Bear shifters exist.

Professor Bria Lane has known this since she was a child. Now she’s returned to the forests of Deep Creek to prove it to the world. She has no idea how close she is to that proof in ruggedly sexy park ranger Derek Poole. Intimately close. But uncovering Derek’s wild side comes with a shattering price.

Like a magnet meeting metal, Derek is drawn to Bria. His destiny. His mate. So beautiful and so vulnerable. So dangerous, too: an encroachment of lions, vengeful and vicious, is closing in and they’re ready for war. Now is not the time to be distracted like a lovesick cub.

If Bria reveals the truth of the Deep Creek shifters to the world, she’ll bring out the worst of both sides. But Derek can’t hide his secrets from the love of his life forever. He knows they’re playing with fire–and that when passion runs this hot, this reckless, someone’s bound to get burned.

This book is approximately 85,000 words

One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise! Find out more at CarinaPress.com/RomancePromise.

The shifter world around Deep Creek is complex. Their world is about to be shaken up by war. The Lions want the Cave of Whispers back in their possession. At one time it was shared by the wolves, lions and bears. Now it is a point of contention.

Dr. Bria Lane believes in shifters, she saw them as a child or she thinks she did. She has returned to where she believes she saw the bear shifters determined to prove her theory. Although her grant says she is studying hydration post hibernation. She hopes to get some DNA that will prove the difference and possible help with human diseases.

When Derek Poole comes upon her camping alone in an unauthorized place in the park, he warns her of the dangers in the area, especially the lions. However he discovers something else as well, the lovely ursinologist is his mate.

Unfortunately, the heirs to the lion pride, Marco and Mason overhear their conversation and plan for her demise. They can’t let anyone leak the secret of shifters. Along with their Father Max they are also planning to take back the Cave of Whispers. This is the war that has been a long time coming and they intend to win. Even by bribing the wolf shifters to help them gain information from the Bears about the cave and it’s contents.

Bria has a problem with lies, and the shifter secret is the biggest lie of omission that Derek could make. He has no choice, but he has to protect and woo his mate. Hopefully she will stay and not say anything about the shifters and accept him as he is.

One of my favorite things about this series is the way the romance builds between the mated pairs. Of course the sex is off the charts hot, but the story around it is just as enthralling.

A favorite scene is when Derek and Bria meet and is in the excerpt below. Be sure to read it.

5 Contented Purrs for Kerry!

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a Park Ranger Plush Bear and Compass. The link is after the excerpt.

“What’s an ursus…umm…whatever you said? I’ve always worked with my hands—I never was a college guy. Didn’t have the patience to sit still in the classroom.” Derek kicked at the ground then looked up.“No worries.” She snapped her attention back to what he was saying. “Most people don’t know what an ursinologist is—it’s someone who studies bears.”

“Bears, huh?” He shook his head and laughed. “You study bears?”

“What’s so funny?” She crossed her arms. “It’s a valid profession. And I’m doing what I love.”

“Nothing wrong with it, Bria.” He stepped so close to her she had to look up to meet his gaze, and held his hands up in mock surrender. “I think it’s a fine profession, I’ve just never heard of it. It’s a totally new job that I’ve never heard of. Yet here you are in the woods with me, so I guess we aren’t that far apart, career-wise.”

Derek was in her space and even though they weren’t touching, she felt his presence touching hers, like a low-level energy buzzing in the evening air, crackling when hers met his. One step closer and she could pull that hair band out and hop into his arms, straddling him as she kissed him. She shook her head to clear her naughty thoughts. Ugh. Stop. The thoughts about what she’d like to do to the hot park ranger needed to stop. Maybe she’d been out in the sun too long. Normally she didn’t ogle guys. In fact, she couldn’t remember the last time she had. She cleared her throat and took a step back. “I thought you were laughing at me.”

“No. I didn’t know there was a name for someone who studies bears. Plus, the word sounds kinda funny.” He scanned the forest, thumbs in his belt loops. “I guess you’re in the right place to look for bears, though. Especially this deep in the forest. Lots of them live in Deep Creek. They’re everywhere. Probably closer than you think.”

“I hope so.” Her shoulders lowered and she blew out a breath. “Have you seen any this season? I know they are more active in summer. After they’ve woken from hibernation.”

“I see them every day. I’m out in the woods a lot.” He chewed his lip. “They really only partially hibernate, though. But yeah, I guess you could say I’ve seen a lot of bears here in Deep Creek.”

He’d seen bears. Recently. Her pulse thumped in her neck and she leaned forward, as if being near him would make the bears closer. Excitement rang in her ears. “Where? Can you show me, or at least give me some pointers where to look? I can’t wait to see them.”

“My best advice is to keep your eyes open. You never know when a bear will appear right in front of you.”
***Excerpt provided courtesy of Kerry Adrienne and Carina Press. This excerpt is from an unedited ARC and subject to change.

Kerry Adrienne

USA Today Bestselling Author  Kerry Adrienne loves history and spends large amounts of time wondering about people who lived and walked on Earth in the past. She’s a mom to three daughters, six cats, and many small animals. Her husband says she’s a marketer’s dream, as she often believes everything she hears—at least initially. She loves music and her Mini Cooper, Sheldon, and spends a lot of time driving around pondering and plotting stories and settings for her books.

She loves to read and write in most genres–historical, erotic romance, science fiction, paranormal, m/m, fantasy–and crossovers are her favorites.

She’s also a college instructor, an editor, a costumer, and an artist, and enjoys most anything creative–except cake decorating, which she really dislikes.