Her Scars to Bear: BBW Bear Shifter Dating Agency Romance (Fated and Mated Book 1) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Foreword

  Chapter One – Viv

  Chapter Two – Tad

  Chapter Three – Viv

  Chapter Four – Tad

  Chapter Five – Viv

  Chapter Six – Tad

  Chapter Seven – Viv

  Chapter Eight – Tad

  Chapter Nine – Viv

  Chapter Ten – Tad

  Chapter Eleven – Viv

  Chapter Twelve – Tad

  Chapter Thirteen – Viv

  Chapter Fourteen – Tad

  Chapter Fifteen – Viv

  Chapter Sixteen – Tad

  Chapter Seventeen – Viv

  Chapter Eighteen – Tad

  Chapter Nineteen – Viv

  Epilogue – Viv

  Get In Touch

  Also By Harmony Raines

  Her Scars To Bear

  Fated and Mated

  Book One

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  ***

  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.

  © 2016 Harmony Raines

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  Her Scars To Bear

  Fated and Mated

  Book One

  Curvy bear shifter, Viv, has scars. After being attacked by an ex-boyfriend, she went home to the safety of her home town, but Viv wants the chance to find her mate - and love. Signing up to the Fated and Mated Dating Agency seems the safest way to accomplish this. She only wants to meet up with her bonded mate.

  Excited to receive a message from another shifter, who says he is her mate, she is left disappointed when she looks at his profile and feels nothing towards him. But is everything quite what it seems?

  Mountain ranger, Tad, has seen his sister find her mate, and knows the dating site works. When he sees the profile of the shifter of his dreams, he sends her a message, and patiently waits for a reply. And waits...

  When at last Viv and Tad finally meet, she struggles to allow him to see her scars, and admit what happened. Can she allow Tad in, or will they be torn apart forever, when her past catches up to her again?

  Chapter One – Viv

  “But what happens if you end up attracting some kind of weirdo?” Viv’s mom was hovering behind her as she filled in her profile on the new dating website, Fated and Mated.

  “Don’t worry, Mom. I’m not going to hook up with anybody, other than my mate. I’ve learned that lesson.” Viv tried to concentrate on what she was typing, a task which was becoming increasingly difficult. She knew her mom only had her best interests at heart. But sometimes she found it frustrating that her mom no longer thought that she was capable of looking after herself. Maybe because it was too close to the truth, a truth Viv didn’t like to admit to herself.

  “It’s just that you moved back here to be safe.” Her mom was understandably worried. Until five months ago, Viv had lived a life away from her small hometown of Bear Valley. She’d moved away, to start her own life, even though she found it tough living in a place where she had to keep her bear well hidden. But she managed her dual lives well, and she’d been happy.

  Until she had met Rhys. At the very thought of him, her hand hovered over the keyboard, and she had to fight not to raise her hand to her chest and the scar hidden by her sweater. Her mom was right; it would be better to forget all about dating. But she didn’t want to live in fear her whole life—she couldn’t let him assert such a huge victory over her.

  She wanted to find her mate, and she wanted to settle down and have children of her own.

  “It’s going to be okay, Mom. I promise you, I’m only going to date my mate. No one else, no matter how good-looking they are, or how much they want to go out with me. This is what makes the website so much safer. Marjorie, the website owner, assured me that I’ll know my mate when I see him.”

  “Even if you don’t meet in person first? I still don’t see how that works,” her mom said, frowning as she watched Viv choose a photograph to go on her profile. She scrolled through her phone and chose one of her hiking in the mountains. “How about this one?”

  “I like that, it makes you look strong and confident.” Her mom placed a hand on Viv’s shoulder, an act of encouragement. “Yes. That one is perfect.”

  Even if it is a lie.

  Viv said to her mom, “I am trying to play it safe, Mom. Don’t worry, you can read the whole of my profile, and vet any replies. But I promise, no matter who contacts me, I am only going to meet the man who is my mate.”

  Her mom sighed and then headed back to the kitchen, saying, “Even when you do meet somebody, I think it would be better if me or your father came along to check him out.”

  Viv knew that was not going to happen. What kind of a first impression was that? There was no way at her age, she was going to take her parents along on a first date. But it was so tempting, because it was so safe.

  That word again. It ruled her life, and she wanted to rebel against that rule, but every time she thought she was ready, her fear pulled her back in. Safe. It’s what kept the monsters from your door.

  This is one step away from safe. Just one step, she told herself.

  She quickly skimmed through what she had written, checking that her photograph had uploaded correctly. Then she hit the subscribe button. After filling in those details and checking the upgrade so she could mark on her profile that she was a shifter, she was good to go. Still her hand hovered over the button to enter the information, hoping that she was doing the right thing, and that she would not end up repeating the past.

  Rhys had seemed so normal when she first met him. They dated for a while, even though she knew he wasn’t her mate. But they’d hit it off, enjoying visiting museums and going to concerts. He seemed so charming, so attentive, and she began to wish that he was her mate. It was only when she found out he had been seeing somebody else behind her back that she dumped him. Not wanting to be complicit in two-timing, but also knowing she couldn’t ask Rhys to choose her, because they had no long-term future.

  And that’s where the relationship should have ended, but it didn’t. Instead, it turned into a living hell.

  That was her past. She hit the enter button, before she could let her past talk her out of her future.

  A new start, she thought, as she got up from the computer and went to help her mom in the kitchen. She wasn’t going to check her email every five minutes, she had more sense than that. Chances were her mate was not even on the website. It could take months, or even years, for them to meet. But she could wait, and in the meantime, there was always the chance that he might just walk into her life. She might meet him in the street, or in a bar, like normal people meet.

  “Do you want help with the dishes?” Viv asked her mom.

  “That would be wonderful. It’s g
ood to have you here,” her mom said smiling at her. “I missed you, before.”

  “I’ve missed you, too, Mom.” But Viv also missed the before. Before Rhys, she had loved the freedom of her life away from this small town. She loved her parents very much, and her brothers and sisters, but sometimes, it felt as if they all lived in each other’s pockets. Everybody knew what the others were up to, and she found that stifling. She liked her freedom.

  But she would never be that free again, because Rhys was still out there. When she first moved back, it had taken her two weeks to leave the house. Even then, she had only gone out when her mom or dad was with her. It was another two months until she began to believe he hadn’t tracked her down, that he had decided to keep away from her. Only then did she venture out on her own, and then only in the early evening to cross over to the mountain where she headed for the open valleys to run as her bear.

  Her bear made her feel safe. It was this side of her that gradually gave her back her confidence. It was this side of her that knew they couldn’t give up on their future. It was her bear who had insisted, when they found about Fated and Mated, that they join. That they take one small step away from safe.

  “I wondered if you’d like to come over and help me at work tomorrow?” her mom asked. “Mrs. Humphries said that she could probably find a few hours’ work for you each week. I know it’s not much, but at least it will help until you find something more permanent.”

  “That is very kind of her.” Viv was grateful for the offer, but it was another step away from safe.

  “You won’t ever be alone in the store, and you know almost everyone who would come in.” Her mom could see Viv working her way through all the reasons it would be safer not to take the job.

  She couldn’t hide forever. She wanted to do something meaningful with her life. She wanted to have the confidence to live again, just as she did before Rhys.

  Her mom continued, “You know how much she likes you, and I’m sure that as soon as she can give you more work, she will. And I’ve been asking in the hardware store too, they might give you some work.”

  “Thanks, Mom, I’m just not sure I’m ready,” Viv said, hoping she had hurt her mom’s feelings.

  “I know, love, but I think you need to start taking baby steps. Like you did today with the dating site. You’re safe here. If anyone ever comes here to hurt you, you know that we will protect you,” her mom said. Something flashed across her eyes, and Viv was reminded that just because her mom was sweet and kind, it didn’t mean that she wouldn’t kill to keep her cubs safe.

  “I know.” She nodded. “Do you mind if I just go for a run? I think I need to get some of the tension out of my system.”

  “Of course, that will do you good. You go off, finish up here, and think about what I said. I only thought that perhaps if you had a job, it might take your mind off what happened. And then take your time to look for the kind of job you want.”

  “I know, Mom. And I’m sorry for being such a grump. It’s just a little harder than I thought to readjust.” Her mom came to her and held her in her arms, stroking her back as if she was a child again. Viv rested her head on her mom’s shoulder and just enjoyed the comfort only a mother could give.

  “You never know, love, maybe your mate will be on that site, and maybe you’ll go and live somewhere else and he’ll protect you.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” She sighed, close to tears when she added, “I should be able to protect myself.”

  “Hey, listen, you are more than capable of looking after yourself, young lady. Don’t let him take that away from you. If ever he came here, if ever he hunted you down, you must always know that your bear will protect you.”

  “That was the worst thing: the only way I could have stopped him was if I released my bear. And it was so tempting… But if anyone else had seen me, there is no way I could have explained it.” She felt a surge of anguish course through her, and she closed her eyes, trying to blank it out. Blank out the pain, and the fear, and the feeling of her bear trying to burst out of her and rip Rhys’s head off. Somehow, she had contained it, because she knew she had to, to keep them all safe.

  “You go for your run.”

  “I’ll see you later.” With that, Viv left the kitchen, glancing briefly at the computer: but so far there had been no hits on her profile. The site was new, so she tried not to let a wave of disappointment cover her.

  After all, her mom was right, she didn’t really need a man to protect her. But she would like a man, a mate, who would love her for who she was and for the scars she bore.

  Chapter Two – Tad

  Tad looked up at the trail ahead. The snow was falling fast and he had to hurry or the pass would be blocked and he would be stuck out here on the wrong side of the mountain. Not that he wasn’t prepared. He had all the survival gear he needed inside the pack on his back, but still, being prepared and actually wanting to be stuck on the wrong side of the mountain were two completely different things.

  He’d been out for four days, trying to find two climbers who had gotten themselves into trouble on the mountain. Tad had been part of a team of five rangers who had scoured the area where they were last known to be. For days they had lived with the realization that the climbers were probably dead. But yesterday, they got news that the climbers had managed to get themselves back down to one of the small villages and were tucked up safely in bed, while he and the team risked their lives looking for them.

  But they were safe. That was all that really mattered, although sometimes, when the snow came down so heavy he couldn’t see more than two feet in front of him, he wondered why anyone would venture out on the mountains in such dangerous weather.

  The snow eased and he pushed on faster, knowing that if he kept a good pace he would get through the pass and be home in an hour. His snowshoes made a comforting crumping sound as he walked over the snow, heading down towards the path that dipped under a steep overhang.

  The snow was not so deep here, the path sheltered from the worst of the weather. Part of him wanted to stop and take a break, but he pushed on, ignoring the ache in his legs. One foot in front of the other, just keep going, try not to think of anything else. It was the single-minded mentality that kept him going through all the hardships he faced on the mountain, and kept him alive.

  But today his mind was drifting. He was thinking back to his sister’s wedding, and how happy she had been when she found her mate. Not for the first time, he was thinking how nice it would be to go home and have a wife, a mate, waiting for him. Someone to smile and be happy he was there, and to help him off with his wet clothes, to have a nice hot meal waiting for him. And then to warm his bed at night.

  The chances of him meeting anyone were slim. The mountain was not the sort of place to meet a mate; most of the time it wasn’t the sort of place to meet anybody. He had met most of the females in the villages that were scattered around the lower hills, and none of them were the one for him.

  He reached the pass, and was pleased that even though the snow was piled high on either side, it held no danger. This pass was particularly prone to avalanches, but it would take a significant amount of snowfall to make that a possibility. There would be no need to issue a warning.

  Making his way through the pass, he hurried on. Close to home now, he picked up his pace. The path twisted to the right and then continued downhill; ten minutes later, he was passing through the familiar forests on the lower slopes of the mountain. It was easy going in here, the trees sheltering him as he trudged on. He was tempted to turn into his bear and run the rest of the way in his loping gait. But his bear hated the way the snow balled in his pads, so he stayed in his human form and walked on. Coming out of the trees, his spirits lifted when he saw the smoke rising from the chimney of the house he shared with his brother. It wasn’t quite the same as coming home to a wife, but it was better than coming home to a cold house.

  He reached the door and took off his snowshoes, knocking them on the wa
ll to get as much of the snow off as he could, then hung them up. It was part of being a ranger: he looked after his equipment and always put it away, so he always knew where it was. When the snow came down this heavily, he was never sure when he would be called out to a new emergency.

  Although, as he opened the door and walked inside, feeling the warmth on his face, he hoped that he would at least have a few hours’ rest before he was needed again.

  “Jay. Are you there?” Tad called to his brother. He began to take off his wet clothes, grateful to be able to move freely as he peeled off the layers.

  He padded through the house in his socks, heading for the kitchen. There was nobody here. His brother must be out. He went over to the notice board they had pinned up in the kitchen, where they left each other messages of where they had gone. Nothing.

  They were both very careful at leaving directions for where they had gone if they were out on a rescue, and what time they were due back, if they knew. It was the only way to keep each other safe. If there was no message, that probably meant Jay had gone to the store, or maybe he was just down at the small cabin they called their office.

  Tad switched on the coffeepot and made himself a big steaming mug of coffee. Wrapping his hands around it, he headed over to the computer, and checked through his email. Once he drank his coffee, he would climb in the shower and then probably head to bed, although he ought to eat first. However, now that he had sat down, it all seemed like too much of an effort.

  His thoughts once again went back to what it would be like to come home and find his mate waiting for him. He closed his eyes and could almost feel the warmth of her body next to his, her hands stroking his back, and the weight of her head on his chest.

  On impulse, he moved the cursor across the computer screen and clicked on the Fated and Mated website, deciding to check out if there were any new member profiles. If Jay had been here he probably wouldn’t have bothered, because his brother liked to tease him about visiting the site. What Jay didn’t know was that Tad knew his secret.