Page 26 of Hers to Call
“By keeping my bears out of trouble, and keeping humans from coming in here and starting it. I want nothing that would draw their attention, not territorial disputes, and definitely not ‘human rights’ issues. They use any excuse to confiscate land from an offending shifter party.”
“I didn’t know that,” she murmured.
“You’ve had no reason to know that, darling.”
She conceded his point and changed the subject. “I’ve been getting a few looks around town. Have you told people about us?”
He laughed. “Did you think it would take long for gossip to put us together?”
She shook her head, chagrined. It was a sport for the women in this town, her best friend included. It was inevitable for the rumors to spread. He would keep the tidbit about the bet to himself, knowing she’d feel some type of way about it.
“Besides, most of the gossip is about you helping Cole contain his bear.”
She nodded, “yeah that too. Someone even addressed me as the alpha female. It’s a little intimidating seeing as how I still don’t know if I can be your mate.”
“I’m a patient man.”
She smiled dreamily. “I’ve noticed that about you.”
“Is that why you haven’t invited me over in a few days? The mating?”
“It has given me pause,” she admitted. “But I’ve missed you.”
He smiled and kissed the palm of her hand. She sighed in pleasure.
“I’m an alpha of a clan of bears. Trust me, waiting on my mate is nothing.”
“What does that mean?”
He chuckled. “You’ve said it yourself. Bears are slow, in everything. You can’t rush them, so believe me when I tell you dealing with a whole clan of them requires the upmost patience and tolerance.”
“Well, I appreciate your patience.”
He crooked his finger and she leaned in. He kissed her, unable to take another moment next to her without tasting her.
“Will you stay the night?” She whispered.
His bear banged against his subconscious and he purred, in total agreement with the animal. “For you, anything.”
He finished off his dinner, enjoying the conversation with Calita. She let him do most of the talking which he was sure was strategic, but he let it happen. Until she was more comfortable with him, what more could he do? She brought out the most amazing cheesecake and watched him with happiness in her eyes as he devoured it.
She handed him the key to her room. “It will take me a couple of hours to be finished, but…wait for me?”
She had no idea how much she already had him wrapped around her fingers. Wait for her? He nearly laughed. She could ask anything of him and he’d probably say yes.
“Babe, without question.” He gripped her chin and held her still for his questing tongue.
He backed away quickly, knowing he’d already stretched his bear’s patience as far as it would tolerate. He left the kitchen, happy when he ran into Selena on the way out the door to his truck.
“Hey, Calita said she was almost hit with something falling off your roof. Do you know anything about that?”
Selena frowned, putting her hands on her hips. “Off the roof of the diner or the hotel?”
“The diner.”
She shook her head. “I hadn’t heard anything, but I’ll look into it.”
He thanked her and headed out to his truck. Anika had given him a box of candles that Calita had left after her ordeal with the young cub. He took them up to her room and set them up. He’d light them when she came home.
