Bears With Me

BEARS WITH ME SAM HALL Bears in Mind Bears in Mind © Sam Hall 2023 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except for in the case of brief quotations for the use in critical articles or reviews. Edited by Steph Tashkoff Cover art and design by Design by Definition The characters and events depicted in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. STALK ME! Stalk me! Facebook author group: Sam’s Hall of Heroines Facebook page here Newsletter sign up here Instagram here Book Bub here Tiktok here AUTHOR NOTE This book is written in Australian English, which is a weird lovechild of British and American English. We tend to spell things the way the Brits do (expect a lot more u’s), yet also use American slang and swear more than both combined. While many people have gone over this book, trying to find all the typos and other mistakes, they just keep on popping up like bloody rabbits. If you spot one, don’t report it to Amazon, drop me an email at the below address so I can fix the issue. [email protected] TRIGGER WARNING Trigger and Content Warning This book deals primarily with the breakdown of a marriage (FMC and the antagonist of the book) and her subsequent much happier relationship with a harem of bear shifters. As a result you will read about: A marriage that was limping along for some time. The husband/antagonist engaging in emotional abuse and cheating (though the FMC does not see this, just finds evidence of it afterwards). The husband pretending to want an open or poly relationship and proceeding to completely misunderstand the realities of this relationship dynamic. THIS BOOK IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ANTI POLY OR OPEN MARRIAGE. The husband’s attempts to maintain control over the FMC and his behaviour escalating into physical and financial abuse Elder abuse happens off screen PLEASE NOTE: The FMC does not engage in anything romantic or sexual with any of the bear shifters until AFTER the husband has said he wants an open relationship and the vast majority of it happens after she has separated from her husband. If this is cheating in your book and you don’t like it, you might want to avoid this book. CONTENTS Stalk me! Author Note Trigger Warning Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 What’s next? Acknowledgments 1 “We need to work out what the hell to do about Paul,” I told Alaric as he crouched in front of me, holding my hands between his. I looked up at Lars and Thorn as my voice strengthened, despite the tears still clogging my throat. “Because we are never letting something like this happen again.” My words hung in the air between us. The three men—no, make that the three bear shifters—pulled up chairs to sit in a semi-circle around me in the hospital waiting room. And as for Koda? I could feel him, my awareness of his body the same as my awareness of my own; something I could detect without any real effort. The three in front of me just nodded solemnly. Of course they would. I was their… my mind stumbled over the word, so I tried again. I was their mate and, the way they told it, my every wish was their command. That made me wonder how they’d like what I was about to ask for. “I’m done running from Paul,” I told them. “I’m done reacting to his bullshit. We need to take him down.” “Good to hear we’re on the same page, love,” Lars growled and I found myself over-analysing the timbre of his voice, wondering whether it was the man or the beast who was talking. I shook my head. It didn’t matter. “We’ll eviscerate the little prick. Drag him out to the bush and let our animals do the work. All the cops will find is his bones left—” “Not you,” I corrected. “We.” I circled my finger in front of me to point to each of us in turn. At that, Thorn’s smile finally reappeared for the first time since the shooting. It was just as bright as it had been before, though the pain of almost losing his twin still shadowed his eyes. “My baby is a badass as well as beautiful?” He nodded slowly. “Whatever you want. You know that.” “Don’t be a fucking idiot,” Lars snapped. “That piece of shit is dying to get his hands on Nat. If we give him an inch—” “That piece of shit is in being questioned by the police right now,” Alaric said in a quiet voice. “Likely to be charged with assault causing serious harm.” “Not attempted murder?” I asked. “A murder charge comes with some kind of pre-planned intent to kill. The fact that we were on his property, naked…” Alaric shook his head. “Does he have any prior criminal charges?” I shook my head. “Then he’s likely to be out on bail sooner or later.” He reached across and took my hands again. For a moment I flinched, my stress rising as I imagined Paul free to assault me or any of them, and then it hit me. A wave of warmth washed over me, the same as I felt each time I touched one of them. It was like sinking down into a steaming bath