Bad Bear: BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (BRIDES fur BEARS Book 1) by Natalie Kristen

glittered
menacingly. “I used to be a bear tamer. I've been searching
for my bears. They've run away, you see,” he went on in a
deceptively calm, reasonable tone. “They attacked me and
escaped.”
    Staci knew at once who he
was. “You...you are Bazl.”
    He gave her a wide smile and
pretended to be impressed. “You know my name. You must know
Marcus and his brothers very well. You trust him. And he...loves
you.”
    Bazl twirled his knife
through his fingers and gave a mocking laugh.
    “You're not dead,”
Staci whispered, shaking her head. “Marcus didn't kill you.”
    “Oh, he stabbed a knife
in my belly and left me for dead. Then he ran off with my bears. So
you see, I have some unfinished business to see to. I will not die
before I finish Marcus Beck off. He destroyed me and I swear I will
see him destroyed!”
    “No...”
    Bazl's hollow laughter died
suddenly. He locked his eyes on her and snarled, “I have
waited so long for this.”
    Staci backed into a corner
and held the clothes hanger out in front of her. It wasn't a very
effective weapon but it was better than nothing. She could aim for
his eyes and kick him where it mattered.
    “I wanted to go after
the twins, but they're no longer small, defenseless bear cubs.”
Bazl smiled as he prowled towards her. “A human woman is a
much easier target. I don't want to hurt you, but I will enjoy
hurting him .”

CHAPTER
TWENTY

    Marcus's eyes opened and he
sat up uneasily. His bear growled and clawed at him, forcing him to
throw his legs over the side of the bed and stand up.
    As he snapped on his bedside
light, his phone chirped and vibrated insistently. Marcus frowned at
the unknown number on the screen. Someone was calling him from
overseas.
    “Hello?” he
growled. Who would call him at two o'clock in the morning? It was
probably a wrong number.
    “Hello,” a female
voice answered. “Is this Marcus Beck?” she asked
tentatively.
    “Yes, I'm Marcus. Who
is this?”
    “I...I'm Staci's
sister, Ethel. I don't know if...”
    “Yes, Staci's told me
about you,” Marcus said at once. “Hi, Ethel. What can I
do for you?” His tone warmed immediately but he was still
confused. Why would Staci's big sister call him in the middle of the
night? Unless…
    “I'm really sorry to
call you at this hour, Marcus, but I'm worried about Staci,”
Ethel said.
    “Staci...” He
was already yanking a t-shirt over his head.
    “Yes. I was talking to
her tonight. She looked and sounded really happy, but...I thought I
saw someone behind her when I was talking to her. Staci turned
around to look but she saw nothing. I told her it was probably just
my imagination but after I put down the phone, I just felt that
something was wrong. I tried calling her back but she's not picking
up. I'm really worried. I looked up your number on your website and
called you. I'm overseas so I can't go check on her, but...”
    “I'm on it,”
Marcus told her at once. “I'm grabbing my car keys as we
speak. I'll drive over to Staci's house right now and I'll call you
back.”
    “Thank you, Marcus...”
    “Thank you for calling
me, Ethel.” He paused and said, “Staci is lucky to have
you. You're a very good big sister.”
    “No I'm not,”
Ethel said. “I was too...ah, never mind that now.
Please...just call me back.”
    “I will.”
    Marcus rushed out of his room
and ran down the stairs. He saw Joshua hurry out of the kitchen with
a sandwich in his hand. “Where are you going?” Joshua
demanded, cramming his midnight snack in his mouth.
    “Staci...” Marcus
snapped, throwing the front door wide open and racing towards his
car.
    Joshua rushed after him, but
Marcus was already reversing down the driveway. With a squeal of
tires, he roared down the street, speeding to Staci's house.
    He leaped out of his car and
pounded up the front steps to the little house. All the lights were
on in the house. The front door was slightly ajar and he burst into
the house, bellowing her name.
    He