Only then did he turn back to her. “Tea? Or something stronger?”
He crossed over to her, pressing the back of his hand against her forehead. Doreen caught it in hers, pressing her lips to his skin. A visible shiver ran through him before he leaned down, his lips brushing her cheek with a gentleness that made her breath catch.
“Something stronger,” she said and cupped his face in her hands. She leaned in and pressed her lips against his. The touch was gentle at first, tentative, but then something ignited between them. Heat blossomed low in her stomach, spreading through her body like wildfire, warming places that had been cold for toolong. Her fingers slid into his hair, and she felt rather than heard his soft groan against her mouth.
Who needed tea? This was better than any remedy she could imagine. His arms encircled her, strong yet gentle, pulling her closer as the kiss deepened.
Then, almost reluctantly, James broke away. His eyes were dark, pupils dilated as he studied her face. “I should...” he began, his voice rough. He cleared his throat and tried again. “I’ll get that tea.”
He stood, his movements slightly unsteady. His fingertips brushed her cheek in a feather-light caress before he turned and walked toward the kitchen area.
Doreen sank back against the couch cushions, her heart still racing. She closed her eyes, listening to the comforting sounds of him moving around—cabinets opening, water running, the quiet clink of mugs being set on the counter. There was something profoundly soothing about knowing he was there, just a few steps away. That she was safe. With him.
Forever, if she wanted.
The thought startled her, and her eyes flew open. She didn’t need protecting. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She had been doing it for years, hadn’t she?
Doreen recognized this defensive reaction for exactly what it was, a knee-jerk response born from old fears. She was fighting against the very idea of needing someone, of being vulnerable enough to let someone in. Even though deep down, she could think of nothing better than being James’s mate.
Mate. The word resonated through her like a bell being struck.
Just as Sorcha was Christopher’s mate.
She sat up straight, the realization hitting her with sudden clarity. So that’s what had been behind Sorcha’s whirlwind romance!
“Here you go.” James appeared in the doorway, holding a steaming mug of tea. His eyes were warm, a tentative smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he crossed the room to her.
Doreen accepted the cup, breathing in the delicate floral scent. Chamomile, as she’d expected. Soothing. Calming. Everything she didn’t feel at this moment with revelations cascading through her mind.
“Thank you,” she said, letting her fingers brush against his as she took the mug. “James, I think I understand something now.”
He settled beside her, careful to leave a respectful distance between them. “What’s that?”
“Sorcha and Christopher…they’re like us, aren’t they? He’s a shifter too. And she’s his mate.”
James’s eyebrows rose in surprise, then he nodded slowly. “Yes. Christopher is a bear shifter, like me. And Sorcha is his mate. They found each other when she came to stay at the cabins.”
“That’s why she changed so quickly,” Doreen murmured, more to herself than to him. “Why she suddenly wanted to stay in Bear Creek when she always swore small towns would be the death of her. It wasn’t just love…it was something more.”
“So much more,” James admitted.
“Tell me,” Doreen said.
“Where do I start?” he asked, voice low and raw.
“The beginning,” she said. “Who are you really, James Pike?”
And he told her.
About being born a shifter. About learning to control the bear inside him when he experienced his first shift as a teenager. About his friends—Christopher, Michael, Daniel—and the shifter community within the town. He spoke with caution, watching her carefully, ready to stop the moment she flinched.
She didn’t.
When he spoke of the mate bond, his voice dropped to something barely there. “It’s not something that forces you to love another person. It just… recognizes you as the person you are meant to spend your life with.”
Recognizes her.
The vulnerability in his confession hit her deeply. He was offering her truth, with no expectations.
