Page 41 of Stolen Mate

“But how could I become one? In all the romance novels, it’s a part of the claiming ritual and the males turn females with or without their consent. Was your mom born a shifter?”

Tess took a deep breath and stuffed down the myriad of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. “No. She was abducted and turned without her consent. She didn’t get her happily ever after.”

“You’re going back, aren’t you?”

“I am. Partly because there are two communities that are nothing but shifters. Partly because there’s trouble coming, and as a vet, you could be of a lot of help…”

Lara nodded. “I can see that. I could work on people whether they’re shifted or not.”

“Exactly. There’s a polar bear clan in a place called Otter Cove. Actually, there are two, but that’s a whole other story. Zak Grayson is alpha of the one at the lighthouse—it’s so beautiful there—and he said if you wanted, he could arrange to have you turned. Otter Cove could really use a vet—regardless of any danger that’s coming.”

Lara searched her sister’s face. “There’s something else.”

Tess grinned. “Not something; someone. His name is Derek, and according to him, he’s my fated mate.”

CHAPTER 16

DEREK

“You have been a miserable sonofabitch since she’s been gone,” snarled his boss, Sheriff Jax Miller.

“You’d be in a shitty mood too if Autumn was gone and you weren’t sure she was coming back.”

“If I wasn’t sure she was coming back, I’d have never let her go. Besides which, that’s no reason to give Colby Reynolds a ticket for going six miles over the speed limit.”

“The speed limit is the speed limit,” argued Derek.

“And everybody knows there’s a grace of five miles over the posted limit.”

“Well, he was going six.”

“If you’re so fucking worried about it, why don’t you go down to Seattle and drag her ass back home?”

“It doesn’t work that way.”

“Not for humans, maybe, but you’re a fucking polar bear, and so, by the way, is she. You don’t even have to turn her, for god’s sake. And aren’t you the guy that tried to poach one of my she-bears? I’m pretty sure you weren’t planning to be all nicey-nice and say pretty please. No. You were going to man-up, be a bear, and drag her sweet ass home. By the way, that never would have worked. The stronger DNA always triumphs, and Kodiak DNA trumps polar bear every time.”

Derek snorted. It was an old argument. Scientists couldn’t seem to agree on which of the two apex predators was the biggest or the strongest. “Bullshit, my DNA would have crushed hers.”

“You’re lucky I beat the shit out of you that night. You pull that Neanderthal bullshit with a Kodiak she-bear, and you’d be lucky if you had your balls left. They can be nasty when provoked and knocking one over the head and dragging her back to your cave is pretty much guaranteed to provoke her.”

Derek wiped his hand back and forth across his forehead. “You’re right. I know you’re right. I knew you were right when I pulled him over. But he’s so fucking smug. It’s like he knew why I was doing it. I could almost feel him giving me a pat on the head—like ‘there, there, little bear, the big, bad gangster understands.’ I’ll apologize to him in the morning and tear up the ticket.”

“Don’t you dare,” said Jax. “Six miles over is six miles over. That SOB can pay the fine like everybody else.”

Derek laughed. He was pretty sure it was the first time he’d done so since Tess had left. She had to be coming back. She just had to. He had to wait. It was her decision. He would respect that. A growl rose in his throat. Bullshit. He would give her to the end of the week, just like he said he would. Then he’d track her down in Seattle, claim her gorgeous ass, and drag her home by the roots of her hair if necessary.

He hated to admit it, but the images of that flashed across his brain and made his dick turn to granite instantly. He had no doubt that if it happened that way, Tess would fight him tooth and nail, but he also knew he would win. Not only because he was bigger and stronger than her, but because in her heart of hearts she knew he was right. They were fated mates and meant to be together.

Jax stood up. “Try and give yourself a little space. I, for one, think she’s coming back, not just to be here with her own people, but with you. These things have a way of working themselves out.”

“You think Colby will let me take his private jet if I have to go after her?”

“Not after you gave him a ticket,” laughed Jax, before he sobered. “Actually, he probably wouldn’t not because of the ticket, but because unlike most of us cavemen who call ourselves alpha, Colby really likes and respects females. He doesn’t like that they don’t have as much autonomy as we men. Hell, his second used to be a female.”

“Winter was gorgeous,” said Derek.

“And knew more ways to kill you than you know how to die. That woman was lethal, and absolutely devoted to Colby. Sean Campbell is a lucky man.”

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