Bunny Bear - Wild Bear 02 Read Online Free

he’d never hire Michelle. The man needed willing, single women. A mated shifter hater wouldn’t garner him any money.
    He searched his head for a shred of guilt, but nothing surfaced. He would do everything in his power to keep his mate on his staff, even if it meant outing her to every business owner in town.
    His bear grunted in agreement, and he left his office in search of ice for his hand.

Chapter Three
     
    “I’m sorry, Miss Larsen, but we’ve decided to go with another applicant.”
    Unlike the other possible employers who’d snapped at her and then abruptly hung up the phone, the woman delivered the words in a calm, but firm, voice. It was her fifth rejection in three days, and she was beginning to lose confidence in her abilities.
    “I understand your decision, but can you give me any feedback? Is there something…off-putting about me?”
    “It’s the shifter thing, dear,” the woman sympathized.
    “Um… I’m not a shifter,” she said.
    “Yes, I know. That’s not the problem.”
    “Then what is the problem?” she asked.
    “It’s not that you are one,” the woman explained. “It’s that you hate them. This town is full of shifters and I can’t hire someone who openly dislikes most of our clientele.”
    “Wait. I don’t—”
    “I’m sorry, dear, but my decision is final.”
    “I understand,” she conceded. “Thank you.”
    Michelle pressed the off button and sat down on the sofa. The fact that the woman thought she hated shifters was laughable. Nearly half of Liberty’s population was composed of shifters, and she’d lived in the town her entire life. She didn’t know any other way, but if she’d truly hated the species, she would have moved a long time ago.
    There were still a few places in the nation that boasted about being pure with only full human residents, and they weren’t impossible to find. She shook her head and frowned. The thought of living in a town like that creeped her out, as did the fact that they still existed. A place with so much hatred could never be considered home.
    She thought back to all of the other calls she’d received, starting with Hunter’s. He had been cold and borderline cruel when he’d told her he didn’t need another fattie on his staff. The other calls had been less forthcoming. A simple, but harsh, we’re not interested sounded in her ear before each call ended. Today was the first time she’d had a chance to ask any questions, and she was dumbfounded. Why would they think—
    Gabriel!
    Gabriel had smirked when she’d told him about Hunter’s possible call. She’d yelled at him, admitted to needing the job, and then threatened him about finding a replacement. He was probably telling everyone she hated shifters as punishment for her behavior, and to force her to grovel and apologize when she couldn’t find work.
    It seemed he had the upper hand in their little spat.
    She had no idea why he wouldn’t let her go without a fight, but she wasn’t about to throw in the towel. She remembered last Halloween when he’d sent her home, claiming to dislike costumes. The lie had obviously been an excuse for something else. She thought back to that night, and the only thing different had been her short, frilly skirt.
    He obviously had a problem with her curvy, thick thighs being put on display.
    They didn’t have a dress code and Tanya wore short skirts all the time. If the other waitress could get away with it, she should be able to as well. Aside from the one costume, Michelle always dressed in jeans. The sturdy, easy to clean fabric had several pockets and allowed her to move through the crowd easily. Paired with comfortable shoes, she was able to blend in without disappearing completely, and the men rarely tried to grope her ass.
    She’d tried to do the right thing and it had gotten her nowhere. It was time to up her game. If Gabe didn’t want to be civil and accept her resignation, then she’d force him to fire