The Bear and the Heir: BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance ((Arcane Affairs Agency)) Read online

  The Bear and the Heir

  Leslie Chase

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Epilogue

  Arcane Affairs Agency Series

  About the Author

  Also by Leslie Chase

  The Bear and the Heir

  Editing by Sennah Tate

  Copyright 2016 Leslie Chase

  All rights reserved

  This is a work of fiction intended for mature audiences. All names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Created with Vellum

  1

  It always rained in Fiona's dreams. Anything from a light shower to a full-on storm, the only constant was the falling water. She could remember, when she was young, how surprised she'd felt finding out that the other children didn't always have that constant in their sleeping minds.

  Tonight it was a storm. She was walking up a path at night, lightning illuminating the vast palace that rose in front of her, and she was being followed.

  It's just a dream, she tried to tell herself. She'd gotten good at recognizing them while she was still asleep, but it didn't make the feeling of being hunted any less frightening. There were two men after her, she thought — it was hard to tell in the darkness. At least two, then. One was huge, a beast of a man. Sometimes she thought that he had an animal's head, even. He was almost lost in the darkness behind her, and it was hard to keep track of him.

  The other man was more frightening somehow. He shouldn't have been: he was slender and elegant where the first man was huge and threatening. But there was something about him that made her certain that she didn't want to fall into his hands. A feeling that she couldn't place, but in the dream it was absolute.

  She started to run, the rain pounding down around her and thunder cracking. The storm itself didn't frighten her, it was exhilarating. The wind whipped her hair this way and that, the boom of thunder drove her forward, and she seemed to be flying up the path as she ran from her pursuers. For a moment, her fear was lost in the sheer joy of the moment.

  Then lightning flashed, lighting up the thin man standing ahead of her in the grand doorway of the palace. He was too close, much too close for her to avoid now. Fiona tried to stop but she couldn't, she was flying into his arms and the cold smile on his face chilled her in a way the icy rain couldn’t.

  His eyes were black, lit by flashes of lightning; they were all she could see, but she could hear the breathing of the big man, the beast man, as he rushed to catch up.

  "Go away," she shouted at both of them. Her words vanished into the storm, lightning flashing and thunder booming to echo her.

  "Fiona!"

  Sitting up with a start, Fiona looked around. Even though she knew she’d been dreaming, being torn back to wakefulness was still a shock and she struggled to reorient herself. She was in her apartment, not some mysterious palace in the woods. And the morning light was streaming in through the window of her bedroom. It wasn't night, there was no storm, and the thin man hadn't caught her. The room still smelled like a forest after the rain, though, or at least Fiona thought it did. She shivered, standing up and wrapping her blanket around her.

  "Fiona, you're going to be late for work if you don't get into the shower right now," Janet called from the far side of the bedroom door. "And where did all these flowers come from?"

  "What flowers?" Fiona asked, grumpily looking at her clock and cursing it. Either the alarm hadn't gone off or she'd slept straight through it again.

  Throwing open the door, she stepped out into the hall and stopped, one foot out. The largest display of flowers she'd ever seen stood there, Janet just staring at them. Fiona stared too, mystified. They looked like no flowers she had ever seen.

  "Did you finally find yourself a guy?" Janet asked with a teasing grin. "Maybe a florist?"

  "No," Fiona said grumpily. "You know I'd tell you first thing if I did. Who the hell delivered these?"

  "How should I know? I just woke up and there they were," Janet said, frowning a little. "I figured you'd know."

  "That's weird." Fiona shook her head, putting that mystery out of her mind for a moment. "I don't have time for this now. I've got to run or Mr. Jackson will be pissed at me."

  "Go. Run. Shoo." Janet pushed her towards the bathroom. Mysterious flowers were one thing, but they were behind on rent for the apartment as it was. They really couldn't afford for Fiona to lose any of her pay. "Oh, and someone's booked the spare room for a few days."

  Fiona shook her head as she disappeared into the bathroom. That was one of Janet's new ideas for getting some extra money in, but so far it had been more effort than it was worth. There just weren't that many people who wanted to visit Argent Falls.

  Agent Cole North hoped that this wasn't going to be another wild goose chase, but he expected to be disappointed. Check out reports of magically altered weather around the town of Argent Falls, his supervisor had told him. The little grin on the man's face was all the hint he needed. For some reason, Eric seemed to delight in sending him running all over the country.

  Okay, maybe I know why, Cole thought. I should have been more careful not to be rude to his wife at the Solstice party, but damn it haven't I worked off that grudge by now? How was I meant to know who she was, anyway?

  To be fair, she'd seen the funny side straight away, and he thought that Eric did too. But it didn't stop his supervisor from dropping all the sillier cases on him anyway. Like this one.

  Pulling in at the side of the road, he picked up the file again and looked through it. It was a thin file, and most of it was irrelevant. The main point was that a witch passing through the area had been caught in an unseasonal snow shower, and thought it was caused by magic. Magic that might be noticed by the mundane world. So she'd done her part by reporting it to the Arcane Affairs Agency. After everyone had a good laugh about it, the report was passed around until it landed on the desk of someone who wanted to send an agent on a pointless excursion to the middle of nowhere.

  To be fair, the weather had been odd around Argent Falls for the past few weeks, so there might be more to it than it seemed. Local radio, at least, was talking about the unseasonal storms that had been far too frequent. There was some talk of meteorologists getting interested, too. But that didn't make the investigation any easier.

  There wasn't anywhere to start. There wasn't even any evidence it was magic, and if it was, there wasn't any reason to think that whoever was responsible was still in town. But these things had to be checked out, so here Cole was with a file on the local supernaturals and orders to investigate and apprehend the perpetrator.

  And of course, even if by some miracle I do catch someone, all that will happen is that they'll get a warning to be more careful. It's not like they've actually attracted much attention yet — as long as it stops now, no real harm done. Cole shook his head and threw down the file again. Well, best get it over with. Maybe next time there'll actually be somethin
g to look at.

  Just as he started the car, thunder split the sky. Next to him, a tree cracked in two, lightning splitting wood with a sudden violence. Wind howled through the trees beside the road, and Cole slammed on the brakes again as a branch blew across the road just in front of him. His SUV skidded to a halt, and the wind died down as quickly as it had started. Okay, Cole thought, looking around. There is definitely something odd about the weather here.

  He wasn't a magician himself, but he didn't need to be to feel something unnatural in the air. His shifter senses could tell him that much. That might not have been an attack, but it was intended as a warning. Someone didn't want him in the area. That made him smile, a feral angry smile. I've been through enough bullshit assignments this year. If someone's going to pick a fight with me, then bring it on. I could use the challenge.

  "I don't know if you can hear me," he said out loud, pulling out the amulet he wore as his badge of office. "If you can, hear this: I'm Agent North of the Arcane Affairs Agency, and this is your warning. Come out and talk to me, or when I track you down it'll be worse for you."

  There was no reply on the winds. He hadn't really expected one, he didn't even know if whoever had sent that lightning was listening. Even if they did hear him, he hoped they wouldn't pay any attention. Maybe it wasn't very professional of him, but after the number of dead-end cases he'd had recently, he'd rather face a foe who would fight him than one who would come quietly.

  Suddenly interested in his work, Agent North drove on towards Argent Falls.

  2

  Fiona was still in a rush as she left the apartment, her hair damp from the shower. There wasn't any time to find out more about their boarder from Janet, if Janet even had any idea who it was yet. And no time to do anything about the flowers except push past them. There were enough crowding the hall that it was hard to get out without getting her clothes tangled in them.

  She didn't recognize the scent of them, or the flowers themselves for that matter. They were strange dark blooms that somehow reminded her of her dreams, of the storm clouds in the sky. Probably just because I could smell them in my sleep, she thought. Now that she was aware of it, their scent was everywhere in the apartment, and it seemed to follow her down the stairs as she left the building.

  She hadn't had any time to get breakfast, but that wasn't too much of a worry. Unless today was a lot busier than usual, she'd be able to sneak a snack in before too long. As long as she got to work on time, everything was going to be fine. Or at least, that's what she told herself.

  But something felt wrong. Almost as though it had followed her out of her dreams, the feeling of being watched clung to her, and she found herself sneaking glances back over her shoulder as she made her way through town. I wish I was in my car, she thought, but the poor little thing was in dire need of some repairs and she didn't have the money to pay for it. Work was only a twenty-minute walk away, in any case. A little exercise was good for her, she tried to tell herself, but today she really wished she could be lazy instead.

  Was that someone in the alley she'd just passed? She paused to look back, and sure enough, someone was leaving. A tall, thin man, he walked with grace and elegance, but she couldn't help thinking that there was something wrong with how he moved. And when he caught her eye and smiled, she looked away with a shiver. It looked exactly like the cold smile of the man in her dream.

  Don't be silly, Fiona, she told herself firmly. It's just a dream, you have a lot of those and they don't come to anything. Remember when you dreamed you were going to move to New York and live in the Empire State Building? With a bear for a next door neighbor? She tried to laugh at herself for taking this dream seriously, but it didn't help her shake the sudden fear. She found herself walking faster and faster, almost at a run.

  Behind her, the man didn't speed up, but his long stride ate the distance and he kept pace with her easily. Fiona tried to ignore the idea that he was following her, and instead just concentrated on getting to work.

  The Argent Falls shopping mall had never been anything special, and now there were almost as many empty storefronts as shops. But at least there was still security, and Fiona had never been so glad to greet Al as she passed him on her way in.

  I'm being ridiculous, she told herself. The streets had hardly been empty, and the man behind her hadn't shown any sign of being interested in her since that smile. He was probably just going the same way, and her mind was still stuck in the dream of being chased. But still, she was happy to be indoors, with guards near at hand.

  At least the extra speed had helped her timing — she was, for a wonder, slightly early as she arrived at Rosewind Books, and Mr. Jackson was just opening up. He smiled at her in his paternal way and ushered her inside as he switched on the lights.

  "In a rush this morning, Fiona?" he said as she caught her breath.

  "Just a little, Mr. Jackson," she said with a smile. He was an okay boss, as long as she was on time and did her job. And his, too. He seemed to think that having her in the shop meant that he could go off and do whatever took his fancy for most of the day.

  Fiona didn't mind that much. It left her in the shop surrounded by books, which she loved, and the place was rarely busy enough that she couldn't cope on her own. Mr. Jackson was usually nearby in any case and she had his phone number if she ever felt overwhelmed. It worked out okay for both of them, and having him rely on her was handy.

  "Seeing as you're here, I'll go check on a few things while you finish opening up," he said with a smile that meant she wouldn't see him for hours.

  "Sure thing, boss," she said, smiling and waving him off. Better to have him be in a good mood and dumping his work on her than a bad mood and docking her pay, and that was what she could expect if she was late.

  As soon as he was gone, she slumped into the chair behind the counter to catch her breath. I guess I really do need the exercise, she thought, a little dismayed by how tired the rush to get in had left her. But now she could relax for a little while, at least.

  The first customers didn’t take long to arrive, asking if the books they'd ordered were in yet. Their questions reminded her that it was Thursday. Delivery day. Great, Mr. Jackson had stuck her with handling that on her own too. She decided that she'd cross that bridge when she came to it and kept her fixed smile as she told the customers that, no, the new books wouldn't be in until mid-morning at the earliest.

  So much for sneaking some breakfast here. I'm not going to be alone until the books are in, am I?

  Her stomach didn't appreciate that, but there wasn't anything to do about it. She'd just have to hope that Mr. Jackson would turn up on time for her to get some lunch. Busying herself with tidying the shelves, she tried to keep herself from noticing the persistent hunger while she waited.

  "Good morning," an unfamiliar cultured voice interrupted her thoughts. She turned, an insincere smile plastered across her face. The greeting that she'd been ready with died on her lips as she looked up at the man from the alley.

  Up close, he towered over her, tall and thin and beautiful. That wasn't a word she used much for men, but she couldn't help it here — his slim face was delicate and perfectly constructed, perfect enough to be a little unsettling. It made him look threatening in a way she couldn't quite place, not helped by the way he loomed over her. His dark suit was perfectly tailored to his athletic body, and there wasn't a hair out of place on his head.

  What was worse was that he clearly knew how good he looked. A smug pride shone through him, and something in the way he looked at her told her that he expected her to acknowledge it. The silence between them stretched for far too long before she remembered that she was meant to reply.

  "Good morning," she said, trying to sound cheerful and professional, rather than intimidated and confused. "Can I help you?"

  His smile widened, and he allowed himself a sharp little chuckle. "I rather think that you can. Oh yes. My name is Meallan Lightning."

  Of course it is, Fio
na thought. That's an entirely believable name that doesn't sound at all made up. She kept the snark internal, though. It didn't seem like a good idea to annoy him for no reason.

  "Are you waiting on an order, Mr. Lightning?" she asked, unable to keep a little sarcasm out of her voice as she said his name. "I don't think I saw anything by your name in the order book, I'm afraid, and in any case, our delivery hasn't come yet."

  He chuckled again, taking a small step closer and looming. "You know full well that I am not looking for any book, Princess."

  Fiona shrank back against the bookshelf behind her, edging sideways towards the counter. A quick glance around told her that no one else was paying any attention to their interaction — there was a young man looking for something in the fantasy section, and a couple of girls laughing as they looked at a book on love magic in the little corner of New Age books.

  "This is a bookshop," she said as firmly as she could, turning back to face the man who called himself Lightning. "If you're not here for books, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

  Again that little chuckle. It was almost musical, quite pleasant, and there was something in the deep darkness of his eyes that called to her. Something which drew her in, made her want to see more. Stop staring into his eyes, then, she told herself, pulling her gaze away.

  That seemed to surprise him, going by the little frown on his otherwise perfect face. He took a small step backward, looking almost confused as she slipped past him to put the counter between them. It was as though he didn't expect her to be able to look away.

  Having a barrier between them made her feel a little safer. It wouldn't stop him, of course, but at least it was something.

  "Please leave," she said, reaching for the phone. "If you keep hassling me I'll have to call security."