Clay (BBW Secret Baby Bear Shifter Romance) (Secret Baby Bears Book 4) by Becca Fanning
Authors: Becca Fanning
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thick around the shoulders, built to rule. “You okay?” he asked Dakota.
“I’m fine,” she told him, nervous with so much attention on her. She wanted to slip away, but she saw no easy way to do so, not with a man on horseback and a drunk in a trough staring at her.
He turned his attention to Eddie, full of authority. “I’m leaving now. You’ll be in charge. You know what that means.”
“I know,” Eddie grunted, displeased.
“Try to stay sober while I’m gone. The clan will be looking towards you for protection. They need a leader. Don’t be reckless.”
She could tell there was more the man wanted to say, but he wouldn’t in front of her. She wasn’t insulted. She had her secrets too.
“Safe journey, brother,” Eddie bid, half-sarcastic.
“Protect them,” the man said once more, and then he rode off.
The confrontation had sobered Eddie. She could tell he was humiliated. Feeling sorry for him, she offered him her hand and helped him out of the trough. “Who was that?” she asked.
“Holden, my saint of a brother,” he answered, wringing out his hat. “I hate the way he speaks to me.”
Surprised by his confession, she set her hand on his arm, comforting him. “It’s his way of looking out for you. That’s what siblings do. They take care of each other. Even shifters.”
She’d known Eddie was a shifter from the moment she saw him. Only shifters had golden eyes as deep and compelling as his were. It was one of the traits that set them apart.
“It doesn’t scare you that, underneath this sinfully attractive body, I’m a bear?” he asked, resuming his charm.
“No,” she answered. “It doesn’t scare me. I’ve met shifters before.”
“Like who?” he asked, intrigued.
“A friend.”
He laughed. “You’re mysterious. I get it. Is there anything about yourself you are willing to tell me?”
She couldn’t walk around West Texas ignoring the natives. It would only draw suspicion, so she played along. “Tell me more about you first.”
“I’m a middle child. Not much responsibility on my shoulders. No one to prove myself to, except the bull I sit on when I ride. Got a lot to prove to him.”
“Until now.”
“Yeah, til now,” he said reluctantly.
“You don’t want to be the leader of your clan.”
“Would you? There are things happening in the shifter world, unsettling things. I can’t protect my brothers from it any more than I could protect myself.”
It worried her as much as it did him. “What things?”
“Nothing you have to worry about, darling,” he said, perking up, a fresh wave of his intoxication coursing through his blood. “Wanna dance?” Before she could stop him, he scooped her up into his arms and spun her around.
She protested, outwardly annoyed, but a secret side of her enjoyed it. Eddie was brazen, and he was sexy, especially when he wasn’t acting like a drunken fool. His robust charm took away some of the misery of being on the run. She demanded he set her down, but part of her wished he wouldn’t let go.
He set her back on her feet. “You’ve just made a new friend here today,” he said. “Feel free to call on me anytime, but when you do, I prefer you wear lacy–”
The intercom cut him off, crackling around them. “There has been a change in the schedule. The Tyrell Clan will no longer be competing in today’s events. All riders have been moved forward accordingly.”
“Who the hell decided that?” Eddie growled, outraged. “Sorry, darling, but I gotta go.” Moving fast, he planted a playful kiss on her cheek. “Until next time.”
“There won’t be a next time!” she hollered after him, confused.
A fugitive, Dakota wanted nothing to do with handsome cowboys or their pretty words. She wanted to stay hidden in the shadows, away from Eddie and his recklessness, but she also very much wanted to dance with him again. She was a fugitive, but she was also a woman.
“It’s the
“I’m fine,” she told him, nervous with so much attention on her. She wanted to slip away, but she saw no easy way to do so, not with a man on horseback and a drunk in a trough staring at her.
He turned his attention to Eddie, full of authority. “I’m leaving now. You’ll be in charge. You know what that means.”
“I know,” Eddie grunted, displeased.
“Try to stay sober while I’m gone. The clan will be looking towards you for protection. They need a leader. Don’t be reckless.”
She could tell there was more the man wanted to say, but he wouldn’t in front of her. She wasn’t insulted. She had her secrets too.
“Safe journey, brother,” Eddie bid, half-sarcastic.
“Protect them,” the man said once more, and then he rode off.
The confrontation had sobered Eddie. She could tell he was humiliated. Feeling sorry for him, she offered him her hand and helped him out of the trough. “Who was that?” she asked.
“Holden, my saint of a brother,” he answered, wringing out his hat. “I hate the way he speaks to me.”
Surprised by his confession, she set her hand on his arm, comforting him. “It’s his way of looking out for you. That’s what siblings do. They take care of each other. Even shifters.”
She’d known Eddie was a shifter from the moment she saw him. Only shifters had golden eyes as deep and compelling as his were. It was one of the traits that set them apart.
“It doesn’t scare you that, underneath this sinfully attractive body, I’m a bear?” he asked, resuming his charm.
“No,” she answered. “It doesn’t scare me. I’ve met shifters before.”
“Like who?” he asked, intrigued.
“A friend.”
He laughed. “You’re mysterious. I get it. Is there anything about yourself you are willing to tell me?”
She couldn’t walk around West Texas ignoring the natives. It would only draw suspicion, so she played along. “Tell me more about you first.”
“I’m a middle child. Not much responsibility on my shoulders. No one to prove myself to, except the bull I sit on when I ride. Got a lot to prove to him.”
“Until now.”
“Yeah, til now,” he said reluctantly.
“You don’t want to be the leader of your clan.”
“Would you? There are things happening in the shifter world, unsettling things. I can’t protect my brothers from it any more than I could protect myself.”
It worried her as much as it did him. “What things?”
“Nothing you have to worry about, darling,” he said, perking up, a fresh wave of his intoxication coursing through his blood. “Wanna dance?” Before she could stop him, he scooped her up into his arms and spun her around.
She protested, outwardly annoyed, but a secret side of her enjoyed it. Eddie was brazen, and he was sexy, especially when he wasn’t acting like a drunken fool. His robust charm took away some of the misery of being on the run. She demanded he set her down, but part of her wished he wouldn’t let go.
He set her back on her feet. “You’ve just made a new friend here today,” he said. “Feel free to call on me anytime, but when you do, I prefer you wear lacy–”
The intercom cut him off, crackling around them. “There has been a change in the schedule. The Tyrell Clan will no longer be competing in today’s events. All riders have been moved forward accordingly.”
“Who the hell decided that?” Eddie growled, outraged. “Sorry, darling, but I gotta go.” Moving fast, he planted a playful kiss on her cheek. “Until next time.”
“There won’t be a next time!” she hollered after him, confused.
A fugitive, Dakota wanted nothing to do with handsome cowboys or their pretty words. She wanted to stay hidden in the shadows, away from Eddie and his recklessness, but she also very much wanted to dance with him again. She was a fugitive, but she was also a woman.
“It’s the
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