Page 3 of Bearly Taken

So Reed and I had hooked up every time he was in town, beginning a few weeks after we graduated high school together. He made excuses to come down and visit his mom nearly every month. We’d spend almost the entire time he was there in his bed, in the house he owned on the edge of the bear clan’s land.

Then, he would leave, and I wouldn’t hear from him until the next time he was there.

It had felt like a dream, up until reality hit.

He didn’t come home for a few months, and I took it personally. I’d gone out dancing with another guy in the Grill to try to forget him—one of those few guys I’d been attracted to. Reed stepped in, grinding against me in a way I never would’ve expected him to in public. No one knew about us, including his parents and friends.

But he kissed me that night.

And when I went home with him, he’d lost control of the bear inside him. He bit me, and we screwed like animals

He wasn’t gone when I woke up.

My sheltered, innocent mind thought that meant he wanted me. That we were going to be together permanently. I didn’t know enough about bears to think otherwise. And I definitely didn’t realize that they were so ridiculously fertile, their sperm could force me to ovulate and knock me up after one night.

But he’d slipped out while I was in the shower, leaving a note taped to the bathroom door. When I closed my eyes, I could still see the damn thing in my mind.

Wren,

I’m sorry.

Lock up when you leave.

Reed

It was infuriating.

Absolutely infuriating.

The way he’dapologizedfor mating me, then told me to get out in a slightly-more-polite way.

I still wanted to strangle him for the note, and it had been more than two years since. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get over it.

But I needed to.

Because I’d promised him a picture of our son. And hewasours, even if I wasn’t going to acknowledge that he was also Reed’s to the abandoning bastard’s face.

So, I pulled up a picture I’d taken of Parker at the bookstore last week. My chest ached at how adorable my little guy was. Those golden eyes would be the death of me—whether because of Parker, or his father.

I sent it to Reed, and he answered immediately.

Reed

What’s his name?

Me

Parker

It was Reed’s middle name.

I’d known it was stupid to name my son after him, but I hadn’t wanted him to be disconnected from his father entirely. No matter what I did, nothing could change the fact that he was a shifter. And even if I could change that, I wouldn’t want to. It was a big part of him. The little guy loved to shift, and still went furry multiple times a day.

Reed

He’s perfect

Pride coursed through me.

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