Read Online Rocky (Tales of the Were) by Bianca D'Arc - Free Book Online Page A

other, she couldn’t bear facing them knowing she had brought such bad news about Tony. She had failed her husband in so many ways. If she’d been a shifter, maybe he wouldn’t have died.
    Why he hadn’t felt able to tell her about being a grizzly shifter until his final days only drove home to her how much she hadn’t known about Tony. And about Rocky. And about both of their parents. She’d been living in the dark, blissfully unaware of the dangerous existence these people faced every day. She’d been such a fool.
    “It’ll be good to see your parents again.” It was the right thing to say and she felt the truth in her words as she spoke them. Still, she couldn’t kick the feeling of having been less than Tony needed. If not for her human limitations, Tony might still be alive. It was a staggering thought that had hounded her steps from the moment she’d left their burned out home over eight months ago.
    “I know they’re looking forward to meeting the twins.” Rocky’s grin was infectious as he looked over at the babies, now crawling all over each other in bear form. “My mom will likely spoil them rotten. Dad too, though he’ll never admit it.”
    “I always loved your parents. They were so welcoming when we were kids. And after I got engaged to Tony, I realized just how close they were to him.”
    “They loved him as a second son. When his parents died, they claimed him, though he was really too old for a formal claiming. The families had formed a close bond being the only two grizzly shifter households for hundreds of miles. We formed our own little Pack , and for a while it was really, really great.”
    “You miss them.” She stated the obvious but he didn’t seem to mind, lost in thought.
    “Every day. It’s not often that weregrizzlies have the opportunity to bond in such a way. We’re a rare species and somewhat solitary, so most families live on their own, raising their cubs one by one.”
    “Sounds lonely.”
    “It can be. But it’s the nature of the beast to want to prowl solo. I’ve had to temper some of my loner tendencies to get along with the wolf Pack. It’s been worth it though. I like belonging, even if I’ll always be a bit of an outsider because I’m different from the rest of them.” He grinned. “Of course, that comes in mighty handy at times too. Few, if any, of the other shifters will stand up to me. Makes me helpful to the Lords as an enforcer.”
    “You said that before. What exactly does that entail? I’ve been wondering how a grizzly bear fits in with a wolf Pack.” She was learning so much here.
    “Well, you know I’m an engineer by trade. I work for one of the Pack’s companies. Mostly, I work from home, but once in a while I have to go into the office or visit a client’s site. That’s my mundane job. On the shifter side of things, I’m a lieutenant in the hierarchy headed by the wolf Lords. Since they rule all were on this continent, their organization encompasses many different kinds of shifters. All the Allied Tribes, anyway. So it’s not that strange for me to be included in their chain of command. Now if it was just a wolf Pack, I doubt they’d want me anywhere near. But Rafe and Tim are special.”
    “So are you.” She smiled at him, loving the way he’d taken charge of his life and found a place for himself in this strange world she was only just beginning to understand. “I’m sorry to have to come here and complicate your life, but I want you to know I’m grateful you took me and the boys in and that you’re willing to help combat the danger that’s been following us.” She would have said more, but he silenced her gently with one upheld hand and a rueful look.
    “There’s no need for gratitude between us, Maggie. I don’t want you to ever feel beholden to me for doing something that comes as naturally as breathing. Caring for you and the boys is part of me. It’s something I do without conscious thought. I hope one day you