Free ROMANCE: Billionaire Bear Mate (Paranormal Alpha WereBear Shifter Mail Order Bride Romance) (Paranormal Romance, Bear Shifter Romance, Werebear Shapeshifter) by Sicily Duval

Chapter One
    The way I looked at it, it was the inevitable. At some point my parents were going to set up an arranged marriage, I just thought it would be later rather than sooner. Boy, how wrong was I? I was only 28; gloriously young, ultimately free and unbelievably rich. It wasn’t like I was undeserving of my wealth, like so many of my business acquaintances who had inherited billions off mommy and daddy.  As far as I saw it they were easy targets; used to wealth, expecting of money and ill-experienced in the business world. The idiom ‘like taking candy from a baby’ would be considered hard work when compared with how easy it was to pry money from their hands.
    Despite the ease I had worked hard, I was still working hard and with one goal in mind that now seemed a distant fantasy. I wanted to choose my own wife, to make my parents proud with my own addition to the family, a family that above all else was exceptionally picky. To look at them you wouldn’t think it but beneath their skin lay a legacy and a blood line that was second to none. Bare fisted, owing much to my hidden beast, I had fought my way to the top of the business world and had billions of pounds to my name. But that only fuelled the fire, now I was expected to claim a woman to fit my status of wealth and power. My ultimate plan had backfired on me.
    A billionaire shape-shifter; I was one of a kind in the eyes of my people, and especially of my family. Naturally smart, gifted and extraordinary as a species, we looked down on the rest of the world but I was still the first of my kind to hit the billionaire status and to be included in the special elite club. It was humorous if you thought about it; the bear beneath my skin was the cause behind it all. He was the intimidation in the eyes of my partners, the fear that was struck into the hearts of those about to lose their business and the hungry greed that belonged to those who would pay the highest price to acquire the companies of their rivals.
    It was a special thing to be a shape-shifter; it was a dying breed of elite warriors, talented strategists and exceptional minds. Each of us was different; each had their own beast lying beneath their skin that was ready to break free at any moment. We each had power, power beyond belief and best of all nobody could see it until it was too late. But to this day there were two people who my power had never worked on, my parents; burning strong in the fore-front of my mind I could regrettably still remember how our conversation had gone.
    “I have finally found her,” my mom shouted the second I walked into their small country home. I looked at her like she was crazy, beyond crazy. She seemed flustered yet excited; her inner cat, a small beautiful tabby, pounced around.
    “I hadn’t realised you had lost anybody,” I stated bluntly as I picked up a cookie from the freshly made batch on the table. I twisted it over in my fingers, it was a long way away from the gourmet breakfast I had enjoyed this morning but still a friendly reminder of homely times. 
    “Don’t be stupid,” my dad scolded, despite his harsh tone I could still see the excitement dance in his ruby red eyes. His eyes always managed to interest me, a startling characteristic of his chameleon nature, his eyes changed drastically with his mood.
    “Sorry dad,” I said quickly, it wasn’t in my nature to apologise but there was something in his look that told me now was not the time to argue. I popped the cookie into my mouth, restraining the growl that tried to break free as the sugared treat settled in my stomach. My bear had a sweet-tooth; it was not something we normally had in common.
    “We have found her,” my mom said again as my dad came to stand beside her.
    “You said that already,” I chimed in, only to earn another death glare from my father. I held up my hands in defeat and sat down at the kitchen table, waiting to hear exactly what she meant. My interest was diminishing, I