Bear Enchantment: BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (Arcane Affairs Agency) Read online

  Bear Enchantment

  Arcane Affairs Agency

  Cecilia Lane

  Contents

  Book Information

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Epilogue

  Arcane Affairs Agency

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2016 by Cecilia Lane

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Bear Enchantment: Arcane Affairs Agency by Cecilia Lane October 2016

  Bear Enchantment: Arcane Affairs Agency

  Enemies + magic = one chaotically charming love story!

  Chase Parker is used to achieving the impossible. So when a long year of undercover work culminates in a mandatory vacation, the bear shifter and agent for the Arcane Affairs Agency grits his teeth and prepares to endure the peace and quiet of a remote mountain resort. The last thing he expects is to encounter his mate there -- and to learn she’s not only a witch, but a criminal.

  Ariadne Wren can’t stand shifters. She’s the last of her coven since her sister ran off with one, sending her mother into shock. When she learns that a guest has checked into the special, isolated cabin set aside for shapeshifting creatures, she decides to drive him away and cleanse her family’s life of the shifter scourge once and for all.

  Things get complicated when Ari’s magic gets out of control and demons appear. Chase doesn’t believe her explanation that it wasn’t intentional -- so why does she feel so drawn to this sexy, infuriating man?

  Chase knows it’s his job to arrest Ari and turn her over to the Agency ... but first, they must work together to stop the demons before they escape from the mountain and wreak havoc elsewhere. Can Chase set aside duty for the woman he knows is his? And if he does, will Ari see past her prejudices and open her heart to her unlikely suitor?

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  http://arcaneaffairsagency.com/

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  Chapter One

  Ariadne swallowed the last sip of her coffee and turned away from the mountain vista outside her back porch. One cabin stood between her and an unobstructed view of the peaks beyond, but even the pointed roof was small in comparison to the surrounding trees. Snow still covered the highest points beyond, just like it did further up the mountain where she lived. It was early spring and she didn’t expect a full melt for another couple months.

  It was a sight she saw every day and had lost much of its charm.

  “I’m off to the office, Mama,” she called through the house. She dropped her coffee mug into the kitchen sink, then crossed through the living room and down the hall. Raina’s door was shut, as always. No one dared to go into her sister’s room. Ari shook her head and grabbed her jacket from the desk in her room, then made her way to her mother.

  She tapped on the door, though she knew she’d get no response. The curtains were already thrown open and the morning sun shined into the space. She bent over her mother’s still form and adjusted the blanket across her lap before planting a quick kiss on her forehead.

  Not for the first time, Ari sighed when her eyes landed on the altar. Dust settled daily on the various objects and idols. She knew there was a similar scene behind Raina’s door that was never to be opened. Fingers itching to clean the space, she turned away. Her mother had launched across the room with a bellow and a slap the last time Ari attempted to put the altar to rights.

  Charlotte Wren had been in a state of shock since Raina ran off with that shifter. She sat, day in and day out, staring out the window of her room. She would eat what was left for her, bring herself to the restroom, and put herself to bed, but that was it. She no longer left the confines of her bedroom, nor did she speak or work the magic she was famous for in certain circles.

  The nearest coven had been of no help, stating that the Wren matriarch would come out of her shock in her own time. Ari had even swallowed her pride and made a visit to a nearby shifter clan, who had promptly laughed at her request to find the beast responsible for taking away her sister and turning her mother crazy. She certainly couldn’t commit her; the Arcane Affairs Agency would have a problem placing an out of control witch into a human institution where she could reveal the existence of the paranormal. Ariadne had no idea what to do. Usually, she’d consult with her wiser, older sister, but her disappearance was what started the damn problem in the first place.

  Ari let the door slam shut behind her and stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets. She definitely did not glare at the nearest cabin. That was where Raina met the shifter and where her mother stared every waking moment. He’d been a guest at the resort and on her sister’s heels from the moment he caught sight of her. Raina stole away with him like a thief in the night at the end of his stay. No one had heard from her in almost a year.

  It was a quick walk from the home she shared with her mother to the office of the resort. Crooked Trails Resort lived up to its name. Nestled in the split of a mountaintop in the Rockies, multiple trails ran up and down the mountainside and through the high-altitude valley. She knew all of them well from her years of running wild with her sister and gathering supplies for her family’s witchcraft.

  Ariadne picked up speed. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck in her thoughts on the empty trail or stuck with them and an early rising guest. She wanted to be in the safe confines of the resort office, where she could throw herself into her work and ignore everything eating away at her.

  But as she broke out of the woods and into the main clearing that housed cabins, an infrequently used volleyball court, and a handful of barbecue pits, she wanted time to slow. She wasn’t ready to begin the day, nor was she prepared to simmer in her thoughts. She just wanted out.

  She pasted a smile on her face and pulled open the office door. The smell of breakfast already cooking reached her nose. She nodded a greeting to the night manager and made her way into the kitchen. She didn’t like to order the kitchen staff around or plan their menus and instead let the chef decide what to feed the guests. She did, however, like the free coffee that was always available. Pouring a cup, Ari made her way back to the front desk and saw the night manager had already vanished out the door.

  Suspicious, she frowned and settled behind the desk. She flipped through the reservation book and jotted down a few notes to prepare for the day. Two cabins would be vacating that day, so housekeeping would need to go through for cleaning. One of the resort’s regulars would be arriving and requested an
already occupied room. She knew they’d throw a fit over being assigned to a different spot and already felt dread creeping in at trying to find a polite way to say that they should have booked earlier to guarantee their preferred spot.

  She sighed and stuffed the reservation book back under the counter. That’s when she noticed the bright yellow sticky note crumbled next to the phone. She ground her teeth. The night manager knew she was supposed to log any new bookings into the reservation book. She grew lazy as her shift neared its end and tried to pawn off the reservations on the day crew. It was an annoyance Ari didn’t want to handle, even if she was the boss.

  She wanted to throttle Raina. Her sister was the one who ran the resort with their mother. She’d been perfectly happy staying in housekeeping and away from guests. She didn’t even want to be in charge of that department; she much preferred being a regular employee that didn’t need to make decisions. But with her sister in the wind and her mother incapacitated, everything was left in her hands.

  Ari straightened out the wrinkles in the note. Her eyes narrowed when she read the full booking. There was no way for her to get out of reprimanding the night crew; the reservation was made for that very night.

  Chase Parker. Needs private cabin away from other guests. Thx!

  The private cabin. A fresh wave of anger drew her lips into a hard line. Shifters used that cabin. The resort kept it free for those who had a wild, other half. It was a good distance up the mountain and kept apart from the other cabins. In fact, the nearest residence was her own. Better to keep the witches in between humans and shifters. They certainly didn’t want a giant werewolf wandering through the guest areas and frightening anyone into calling the authorities.

  She’d had enough. She wanted to toss her hands in the air and walk off the nearest cliff. To hell with keeping the resort running.

  Instead, Ariadne pulled the reservation book back out and flipped to the last page. She made the proper notes to put this Chase Parker in the special cabin for shifters, but she mentally made a list of all the charms and ingredients in her house. She’d make the stay a memorable one for the shifter. And after she ran him off, the word would spread to others of his kind that the Crooked Trails Resort wouldn’t be a suitable vacation spot for them anymore.

  Chase slammed on the brakes and growled. The SUV’s GPS beeped at him to change direction to make his turn. The road was dark in both directions, so he flung his arm over the passenger seat and shifted into reverse.

  The little dot on the GPS blinked at him but didn’t move. It jumped a few meters back as he continued in reverse, then the unit beeped at him to continue his course. The damn marker wasn’t anywhere closer to the road he needed. He thought technology was supposed to help, not be an annoyance.

  Chase put the vehicle back in drive and crawled forward. The road—if it could be called that—was marked with a crooked, wooden sign nailed to a tree. The headlights caught a glint on the ground as he turned up the narrow path. The proper, reflective marker had been knocked over and buried with leaves and brush.

  Another growl rumbled from deep within him. His bear was making itself known. Chase poked and prodded the beast back into the confines of his mind and sealed the animal away. It wouldn’t be much longer, he tried to soothe the beast.

  He wondered if it was too soon to call and lodge a complaint about his vacation. He was already more stressed just finding the damn place than he had been during his months undercover.

  Eustace, his supervisor, forced him out the door as soon as his debriefing finished. The file closed and the wizened old man shoved an itinerary at him. If Chase wasn’t certain that the man could still take him down in three seconds flat, he’d have told Eustace to shove the paper up his ass and sought out his next assignment.

  Instead, he hopped on the plane with the ticket that’d already been bought for him, picked up the car rental that’d already been arranged, and driven into the Rockies to find the damn road that didn’t want to be found.

  Working undercover in an illegal shifter fighting ring had been so much simpler than vacationing.

  The assignment had taken its toll, sure. But that was no reason to abandon the other agents in the field. There was always some witch trying to push the limits of her magic and what the Agency would allow, or some vamper draining virgins dry. How was he going to enjoy his time off knowing that he could be in the field and righting wrongs?

  His bear stretched large paws over his mind. It was the not-so-gentle reminder that he needed. He may want to get his hands dirty, but the bear wanted out. It’d gotten its fill of violence in the ring, but now it wanted to be surrounded by nature.

  He’d been assured the place was shifter-friendly. The Agency had it marked as a spot to send their agents for a little rest and relaxation for years. It was so far out of the way that he feared he’d need to drive back down the mountain if he wanted any cell service.

  Tires crunched over gravel. Eustace had made a note of where to find his cabin and key, bypassing any check-in for the night. Chase followed the poor excuse for a road past the cluster of cabins meant for the human guests. The turnoff for the shifter special was better marked than the main road into the resort, though the road had no lights guiding his way and the trees were thicker and closer to the road.

  There was only one more cabin he drove past. He thought he caught sight of a figure bathed in the warm glow of the lights within, but the window was dark when he slowed to get a second look. Shrugging, he pulled up to the cabin marked with the number Eustace jotted down on his instructions.

  Well, there was no getting out of the vacation. He might as well enjoy the time to himself. He’d have to ask in the morning if there was any good fishing around. His bear would enjoy wading into the water and snatching out panicked fish.

  Chase slung his bag over his shoulder and clicked the button on the SUV keys to lock the doors. He doubted the resort would have trouble with burglaries, but he didn’t want to risk anyone getting into his weapon kit. He might be on vacation, but he wasn’t going anywhere without that kit. He’d been denied it while undercover and felt naked the entire time. Just knowing the box carrying his gun and various other weapons to take down unruly paranormals was nearby was a balm on his nerves.

  He inhaled deeply and nearly coughed. Herbs were burning so strongly in the nearest cabin that he couldn’t catch any other scent. He’d met with a number of crunchy granola hippies in his time as an agent, but no one burned as much as a witch. His teeth ground together and the muscles in his shoulders bunched. A witch nearby was exactly what his already stressful, mandatory vacation needed.

  Trying his best to ignore the stench, he toed a rock near the cabin marker. It was a fake, he could see as soon as it rolled over. He picked it up and opened the bottom to remove the cabin key.

  The cabin wasn’t anything special at first sight. Tiny kitchenette along one wall. Old television stuffed into a cabinet on the opposite side. The couch looked rough and sagged in the center. The bed squeaked in protest and sank toward the middle when he tested it out. Shifters tended to be big individuals and the place hadn’t been updated in years.

  He pulled out his phone and intended to wake Eustace from whatever coffin the man slept in. He needed to know the picture he painted of glorious sunrises and clean, mountain air and a luxurious den were so far off that it was laughable. He growled when he saw the lack of service. He would not be one of those fools who held it to the sky and walked around with his mouth open while searching for one small bar of signal. He would just calmly accept that he was as alone in the mountains as he had been in the city.

  When he framed it that way, a part of him settled. He’d learned to rely on himself undercover. He’d nearly always been a solitary bear, but the crew he infiltrated had no love for bonding. Why bond with someone when they could easily be dead after their next bout in the ring? They certainly wouldn’t be doing any bonding in the cells the Agency had made up for them.

  The
vertical slat blinds puffed with dust when Chase turned them open and pushed them out of the way. The sliding glass door led to a wooden deck furnished with a couple chairs and grill. He wondered if the other cabins came with their own grill, or if the shifter guests were just encouraged to stay away from the main camp. The door opened with a little force and he stepped out into the night air.

  Chase hauled his shirt over his head and shucked off his shoes. The bear wanted out. It’d been locked away in the city for far too long. The only shifting they did was in the ring, and even that was a last resort. The audience wanted to see blood and a skilled fight, not animals ripping each other to shreds right off the bat. The nearness of the woods overrode any dislike of the nearness of the witch. His pants pooled at his feet and he jogged down the three steps to the leaf-covered ground below the cabin’s deck.

  Chase hopped in place and rolled his shoulders, much like how he began his warm-up for the fighting ring. But there was no enemy in front of him, just the energy of his bear waiting to be let loose.

  His shift wasn’t painful, not like it was for weaker shifters. His rolled through him like a wave. It was almost relieving to take a step back and let that part of him come forward.

  His bones thickened in anticipation of his new weight. His muscles lengthened and grew to his new form as his arms and legs started to change shape. Soon, he couldn’t stand comfortably on two human legs and dropped to the ground. Four paws touched the surface, his fingers and toes changing into the claws of his bear. His face extended and elongated to form the muzzle and sharp fangs that could rip out a throat if it had to.

  Chase shook as his fur coat sprouted over his body. The bear sighed and settled comfortably into the form it’d been denied far too long. Then, it snatched control from Chase and roared, charging off into the woods.