Page 24 of Bearly Mated

I didn’t want to be a possessive asshole. But fuck, I couldn’t lose her.

“Your mom’s house.”

I blinked.

My fear and anger subsided rapidly. “Why?”

“I had questions. She had answers.”

I heard her pull onto the road.

“Where areyou?” she asked.

“Your place. Scared the shit out of me not to find you here.”

“Why?”

I let out a long breath and sat down on her dad’s old porch swing. Bears were territorial. I didn’t much like the idea of living in his house, but if I couldn’t convince her to move with me, I’d adjust. “You said you’re looking for some other bastard to marry. I was picturing you hooking up with a random person you met at the grocery store.”

She laughed. “I’ve never had sex with someone I met while buying groceries, Hud.”

“There’s a first time for everything.”

“Not that.” I heard her change the music station. She’d always been picky about what she listened to. “And I didn’t say I waslookingfor someone to marry. I said I would eventually find someone, after you left me.”

“I’m not going to leave you,” I growled back.

“Then I won’t have to marry anyone,” she said easily.

Except me.

I didn’t say the words aloud.

I wasn’t supposed to be able to stay.Bearsweren’t supposed to be able to stay.

But how the fuck would I ever leave her? I’d been dedicated to her for too many years to even consider it a possibility. Having her with me and making her mine would only make me want to stay even more.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes. What do you want to do for the rest of the day?” she asked.

“You.”

She laughed again, and whatever tension had lingered in my shoulders eased.

“I want to show you my house,” I said, not giving myself a chance to change my mind. “I think you’d be more comfortable there. I would, too.”

“Are you insinuating that we’re going to live together?”

“Yes. Wearegoing to live together. You’re mine, remember?”

“Does that mean you’re mine?”

“I’ve been yours since I was fourteen, Cal.”

“Hmm.” She didn’t sound like she was going to argue, for the first time in ages.

“What else did you do today, other than visit my mom?” I asked, not wanting another argument to ensue.

“I went to hang out with Wren at the bookstore, actually.”

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