them left, the two we’re acquainted with are rather large forces that could disrupt our peaceful clan.

  As if my thoughts call her, Isabelle, Tristan’s twin, enters the kitchen. Her step is sluggish, and the cabinet clicks when I open it for ibuprofen before I greet her. I glance at her red-rimmed eyes and nearly-white hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun that probably caused pain to create. I ask, “Anyone I need to usher out before people get here?”

  She shakes her head and winces at the motion. She holds out her hand, and I place two round tablets in her p
alm, and her voice is raspy when she says, “You really are an angel.”

  “Do you need a protein shake?”

  “Yes, please. I promise I’ll help you cook once it starts to work.” Isabelle falls into a chair, and it creaks under her weight. She’s the largest woman I’ve ever met. But that doesn’t detract from her beauty. With her pale coloring, Nordic features, and sex appeal that rivals Sierra’s, men want to climb her like she’s Mount Everest. I expect if they get the chance, they’re breathless when they hit the peak.

  “No need. Carly should be down soon to help.” Since my mother will want to talk out her issues about the De Roziers, I need Isabelle to leave us alone.

  The whine of my blender is loud as my mother enters the kitchen. When it stops, I turn to greet her. “Good morning, Mom.” Thick liquid pours into a glass, and I hand it to Isabelle.

  Isabelle stands. “I’m going to go to my room until it’s time for the meeting.”

  I watch as she shuffles out. Mom says, “Someone’s enjoying civilization. I hear she’s sampling the local delicacies too.”

  I frown, because I think Isabelle’s party-girl attitude is masking something. “Don’t you wonder why?”

  “I do. While I’d like to welcome the De Rozier clan with open arms, I think it’s wise to remember Polar Bear are known as the fiercest of our kind for a reason.”

  I try to imagine Tristan as a vicious bear. While the cocky attitude fits, his playful nature doesn’t. But if he’s the alpha and leading his clan to safety, he can’t be all fun and games. Huh. I guess Isabelle isn’t the only one hiding something.

  Chapter 2

  Annie

  The buzz of conversation and light-hearted joking makes me smile as I gaze at my family and friends seated at the large kitchen table. It’s our weekly breakfast meeting to discuss the business of the Le Roux clan. Tristan and Isabelle have gone to town to give us privacy.

  At the moment, peace blankets the kingdom, and only the core of our leadership needs to be present this morning. My brother, Brady, reaches past me to get more coffee. It splashes in his mug as he says, “Still torturing Tristan?”

  I snort. “I wish. That man knows how to push buttons I didn’t know I had.”

  “So what’s holding you back?” He places a hand on my arm. “It’s been three years, Annie. Kyle would want you to move on.” Kyle was my husband and true mate. I recall his voice. So much has happened since he died, and the sound is fading in my memory. Now that Tristan has come along, the way Kyle’s touch made me do more than hum with lust is distant as well. I blink back tears as the ache of my loss fills my heart. Kyle and my father died at the hands of our rival clan, the Veilleux.

  “That’s not the problem,” I say. Amazingly, I’ve been graced with another true mate and with it the desire to love again. But. “I’m having a hard time accepting a man who angers me as if it’s his goal in life.”

  Brady squeezes with a grip that reminds me of his power. “My wise sister once told me that communication is the key to a good relationship. You might want to try it.”

  I squint my eyes at him. “She’d never met Tristan.”

  A chuckle rumbles through my brother as he makes his way to the kitchen table to sit. I grab my mug and top it off as the aroma of coffee floats to my nose. I seat myself across from Ashton, the head of our warriors. I ask him, “How are Sierra and the babies?”

  The ex-Navy SEAL smiles at me. “Couldn’t be better. Lily has been fantastic about the whole thing.” Ashton’s wife, Sierra, was forced to have Victor Veilleux’s children, and now that he’s dead, his wife, Lily, is the leader of the Veilleux clan. She shares custody of Victor and Sierra’s children, because one of the triplets will be the next Veilleux alpha.

  I glance over at the empty seat where Keith, my brother’s best friend, usually sits. The window behind it reveals a wintery landscape of stark white under the gray skies that hint of an incoming storm. Keith’s in charge of our lumber business. His true mate died trying to rescue Sierra’s children from the clutches of Victor less than a month ago, and he’s struggling to get through each day. My mother catches my eye, and concern clouds her face. I guess she’s thinking about Keith’s sorrow too.

  Brady says, “I’m glad to hear Lily is agreeable to the arrangement.”

  Carly says, “Me too. I think it means we can hope that the Veilleux will sit on our joint council.” A few months ago, the third clan in the Northeast Kingdom, the Robichaux, agreed to join us in an attempt to keep peace and rule together. “Donna, you’re like one of your grandchildren, squirming over there. Shall we move on to the subject of the De Roziers?” asks Carly.

  My mother answers, “Yes. I have some serious concerns we need to discuss.” She pauses for dramatic effect, and I refrain from rolling my eyes. “I don’t think they’re telling us everything.”

  Tristan and Isabelle came to stay as a mission to find a new place for their clan to reside. Being Polar Bear, they’ve suffered with the melting of the ice caps. In addition to poor leadership from their father, their numbers have dwindled. Because the majority of women in our clan are barren due to an ancient curse, we had hoped assimilating with the De Rozier bear would save us all.

  “Me either,” says Brady. He turns to Ashton. “I think it’s time we saw what Tristan can do when it comes to fighting.”

  Carly nods. “Annie and I will work on Isabelle. She’s trying awfully hard to find pleasure in vices. Something in my gut tells me drinking too much and hooking up isn’t her usual behavior.” She sips her coffee.

  Mother holds her forkful of eggs midair and says, “I’ll do some digging and see what I can find out. I have a friend in the Pacific Northwest who might know something. But this would be much easier if Annie would help us out.” She swallows the bite as if she’s gulping down my resolve.

  All eyes turn to me, and I cringe. They want me to allow the true mate bond with Tristan to happen. “I’m sorry. Sex isn’t something I’ll do to take one for the team. Besides, don’t you think Tristan will hide his secrets from me too?”

  Carly is next to me and reaches for my hand. Her grip is warm as she says, “We want you to be happy first. You were lucky to find another true mate, and we both know it’s meant to be. So what can we do to help you get comfortable with it?”

  I gaze at the expectant faces. While almost two years ago we brought in four human women with werebear heritage to create the future generation, we only managed to secure the next alpha with Carly and Brady’s children. The truth is, we do need more fertile females, and integrating with the De Rozier clan is a good way to make it happen. I swallow my pride. “Teach him how to treat women with respect.”

  Ash surprises me when he breaks out of his usual silence and says, “Consider it done.”

  I tilt my head at him but stop myself from asking how. He may be quiet, but Ashton has an inner strength and honor that is volumes above most men. “Thank you.” If anyone can turn Tristan around, I bet it’s Ash.

  Chapter 3

  Isabelle

  The pounding in my head from my hangover has faded to a dull ache. I don’t know what Annie puts in those protein shakes, but it always manages to cure me enough to where I can function. Wind flows through the open windows of the car Tristan and I borrowed as we drive to the Cat’s Meow, a local cafe. The cold dances over my skin, and I wonder how we’ll ever survive the warmer months in this climate. Polar bear run hotter than the black bear, and a Maine winter feels like summer to us.

  Tristan says, “You’re making me look like the responsible one. I might have to amp up my playboy and join you some night.”

  “Don’t push your luck, brother. Annie may be okay with your bumbling act, but she’ll never give in if you start sleeping around.”

  “Do you have any idea how hard it is to stay abstinent?” He lets out a low growl of desire and says, “Every time I lay eyes on Annie’s curves, I want to--”

  “Spare me the sordid details. You can hang o
n a little longer. I overheard Carly and Brady talking, and decisions are being made this morning. I bet we’ll be discussing our arrangement soon.”

  “Patience never was my strong suit. But this plan is too good to screw up.” Tristan shifts in his seat. “I’ll manage.”

  I gaze out at the snow-covered pine trees. A sense of claustrophobia niggles at me, and I long for wide open spaces. I know moving here is good for the clan, because we really can’t go on losing our numbers due to the dangers our melting ice poses. But I’m not sure how I’m going to find a way to love my new home.

  I ask, “Do you think you can be happy here?”

  Tristan slows to turn onto a road that is clear from snow. He cuts me a quick glance. “We haven’t got much choice.”

  Home to me is nine months of daylight and three months of darkness, with temperatures that never rise above freezing. It also means very few people. As we get closer to the restaurant, I notice a fine-looking male on the sidewalk. I sense he’s a werebear instantly, and that means he’s fair game. A smile forms on my face. Sweet redemption.

  Tristan chuckles as he pulls into the parking lot at the Cat’s Meow. He heard my thoughts. He’s the alpha of our clan, and if I don’t remember to block my inner monologue, he hears me. “You’re doing your best to sample every guy in town as if they’re a box of chocolates, aren’t you?” he asks.