Page 51 of Can't Be Love

I had always had a soft spot for kids. It was clear from the looks on their faces that I had frightened them, and that certainly wasn’t my intention. I needed to do something to lighten their mood or I knew it would weigh heavily on me the rest of the day.

“Hey, I think it would be best if I knew for sure that you kids could handle yourselves out here, so I’m going to need to see your best snowball.”

They all looked at me like I was crazy, but quickly got to work making the best snowball they could and proudly showed me.

“Okay, now, I need to know you can do more than just arm yourself. I’m going to need to see those snowballs in action.”

Before I could get out anything further, three snowballs came flying my way.

“Oh yeah?” I asked. “That’s how it’s going to be? I was going to say let me see you take out Jimmy and his friends, but if that’s how you want to play, it’s on.”

I ran behind a large boulder and quickly began making snowballs. I peeked over the top only to be whacked in the face with one. Squeals of laughter sounded from all around. I lobbied a few blindly over the rock. When things started to quiet some, I took off after them, my arms loaded down as I lobbed one snowball after the other. Out of nowhere a puffin slammed into me and we collapsed to the ground.

“Get him!” one of the boys yelled as three puffins pinned me down, and the boys each chucked snowball after snowball at me. I got free and tackled two of them to the ground, tickling them as the third jumped on my back. I stood, taking all three kids with me, only to have the puffins grab hold of my legs. I made roaring sounds and walked around, probably looking much like Frankenstein, as Tulok just stood by laughing at the scene, no help whatsoever.

That’s when I felt her. My mate. I looked around and across the river stood Lily with Amka and Karis, watching us. I felt her happiness through our bond for the first time and I started hamming it up with the kids even more.

Lily

Chapter 19

Visiting with Amka and Karis was fun, but my spirits lifted and I felt happiness in a whole new way when we reached the river. They had told me it was breathtakingly beautiful, but that wasn’t it. My mate was nearby, and I was feeling him on a whole new level. It was a little similar to the first time my wolf recognized him . . .before I knew it was Thomas and things got more than a little weird.

I looked around at the natural beauty surrounding me, and directly across the river was a group of puffins playing. Judging by the man and three boys in the middle of a snowball battle with the puffins trying to join in, I assumed they were all puffin shifters.

The man’s laughter rang out across the open air and it made my entire body tingle. Thomas. I looked a little closer at the scene. They were still some distance away, but I could clearly see my mate attempting to walk with three kids on him, and dragging a couple of puffins trying to ride on his feet. It looked like such silly fun, and so unlike Thomas.

“He’s always been so wonderful with children,” Amka commented.

“He has?” I asked.

She chuckled. “Yes, child. Thomas will make a wonderful father to your pups someday.”

My pups?I thought. I tried hard to picture Thomas goofing off with our children as he was with these young boys. My image of Thomas didn’t fit that picture at all, but the obvious evidence in front of me said otherwise. That warm tingling feeling washed over my skin again.

“That, Karis, is the look of true love,” Amka told her granddaughter.

I snorted. “True love? Yeah, sure. Let’s be real, this can’t be love. That’s Thomas.”

“Thomas, the only man your heart will ever covet,” she said with certainty.

I sighed. Was it true? Was I falling in love with Thomas Collier? I let the thought sink in, waiting for the disgust to follow, but this time, it didn’t. What did that mean?

“I must be heading back now to start dinner for Tulok,” Amka said.

“Do you mind if I stay? I think I need a walk to clear my head.”

“Of course. But keep Karis with you. She knows these woods very well.”

I nodded, accepting her terms.

“What’s it like?” Karis asked dreamily as we walked along the river bank.

“What’s what like?”

“Falling in love. Feeling the call of the mating bond.”

“I don’t know how to describe it. If it was anyone else I’d say, amazing; life changing; pure happiness.”