Guarded by the Brooding Bear

Nadia
I've spent years chasing the stories no one else will touch—it's in my blood. But this investigation leads straight into the heart of Cupid's Ridge's most dangerous secrets, and suddenly I'm the one being hunted. When a brooding bear shifter becomes my reluctant protector, I expect gruff silence and professional distance. What I don't expect is the electricity that sparks every time he touches me, or the way my heart races when those amber eyes soften—just for a moment. He's all walls and warning signs, but something tells me the man beneath the ice is worth fighting for.

Cal
I've spent three years burying myself in duty, keeping everyone at arm's length. It's safer that way—for them. Then Nadia storms into my life, all fire and determination, chasing a conspiracy that puts a target on her back. My bear recognizes her instantly: mate. But I've forgotten how to let anyone in, and she deserves better than a man still haunted by his past. She's fearless, relentless, and slowly melting defenses I thought were permanent. As the danger escalates and the traitor closes in, I'm faced with an impossible choice: keep her safe from a distance, or finally let myself feel something again—even if it terrifies me.

Will the magic of fate be enough to melt the ice around his heart? Or will the rising shadows tear them apart before love has a chance to ignite?

Join Nadia and Cal in this steamy Valentine's short story as they discover that even the coldest hearts can thaw—and that some truths are worth risking everything for!