A Beary Christmas

By Ariel Marie

Librarian Kendra Sexton wants to make a good impression. New to town and hopeful she'll be accepted by the local bear clan, she has her work cut out for her. But it's not the work that worries her the most. It's her long-held secret that could destroy her chances of having any semblance of a relationship with anyone… ever.

Future alpha Rocco Brink needs a mate. The Prime Grizzlies clan dictates that he finds his mate and produces heirs, but he's not inclined to settle for just anyone. With an exhaustible list of must-have traits, no one believes he'll ever find the one. That is until the night of his family's annual Christmas party. One sweet scent and he's sure he's met his future.

All the pieces in place for the perfect union, Rocco is ready to claim his mate. But when Kendra's past catches up with her, their plan for a happily ever after is left hanging in the balance.

Will her secret destroy their chance for love everlasting?

A Beary Christmas is a sweet holiday paranormal novella by Author Ariel Marie that will tug at heartstrings and make readers root for love, romance, and a lifetime of undeniable passion to keep them warm all winter long.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ariel Marie
• Release date: Oct 31, 2018
• ISBN: 9781540135612

Book preview

1

Kendra Sexton smiled as she placed the last returned book in its rightful place on the shelf after looking around the empty library. Two days before Christmas, the Norwich library was a ghost town.

She was ecstatic to be back in her old college town. She had just graduated with her Masters in Library Science from the University of Idaho, and was offered this job as the head librarian. Two weeks into the job and she knew that she was going to love it here. Mrs. Lane, the librarian for the past forty years, was retiring in two weeks, and Kendra was to be her replacement.

She pushed her empty cart back toward the check-out desk and glanced at her watch. The library would be closing in fifteen minutes. She had sent Laura, her library assistant, home a half hour early to allow her to finish up her last-minute Christmas shopping.

She glanced over at the large bay window and saw that the snow was beginning to fall fast and hard.

I should hurry up, Kendra muttered to herself. She figured with how fast the snow was falling, she was sure her car would be covered. She didn’t feel like digging her car out today.

Her bear snorted.

Well, if you would come out, then maybe you could help, she snapped at her bear.

Twenty-nine years walking this earth, and Kendra’s bear had gone into hiding, refusing to show herself. Kendra never knew why. She was told that her bear would come when she was good and ready. Her childhood shrinks had said that it might have something to do with the deaths of her biological parents, who were murdered when she was just five years old.

She had no recollection of her parents’ brutal murder, but she had not shifted since she was five. Life as an unshiftable shifter was hard. Everyone always assumed that she was broken. But she wasn’t. That was why she had jumped at the chance to start over after she had completed her graduate studies.

Norwich was just what she needed. She had already been in town for a month and had felt welcomed. There was no one whispering behind her back about her being the bear shifter that couldn’t shift. No one knew her secret. Oh, people knew she was a shifter, she just hadn’t gotten around to telling them that she was unable to shift.

The sound of the bell over the door alerted her to someone entering the library.

We’re closing in a few minutes, she called out, while tapping on the keys of the computer.

Why are you still here? a familiar voice responded. Kendra looked up to find her best friend, Kenia Goff, walking through the library toward her.

Because I have a job to do, and we close this evening at six. I’m the head librarian, so I’m the one who has to close up the place.

But no one is going to be at the library two days before Christmas. Kenia laughed as she arrived at the desk. Her bronze skin almost glowed against her white wool, winter hat and scarf. Kendra couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face.

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