Page 15 of Trusting Her Bear

“He won’t hurt me,” I say softly, knowing the words are true. She should understand, but she’s just reacting instead of thinking like a shifter. A mate would rather die than inflict any pain on the person the universe picked for them.

Quinn slowly holds out his hand, his palm up. “It’s your choice to take it.”

I drop my eyes to his hand and then back to his face. He’s giving me the choice. Even though I’m sure his body is telling him to take his mate. The room is silent. The shifters and vampires that fill it, knowing the heaviness of the moment. Everyone knows what I have been through. They know Quinn. Ultimately, if they didn’t trust him, or if he was a bad guy, they wouldn’t all stand idle waiting for my decision.

Quinn is patiently waiting.

I inch away from the counter, prying my hands off it, and they drop to my sides. I slowly bring them to my chest, pausing. I bite my lip, and his eyes track the movement.

As I slowly move my right hand, his eye drops to it.

My fingertips meet his, the warmth he exudes seeping through my skin. I slide closer, my hand naturally moving over his palm. When my fingers slide against his thumb, he grips it.

“That’s it, baby,” he growls. “Good girl.”

Pleasure flushes my face. “Quinn—” I start, but I have no idea what I was going to say.

“Leave,” he commands, looking around for the first time since he walked in.

“Quinn,” Logan says. “Are you sure?”

“I already told the vampire. Leave now.”

“Steph, call me if you need me,” Breeane says as her mates pull her toward the door.

“Lock the door on the way out,” Quinn continues to boss. He pulls on my hand.

I mindlessly follow. He doesn’t pause as he moves through the kitchen and up the stairs.

“Keys?” He holds his free hand out. I quickly dig into my pocket, fumbling with them, and place them in his palm.

I continue to allow him to lead me into my new home and watch as he locks the door behind us and pockets the keys.

“Did you eat?” he asks.

“No.” There was plenty of food, but my stomach hadn’t settled enough to eat any of it.

He puts his hand on my back and guides me to the island. “Sit.” He doesn’t wait for me to climb on the stool, grasping my waist, and he puts me on the chair.

The contact of his hands was brief but powerful, feeling electric on my skin. I can still feel the impression of his fingers as he moves to the other side of the counter and opens the fridge. It has been hard to imagine the moment I meet my mate. Every story is as different as the shifters. The universe throws two or more people together, and you know you are meant to be. We know in the first instant that we are mates. It starts with a scent. We know by smell that we are mates, and that starts a reaction, a knowing in our bodies.

A shifter woman will automatically go into heat. Their mate is the only one who can ease it by giving her an orgasm in any way possible. The most effective is by the man coming inside her. It is the universe's way of continuing the species.

The heat flushes my skin and makes me aware of his every move.

He takes several things out of the fridge, and it takes my preoccupied brain a minute to catch up. He’s making me a sandwich.

“Are you hungry?” I ask.

“No.” He places a bottle of water in front of me. I look from the bottle to the man slapping together pieces of bread. “Do you like everything on it?”

“Yes,” I reply, watching him with interest. He’s sexy. The quiet confidence he naturally carries is appealing, with or without a mating bond itching at my neck. He puts two sandwiches on a plate and sets them in front of me. “Eat with me,” I urge.

He nods and starts making more sandwiches.

I start eating but keep my eyes on him. Bears have a reputation for being slow and lazy. I’m sure some are, but most are just reserved. We measure each step carefully, aware of our bodies and what our bears can do if provoked. Quinn moves fluidly, with no wasted movements. We are often underestimated because of this. It would be someone's demise if they did. We are territorial and vicious if pushed. When we love, we love deeply.

Whether you are a male or female bear shifter, our bodies are massive. Our teeth are razor sharp, and our claws are long. If we can’t stop you with our bodies, our teeth and claws will tear you to pieces.

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