Page 16 of Wooded Bliss

The bear takes a step towards me and my hands come up in front of me as if it’ll be enough to ward off the giant in frontof me. It won’t be. Hell, the whole scene would be comical if I weren’t stuck in the middle of it.

Just when I’m sure the bear is going to charge, I’m shocked as he sits down on his rump and chuffs. I narrow my eyes as I study the bear who seems more than happy to be sitting in front of me like a puppy.

Fucking puppy, my ass.

Even though this bear could rip me apart without a second thought, he simply sits there and takes me in. He looks me over in a way which has awareness coating my skin.

I know it doesn’t make sense, but this bear seems familiar, I just can’t figure out how or why.

As my heart rate decreases, I find myself studying the bear closer. Its coat is full and seems to shimmer under the light of the moon. Incandescent. That’s how I would describe this bear.

Well, incandescent and deadly.

What a combination.

“You’re gorgeous,” I murmur, awe filling my words even though they’re quiet. I wouldn’t want to startle the, you know, bear and all. “I bet your fur is thick, but so soft.”

I swear the bear smiles at me as he shifts closer while laying down on the ground. Laying down. On the ground.

Talk about surreal.

My hands itch to reach out and pet him, but I’m not willing to risk it.

Absently, I point over my shoulder back toward my home. I sound distracted as hell, “I should get back. I was reading a goodbook,” I blush because that’s not all I was doing, “and it’s just getting to the good part.”

I have no idea whether that’s true or not since I barely read anything and hadn’t turned a page in a while, but the bear doesn’t need to know the details. Why am I even talking to a bear in the first place?

“Thanks for not eating me,” I whisper before I start to step back, unwilling to turn my back on the wild animal.

It’s possible I imagine it, but I swear I hear the bear chuckle as I move away from him until I get to the porch and then bolt back inside the house. If I didn’t know before, I do now—it’s bedtime.

At least the bear showing up made me forget about seeing Thatcher again. Only for a little while, but I’ll take it.

CHAPTER 7

THATCHER

My hands are shaking as I stare at the small house in front of me. It’s adorable and even though I don’t know my mate very well, it screams ‘Birdie’. Maybe it’s how peaceful it looks from the outside, and how cozy I know it’ll be without even stepping inside.

It was what struck me last night when my bear took me right to her home, as if he’d always known where our mate was, when I shifted and tried to go for a run after talking to my brothers and Circe. I thought I was going to clear my head, but my bear had only one thing on his mind—our mate.

I shouldn’t have allowed him to lurk in the trees for so long. But, if I’m honest with myself, I didn’t want to leave either. It wasn’t like I could even see her, but knowing she was there wasenough for me. Getting little whiffs of her scent was enough to calm my bear and have him chuffing happily.

What I didn’t consider was her feeling something out there or, maybe, she caught a glimpse of my bear when we moved in the tree line. Either way, I was drowning in her scent from the moment she opened her back door.

Everything in me wanted to scream and tell her how dangerous it was for her to leave her house and approach the forest at night. But if she hadn’t then I wouldn’t have seen her. It was impossible to keep my bear from stepping out and showing himself to our mate. I tried to reason with him, trust me, but he wasn’t listening.

He was sure she wasn’t going to be afraid, and I was positive she was going to run away screaming. My bear was right. Honestly, after seeing her reaction, I was surprised when she didn’t try to pet him like some overgrown house pet. I have no doubt that he would have let her.

My bear is still smug as hell over her reaction.“I told you,”his growled words are filled with awed pleasure,“our mate is amazing. She was never going to be afraid of me.”

I can only roll my eyes. Just because she didn’t freak out last night doesn’t mean she’s ready to find out I’m a shifter and she’s my fated, Moon Goddess’ blessed mate. I’m not sure anyone would be ready for that kind of information, honestly.

“Stop hiding and go up and knock on the door,”my bear orders.“I want to see mate.”He takes a deep breath and mumbles petulantly,“Need to smell her.”

I sigh as I get out of my truck.“Fine, fine. Keep your fur on.”

He growls softly in warning, but I’m not afraid of the bear spirit living inside of me.“Should be afraid. I’ll make sure to tell mate that you didn’t want her.”

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