Page 2 of Coveted By The Bear (When Worlds Collide #1)

I ’d been riding the old Harley I managed to fix up a couple of years ago for about four and a half hours when the damn thing just up and quit on me.

Good thing for Shifter reflexes or I’d look like roadkill. As it was, I had some nasty fucking road rash covering my entire left side.

“Motherfucker,” I growled and stood up once I’d stopped skidding across the broken up asphalt.

It was three o’clock in the morning. The Witching Hour. If I believed in anything anymore, I would have said the Fates had something in mind for me.

But I knew better.

I limped over to my bike and kicked it angrily. Then, I roared my frustration to the wind, cursing the damn thing for all it was worth.

The whole way to wherever the fuck I was stranded I’d been replaying my encounter with Tiegs.

The man had been like a father to me. Okay, maybe a fucked up uncle. But still, the Willow Creek Clan was all I knew.

I couldn’t believe he’d throw me away for failing to follow orders. But that was dumb.

I’d been a Soldier for the Clan since I was sixteen. Tiegs had no problem using my brawn for his own purposes. I wondered now why I was so surprised when he decided he owned my dick, too.

Zara was a good Sow. She deserved better,

But I could not mate a woman I didn’t care for, and I did not love her. She was not my mate.

It sounded cruel, but it wasn’t some whim. My Grizzly Bear was a fucking bastard at the best of times.

The idea of a forced mating had the animal inside me pushing to challenge Tiegs for Alpha. But I sure as shit didn’t want that fucking job.

I just wanted to live my life. I didn’t mind serving. Hell, Tiegs and his mate had helped raise me after my folks died and I’d owed them fealty.

“This is how you repay me? You worthless whelp!” Tiegs raged when I told him I refused the betrothal contract.

“I can’t mate her. My Bear won’t allow it,” I explained.

“Then get out. I have no use for Bears who don’t know their place.”

And just like that, I was tossed away.

Like garbage.

Maybe that’s what I am?

Grrrrrr.

Fuck.

I shook my head, tightened the chains I had on my animal as I lifted the motorcycle and started to wheel it down the road. I’d seen an auto shop a little bit earlier.

Lance’s Auto Repair , I seemed to recall.

“At least it’s not raining,” I muttered a moment too soon.

The first drop fell before I took my next step.

Fuck my life.