Read Online Jingle Bear: BBW Paranormal Holiday Shape Shifter Romance (North Pole Book 1) by Ruby Shae - Free Book Online

Chapter One
     
    Quinn Miller stopped running and surveyed the area one final time. The low amount of human sightings over the last month made him nervous. Usually, the months of November and December were flooded with eager humans, most of them unequipped to deal with the harsh conditions of the region, ready to dispel the secrets of the North Pole.
    His scan revealed nothing but miles and miles of stark white snow. Not even a paw print remained due to the magic surrounding the land. He let out a heavy sigh and disappeared into the seemingly invisible tunnel that led to Santa’s Village.
    The whole village was concealed in an invisible cloaking device, which provided much needed protection from those bent on revealing the secret of Santa. Only those that lived in the village could see the inside through the barrier. To them, their home looked like a Christmas snow globe from the outside looking in. Everyone else saw an endless blanket of snow.
    He walked down the hallway in his polar bear form and the other enforcers he came in contact with scattered, leaving him to enjoy the silence of the corridor. At the end of the walkway, he lumbered into one of the changing stalls and shook to empty his coat of all the ice and snow. He then shifted into his human form.
    “There you are!”
    Quinn looked up and saw Tracey assessing him with interest over the stall door. Once again he was thankful for the ability to shift fully clothed.
    “What are you doing in here? This building is for enforcers only.”
    Tracey was a petite artic fox who worked in the toy department. She’d hinted several times that’s she’d be up for some no-strings-attached fun, but he wasn’t interested. Even if he hadn’t given up women, Tracey, while pretty, wasn’t his type. He preferred his partners to have ample curves and big, voluptuous breasts. Considering his height, he wanted a tall woman who could take a pounding and give as good as she got. Flattening his partner was the last thing he wanted to worry about during sex.
    “Santa wants to see you. I volunteered to bring you the message.”
    “Message received, now get out of here.”
    “Quinn Miller, you are an arrogant—”
    “Hey, Tracey. Don’t waste your time on Quinn,” said another voice.
    Mark, his best friend, sidled up to Tracey and peered over the stall.
    “You should know by now that we call him Grumpy Bear for a reason,” Mark flashed Tracey a huge smile and then winked at him when she turned away.
    Quinn glared at Mark, but his friend ignored him.
    “Yeah, you’re right. I guess that will never change. Santa wants to see you, Grumpy,” she said and then turned toward Mark. “Want to buy me a sugar cookie, handsome?”
    “I’d love to, Sugar ,” Mark said.
    They left the lodge laughing at him and though he hated to admit it, he knew they were right. He was grumpy and if he were being honest, he had been for the past ten years. A band tightened around his heart as he remembered the cause of his grouchiness, and the man he’d been before, but he pushed the thoughts away.
    One mistake had nearly destroyed them, but he’d learned from the experience. He couldn’t risk losing everything again. He couldn’t afford to let his guard down, even for a moment.
     
    ***
     
    “You’ve got to be kidding,” Quinn blurted.
    Santa and Mrs. Claus looked like a king and queen sitting in their red velvet high backed chairs and, in a way, he supposed they were. Santa had used his magic to create their home. Without him and Mrs. Claus, Santa’s Village wouldn’t exist.
    “No, we’re not. You need to find a mate, and since no one here seems to interest you, you need to take a vacation and meet someone new,” Santa said.
    “You know I can’t do that. Don’t you remember what happened the last time? I’m not destined to have a mate,” Quinn reasoned.
    “That’s not true. There’s someone for everyone,” Mrs. Claus said. “You just need to go out and find