Doctor Bear: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Bear Bluff Book 2) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Chapter One - Ben

  Chapter Two – Beth

  Chapter Three – Ben

  Chapter Four – Beth

  Chapter Five – Ben

  Chapter Six – Beth

  Chapter Seven – Ben

  Chapter Eight – Beth

  Chapter Nine – Ben

  Chapter Ten – Beth

  Chapter Eleven – Ben

  Chapter Twelve – Beth

  Chapter Thirteen – Ben

  Chapter Fourteen – Beth

  Chapter Fifteen – Ben

  Chapter Sixteen – Beth

  Chapter Seventeen – Ben

  Chapter Eighteen – Beth

  Chapter Nineteen – Ben

  Chapter Twenty – Beth

  Other Books By Harmony Raines

  Doctor Bear

  (Bear Bluff Clan)

  (Book Two)

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  Note from the author: My books are written, produced and edited in the UK where spellings and word usage can vary from U.S. English. The use of quotes in dialogue and other punctuation can also differ.

  ***

  All rights reserved. This book, or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written consent of the author or publisher.

  This is a work of fiction and is intended for mature audiences only. All characters within are eighteen years of age or older. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, actual events or places is purely coincidental.

  © 2015 Harmony Raines

  Silver Moon Erotica

  Kindle Edition

  Chapter One - Ben

  Ben Hansom rushed towards the maternity unit of Bear Bluff Hospital. He had been called in specially because Freyja McCormac was about to give birth to her baby. Usually a midwife would handle everything if it were a normal birth. However, this wasn’t normal. Freyja was next in line to be leader of the Bear Bluff Clan; so when her baby arrived, it would be second in line and one day take over from its mother.

  He never felt nervous, because he was very good at his job. As one of the doctors in Bear Creek and a bear shifter himself, he was often called upon to treat his fellow townsfolk with a furry secret. Everyone liked him: he was friendly, kind and, oh, how could he forget, the most handsome thing on two legs.

  “Hi, Dr. Ben,” the receptionist called as he made his way in.

  “Hi, Greta. How are you today?”

  “Great,” she said, coming around her desk and getting very close to the good doctor.

  “Is there anything I can do for you?” He always asked and then usually regretted it.

  “Well,” she simpered. “I do have a lump on my knee. Do you think you could have a look at it?” Then Greta lifted the hem of her skirt to show Dr. Ben her impossibly long legs.

  He looked, knowing there would be no lump, but he only explored the area with his eyes; to touch would be to send her into a frenzy of palpations. Ben knew exactly the reaction he got from women and he tried to avoid it wherever possible. For no other reason than it embarrassed him—or perhaps it was because it embarrassed the women who fell at his feet, they just didn’t see it.

  “I can’t see anything wrong with your knee, Greta,” Ben said, wincing when he realised he had said the wrong thing.

  “I am so pleased to hear that,” Greta said, dropping her hem but moving closer. “I always thought my legs were my best feature.”

  “They … they ar … are.” He was just making this worse. His problem was that he couldn’t simply be rude. This meant his admirers thought he was encouraging them. He wasn’t. He really, truly wasn’t. Sighing, he decided that the best thing to do was to extricate himself from Greta and run to the delivery suite. “If you are still concerned, why don’t you make an appointment with your doctor? I have to get to Freyja.”

  With that, he ran down the hallway, sounds of Greta swooning invading his ears. He needed to find his mate, because then all of this would end. All he wanted to do was settle down and raise a family, but being cursed with good looks meant he was a magnet for every single woman in Bear Bluff, a thing that had stopped being fun years ago.

  He slowed to a more professional pace, walking quickly, smiling, but not in the way that would encourage anyone else to ask him to look at their body parts. He needed to see Freyja. In through the maternity unit doors; he had to stop to hold them open for a couple with a newborn baby. Or should he say cub, because they were a bonded couple. He was safe here, at least; they only had eyes for each other. The doctor’s eyes were drawn to the small bundle in the proud father’s arms: now, that was what Ben wished for. A family.

  “Congratulations, beautiful baby, you’re very lucky.”

  “Thanks, Ben. I hear Freyja is in labour.”

  “Yes, she is, our future chief is about to be born. Must dash. Congratulations again.”

  “Come out with us to wet the baby’s head,” the father shouted.

  “Will do, if I’m free. Thanks for the invitation.” Ben walked through the maternity unit, heading for the reception desk to find out where Freyja and her husband, Will, were. All seemed quiet, so he guessed everything was going well, but he wanted to be here anyway. He owed it to the Clan chief, Stuart McCormac.

  “Hi, Ben,” said Daphne. The receptionist beamed at him, but she was like an old aunt to Ben; he knew her smile was out of a different kind of affection than the other ladies of Bear Bluff. “Freyja was brought in by Will about half an hour ago; everything seems to be going perfectly. A natural birth is what Mom wants, so we are trying to make that happen for her.

  “Excellent, Daphne. And who is with her now?”

  “Nurse Beth Andrews. She’s new.”

  “What’s she like?” he asked.

  Daphne knew him well enough to understand that he asked purely in professional terms. It was always important to Ben that the nurses he worked with were reliable and responsible, but today of all days, he needed a nurse who wasn’t going to flake on him.

  “Very professional. Came here for a fresh start, from what I gather.” She dropped her voice, saying in a conspiratorial manner, “Running from a broken heart, by the look of things. She came in this morning looking as if she’d already shed a tear or two.” Daphne looked up at Ben and winked. “I think you might be lucky. She’s one who won’t fawn all over you or melt at your feet.”

  He smiled at Daphne. “I can always hope. OK. Which room?”

  “Four. You’ll find a very anxious dad-to-be. I think he’s going to take more looking after than Freyja.”

  Ben walked down the hallway, opened the door quietly, and entered. Sure enough, there was Will pacing up and down. Freyja was looking calm, if a little scared, but generally, things were under control. The nurse, whom he assumed was Beth, was just taking Freyja’s blood pressure. She had her back to Ben, so he moved forward to talk to Will, allowing her to finish her tests before introducing himself to her.

  “Hi, Will. Do you want some coffee? I can go and get you some.”

  “No. I think coffee will make me more on edge.”

  “Relax; having a baby is the most natural thing in the world. I’m here to take care of everything you need. Freyja is in the best place.”

  Will nodded. “Thank you, Ben. It means a lot that you came in today. I heard you were going up the mountain with Eirik.”

  “His last few days of fr
eedom,” Ben laughed. “Then he will be lost to that world of marriage that is so unknown to me.”

  “One day, Ben. The right one will come along.” Will managed to laugh; he patted Ben on the arm. “Until then you have the female half of Bear Creek to look after you.”

  “That is not funny. I got home last night to find three batches of food on my porch. Hey, if you and Freyja need some food to heat up, just give me a shout. I have so much in my freezer I can never eat it in one lifetime.”

  “I’ll take you up on that, especially if you have some of Mrs. Sanders’s ravioli.”

  “I’m sure I have one or two batches.”

  The nurse moved away, turning to glance up at Ben. She didn’t smile, and Daphne was right, she did look as if she had been crying. Ben could tell because he could see every last tear track down her face. His whole self was zoned in on her, as if there was no one else in the room. His knees felt weak and he had to take deep breaths to stop himself falling down.

  “Hey, steady, Ben,” Will said, reaching out for the doctor. He looked at Ben and then looked at the nurse, before glancing back at Ben. “Really? Today of all days?”

  “I … I.” He tried to speak, but that simple function seemed to evade him. All of his attention was focused on the woman in front of him, who was looking at him very warily.

  Why, out of all the women in town, did he have to find her here, and now? However, he soon swept that aside and his body filled with elation. He wanted to change into a bear and roar at the top of his voice. This was what he had waited for his whole life. His mate.

  But one look at Nurse Beth Andrews told him that would send her running for the hills. And she probably wouldn’t take kindly to being pursued by a love-struck bear.

  Chapter Two – Beth

  Great, another heartbreakingly handsome doctor. And this one was making eyes at her already, or at least that’s what she thought he was doing, but it was a bit overboard because he actually looked to be going weak at the knees.

  Give me a break, she thought. Taking a deep breath and putting on her most stony-faced expression, she walked up to him. He had better pull himself together and make the right decisions, or she would be reporting him for inappropriate behaviour.

  “Dr. Hansom,” she said, and had to stop herself from wincing at the name. Although it was entirely appropriate. He was one of the most handsome men she had ever seen in her life: tall, around six two, fair hair, and bright blue eyes. Right now, those blue eyes were boring into her, in a way that made her uncomfortable. What he didn’t know was that she would never be interested in dating a doctor, ever again. She pushed the thoughts that simmered under her cool exterior right back down. “Do you want to go over my notes?”

  The doctor stood still, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. She cocked her head to one side and was about to ask him if he was capable of delivering this baby, when the dad-to-be, Will, caught hold of Dr. Hansom’s arm and dragged him out of the room, saying, “I’ll be back in a minute, Freyja. I just need some air.”

  “Mr Frasier, I think your wife needs your support,” she said disapprovingly.

  “I’ll be right back. Freyja understands all about mates, don’t you, Freyja?”

  “I do,” Freyja answered, her voice strained as another contraction swept over her.

  Nurse Beth went back to her patient, holding her hand and guiding her through her breathing. When the contraction had passed, she asked Freyja, “Are all the men in this town crazy?”

  “Only when they are in love,” Freyja answered, smiling at Beth in a way that made her feel as if she was on the outside of an inside joke.

  “Ahh, so Dr. Hansom is in love. I guess it does affect people in different ways. Still, it’s a little unprofessional to behave like that in here.”

  “Cut him some slack, Beth. I think Ben just had the biggest shock of his life.”

  “Really? Seeing a woman about to give birth? I thought he was very experienced in that department.”

  “He is, Beth,” Freyja said, but before she could say any more, a new wave of contractions hit her. Beth held her hand, panting in rhythm with her and trying not to think of all her shattered hopes. This was her dream, having a baby.

  Beth had sat down and talked babies with Francis, believing they would soon be married and safely ensconced in their new house, complete with a nursery. Only Francis gave that dream to someone else, shattering her life. She tried not to think it was because her love rival had the face and body of a model, a typical trophy wife, whereas, Beth was a little more, OK, a lot more, on the curvy side.

  “Beth?” Freyja asked. “I think I might need to push.”

  “Not yet, honey,” she said brushing Freyja’s hair back from her face and thinking this should be her husband’s loving duty. “Once these contractions have passed, I’ll check, but I think we have a while to go yet.”

  “OK,” Freyja panted.

  “Do you want something for the pain?”

  “Not yet. I have a high pain threshold.” Her eyes kept straying to the door, and Beth knew she was looking for her husband. Beth started to let her temper take hold. What was it with men? They could be so selfish. Mr. Frasier should be here with his wife. She was about to give birth to their first child, for goodness sake!

  “Thank you, Beth.” Freyja smiled at Beth, and Beth met it with one of her own.

  “My pleasure, Freyja. You’re very lucky to be having a baby.”

  “Yes. I know. Do you have kids? Or a boyfriend?”

  Beth shook her head. “No. I thought I did. But he … well, he led me on.”

  Freyja squeezed Beth’s hand, hard, as another contraction washed over her. Through gritted teeth, she said, “Ben is a good man.”

  Beth looked at her sharply. “He may be. But I know his type.”

  “I can guarantee you don’t. Look, I know what you’re thinking about them not being here. But it’s for good reason.”

  “Let’s not worry about them. Let’s take a look to see how things are going.”

  A few minutes later, the doctor and Mr. Frasier reappeared, and when Dr. Hansom looked at Beth this time, he was completely in control. “How are things progressing, Nurse Andrews?”

  “Freyja is almost completely dilated. She feels the need to push, but I don’t think we’re quite there yet.”

  “OK. Thank you.” Then he moved to Freyja, and Beth had to admit he became the perfect doctor. “Hey, Freyja, sorry about that.”

  Freyja’s gaze slid to the doctor and then to Beth, and something registered there as fact. “I understand, Ben. Are you OK now?”

  He smiled reassuringly, and Beth’s heart thumped in her chest. He sure to goodness was godlike, and a feeling awakened in her that she had promised herself would stay buried for a long time. Her emotions had got the better of her before; there was no way she was about to fall for another doctor. So she reminded herself of Francis and the way he had treated her. Beth pushed a finger into that gaping wound and poked it hard, but, faced with the beautiful smile of Dr. Ben Hansom, she found it didn’t hurt so badly anymore. But rather than feel comforted, she felt afraid. It was as if it was all happening again, and she felt weak.

  “Nurse Andrews?”

  She came back to the room, her eyes focused on his, and it was as if they were the only two people in the there. Yet his smile was one of kindness and patience, not the alpha male who was out for a conquest. Not the knowing smile Francis had given her when she had declared her undying love to him.

  “Yes, Doctor.”

  “I think we’re nearly ready.” He turned back to Freyja. “Now, this is going to hurt some more. I won’t lie to you.”

  “More?” she gasped, her contractions strong now.

  “Yes, but at the end of it you are going to have a perfect baby. So, between us we are going to help you all we can. And we all know you can do this. Right, Will?”

  “Yes, Freyja, you are the bravest woman I know. You can do this.” Will looke
d into his wife’s eyes, and for a moment the world seemed to freeze. Beth could feel their love; it was as if she could reach out and touch it. Her heart wrenched in her chest. How she would love a man to look at her like that and to know he meant it. The love between Freyja and Will was nothing like the sham love Francis had promised her.

  A cry from Freyja brought her back to the room, her professional side kicking in. Freyja was experiencing another strong contraction; the birth wouldn’t be too long now. However, as it passed over her, Freyja gasped, “I’m not so sure I can do this.”

  “You can do it. Now, if you are ready. You will be introducing your new baby to this wonderful world. Just imagine running along the mountain meadow with him. Keep that in your mind and then I’ll direct you. OK?”

  “Nooo.”

  Will held Freyja’s hand and kissed her head; Ben helped her, watching in awe as the baby’s head gradually appeared. Helping as much as she could, although she wasn’t needed too much, except for moral support, Beth began to feel as if she belonged. They worked as a team, and within an hour, a small, wrinkled baby lay in new mom Freyja’s arms. Beside her, Will wept tears of joy and the doctor teared up too.

  Beth stood, enraptured by the scene in front of her, her emotions threatening to push her into meltdown. Dr. Hansom looked up and winked at her. Then he smiled. “Come take a proper look. This little fellow will be the leader of Bear Bluff one day, after his beautiful mom.”

  Freyja looked up, and then leaned forward over the baby and kissed the doctor’s cheek. “Thank you so much, Ben.”

  “No problem, honey. You did all the work.”

  “Thanks, Ben,” Will said, his voice choked with emotion.

  “Congratulations, Will.” Then he looked at Beth again. “Come on. This little fellow means there is one more miracle in the world.”

  Beth felt her heart flutter. She had totally misread this man, and she felt guilty. Taking a step forward, she looked down on the baby. The doctor reached out and held her hand. A shock of recognition passed through her, but although he saw her reaction, he ignored it, simply pulling her forward gently to look at the little bundle in Freyja’s arms.