Polar Bear Buns: A BBW Bear Shifter Menage Paranormal Romance Novella (The Twelve Dancing Bears Book 2) Read online

  Polar Bear Buns

  The Twelve Dancing Bears Book 2

  Sable Sylvan

  Contents

  Author’s Note

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Epilogue

  Sneak Peek: Black Bear Buns

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2016 by Sable Sylvan

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Author’s Note

  Dear readers,

  I have never included a content warning in a book before, but I am including a trigger warning in this book. This book contains descriptions of evil clowns. If this could potentially upset you, please do not read this book! I do not have a clown-free edition available at this time. I know some people have coulrophobia (fear of clowns) so I felt it appropriate to include this warning.

  This book is not meant to be disrespectful of the situation going on in America at this time involving clowns trying to scare people. As you will see in this book, clowns do not win, and clowns cannot scare people into doing what they want. At least in this book, the clowns can’t steal our smiles.

  On a personal note, I extend my utmost thanks to Kim Faulks for introducing me to Vellum, which I’ll be using for all my ebook formatting needs. Kim Faulks is a fellow paranormal romance author, and you can check out her work on Amazon: Kim Faulks on Amazon.

  Yours,

  Sable Sylvan

  Chapter One

  Lauren would never have been caught dead in a strip club…if it wasn’t for the fact that one of her dearest friends, Katherine, had gone through a nasty divorce recently. It turned out her soon to be ex-husband, Jerk-Ass Mike, had been sending money to women across the world in exchange for pictures of their feet, and for some frikkin’ reason, he’d decided not to tell Katherine, and instead, let her find out about the indiscretions when she saw one of his massive credit card bills for these services. Of course, Katherine got the best damn divorce attorney she could and was taking Mike for all she could, but that wasn’t going to mend her heart, just her wallet. That’s why it was up to Lauren and their friend Diedra to take Katherine out on the town for a night of fun.

  Although the night was about her friend Katherine, Lauren also found herself having a good time for the first time in weeks. She’d dated two guys at the same time, a set of tiger shifters, Chad and Thad, who had dumped her after six months of dating which of course included four months of hot sex. They said they had to get serious and find a woman worth claiming as their fated mate. That didn’t scare Lauren away from the singles scene though…or from ogling shifters, which were her weakness.

  All three ladies were supporting each other and boosting each other’s confidence, which made them even more appealing to the handsomest men Seattle had to offer. They hadn’t had to buy a single one of their own drinks that night because men spotted their curves and knew these women were ripe for the mating.

  The night had started out simple. They’d gone and seen a play. One of the actors had hit on Diedra afterwards, and told them about a cool after party in a secret venue behind a Chinese food restaurant, past the kitchen. They’d gone and danced their asses off with some of the sexiest men in Seattle, a pair of grizzly bear shifters that were looking to take the party back to where they worked. They’d taken a real shining to Diedra.

  When they said that, Lauren was expecting that the bears would take them back to a night club. She had no frikkin’ clue what she was in for.

  The girls got in a cab and went to the address on the card. When they read the address to their driver, he instantly knew where they were headed and said, “Oh, you mean Bear Buns?”

  The girls sheepishly admitted that was indeed their destination.

  The driver gave them a wide grin. “Say no more,” he said, and they were off into the Seattle night.

  Lauren had expected the place to be some seedy back alley joint, but she was pleasantly surprised. The outside of Bear Buns had a large neon sign, as well as a theater style marquee reading ‘THE TWELVE DANCING BEARS, ft. BLAZE AND HALE’. There were six posters, three on each of the sides leading up to the entrance, lit by marquee lighting. Each poster featured a handsome pair of men as well as a set of matching animals, all bears. There was one set of grizzly bears. One set was of two ebony dark black bears. There was a poster starring two shirtless guys and cinnamon colored bears. There was a poster featuring two handsome men with black hair, with two panda bears on the bottom. There was a poster featuring a Union Jack and the Australian Southern Cross, with two koalas. Lauren had to do a double take on that one. Of course koala bear shifters existed…but there was a pair working as strippers in frikkin’ Seattle?

  The poster that really caught her eye was a shade of blue that looked so icy that it sent a shiver down her spine and made her arm get goosebumps…but the two handsome men on the poster made her cheeks burn. They were tall, with burly physiques and just a bit of cushion. They were strong, but cuddly. With icy blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes that reminded her of Siberian wolves, she felt as if she had chemistry with them…even though she’d never met them.

  “They’re handsome, aren’t they?” asked Diedra.

  “They’re really something,” said Lauren. She looked down. The bears featured on the poster were polar bears. Of course they were. These guys looked like they belonged on the ice. “So what did those guys say the deal with this place is?”

  “It’s an all shifter male strip club,” said Diedra. “But most of the male entertainers are bear shifters. Six pairs of these bears are bears that have matching mate marks. They’re in a special dance troupe, ‘The Twelve Dancing Bears’.”

  “Mate mark? Oh, yeah, how could I have forgotten about those?” asked Lauren. “Aren’t they usually on a shifter’s arms?”

  “No, you’re thinking of tiger shifters like your exes,” said Diedra. “Bear shifters usually have a mate mark on their chest. Whoever made the posters removed the marks on purpose, probably because the reveal is part of the show. The mate mark is a special mark that shows up when they turn eighteen. It tells the bear shifters who their fated mates are.”

  “Fated mates…do you believe in that stuff?” asked Lauren. “Of course I know about how it works, in theory. Any girl who’s dated a shifter before knows. Both Chad and Thad explained it to me in thorough detail before they rationalized why they needed to dump me. Do you really believe in a true love so strong that fate has something to do with it, that there’s really some big book full of rules about love that we don’t know about, but that can tell us who we’re meant to be with…for the rest of our lives?”

  “Well, maybe it’s not a thing humans have, but for shifters, well…you know Cassie and her husband John? He’s a puma shifter, and I don’t know the mechanics of it, but, he knew she was his fated mate,” said Diedra. “And you’ve seen them…they’re really meant to be.”

  Diedra looked to Katherine who was smiling wistfully, a tear in her eye. “I’m so sorry,” said Diedra. “I didn’t mean to bring that up, after what happened with Jerk-Ass Mike. I’ll shut my mouth.”

  “Don’t,” said Katherine. “It’s weird, but, the possibility of finding true love with a shifter guy, who would forever love me, and never stray or hurt me? That’s really my big dream. I don’t need fancy diamonds or pearls, nor do I need caviar or gold leaf toilet paper. I just want to find true love…and well, now that I have Michael out of my life? I have a chance at finding it again.” Katherine flashed her hand at Diedra. Katherine had taken off her golden wedding ring for the first time.

  “That’s a step in the right direction,” said Diedra. “I’m proud of you.”

  “So what’s the deal with The Twelve Dancing Bears?” asked Lauren.

  “They’re bears who are looking to share a fated mate,” said Diedra.

  “Share? Aren’t shifters protective? Possessive? Notoriously jealous?” asked Katherine.

  “It’s rare, but, sometimes, a set of shifters learn that they have the same fated mate…and trust me, there’s often a lot of drama,” said Diedra. “But The Twelve Dancing Bears are all shifter pairs that know they want to share a fated mate. Imagine having two guys at once, Katherine…because Lauren’s been so lucky to at least get to try that ménage life out. Sorry those guys ended up being total clowns, Lauren.”

  “Yeah, twice the number of guys to forget to take out the trash,” joked Lauren. “You know that the last time I had anything close to resembling a relationship, it was with those tigers Chad and Thad. I know all about mate marks and fated mates…but I don’t know if I believe in them. Trust me, that ménage I was involved in had double the fun, but double the trouble. So tell me, have any of these bears actually found true love this way?”

  “It’s funny you should mention it. Remember the guys we met, Nathan and Carlos? Well, they are the replacements for the grizzl
y bear shifters that just found their fated mate last month,” explained Diedra. “Their poster isn’t up yet because they’re on a trial run.”

  “Wow! You learned all this from one conversation with those guys?” asked Lauren.

  “Well, let’s just say I’ve actually…been to the Bear Buns club before,” explained Diedra sheepishly. “They actually recognized me from the last time I was here!”

  “No frikkin’ way, that’s awesome,” said Lauren. “And so we’re bound to get the VIP treatment, right?”

  “Yup, they said to just give this card to someone and we’ll get set up,” said Diedra, flashing the golden card that the guys had handed her. It was the trio’s golden ticket to the world of the Bear Buns dancers.

  Diedra and Lauren took Katherine inside where Diedra found somebody to take the golden ticket. They were led down the red carpeted interior of the Bear Buns club, which had a gift shop packed with merch, a standard strip club type area for smaller shows and for the off-duty dancers, and the main stage. The main stage area was packed, but they were able to get a seat in a VIP section not too far away from the stage. The golden ticket entitled them to free food and drinks for the night, as well as the privilege of mingling with some of the dancers before the show.

  The trio left their jackets in the round booth they’d been assigned. The booth had white tufted chairs that turned as well as a large table that had a metal pole on top. There was a bar not far from the VIP area, and the ladies went there to get their drinks.

  A handsome lion shifter with hair to die for served them up cocktails before even checking their VIP wristbands. He had a mane of dirty blonde hair with red streaks that looked natural. He had a scar on his cheek that was distinctive and looked like it told a story. He was wearing the standard bartender uniform of black pants, a white shirt, a dark jewel toned vest, and a tie, but he still managed to look like a bad boy. His name tag read Zakarie. He gave them a wink as they took their drinks up to the VIP area.

  “That guy was cute,” said Katherine.

  “I think he thinks the same thing about you,” said Lauren.

  “Oh, no frikkin’ way,” said Katherine. “I don’t fit in here at all!”

  “None of us do,” said Diedra, motioning down at her casual clothes. They were all wearing dark jeans with slightly dressy blouses, because they hadn’t planned on going out dancing or coming to Bear Buns. “But nobody cares here. We’re not the ones on display, after all. They are.” Diedra motioned at the guys milling about the VIP area, talking to the ladies and turning the charm up to eleven. They all had hot bods and looked absolutely delicious, but they were busy being swamped by the other VIP area fans.

  “Those guys do look pretty good,” said Lauren. “But you’re hoping to save yourself for those grizzly boys, right?”

  “If fate has them in store for me, I won’t turn fate away,” said Diedra. “But you know I can get whatever guy I want.” It was true. Diedra was the most confident of the trio. She was sassy, sometimes brash, always honest, and had rocking curves that she knew how to flaunt.

  Lauren turned. Katherine had been awfully quiet. She spotted her at the bar, talking to Zakarie. “Diedra, look,” said Lauren.

  “We better not bother her,” said Diedra with a smile. “She’s found her match, I’ve got a pair of bear boys I want to make into a Diedra sandwich, and now, all we have to do is find those icy princes you want to woo.”

  “I don’t see them in there, do you?” asked Lauren. “Those guys, none of them are blonde.”

  “The polars are the first act,” said Diedra. “It’s a queue system based on seniority. They’ve been in the troupe for years, so they’re gonna go first, whereas my guys are going last, because they only just joined. Be patient and you’ll get to get an eyeful of those polar bear buns.”

  The lights flickered and the dancers made their way towards the back of the club, to the dressing rooms. Katherine joined the girls back at their table.

  “Looks like you had some fun,” said Diedra.

  “I did get his number,” said Katherine, showing them his card. “But I don’t know if I’m ready to date again.”

  “So just keep having fun!” said Diedra. “Oh, shh. The show is about to start.”

  The lights flickered one last time and the lights on the stage changed to a pale icy blue that matched the blue of the poster outside the club. The stage had a background that was plain navy with a subtle video projection of an ocean hitting it from behind. The DJ’s mic came on.

  “You ladies know what time it is…it’s time…to see some bear buns,” said the DJ. The ladies clapped and hooted.

  “I need to hear you make some noise!” said the DJ. The ladies cheered harder and this time Lauren, Katherine, and Diedra joined in. “That’s more like it. Ladies, welcome to the Bear Buns strip club, Seattle’s finest shifter only male entertainment center, where your fantasies can become a reality. Get prepared to see things that you will never see anywhere else in Seattle. I’m talking man on man. I’m talking man on man with a gal in the mix. And, of course, I’m talking two men on one lucky lady.”

  With the talk of sexy ménage action, the ladies hooted and hollered.

  “That’s right, make some noise, because you know that our polar bear shifters are looking to turn up the heat. Only a real ice queen would prove to be a challenge, and trust me, they can handle a challenge,” said the DJ. “If you are new to the show, welcome, whenever I refer to virgins, I’m referring to someone like you, a Bear Buns first timer. For our forever fans, welcome back, and virgins, remember that at Bear Buns…it’s highly encouraged to fall in love with your stripper. Of course, keep all arms and legs inside the vehicle, because you’re seated in the splash zone, and I have a feeling things are about to get pretty wet out there.”

  The crowd giggled at the naughty joke.

  “Finally, ladies, check under your seats. That’s right, we’re doing things a little different tonight. Underneath one lucky lady’s seat there will be a red rose,” said the DJ. “Don’t try to cheat, now…we know what chair it is under.”

  Everyone in the club was clamoring to get under their seats and check for a rose. A red spotlight made is way over the room, weaving through the tables. Lauren, Katherine, and Diedra all looked under their chairs…and Lauren found a plastic red rose.

  “Katherine, do you want it?” said Lauren.

  “No, it’s yours,” said Katherine. “Who needs a bear when you’ve got a lion?”

  “It’s fate, trust it,” said Diedra. “It’ll be the best thing you ever did.”

  Lauren held her red rose up and the spotlight soon stopped on her.

  “It seems we’ve found our princess for the night,” said the DJ. “Now, ladies, don’t worry, there’ll be many more opportunities for you to earn a place on stage…and if you don’t end up on stage tonight, well, come back soon and maybe it’ll be you in that lucky lady’s place. Princess…it seems you have a visitor. Don’t forget to keep a hold of that rose! You’re not done with that yet.”

  Lauren looked. Coming past the bouncer was a figure in heavy looking medieval armor. A knight in literal shining armors was going to woo her at Bear Buns? There was no frikkin’ way that this show could get any better! A white spotlight hit him, covering the man with a white light that made his light silvery armor look even brighter. The man was wearing a white and blue banner. He was silent and offered her his hand. Lauren took it and pretended to curtsy. The crowd of women clapped with approval.

  The man helped Lauren to her feet and started to lead her down the steps of the VIP area, both people bathed in the white spotlight, when, out of nowhere, came another man, in dark armor, came up to them. He scooped Lauren up into his arms and carried her up the stage. Now, the knight in silver armor was bathed in the red light and the knight in dark armor was in white light.

  A large throne descended down onto the stage. The dark knight put Lauren down into the chair.

  “Ladies, it seems we’ve got ourselves two knights that are after the same woman!” said the DJ. “But it looks like our lady’s only got one rose…how will she decide which knight will get it?”