Page 49 of The Bear's Forever Mat
Alex and Lara had decided to take her wolves and a sled and do the journey in reverse to gather any supplies Cooper and Amber had abandoned on the trip north. Traveling with four of them in wolf or bear form, and one in human meant they could take turns and complete the trip in only a few days.
Alex grinned at Cooper when he paced over to say farewell. “Lara got a straight answer out of Dixon. He came up with the stowaway gig because the couple of guys with him don’t do well without Alpha supervision. There was talk of over-the-top mischief. Lara is going to run the rebellion out of them.”
“Makes sense.” Cooper frowned. “But now I’m curious. Whohasbeen in charge while you and Lara were here?”
“Auntie Amethyst,” Alex said with a laugh. “She was delighted to do it. Other than a few problem children, I’m sure she’s having the time of her life bossing them all around.”
Cooper could see that. “Thanks for grabbing our stuff.”
His brother examined him carefully. “You seem solid. How’s the situation between you and Amber?”
“Great. It’s not exactly what I expected, but there’s something uniquely ours about this mating.”
Alex hesitated. “And your bear is fine?”
Good grief. “He’s never been better. He’s constantly taunting me with the fact he can talk to Amber, and I can’t.”
“That’s so weird,” Alex said. “But like you said, it seems to be just how it works for you two.”
Cooper wrapped Alex in a huge bro hug, pounding between his shoulder blades firmly before letting him go. “We’ll see you back in Yellowknife.” Then he caught Amber up in his arms and carried her to the plane, her laughing eyes his strongest memory from the journey home.
Now it was New Year’s Eve, and the entire family had gathered at Grandmother and Grandfather’s for the dual celebration. They would ring in the new year as a family, but they were also toasting Grandfather’s eighty-fifth birthday.
Giles Borealis sat at the head of the table, glass of whiskey beside him and a contented smile on his face. “You’ve done me proud, boys. Never dreamed what a blessing it would be to have this day come. You’ve more than made this old man happy, and you deserve every bit of goodness coming your way.”
He indicated the slim envelopes beside each of their plates, which Cooper assumed contained the specifics of the new ownership of Borealis Gems. He really didn’t need to open it right now.
He already had the biggest reward in his life—his mate.
Alex’s phone went off as a Facetime call came in from their parents, and the whole family gathered around to talk to Giles Jr. and Glenda Borealis. Gentle teases and excited good wishes were all part of it.
Cooper stepped back and let his brothers do the majority of the talking.
When the visit was over, he glanced across the room and discovered his grandmother smiling at him with approval.
He went and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I love you, Gram.”
“I love you too, sweetie.”
Everyone else in the room was still busy chatting, and it felt appropriate to ask, all things considered. “You sent me the ring for Amber, didn’t you? I thought I recognized it.”
Grandma Laureen nodded, her soft smile shining on her face. “I wasn’t sure your mating would go exactly the way it did with Giles and myself, but having the support of family made a difference. Plus, a ring is a human bit of tradition, and I wasn’t sure you’d remember that little detail.”
He’d never even thought about his grandparents’ mating other than knowing that humans and polar bears could successfully be together for a long time. “Grandma, not to be impolite, but can you and Grandfather talk to each other like mated shifters?”
She glanced across the room, her bright gaze dancing over his grandfather. Giles was laughing with Amber as she tried unsuccessfully to blow out what had to be a trick candle on his cake.
Suddenly Grandfather Giles looked up, turning his attention toward his mate then fixing a stare on Cooper. “Don’t know why you never asked me,” he shouted across the distance. “Young whippersnappers.”
Which answered that question. Sort of.
Grandma Laureen raised a brow. “We have our ways,” she said mysteriously.
Suspicion rose as he eyed her back. “That wasn’t an answer.”
“You’re smart enough to figure it out,” she said with a wink. Then she rose and joined Kaylee and Lara, who were pulling out a box from behind the couch.
Oh.
