Owned By The Bear: BBW Billionaire Bear Shifter Romance Standalone Read online

  OWNED BY THE BEAR

  By

  Natalie Kristen

  Also by NATALIE KRISTEN

  Billionaire Bear Shifters Romance

  Taken By The Bear

  Owned By The Bear

  MISTY VALLEY SHIFTERS

  Growl For Me

  Fight For Me

  Purrfect For Me

  MATE series

  Alpha Mate

  Bear Mate

  Vampire Mate

  Wolf Mate

  Wild Mate

  Dark Mate

  Blood Mate

  NORTH WOLVES

  To Kill A Wolf

  ALPHA GAME

  Alpha Game

  Alpha Game 2

  Alpha Game 3

  DARK erotic romance

  Rapture In The Dark

  Release In The Dark

  One Night With Death

  Copyright © 2015 Natalie Kristen

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are used fictitiously or are the products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual locales, events, establishments or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  About this book

  One billionaire werebear and one scarred BBW who never thought she'd find love...

  Curvy, plus size Rachel Kyle is a tough, brave single mom who has long given up on the idea of love. She is genuinely happy for her younger sister, who is getting married to the Alpha of the Silvertip Clan.

  Rachel has heard all about Wyatt Lawson, the Alpha's younger brother. Wyatt is a playboy, a charmer, a heartbreaker. Rachel had vowed never to get her heart broken again, but when she meets Wyatt, something sparks and ignites between them.

  Something powerful and undeniable...

  Wyatt Lawson is a billionaire, an alpha bear and the Beta of the Silvertip Clan. When Rachel and her adorable six-year-old son, Mikey arrive in Ursa Springs for his brother's wedding, he is stunned to find his protective, possessive instincts surging to the fore.

  Rachel is his mate, and he will claim what is his.

  But when danger closes in on Rachel and Mikey, Wyatt will have to risk everything to protect them.

  And he will have to show Rachel that he is the one man worthy to own her heart.

  *****

  CHAPTER ONE

  Rachel Kyle stepped back with a soft sigh and smiled. The wedding was simply beautiful. Her sister, Ruby, was now married to Nate Lawson, a wonderful, caring man and a powerful, alpha werebear. To be honest, she never thought her sister would get married to a shifter. Ruby had been terrorized, stalked, hunted by her ex, a rogue werewolf named Colton Smith. When Ruby broke things off with Colton, he had gone after Rachel and Mikey. He'd wanted to frighten Ruby into submission by hurting her sister and nephew. And he had hurt them.

  Mikey's arm had healed, but Rachel would forever have that jagged scar on her face.

  Ruby had decided that the only way to protect her sister and little nephew from Colton was to just run. Ruby had hoped that Colton would leave Rachel and Mikey alone after she left. She had left without a word, without telling Rachel where she was going. For months, Rachel had been worried sick, wondering if her only sister was still alive.

  Ruby had run to Ursa Springs, a remote shifter town where she met Nate Lawson. It was Nate who rescued her from Colton's clutches and killed the homicidal, maniacal wolf. Nate was the Alpha of the Silvertip clan of bear shifters in Ursa Springs and the Chairman of the Silver Group, the holding company of a vast chain of restaurants and cafes. Rachel was just so happy for her younger sister. Not only had her baby sister married a billionaire bear, she'd also forged ahead with her career and become a successful entrepreneur and businesswoman in her own right. The Silver Group had bought a stake in Ruby's little cafe, Coffee and Cupcakes, and Ruby had wasted no time opening one outlet after another. Her sister was on the roll, making up for all the time and opportunities she'd lost. Ruby had been running for so long, trying to escape from her crazed werewolf ex, and hoping to keep Rachel and Mikey safe. But now, Rachel knew that her sister wouldn't be running anymore. She was happily settled in Ursa Springs, living and working with her mate, and most importantly, being in touch with Rachel and Mikey again.

  Rachel smoothed her hands down the flowing baby-pink shift dress that she had bought specially for the wedding. Nate had been planning this surprise wedding for his bride for a long time, and he had flown Rachel and Mikey in specially for the wedding. Nate had been very thoughtful. He had sent her a designer tuxedo that had been specially tailored for her six-year-old boy, Mikey. Nate had wanted to send a lovely bridesmaid dress for her as well, but Rachel had insisted on buying her own dress. She might be a working, struggling single mom, but she couldn't let her brother-in-law pay for everything. She could afford to pay for her own dress to attend her only sister's wedding. It was the least she could do.

  Plus, she loved, loved this dress. It wasn't easy to shop for plus size clothes in the city but she'd found this gem in a small corner shop near her office. Rachel didn't see any point in going on one of those crazy fad diets and trying to squeeze her curvy frame into an unbelievably tiny dress. The dress had to fit her, not the other way around. She had to feel good and beautiful in a dress, and she had to feel like herself.

  Her smile widened as she watched Nate kiss Ruby so tenderly and lovingly on the lips. Her sister looked so radiant, so happy. She saw Ruby smile at her over Nate's shoulder, and she smiled back. There was that flicker of guilt again in Ruby's eyes as she stared at Rachel, and Rachel immediately pursed her lips and shook her finger wordlessly at her younger sister.

  She knew that Ruby felt immense guilt that Rachel and Mikey had been hurt by Colton. Whenever Ruby saw the scar down Rachel's cheek, her smile would falter and her eyes would mist with tears of pain and regret. But Rachel had repeatedly told her that it wasn't her fault.

  Rachel planted her hands on her ample hips and rolled her eyes. Not ten minutes ago she had just held Ruby by the shoulders and told her sternly, “You have nothing to apologize for. It's not your fault. At all. And it's just an old scar. It doesn't hurt, and it doesn't bother me. I'm still your big sister, and I'm still Mikey's mom. A scar doesn't change me.” It was the truth. Rachel narrowed her eyes at her sister and swore silently that the next time she saw that glimmer of guilt and pain in Ruby's eyes, she would march right up to that blockhead and slap some sense into her. Not your fault. How many times did she have to say that for it to sink in?

  Mikey's loud squeal made her whirl round, her heart in her throat. Was he hurt?

  She lurched forward and almost crashed into Wyatt Lawson, Nate's second brother. Wyatt was Nate's best man, and his Beta in the Silvertip clan. Wyatt was also the Vice-Chairman of the Silver Group, and for a time during Nate's absence, he had taken over as Alpha for his brother.

  The three Lawson brothers were extremely tall and good-looking. All alpha werebears and billionaires. They shared the Lawson mansion, but each brother had his own separate wing. Nate was the calm, sombre eldest brother, and Jack, the youngest, was the quiet but jovial one. Wyatt Lawson on the other hand, was wild with a capital “W”. He was the playboy, the rake, the womanizing billionaire brother.

  At this very moment, her little Mikey was sitting atop the rakish Wyatt Lawson's broad shoulders and shrieking and hollering at th
e top of his lungs while Wyatt spun round the room like a tornado. The boy was having the ride of his life.

  “Oops. Sorry,” Wyatt drawled, not sounding sorry at all. He was still grinning as he screeched to a halt just inches from her. He'd almost crashed his tall, broad frame into her as he careened all over the sprawling living room of the mansion with her little boy on his shoulders.

  “Again! Faster, faster, Uncle Wyatt!” Mikey yelled, digging his fingers into Wyatt's blond hair and his heels hard into Wyatt's neck.

  Wyatt didn't flinch at all. Instead, he smirked and raised a brow at Mikey. “You sure, little buddy? You sure you want to go faster?”

  “Yes! Let's go!” Mikey wiggled excitedly.

  “Mikey...” Rachel began in a warning tone.

  Mikey gave his mother an impish smile and said sweetly, “Please.” When Rachel frowned at him, he wrapped his arms around Wyatt's head and repeated in his sweetest, most endearing voice, “Please, Uncle Wyatt, can we please go faster?”

  “All right then. Hang on tight, buddy. The ride's gonna get real rough,” Wyatt said and made a revving sound.

  Mikey dug his fingers into Wyatt's soft blond hair and squealed with delight as Wyatt began to pick up speed and charge around the room.

  Rachel couldn't help laughing as she watched her son whoop and holler, “Faster, faster!” Mikey hooted with joy and excitement, his face glowing as he clung onto Wyatt's soft blond hair for dear life. Wyatt chuckled as he swooped and raced round the living room, doing exhilarating dips and turns to elicit shrieks from Mikey.

  “Are you ready?” Wyatt called up to Mikey.

  “Yes!”

  “Here we go!” Wyatt gave a sudden lurch, and the little boy screamed as he tumbled from Wyatt's shoulders. But his screams turned to squeals and giggles as Wyatt caught him securely in his large hands and began to tickle him.

  Rachel had her hand over her mouth. Forcing a shaky breath into her lungs, she swallowed the scream that had risen to her throat. Her heart had literally stopped when she saw Mikey fall from Wyatt's shoulders. She thought her little boy was going to get hurt. If he had really fallen from that height, he might just break his neck or crack his head wide open.

  Rachel felt her knees buckle as she sank to the floor.

  Wyatt turned to grin at her over his shoulder. His grin vanished when he saw her sitting pale-faced on the floor, her hands over her chest.

  “Rachel.” He was at her side in an instant. “Are you okay?”

  “I...y-yes. I...I'm fine.” She tried to smile up at him. “I just...”

  “Mom! Why are you sitting on the floor?” Mikey peered at her. “Are you tired?”

  “No, honey. I'm not tired.” Wyatt helped her up, and she bent down to touch Mikey's warm, flushed cheek. “Shall we go have dinner now? I'm sure everyone...”

  “But I want to ride again!” He looked up and tugged Wyatt's hand. “Please!”

  “Sorry.” Wyatt looked Rachel in the eye and said very softly.

  She shook her head and smiled.

  Mikey had his arms wrapped around Wyatt's leg. “Again, Uncle Wyatt,” he begged.

  “Sorry, little buddy. I think I gave your mom quite a scare just now.” Wyatt ruffled Mikey's short brown hair and knelt down to hold the boy's shoulders. “Why don't we play, um, board games after dinner?”

  Mikey made a face. “Board games are boring! I want to play computer games.”

  Wyatt glanced at Rachel. “You'll have to get your mom's permission first.”

  Rachel came over and pried Mikey from Wyatt's leg. “Go have your dinner first, Mikey,” she said, steering him towards the dining room. She used her no-nonsense Mommy tone, so Mikey understood at once that whether or not he got to play computer games depended on his behavior at dinner.

  “Okay,” he answered sweetly. “But I want to sit beside Uncle Wyatt.” He blinked up at Rachel and tagged on, “Please.”

  “Okay, okay, but no horsing around with Uncle Wyatt at the dinner table,” she warned. “Or else.” She raised a finger and left the threat hanging in the air. Those two simple but potent words encompassed a whole myriad of punishments. She didn't quite know what they were, for now. But Mikey could guess that her punishment involved withholding from him whatever it was that he wanted most at the moment. Which was his fun Uncle Wyatt's company. To him, Uncle Nate was the good Uncle. Uncle Jack was the nice Uncle. And Uncle Wyatt was his favorite, fun Uncle.

  Rachel kept the stern look on her face, but in her heart, she knew that she would never tear her son away from these good men. Mikey never had a father, or even a father figure in his life. The little boy had never known his father, and had pretty much grown up without any male role models or steadying male influence in his young life.

  Rachel had only found out that she was pregnant with Mikey three weeks after her fiance abruptly called off the engagement. When she went to Andy's apartment to tell him the news, a woman claiming to be Andy's fiancee answered the door. She got to talk to Andy but it was only for less than a minute and he was less than polite. If this was a ploy to get him back, it wasn't going to work, he'd sneered in her face. And if she really was pregnant, he wanted nothing to do with the baby.

  In the time it took for Andy to slam the door in her face, Rachel had made up her mind. She was keeping the baby, and she would bring up the child herself. And she didn't want anything to do with him either. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

  Mothering came naturally to her. She was a great mother to Mikey. She made sure he had everything he needed. She was everything to him, mother, playmate, confidante, cheerleader. But she couldn't be a father to him. She didn't have a brother or any close male friends who could step in as a father figure for Mikey. Her own parents had long passed away. Mikey was fast growing up to be a little man, and it would be nice to have a real man to guide him on his journey. But Rachel wanted to be sure that any man she allowed into Mikey's life was a truly good, worthy male. She wasn't about to let Mikey get hurt. When it came to Mikey, she was like a she-bear, fierce, growly, protective as hell.

  Rachel was real glad that her sister had gotten married and mated to Nate Lawson. She could tell that the Lawson brothers were close, and they truly cared and looked out for one another. They were a good family, and now, they were her family too. Nate had greeted her warmly and respectfully as his sister-in-law, and told her that he and his brothers would always be there for her. If she ever needed their help, all she had to do was give them a shout. Nate knew and appreciated everything she had done for Ruby, and he embraced her as part of the Lawson family.

  Mikey adored his new uncles, but he seemed to be particularly attached to Wyatt. Wyatt might be a ladies' man, a certified, incorrigible flirt and playboy, according to Ruby, but he was as playful, cheeky and mischievous as Mikey.

  The two of them had been inseparable since Rachel and Mikey got off Nate's private jet. While she helped Nate decorate the house and plan the small, intimate wedding for Ruby, Wyatt had entertained Mikey for hours and kept the rambunctious little boy out of everyone's hair. They'd had only a few hours to get everything ready.

  Nate had wanted to surprise Ruby, and what a surprise it had been. While Ruby had been at work, Nate and his brothers, together with Rachel and the house staff, had rushed about decorating the Lawson mansion with roses and candles, and rolled out the red carpet from the front door right across the sprawling living room.

  The wedding had been perfect, just the way Ruby wanted it. Ruby wanted just her family around her. So it was just Nate's two brothers, Mikey and herself who'd witnessed the wedding. The town minister had been chauffeured up to the mansion to solemnize the wedding. And it was simply the most beautiful wedding, an intimate, cozy affair, filled with love and blessings.

  Everyone was presently making their way to the formal dining room where the kitchen staff had laid out a feast for the family. Mikey flashed her a grin as he skipped happily to Wyatt's side. Hand in hand, the two of them trooped off to
wards the dining room. As he chatted with Mikey, Wyatt glanced over his shoulder to give Rachel a smile.

  Rachel almost missed a step and had to right herself with a gasp. Wyatt Lawson had the most dazzling, mesmerizing smile. Just his smile sent butterflies fluttering and somersaulting in the pit of her stomach.

  The three Lawson brothers were all rich and handsome, but it was Wyatt who was known as the playboy brother. Wyatt Lawson was a billionaire, a powerful alpha bear and the second-in-command in the Silvertip clan. It was quite a combination. Rachel could understand why women would flock to Wyatt like bees to a honeypot. He was rich, charming and sexy as sin.

  Trailing behind Wyatt and Mikey, she decided to enjoy the view and indulge her starved, parched feminine senses. She let her eyes roam freely down Wyatt's tall, masculine frame, admiring how well his tailored tuxedo sat on his toned, broad body.

  She'd known that Wyatt Lawson was a very good-looking guy, one of the most eligible bachelors in Ursa Springs. What she didn't realize was how seriously hot he was, until she met him up close and personal. And what made him so hot was his gentleness and thoughtfulness. He was a playboy and a nice guy. Strange. But true.

  Rachel had spoken to Wyatt over the phone just once before Nate flew them out to Ursa Springs in his private jet. Wyatt had told her that she would be staying in his wing of the mansion. Nate would be taking Ruby on their honeymoon straight after the wedding, so Wyatt had volunteered to take care of Rachel and Mikey during their stay in Ursa Springs. “Anything you need, just let me know. I've prepared your rooms,” he'd told her and she heard the grin in his voice. “I'm looking forward to having you in my humble abode.”

  The man was a flirt, a charmer, a consummate playboy. She had expected that.