Beary Overdue (Polar Bliss 1) by Ruby Shae Page A

forced me to face the truth. After I left her room, I shifted and I’ve been running ever since.”
    “Does Hayden know you’re back?” Ridge asked.
    “Yes, I talked to him earlier today, and we have a meeting to discuss business tomorrow.”
    Everyone looked at Riley, and waited for her decision.
    “I’m glad you shaved and cut your hair,” Riley said quietly.
    “Me too,” Reid said. “I’ve missed you, sis.”
    “I’ve missed you, too.”
    Riley got up, rounded the dinner table, and gave him a huge hug.
    After that, he received a hug from Ridge, Jane, and finally Ryker.
    “I’d like to come back,” Reid said to his oldest brother. “I don’t want to live here permanently, because I’m going to try and get Jillian back, but I’d like to be part of Polar Bliss again if I can convince her to move back here with me.”
    “It’s about time,” Ryker said. “Now how are you going to get that girl?”
    After he admitted to not asking Jillian to stay, which his family had already figured out, he explained his plans, including the changes he had in mind for The Dirty Bear . His siblings agreed to help in any way possible—including keeping his transformation a secret from his mate.
     
    ***
     
    One more month later…
     
    Jillian walked to her apartment slowly, her horrible date on her heels. She’d already thanked the man for dinner, turned down his request to spend the night, and said goodbye, but he’d followed her to her door anyway.
    She had a feeling getting rid of him wouldn’t be easy, and she racked her brain for a way to escape. If he decided to force his way into her apartment, she wouldn’t be able to stop him, and the possible outcome made her stomach churn.
    It had been two months since she’d returned from Longmeadow, and in an effort to finally move on and forget about Reid once and for all, she’d lowered her standards and started dating more often. Sadly, the only result had been meeting jerks more frequently. In fact, it seemed as if she’d become some kind of loser magnet.
    Her date was a perfect example.
    Dinner had consisted of fat jokes and rude comments about her size, and then later, when she’d denied his request to park somewhere and make-out, he’d pouted and begrudgingly driven her home. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t leave her alone.
    “Well, this is it,” she said, stopping a few feet away from her apartment door. “Goodnight.”
    “Aren’t you going to invite me in?” he asked.
    “No,” she said simply.
    He grabbed her wrist and pulled, causing her to stumble toward him. He was strong, stronger than he looked, and he held her wrist in a bruising grip as he spoke.
    “Listen you little fat bitch,” he sneered. “I didn’t go broke buying you dinner so you could say goodnight without paying me back. I want my dick sucked hard, and if you’re a good girl, I might let you swallow instead of exploding all over your face.”
    “Let. Her. Go.”
    The booming words were followed by a fierce growl, and a second later, Reid stepped out from the shadows.
    Reid!
    Reid was here, in her town, and he looked amazing.
    He’d shaved, cut his blue-black hair in a short, sexy cut, and even though his face was a mask of anger, she could see that the tired stress lines she’d noticed two months ago were gone. His dark brown eyes still looked black, but she had a feeling it was because they were focused on her date, and the fact that he still hadn’t let her go.
    “Mind your own business,” her date called over his shoulder.
    Anyone with half a brain would have let her go when the primal growl had filled the air, but her date was obviously clueless.
    Reid walked up to them and wrapped his fingers around the man’s wrist. Slowly, he tightened his grip until the man let go of her and dropped to his knees.
    “She is my business,” Reid growled again. “Apologize.”
    “I’m sorry,” the man said.
    “Louder,” Reid barked.
    “I’m sorry,” the man