Page 22 of Burned By My Mate

We’re silent for a few moments, and then Logan clears his throat. He looks worried, and I’m instantly on high alert.

“What is it?” I ask him, and he looks away.

“I need to talk to you, to tell you something,” he says slowly, and I shift, moving to the edge of my seat.

“Okay…about what?”

My imagination takes over, and I’m suddenly thinking of worst-case scenarios. Did something else happen?

Logan takes a deep breath, and I hold my own breath as I wait for him to tell me what’s going on.

“I’m not human, Emerson.”

I blink. “What?”

He doesn’t move. Doesn’t flinch. Just holds my gaze, his blue eyesburning.

“I’m a shifter,” he says. “A bear shifter.”

My pulsestumbles. The words don’t make sense. Theycan’tmake sense, but something about the way he says it—socertain, sounshakable—makes my skinprickle. I swallow hard.

“What?” I ask, trying to understand what he’s telling me.

“I’m a shifter. I can change between being a human and a bear at will.”

I search his face, looking for any sign that he’s pranking or messing with me, but there’s nothing.

“You’re joking.”

“I’m not.”

I let out ashaky laugh.“That’s…shifters aren’t real, Logan.”

He scoots even closer, his presenceoverwhelming.

“They are,” he says. “I am one.”

I shake my head. “That’s?—”

“I’ll show you,” he says firmly.

“Show me wha?—”

Before I can finish, hemoves. He stands and starts to take off his clothes. My mouth drops open, and I stare in shock as he pulls his shirt off and then reaches for the button on his pants. I slap my hands over my eyes then.

“You have to look,” he says, and I snort.

“Is this some elaborate way for you to hit on me?” I ask him.

“No, well, not really.”

“Not really?!?”

“I’ll explain, but I need you to believe me about me being a bear shifter first. Please. Just look.”

I peel my hands away from my eyes and open them, taking in all of Logan.

“Jesus, you’re big,” I whisper, and he coughs out a laugh.

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