Furever Mated (BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance) by Meredith Clarke

smiled, “Good to know. Thanks.”
    We ordered a round of appetizers and a few drinks. I was so happy that Zoey had invited me to join them, I felt the stress of the day melting away. It was nice to just sit and chat with some new people and de-stress after a hard day at work. I hoped the next day wouldn't be so jam-packed, but I should definitely start looking on the bright side of things: payday was really going to be a good one. I was grateful for the work and I was looking forward to getting to know more people at the company. It was, after all, my home away from home.
    Zoey’s phone started buzzing and she checked the message. “Oh my God, I just got the most amazing text, ladies.”
    “What is it?” I asked.
    “There is a super-secret party happening right now downtown.”
    “Oh my God, you are so lucky, I never get those invites. Are you allowed to bring guests?”
    “Just one,” she muttered, barely looking at them.
    All the girls looked at her with puppy dog eyes and I laughed. I sipped my drink and couldn't have been more surprised when Zoey looked at me and said, “Do you want to go with me?”
    “Seriously? Are you sure? I don't know if I should. I don't think I'm secret club material.”
    “Of course you are,” she looked at the other girls, “Sorry ladies, next time. I think I need to show Avery a good time.”
    “Maybe you should bring one of the other girls, they really seem to want to go.”
    “Come on Avery, I think it would be fun for you. I'm with these girls all the time. It's you that needs to get out there and meet some new people.”
    I shrugged, “Okay, maybe you're right. I will go then, thank you for the invite.”
    “That's my girl.”
    “Where are we going anyways?”
    She grinned, “It's a place called Hibernation.”
    My eyebrows raised and I wondered if I really knew what I was getting into.

2
    Cole
    I stretched out my shoulders over my head while I sat at my desk. My day had been full with meetings and I was glad to see it over with. Playing was far more fun than working. My days often started early and ended late. Being a CEO of a major real estate company meant that I needed to bust my ass to keep it successful. I had built the empire that I stood on from the ground up. “Work hard, play hard” was my motto in life. And now it was time to start playing.
    Being an important man certainly had its advantages: women, wealth and power. Not only was I the CEO of the company but I was also the Alpha for the Washington State clan. We were a pack of black bears that had the ability to shift into human form at our own will. We were tough and feared by many. But recently several of our members started to have trouble shifting. When the numbers reached up to half our clan, our elders decided to hold an emergency meeting. After deliberation they blamed the shifting problem to our members mingling with humans. They determined that all of our interactions with them were causing our human sides to become more prevalent. Of course the entire clan panicked. Several called for us to move back into the woods, and stay out of society, while others, like myself, did not want to give up our current lifestyles.
    With the current turmoil, the elders started to pressure me into finding a mate. They claimed by mating, I would help strengthen our clan because the alpha bloodline would be solidified. The problem was, I wasn’t exactly ready to settle down.
    Just as I was about to pack up and go, my secretary, Vicki, sauntered into my office. She was wearing a tight yet professional dress that fit her curves very nicely. Too bad she was just a human. Otherwise, I might have some fun with her.
    “Need anything else before I head out?” she asked, with a hint of seduction in her voice.
    “No, I think I am good for this evening.” I smirked and grabbed my things and left the office. I could see her pout as I walked out my door. I know I could have Vicki any way I wanted, but with our abilities