Page 33 of Coveted By The Bear

My animal was a fucking monster. Trained in battle. A Soldier since before I could legally drive, But one night with my mate and she’d tamed the beast.

“Quite the response for a little yard work,” I said, but I could feel my face stretching as I held her in my arms and kissed the top of her head.

“It’s more than that and you know it,” she replied, and kissed the spot over my chest that was thudding with the force of my pounding heart.

That under used muscle was pounding heavily against my breastbone and I wondered if maybe it would break right on through at the rate it was going.

I was all in now.

Might as well tell her how I feel.

“You know, I’d do anything for you, right? Like anything at all.”

“I would do that for you, too,” she whispered, warming me from the inside out.

Truth.

“Come on, before it gets cold,” I said, nudging her into her seat.

“Mmm. Smells good,” she said, looking at the platters of eggs, bacon, toast, and sliced fruit.

I waited for her to make her choices before I loaded my own plate.

“I swear, if I ate like you, I’d be big as a house,” she said with a giggle.

Fuck, she was cute.

“Shifters burn through a lot of calories. I have to eat a lot to keep up with the demands of both my forms.”

“I see. So your Bear. Is he independent of you?” she asked, frowning adorably.

“Shifters are dual-natured. I am the Bear, and he is me. We’re two sides of the same soul. But yeah, sometimes he has autonomous thoughts and feelings.”

“Oh,” she replied, and bit into a slice of melon.

My attention was held captive by the thoughtful way she chewed and how her lips pressed together as she ate. So much so, I almost missed her next question.

“So, what does Bear think of me?”

“Bear? You named him?” I grinned at her blush.

“You know what I mean, Miles,” she said my name and rolled her eyes playfully.

Hoped averted her gaze and gnawed her lower lip. The scent of her embarrassment made me frown. I meant it as a tease, but I wasn’t making fun of her.

I needed her to know that. So, I took her hand in mine, giving it a tug until she looked at me.

“Hey, you can call me or Bear anything you like. And if you want to know I will tell you how Bear feels about you, Hope,” I said, holding her gaze.

“Yes?”

“Bear loves you. I love you, too. Mate. Mine,” I whispered reverently, and pulled her up out of her chair so she could straddle my legs.

“You didn’t eat,” she said.

“I’m about to,” I growled.

I lifted her by the waist and sat her down on the table, pushing the dishes back at the same time. Dropping to my knees, I slid my hands up her thighs, smoothing that long skirt all the way to her hips.

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