Bear in the Rough: Bear Shifter Romance (Broken Hill Bears Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

There was a rush of applause and Xander stepped forward.
    “It’s a great honor to succeed my father as Alpha of this clan,” he said. “But with honor, comes duty. My father has been a phenomenal leader for many years, and I hope to emulate his many successes. To this end, I will devote my life to doing the best I can for the clan. As you all know, I’ve been serving on active duty in the US military for the past five years, and I anticipate that the experience I’ve gained in the military field will make me a better Alpha. Not least the time I’ve spent living alongside humans and understanding their natures. It’s more important than ever that we understand the human race if we’re going to keep living alongside them in harmony.”
    He spoke confidently, fluently, but his brain was still scanning, still analyzing. And some of the things he saw worried him.
    He finished speaking and there was another round of applause. Then above it came a deep rumbling voice. Xander recognized it immediately as the voice of one of the elders, Zanko, a very traditional and humorless bear, who, nevertheless, was esteemed as a fearless fighter who had defended the clan against Black Paw Ridge attacks on many occasions.
    “He’s not mated,” Zanko bellowed from the back of the gathering. “An Alpha must have a mate.” His father sighed, only loud enough for Xander to hear.
    “Give the bear a break, Zanko. He’s been in the military for the last few years. Where do you expect him to have found mate while he was on active duty. In the middle of the desert?” There was a lot of laughter, but some grumbling too, and Xander observed a slew of comments passing between Zanko and his cronies.
    Xander’s father turned to him and laid his hand on his shoulder, eyes bright with pride.
    “This is all yours now, Xander, this difficult, tiresome, argumentative bunch. Welcome to your clan.” As he spoke the final words, his eyes became glassy. He clutched his chest and his mouth fell open in a silent expression of agony. He crashed to the floor, like an ancient and majestic tree struck by lightning. Xander reacted quickly enough to cushion the fall with his arms, falling down with his father at the same time. He crouched over him.
    “Xander,” his father said, his voice reduced to a whisper. “Choose the mate your heart desires. Don’t let them force you into a match. But please, find your mate soon.” His eyes glazed over and his body went limp. His father, the mighty leader of the Broken Hill Bears, was dead. Xander let out a bellow that shook the hall to its rafters.
     
     

Chapter Three
     
     
    Campo, California
     
     
    Eloise Mathers heaved her giant pack onto her back, and promptly fell over, arms and legs flailing. Marin Carter burst out laughing, bent over, gasping for breath and cackling until her round cheeks were bright pink.
    “Eloise!” Freya Wright exclaimed, frustration seeping though every pore. “Now do you believe me? You need to cut your possessions in half – at least – or this trip’s going to be hell.” For all of us , she added silently. Not for the first time, she wondered why she hasn’t chosen to hike the Pacific Crest Trail alone, instead of with two old friends from high school. It had seemed like a good decision six weeks ago, when they’d all met up at a school reunion. Freya told the other two that she was planning on hiking the entire west coast of the USA, all the way from Mexico to Canada, along a hiking trail that had been purpose-built many years earlier. To her surprise, both women had looked fascinated, rather than appalled. Marin said right away that she was keen to join her. It had always been her dream to do it as well, since her grandma had completed most of the trail in her youth. She’d just been waiting for the right opportunity. She was working a dead-end job, but she had some savings. Why not take the time out? Eloise’s eyes got very big as Freya explained exactly what