Page 79 of Cowboy Bear's Hope

And I suppose it was lucky that I was there, too. I shuddered to think at what might have occurred if Rosie had shifted and hurt someone by accident.

A vision of Avery covered in blood popped into my brain all of a sudden, and I shoved it away.

No!

It had happened before where a human parent found themselves with a Shifter child to raise. Unfortunately, if the first Change was a surprise, sometimes people got hurt. It was no one’s fault, but tragedies did occur. Casualties, too.

Fuck.

That didn’t happen here, thank fuck.

And it wouldn’t.

Because I wouldn’t fucking let it.

My Grizzly Bear chuffed and snorted inside me. The animal was proud as fuck of Rosie. She did so well out in the woods tonight. Even more amazing was the fact we seemed to share a bond.

Usually that only happened with mated pairs, or Shifters of the same bloodline, or pledged to the same Clan, or in this case, Crew.

Rosie was none of those things. But she was mine. My cub. That was how the Bear saw her, so maybe it wasn’t that unusual after all.

Through our bond, we were able to communicate. To talk to one another, and Lord have mercy, could that child talk.

I grinned as memories of the thousand questions my curious little cub had asked when we were out in our fur.

She was such a smart little girl. And she was going to be an even more amazing adult.

I just hoped Avery was going to let me stick around to be a part of it.

Please don’t leave me.

Chasing her upstairs and begging her to stay was on the tip of my tongue, but I forced myself to wait for her in our bedroom.

I heard Avery closing Rosie’s door, and I braced myself.

This was it. Time to face the music.

I sucked in a breath, trying to settle the Bear and ease the tightness in my chest, but all that came out was a shaky rattle of a growl.

“She’s sound asleep,” Avery’s soft voice reached my ears, and I opened my eyes to see her standing in the doorway.

Goddamn.

My heart seized in my chest, and for once, the Bear shut the hell up. We just stood there, frozen, soaking her in.

She looked so good.

Better than good.

Her hair was soft, falling in gentle waves around her shoulders like she’d stepped out of some dream I hadn’t realized I’d been having my entire life.

And her eyes.

Goddamn.

Those light brown eyes of hers sparkled like sunlight streaming through the forest in summertime, catching on the leaves, and dancing across the ground.

Pure gold.

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