Alpha Unmasked: BBW Bear Shifter Romance (Greenwood Shifters Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

impression.
    “Trust me, Rachel. I know just how to disappear at these things.”
    For a second she looked relieved, and Dirk thought she might take the deal. “Sorry, Mr. Greenwood—”
    “Dirk.”
    “I’ve already been given a big freaking list of rules, and I’m pretty sure they all boil down to ‘do what the boss says.’ Your dad’s the boss, and he told me to keep an eye on you.”
    “He wouldn’t have to know.”
    “So you can rat me out to him and have a laugh when he sends his lawyer after me? No thanks,” she snapped. “Sorry if I cramp your style, Casanova, but you’re stuck with me.”
    Dirk hadn’t expected her to be so fiery in her rejection. He searched her face for a hint at her feelings. He’d done it hundreds of times before. His ability to read people was one of the main reasons he had any success in investing. The fact that he couldn’t quite nail Rachel was intriguing. It didn’t hurt that she looked amazing.
    “Okay, I guess I deserved that.”
    “You did.”
    Dirk sank his teeth into his lip again. Why did she have to be so difficult? The entire thing would have been easier if he could tell her that she signed up to spend her night with a man who could turn into a grizzly bear. Well, used to be able to turn into a grizzly bear.
    “I only meant—”
    “I know what you meant. You didn’t plan on spending your evening with the help. Your family has money to blow on fancy parties. How could I possibly keep up?”
    “It’s my father’s party, not mine. And I’m sorry. I honestly didn’t mean to offend you.” Dirk took her hand. A wave of warmth moved from his fingers and up his arm. Something stirred in him, something more than arousal.
    She stared at their hands, but she didn’t pull away. “I’m sorry. This isn’t how I expected my night to go. Callisto’s Masquerade. Who’s Callisto anyway?”
    “A Greek princess. And nymph of Artemis, goddess of the hunt and the moon.”
    A small smile appeared on Rachel’s full lips. Good, she was impressed. He could work with impressed.
    “She took a vow of chastity,” he said. “But the god Zeus seduced her. Zeus was powerful, and extremely fertile. Callisto’s pregnancy wasn’t discovered for months.”
    “What happened to her?”
    “Artemis flew into a rage. She revoked all protection from Callisto, and banished her from her realm. That’s when Hera, Zeus’s wife, took revenge.” Dirk looked down at Rachel as he talked. Her scent was warm, like lavender. He felt a sudden urge to bury his nose in her silky black hair.
    “She should have taken it up with Zeus,” she said.
    “Probably, but none of the gods or goddesses dared attack Zeus. How do you take on the god of gods? But a disgraced nymph? That was a far easier target. And Hera had a habit of punishing women who caught her husband’s eye. She turned Callisto into a bear.”
    Rachel’s brow wrinkled. “Why a bear?”
    “I always thought it was because of a bear’s nature. They can be beautiful, but fearsome. Bears are solitary animals, and humans stay clear because they’re so dangerous.”
    “So she sentenced her to solitary confinement?”
    Dirk laughed. He’d heard the myth of Callisto dozens of times, but he’d never quite made the connection that way. “I guess she did.”
    “What about her baby?”
    “When he was born, Zeus hid him where Hera couldn’t find him. He grew up to be the best hunter in Greece. Then one day on a hunt, he crossed paths with Callisto. She remembered her son, and she tried to hug him. But Arcas didn’t recognize his mother. He thought the hug was an attack, and he responded with force. To save them both, Zeus sent them to the stars.”
    “That’s horrible,” she whispered.
    “It gets worse. As a last act of revenge, Juno convinced Oceanus to freeze Callisto and Arcas in place. That’s why everywhere in the Northern hemisphere, no matter what time of year, you can see the Big Dipper. At least that’s what the