The Witness and the Bear (Bear Valley Shifters Book 1) Read online

  It was over? The words sounded too good to be true. After running for so long, she didn’t know how to feel anything other than scared. But standing here, looking into Riker’s smoldering inhuman gaze, how could she feel anything other than safe? Her mate was strong and clever, and had likely suffered right along with her over the last few days. He and Jeremy came up with this elaborate plan that involved keeping her in the dark about Riker’s intentions, but it was so he could save her from the terror that had taken over her life. Even if it had been the worst day of her life, feeling betrayed by him and frightened of the pain that would surely follow, the result was the greatest gift he could’ve ever given her.

  “When can we go back home?”

  His smile was slow and reached his eyes. “I have plane tickets for tomorrow morning.”

  “Who knew about your plan?”

  “Me, Jeremy, Blaine and the council. We couldn’t tell Jenny or she’d give it away before we even left. She’s going to whoop my ass when we get home.”

  Hannah laughed and wiped her tears with the palm of her hands. “Yeah, she is.”

  His eyes drifted to her lips. “Can I kiss you?”

  He’d never asked before, just taken what he wanted but the days since Stone’s men attacked the Valley had hurt them both. She understood. Shyness crept over her too.

  Standing on her tiptoes, she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and brushed her lips against his. A soft animal sound rumbled from his throat, and he canted his head, drove his tongue into her mouth and dragged her against his hips.

  It felt like forever since she’d been held by him, possessed by him. She’d missed the taste of him and the feel of his hard skin moving beneath her fingertips. She’d missed his warmth, but more than anything else, she’d missed the blanket of safety that covered her and stifled her fears and insecurities when he was near.

  “Hannah,” he rasped against her throat.

  “Yeah?” she breathed, trailing kisses across his cheek.

  Retreating by inches, he held her face gently in the palms of his hands. His gaze, churning with emotion, held hers. “I love you.”

  She’d known the truth of his admission already. What man would risk everything for a woman he didn’t love? But his surrender of those words was the sweetest stroke of sound that had ever brushed her ears.

  She’d had to leave the human world to find a man strong enough to handle her past and give her a future. She’d had to become the human consort and mate to the alpha of an ancient clan of shifters to find herself.

  Forget the muck of her past.

  Against all odds, she’d found Riker, and he’d chosen her back.

  She was the luckiest.

  His smile, slow and crooked and only for her, captured her, emboldened her with the knowledge that he’d do anything to protect her, and she’d do the same for him. Her mate had given her a home and a place with his people, but most importantly, he’d given her a second chance at life.

  She leaned her cheek against his chest, over the steady thrum of his beating heart. “I love you back.”

  Other Books by T. S. Joyce

  Bear Valley Shifters Series

  Devoted to the Bear (Book 2)

  Available Now

  Amazon

  Return to the Bear (Book 3)

  Available Now

  Amazon

  Betray the Bear (Book 4)

  Available Now

  Amazon

  Redeem the Bear (Book 5)

  Available Now

  Amazon

  Bear Shifter Romance Newsletter Sign Up

  For exclusive sneak peeks and new releases, sign up for T. S. Joyce’s Bear Shifter Romance Newsletter HERE.

  Sneak Peek

  DEVOTED TO THE BEAR

  (Bear Valley Shifters, Book 2)

  Read on for a sneak peek of the thrilling sequel to The Witness and the Bear.

  Chapter One

  Rumbling deep in his throat, the sound of Benson Riker’s bloodlust overpowered the roll of distant thunder. A drop of rain fell on his nose, and he twitched his head to rid himself of the obnoxious droplet that tickled the short fur there. Bears of every size and color were lined up to his left and right. He paced and emitted another low growl that hummed against his chest.

  His parents had chosen wrong. After years of living on the outskirts of bear shifter law, they’d finally picked a clan. One with enemies.

  Rain pattered on the leaves of the forest behind him, the opening clouds like unhappy gods shedding tears over the blood they would spill today. The falling water kicked up the scent of moist soil, and the air filled with ozone and wet fur. His paws, larger than the bears around him, made bowls in the mud, which filled with water and reflected the face of a raging beast.

  This rival clan wasn’t here to meet others of their kind, or to discuss territory disputes. They were here for a hostile takeover, to claim Bear Valley as theirs. Clan law allowed shifter warfare over territory. It happened in nature, so why not for shifters? Except they were more than just bears. They were human, too.

  Movement through the mist swayed trees and drew his angry gaze. His lips curled over his teeth with the promise of destruction. Over his dead body would these strangers come into his territory and take the home he’d found.

  A great grizzly stepped from the forest. His fur shook with every heavy step he took and the shifter’s eyes seemed to hold Riker—challenge him. The alpha of the Long Claw Clan was enormous and scarred from the battles he’d waged. As the woods moved with his warriors, he roared into the early morning storm. His breath clashed against the cool wind in a puff of steam as the battle cry filled the clearing.

  Old Rodge, Bear Valley’s alpha, stepped forward and stood on his hind legs, then bellowed his acceptance.

  Riker cast a narrow look to his sister, Jenny, before he charged. If they died today, it would be in the pursuit of protecting clan territory. Their deaths would be honorable and mean something.

  The others ran beside him, picking up speed as mud flew from divots in the wet earth under their feet. Red rage filled Riker, spreading to the pads of his paws and spurring him on until he was as close to flying as a bear shifter could get. He’d kill them all for trespassing here. For putting his family, his people, the cubs of the clan in danger.

  The Long Claw Clan rushed at them in a blur of raging motion, and Riker’s pounding heart urged him faster still.

  He hit a chestnut colored brown bear with the force of a runaway train. Biting, clawing and slapping—the sound of braying battle permeated the clearing. The wind whipped at his matted fur, and settled the scent of warm blood into the sensitive lining of his nose. It was the blood of his people and his rage pulsed and grew until it was infinite.

  Minutes stretched and the mud beneath his paws turned red as the battle raged and bears fell. He roared as he raked his claws against a dark grizzly’s neck and turned to fight another. The air had chilled and he stood alone among the dead. Vacant eyes stared back at him and furry mounds, no longer breathing, scattered the clearing like ancient boulders.

  So much loss. So much wasted. Their kind dwindled and still they fought and died for territory when the real danger lay outside of clan politics, with the humans.

  Jenny.

  Riker turned and searched the bodies for a honey colored grizzly, smaller than the others. A short bark of panic heaved from his throat, steaming the air in front of his snout. As he looked from face to face, dread slammed into him.

  Leaping over a pile of carnage, he almost landed on the naked body of a woman, curled up with her knees drawn to her chest. Blood and rain spotted her skin, and red streams ran down her back. Canting his head, he studied her. She was beautiful, striking with nut-brown hair that had darkened in the rain. Her nose was slightly turned up on the end, and if she was still alive, her eyes would be…green.

  Riker’s heart beat erratically in a painful rhythm. He knew this woman. Her name was Hannah.

&nb
sp; Straining his ears, he listened for her breathing, focused on a small, heart-shaped scar on the back of her exposed neck, but heard nothing. No breath, no fluttering heartbeat. Only silence and death filled the clearing.

  Something ugly broke inside of him, and in desperation, he tried to pull her to him. His six inch claws sliced across the flesh of her arm and her blood spilled in rivers, filling the puddles around her.

  No. He looked at the paws that had hurt her, the weapons of a monster that had maimed her fragile human body, and he stumbled backward.

  A woman stood at the edge of the battlefield. Flowing robes cascaded around her waif thin frame despite the weather and her eyes were white, seeing nothing and everything all at once. She watched him with a solemn expression.

  “I told you, Riker.” She shook her head and her eyes looked so sad. “I told you she’d break you.”

  DEVOTED TO THE BEAR

  Available now

  Amazon

  New Bear Shifter Series

  Kindle All-Star Series From T. S. Joyce

  Hells Canyon Shifters

  Call of the Bear (Book 1)

  Fealty of the Bear (Book 2)

  Avenge the Bear (Book 3)

  Claim the Bear (Book 4)

  Heart of the Bear – Coming January 2015

  New Wolf Shifter Series

  Wolf Brides

  Wolf Bride (Book 1)

  Red Snow Bride (Book 2)

  Dawson Bride (Book 3)

  New Full-Length Standalone Bear Shifter Romance

  Coveted by the Bear

  Available Now

  Amazon

  About the Author

  T. S. Joyce

  T.S. Joyce is devoted to bringing hot shifter romances to readers. Hungry alpha males are her calling card, and the wilder the men, the more she'll make them pour their hearts out. Experienced at handling an alpha male of her own, she lives in a tiny town, outside of a tiny city, and devotes her life to writing big stories. Foodie, bear whisperer, ninja, thief of tiny bottles of awesome smelling hotel shampoo, nap connoisseur, movie fanatic, and zombie slayer, and most of this bio is true.

  Bear Shifters? Check

  Smoldering Alpha Hotness? Double Check

  Sexy Scenes? Fasten up your girdles, ladies and gents, it's gonna to be a wild ride.

  For more information about T. S. Joyce and her work, visit her website here.

  Contents

  THE WITNESS AND THE BEAR

  Other Books in This Series

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Other Books by T. S. Joyce

  Newsletter Sign Up

  Sneak Peek

  New Bear Shifter Series

  New Wolf Shifter Series

  About the Author