Growl for Me: BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance by Natalie Kristen Page A

changed completely for Eva. Gabriel had
made good and was now a legitimate businessman in New Moon City. He
even made it a point to employ reformed rogues in his business.
Although New Moon City was home to both humans and paranormals,
Mina's family was fully and purely human. Not one of her many aunts,
uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews was mated to a paranormal. Eva
had surprised them all with her choice of mate. Her parents had
objected at first, but when they saw how happy Eva was, and how
deeply and fiercely Gabriel loved her, they had given the couple
their blessings.
    Mina had to admit that she'd
never seen Eva so happy and contented. Her cousin was positively
glowing with health and happiness. Eva had always been a good cop,
but now she was like a supercop, able to leap trash cans and fire
hydrants in a single bound and wrestle burly armed robbers to the
ground single-handedly. When Mina questioned her, Eva had answered
coyly, “It's the blood bond.”
    Mina shifted in the driver's
seat and glanced down at her curvy body. She ate well and she
exercised some, but she wasn't at all athletic. She would never be
able to run and leap like Eva. Athletic bodies were lean and svelte
with hard, toned muscles. Mina wasn't lean and hard. She was soft
and curvy, perhaps too curvy. She blew out a breath and tossed her
unruly red hair over her shoulders.
    “Mina, where are you
now?” Eva's voice crackled over the phone.
    “I think I'm just
twenty minutes away from Misty Valley now. I'll be there soon.”
    “You sure you're...?”
    “Quit worrying, Eva.
I can do this,” she snapped.
    There was a pause. “All
right, then,” Eva said at last. “I won't send Gabriel.
I know you're not comfortable...”
    “It's not Gabriel,”
Mina said quickly. “Gabriel's a great guy. We can all see how
much he loves you. It's...”
    “I know,” Eva
said quietly. “Gabriel's a good vamp, but he's still a vamp.
And he was a rogue before...” Eva trailed off.
    “Gabriel loves you,
he's true to you, that's all that matters,” Mina said firmly.
“I love you, and I love Gabriel. But I just...need a break,”
Mina said softly. “From everything.”
    Mina could picture her
cousin nodding over the phone. “Okay. I understand. I'll
tell Aunt Lindsay that you'll be coasting into Misty Valley real
soon. But you have to promise that you'll call her the moment you
get there.”
    “I'll call Mom. I
promise. Tell her not to worry.”
    “Okay.” Eva
breathed out. “Be safe.”
    Mina clicked off and sighed.
Eva was the same age as her, twenty-three, yet her cousin's life was
so settled and fulfilled. Not only was Eva happily mated to a
powerful, capable Master vampire, she was fast rising through the
ranks of the NMPD. Her cousin was going places, while she—was
going nowhere. Literally.
    Mina gulped as she blinked
into the distance. She was just driving towards a murky,
impenetrable darkness. The sky was now a shade of purple so deep it
was almost black. She could only hope that she was moving towards,
and not away from Misty Valley.
    Mina turned on the high
beams and gripped the steering wheel tighter. Misty Valley was just
a few hours' drive out of New Moon City. Her stupid GPS had conked
out on her, causing her to take a wrong turn a few miles back. Damn
technology. Nothing was reliable these days.
    Machines and men...they were
all the same. Just when you thought you could trust them, they'd
play you out. Big time.
    Mina choked down her rising
pain and anger. No, don't think of Nate. Nate is history! She had wasted enough time and tears on him.
    She had been with Nate since
she was sixteen. He was her first boyfriend, and they had been
together for six years. Everyone thought they were going to get
married. And then she'd caught the lying, cheating bastard in bed
with his colleague.
    She'd cried and cursed, and
broken enough things. Cups, photo frames, innocent, blameless
ornaments...she had thrown them all against the wall,