Page 5 of Hot For Her Bear

Dasha tensed. Her breath caught at the sound of a throaty laugh amongst the greetings from her family.

Saffron.

Dasha’s breath escaped her. She took her time lathering up the soap on her hands. She focused on cleaning beneath her nails. She wasn’t sure how she had so much stuff underneath them.

The door opened, and a new scent drifted across to her. Dasha snapped her attention to the door to see a gorgeous brunette standing there.

“Hey, Dasha,” Saffron said, her gaze meeting Dasha’s.

Every ounce of air in Dasha’s lungs rushed out of her. She froze, taking in Saffron. The woman was dressed in a short cotton dress. It was white with black stripes, with only one shoulder and a belt that showed off her narrowed waist and wide hips. Her hair was pulled up in a messy knot on top of her head, and her toes were showcased by her black sandals.

Dasha’s lungs screamed for her to breathe. She blinked and inhaled and the scent that greeted her, sending her bear into a frenzy.

Mate.

Dasha took a step back, almost forgetting she was in the midst of washing her hands. Turning back to the sink, she flicked the water off.

“Hey.” That was all Dasha would muster.

“I was just going put these in the fridge.” Saffron held up two bottles of wine. Her killer-watt smile lit up her face. “I figured I should bring something. That’s why I’m late. Cheap wine is better than no wine.”

Saffron, unaware of the affect she had on Dasha, breezed past her and walked over to the fridge. She opened it and placed the two bottles in it before shutting it.

“Are you okay?” Saffron asked, a frown forming on her face. She reversed slowly toward the door, stopping inches from Dasha.

Dasha immediately kicked herself. She was doing it again—being awkward. She was still in shock by what her bear had growled. Could it be? Was Saffron her mate?

“Um, yeah. I’m fine.” Dasha spun around and inwardly winced. Her voice had grown gruff. She snagged a drying towel to wipe her hands. She picked up on the sound of Saffron’s footsteps heading toward the door. Once it shut, Dasha dared to glance in that direction. She tossed the towel down on the counter and leaned back against it, sinking her face into her hands.

Heavens above, was Saffron her mate?

Mate,her bear growled again.

This just couldn’t be.

Saffron ambled alongside Pola, enjoying the fresh air and the nature. After dinner, they had decided to walk off some of their meal. The Primes owned a nice piece of land that had a path through the woods they owned. Mr. Prime had even outfitted it with little solar lights that lit up at night. The sun was almost down, and dusk was upon them. The sounds of the wild echoed around them.

“It was good seeing your parents, and your brother is still a goofball.” Saffron chuckled.

Dinner had been interesting. Pola’s parents had been the same welcoming bears as always. They never made her feel different being the only human. Lurton was a town where humans and shifters lived in harmony. That was one of the many reasons why she had decided to move home.

“That he is. I swear sometimes I think I was adopted.” Pola chuckled.

“What?” Saffron laughed.

Her friend smiled and shook her head. “Just think about it. Junior is so outgoing, silly, and thrives on attention. My sister, on the other hand, is quiet, antisocial, and stubborn as hell.” She sighed. “Then there’s me.”

“Oh, you are just perfect. If they had two of either of your siblings, I think your parents would have gone insane.” Saffron wrapped an arm around her best friend’s shoulders.

The Prime siblings couldn’t be more different if they tried.

But there was something different about Dasha tonight. Normally, she just ignored Saffron whenever she was around. Saffron was used to her grunts and growls, but today, there wasn’t as many as normal. She used to joke about there always being about five grunts and five growls on any given day when she was around Dasha. Today, Saffron had caught Dasha staring at her on more than one occasion, and there had only been one growl.

Weird.

“What’s up with your sister?” Saffron asked quietly. She released Pola and continued walking alongside her. “I only got one growl from her today.”

“Oh, I had a talk with her before you arrived.” Pola grinned.

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