Romance: Stranded With The Alpha Bear: BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (Werebear, BBW, Bear Shifter Romance) (Sweet Shifters Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

isn’t.”
    “Do you think she’s dead?”
    Probably. “I don’t know.”
    He wrapped me up in a hug, which made me feel incredibly uncomfortable. I patted him on the back again, not sure what I should do if he started to cry.
    “We should probably get going. It is starting to get dark,” Christian interrupted us. “I think driving is a good idea.”
    “Oh, sorry,” Stevie pulled away, wiping his eyes. “I can give you guys a ride, if you want.”
    “It’s okay. Veronica said she could drive.”
    “I thought you didn’t like to drive your mom’s car.”
    Can this misery just end? “It will be okay. Don’t worry about it.”
    Stevie shrugged, “Well, maybe you can give me a call later or something. It’d be nice to talk.”
    I nodded and waved as he got into his truck to go. Christian’s scowl looked even more prominent than usual, and he puffed his chest as if threatened. I don’t think this is even close to something I want to be involved in. I can’t understand why Christian would act jealous.
    “Well, let’s get going then,” I ushered him to my mother’s Subaru, which, truthfully, I don’t like to drive. It still smells like her, and all of us didn’t want to open the doors too often for risk we’d lose that. Kevin and I used to admit it was crazy, but we both still held on to the notion.
    “What was that about?” Christian asked.
    I shrugged, “Stevie’s just an old friend. His sister and I were close in high school.”
    “What about your mom’s car?”
    We both got in, and I sucked in her scent. It’s definitely faded after all these years, but I could still smell it. “She can’t drive anymore, so I try not to um… you know… make her feel bad.”
    He grunted and stared out the window. I wrapped my hands around the steering wheel, matched my fingers to the traces of my mother’s etched in the rough vinyl. I drove slowly, asking Christian every so often where I should turn. The previously drizzling rain now started to pour. I thought to comment it was lucky we didn’t walk home, but he didn’t seem into it. When we arrived, he got out immediately and stomped to the door. I stayed inside for a moment, thinking of Mom and Dad and Kevin.
    At this point, it doesn’t matter if Christian knows that they’re gone. I’m not afraid he’ll hurt me (though I’m not sure I was before. I think I just wanted to give the impression that someone out there cared about me.) But it made me feel better to pretend they were back there at the house. I sighed, taking in the scent again and went inside quickly.
    Christian stood outside in the rain with just his wife-beater on and the slacks. I took off the hoodie and put on a light dress Mom bought for me before she went into the hospital. I walked outside to stand with him out on the porch.
    “You changed,” he said, looking me up and down as we stood there together.
    “This is my favorite dress,” I replied.
    He nodded. I closed my eyes and let the water drench me. I felt his eyes on me like a caress on my skin. Our hands brushed as they had when we walked together, but this time, his fingers hooked with mine. He didn’t quite take my hand, but the intimacy was still there.
    I liked the way his long fingers felt as they gently protected mine.
     

 
     
     
    VI.
     
    That night I dreamt of Mom telling me I’d catch a cold from standing in the rain. Kevin sat on the couch making funny faces at me while Dad stood outside with Christian barbecuing.
    “It’s nice your own reincarnation of Marlon Brando is letting us stay at this beautiful house,” she said, sitting next to me on the couch, “but don’t you think he’s a little emotionally unavailable.”
    “Come on, Mom. He’s out there barbecuing with Dad,” Kevin replied.
    “Yeah, and have you asked the boy about his sister? He sure doesn’t want to mention it.”
    “His sister?” I looked into Mom’s eyes. “What do you mean?”
    “You’re going to get a cold from the