Grayslake: More than Mated: The Right Spot (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read Online Free PDF Page A

want to scream when she thought about all those old-biddy bears talking trash about her. Just because she could probably take every last one of them in a fair fight, they thought she was made of stone or something. Well…she wasn’t. She had a heart too, and it got hurt, just like everyone else’s. She just did her best not to let it show.
    She would not show weakness. Not to any of them. Not ever.
    And there was the whole problem with her dating history summed up in one short, sad sentence. The guys she’d dated in the past… They all wanted a damsel to rescue or support or…whatever. Well, Patty wasn’t anybody’s damsel in distress. If she had a problem, by golly, she solved it.
    The chauvinist bears around here didn’t like that one bit. Then again, most men probably wouldn’t like a woman who was more dominant than they were—unless they were into some kinky dominatrix stuff, which wasn’t her scene either.
    She just wanted a good, strong man who didn’t mind that she was strong too. Her bear wouldn’t roll over for just anyone. Which was why the furry little hussy’s response to Mario was so surprising.
    Maybe she would go out to dinner with him. If he asked again, that is.
    But she had to get her sister squared away first. As the door opened to Ty’s office and the Itan escorted Maryann out, his grim expression spoke volumes.
    “Take her home and sort her out,” he ordered gruffly. “Leave Greg to me.”
    “Really?” She put her hands on her hips and looked Ty straight in the eye.
    It wasn’t often she found the guts to challenge the Itan. In fact, she’d never done so before, but this was a special case. This was about her sister and that scum of a bear who had beaten her. Patty’s inner bear wanted revenge. She wanted it bad.
    Ty took a deep breath, a growl imminent as he looked hard at her. The power of the Itan washed over her and made her want to back down, but then she looked at Maryann and her bear got mad all over again. Nobody touched Maryann that way and lived to tell the tale.
    But Ty wasn’t backing down either and his dominance was hard to stand up to. He stepped closer and she wanted desperately to bare her neck and show submission, which wasn’t something she did for just any bear.
    “Don’t you trust me to do right by you and Maryann?” Ty’s voice was low, edged with the rumble of his bear. Apparently the Itan didn’t like being challenged. Hmph.
    Then she thought about his words. Really thought about them, and deflated. She showed the proper respect, tilting her head to the side and allowing Ty’s dominance to wash over her bear and quiet the rebellious she-demon within.
    “You’re right,” she admitted. “Of course I trust you, Ty. Just… Forgive me.” She dropped her gaze to the floor.
    Ty stepped closer and she hoped she’d said the right thing. He sighed again, but this time it was a weary sound.
    “It pains me probably about as much as it does you to see her like that,” he said softly, for her ears alone. “I’ll take care of Greg. You take care of your sister.”

 
     
    Chapter Five
     
    Before too much longer, Maryann was back at Patty’s house, ensconced in a bubble bath Patty had drawn for her little sister. Soaking away the dirt and healing bruises was one thing. Too bad the memories couldn’t be as easily dealt with.
    Their mother and father were both gone now, but Aunt Suzy lived right around the corner, and Patty knew she could count on their aunt to help Maryann. Patty couldn’t do it alone. She had to sleep sometime, and there was some truth to the adage that there was safety in numbers. Plus, Suzy was the closest thing they had to a mother now, and she doted on both sisters. She’d want to know what was going on with Maryann.
    Patty picked up the phone and steeled herself to break the news to their aunt. This wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation.
    Sure enough, after Patty explained about Maryann’s circumstances, Aunt Suzy was