Page 47 of Ash

Suzannah yawned and his bear stretched his jaws wide open in a sympathetic gesture.

Ash had to fight back his own yawn as she continued talking to him.

"Then I climbed back into bed and closed my eyes," she lifted a hand and set it on his chest, "only to hear a voice that soundslike your bear inside my head." She leaned forward and her forehead touched his shoulder. "It's interesting, but it's hard to sleep with a deep, rumbling voice in my head."

Ash felt jealousy flood his senses.

She was hearing his bear?

She hears me, human.

Suzannah chuckled, but since she was still leaning against him with her forehead on his shoulder, he couldn't see her.

"It's so strange," she murmured. "If I ever had to talk to a therapist and they asked me if I hear voices, I'd have to say yes. But how would they react if I told them there was a bear talking in my head?"

Ash didn't respond in words. He leaned closer, breathing in the scent of her hair and her skin. He rubbed her back gently through the blanket she had wrapped around her.

"I guess for you," she tipped her head back, "it's something you're used to."

Being this close to her, feeling her warmth, listening to her sleepy voice brought to mind other things, but he fought back those thoughts, choosing to focus on the woman standing before him.

Our mate.

She hummed and he knew that she'd heard his bear again.

"This mate thing..."

His body tensed and he wondered if she'd sensed the things he'd been thinking of.

"What exactly are we talking about?"

She shifted slightly, tilting her head back until he could see directly into her eyes.

He'd never seen such a beautiful sight.

He didn't want to see fear in those eyes.

Suzannah narrowed her eyes at him. "What's going on in your head, Ash?"

He turned his attention inward, wondering what his bear was going to say in response.

But his bear remained silent.

Ash pressed his lips together in a thin line.

"Ash?"

He managed a smile. "I was hoping that my bear might have something to say."

She smiled. "And he's keeping mum."

Ash nodded. "The big coward."

A flash of frustration rushed at him and Ash steeled himself for the impact, but it eased back and he felt his bear's mortification.

He looked at Suzannah. "He's sorry about that."

She nodded. "I felt that, too."

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