Page 44 of Cowboy Bear's Hope

I already loved the little girl like she was mine.

Sweet, adorable cub.

I loved watching how Avery was with her. She was so good and patient. Protective and loving.

Everything a mother should be.

“My Bear has already claimed the cub. She’s mine regardless of who her sperm donor was,” I said.

Max leveled me with a look I was certain meant we were about to throw down and I tensed, readying for it.

My senses were on high alert, and I was well aware of the men surrounding us. The wind shifted, a low fog settling over the snow riddled ground. There was a bitter bite to the air that cut through clothes and made even Shifters shiver.

The Crew was listening, watching us. But none interfered.

Then, suddenly, Max’s mien shifted from one of deliberation to something else.

A smirk appeared on the side of his face, and he held out his hand, surprising everyone, but none more than me.

“Good for you, Dante. I’m sure you won’t let either of them down,” he said as I shook his hand.

I paused a second before dipping my chin at his comment.

“I won’t. I’ll do everything in my power to make Avery and Rosie happy and to keep them safe.”

Max’s lips curved into a faint smile, and he gave me a single nod of approval.

“Good,” he said simply. “Then I’ll trust you to handle it.”

I dipped my chin in acknowledgment, silently promising that I would.

Avery deserved nothing less.

“Well, then, congratulations, Dante. Consider your mate and her young a part of the Crew.”

“Oh great. Yogi gets a family! Can we address the fact that I am covered in shit because of this guy?” Kian barked.

“Right,” Max said, “I suggest you go hose that off before it gets stuck on there permanently.”

I snorted, as did some of the other fellas, while Max walked away, shaking his head.

“Well, if there’s one thing about this ranch that’s true,” Emmet said after a minute, “it sure as shit never gets boring.”

“Agreed,” Zeke called out.

“Again with the shit? Fuck, Jed! That’s cold!” Kian yelled from around the side of the pen where Jed was hosing him off.

“The filtration system is back online. Let’s move these old girls inside,” I said, fighting the urge to grin and losing.

We worked together to move the small herd inside the barn just like we’d been doing for months now, and everything went smoothly as could be.

Except for Kian, who’s zipper froze shut after being drenched by the hose.

Idiotic Bull wound up having to shift just to get out of his clothes, which really, he should have done in the first place.

I mean, why did he even care about cow shit when he was one?

Those were musings better suited to another day. I had more important things to do. Like get back to my mate and cub.

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