Bearly Taken (Cub Lake Shifters #2)

Chapter 1

one

WREN

Dread, fear, and a tiny shred of thrill were my constant companions throughout the day.

Not every day.

Just that day.

The day Hudson Claw decided to tell my baby’s father, my bear shifter mate , the truth about what he’d left behind when he abandoned me after marking me as his.

At least he’d called and warned me afterward.

I’d always known Reed would find out the truth. And that when he did, there would be some fury involved. Given that I’d never reached out to let him know that I was pregnant, that seemed inevitable.

But he was the one who walked away from me, knowing full and well that there was every chance I could be pregnant after he mated me.

So, I’d always maintained that it was his fault.

And I was sticking with that.

Just like the dread and those other crappy emotions stuck with me as I made a simple dinner and played with my adorable toddler, Parker.

Who, yes, looked almost identical to Reed.

It would serve him well when he got older though, because Reed was gorgeous.

Parker didn’t care how crappy the apartment was—and didn’t notice that it only had one bedroom, which belonged to him. All that mattered to him was that I filled it with love and toys. By the time he was old enough for it to matter, I would have enough money to pay for a better place.

I knew 10 PM was the earliest Reed could arrive, thanks to my best friend looking up plane arrival times. So, I held my breath through Parker’s bedtime routine, and continued as I retreated to the couch that functioned as my bed. There was work to be done online for my business, but I wouldn’t be able to focus. Not when I was waiting for my own personal kryptonite to knock on my door.

Around midnight, I finally started to relax.

He wouldn’t show up that late. He was coming to see Parker, not me. He’d probably be by first thing in the morning, so?—

A harsh knock sounded on the door.

I froze.

Shit.

Shit, shit, shit.

Maybe he was there for me.

I lifted my hand to the scarred bite on my shoulder, reminding myself that the permanent bond he’d created between us prevented him from hurting me. And from sleeping with anyone other than me, though that didn’t particularly matter in this case.

Loyalty didn’t negate leaving me.

I let out a slow breath as he knocked again, louder.

The knocks sounded angry. I’d never seen Reed angry. What if he decided to shift and ram my door down or something?

Yikes.

I closed my laptop and forced myself to my feet. Hiding from him wouldn’t get me anywhere.

As I started toward the door, my phone rang.

I looked down at the device on the couch.

Reed was calling.

At the sight of his name on the screen, anger coursed through me.

Not even anger—rage. Pure, violent rage.

I grabbed it off the couch and stormed across the room, finally ripping the door open.

The most gorgeous man I’d ever seen was standing on my doorstep. Tan skin. Curly brown hair. Warm golden eyes. A chin that could cut stone, though it was covered in a few days’ worth of stubble at the moment.

He looked tired.

Much more tired than I’d ever seen him before.

But that barely registered, because I was furious.

Lifting my phone, I said, “So you do still have my number, you just didn’t bother to use it.”

He blinked.

I glared.

He finally started, “I don’t?—”

“No, you don’t . You don’t get to show up here and demand to see your son after you bit me, knocked me up, and walked away. You don’t get to come back to town and demand to be a part of the life I fought so fucking hard for. Not after leaving me to suffer through the hellish shifter pregnancy, postpartum, and baby stage without a partner. You don’t know what it’s been like, you didn’t care, and you don’t get to claim me now. You don’t . I’ll send you a picture of my son, so you know what you’ve missed. Goodbye.”

With that, I slammed the door in his face and locked it quickly.

My heart pounded as I pressed my back to the wood, squeezing my eyes shut and forcing myself to breathe.

It was fine.

I was fine.

He wasn’t going to take Parker away from me. No one was. No one could . I would’ve had to sign the breeding papers to give the bear clan any power over him. Signing would mean money for me, which would give Parker a better life, but it was risky without knowing how Reed would react. So, I hadn’t.

And sure, a custody court could probably force me to share time with Parker’s father, but Reed wasn’t going to do that. Not when he hadn’t bothered coming back or sending a message to make sure I wasn’t pregnant.

Letting out a shaky breath, I finally lifted my phone and pulled up my messages with Reed. Apparently the old texts hadn’t been automatically deleted, because I saw our last conversation on the screen.

Reed

I’m in town. Want to meet up?

Me

Sorry, out with friends right now

Maybe next time ;)

Reed

At the Grill?

I’d never answered.

I hadn’t admitted it to anyone other than my best friend who’d lived in New York at the time, but we’d been friends with benefits for years. There were only a few guys in town I was attracted to, and after you’ve been with a bear shifter, it’s extremely difficult to go back to sleeping with human guys.

So Reed and I had hooked up every time he was in town, beginning a few weeks after we graduated high school together. He made excuses to come down and visit his mom nearly every month. We’d spend almost the entire time he was there in his bed, in the house he owned on the edge of the bear clan’s land.

Then, he would leave, and I wouldn’t hear from him until the next time he was there.

It had felt like a dream, up until reality hit.

He didn’t come home for a few months, and I took it personally. I’d gone out dancing with another guy in the Grill to try to forget him—one of those few guys I’d been attracted to. Reed stepped in, grinding against me in a way I never would’ve expected him to in public. No one knew about us, including his parents and friends.

But he kissed me that night.

And when I went home with him, he’d lost control of the bear inside him. He bit me, and we screwed like animals

He wasn’t gone when I woke up.

My sheltered, innocent mind thought that meant he wanted me. That we were going to be together permanently. I didn’t know enough about bears to think otherwise. And I definitely didn’t realize that they were so ridiculously fertile, their sperm could force me to ovulate and knock me up after one night.

But he’d slipped out while I was in the shower, leaving a note taped to the bathroom door. When I closed my eyes, I could still see the damn thing in my mind.

Wren,

I’m sorry.

Lock up when you leave.

Reed

It was infuriating.

Absolutely infuriating.

The way he’d apologized for mating me, then told me to get out in a slightly-more-polite way.

I still wanted to strangle him for the note, and it had been more than two years since. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get over it.

But I needed to.

Because I’d promised him a picture of our son. And he was ours, even if I wasn’t going to acknowledge that he was also Reed’s to the abandoning bastard’s face.

So, I pulled up a picture I’d taken of Parker at the bookstore last week. My chest ached at how adorable my little guy was. Those golden eyes would be the death of me—whether because of Parker, or his father.

I sent it to Reed, and he answered immediately.

Reed

What’s his name?

Me

Parker

It was Reed’s middle name.

I’d known it was stupid to name my son after him, but I hadn’t wanted him to be disconnected from his father entirely. No matter what I did, nothing could change the fact that he was a shifter. And even if I could change that, I wouldn’t want to. It was a big part of him. The little guy loved to shift, and still went furry multiple times a day.

Reed

He’s perfect

Pride coursed through me.

Though he wasn’t complimenting me, I was the reason that little boy was alive. I had suffered for him. I had fought for him. And I always would.

Reed

You told me you were on birth control

My forehead creased.

Me

The first time we hooked up?

I was, then

It gave me terrible side effects. I was only on it a few months. I tracked my fertility and you used condoms after that

No condoms had been used during the bond-sealing night, though. Which was a mistake.

Not that I regretted having Parker.

He was everything to me. I’d go back and do it all over again if it meant I got to hold my baby a little longer.

Reed

I didn’t know

I thought you were still on birth control and the condoms were just backup

Why didn’t you stop me or make me use one?

I glared down at the phone.

Me

Do you remember yourself that night? It was like you were possessed. There was no stopping you, and I didn’t want to. I knew we were both clean, and my period had just ended. I wasn’t fertile. No one had warned me that bear shifters can force ovulation. Having sex without protection still wasn’t a good idea, but if you were human, I definitely wouldn’t have walked away pregnant. As far as I knew, there was no need to stop you

Reed didn’t answer right away.

When he did, the message didn’t do anything to wipe away my glare.

Reed

You should’ve gone to the clan and filled out the paperwork. They would’ve paid you

Me

And expected me to sign half of my rights over to the man who ditched me. Not a chance. I grew my baby—I’m not letting you take him from me. If that’s where this conversation is going, you might as well call a lawyer, because I’m done.

Reed

I would never take my cub from his mother by force. My dad forced me to spend half my time with him. I’ve never forgiven him for it. Probably never will.

The message shouldn’t have calmed me.

It could’ve been a lie.

But somehow, his admission made breathing just a little bit easier.

Reed

You have the keys to my house. Why didn’t you move in? I assumed you were living there.

It was much, much nicer than my apartment. He didn’t even have to look inside to know that. The outside of the building alone made that clear.

Me

You told me to leave. I wasn’t about to give you more ammunition by living in a house you owned. The court could use that to insinuate that I can’t provide a home for my child.

Reed

That’s why you’re not living with your mom, too?

I stared down at the screen, hating that he’d already figured out that much.

Reed

I’m not a fucking monster

If I’d known you were pregnant, I wouldn’t have left town at all. I would’ve helped you through it, even if you didn’t want me involved with the cub when he was born.

Why didn’t you tell me?

That was the question of all questions.

The one I least wanted to answer.

The one place where I’d known I was wrong, and I couldn’t lie to him about it.

Me

Goodnight, Reed.

Tense, I waited for him to message me back.

To demand to know the truth.

To threaten to break down my apartment’s flimsy door.

But the message never came.

And I didn’t know whether to be hurt or grateful for that.

So, I simply let out a breath and forced myself to go to bed. I didn’t sleep—but I tried.