Page 17 of The Bear's Blooming Mate

Not yet,his bear added smugly.But soon.

“Semantics.” Leanne waved her hand dismissively. “Fate has spoken. She’s yours, you’re hers. The rest is just...formalities.”

Hugo chuckled. “Your mother has always been a romantic.”

“And you’ve always pretended not to be,” Leanne countered with a fond smile.

“Well, at least when Philip has found this spring at the Old Larson place and Elsbeth has grown her flowers, I’ll know where to go for the perfect bouquet for my wife.” He caught hold of her hand and kissed it.

Philip watched his parents’ easy banter, the way they moved in perfect harmony even after so many years together. This was what being mates meant. This enduring connection.

It was what awaited him with Elsbeth, if he could just be patient enough to let it unfold naturally.

“I think I’ll turn in early,” Philip said, finishing the last bite of his dinner. “Tomorrow’s going to be a big day.”

“Of course it is,” Leanne agreed, standing to take his empty plate. She pressed a kiss to the top of his head as she passed. “Sleep well, my son.”

“I’ll try.” But as Philip climbed the stairs to his bedroom, exhaustion and excitement battled within him. He’d barely closed his door before his bear was pacing restlessly inside him.

We should go back tonight,his bear insisted.Just to check on her.

You mean to check she’s real?Philip said.

His bear huffed.The longer we are apart, the more I begin to worry that it was all a dream.

Then let’s go.

Philip headed back downstairs and out of the front door, avoiding the kitchen, not wanting to talk to anyone. All he wanted was to run on four paws to the Old Larson place and bask in the nearness of their mate.

As he closed the door behind him, he shifted, the air crackling and popping as he let go of the world. An instant later, his bear took his place and ran through the vineyard, the vines a blur as he dodged between the neat rows. The night welcomed him like an old friend, the darkness no barrier to his keen vision. His paws barely touched the ground as he raced, each powerful stride carrying him closer to her.

The vineyard gave way to forest as he climbed higher into the mountains, taking the most direct route to the Old Larson place. Pine needles cushioned his steps, branches parting as if making way for his urgent journey. The forest itself seemed to whisper encouragement, the rustling leaves urging him onward.

Go to her,they seemed to say.Run, bear, run.

His heart thundered in his chest, matching the rhythm of his pounding paws. The cool night air filled his lungs as he ran faster than he had in years, perhaps faster than he ever had before. This was no casual lope through familiar territory. This was purpose. This was destiny.

As he crested the final ridge, her presence hit him like a physical force. Elsbeth. His mate. The recognition surged through him, primal and undeniable. He pushed harder, muscles burning with exertion, lungs heaving.

The trees thinned, revealing the moonlit expanse of the Old Larson place. Her property. Their future. He slowed at the edge of the wild meadow, suddenly conscious of his thundering heart and labored breathing. He needed to calm himself, to savor this moment.

Philip’s bear moved with deliberate steps now, crossing through knee-high grasses and wildflowers that bent gently beneath his weight. Bachelor’s buttons and forget-me-nots brushed against his fur as he padded forward.

The farmhouse stood silhouetted against the starry sky, a single light glowing from an upstairs window. Her window. He knew without question which room held his mate. He could feel her presence like a beacon calling him home.

He stopped in the middle of the field, sitting back on his haunches, content for now just to be near her. To stand guard over her dreams. To breathe the same air.

Movement caught his attention as the curtain shifted. His breath caught as Elsbeth appeared at the window, her silhouette framed by the soft light behind her. She was looking directly at him.

Their eyes met across the moonlit field, and in that moment, Philip knew with bone-deep certainty that she felt it, too.

The connection.

The pull.

The mate bond that hummed between them like a living thing.

A profound calm washed over him as the curtain slowly slid back into place.

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