Prologue
Kirk pulled up to the old Parker’s house. It was the last house to be sold off by humans in the small town of White Wood.
They had been an old couple who felt the odd new faces in town were just too unfriendly for their taste.
Which was understandable when the new people in town were shifters trying to get away from humans—or “looky-loos,” as Vik liked to call them.
But today, a new family was moving in.
And from the smell of them… they were bears.
Parking his squad car, Kirk and his deputy, Vik, got out as an older Black woman grabbed two boxes from the back of her moving truck.
“Howdy there. Let us help you,” Kirk said.
Rushing over, Kirk and Vik took the boxes from the older woman’s arms. Kirk watched as the woman’s face shifted from surprise to suspicion.
He was used to that kind of look from their Black residents, especially those who came from big human cities.
That’s why he attempted to introduce himself to every newcomer.
“Um, thank you,” she said, hesitating only a moment before leading them toward her house.
“I’m Sheriff Kirk, by the way, and this is Vik, my deputy.”
“Lora,” she said as she stepped onto her front porch.
Before he could walk completely onto the porch, a tall, dark-skinned woman walked out with a smile.
“Are you trying to hit on our mother?” the young woman asked, looking between them both with a soft smile on her lips.
Taken by surprise by the woman’s accusation, Kirk shook his head at her with a laugh.
“No, no. I assure you, I’m just showing some friendly hospitality.”
“With a mother as beautiful as yours, how can you blame him?” Vik looked over at the older woman and winked.
Growling at his deputy, Kirk watched as Vik looked back at him with an innocent shrug before walking up the rest of the steps and into the house.
“Oh, really?” she said, taking the box from Kirk’s hand. “Well, just so you know, my mother is a happily mated woman.”
Stepping off the porch, Kirk shook his head again as he turned to go to his car, only stopping when the screen door opened again.
“So you were the one trying to flirt with our mother?”
Spinning around with irritation, Kirk opened his mouth to tell the woman again how he wasn’t trying to flirt with their mother.
Only, he didn’t get a chance to.
Before him stood a very beautiful Black woman. Her skin was pale as a pearl, contrasting against her thick, white afro that reminded him of a cloud.
She was all beauty.
“She’s a saved woman, who is happily mated.”
“What about you?” he asked, ignoring her first statement.
Blinking in surprise at his bold statement, Kirk watched a frown cross her face as she moved down the steps.
“I’m saved… most days.”
“No, I mean, are you mated?” he asked, walking behind her now.
His eyes went straight to her round ass.
“Hey, are you trying to use my big sister to get to my mother?” a familiar voice said from behind them.
“You can’t stand in the way of true love,” his deputy said.
All of this was yelled across the yard as the younger, dark-skinned sister and Vik seemed to argue over Kirk’s feelings for the two women’s mother.
It pissed Kirk off so much that he contemplated picking up her big sister and driving off with her so they could be alone.
“No, I’m not! Why do you keep saying that? And Vik, stop entertaining her delusions.”
Rubbing a hand through his hair, Kirk decided to ignore the younger sister yelling from the door.
“If you are trying to make my mother jealous, then I don’t mind helping you.”
“No, I’m—”
A mixture of confusion, irritation, and hope filled him as he watched her walk back toward the house with more boxes.
“So, does this mean you’ll let me take you out for dinner this Saturday?”
“Yep… I’m Dana, by the way.”
“Kirk.”
