Page 30 of The Bear's Forever Mat
Strange question. “Pretty much. I’m probably in better shape than you considering I got to ride a sled today instead of running my ass off.”
Alex shook his head. “That’s not what I’m asking. How’s your bear? I did some research about the mating bond after I was stupid and nearly messed things up with Lara. I ended up following a rabbit trail that led me to some information that’s kind of worrisome. I didn’t mention it before because I hoped we’d find Mason right away and things would be done, but it looks as if you’ve still got a long journey ahead of you.”
Cooper considered. That electric itch was still there under his skin. That was the only thing that seemed out of the norm. “My bear side has his reasons for holding off on mating. I can’t fault him for that, and we’re dealing with it as quickly as possible.”
His brother lowered his voice. “Just be careful. From what I read, when it’s the shifter holding back and it goes on for too long, one of two things can happen. Either he’ll end up taking total control, or you’ll have to. Permanently.”
Dear God. “Do you mean to say—?”
“If you don’t finish the mating bond in time, you could get stuck as a bear. Or you could end up as a human, never able to shift again. And the longer you wait, the less choice you’ll have in which it will be.”
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13
The evening passed in a blur, and Amber found herself smiling an extraordinary amount.
There was food and drink and dancing. A few members of the Orion wolf pack seemed intent on doing all three at the same time, which meant it was dangerous out on the dance floor.
Her friends were there, and the laughter and warmth of the time was made better because Kaylee and Lara were happy as well. They each took turns dancing with their mates, and the adoring expressions on James’s and Alex’s faces as they stared at their partners made every bit of hopefulness in Amber’s heart flare.
When it was her turn to be in Cooper’s arms, it was one step shy of perfect.
She sighed happily and rested her cheek against his chest as he guided her around the floor.
“For a small person, you can make an awful lot of noise,” Cooper teased.
She glanced up and grinned. “I thought that was something you liked about me. How noisy I am.”
Hunger flashed in his eyes, and the next thing she knew, they were leaving the gathering hall. She was draped over his shoulder, her face hot as could be, but in spite of the catcalls chasing after them, she didn’t care.
She cared even less when he quickly found the room they’d been given, stripped off her clothing, and proceeded to tenderly make love to her.
When they were done, both still breathing heavily, Cooper curled himself around her and held her tight. Stroking her hair and petting her as if he couldn’t get enough.
“Are you really ready to head into the wilderness? Just the two of us?” he asked quietly.
Amber rolled in his arms, looking up into the shiny depths of his deep blue eyes. “There are parts of it that scare me, but not the fact that we’ll be together. And I feel it—this sense that everything we need is just around the corner. I’m not going to give up on us, Cooper.”
“I’m not going to, either. There is nothing that can stop me from being with you forever. I don’t care what it takes, or what sacrifices have to be made, wewillbe together.”
She kept the smile mostly off her lips. He sounded so dramatic in that moment, a far cry from the logical and step-by-step lawyer she’d been around for so many months. “Let’s try to avoid the sacrifice bit, okay? And just so we’re clear, yes, I know how to drive a skidoo. Another thing I learned living with my foster parents.”
Cooper leaned up on an elbow. “They sound as if they were pretty amazing.”
“Areamazing.” She nodded decisively. “As soon as we find Mason, he’ll be able to tell us more. I don’t think they’re gone for good, I really don’t.”
His grin was bright and happy. “You’re such an optimist. It’s a good trait. To look for the hope. To feel as if things will turn out okay.”
She dragged her fingers down his chest slowly, teasing and touching because she could. “Toknowthings will turn out okay.” She arched a brow and looked at him questioningly. “Do you know how to drive a sled?”
He nodded.
A sneaking suspicion slipped in. “Grandmother Laureen?”
“But of course. Grandfather, too, but he usually ran along in his bear form while she used the sled. We used to do slalom races against her, and more than half the time, we’d lose—that woman is fearless.”
Cooper kept talking late into the night, sharing stories about his family and his grandparents. Times with his brothers when they made mischief and all the times they’d spent learning together.
