Bears of Burden: THORN Read online

  Table of Contents

  Bears of Burden

  THORN

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  CHAPTER 1: Hawthorne

  CHAPTER 2: Allie

  CHAPTER 3: Allie

  CHAPTER 4: Hawthorne

  CHAPTER 5: Allie

  CHAPTER 6: Hawthorne

  CHAPTER 7: Allie

  CHAPTER 8: Allie

  CHAPTER 9: Hawthorne

  CHAPTER 10: Allie

  CHAPTER 11: Hawthorne

  CHAPTER 12: Allie

  CHAPTER 13: Hawthorne

  CHAPTER 14: Hawthorne

  CHAPTER 15: Allie

  CHAPTER 16: Hawthorne

  CHAPTER 17: Allie

  CHAPTER 18: Hawthorne

  CHAPTER 19: Allie

  CHAPTER 20: Hawthorne

  CHAPTER 21: Allie

  CHAPTER 22: Allie

  CHAPTER 23: Hawthorne

  CHAPTER 24: Allie

  CHAPTER 25: Allie

  CHAPTER 26: Hawthorne

  ENJOY A FREE SNEAK PEEK

  KODIAK ISLAND SHIFTERS

  COLTON: BILLIONAIRE BEAR’S BRIDE

  Chapter one

  Chapter two

  Chapter three

  Chapter four

  Check out these other books by Candace Ayers

  RANCHER BEAR SERIES

  BEARS OF BURDEN SERIES

  SHIFTERS OF DENVER SERIES

  FREE BONUS BOOKS SECTION - STORY DESCRIPTIONS INCLUDED

  THE LION’S CLAIM

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  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

  HOME IS WERE MY BEAR IS

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Epilogue

  MOST VALUABLE PANTHER

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  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

  FULL MOON LOVER

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  EPILOGUE

  RANCHER BEAR’S BABY

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  CHAPTER 1: Elizabeth

  CHAPTER 2: Elizabeth

  CHAPTER 3: Alex

  CHAPTER 4: Alex

  CHAPTER 5: Elizabeth

  CHAPTER 6: Elizabeth

  CHAPTER 7: Alex

  CHAPTER 8: Alex

  CHAPTER 9: Elizabeth

  CHAPTER 10: Elizabeth

  CHAPTER 11: Elizabeth

  CHAPTER 12: Alex

  CHAPTER 13: Elizabeth

  CHAPTER 14: Elizabeth

  CHAPTER 15: Alex

  CHAPTER 16: Elizabeth

  CHAPTER 17: Elizabeth

  LOVING THE ALPHA

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  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

  EPILOGUE

  HAUNTED WHISPERS

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  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

  EPILOGUE

  HONOR

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  BEAR’S (mail order) BRIDE

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  PUCKED

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  HOLDING

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  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

  TIGHT

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  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

  NATHAN: BILLIONAIRE BEAR

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  Chapter one

  Chapter two

  Chapter three

  Chapter four

  Chapter five

  Chapter six

  Chapter seven

  Chapter eight

  Chapter nine

  Chapter ten

  Chapter eleven

  Chapter twelve

  Chapter thirteen

  Chapter fourteen

  Chapter fifteen

  Chapter sixteen

  Chapter seventeen

  ZAREK

  Dragons of Plarizakian

  STORY
DESCRIPTION

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  OFFICER BEAR

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  SCREWED

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  Chapter 1 CLAIRE

  Chapter 2 JETT

  Chapter 3 CLAIRE

  Chapter 4 JETT

  Chapter 5 CLAIRE

  Chapter 6 CLAIRE

  Chapter 7 JETT

  Chapter 8 CLAIRE

  Chapter 9 JETT

  THE VAMPIRE’S MUSE

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  DRAGON KEEPER

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  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

  Epilogue

  SNOWBOUND WITH THE ALPHA

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  UNINVITED STRANGER

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  MY VALENTINE WOLF

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  Copyright © 2017 by Candace Ayers.

  All Rights Reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

  This book is intended for adult readers only.

  Any sexual activity portrayed in these pages occurs between consenting adults over the age of 18 who are not related by blood.

  Bears of Burden

  THORN

  By Candace Ayers

  Note from the Author:

  I am currently recruiting readers for my review team. If you would like to participate by volunteering to read advance copies of my latest books, and leaving an honest review on Amazon, please sign up for my email list here: JOIN NOW! I contact subscribers through email when each book is ready for review. You will be under no obligation, and can accept or decline on a book by book basis.

  ~ Candace

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  Allie McMichael is running scared. Not from monsters in the closet, or creepy things under the bed, she’s scared of commitment. She has every reason to be scared after experiencing the pain of infidelity and after watching her parents’ failure of a marriage. On the run from a would-be fiancé, she finds a temp job bartending and waitressing in a small Texas town out in the middle of nowhere. True love is not on the agenda until she meets her big, burly boss, hot-as-hell Thorn Canton who lights her fires in all the right places.

  Bear shifter Thorn Canton is living the easy life. Successful tavern owner, he’s surrounded by good buddies, beer on tap, and an endless supply of women to keep him company. He has no plans, whatsoever, of getting hitched up, or of finding a mate. In fact, to Thorn, a mate might be a fate equal to death.

  This is a series centered around the small southwestern border town of Burden, Texas, where good ol’ bears, Hawthorne, Wyatt, Hutch, Sterling, and Sam are living easy. With jobs they love, beer flowing freely, and pretty women in abundance, the last thing these shifters are thinking about is finding a mate or settling down.

  But, fate has its own plans….

  CHAPTER 1: Hawthorne

  “Check out the blonde in the pink dress.” Sterling Mallory whistled under his breath. “Da-yum, she’s a looker.”

  I’d already noticed. I’d also gone back to her place the week before.

  I stretched back in my chair and flashed a wide grin. “Go ahead, call her over. It’s been what? Twenty minutes since the last time you struck out with a woman? ‘Bout time for you to try again.”

  Sterling’s big brother, Hutch, clapped me on the back and huffed a laugh. “Twenty minutes? Hell, you must’ve missed that bouncy little redhead not ten minutes ago.”

  Sterling shook his head. “She was a lesbian. Don’t count as striking out.”

  It counted. I slid a glance towards the bar. Abram, my assistant manager, nodded. Everything was fine, which meant I could stay and relax for a bit longer in my favorite chair at the corner table with my lifelong buddies, Sterling, Hutch, Sam and…

  “Where’s Wyatt?”

  Sterling ignored me and left his chair to approach the blonde, who was eyeing me, a coy smile playing at the corners of her lips. I just shook my head and tipped my old John Deere cap at her. Sure, she was a beauty, but I wasn’t about to give false impressions. I didn’t go back for seconds.

  “Last I knew, Wyatt was headed up the mountain with another group of would-be survivalists.”

  A shudder ran down my back. “How he deals with some of those crazies, I’ll never know. I swear that bear attracts the nut-jobs.”

  Hutch nodded and then nearly snorted out his beer. The pretty blonde had just slapped the hell out of Sterling. “Another strike out. Looks like little brother is going home alone tonight.”

  “Nah. He always manages to find himself a pity screw.” Even as the words left my mouth, a tall brunette came up to Sterling and cupped his bright red cheek. “See. I don’t get it, but some women love the wounded ego thing.”

  The ear-splitting sound of shattering glass echoed through the place followed by a collective groan from a group sitting at one of the tables up near the juke box. As the crowd parted, I spotted Cammie rushing to clean up a massive mess of spilled beer and broken mugs. From what it looked like, she’d dropped an entire tray of drinks. Damn.

  Sam Jennings chose that moment to plop down in his usual seat beside me. He followed my eyes to Cammie and her disaster and shook his head. “What’s that? The fourth time this week?”

  I pushed off from my chair and stretched out my legs. “Fifth. I don’t think this is going to work out.”

  I left them sitting there and joined Abram at the bar. He’d been my assistant manager for years and knew what I wanted before I did most of the time. “What’s the deal with her?”

  His eyes went to Cammie then trailed over to Sam. “Your buddy bedded her and hasn’t called her back.”

  Fuck. I had a strict policy about my friends staying the hell away from my waitresses. It was hard enough to keep good help around, what with dealing with a bar full of drunk shifters, and humans alike, day
after day. I glared over at my best friend and decided I was going to bleed him later.

  “Think she’ll bounce back?”

  Abram expertly shuffled a few beers into customers’ waiting hands. “Not a chance. She’s already told me tonight’s her last night.”

  I grunted. At least she was going to finish her shift. That was more than they normally did.

  As if she’d heard my thoughts, Cammie plunked the tray she’d been carrying onto the bar and without a word, without even meeting my eyes, yanked the apron off her hips, and tossed it on top of the tray before turning and sprinting out the front door.

  “Dammit.”

  Abram laughed like it was the funniest thing he’d ever seen. He slid another couple of beers down the bar and shook his head. “Looks like you just got a promotion, Boss. I don’t recon that apron is going to fit you, though.”

  I tossed the apron towards the bin of soiled towels and picked up the tray. “Do we have some resumes left over from last time we hired?”

  “I’ll figure it out,” he nodded, “You just get your cute little butt out there and earn you some tips!”

  I flipped him off and grabbed several beers, assuming that’s what most of my patrons would be drinking. When I stopped by my table, Sam looked up at me with a hangdog grin.

  “Sorry, Thorn. I didn’t expect her to run.”

  I smacked him on the back of the head and handed a beer to Hutch. “Keep your fucking dick away from my waitresses, Sam. This shit is getting old. I got a business to run.”

  He still didn’t manage to wipe the grin off his face. She must’ve been worth my ire. I shook my head and headed back to the bar, ready for what would no doubt be a long night.

  The little blonde cut me off and smiled up at me. “Hey, Thorn.”

  The pink dress she had on certainly did hike up her girls, and I found them distracting as hell. “Hey.”

  “I haven’t heard from you so I thought I’d stop back by and say hello. I had a lot of fun the other night.”

  I let a crooked smile tilt my mouth. “Me too.”

  She rested her hand on my arm and batted her eyelashes. “I’m free later tonight.”

  Damn. I looked around the bar and saw how busy it was. By the time the night ended I’d be exhausted and cranky. I decided that it’d be kinda nice to have a little something soft and warm waiting on me. I slipped my arm around her side, brushed my lips against her ear, and growled, “I’ll come around to your house after I close up.”

  She shivered and pressed herself against me. “I’ll be here. Just find me when you’re finished.”

  I watched her saunter over to her friends before I turned back to the bar. Abram had been observing with a grin on his face. When I got back to the bar, he just laughed.

  “You’re just as bad as Sam. Only difference is you don’t screw the waitresses.”

  Which is the point.

  CHAPTER 2: Allie

  Texas. Hmm… not exactly where I’d planned on ending up, but then, I didn’t really have a plan to speak of. Who knows, this might just be the hand of fate guiding me, right here. Burden, Texas. Hell, the name alone seemed to foreshadow my destiny.