Tempting The Bear: Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance (Gray Bears Book 4) Read Online Free

would murder his own kid. Douglas was
just a toadying, conniving scumbag. He wanted wealth and power, and
he felt that Harper and Jeremy would be stumbling blocks to his
ascension to the coveted Alpha position. And he didn't even earn the
Alpha position himself. He was going to marry the Alpha's daughter
and inherit the position. He had no spine at all! Jackson had to
wonder if he was even truly a lion. A lion with no heart, no
conscience, no spine and no balls.
    Jackson could feel his claws
digging into his palms when Harper told him how Douglas had tried to
kill her with his bare hands one night when they were fighting. He
had tried to persuade her to get rid of the baby again, and when it
became clear to him that he couldn't manipulate and fool her anymore,
he had lost it and grabbed her neck.
    “ He was going to kill me
and my baby,” Harper whispered, closing her eyes at the
horrific memory. “But I managed to run out and pound on my
neighbor's door. My neighbor let me in and I stayed in her house the
whole night. The next day, I packed all my things and left town. My
neighbor gave me a lift to the bus stop but I didn't tell her where I
was going. I couldn't risk it. Douglas might threaten her and she
may just reveal my whereabouts inadvertently. I hid in another town
for a month, before coming to Shadow Point. I thought…this
town would be a good place to raise Jeremy. He'd fit in...”
    “ Yes. He will,”
Jackson answered tightly. “You belong here, both of you.”
    Harper's eyes widened a little
and Jackson forced himself to gentle his tone. He didn't want to
frighten her. She had already experienced too much fear and violence
in her young life. No more. No more fear and tears.
    From now on, Harper and her
son would only know love, laughter and hopefully, happiness.
    “ Shadow Point is the
perfect town for you and your son,” Jackson said, leaning
forward. “You'll fit right in, and you can even get a job
easily...”
    “ I...I had a job,”
Harper stuttered. “I just lost it.”
    Jackson's brows rose. “What
happened?”
    “ I was fired from the
restaurant. A customer spilled wine on her dress and blamed me. The
manager fired me on the spot.”
    “ What's the name of the
restaurant?”
    “ Grand Grill.”
    “ The manager there is a
weasel. And I mean, literally and figuratively. Howard is a weasel
shifter. And he likes to flatter and pander to his well-heeled
customers. The Caldwell wolves patronize his restaurant, and Howard
is really afraid of upsetting them.” Jackson snorted in
derision. “And the Caldwell wolves are a pack of arrogant
pricks.”
    “ Howard addressed the
customer as Mr Caldwell,” Harper muttered, half to herself.
    “ You're better off not
working at Grand Grill,” Jackson said firmly. “There are
lots of nice restaurants and eateries in town. I'm sure you'll be
able to get a job when you're ready. In the meantime, you have to
rest and build up your health. The nurses told me to take good care
of you.”
    “ They did?”
    “ Yeah.”
    “ Oh.” Harper
began to blush and she stammered, “They thought...that you're
my...um, husband or boyfriend...”
    “ Doesn't matter what
they think,” Jackson interjected. “The important thing
now is to keep you and Jeremy safe. You need people around you. You
can't be all alone with a newborn. Where do you live, Harper?”
    “ I have a small rented
place near Batcove Lane...”
    “ That area's not really
safe,” Jackson snapped. “You shouldn't live there with
your little baby...”
    “ Then where will I
live?” she cried.
    “ With me.”
    She opened her mouth but no
sound came out.
    “ You'll come home with
me. My Gramma, Ne-ma and sisters-in-law can help take care of you
and Jeremy. And my brothers and I will protect you and keep you
safe. You can count on us,” he promised.

CHAPTER
SEVEN

    Harper hugged her baby and
thanked the nurses for taking care of her. She'd had a smooth,
normal delivery and she could go home