Grizzly shifter Joselyn Arthur has been living a lie. She’s been lying to her parents, her siblings, and even herself. The decision to move back to her hometown in the mountains of Alberta, Canada, after university and take a job in the family brewery two years ago was the dumbest choice she’d ever made.

Alton Tarben has also been working his butt off for the past two years in his family’s brewery on the other side of town. He too is questioning why on earth he thought this would be a good idea. He’s lonely and bored, and his bed needs warming.

When the two breweries end up in a battle over new product launches, Joselyn and Alton decide they’ve had enough. Enough hiding. Enough sneaking around. Enough separation.

The problem is that life is not that simple. Silvertip isn’t progressive enough to tolerate the binding of two shifters from rival bear packs. Joselyn and Alton must decide if they’re finally willing to put their happiness first and risk losing their families and their community.

Nothing worth having is ever easy, but in this case, it’s almost excruciating.

Alton and Joselyn are in love, they know they are mates but haven’t sealed the deal because their families are rivals in the brewing business.

Alton stayed in college away from the prying eyes that could keep them apart just to be close to her. Now that they’re home working for their respective families things just got very complicated.

On her side there are doubts about the need for a marketing division and also the snide remarks about nepotism since her father is CEO and Alpha.

Alton’s family has welcomed him back and if anything is now overworking him, he doesn’t have the negativity around him though.

These two have to do something and soon. The mating pull is becoming painful for them both.

This is a favorite scene at Austin and Nuria’s home.

Even though Alton couldn’t see his brother’s face, he still knew he rolled his eyes as he opened the door wider. “Come in.”

Nuria stood. “Hey,” she said.

Joselyn looked like she might faint. He couldn’t blame her. She’d been ambushed, and so far she didn’t even know it, so she was trying to pretend she didn’t know Alton as anyone more than a passing relative of Austin’s.

Alton needed to fix the imbalance of knowledge first and foremost. “Baby, we’ve been tricked.” He swallowed to clear his throat before continuing. “I think Nuria believed an intervention was needed to get us together.”

Joselyn’s face turned a darker shade of red than what Alton felt his own skin must look like. She stood two feet inside the house without moving while Austin closed the door.

Alton found his feet and raced across the room to pull her into his arms.

She slumped against him. He tugged her coat off her arms and dropped it on the floor at their feet before cupping her face and holding her a few inches back.

She blinked huge, questioning eyes.

“They know.”

“How…?” She cleared her throat. “How did they find out?”

“Nuria must have some sort of mate radar or something,” he teased, trying to lighten the mood in the room. “She saw us looking at each other two weeks ago at my parents’ house. She was the one who confronted me earlier today when I had to hang up on you.”

Joselyn still looked shocked. She didn’t speak. Finally, her hands wrapped around his middle and squeezed as a tear slid down her face. “I’m sorry.”

Nuria interrupted the moment. “Oh, God. Please don’t apologize. You misunderstand. I was only trying to help. Nothing leaves this room.”

Austin spoke next. “She’s right. You two obviously need a safe place to meet, and you need to figure out a way to move forward. This has to stop. It’s unnatural. It hurts me just hearing about it. Nuria and I will go out for a while, shift and go for a hike, and give you a chance to talk…or, uh, whatever.”

Without taking his gaze off Joselyn, Alton sensed his brother and Nuria shuffling around the room until the sliding door off the kitchen opened and closed quickly. Austin reached out to Alton. “Guest room. First door on the right.”

Alton wanted to smile at the implication, but the moment was too serious for that yet.

“Are you mad?” Joselyn finally asked, tentatively.

He flinched. “God no. Baby, no.” He held her head tighter and kissed her lips, forcing himself not to devour her just yet. They needed to talk first. Fuck after. “First of all, this isn’t your fault. Secondly, I trust my brother and his mate to keep this under wraps until we’re ready to tell everyone. And thirdly, he’s right. We can’t live like this.”

“Okay, that last part isn’t news.” She lowered her hands down his back and slid them under his shirt. When her palms flattened on his skin, he sucked in a breath. Even though her hands were cold, her touch was welcoming. It never failed to calm him.
Jameson, Becca . Grizzly Secret (Arcadian Bears Book 3) (Kindle Locations 1390-1415). Hartwood Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Now while this makes things a tad easier for Joselyn and Alton, they really do have many more obstacles to overcome.

Between the things with Austin and Nuria and the brewery rivalry and well just everything, I laughed and cried and just kept turning the pages.

I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

5 Contented Purrs for Becca!

  Becca Jameson

Becca Jameson currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, two kids, and the various pets that wander through.

After editing for about five years she recently started writing. She is loving the journey, dabbling in various genres.

When not writing or editing she can usually be found taxiing kids to and from their activities, scrapbooking, and reading!

Late at night she can usually be found sequestered in her office creating fantasy with a glass of red wine and a bar of dark chocolate.