The BBW and the Beast: A Shifter Retelling of Beauty and the Beast (A BBW Shifter Fairy Tale Retelling Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

door, Samson’s wolf was silent.
    Samson panted, his eyes closing as he folded upward and back into his humanness, naked but not shivering. Shreds of his clothing marked his trail like breadcrumbs. He followed them until he was back at the path with Rex.
     Rex stared at Samson, concern softening his already urbane eyes into almost human weakness. “Be careful, brother.”
     Samson gave a booming laugh and wiped a string of blood from his mouth onto his forearm. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to wash before she sees me.”
     Rex shook his head and stuck his hands into the pockets of his long designer trench coat. “I’m sure you will, but that’s not what I’m worried about.”
     Samson smiled at him, too exhilarated by the kill to be annoyed at his brother’s worrying nature. “What is it?”
     His brother frowned. “You’re losing control.”
     “Rex,” Samson growled warningly. His brother, with his perfect control, had never really understood the thrill of the hunt. At least not when the hunt didn’t involve money. Samson raised his eyebrows and gave Rex one of his alpha glares. Usually that shut him up.
     “If you don’t focus, you may not be able to shift back next time.” Rex didn’t look down. “It’s hard enough hunting Luther, Samson. I’d rather not hunt you too.”
     Samson sucked in a sharp breath. His wolf didn’t have enough energy left to comment. Then he narrowed his eyes, turned from his brother, and made the rest of the walk to the farmhouse in silence and solitude.
     By the time he got home, he had cooled enough to see Rex’s point. He had to find control, or Isabella would end up like the deer. Devoured by his need.
    A change of strategy was needed.

6
    B el stared at the dusty mirror next to the dining room door. The woman who stared back was wearing dusty, too-tight jeans and had a few more chins then Bel remembered. Where the best-selling writer who only wore flowing black dresses down to her ankles and took shit from no one had gone, Bel didn’t know.
    That certainly wasn’t her anymore.
    But it had to be again.
    Bel shook her head and decided then and there that she wouldn’t continue this arrangement any longer. What kind of rose was worth a million and a half dollars, anyway? There was no way that valuation would hold up in court.
    She wouldn’t be the pawn in Mr. West’s revenge against her father. Partly because the longer she spent with him, the more she became convinced that it wasn’t her father he wanted revenge against.
    Squaring her shoulders, she pushed open the elegant double doors to the dining room.
    “Hello,” Mr. West growled.
    As he had the first two times they’d had dinner, Mr. West was sitting at the head of the table, which was miles away from Bel’s position at the foot. However, that was the only usual thing about the situation.
    Mr. West had showered and shaved, leaving his dark hair damp and his strong jaw line naked. Also, instead of his usual frontier fashion, he was wearing a starched white shirt and crisp slacks. Jesus, was that a bowtie around his neck? No man should’ve been able to make a bowtie look so hot.
    His green eyes narrowed as he took her in. “You didn’t wear any of the dresses in the wardrobe.”
    Bel was about to reply that the yellow things in the closet were too short to be anything other than lingerie, but he went on before she could get a word in.
    “Sit down. We’re having deer.” he said.
    Bel’s eyes widened farther. At the center of the table was an entire side of venison, lying in a bed of bacon bits and roasted potatoes. It was simmering like it had been taken right off the spit.
    Mr. West’s chair made not even a squeak as he pushed it back, then walked over to her. Bel froze when he got close enough to smell. There was a hint of minty aftershave in his woodsy scent. He pulled out her chair, and Bel looked at him quizzically.
    “Please join me for dinner, Isabella.”
    Bel closed her mouth, all