Page 48 of Fearless Bond

“Can you tell me what happened to make you so scared?” he asked when we were cuddled up on the sofa.

“I talked to Laure. My father and Damian are coming for me.”

He clenched his jaw. “Let them find us. I’ll sort it out with them for good.”

“They could be dangerous, Barclay.”

He smirked, but his eyebrows remained scrunched up together. He looked sinister when he did that. “More dangerous than me?”

“In a different way. They have money and connections.”

“We’re mates, Calvin. As a shifter’s fated, you’re protected by law. They can’t lay a pinkie on you unless they want to spend the night in jail.”

I wanted to believe it. That my father wouldn’t want to hurt his own grandchild. That once Damian found out that I was mated to a bear shifter, he’d leave me be.

Except I knew them both too well. Damian Hart had never given up easily. And my father would never change a course of action unless he thought it was his own genius idea.

“We’ll have to confront them sooner or later,” Barclay said. He stroked my hair with tender fingers, searching my face with his kind eyes. “We need to tell your father that you’re with me.”

“It seems so easy now when I’m in your lap. I’m not scared when I’m with you. But as soon as you go a few yards away from me, I lose it. I’m weak.”

Barclay glared. “You’re most definitely not. What you did, breaking up with Damian and walking away, was brave as hell. And how you fought to stay alive in the freezing forest… You’re much stronger than you think, my sweetheart. But I’ll be here to protect you when you feel weak and afraid. Always.”

I laid my head on Barclay’s round shoulder. “I don’t want to see them at all. I want them to disappear.”

“Once we’ve dealt with them, it’ll be just you and me.”

Forever.

I would live here with Barclay for the rest of my life.

The forest behind the glass wall was completely white, with snow sticking to the tree trunks on one side. The birches were covered in sparkly fluff all the way to the thinnest top branches. I tried to imagine it green in the spring or dark with rain in the fall. Maybe I was still hazy and hungover after my breakdown, but it seemed like the most beautiful place in the entire world. I’d never even seen the actual town, but in my head, Beauville was a quaint and cozy cluster of log cabins, with just one local grocer, a pub, and one church tower sticking above the low roofs. Everybody knew everybody, and they were nice to each other because the mountains taught them they needed to help eachother to survive… I needed to see the town for myself, but I had already decided I would love it.

“How does it look in the summer?” I asked.

Barclay hummed, combing his fingers through my hair. “Lovely. The forest is full of blueberries. I’ll make you a pie when they’re ripe. And there’s nothing quite like a meadow in bloom. We’ll hike above the tree line, and I’ll show you Beauville from above. We’ll pick mushrooms and go fishing.”

I smiled. The picture he painted seemed like a dream. I saw myself walking over a blooming meadow, holding Barclay’s hand. I carried a basket full of berries, and of course, my stomach was round with Barclay’s baby. The sun shone from a clear blue sky, and the mountain peaks rose around us in quiet glory.

A scary thought smacked me in the face. If I were to live here, I’d need to find a job.

“Barclay, is there a daycare in Beauville?”

“Sure. It’s tiny but growing.”

“Do you know the manager?”

“Phil runs it. I wouldn’t call him a manager exactly. He’s more like everybody’s uncle. His alpha is our sheriff. What? Are you already worrying about where our little one will go? He’s not even peanut-sized yet. I think we’ve got time before we entrust anyone with him.”

“I didn’t mean that. But do you think they’ll be hiring anytime soon? I could do an internship there and… I don’t know. I only have nine months, right? But…”

My heartrate picked up a little. What if Barclay wanted me to stay at home? He stared at me with concern.God. With me being pregnant and mated through some of that inexplicable shifter magic, he had power over me. First Father, then Damian… now Barclay.

The power Barclay wielded was much greater. He held my life in his hands.

“Will you let me work?” I blurted. My cheeks heated.

Barclay’s smile looked sad. “You never have to ask if I willletyou do something, Calvin. You can do whatever makes you happy, and I’ll support you with everything I have because I love you.” He petted my cheek, his eyes warm and kind. “But one step at a time, okay?”

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