Page 7 of Bearly Frosty

Dillon blows out his breath. “I knew it the first moment I laid eyes on you.” He sits back in his chair and stares into my eyes. “You’re the best present the universe has ever given me, and I plan to spend the rest of my life making sure you’re taken care of.”

Woah. This is a lot to take in. “Do I have any say in all this?” I can’t believe I’m questioning my good fortune. Oh man, the hunky polar bear shifter thinks I’m his mate.

“You have all the say, little goddess.” He sighs. “The short answer is that shifters only have one true mate. Once they find their soulmate, the universe seals their souls together with an invisible bond that nothing can destroy. Unfortunately, the same rules don’t apply to humans. Humans have the choice whether or not they accept their soulmate.”

“So, you’re stuck with me, but I’m free to make my own choice?”

“I’m not stuck with you.” He runs his hand down the back of his neck and mutters something under his breath. “You’ve already become a part of me that I can’t live without. Nothing in the world is more important to me than you.”

“I have so many questions.” And I don’t even know where to start.

“Ask away.” Dillon walks over and sits on the sofa next to me. As his yummy masculine scent wraps around me, I wonder why I’m fighting this so hard. I should be ecstatic that the universe dropped the hunky polar bear shifter right in my lap. Talk about my freaking lucky day.

“I know next to nothing about shifters. Can you start at the beginning and explain everything?” Shouldn’t be hard at all. Oof.

“Okay.” Dillon sits back and rubs his bottom lip for a few seconds. “Here are the basics. All shifters have an inner animal intertwined with their human souls. I share characteristics with wild polar bears but still maintain all my human traits, too. My human side maintains complete control of my entire being unless some traumatic event causes my inner polar bear to take over. As you saw yesterday, I can shift from polar bear to human and back on demand.”

His answers lead to even more questions. “And you’re allowed to mate with humans? How does having children work? Are they born human or polar bears or a little of both?”

“Mating is automatic.” He takes my hand in his and brings it to his lips for a soft kiss. “There’s no fighting the universe’s choice, and we can have children. Our children will be born human and will remain human until their first shift, which is usually around four or five years old.”

Chapter 5

DILLON

I stare downinto her confused aqua eyes and fight the urge to kiss her until we’re both too tired to fight this pull between us.

“I need some time to absorb all this. I’m not sure I’m ready to jump into a relationship that’s going to last for all eternity.” She bites her juicy bottom lip and shrugs. My inner polar bear urges me to hurry things along, but I force the fucker to shut up and let me do all the wooing. Making sure Emilia chooses me for her eternal mate is too important to fuck up by rushing.

It might kill me, but I’ll do whatever it takes to convince her we’re meant to be. “I’ll give you time to adjust.” While my inner bear goes slowly insane, I silently add, “Why don’t we do this? You take the job as my office manager, and we can take things slow while we get to know each other. Could you possibly start right away and make sure it’s right for you, and then we’ll work on getting your belongings moved here?” I can’t imagine how I’ll be able to let her go if she wants to leave, but I’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.

“That sounds reasonable.” Emilia smiles up at me, and I barely resist the urge to pull her into my arms.

The next day, Emilia moves into the spare apartment while I make plans for our future. Keeping her safe and happy has become my top priority.

Early summer morningair in Glacier Pass carries a chilly bite. We have snow most of the year and only enjoy a few weeks of slightly warmer weather each summer.

Right now, the mornings start off brisk and slowly heat up a little bit throughout the day. My bear metabolism ensures I’m always comfortable, but I’m worried about my mate, so I have a fire burning inside the office fireplace to keep her comfortable.

Today is Emilia's first day as my office manager, and the sense of excitement is palpable. My inner polar bear paces restlessly, thrilled to have her close, while my human side is more cautious. I don’t want to rush things, but my bear urges me to do just that—to close the distance, to touch her, to seal our bond.

Gianna blabbed all about my mate to my family, and they’re dying to meet her, but I put my foot down and insisted they wait until Emilia has had time to settle in before they descend on us. The men took my order in stride while the women in the family have been chomping at the bit to come over and meet her.

While waiting for Emilia to arrive, I busy myself with routine tasks, organizing files, and going over the schedule. The cozy office has large windows that offer breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. It’s my happy place, but today it feels more alive, charged with the prospect of Emilia’s presence.

The door swings open, and Emilia steps in, bringing with her the scents of vanilla and lavender that calms my soul while waking my cock the hell up. Her cheeks are flushed from the cool morning air, her eyes bright with determination. Seeing her framed by the rustic charm of the office makes my heart skip a beat while my bear roars, “mine,” over and over in my mind.

“Good morning,” I say, my voice sounding steadier than I feel.

“Good morning to you.” Her smile is warm, and I feel that familiar tug in my chest.

“How did you sleep, little goddess?” I hand her the extra-large mocha latte I had delivered for her from my sister’s coffee shop.

“I slept like the dead, but I can’t get moving without my caffeine so I really appreciate this. Thank you.” Her stunning blue eyes light up as that dimple appears on her cheek.

“A little birdy told me you love those.” I wink down at her.

“I love your sister.” She chuckles and takes a huge sip of the hot coffee.

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