Page 45 of Coveted By The Bear

“What does that mean, though? The Barvale Clan has no Soldiers,” she said, surprising me.

But it shouldn’t have been a surprise to learn my mate listened when others talked. She was so smart. Bright and beautiful.

Capable.

Talented.

Sexy ass woman.

“Clans who go to war often have Soldiers. Bear Shifters whose only purpose is to fight. That was me,” I murmured, hating that it was the truth.

“I was big. Strong. Tiegs, my ex-Alpha, used that to his advantage. I owed him because I was orphaned young, and he was burdened with raising me,” I explained.

“Orphaned? What happened?” Hope asked, leaning closer and holding my hand.

It had been so long since I thought of them. My parents. The terrible accident that took them away and left me alive but alone.

So alone. Until now.

“That wasn’t on you. I never met him, but Tiegs sounds like an asshole,” she said, wiping at her tears.

Sweet, softhearted mate.

“Thank you,” I murmured. “No one has ever said that to me before. Um, I guess you’re right. I mean, it was an accident. But anyway, Tiegs liked having my muscle at his beck and call. Then, one day a few weeks ago, he ordered me to mate a Sow from another Clan.”

I watched as Hope’s face went pale. She pressed her open palm against her heart.

“Y-you have another mate?”

“What? No!” I told her, trying to explain. “No. I refused to mate her. I knew she wasn’t mine, and Bear went fucking ballistic. I couldn’t go through with it. That’s why those two Shifters came after me, and you. It’s all my fault,” I said.

“I don’t understand,” she said.

“Shit. I’m fucking this up. I’m not—I am not the kind of guy you deserve, Hope. I’m shit. I mean, I just walked away. Left that female to deal with her people while I got banished from mine. I brought the attention of monsters on the Clan here, on you. Daniel and Marcus were well within their rights to want to banish me,” I blurted.

“Hey! Stop it! I won’t hear another word out of your mouth like that,” she snarled, and I froze.

“I’m just trying to tell you, so you know who I am.”

“No. You’re trying to scare me with this bullshit, Miles. And I won’t have it. What happened to you as a child? It sucked. I am so sorry for your loss. But your Alpha should have offered you comfort and care. Not trained you to be his weapon. You didn’t deserve that and fuck him for doing that to you,” she said, and she was gorgeous all fired up on my behalf.

“Maybe. But Zara, that was the female he wanted me to mate, she didn’t deserve to be tossed aside, either.”

“Maybe not. But tell me something, did you care for her? At all?”

“No. I mean, I respected her. I only saw her a handful of times. But I never desired her. And I couldn’t bind myself to someone I did not belong to.”

“Arranged matings sound fucked up. I’m glad you were brave enough to say no,” Hope murmured, and her voice was shaky. “Do you know what happened to her? To Zara?”

I shook my head.

“No. But I gave her my cell number and asked her to send me a sign when she got somewhere safe,” I whispered.

“That’s good. You are so good, Miles. And while I hate what those two Clans tried to force the two of you to do, I can only be grateful it brought you to me. I love you, Mate.”

I gasped, hardly noticing the wetness on my cheeks until she cupped my face and wiped my tears away.

“I love you,” she said again, dipping her head and claiming my mouth.

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