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ALSO BY ARIANA HAWKES
Broken Hill Bears
Continue enjoying this sexy bunch of rough and tumble bear shifters in Ariana's latest series and share their loves, lives, passions, and challenges.
Bear In The Rough (Broken Hill Bears Book 1)
Bare Knuckle Bear (Broken Hill Bears Book 2)
Shiftr: Hope Valley Dating App Romances
Join the world of Ariana's best-selling, 5-star rated series and Dina, Kristin, Tamika and other favorite characters in Hope Valley, where Shiftr, the secret dating app, helps curvy girls and sexy shifters find their happy ever after!
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 1 (Dina)
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 2 (Kristin)
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 3 (Melissa)
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 4 (Andrea)
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 5 (Lori)
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 6 (Adaira)
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 7 (Timo)
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 8 (Jessica)
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 9 (Ryzard)
Ravished by the Ice Palace Pack
Bonus story: Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love (Kristin)
Chapter 1
Dina and Lauren sat on their close friend Melissa's balcony, enjoying the last of the summer sun. Half of the trees in the nearby park were already turning to the orange and red of early fall. Dina usually didn't enjoy the cold of winter, but this year she couldn't wait to be snuggled up with her big, sexy bear mate, watching her belly grow bigger every day.
She and Lauren snuck glances at Melissa as she walked around her apartment, putting together some drinks and nibbles. They could hardly contain their excitement at the secret they were about to reveal to her. They had recently met their mates through Shiftr, a secret dating app that connected human women with shifter men. Lauren had got together with Connor, her sexy bear-shifter, and, according to the rules, she was allowed to tell one other person about the app's existence. She'd picked Dina because she was her number-one best friend. And now Dina had got together with Logan, her own bear-shifter mate, it was her turn to pass on the good news to someone else. The choice had been between their two closest friends, Melissa and Kristin, and since they couldn't decide which one, they'd wound up flipping a coin.
Dina was tanned and glowing from her honeymoon in Mexico, while Lauren was blooming with vitality, and her belly was huge.
"Are you sure you're not having twins?" Dina said as she held her hand on Lauren's belly, feeling a series of firm little kicks.
"Yeah, I had a scan," Lauren replied, with a smile. "And I was so nervous the whole time. Imagine if they'd seen a little bear in there!" Dina laughed and rubbed her own belly, with deep affection for the life growing inside her. She was just starting to feel kicks, or so she thought.
"I can't wait to find out if they'll be shifters too," she said.
"Apparently it might take years before we know. Connor says that pure-bred bear shifters usually have their first shift around age 12, but no-one really knows with half-humans," Lauren said.
"I don't care either way. As long as they're strong and healthy, I couldn't be happier," Dina said.
Melissa came out onto the balcony with a tray of food. Then she went back in and returned a moment later with two tall glasses of something dark red and garnished with mint leaves, and a glass of rosé.
"Two pomegranate mojito mocktails!" she said proudly. Dina and Lauren eagerly sipped from the straws.
"Wow! I totally can't tell that it's not alcoholic!" Lauren exclaimed.
"It's the mint," Melissa said. "It convinces your brain that there must be rum in there too." She stared at her glass of wine and sighed.
"I feel bad for drinking in front of you guys though."
"No, don't be silly," Dina said. "You've had a tough day. You deserve it."
Melissa visibly relaxed as she sipped her wine, the tension leaving her pretty features.
"I do love working for a charity," she said. "But I just hate the way the bureaucracy gets in the way of, you know, helping out people in trouble. Anyway, I don't want to talk about work. Let's see your honeymoon photos!"
Dina pulled an album out of her purse, and opened it on the table. The three women pored over the photos excitedly. There was one picture after another of Logan and Dina looking deliriously happy on a Mexican beach.
"Your husband is so handsome," Melissa said, with her usual sweetness. Logan did look amazing in his board shorts. His powerful shoulders and pecs and abs glistened in the sun. Dina looked adorable next to him, in a stunning red polka dot one-piece. It had wide, white shoulder straps, and a cute white belt at the waist. Her long black hair was loose, and her hazel-green eyes sparkled in the sunlight.
"It was such an amazing vacation," Dina said dreamily. "I wish we were back there. All of us together!"
"When are you getting married, Lauren?" Melissa asked.
"As soon as this one's out of me and I go back to normal size," Lauren said with a cackle. "I've dreamed of my wedding and the dress I'll wear for so long that I don't want to go through it with a baby bump!"
Lauren had already had her shifter mating ceremony, and the public wedding was just for show, but that didn't mean she wasn't super excited for it.
Melissa's fingers drummed on the table, and she suddenly reached out and took a large gulp of her wine.
"So, I have something exciting to tell you girls," she said, her blue eyes brighter than ever.
"What is it?" they replied in unison.
"I've started dating someone!" she said. Lauren and Dina stared at her for a moment. This was great news, but it hadn't been part of the plan at all.
"Who?" Lauren asked, recovering first.
"Someone from the wedding!" Melissa said, deliberately making them wait.
"Who?" Dina prompted, as she and Lauren held their breath.
"Timo!" she said, and Dina and Lauren exchanged a quick glance.
"That's great!" Lauren said. "He's a great guy."
"Yeah, I really like him," Dina added. He was a member of Logan and Connor's bear clan, so they both knew him well.
"How's it going?" Lauren asked.
"Well, I think," Melissa replied. "We've only been on three dates, and he seems to like me, but he hasn't kissed me yet."
"He's pretty shy, so that doesn't surprise me," Dina said, aware that Timo was one of the more retiring members of the clan.
"To be honest, it's just great to be going on dates with a guy," Melissa said. "I can count on one hand the number of dates I've had since Dan and I divorced, and that was almost three years ago."
"Where's he been taking you?"
"Steak restaurants mostly," Melissa said with a laugh. "Which I love, of course. But it isn't doing my figure any favors!"
"Not true," Lauren said. "You look fabulous. You're so petite and curvy."
Melissa did look great today – bright and radiant. Her dark blonde hair hung in pretty curls over her shoulders and there was a rosy pinkness to her pale skin. She'd evidently gotten a confidence boost from dating Timo.
"Do you think you guys are suited, long term?" Dina asked. Melissa stared up at the sky, resting a finger on her bottom lip – an adorable trait of hers that always accompanied deep thought.