A Mate For The Bear: BBW Paranormal Alpha Shifter Romance (Bear Brides Book 4) by Natalie Kristen Page B

pulled low over his face.
    Joyce frowned as she went to
the front door. Was Dalton expecting a delivery? Maybe it had
slipped his mind, and he had forgotten to mention it to her.
    As she approached the gate,
the man said gruffly, “Delivery for Mr Dalton Jameson.”
    Joyce couldn't quite see the
man's face behind that big, cardboard box.
    “Um, what's in the
box?” she asked.
    The man fumbled with some
papers and said, “It says here...landscaping supplies.”
    “Oh.” That
sounded like a legitimate delivery. Dalton might have put down the
order some weeks ago for the business and forgotten the exact
delivery date.
    Joyce opened the gate and was
about to take the hefty box, but the man said, “I'll carry it
to the house for you. It's...pretty heavy.”
    “Oh, thank you. This
way, please.”
    Joyce held the front door
open. The man placed the box beside the door and straightened up.
    Joyce gasped when she saw his
face.
    “Hello, Joyce, it's
been a while,” he smiled.
    “Felix! You...”
    Her ex-husband grabbed her by
the arm and hauled her into the house, slamming the door shut behind
them.
    “Nice place you have
here,” Felix smirked, locking the door. “Real nice.”
    “Felix, what are you
doing here? What do you want?” she choked.
    “I was just in the
neighborhood. Thought I'd look in to see how my ex-wife is doing.”
Joyce saw his shifty eyes dart all around the house, taking in the
expensive furnishings and ornaments. “I heard you've gotten
yourself a sugar daddy.”
    “H-heard?”
    “I thought the Crimson
Wolves were toying with me. But it seems it's true. You have done
rather well for yourself, hooking a rich sucker and making him fall
for you hook, line and sinker. You're the mistress of a fecking
bungalow!” Felix threw his arms wide and cackled.
    The Crimson Wolves. They'd
informed Felix that Dalton Jameson had assumed full responsibility
for his debt and that his ex-wife was no longer busting her ass to
pay off his debt at their strip club.
    Joyce felt herself begin to
shake as her shock turned to rage. Felix had disappeared and left
her to shoulder his debt. Yet all this time, the Crimson Wolves knew
exactly where to find him. But it wasn't worth their while to
unearth him. He was penniless, worthless, useless to them. They
couldn't squeeze a single cent out of him. So the wolves had taken
her instead. Made her carry the debt for her ex-husband even though
they could have easily gone after Felix and made him take
responsibility for his own debt. They made her work for them at
Candybar, taking her earnings, milking her dry for the club.
    “How could you?”
she hissed. “How, Felix?” She closed her eyes in pain
and fury. “We were married, Felix. We were once husband and
wife. You just...threw me to the wolves! I never imagined...”
She swallowed hard, choking down the bitter feeling of betrayal.
“You have no heart, no guts, no balls, Felix!” she spat.
    Felix took off his cap and
rubbed a hand over his blond, shaggy hair. He was only half
listening to her. His greedy, glittering eyes appraised her
surroundings and made out where the study and bedrooms were. He
wasn't here for her. He was here to steal.
    “All this while, you
were just making use of me, making use of my money to feed your
gambling addiction.” Joyce laughed abruptly. “A
one-hand clap. Yes, it really is a slap. I was being slapped
around, yet I kept hoping that one day you'd change for the better.”
    Felix shrugged. “Look,
love, it's been nice catching up, talking about old times and I'd
really love to stay and chat. But I have to dash. I'm here to pick
up a few things, and then I'll be getting out of town.”
    Joyce stared at him with an
odd mixture of disinterest and disgust. “You are in debt.
Again.”
    He smirked. “I didn't
drag you down this time. You won't have to pay this debt for me.
Now, where does your sugar daddy keep his cash? And I'm sure he has
a few prized valuables in a safe somewhere in