Joshua Running Bear’s life is in turmoil. The thousand-year-old shaman
no longer hears the voices of their ancestors, not after his successor
is born. He’d expected to die when they no longer had need of him, so
he’s surprised when he begins to grow younger by the day.
But not as surprised as he is when he finds a new mate—and a female
bear shifter at that. The closer he tries to get, the more Hannah
pushes him away. Not all is as it seems with the shebear, and he’ll
soon learn the deep, dark secret she holds close.
Joshua also feels a pull to the reservation’s sheriff, Mattheu.
Mattheu’s not his mate, but there’s something pushing them together.
Only adding more craziness to Joshua’s life, a killer is on the hunt for
Mattheu.
Can Joshua keep them safe long enough to claim them both?
BUY HERE
Excerpt:
Hannah walked as
quickly as her feet would take her from the hall, not even stopping to glance
at Joshua. He was mistaken and the
sooner he realized it, the better. She
wasn’t going to give him any indication that she would consider his claim. He wasn’t her mate and she wasn’t his.
Period.
Her heels click-clacked
on the pavement as she walked down the narrow walkway outside the door. She needed to climb inside her car and get as
far away from Joshua as possible.
No one will ever want you.
You’re disgusting.
Her father’s voice
always loved to show up whenever it wasn’t needed. She fished inside her shoulder bag for her
car keys so she could jump in as soon as she as she arrived. By the time she’d made it to her vehicle, she
still couldn’t find them. Leaning the
bag on the window, she dug inside, her hands shaking. “Damn it!”
“Hannah!”
The fine hairs on the
back of her neck rose. She recognized
who it was without turning around. After
a pause, she continued to dig inside her bag, praying he’d get the hint and go
away.
“You can’t simply
ignore me after what I announced in there,” Joshua said.
“I can’t?” she asked as
she kept on digging, panic setting in.
Where were her darned keys?
She caught a shaking
noise from behind her. She’d recognize that
jingle anywhere. Closing her eyes, she
gathered up the courage to turn.
“Lose something?”
Hannah spun and
witnessed Joshua holding her keys out with one thick finger.
Their gazes met, and
she felt another sliver of need swim through her veins. Clenching her teeth, she forced the desire
down, refusing to acknowledge it.
She leaned forward to
snag them, but he pulled them away.
“Talk to me,” he
whispered.
“I have nothing to say to you.”
That was a lie. There were so many things she’d love to be
able to tell him. So many things were
pent up inside. Hannah had no one to
share with, and a little part of her screamed for Joshua’s attentions.
To have someone to
share her fears as well as her dreams.
“I just announced to
the entire den that you’re my mate and you have nothing to say to me?”
“Besides the fact
you’re insane? Nope, not one word. Can I please have my keys?”
Joshua sighed, his
shoulder slacking some. “Why are you so
sure I’m wrong?”
No one will ever want you.
You’re disgusting.
“You don’t want me,
Joshua. Your inner wiring is all messed
up. I mean, just look at yourself in the
mirror.” Joshua Running Bear was the
oldest bear in Bear Mountain and the den’s shaman. Up until a few months ago, he looked the
part. His wrinkles had had
wrinkles. Suddenly, his successor was
born and Joshua had commenced to age backwards—and quickly. He now appeared younger than Graham, his
grandson and Bear Mountain’s sheriff.
If he was aging
backwards, then who knew what else was backwards in the male?
“Heck, you might be
back in diapers in a few weeks as quickly as you’ve been growing younger.”
Joshua frowned. “I seem to have slowed down. I look to be about the age I was when I found
out I would be the den’s shaman.”
“Did the last shaman
grow young?”
“I am the first…”
Hannah frowned. “But the den is a thousand years old.”
Joshua simply stared at
her. He denied nothing.
“You’re a thousand
years old?” she asked.
“I’ve lived a very,
very long life.”
“And now you might get
a chance to do it all over again,” she said.
“That’s great.”
“Perhaps. And maybe a chance to find love again.”
Hannah shook her
head. “No.” She eyed the hand clasping her keys. “Please.
Just let me go.”
Joshua took a step
forward, and she gasped, hugging her shoulder bag before her.
He paused,
frowning. “I would never hurt you,
Hannah.”
She tried to breathe
through her panic, her heart thundering in her ears. “Please don’t touch me.”
Joshua took a step
back, observing as she endeavored to stop the panic attack from consuming
her. She drew in the deepest breaths she
could to ward off the hyperventilating.
When her breathing returned to somewhat normal, she leaned forward and
stole her keys from him.
Flipping open the
locks, she glared at him. “You don’t
want me, Joshua. I’m damaged goods. I can’t be what you want.”
Hannah unlocked her
door and slid inside before he had an opportunity to respond. She placed the key in the ignition and turned
the engine over. As soon as the car
started, she hit the gas and put some distance between her and the male who
thought to claim her.
No one will ever want me.
I’m disgusting.
