Excerpt:

The excerpt below contain explicit adult language and sexual content. By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of 18, it is necessary to exit this site.

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Their Past Laid Bear

Copyright©2016

All rights reserved, Siren Publishing, Inc.

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Reacting to her tone, Seth crossed his own arms and straightened his spine, leveling her with a look that would usually have people squirming before him, but her only reaction was to cock an eyebrow at him in challenge. And damned if his dick didn’t twitch again. “You’re half right.”

Colby’s expression morphed into confusion. “What?”

“You. You’re half right. I do fuck, on as regular a basis as I can, and enjoy every damn minute of it. But my mother, she wasn’t a bitch. She was a whore, and there is most definitely a difference. So, in order to be specific, I would prefer to be known as a fucking son of a whore. It has a certain ring to it.”

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Seth knew he was being an asshole of epic proportions. But with the shock of seeing Colby standing before him looking as amazing as he had ever remembered, and that haughty tone she used that always got a rise out of him, common sense and hell, courtesy gave way to his ire.

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“I stand corrected.” Colby’s tone turned cold. “I will endeavor to remember that from now on and refer to you as often as I can as a fucking son of a whore. But I can assure you that it will not be for long. I need help, and as much as I might wish it, there is no other person, shifter or otherwise, on this planet who can help me but your sorry ass.”

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A tendril of shock arced through him. Shifter? How in the hell did she know anything about the shifter world? Seth ensured his face remained a mask of indifference.

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Seth tsked at her, shaking his head. “Now, now. Is that any way to speak to a man you have come to ask a favor of? That isn’t exactly the way it works you know. If you want something, then you come and you ask nicely. Now, there are two ways that a woman like you can make such a request. One, you ask the person you need help from, in this case, me, as nicely as you can and you offer something in return.” Seth let his gaze drift over Colby’s body in a crude way that had his bear pacing angrily within him, obviously not liking the way Seth was treating their mate.

“And trust me”—Seth leered in her direction, and the hard swallow and look of uncertainty that graced her beautiful face had him feeling triumphant and sickened at the same time—“you have exactly what a man like me can be enticed with. Or two… You can beg.”

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Colby glared at him, but Seth caught the glimmer of tears in her eyes and his entire being froze. How in the hell had this conversation gotten so out of control? He and Colby hadn’t spoken in years. She was the woman that called to his bear like no other woman on the planet, and if either of them had the right to be pissed, it was her. How had it come to this?

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“Colby—”

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“Fuck you, Seth.” Colby’s voice shook with emotion. “I am not here to ask for something for myself, but I do need your help. You left eighteen years ago, and whatever the reason, you turned your back on me. But it wasn’t just me that you left behind, was it?” Memories once again slammed through Seth, images of thick dark red hair, startling green eyes, a quick wit, and loyalty like nothing he had ever found again.

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Colby stepped forward, staring intently into Seth’s face, and he fought hard to keep his expression blank. “You can pretend that you don’t know what I am talking about. Hell, you can turn around and walk back into that monolithic monstrosity you call a home, and go on with your life, and your fucking anything and anyone on a regular basis. But this is our last chance for help. And I am not leaving here until you give me your word that you will help us.” Us. “I have spent the last two years looking into every possible medical journal and researching any and all medical advances to try to find something to help.”

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Seth felt dread begin to build within him. He did not like where this conversation was going. Not one little bit. He wanted to growl at Colby to stop talking.

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“And when that failed, I started to look into the impossible”—Colby looked pale beneath the light makeup she wore, and Seth’s dread increased—“and that led me to you. You and your kind. As a bear shifter, you have a healing ability that modern medicine cannot and probably will never be capable of replicating. I need your help,” Colby’s voice caught on that last word, and her jaw tightened as she squared her shoulders. “Quinn is sick. He’s dying.”