My Hero Bear Read Online Free PDF Page A

Dylan said, his voice softening.
     
    He reached out tentatively, as if to comfort her. She slapped his hand away.
     
    “Don’t touch me.”
     
    He yanked his hand back as if he’d been burned. Rory felt ashamed for acting so petty, but Dylan had been casting some wild accusations at her without having the first clue about what was going on.
     
    Besides, the wound of her father’s death was still too fresh.
     
    “I can’t believe you think my father would set me up with a man like Bishop. Bishop is the reason he’s dead.”
     
    Dylan’s brow furrowed and he took a step towards her. “Bishop killed your father?”
     
    “Yes.”
     
    “I don’t understand. Bishop’s family has always been close to your family. And sure, Bishop himself turned out to be a prick, but I never thought he’d be capable of murder.”
     
    “Neither did I. He blind-sided us all.”
     
    “Tell me what happened.”
     
    “This all started when Bishop approached my father about taking me for his mate. Bishop had made it clear that he wants to be the next leader of the Stone Bears, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.”
     
    “So taking you as his mate would make him leader of the Stone Bears?”
     
    “You remember the rules for Alpha are different in my clan than in yours, right?”
     
    Dylan nodded. “In the Bear Haven Clan, the strongest bear takes the position as Clan Leader. Well, the strongest in terms of leadership, which is why my brother Noah is Alpha. In your clan, leadership is more like royalty. It’s an inherited position.”
     
    “Right. The Alpha position can be challenged, but that sort of thing is frowned upon. I know other clans think our ways are weird or that they make us weak.”
     
    Dylan shrugged. “I’ve been to a lot of different shifter groups. Everyone seems to choose their leaders differently. Sometimes it’s the strongest. Sometimes it’s the Omega who’s in charge. Some folks literally have kings and queens.”
     
    “Yeah, my father is Alpha.” She stopped and grimaced. “ Was Alpha. After Bishop murdered him, his children are next in line. With Hunter gone, I’m the next leader. Whoever my mate is becomes the next Alpha male.”
     
    Dylan scrubbed a hand over his face. “If Hunter had come back instead of me, this wouldn’t have happened.”
     
    Rory’s heart ached at the regret and pain in Dylan’s voice. Maybe she’d been unfair to think Dylan wasn’t just as hurt by Hunter’s death as she was. Maybe he’d been hurt even more.
     
    “I didn’t mean to suggest that this is your fault, Dylan. Not at all. I was just stating it as a fact.”
     
    Dylan nodded, but she had the feeling he didn’t believe her. It hadn’t been her intention to hurt him like that. Dylan was so strong physically, it was hard to remember that he could feel any pain at all.
     
    “So your father said no to the match up?” Dylan asked.
     
    “Of course he said no. You knew Bishop growing up. He was a mean, spiteful child, and he grew up to be a cruel, brutish man. My father would never have agreed to it. The day after my father said no, he was poisoned.”
     
    “By Bishop?” Dylan asked, his fists clenching.
     
    “I didn’t think so at first. I didn’t think even Bishop was that psychotic. But after my father died, Bishop approached me and tried to take me as his mate. By force. That’s when I ran.”
     
    Dylan growled and his green eyes flashed gold, like he was fighting the urge to change. “That son of a bitch. I’ll kill him.”
     
    Rory couldn’t help but feel a surge of gratitude at Dylan’s anger. “Thank you, Dylan. I knew you would protect me, even after everything that happened between us. It’s why I came to you. But we can’t strike back just yet.”
     
    “Why the hell not? No one tries to hurt you and gets away with it.”
     
    “Because I have no proof. It’s just my word against his.”
     
    “Your word is all I need,” Dylan said, violence