Bearly a Chance: A Second Chances Romance Read Online Free PDF Page B

red. His bear huffed a quiet command to get closer, follow them.
    Ben argued with bear quietly. He was absolutely certain that it would be a bad thing to be caught following them just now. Especially considering the tension in Aria’s stride.
    Ben felt his attention being pulled between Aria and the cub snuggled up in Victoria’s arms. Bear had no such trouble. The scent of the trio wafted back to him as he trailed behind them on silent feet. Bear snuffed, then growled in contentment.
    But when Ben tried to get bear to give up the goods on why he was damn near purring silently, bear was silent as stone.
    Ben couldn’t help watching the gorgeous curves of Aria’s hips as they swayed down the street. Motherhood had only enhanced her curvy nature. All the better as far as he was concerned. Especially since the cub in Victoria Fox’s arms had a hint of bear to her scent. But Ben couldn’t catch more than that detail with his own senses and his bear was too happy observing his mate and her family to come out and play. At least not when there was no danger whatsoever present.
    The thought that the trio could be in danger walking through a known shifter haven like Espen briefly crossed Ben’s mind. But further consideration led to the inescapable fact that since Victoria Fox was de-facto leader of the shifters in town, Ben and bear had to be content with the presumption of safety her influence provided. It’d take one hell of a rabid shifter to violate Clan law and human law in order to attack Tori or anyone accompanying her. Even if one of those anyone’s was a cub with mysterious parentage, which was roundly frowned on in the Clans. Only rogue or crazed shifters abandoned family to the winds. Unlike human family, shifter families really were for life.
    Ben strained to hear the conversation between the women as they walked down Main Street. He briefly considered sneaking around the back and beating them to Delilah’s shop but the winds were against him. There was just enough of a breeze to carry the females’ scents to Ben’s bear even though he trailed the group by a good two blocks. If he rushed to the shop though, there was no way Victoria Fox would miss his presence.
    No sense in scaring our mate and her family off before we can even talk to her.
    The bear chuffed agreeably. He was content to simply have his mate and cub in eyesight, and completely convinced that as long as he could see them, he could intervene before danger could come to them. Ben wasn’t so sure of his bear’s powers, but he was sure of Victoria Fox’s powers.
    In short order the girls had made it to Delilah’s shop. Birdie’s Bats and Broomsticks. Ben idly wondered why Del never had bothered to change the name. No matter.
    He almost turned to leave when his sharp eyesight noted the closed sign in the window. Bear disagreed. Vehemently. Ben’s skin prickled as bear threatened to take over if Ben left their mate again.
    But Del answered Victoria’s knock. Of course she did. Even witches had to make nice with the shifters in their midst. The only species that got a pass was the humans, simply because they were deliberately kept ignorant.
    Ben wondered if Aria had known about shifters before she’d given birth to her own cub.
    My cub. Bear’s claim was grumpy, as if he was asking why Ben wasn’t bolting through the swiftly closing door. He’d considered it, but before he could decide one way or the other the door clicked shut. He watched through the glass as Delilah locked the door. Her large green eyes locked on his for a moment, brow furrowed slightly. From the scent sneaking around the poorly sealed door, it was curiosity and not anger that twisted her features. Ben was grateful for Bear’s insight into the matter, because making Del mad could easily be as bad as ending up on the wrong side of Tori Fox.
    Delilah threw a last glance over her shoulder, eyes wide and round, as she turned to follow Aria into the shop. Ben could have sworn