Sleeping Beauty and the Lion: A Shifter Fairy Tale Retelling of Sleeping Beauty (A BBW Shifter Fairy Tale Retelling Book 3) by Sylvia Frost Read Free Book Online

walking, past the chalk-drawn signs outside of the cafes.
    Sunset reflected in the skyscrapers looming in the distance. It made it look like the whole city was on fire. I stopped right on the edge of the crosswalk, not caring as busy pedestrians pushed their way past me. Underneath the skin on my neck, I felt something moving, like a fishing line being tugged by something far away.
    Let us go to her , my lion crooned.
    I shook my head, wishing I could toss out my full lion’s mane, shift and bound straight toward her. I clenched my fist and stepped out of the way of the crosswalk, vowing that I’d regain my bearings and keep going in the opposite direction, but just as I did a glare glinted off of the windows, blinding me. On the back of my neck my matemark went cold. The tugging turned to a pull.
    She needs us , my lion hissed. Something is wrong.
    So on the sixteenth hour of the sixth day, I watched the stoplight change from red to green and turned and ran in the other direction.
    To my mate.

Chapter 7
    ROSE
    H ello , world,
    It’s me again, The Book Addict. I know it’s been a while, but picture me sitting cross-legged in my polka-dotted pajamas guilt-eating Cherry Garcia because I didn’t post an update and you won’t be too far from the truth.
    However, I’ll be honest, I’m a little embarrassed about my old blog post. Who writes about their dumb day-dreams and puts them on the Internet? Me, that’s who, I guess.
    Recently, I’ve decided to turn over a new page and focus on the “non” side of fiction. To my surprise, the world has cooperated by giving me something actually interesting to write about! Ready? Here goes!
    I’m going on a date. No spoilers, but this guy seems around my league of cuteness and he actually didn’t send me a picture of his genitals, ask if I was “DTF” or just write, “Hey.” He wrote three whole sentences, thank you very much, one of which referenced his interest in movies about werebeasts, too.
    But, guys, there’s even better news (sort of!). I’ve had other adventures besides arranging to go on an online date. I’ve done a little corporate spying. Okay, okay. Really I just Googled the name of this drug company that manufactures the pills that may or may not have put me in a coma. (Long story.) But still, here are three intriguing facts I found:
    1. Preliminary searching led me to believe that the maker of Erostoxifam was a company named GR Scientific. (Seriously, could their name sound more generic?) BUT after I used the Way-Back machine to check page history, I found out that GR Scientific was actually a subsidiary of the McDermont Collective.
    2. I won’t deduct points if you don’t remember, but the McDermonts were one of the biggest old-money werebeast hunting families in the US. Odd.
    3. Odder still, the McDermont Collective seems to have contracts with the US Department of Defense. I thought of filing a Freedom of Information Act form to try and request the paperwork, but that was when I realized the truth.
    Are you ready?
    My whole conspiracy theory was just another symptom of my need to turn the world into a novel. Except this time instead of being determined that every hot guy is in love with me because, reasons, I’ve started writing a thriller.
    I have to stop, which is why I’m closing up my laptop and going on this date. But I am curious, sound off in the comments. Do you think I’m crazy?
    Yours,
    The Book Addict

    ***

    M y dinner date’s dry , cold hands grazed the small of my back as he directed me toward what he had dubbed the hottest new bar in Tribeca. The sign above it read “The Tavern.”
    “So I have to ask, what’s a girl like you doing on an internet dating website?” he asked.
    I forced myself not to cringe from his touch as we ducked through a door framed with fakes rusted pipes. “I wanted to break out of my shell.” And to stop lusting after a doctor I’ll never see again.
    “Well, I’m glad you chose me to help,” my date