Alpha Bear Read online

  Tales of the Were

  Grizzly Cove

  Alpha Bear

  by

  Bianca D’Arc

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Copyright © 2016 Bianca D’Arc

  Smashwords Edition March 2016

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  A man with a plan…

  John is the Alpha bear of Grizzly Cove, a town built to his own design, made up mostly of bear shifters. He brought them all together, so it’s on him when the community comes under attack.

  A woman of power…

  Ursula is more than she appears, and when her secret comes out, she’s afraid the shifters aren’t going to take it well, but John surprises her. He needs her help to combat the evil targeting the town, but there seems to be more to their relationship.

  A battle to the death…

  When evil attacks from the ocean, can John afford not to utilize Urse’s skills to protect the town and people in it? Better still, can John reconcile his inner bear’s demand that she is his mate, with his lifelong dream of leading his people into a new way of living—in a town built just for them? Or will he have to give up Grizzly Cove in order to keep the woman he loves?

  Dedication

  Many thanks to Valerie Tibbs for checking my Italian. Grazie mille!

  Special thanks to my editor, Jess, and to my readers, especially Anna-Marie Buchner, Suzanne Henry and Peggy McChesney, who have been both kind and encouraging at every turn. Love you guys!

  And most especially to my family, and my Dad, for being my rock of Gibraltar. Thanks for always being in my corner.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Excerpt from Saving Grace

  About the Author

  Other Books by Bianca D’Arc

  Chapter One

  Ursula and Amelia were settling in to their new apartment in their new town, but things were definitely strange here in Grizzly Cove. For one thing, the place was lousy with magic. Shifter magic, if Urse didn’t miss her guess, just like her grandmother had told her about.

  Nonna Ricoletti had taught her granddaughters all about the unseen world. The sisters hadn’t really believed most of what Nonna had told them until they got out into the wider world and realized Nonna wasn’t just some crazy old Italian eccentric. No, Nonna was a witch. A strega.

  And she was a Catholic too, but that was Nonna—a woman full of contradictions. She preferred to see the Catholic mother of God as the Mother of All. And if she mixed a little blasphemy into her daily devotions, in the privacy of her own mind, she figured it was between herself and the divine. No need to get some priest involved.

  Ursula missed Nonna, but her grandmother had played a large part in shooing Urse and Mellie out to seek their futures. In this new adventure. And this new place. Teeming with shifters.

  Bears, mostly, Ursula thought. She didn’t have the strongest nose in the family, but Nonna had sworn they were descendants of one of the strongest of the Italian Alpha bears and his human magic-using mate. Nonna was their great-granddaughter, and the magic had stayed strong in her line, while the shifting talent had passed on to other branches of the family that were now somewhat estranged.

  Both Urse and Mellie could sense magic. Mellie was better with potions and kitchen magic, as Nonna called it. Urse was better at straight-up spoken or chanted spellwork. Nonna had taught them as much as she knew, and when they’d progressed beyond her abilities, she’d brought in friends of hers from the magic user community for what she called visits but were really tutor time for her granddaughters.

  There were more than the average number of mages in their hometown of San Francisco, but Nonna had brought in specialists from far afield, including a few from her native land. She’d spared no expense when it came to her granddaughters’ education, and they loved her for it—and for the fact that she was the most loving grandmother a kid could ask for.

  It had been hard to leave home—and especially Nonna—but she’d practically forced them to go. Nonna had a bit of foresight and had been known to make the odd prophecy now and again. The girls had learned to listen when she gave them advice, and this time, she’d been adamant. She’d told them that their futures were waiting for them in Grizzly Cove and that they shouldn’t be afraid to embrace their destinies.

  The fact that she’d been so vague, while at the same time being so forceful, meant that she knew a lot more than she was saying. But that was her burden as a clairvoyant, she’d always claimed. She had to balance how much to reveal of the future with what she called la forza del destino, or in English, the power of fate.

  Luckily, that particular gift hadn’t manifested in either of the girls. Personally, Urse thought it would be a real pain in the ass to know what was going to happen and have to decide how much to say in order to arrange the best outcome. That was a little too much like playing the Almighty for her comfort. She didn’t trust herself not to mess it all up by saying too much or too little to the wrong person.

  Better such things were left to Nonna. She had years of experience and the purest heart Urse knew. Nonna could handle that kind of pressure way better than either of her granddaughters. Which was probably why that gift hadn’t passed to either of them, though Nonna claimed it could manifest later in life.

  That was something Urse was definitely not looking forward to—if it should ever come to pass.

  Thankfully, her thoughts were interrupted by the tinkling bell that hung over the door that led to Main Street. Since they weren’t open for business yet, it had to be Mellie returning from her sugar run to the bakery down the street.

  “Thank the Goddess! I’m about to starve over here, Mel. Gimme one of those honey buns, right now!” she yelled toward the front of the store.

  Urse had been stacking books all day, taking them from the back storeroom to the shelves out front, where she was working on their displays. Mellie was supposed to be helping, but she’d gone AWOL about twenty minutes ago, claiming she was just going to make a quick run to the bakery to get snacks.

  “I would if I could, but I’m afraid I don’t have any on me,” a deep voice said from the open doorway that led to the front of the store.

  Urse jumped to her feet, dusting herself off. She was a mess. Dammit. And in front of the hunky mayor of all people.

  “Oh, sorry, Mayor Marshall. I thought you were my sister, finally returning from the bakery.” She smiled, hoping he didn’t notice how messy her hair was, or the fact that she was wearing zero makeup. Great. Just great.

>   “Call me John. We don’t stand on ceremony around here all that much.”

  Except for maybe full moon ceremonies, she thought privately. She and Mel were still arguing over whether or not to come clean to the shifters about who they were and what they knew. Urse thought they should tell someone—probably the sexy mayor—before they went any further. If the shifters in town didn’t want two strega in their midst, that was their right, and Urse certainly didn’t want to stay where they weren’t welcome. She might be doing all this backbreaking work setting up the store for nothing.

  But Mellie didn’t agree. She wanted to keep their secret a little longer. She was enjoying ogling the handsome shifters a little too much, if you asked Urse. Of course, nobody was asking her, and Urse didn’t want to go against her sister’s wishes.

  Urse was trying to talk her around, and for the moment, they were at a stalemate.

  Continuing with her work, in order to hide the real direction of her thoughts, Urse bent to pick up a heavy box of books. She was just getting her hands under the edge of the box, when two much bigger hands appeared beside her, shooing her away. John lifted up the cardboard box that felt like it was stuffed with anvils—Urse had tried to lift it before—like it was loaded with feathers.

  “Where do you want this?” he asked casually.

  “Just up on the workbench, please,” she said, unable to keep herself from admiring the way his muscles stretched out the fabric of his shirt sleeves. Hoo-boy. The man was built!

  And those sexy brown eyes that flashed with intelligence just made her heart go pitter-pat. His lustrous golden brown hair made her want to run her fingers through it too. She and Mellie had drooled over the mayor when they’d first met him, and the reaction hadn’t faded. The man certainly made an impact on Urse every time she saw him. One she tried hard to tamp down.

  The rumor mill around town—aka the Baker sisters who owned the shop down the street—said that the mayor was single, but Urse feared the Alpha shifter wouldn’t want to get involved with a witch. Plus, there was the fact that he didn’t seem to realize that she and her sister weren’t entirely human. That would have to come out, eventually, but… Oh, it was just so complicated.

  John tossed the box easily to the workbench and stood back, just looking at her. She didn’t know what to say, which was unusual for her. Urse was usually the more glib-tongued of the two sisters. But there was something about the way he was looking at her.

  Their eyes met…and held. Time seemed to stand still. The earth seemed to stop spinning. Just for a moment.

  And then, the bell out in the front of the store rang cheerfully, and the world started turning again.

  “Hey, Urse!” Mellie yelled on her way into the store. “I got the honey buns. Damn, those Baker sisters got lucky with their shifter mates. I can’t decide which one is hotter—or cuter when they’re running to keep up with their gals. I’ve never seen so many shifters in lurve before—” Mellie’s explosion of words ceased the moment she stepped into the back room and realized they weren’t alone. “Oh, crap,” she blurted out, coming to an abrupt halt in the doorway. “Hi, Mayor Marshall.” The last came out on a squeak.

  John looked from Urse to Mellie and back again. “And just what would you two know about shifters?”

  Urse sighed heavily and leaned back against the work bench. “More than you might think,” she said, knowing this looked really bad. “And this is why I said we should tell them,” she railed at her sister, who stood silently in the doorway.

  “Tell us what, exactly?” John wanted to know.

  He didn’t look happy, nor could Urse really blame him. This town was his baby, from all accounts. He led the town council. They were able to ratify and deny applications for new businesses, and they were damned choosey about who they let into their community. Urse didn’t blame them one bit.

  “We are strega,” Urse admitted, just wanting the truth out there.

  “What’s a strega?” John countered.

  Hmm. She hadn’t realized he wouldn’t recognize the term. She tried again.

  “We’re hereditary witches from Italy. In the States, I think you would call us magic users or mages,” Urse explained. John’s brows furrowed as he frowned. “But we’re not affiliated with any formal group or school in the U.S. We’re solitary practitioners, for the most part, with the traditions passed down through the family. We learned our skills from our grandmother, who shares our gifts, and from special friends she invited to teach us from time to time. But most importantly, we serve the Mother of All and are on the side of Light.”

  “Well, that’s the only good thing I’ve heard so far.” John sighed, running a hand through his hair. Clearly, he was upset.

  “We’re also descendants of Francisco the Great and his mate, the strega Violetta,” Mellie put in helpfully. “Francisco was a Marsican bear shifter and protector of the Apennine during the dark times of the Destroyer.”

  “That was a long time ago,” John said, looking at Mellie. “But it speaks in your favor that you’re descended of a bear, even if you can’t shift.” He looked back at Urse, meeting her gaze. “You can’t shift, can you?”

  “No. Francisco’s gift passed to another branch of the family. Our line took after his mate, Violetta,” Urse admitted. “Look, John, I’m sorry. I wanted to talk to you about all of this as soon as we realized practically everyone in town was a shifter. On our first visit, we figured we just ran across a random group of shifters, and the rest of the town would be human. Only after we started moving in did we realize what we’d walked into here. I apologize for not telling you sooner.”

  “Why didn’t you?” John surprised her by asking.

  Mellie had the grace to blush. “That was my fault,” she admitted bashfully. “I liked being around your people, and I wanted to stay for a while before you kicked us out.”

  “What makes you think I’m going to kick you out?” John said in a quiet voice.

  “Well, aren’t you?” Mellie looked up at him with those big brown eyes that had been getting her out of trouble since they were kids.

  John sighed again. “Hell if I know. This isn’t anything I was expecting, and frankly, I’m not sure what to do about it. We started this town for shifters. We only just agreed to let a few humans in. We never even considered magic users would want to join us here, and we haven’t made any plans with that situation in mind.”

  “I’m sorry we’ve caused trouble for you,” Urse said calmly. “If you want us to leave, we will. We should have come clean when we first realized what this place was really all about.”

  “Yes, you should have,” John agreed. “But you’re here now. And you already know about us. I think you should just continue setting up your shop. We’re going to have to have a meeting, and I’d like you both to be available if the council needs to hear more about your origins, abilities and loyalties. For now, though, just…carry on, I guess.” He ran that hand through his thick hair again, clearly frustrated. “I’ll be in touch. Don’t go near the water and don’t go into the woods. Stay in town. Okay?”

  “All right, John. We’ll do as you ask.” Urse walked with him toward the doorway as Mellie moved aside to let him pass. “Please accept my apologies. We should have told you a lot sooner.”

  John paused in the middle of the store. “You should have. I expect honesty from my people. If you stay, I’ll expect that from both of you from now on. Clear?”

  His gaze pinned Mellie first.

  “Crystal,” Mellie replied quickly, hands behind her back as she fidgeted under the weight of that intimidating Alpha male stare.

  John turned his attention to Urse, seeking her agreement. She wasn’t as intimidated by his gaze. If he was an Alpha male—and she was certain he was—then she was probably the witch equivalent of an Alpha female. She could stand up to a guy like him and not sweat it. Though she didn’t feel like opposing John. No, not at all. She felt more like standing with him. By his side.

  N
ow where did that odd thought come from? She almost shook herself. On very rare occasions, she almost felt as if an inner bear spoke to her, down deep inside. That furry hussie was seeing something she really, really liked when she looked at the mayor. But it was more than just sexual attraction. The beast hidden way down deep saw someone she could trust. Someone who should be respected.

  If it was some long-lost ancestral trait, or merely instinct, Urse had learned to trust the female intuition—or bear sense—when it decided to speak to her. Come to think of it, that feeling had become more common since they’d moved. Maybe something about Grizzly Cove was awakening that part of her lineage? Or maybe…it was contact with John that was doing it. Either way, she would pay attention.

  “Honesty, John. Now and forevermore,” she intoned, knowing some of her magic was leaking out into her words. That happened sometimes.

  John started, looking deep into her eyes. He seemed to recognize the vow she’d just made—and reinforced with her own power. Maybe he recognized the kindred bear spirit that was awakening inside her? Or maybe that was all just her imagination.

  “Good.” He nodded once. “I’ll be in touch soon.”

  He turned and strode forcefully out the door, turning right onto Main Street. She watched until he disappeared from view.

  “Holy crap, I’m sorry,” Mellie whined, cringing as she looked at Urse.

  “Yeah, me too.” Urse said, slapping the dust from her jeans. “That could’ve gone a whole lot better, but at least he didn’t try to bite one of us.”

  “That is one scary bear,” Mellie agreed, watching the street where John had disappeared.

  “He’s the Alpha. Of course he’s scary, but lucky for us, he’s as controlled as he is powerful. Otherwise, we’d be toast. As it is, I’m not sure they’re going to let us stay.”