Bear Mine for Christmas: BBW Holiday Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance (Christmas Bear Shifter Romance Book 2) by Ariana Hawkes Read Free Book Online Page A

heads in deep confusion. “Well, it’s your lucky day. Just climb on, hold tight, and they’ll do the rest. Do you live near the town square?” They nodded. “Ok, that’s where they’ll drop you. Now, don’t be scared; they’re gentle souls.” He opened the door and led them outside. Grayson and Riley were waiting, their lips drawn back in broad bear-grins. The other boy, the one who hadn’t yet spoken, squeaked in fear. “Come on.” Brock guided him with a hand in the small of his back, while giving the bears a wink. He helped him to climb onto Grayson’s back. “Grab tight onto his fur to help you hold on. Don’t worry about hurting him – he’s a tough old bear. Yeah, that’s it.” The boy clung onto Grayson’s fur with trembling hands. “Ok, off you go,” Brock landed a playful slap on Grayson’s haunch, as if he was a donkey, and he was treated to a growl, which made the boy whimper.
    “Ok, Marshall, come here. As much as I’d like to make you walk all the way, here’s your trusty steed.” Riley snorted and pawed the ground.
    “Is he going to kill me?” Marshall screamed, his voice breaking.
    “Not unless you make him mad,” Brock replied with a smirk. “Climb on, like this.” He helped him on. “You’re good to go.” He watched as the bears trotted off with the terrified boys on their backs. He’d decided that telling the kids as little as possible about shifters was the way to go. And maybe they’d be so disoriented that they’d think they had hallucinated the whole thing.
    Back inside the cabin, Madison was chatting to the two girls, and they seemed more relaxed.
    “I’m never speaking to Marshall ever again,” he heard Sophia say.
    “Me neither! He made us feel like we were being immature from not coming up here with him and Jaiden,” her friend Marina said. Brock sat down next to them.
    “If you put yourself in a position where you’re relying on someone else for your safety, you need to make sure that person is worthy of your trust,” he said. Madison threw him a glance, her expression full of gratitude. She looked so beautiful in the firelight – strong and glowing, with big soft eyes.
    “And we missed the parade,” Sophia said.
    “He said it was for losers,” Marina added.
    “But the parade is something very special. I don’t know of another town in the state – or in the whole of America – that has something like that. It’s really important to keep these old traditions alive,” Madison said.
    “The world is getting full of corporations, the same chain stores are filling all of our towns, and everything is starting to look the same. When you find something that’s different, you have to protect and enjoy it,” Brock said, and he couldn’t resist glancing at Madison. Was she thinking the same thing as him? Or was he just imagining an ember of desire in her eyes?
     
    At last there was a scrabbling sound at the door. Brock went out.
    “All ok?” he asked the two bears. They made a grunting sound that meant yes. “Ok, we’ll be out in a moment.” He brought the cauldron outside and extinguished the flames with a handful of snow, and he examined the stove, before deciding that it was safe to leave it to burn itself out.
    “Ok, girls, we’re good to go,” he said. “This is going to come as a bit of a shock to you, but your rides down the mountain are in the form of two large bears. They’re very gentle and stable, so please don’t be scared. Just sit tight, and you’ll be home before you know it.” The girls both nodded, full of trust for the person who’d just saved their lives. He helped them onto Riley and Grayson’s backs and he showed them where to hang on, before tucking their hoods tightly around their faces.
    “I’ll see you girls at home,” Madison called as the bears trotted off down the mountain again. “I think I owe those guys a few beers for their efforts,” she said to Brock. He laughed.
    “Don’t worry about it. The