Winston (BBW Bear Shifter Wedding Romance) (Grizzly Groomsmen Book 3) Read Free

grabbed a croissant and some jam. She was rarely up early enough to get breakfast, and she wasn't about to miss the opportunity to gorge herself.

    The conversation buzzed around the table- the short-haired bridesmaid, Lorne, was desperately trying to calm Dina and Tom down, while everyone else looked frazzled, tired, or hungover. The storm outside rattled the long windows of the hotel, and Rosie exchanged a look with Win. He smiled at her- a simple, sweet, honest smile that took her by surprise. It cut through the chaos in an instant, and Rosie found herself smiling back.

    Before she could make any more of the gesture, the entire room flipped on a dime- it was as if someone had waved a wand and made everyone as uncomfortable as possible. One of the bridesmaids stood up, and hurried Dina outside- all the bridesmaids exchanged confused looks, and Rosie furrowed her brow. This was more than just worry over where they were going to put the guests for those extra days, she could tell.  

    Sliding up the communal bench, she leant over to Win to see if he knew anything she didn't.

    "Do you know what the hell is going on here?" She gestured around the room, and he shook his head.  

    "I think- I don't know, but-" he turned to confer with one of the groomsmen, and the two of them stood up suddenly. "I have to go. I'll be back soon, I promise."

    He turned his back on her and stormed out of the room, leaving Rosie sitting by herself, staring at the spot he had just been in. What the hell was that all about? She leant back in her seat, taking a defiant bite of her croissant, and narrowed her eyes. This whole thing was freaking her out. She didn't like not knowing what was going on. The door clicked open, and Dina walked back in, looking as if she'd been slapped in the face. Rosie hurriedly stood up and scurried up to her.

    "Dina?" She asked, taking her hand and squeezing it tight. "Is everything okay?"

    "What?" Dina looked up, as if she was waking up from a long sleep. "Oh, Rosie. Sorry. I just-"

    She paused and took a long, deep breath, like she was struggling to get her head around what she'd just found out.

    "Freddy's here."

    "Huh?" Rosie narrowed her eyes. She remembered Freddy- the lying, cheating, possessive piece of shit Dina had been dating before she'd met Tom. They'd only been together a few months, but he'd grown pretty obsessed with her. When they'd split, it had been ugly- the kind of break-up you pull horrified faces over at cocktails afterwards. But surely he wouldn't have come all the way out here, would he? What was there to gain?

    "He's on the island, and he brought his pack," Dina replied softly, casting her eyes downward as if she was ashamed of the words coming out of her mouth.

    Rosie's heart leapt into her mouth. She'd never connected Freddy's awfulness with the fact that he was a shifter, but she had often wondered if it was the fact that he led his own pack- the alpha, he insisted on calling himself- that led him to expect his own way in every other aspect of his life. And now he was here? With them? While they were stuck on the island with no way of getting off?  

    Rosie's panic obviously read all over her face, because Dina immediately leant over to give her a hug.  

    "Oh, it's going to be okay, I promise," she murmured in her ear, and Rosie felt herself relax at once. Dina had always been the big cousin- the one who looked after everyone else, who made everything all better. Whether it was fixing up Rosie when she came off her bike in grade school, or nursing her through her first big break-up when she was in sophomore year of high school, Dina was one of the only people who Rosie truly believed when she said it would all be okay.  

    "I'm not worried about me," Rosie squeezed her cousin, then leant back. "Are you alright?"

    "I'll survive," she nodded, trying to keep her face impassive and failing. "They're…they're all dealing with it, the guys, and some of the girls are going with them.