Page 29 of Burned By My Mate

My bear is celebrating inside of me. We’re one step closer to having our fated mate.

We head into the diner and take a seat at a table in the back, away from the other people. I pass Emerson a menu and watch her as she scans it for something good to eat.

“Do you have any other questions about…” I trail off, looking around the diner to see if anyone is close enough to hear us.

“A ton, but is it safe?” She whispers.

“Maybe we should wait until we get home.”

She nods, and the waitress comes over to take our order. We both get burgers and a coke. Once the waitress is gone, Emerson turns to me.

“Tell me about yourself.”

“Like what?”

“Where are you from? Why did you become a firefighter? Where’s your family? Any siblings?”

“I’m from Montana, but I moved to Twisted Oak a year ago. I needed a change of scenery.”

She nods, and I go on.

“I became a firefighter because I wanted to help out my old pack. My dad was a firefighter, too. He passed in a fire when I was sixteen. My mom died two years ago, and after that… it just didn’t feel like home anymore.”

She nods, looking somber.

“I’m sorry, Logan.”

I nod and the waitress comes back then to drop off our drinks.

“No siblings?” she asks, and I shake my head.

“Only child. What about you?”

“Same.”

“How did you become an artist?” I ask her as we wait for our food.

“I’ve always loved drawing and being creative. I was a bit of a daydreamer, even more so when I was younger. Once my parents were gone, I guess I kind of escaped into my head. Art became an outlet. When I realized that I could make a living off of it, I was all in.”

I smile at that, and the waitress comes over to drop off our burgers. We both dig in and make small talk as we eat. She asks me about the town, about my hobbies, about places that I’ve been.

After we finish eating, I pay the bill and take her hand as we head back to my Jeep. The sun is starting to set and the mating heat is growing with every passing second.

We need to bite her,my bear growls.

I ignore him and drive us home. My bear and I sniff the air as soon as we get out of the Jeep. There’s nothing, though. I still scan the tree line for any sign of movement as I go to get Emerson’s door for her.

“Tell me about shifters and the culture. The rules,” she says as soon as we walk inside.

“We’re like humans, but we can turn into animals.”

“Does it hurt?”

“No.”

“And you can do it at will?”

“Yep.”

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