“Let me decide what’s good for me.” She erases the last few inches, tilting her head back to look up at me. “I’m a big girl, Tolin. I can handle you.”
My bear is practically vibrating with happiness. Our mate is fierce. Our mate isn’t afraid.
“There’s something I want to show you,” I say before I can talk myself out of it.
Her eyebrows rise. “Something other than your impressive wood-chopping skills?”
“My bear.”
She goes still. “Your bear?”
“You’ve felt him. The way my eyes change. The growling.” I pause. “He’s been going crazy since you got here. He wants to meet you.”
“Meet me,” she repeats. “Like... see him? The actual bear?”
“Yes.” I watch her face for signs of fear. “Before hibernation, if my bear bonds with someone, it strengthens the connection. He’ll recognize you when he wakes up. Trust you. Protect you.”
She’s quiet for a long moment. I brace myself for rejection, for her to say this is too weird, too much, too fast.
“Okay,” she says.
“Okay?”
“I want to meet him.” She squares her shoulders likeshe’s preparing for battle. “I want to meet all of you, Tolin. Not just the man. The bear too.”
Hope surges through me, raw and unexpected.
“He’s big,” I warn her. “Bigger than a normal bear. With scars.” I touch my face. “He has the same ones I do.”
“Good.” She reaches up and traces the raised lines on my cheek, her touch gentle. “I like your scars.”
I catch her hand before I do something stupid like kiss her senseless in the snow. “We should do this now. While I still have some self-control left.”
She nods, her eyes bright with curiosity and something else. Something that looks like excitement.
I lead her to the clearing behind the cabin. The snow is clean here, and weak sunlight pushes through the clouds.
“Stay here,” I tell her, positioning her near a large pine tree. “Don’t move until he comes to you. Let him approach first.”
“Okay.”
I back up a few steps. My hands go to the hem of my shirt.
he watches as I pull it over my head, her eyes tracking over my exposed skin, my scars, the trail of hair that disappears into my waistband. I see her swallow.
“Shifting destroys clothes,” I explain, reaching for my pants. “I’ll be naked when I change back.”
“I’ll try to contain my disappointment.”
I huff out a laugh and push my pants down.
She doesn’t look away. Her eyes travel over every inch of me. My upper body, my stomach, my dick already half-hard from her attention. Heat creeps up her cheeks but she doesn’t flinch.
“You’re beautiful,” she says quietly.
No one’s ever called me that before.
“Remember,” I say, my voice rough. “Let him come to you.”
