Page 13 of Grizzly's Bear

She blinked her big brown eyes up at him with surprise, and his breath caught until he saw the slow smile that overtook her face.

“I’m yours, Slade Holloway,” she agreed. “And you’re mine.”

“I’ve been yours,” he reminded her. “Since you stepped out of that truck with your brother and ran up to embrace Em.”

“One look was all it took, huh?” she teased, but he nodded, dead serious.

“One look and I knew you were the only woman who’d ever own me, heart and soul.”

“Slade, I don’t… You…”

Rissa seemed at a loss for words, but Slade wasn’t.

“I’ll protect you with my life, mate. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”

“Promise?”

“I swear, Rissa.”

She nodded. “Good. I want to go to Oklahoma. I want to see Ariel.” She paused, and Slade knew what she’d say even before the words left her mouth. “I want to help make sure Talbot isn’t rescued. He needs to pay for what he did. To me. To others. Plus, I want my memories back, and I’m willing to go to Oklahoma to get them if that’s what it takes.”

Slade groaned as he lowered his forehead to rest against his mate’s. He’d take her to Oklahoma. He’d promised, and he wouldn’t break his word to her again. He could get one of his single brothers to go with him. One without a pregnant mate. Laramie would probably try to refuse to let them go, but once he saw reason, Slade figured his brother would see it was a good thing to have one of the Holloways there to help oversee Dr. Talbot’s interrogation. They probably should have sent someone earlier. Talbot had information they needed.

“Slade?” Rissa questioned.

“I’ll see what I can do to get my brother on board with the idea,” he promised, knowing it might take him more than one conversation to get through to Laramie.

“They need our help even if they didn’t ask for it. Talbot is an enemy to all shifters, and we should all take part in making sure he stays where he is,” Rissa suggested.

Slade nodded. His mate had a point. Now, all he had to do was convince his alpha brother that sending them would be a good idea.

Chapter Six

It had taken a full week to get Laramie to agree with them heading to Oklahoma. Rissa felt the final push was her talk with Em. She’d told the other woman she really wanted to see Ariel. That she needed to. Not a lie. They’d shared a traumatic experience together. They’d been separated once captured, but Rissa really hoped seeing the other woman might bring back what had occurred just before then. Recapturing that time might lead to regaining all her memories. Luckily, Slade had agreed with her, and surprisingly, Jensen had, too. He’d encouraged it and volunteered to go along to offer whatever assistance he could to the pride of cat shifters. Which was how Rissa was now traveling to Oklahoma with her mate, his brother, and hers.

“Another thirty minutes and we should see the turn off Daniel said to watch for,” Jensen murmured. He’d taken over driving at their last stop. Slade was now reclined in the passenger seat, dozing, while Adam slept next to her in the back, leaving Rissa as the one to keep Jensen company.

“Should we wake Slade and Adam?”

“Not yet.” Jensen threw a glance at his brother. “Neither of them have really slept since we left.”

“Neither have you,” Rissa pointed out. She hadn’t had their issues with sleeping. Especially when Slade had ridden in the back with her. She’d curled into his side and gone out quickly, waking with her head in his lap, lips resting precariously close to a growing bulge behind his zipper that she couldn’t do anything about.

Jensen shrugged. “I’m a doctor. I’m used to going without sleep. Now, stop worrying.”

She glanced up, meeting his gaze briefly in the rear-view mirror. He was one of those people who always seemed attuned to the people and things around him. In all honesty, Rissa was learning she really liked Slade’s older brother. Actually, she liked all of his brothers. Slade was the fifth brother. Laramie was the oldest and alpha of the Holloways. Then there was Koby, Jensen, and Declan. And after Slade was Brock then Matheus. She had no idea how their mother had managed a house with seven boys. The brothers were close though. Even when arguing, their bond was easy to see. She hoped any children she and Slade might have would share the same type of sibling relationship.

“What was it like growing up with so many brothers?” she asked. She needed the distraction. Jensen was correct. Her worry had increased the closer they’d gotten to Riverton, Oklahoma. What if her memories didn’t return? What if this was a wasted trip?

“Loud,” Jensen offered with a laugh.

“We certainly never got bored,” Slade added as he put up his seat then stretched. Rissa almost licked her lips as she watched him. God, she needed to get him alone and touch his magnificent body again. So far, they hadn’t had the opportunity on the trip, and now that she’d accepted him as her mate, she didn’t feel the need to deny herself anymore. The gaze he sent her way made her think he had an idea of where her thoughts strayed.

“Must have been nice,” Adam added as he sat up beside her. “All I had was a pesky baby sister.”

“Ha!” Rissa punched him playfully in the arm. “You spent most of your time with—” She cut herself off, eyes going wide as she stared at her brother’s face.

“Who?” Jensen asked while Slade kept his gaze on her face.

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