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  © Copyright 2020 by Lilly Wilder All rights reserved.

  In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

  Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

  Bearly Familiar

  By: Lilly Wilder

  Table of Contents

  Foreward

  Come Stalk Me!

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  It Started Out Like Another Ordinary Day, But It Ended With My Worst Nightmare Coming True: My Brother’s Place Had Been Totally Ransacked And He Was Missing

  I immediately thought the worst.

  He was dead, probably killed by the same creatures we’re both after.

  I know there’s only one person who surely knows what happened to him.

  There’s just one problem: a vampire is never eager to talk to a slayer.

  I managed to get accepted into a top academy, reserved only for vampires.

  It is where I’m bound to find the answers I’m looking for but it won’t be easy.

  I have to deal with a bully, plus I meet four guys who all seem to want something from me.

  I can’t trust anyone in this place.

  They are all suspects, every single one of them, but I won’t stop until I find my brother.

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  Ever Notice How Life Turns Upside Down When You Least Expect It To?

  I was always the good girl.

  I was never a risk taker.

  I always followed the rules.

  Then along came Rick and Dalton.

  One night, I was out on the town, dancing with my friend, when they rescued me.

  Suddenly, I had two new protectors watching over me.

  I thought they were just a couple of regular guys at first.

  Then I learned what they truly were.

  It shocked me, but it also intrigued me.

  How was I to know my world was about to be rocked?

  How was I to know they were lion shifters?

  And how was I to know I wanted them as much as they wanted me?

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  Carol Has Never Been Able To Keep A Single Man... But Maybe She Can Keep Two Men

  Carol Burton had always been unlucky in love and she had no idea what she was doing wrong. She may not have been for everyone, but surely there was somebody out there that wanted her for who she was and not what they wanted her to be.

  Carol thought that her options were limited, but her friend Tammy put her on to a speed dating night. The pickings are slim until she meets Jesse Peters and his twin brother Jacob. She thinks that it’s a joke that they are here together and the looks that they have received have not been kind. They have tattoos, long hair and beards to match their...

  Foreward

  Broken men can rarely be fixed, especially broken men with a secret. But, Hyde McGallan has that something that makes you want to help him, even when he is pushing you away. This whole thing starts off as just a job, me being the nanny to his sweet little boy, fresh after his divorce, but I know from the start that it will be much more than that. The stubborn bear shifter in him realizes that there is more than one way to transform yourself, if only you allow someone in. He is worth it and I know I won’t give up on him. His best friend somehow gets added to this strange love mixture and I realize that I finally found what I’ve been looking for all this time. It may not be the happily ever after I expected, but it is the happily ever after I always wanted.

  Bearly Familiar

  Chapter 1

  Rene Olsen was desperately stepping on the gas pedal to her worn out red Chevrolet Caprice which was chugging along the street, slowly and painfully, dog-tired.

  “Come on, you old clunker, don’t fail me now!” she pleaded, talking loudly to her car, with no sympathy in her jaded voice.

  Even though she firmly believed that it really wasn’t the car’s fault that she had started later than she was supposed to and that the traffic was unusually busy for this time of day. Sometimes, things just didn’t want to go your way.

  She drove faster than she was allowed in the cul-de-sac, but Rene didn’t care. She couldn’t afford not to get this job. She would be on time for the interview or die trying. So, she kept pressing on that poor, battered gas pedal as if her life depended on it, because, in her mind, it really did. There was too much at stake here. That job would be hers.

  She kept looking at the houses, hopeful for number 63, the number that might bring long sought peace of mind back into her life.

  “Fifty two,” she read the numbers out loud, as if the sound of her own voice would soothe her jittery fingers that kept drumming a silent song on the steering wheel, “fifty three, fifty four, fifty six…”

  She was gripping at that steering wheel just a little too hard, which was a habit she couldn’t shake, no matter how hard she tried to. Now, the mock leather was starting to peel off and the unsightly traces of the inside stuffing were peering out. A sore eye among sore eyes.

  “Sixty two,” she welcomed the long-awaited number with a look of delight on her face, seeing the next number in line to her left.

  She parked a little clumsily, between two cars, listening intently to the sound of her dying car. She needed a new one, even she, a complete car amateur, could see that. But, her wallet was refusing her reasonable demands. Besides, she had more important things to worry about than money, but she couldn’t focus on that right now. Money would solve most of her issues and only once she had it could she focus on anything else.

  She had to be her best self now. Her happiest self. Her most confident and reliable self. That was what her employers asked of her as a nanny to their children and their demands were more than reasonable.

  She needed this job desperately. That’s why she was ecstatic when she got the call from the agency about this opportunity and that she should head out there as soon as possible. A time was arranged and here she was. Apparently, the guy was a hard-working, single dad, who needed someone to take care of his little boy for a few hours every day because of his new job. She wasn’t really clear on all the details yet, but it sounded like a good opportunity, one that might allow her a second job somewhere else, if her schedules aligned. She wholeheartedly hoped they would.

  When the car was finally parked, she checked herself in the rearview mirror. She wasn’t wearing much makeup, she rarely did,
just a dash of mascara and chap stick. Her hair was up in a loose bun. She was planning on washing her hair last night, but ended up reading until late and when she realized what time it was, she was too tired to even get out of bed, let alone get to the bathroom and wash her hair.

  She looked presentable. She wasn’t a knock out, by any means, but people always kept telling her that her charm was unbeatable, so she always played that card when she really wanted something. She’d definitely be playing it today.

  Winking at herself in the mirror and thinking positive thoughts, she grabbed her little purse and got out of the car. When she slammed the door, she could actually see the car shaking a little, as if it would fall apart any minute.

  “Just hang on a few more days,” she begged silently.

  She walked over to the house numbered 63. The yard was partly manicured, partly a mess of children’s toys and sandbox, with diggers and trucks, and all sorts of kids digging paraphernalia. She smiled. It was to be expected. What surprised her though, was that manicured part of the lawn. How did the dad manage to keep it untouched by little hands and feet?

  She walked up the three marble steps, and stopped in front of the door. The house was simple, but eye-catching. Its outer walls were white, with yellow frames around the windows and grey lines at the bottom. The little verandah had a wicker table, two chairs, and a swing big enough for two people. The big pillows looked soft and cozy. She already imagined herself drinking coffee, sitting there while the little boy was playing in the yard. The thought gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling, one she hadn’t had in a long time.

  Bravely, she pressed the button and an unfamiliar sound started playing. A second later, there was a pitter patter of small feet rushing over and then a loud, whiny voice shouted from the inside.

  “Da-ad! There’s someone at the do-or!”

  She smiled again at the elongation of the two words. So sweet, so childlike. She shifted the weight of her entire body to the right foot, then back again to the left. Somehow, it was difficult to find the right position. This feeling stemmed from the inside and had nothing to do with the way she was standing.

  A few more seconds passed and the door unlocked, revealing a strikingly handsome man. He looked at her wonderingly, as if he wasn’t expecting her. His beard was a few days old, but it didn’t made him look unkempt. On the contrary, he reminded her of those Calvin Klein underwear models, with just a dash of that lumberjack vibe. She half expected the wind to start blowing his way, and he’d strike that pose, waiting for the cameras to start flashing.

  Rene swallowed heavily. Her throat was dry, as if she hadn’t had a drink of water in days. Then, she smiled as confidently as she could and hoped he wouldn’t see through her, and realize what a nervous wreck she was.

  “Mr. Hyde McGallan?” she chirped sweetly. “I’m Rene Olsen. The agency arranged for our interview…”

  “Oh, Ms. Olsen, yes!” he quickly nodded, opening the door wide.

  She could see that he was wearing light grey sweatpants and a plain white t-shirt. It rested perfectly on his chiseled chest, as his strong, upper arms invited her in.

  “Rene, please,” she smiled, taking a step in.

  Immediately, she noticed a peeping set of eyes just behind the next door, but the moment she looked that way, the eyes got startled and hid inside the room, slamming the door shut. This wasn’t the first time that she was facing an introverted child. It was never a problem, as Rene herself had always been an introvert herself. One never really grew out of it, despite what some psychologists tried to convince her of.

  “That’s Parker. He’s a bit shy,” Hyde explained, raking his fingers through his curly dark hair, which was cut so that most of it was falling to his left side, and part of it, over his eyes. “But, he’s a really nice kid,” he added quickly, as if trying to find a justification for this behavior, which might appear rude to some.

  “I’m sure he is,” she smiled in an effort to show him that there was no need to explain anything.

  Some kids were just introverted by nature, like grown-ups. She met many such cases, and always knew the right way to approach the child so that he or she would eventually open up to her. Whether it was her charm, or simply her calm manners, she would always eventually make a connection with the child. So, she wasn’t worried.

  She wasn’t worried about Parker, that is. But, there was something worrisome about this whole thing, and that was the fact that she found her employer, Hyde McGallan, incredibly handsome. If someone had asked her to, she would actually sign a document that stated he was the most handsome man she had ever met and she doubted anyone would ever top him. She could almost feel the palpitations of her beating heart at the tips of her fingers as she looked at him prepare coffee for the two of them, in his cozy, rustic kitchen.

  It was mostly wood, but that warm kind of wood, which makes you feel like you’re in a cabin, deep in the woods - far away from the civilization, but still close enough to have the basic necessities such as indoor plumbing and electricity. A lack of those could quickly remove all romance from even the coziest places in the woods.

  The coffee machine he had was nothing that could be found in a cabin in the woods. It looked like something he stole from a Starbucks. A huge silver monster of a machine, which could make three coffees at the same time, it stood in stark contrast with the warm wooden tones that surrounded it. Somehow, they stood in some pleasantly weird connection, complementing each other.

  “Here you go,” he said, setting before her a dainty little coffee cup with a plate.

  Rene smiled. The aroma that spread all around her was soothing, and she knew this was probably the reason why so many people tend to be in such a good mood first thing in the morning: that perfect cup of espresso.

  “Sugar?” he asked.

  “Oh, no, thank you,” she shook her head, pulling the cup closely towards her.

  He sat down opposite her and took a small sip of coffee with his eyes closed. Rene could swear that she heard a little murmur of pleasure escape his lips. His tongue licked the remnants of foam from his upper lip, then smacked itself against his upper teeth. She was amazed that she even heard that and even more amazed that she found that action arousing.

  He placed the cup down, then gazed at her. She expected him to start talking immediately, about anything: the job, his son, his work, but he didn’t. That smile lingered on his face, and he wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that he was enjoying just looking at her.

  A second later and she became a little restless under this scrutinous gaze. She felt naked, like she wasn’t wearing a single item of clothing, as if he could see all of her secrets, even those unimportant ones, such as when she cheated off Melissa Gable’s math test in junior high and never got caught.

  She knew if she wanted to break it, she’d have to start talking first. Taking the lead wasn’t something she usually did. But, his gaze was making her feel naked and it was way too early for that.

  “So, I understand you need someone only part time?” she inquired, crossing her right leg over the left one.

  “Yes,” he replied immediately, but that deep, investigative gaze was still there. “I just started work at a new company and they’ve been very understanding regarding my… current situation. However, I still need someone to take care of him for a few hours on the days that he’s here. It should be only a few hours, but occasionally I might need you to stay longer, if I need to travel for work. They said this shouldn’t be too often, and I hope it won’t, but that’s a possibility, and I’d like you to get acquainted with all the prerequisites, so you can make your decision.”

  Rene wasn’t told anything about his situation, but she could understand it immediately. He was obviously living alone. Nothing in this place showed any signs of female presence. There is no mistaking that in a home. His son was spending only a part of the time here, so it was obvious that his parents were divorced. Freshly divorced. Something told her
that Hyde was still adjusting to this new version of life, trying to make sense of it all. Despite that initial smile, she could sense a sadness about him, but he wasn’t letting it show. He obviously wanted everyone to think that he was perfectly alright and able to continue with his life as if nothing happened. But, divorce is never easy, especially when there is a child involved.

  Of course, the last thing she expected was for him to mention that, but she just had a gut feeling and, sometimes, that was all it takes.

  “I think that can be easily arranged,” she replied, happy that this job would probably allow her some more hours with another family, if only she managed to make a good schedule.

  “He really is a good boy,” Hyde repeated, but this time, it didn’t sound like he was explaining his son’s behavior.

  This one came from the heart of a father who was proud of his son, who loved nothing more than him. She remembered that there were a few photos of him and Parker in the hallway, and she saw a few on a little mantelpiece in the living room, when she passed by it on the way to the kitchen. She didn’t see any with Parker’s mother.