First Bear: BBW Shapeshifter BWWM Werebear Paranormal Romance (Wild Alpha Shifters Book 1) (2 page)

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Brandon had entered his father’s business that morning with no small degree of anxiety. It wasn’t like he hadn’t been there before. But he hadn’t been there in a very long time. Not since he’d left home. Brandon knew he had a bit of a reputation, scratch that, a lot of a reputation as a player who partied hard and often. He didn’t do much to discourage it. Why concern himself? That’s just the way it had always been. Maybe it was because he worked out, or perhaps because he enjoyed letting off a little steam, but ever since high school that had been Brandon’s rep—all glitter and glare, with little substance.

The truth, as always, was more complicated than that, and in his case, it was a lot more complicated. Sure, he liked to party, but that wasn’t all he liked to do. He also liked to work hard, and he had played an instrumental role in growing the Wild Alpha Auto Group from its one location in Wild Summit to fourteen luxury auto dealerships all over the Western United States. But most people tended to forget the hardworking side of him, which was part of what made this homecoming so difficult. Everybody in Wild Summit would think they knew everything about him—even if they didn’t.

In addition to the fact that he was a hard worker, there were other things about Brandon that people didn’t know. For one thing, he was a shifter. A bear shifter. Being a shifter wasn’t the only thing in Brandon’s life, but it was a big part of it. He had learned he had a bear inside him back when he was in high school.

Brandon was still young, especially by shifter standards. He was thirty-one years old, but being a shifter meant that he wouldn’t age much more, at least outwardly. Shifters tended to live for a very long time, hundreds, sometimes even thousands of years. Being a shifter meant that Brandon had an obligation to get in touch with the bear inside of him. He had to learn its ways and occasionally let it out, which was part of the reason he had returned to Wild Summit. The mountains and forest lands in the area provided a fantastic range for a bear to roam.

Another reason for Brandon’s return was that his father, also a bear shifter, was nearing normal human retirement age and fancied a change of pace. He had asked Brandon if he would consider coming home to run the dealership. And even though Brandon had been reluctant at first, the idea of returning to his hometown had grown on him. There was family there, and a sense of security, but there was something else. Something stronger than any of the other reasons combined.

Jada.

Brandon had come back for Jada.

Jada was the real reason he had returned. Even though they hadn’t spent a lot of time together in high school, the moments they had spent together had been somehow different. Special. There was just something about Jada that Brandon couldn’t shake. He had been thinking about her a lot over the years, and even more in the past few days. But he hadn’t reached out to her. Brandon was proud. And what had happened was embarrassing. The way he had transferred out of school and not come back was not one of his finer moments. It shamed him. But he also realized that there came a time when old wrongs needed to be righted. And the biggest old wrong in Brandon’s life was what he had done to Jada.

Jada was the real reason he had been anxious about coming to the dealership today. She was the reason he was nervous about returning to Wild Summit at all. Jada, the girl from his childhood, who he longed to get to know better. Jada, whose golden curves he had desired for so long. Jada, with whom he had made a terrible mistake when he was barely a man.

Brandon felt himself getting excited just thinking about her. Her ample flesh. Her thoughtful disposition. The clever intelligence lurking behind those big brown eyes. He couldn’t tell her how he felt, though, not after what he had done to her that night so many years ago. But even though he couldn’t tell her why he hadn’t shown up to bring her to the prom, it didn’t mean he didn’t long to. And that’s what made coming back to the dealership so difficult. She was there. He knew she was there. And he wanted to tell her everything.

But all of that would have to wait, because moments after entering the dealership, Brandon had sensed that Jada was in danger. She was being bullied by a short, aggressive man. Brandon felt his bear well to the surface. All bears were Alphas, and Brandon was no exception. His protective instincts went into overdrive. He wasn’t going to shift if he could help it. Not there on the dealership floor with so many people around. But he was going to protect Jada.

Brandon stepped across the showroom floor in long, powerful strides. He was a big man. Six foot six, two hundred and sixty pounds, but his human form was nothing compared to the grizzly he would become if he allowed himself to shift. Brandon had assumed control over his bear in the last thirteen years of his life. Control to keep his bear hidden and shift only in safe places, but he knew that, under the certain circumstances, he might not be able to contain his inner animal. Not if Jada needed his help.

Brandon threw open the glass door separating the showroom from the service department. He strode inside in two big steps, the nasty little customer right in front of him. “Is everything all right here?” Brandon growled.

He didn’t even meet Jada’s eyes. First he needed to deal with the threat. But everything wasn’t exactly as he expected. The irate customer had a flushed look on his face as if he was embarrassed. He was shaking his hand out. Maybe Jada hadn’t needed as much help as Brandon had thought.

“Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine.”

Brandon moved his eyes up to Jada’s. He looked at her, really looked at her, for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

“If everything is fine, take a seat,” Brandon said to Croyston. “Your vehicle will be ready shortly.”

When Brandon turned back to the counter, Jada was already walking out the rear of the service department.

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Jada had seen Brandon approach, but she didn’t need his help. Not there, at her job, and not thirteen years too late. The customer was a jerk, but that was all. Jada had dealt with plenty like him before. No, she didn’t need his assistance. What she needed was for Brandon Heller to stay the hell away. But even as she turned from him, she saw Brandon’s broad chest, covered by his crisp white shirt and sport jacket, and she couldn’t help but feel a tingle between her thighs. Despite their history, that boy had grown up right. Her nipples had hardened at the sight of him. No matter. There were principles at stake here. Like self-respect. So Jada had left. Sure, she’d eventually have to talk to him, but she’d do it on her terms.

Right now, she was going to take a break in the sunshine behind the dealership and compose herself. Amanda could take care of any walk-ins. There was no point in her serving any more customers until she’d cooled down. All she’d do was scare them away.

Jada took the first of several calming breaths. In the old days she would have smoked a cigarette, but she’d long since quit. There was no denying that sometimes the customers got under her skin. And then seeing Brandon like that, after all that time. Wow. If she hadn’t known better, she would have thought that he had charged across the showroom floor to rescue her. A cool wind blew down from the pine trees at her back. Jada closed her eyes and sat down on the rock wall at the rear of the lot. The dealership, like the rest of Wild Summit, bordered on forest lands, and because Jada’s day-to-day work in the service department was hectic, it felt good to come out here and slow it all down once in a while. Natural. Refreshing. Alone.

“Jada.”

Brandon’s silky smooth growl of a voice washed over her ears like sweet music. It sounded like it was carried on the wind, like it was unreal, and Jada kept her eyes closed and just listened to the birds chirping. If things had gone differently, if he had been her man, she couldn’t begin to imagine how things might have turned out. Jada squeezed her thighs together at the thought, pressing them against each other to relieve the aching she felt inside of her.

“Jada.”

Jada opened her eyes and looked up. There he was. Brandon Heller. In the flesh.

“Brandon. What are you doing here?”

“I saw that customer getting out of line.”

“I dealt with him just fine,” Jada said. “That’s what I do.”

“I know. Of course. But are they always like that?”

“Sometimes you get an asshole,” Jada said with a smirk. “Now to my original question. I haven’t see you since… high school. What are you doing here?”

The truth was Jada wanted to know a lot more than just what Brandon was doing there. She wanted to know why he had stood her up in the first place? Why he had never returned to school? To say she simply wanted to know was an understatement. She was
dying
to know. But she didn’t ask. And she wouldn’t. If Brandon chose to tell her, that was his business. But she wasn’t about to let him think that she’d been pining over him all these years. She wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction. After all, she was a grown woman now. What had happened was a long time ago.

“I can see how you might be surprised to see me,” Brandon said.

“No, not surprised, just wondering why you’re up here.”

“I think maybe you and I should talk,” Brandon said.

“Now?”

“Well, maybe not now, but when you have a chance.”

When she had a chance? How about the fact that he could have called her anytime to talk over the last thirteen years? Jada reminded herself to dial it back. What had happened between them was in the past. Couldn’t she be a big girl and move on?

“Perhaps we should talk,” she said softly, “But you still haven’t answered my question. What are you doing here in Wild Summit? The last I heard you were running the Orange County unit.”

“So, you’ve been keeping tabs on me,” Brandon said with a smile.

Jada rolled her eyes. Apparently the rumors were true. Brandon
was
full of himself. She gave him a look to smarten him up.

“My dad’s looking for a change,” Brandon said. “I’m going to be sticking around for a while.”

“Putting aside the women and champagne for a little good old-fashioned mountain living?”

Brandon wavered. “I don’t know what you’ve heard, but it’s not like that.”

“Oh, I heard it’s plenty like that,” Jada said.

“No, really. I’m back because I miss the place. You know, comes a time when a guy needs to settle down.”

Jada smiled. “You keep telling yourself that, Brandon.”

Amanda approached. “That Croyston guy wants a test drive,” she said.

“You’re kidding?” Jada said.

“He’s worried the thing that was making the noise in his Ferrari hasn’t been fixed. He wants to drive around the block and have you listen to it.”

“Tell him I’ll be there in two shakes,” Jada said with a sigh.

“Got it, sister. Hey, Brandon,” Amanda said.

“Hi, Amanda.”

Amanda left with a smile.

“You’re not seriously going to go for a ride with that guy, are you?” Brandon said.

“And why wouldn’t I?” Jada asked. “He’s my customer. It’s my job.”

“You want me to go instead?”

“Like I said, it’s
my
job.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure.”

In that moment, Jada couldn’t help but feel that Brandon cared. It warmed her, more than she wanted to admit. But she wasn’t going to fall for his charms. She was wiser than that. Older and wiser, even if he did look all kinds of fine.

“Jada,” Brandon said. “After work this evening, how about we have that talk and try to clear the air between us?”

“Have to be some other time, Brandon. I’ve got plans tonight.”

And with that, Jada rose up and sashayed away.

Chapter Two

Have to be some other time. I’ve got plans tonight.

Idiot,
Brandon thought. He had deserved that. What was he thinking? And his line, “So, you’ve been keeping tabs on me.”
Smooth, Brandon. Really smooth. You want the woman to like you, not think you’re a cocky ass. No, scratch that, you want her to love you. Your bear, your instinct, is telling you that she’s the one. Start acting like it.

Brandon knew, even after his brief encounter with Jada, that everything his bear was telling him was true. Her ample curves filled the room and her soulful smile filled his heart. Jada was clever, beautiful, original. Thirteen years had passed, but it didn’t feel like a single second. She was the one, and he would make her his. But it was going to require work. And patience, lots of patience. Not to mention every sweet thing he could do. It was going to be an uphill battle, that was for sure. Jada hadn’t forgotten that fateful night so long ago and she didn’t trust him, not anymore. Brandon was going to have to earn her love.

Which made what he was seeing through the rear mechanics’ bay all the more disconcerting. Jada approached the red Ferrari with the short, broad-shouldered customer, who seemed to think he was King Shit. Of course, pretty much everyone the Wild Alpha Auto Group sold a luxury vehicle to thought they were the greatest thing in the world, but that wasn’t the point. Something was off about the guy. Brandon had felt it from the moment he confronted him.

Maybe it’s just my bear,
Brandon thought. His bear couldn’t abide the thought of anybody else getting close to Jada, smelling her sexy mocha skin, touching her hand. Brandon had only reconnected with Jada for a few minutes and now just the thought of anybody else going near her sent jolts of rage down his spine. No, Brandon didn’t trust this customer. He didn’t trust him at all. And just to be safe, he intended to do something about it. Nothing drastic, nothing crazy, just a precaution.

Brandon scoped out his surroundings as Jada and the man got into the car. There were cameras on the east and west corners of the building, but nothing in the forest bordering the rock wall behind him. Brandon hopped onto the wall and stepped into the forest and between some trees. He could still see Jada as she closed the passenger door of the Ferrari, though the customer was hidden from him in the driver’s seat.

Brandon quickly pulled off his clothes and put them into the tan colored backpack he removed from his briefcase. When he’d first considered the idea of having a backpack tailored that would fit his bear, even he had thought it was a crazy idea. After all, it wasn’t something that had been done before. But it proved to be a crazy idea that worked, and now Brandon carried the backpack with its extra long straps most everywhere he went.