I never wanted to lead my bear shifter clan. But when the responsibility fell to me, I couldn't walk away. Keeping our secrets and protecting our dwindling numbers are all that matters now—until Charlotte Mills shows up at my bed and breakfast.

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She's a graduate student studying ecological anomalies in the Alaskan wilderness. She's also brilliant, beautiful, and twenty-seven years my junior. One look at her brown eyes behind those wire-rimmed glasses, and I know she's my mate.

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But it's impossible. I'm too old for her, and she's here to gather data that could expose us. My kind know what happens when humans discover what we are. It never ends well.

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Except Charlotte is even more intelligent than I thought. With every question she asks, she gets closer to the truth—and closer to me. Each time I try to pull away, desire burns hotter between us, pushing me to the edge of my control.

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Then I discover Charlotte isn't working alone. Someone else sent her here, and he’s been controlling her for years. And when he comes to collect what he believes is his, I have to choose between keeping my clan's secrets and saving the woman fate chose for me.

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Because losing Charlotte isn't an option, even if protecting her means risking everything I've sworn to defend.