Kodiak Matings Bearly Mated

Kodiak Matings Bearly Mated

Rose Nickol

Published by Rose Nickol, 2023.

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

KODIAK MATINGS BEARLY MATED

First edition. May 6, 2023.

Copyright © 2023 Rose Nickol.

ISBN: 979-8223635789

Written by Rose Nickol.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Kodiak Matings Bearly Mated

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

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About the Author

Bearly Mated

Kodiak Matings Book 1

Michael Thorpe was a Kodiak bear shifter. There were very few of his kind left. He had spent most of his adult life among humans, trying to hide his true nature. He and his brother, Micah, had been raised by a family of sea lion shifters until they became older and the sea lions couldn’t keep them any longer. The sea lions had come across his mother as she lay dying after being shot by a hunter. He never knew what happened to his dad. His mother had only lived long enough to tell the sea lions about her cubs before she died. He didn’t know if there were more like him or if he and his brother were the only ones.

After being moved into the foster care system he’d become separated from his brother and lost track of him.  It had been several years since they’d been together before Michael returned to the island

He has spent the last several years of his life working and building his business. Now someone was trying to ruin his life and expose not only him, but all of the shifters.

When strange things began happening on the mainland and the island, Michael knew there was trouble.  He had to investigate.

His return to the island served more than one purpose, he was also looking for his mate.  It was time.  Time to settle down and find the one he’d been searching for.

Chapter One

Katryna Sparks looked at her best friend, Safia Robinson, and shook her head. There’s no way I’m qualified to work at MTK. They want an executive assistant to the great Michael Thorpe himself. He wants someone sophisticated and polished. Not a barely out-of-college graduate with one year of experience.

You can do it, Kat. I know you can. You were Mr. Smithers’s executive assistant. Don’t forget to count that experience. You kept that place together.

You know how that ended, Saf. I can’t even use him as a reference. I have no idea what he would say about me.

I know he would give you a good reference, Kat. You had that office running smoother than it had the entire time we were in classes. Besides, you have to go. I sent your resume in, and the great man wants to meet you. You have an interview set for tomorrow at one. We need to shop for the perfect power suit for you to wear. Safia looked up at Katryna with a hopeful expression in her eyes.

Saf and Kat had become best friends the minute they met in their dorm room. Both of them had been only children, and it was as if each had found her lost sister. They bonded immediately. They had been dubbed the Untwins, for although they were never apart, they were total opposites in appearance. Kat was tall with golden blond hair and light brown eyes. Safia was short and curvy with ink-black hair and blue eyes.

You did what? Why would you do that? You know I can’t do that job. Oh God, Saf. If I didn’t love you and your shoe collection, I’d have to kill you.

I called and pretended I was someone trying to hire you. Smithers gave you a great reference. I think he’s still scared you’ll try to press charges against him. You’ll be great at this. Come on. Time to find you that suit. If you weren’t so damn tall, I’d loan you one of mine. We’ll find a great one and then I’ll loan you my fave Jimmy Choos. You’ll look like dynamite and the great man won’t be able to resist you.

MR. THORPE IS RUNNING late, Ms. Sparks. He sends his apologies and asks if you wouldn’t mind waiting a little longer. It was the third time the receptionist had asked Kat to wait. She’d been sitting there for more than an hour and her nerves were stretched as far as they would go. She smiled and nodded, the same response she had given the previous two times. Then she looked at the magazine in her hands. On the front was a picture of the man she was waiting for and some blond starlet. She found herself staring at his picture, wondering if the man could be as attractive in life as he was in the picture.  

Then Katryna opened the pages, flipping through them. She told herself she was just looking to keep busy, but in reality, she was curious. She should have paid more attention to Safia when she was spouting off all the facts she had learned about Michael Thorpe. Just looking at his picture sent a little spark through her. What would meeting him be like?

She and Safia had spent the previous afternoon finding the perfect suit and accessories to go with it. She hoped it hadn’t been a waste of money. Saf assured her that she was perfect for the job, but Katryna had her doubts. Her last experience had been less than stellar, and she was afraid it would haunt her. Her job performance had never been in question, but her boss had been a sleazeball, and she had no idea what he was saying about her now. Just because he had given a good reference when Safia called didn’t mean he would with everyone. He had threatened to hold her back, and a bad reference would do that. Safia was right. She should have taken him to court. With a conviction on his record, he’d lose his job as dean of the university and wouldn’t assault any unsuspecting girls again.

Kodiak Island was small and an incongruous place for the great Michael Thorpe to bring the latest branch of Michael Thorpe Kodiak, a multi-billion-dollar company. It was a great boost to the economy and had provided much-needed employment for the out-of-work locals, but not good business sense, in her mind. What did she know? Michael Thorpe was in the top five hundred wealthiest men in the world, and he had accumulated most of that in the last few years. He was also one of the youngest. That was something Katryna had paid attention to when Safia was spouting off facts about the man. When Katryna had asked how old Michael was, Safia had answered, I’m not sure. I looked a couple of places and couldn’t find out.

Kat looked up as a shadow fell over her magazine to see the man himself. Mr. Michael Thorpe. He was bigger in real life than he appeared on television and in magazines. It was rumored he was close to seven feet tall and was a huge hulk of a man, every inch of it muscle. Not an ounce of fat on him. Ms. Sparks? Sorry to have you waiting so long. If you would, follow me, please. He reached to take her hand to help her up. She put her small hand in his. There was a quick spark of electricity as her fingers touched his and she took a deep breath. His hand engulfed hers. Walking next to him, she felt very small, something that didn’t happen often. Katryna wasn’t a small girl by any means. She was five ten in stocking feet, tall and curvy, but next to Thorpe, she was tiny. The man was huge. She wondered if the doors were specially made to fit him.

He led her down a long hallway to a set of double doors. He stopped just short of opening them. This is my office. My private sanctum. I conduct most of my meetings in the conference room. If you were to accept this position, you would have to be comfortable in here. I work very closely with my executive assistants. You would be required to accompany me on business trips and often we would work late hours and weekends. Would you or your family have any difficulty with that?

No, sir. There’s just me. My family is gone. No one would worry. Why had she said that? She was practically telling him to kidnap and rape her. I mean, I have friends who would worry if they didn’t hear from me, but I can work late and be gone with little notice, she added quickly. Way to sound pathetic.

I like ‘sir’, but for now you can call me Michael. I haven’t earned ‘sir’ yet. He opened the door and stepped back to let her enter.

Katryna wondered what he meant by that, but didn’t say anything as she walked ahead of him into the opulent office. The entire back wall was a sheet of glass, and there was a beautiful view of the bay. She could see the harbor and several fishing boats heading for the sea. What a fantastic view. I don’t see how you get any work done.

I manage, he said dryly. Would it be a problem if you were working in here? My work can be very demanding, and I need to know you would be able to concentrate.

No. I mean, yes, I would be able to concentrate, and there would be no problem, Katryna answered nervously.

Michael closed the door and gestured to indicate Katryna should take a seat on the couch. "How soon would you be able to start if you were offered the position, Ms.