Claimed By All Three (BBW Paranormal Bear Shifter Menage) by Leona Bones Read Free Book Online Page B

were. I’d never known bears would get so close to a human, and if they did…I gulped. I was going to get mauled by a bear, wasn’t I?
     
    “B-bear…” I croaked, staring at the two hulking frames behind him.
     
    “That’s right woman, these are my people.”
     
    Bears? Just what was he talking about? Dude had to be crazy . He was a human, not a bear.
     
    “Just leave me alone!” I yelled, backing away slowly. “I own this house now! Take your…bears and go!”
     
    “I can’t do that. This belongs to my people too, you know.”
     
    “My father gave this to me! It’s in his will! Look!” I shoved the paperwork at him frantically. As if showing legal paperwork would sway a man who thought he was a bear.
     
    He took the paper, holding it gingerly in his large hands. Suddenly, something changed. His eyes grew wide, and I could almost see a flash of gold within them again. The man spoke slowly, carefully.
     
    “Your father is Evan Stone?”
     
    “Of course he is. Now see, its legal paperwork, and I’m sorry to tell you, but he’s dead now. Saw it myself. The cancer got him. He handed this to me as he died, so unless you want to disrespect a dying man’s wishes, go now and leave me be.” I felt on the brink of tears. I was trying to deal with the death of my father and this strange new place, and some naked guy had to come and insult me over it? What did it matter if he was extremely sexy…
     
    The man looked back to the bears behind him, nodding to them. He exhaled a long breath. “Well, this changes everything. Come along.”
     
    “Come along? Where? I’m staying here, thank you very much.”
     
    “Listen, woman. It may not be…” he looked around warily. “…safe if you’re here alone. And besides, there’s some things you need to know.”
     
    I gazed up at him, part of me wishing that he was right. I was curious – I wanted to go with him, but who knew what would happen if I did. My mind flitted back to the books about bears again. What if my father had known these…men?
     
    “I knew your father,” said the man in the doorway, almost in response to my thoughts. “He was a good man, and we worked closely with him. It is a tragedy to hear of his death. Would I have known…I would have come sooner. But I sense, Harper, that there were things he was not telling you. Come with us, and find out.”
     
    Chills like ice water ran down my spine. I hadn’t told him my name… Was it all really true then? Did he know my father?
     
    “He talked about you a lot, you know. I’m sure he would have wanted you to trust me. Even if you didn’t know about it, we were great friends.”
     
    “Why didn’t he ever tell me about you, then?”
     
    “It’s…complicated, Harper. But please, you have to understand that he wanted nothing more than to protect you.”
     
    “I can protect myself, thank you very much.”
     
    “Listen...do you want to find out the truth, or not? You can stay here if you wish, I won’t make you come along. But know that you made that choice. There are…things out in these woods.” He grimaced. “Not all of them as friendly as I.”
     
    I gulped. If this man was actually right…this could change so much. I could finally see the other side of my father that I’d never been able to figure out. I could finally see what all of this…hunting…was actually about . I’d been so wrapped up over losing him, I’d nearly overlooked all the mystery, all the frustration I’d had with him. It led all the way up to his deathbed, sadly. All that was left was the will, the key, and these strange men that promised answers. Taking a deep breath, I gazed up at him again. “All right, then. Let’s go.”
     
    “Good choice,” said the man, smiling broadly. “And by the way, you can call me Bran.”
     
    “Bran,” I repeated, tasting the way his name fluttered across my tongue. And with that, he took my hand, and we were off.
     

 
    The area I found myself in