Page 33 of Destined Bear
Is this what I think it is?
“Do you feel that?” He brushes the hair out of my face, and through his fingertips, I realize our hearts beat in tandem. Emeric draws closer to me, and I find myself closing the remaining space between us. Again, the lights flicker, confirming what I already suspected.
“Why now? After so long?” He’s disgruntled. Like me, he doesn’t understand why it’s taken this long for our mate bond to snap into place. Maybe if it had sooner, we could have avoided all the trouble, the heartache, the years apart…
“Maybe the fates were testing our endurance,” I suggest, but even as I say the words aloud, they sound hollow.
When he pulls away, it’s as if he needs to do it by force. His eyes speak volumes, and I know what he’s going to say before he says it.
“I love you.”
Instinctively, I want to say it back to him, but the words won’t come out.
I’m still not sure if I can trust him to always support me when it matters.
We’re fated mates, though. A chance like this will never come again in my lifetime.
And most importantly, it’s the truth. I do love him.
The bond has taken my existing love and made it all-encompassing. I can’t fight something this powerful.
“I love you, too.”
Now, I just need to learn to trust him.
CHAPTER 10
EMERIC
Even hours later, the mate bond thrums between us as we enter the full packhouse. Part of me wants to pull Vivienne back to somewhere private, to explore what this means for us.
But now is not the time.
There’s an odd tension in the packhouse that I don’t like. It feels as though everyone is looking at us sideways. I don’t have time to gauge the pack’s mood right now, but it’s clear everyone can sense the mate bond radiating off us.
Alessa’s eyes dart between us with a knowing smirk. “Well, well. Look what finally happened. About damn time you two?—”
“Not now, Alessa.” My warning immediately silences her. We have more urgent business to deal with. “Where is she?”
Alessa and Sabo both nod toward the stairs.
“She’s downstairs. In the cells.” Alessa waves her hand dismissively. “And she isn’t happy.”
“Good.” I wave at Vivienne to follow me. The rest of the enforcers start to join, but I signal for them to remain upstairs. “Just us for now.”
Even Vivienne appears surprised by this and frowns slightly. “Just me?”
The enforcers exchange a look, but I don’t acknowledge their discontent.
“That wasn’t a smart move,” Vivienne warns when we are out of earshot. “They’re going to be upset.”
“It’s my call, and I only want you with me.”
Vivienne sighs heavily. “This is the problem, Emeric. You don’t listen to good advice.”
We don’t have time to pursue the conversation more, and I’m glad. I don’t need her to tell me how to run my pack. I’m getting a little sick of everyone trying to tell me what to do.
Seline hisses at us from behind the bars of her cell, her fangs elongated, but still in her human form.
