BEARly Bitten (Bear Bites Book 2) Read online

  BEARLY BITTEN

  By

  Natalie Kristen

  Other books set in the small town of Shadow Point

  GRAY BEARS

  Marrying the Bear (Book 1)

  Loving the Bear (Book 2)

  Mating the Bear (Book 3)

  Tempting the Bear (Book 4)

  Taming the Lion (Book 5)

  Embracing the Lion (Book 6)

  BRIDES fur BEARS

  Bad Bear (Book 1)

  Brave Bear (Book 2)

  Brash Bear (Book 3)

  Big Bear (Book 4)

  Mail-Order Bear (Book 5)

  Dating Agency Bear (Book 6)

  Guardian Bear (Book 7)

  DRAGONS IN SHADOW POINT

  Skyfire Dragon (Book 1)

  Stormfire Dragon (Book 2)

  Seafire Dragon (Book 3)

  BEAR BITES

  BEARly MATED

  BEARly BITTEN

  Copyright © 2019 by Natalie Kristen

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.

  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 the author’s written permission, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  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.

  CONTENTS

  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

  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

  Chapter 29

  Epilogue

  Also by Natalie Kristen

  About the Author

  About this Book

  Lisa Ayers has been sent to Shadow Point to steal some documents from a brilliant forensic accountant. She’s been told that Bryson Grant is part of a dastardly plot by the enemies of the Arrow pack to frame her Alpha and Beta. Determined to prove herself and save her pack, Lisa heads to Shadow Point, not realizing that this is in fact a suicide mission.

  Bryson Grant comes home early one evening after dinner to find a bumbling thief in his bedroom, rummaging through his drawers and files.

  He catches her and pins her against the wall.

  He should just call the cops, and that would be the end of the matter.

  The problem is, this little thief...is his mate!

  Lisa never expects the truth to be so painful and complicated.

  As she starts to see that not everyone is who they appear to be, she discovers who her real enemies are.

  And the last place she expects to find love...is where her home truly is.

  * * * * *

  CHAPTER ONE

  Bryson Grant turned into Belt Street and parked his car in front of the first house on the street. Most of his neighbors were out. The only house on the street that wasn’t in darkness was the third house, which was occupied by Rocco Jones and his family.

  Bryson quirked a wistful smile when he realized that Rocco was the only mated male on the entire street. Bryson’s other neighbors were all bachelors, and they were probably out partying or pubbing on a Friday night.

  Only Rocco was home with his mate Emma and their son, Caden, on a Friday night.

  As Bryson turned and walked up the front steps of his two-story house, he realized with a start that even though he had lived in the city almost all his life, he didn’t miss the city at all now that he was out of it. Small town life suited him just fine.

  Bryson had moved to this small, remote town three months ago to work on a complicated case in peace and quiet. Shadow Point was a quaint, picturesque town and he had loved the friendly, welcoming vibe of the little town on his first visit.

  He had rented his house for just half a year, but Bryson was beginning to consider the possibility of moving to Shadow Point permanently.

  This could be his home. Life would be good in this lovely, cozy little town.

  For years, Bryson had worked in a big accounting firm in the city. City life was fast-paced and hectic, and it was exciting for a while.

  After making a name for himself as an astute and brilliant forensic accountant, Bryson finally decided to start his own accounting business.

  His business grew quickly and he had no shortage of clients. He worked with private investigators and prosecutors to bring criminals who had committed sophisticated commercial and insurance fraud to justice. Bryson was good at his job and he loved his work. And since he was now his own boss, he could simply work from home to save time and avoid the maddening traffic jams.

  All he needed were the necessary files, accounts and information from the investigators, and he would go through the facts and figures with a fine-tooth comb and present his findings to the investigators. He worked from home very efficiently and effectively and he was in constant contact with his clients via email and teleconferences.

  Cheerful music and laughter could be heard wafting out of the front window of Rocco’s house. Bryson felt a sudden, unexpected twinge of envy as he stared at his own empty house.

  Every shifter longed to find his fated mate and build a happy family with his one true mate.

  Bryson’s bear was growing increasingly restless and frustrated. He was thirty-two years old, and already he was tired of the dating scene. He had dated extensively while he was working and living in the city, but there wasn’t even the faintest whiff of his mate. His mate definitely wasn’t in the city, and she wasn’t in Shadow Point. He had met most of the friendly townspeople, and he hadn’t found his mate among them.

  Bryson blew out a long breath as he unlocked the front door and stepped into his house.

  His nostrils flared and he froze at once.

  Wolf! His bear growled a warning.

  There was the unmistakable scent of a female wolf shifter in his house.

  Bryson forced his raging beast down and closed the door soundlessly behind him.

  His eyes swept across the living room.

  Everything appeared to be in order. Nothing was broken or moved. The cabinets hadn’t been opened and the drawers hadn’t been ransacked and upended.

  Following the scent, Bryson moved to the stairs.

  She was upstairs, and he could hear her fast, shallow breathing and shuffling footsteps.

  Bryson moved swiftly across the landing to his bedroom. The door was ajar and he slid quietly into the room.

  His bear rose to the fore and his senses heightened. He could see the woman clearly in the dark.

  A dark-haired woman was crouching in front of his desk with a thick file in her hands.

  Her back was turned and she was cursing and muttering under her breath as she flipped through the file in frustration. She ran her long finger down the rows of figures printed on the pages and scowled. Clearly she hadn’t found what she was looking for.

  In two strides, Bryson closed the distance between
them and was upon her.

  CHAPTER TWO

  The woman jerked her head up and her green eyes widened in shock and panic when she saw Bryson looming over her.

  But she recovered quickly enough. Her fight or flight instincts kicked in and she tried to make a run for it.

  Tucking the file under her arm, she sprinted past Bryson and dashed towards the door. But Bryson lunged forward and caught her around the waist.

  With a growl, he pushed her against the wall.

  Claws sliced out of her fingertips as the file clattered to the floor. Angry that he had foiled her burglary attempt, she lashed out and tried to claw out Bryson’s eyes.

  Bryson dodged her sharp, gleaming claws and as her hand whizzed past his face, he snarled and grabbed her wrist.

  The woman hissed and struggled violently to free herself, but he pinned her hands up above her head. Bryson smirked when the feisty little minx tried to headbutt him.

  He clamped his huge hand over her wrists like a vice and he pushed his muscular thigh between her legs to hold her in place.

  She was trapped and she knew it.

  But the more helpless she felt, the angrier she got.

  Furiously, she tried to kick him and when that didn’t work, she extended her dainty little fangs and attempted to bite him.

  An inexplicable growl of pleasure rumbled from Bryson. The thought of her fangs and teeth on his skin pleased and aroused the beast in him.

  Bryson tamped down the feral lust that was surging through his body.

  He had just caught a thief. He should be interrogating her, not imagining her naked body beneath his.

  “Who are you?” Bryson said, staring into her blazing green eyes.

  She jutted her jaw out and glared at him defiantly.

  “All right,” he said, fishing his phone out of his pocket. “Let’s call the cops. You’ll tell them your name, won’t you?”

  She stiffened and the fear returned to her eyes.

  “Don’t.”

  There was the slightest tremor in her voice. Bryson waited for her to continue.

  When she didn’t say another word, Bryson waved the phone in the air, his thumb poised over the keypad.

  The woman winced and bit her lip. “Please don’t call the cops,” she whispered.

  “Tell me your name,” Bryson said, watching her intently.

  There was a pause.

  Taking a shaky breath, she turned away and muttered, “Lisa.”

  When he frowned, she sighed and said, “I’m Lisa Ayers.”

  Bryson’s expression hardened. The pieces clicked into place and the picture wasn’t pretty at all.

  He immediately knew why she was here and what she wanted.

  “You’re from the Arrow pack. You’re the daughter of Philip Ayers, the Alpha of the Arrow wolves,” he said.

  Lisa didn’t reply.

  She had stopped struggling and simply stood with her back against the wall, sullen and silent.

  A storm of conflicting emotions swirled and surged in his heart as Bryson stared at the beautiful, raven-haired female in front of him.

  Lisa’s green eyes were downcast and her full lips were tightly pressed together. Her glossy black hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail and the black t-shirt and jeans she wore molded to her lush, generous curves.

  Lisa Ayers was the most beautiful female he had ever seen.

  Mine!

  Bryson shook his head, trying to ignore the roar of his crazed bear in his head. Lisa Ayers couldn’t be his.

  She was a thief, a criminal.

  She was a member of the Arrow pack, the corrupt, felonious wolf pack that he was investigating.

  The private investigation firm that he was working with had been providing him with documents and accounting records of the Arrow pack.

  Bryson had gone through the accounts and uncovered the fraudulent schemes and deals that the Arrow pack had been involved in. They had evaded millions of dollars in taxes, and had committed bank fraud, insurance fraud and money laundering for years.

  With his findings, the high-ranking members of the Arrow pack would be prosecuted and thrown in jail for a long, long time.

  Bryson growled as he stared at Lisa.

  He had caught Lisa Ayers, the Alpha’s daughter, in his bedroom rummaging through his drawers and files.

  He should call the cops right now and get her arrested.

  So what was stopping him?

  CHAPTER THREE

  Bryson knew that the Arrow pack was controlled by the Ayers family. Philip Ayers and his son, Gregg Ayers, were the Alpha and Beta of the Arrow pack respectively. Most of the senior lieutenants were uncles and cousins, all related to the Ayers family.

  Lisa was the Alpha’s daughter and he had just caught her red-handed. She had broken into his house and was attempting to steal his documents and files.

  What was he to do with her?

  Bryson didn’t want to sic the police on Lisa. She would be arrested and that was the last thing he wanted.

  He didn’t want her exposed and humiliated. She had been sent here by the Arrow pack to steal the files and all the evidence of their criminal, fraudulent activities.

  She was acting under the orders from her Alpha and Beta. Did that make her any less guilty?

  There had been nothing that even hinted at her involvement or knowledge of the fraudulent schemes that the senior members of her pack had pulled off.

  Yet here she was, trying to steal the incriminating documents from him. Maybe she was in the know after all.

  Bryson growled as he released her wrists and pressed his hands to the wall on either side of her head, caging her in.

  His bear refused to let this beautiful, alluring female out of his sight. He wanted to keep Lisa in his bedroom and have his wicked way with her. He wanted to hear her sweet cries of pleasure and ecstasy as she came again and again beneath him.

  Bryson shook his head hard, forcing away the sensual, erotic images.

  He had to focus on the situation at hand.

  “The Arrow pack has committed some very serious crimes. The Arrow wolves have been cheating, lying and stealing for years,” Bryson began, searching Lisa’s flushed face for signs of guilt and remorse.

  “You’re here to steal the files and bury the evidence. That makes you a thief, Lisa. And an accessory,” he added gravely.

  Lisa snapped her head up at his words and Bryson was astonished to see her green eyes blazing with fierce indignation and outrage.

  “No!” Lisa snarled. “You are wrong. You are wrong about everything!” Her tone grew even stronger and more vehement.

  “Facts and figures don’t lie, Lisa,” Bryson said, studying her curiously. Lisa hadn’t faked her anger and outburst. She really believed what she was saying.

  Balling her fists, Lisa went on angrily, “All those nonsensical figures that you’ve cooked up are all fake! My pack would never engage in any criminal activities. Never! You’re just trying to set us up. The other packs have been looking at the Arrow pack with envy and greed, wanting what we have. They’re trying to take us down, and you’re just their stooge. How much did they pay you to cook up these fake, phony accounts and frame the Arrow pack? Shame on you, Mr Grant! Shame on you!”

  Bryson’s eyes widened. “You think that I tampered with the numbers?”

  “Yes! You’re trying to take us down and destroy my pack. I won’t let you do it!” Lisa spat.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Lisa glared daggers at Bryson Grant as her claws dug into her palms.

  Bryson was a liar. He was nothing but a dirty liar and a crook!

  He was tampering with the accounts and working hand in glove with the enemies of the Arrow pack.

  That was what her father and brother had told her. Philip and Gregg had told her that Bryson had fabricated evidence to destroy the Arrow pack.

  “We’re innocent, Lisa. You won’t let them put us away, right Lisa?” Philip had said to her with tears in hi
s eyes. Lisa had never seen her father cry before. She immediately volunteered to grab the incriminating files and documents from Bryson and do everything she could to protect her pack and her family.

  Once she agreed to steal the documents, Philip and Gregg became unusually and extraordinarily nice to her. Her father and brother hardly spoke a word to her even though they lived in the same house. But in the week before she left for Shadow Point, Philip and Gregg seemed to go out of their way to be civil, and even kind, to her.

  All the insults and taunts from Gregg ground to a halt. Philip even smiled approvingly at her in front of the other pack members. Her father had never shown her any affection or approval before. But things seemed to have changed.

  She must be doing the right thing.

  Lisa knew that it was wrong to steal. But she rationalized her decision by telling herself that Bryson was going to destroy Philip, Gregg and the senior members of her pack with his falsified documents. He had no morals and scruples and would stoop to anything for the sake of money. Stealing the documents and accounts that he had cooked wasn’t wrong. She was only doing what was necessary to protect her pack.

  Lisa was determined to succeed in her mission.

  She had arrived in Shadow Point three weeks ago and she had been watching Bryson and memorizing his routine. She knew that he always ate at Broomstick Inn on Friday evenings.

  Broomstick Inn was a quaint little inn and the owners of Broomstick Inn, Gramma and Ne-ma, were very popular and well-loved by the townspeople.

  The dining room of the inn was open to the public during lunch time and dinner time, and Broomstick Inn was usually bursting at the seams on Friday nights.

  Lisa had seen Bryson walk into Broomstick Inn at around seven this evening. He usually went for a beer after dinner with some of the locals.