Read Southern Shifters: Inked By The Bear (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Black & White Series Book 2) for Free Online

“I don’t know what to say to you right now, pretty girl, but I’m thinkin’ if you keep tapping on the boards like that, you’ll tap a hole right through them.”
    “Well, that’s a start,” she said, stepping into his personal space and leaning her forehead against his chest.
    “I didn’t want it to be true, for your sake. I thought it was probably true, but I didn’t want it to be.”
    “I know. I didn’t know what I wanted.” She sighed. “No, that’s not right. I just wanted things to go back the way they were two days ago when it was just you and me. When we were working on the house and you were working on bikes and I was happy, and blissfully ignorant.” She wrapped her arms around him and breathed easier when his arms folded her close. “Please don't shut me out, Gus.”
    “I wasn’t planning on it,” he whispered into her hair. Then, kissed the top of her head. “Change is here and we can’t do anything but meet it head on.”
    “But, Gus, even you have to admit, things just got a whole lot more complicated and a whole lot weirder.”
    “I know. I’m not going anywhere, baby. I wasn’t sure how you’d take the confirmation though, that the people who raised me also raised the man who fathered you.”
    It was like some twisted, dark fairy tale. “It has nothing to do with you.” Truth was, she hadn’t known how she’d take it either. It wasn’t Gus’s fault, but if she hadn’t met him, if they hadn’t been attracted to each other, if if if . The second Mary told her, Bex knew that it didn’t change how she felt about Gus at all. Might have even strengthened her feelings.
    The door to the house opened, the upper hinge creaking and giving away that she and Gus were no longer alone. Bex turned around.
    Standing beside Mary, were two men. One younger, one older. Father and son. Both looked at her oddly, surprise in their eyes. Was it because she and Mary resembled one another so much? Or was it something else?
    “Rebecca, this is my brother Martin and his son, Michael. Gus’s daddy and brother.”
    “Younger brother,” Martin insisted. “She always forgets to add in the younger. Welcome to the family,” he said, tugging her out of Gus’s arms and into his own, enveloping her in a hug.
    “T-thank you.” When they parted, Bex smiled. “How much younger?” she whispered.
    Martin grinned and winked down at her. “Ten years.”
    “And he never lets me forget it,” Mary remarked from behind her brother.
    “Even though you conveniently try, I don’t,” he said over his shoulder at her. He turned back to Bex. “You are the spittin’ image of Rex, who was the spittin’ image of my sister.”
    Michael stuck his hand in. “Hiya, cuz. As my dad said, welcome to the family.”
    She’d barely shaken his hand, barely comprehended what he’d called her, when Luke’s voice carried across the porch. “What say, now that the family has been reunited, that we get down to business?”
    Gus growled. “Dammit. Blackwood. I told you I’d come get you.”
    “Hell, it’s not like my pack and I are a secret. Every one of you knows every one of us are out here. But I don’t have time to sit around on my ass waiting.”
    “Hey, asshole, this was your party. You’re the one who started this mess.”
    “Actually, I’m not. The one who fathered your woman and the rogue from my pack who trotted off with him, are the ones who started this. I’m just trying to find a solution to my pack dying out. That’s all I care about.”
    Martin skirted around his son and sister, taking a a seat in one of the rocking chairs and gesturing for Luke to do the same. “I’m not clear on how one thing has to do with the other.”
    Luke glanced at Gus. “You didn’t tell them?”
    “Nope. You can explain it.”
    “Son of a bitch,” Luke muttered. He took the seat across from Martin. He couldn’t have been oblivious to bears who wanted to rip him apart just for being there, just for being a