He closed the distance between them in long strides, his focus narrowed to nothing but her.
She stumbled forward, meeting him halfway.
Their kiss happened before either of them could overthink it: soft, breathless, inevitable. Her lips were cold from the winter air, but warmed quickly against his. Daniel cradled her face in his hands, pouring everything he couldn’t say into that single moment of connection.
It wasn’t a declaration yet, but it was an answer. The one he’d longed for.I’m here. I chose you.
When they finally broke apart, they were both breathing hard, small clouds forming between them in the cold air. Holly’scheeks were flushed pink, her eyes bright and clear as they held his.
“Holly,” Daniel said, his voice rough with emotion. “There’s a truth I’ve kept from you. Something that explains everything between us.”
She didn’t pull away. She held his gaze with steady trust, which nearly undid him completely. How could she look at him like that? How could she not know what it did to him?
“Tell me,” she said simply.
Daniel took her hand and led her further into the clearing, where the snow lay deep and untouched. “It might be easier to show you,” he said. “Please don’t be afraid.”
He released her hand and stepped back, putting a few feet between them. “What you’re about to see is who I really am.”
Holly nodded, her expression cautious, but she wasn’t afraid. And that gave him hope. And the confidence to trust in their bond. To trust in fate.
Daniel closed his eyes and let go. The air around him crackled and popped as his human form disappeared from the world in an instant. Static electricity filled the air, and then, where Daniel had stood, a huge cinnamon-colored bear now gazed at Holly with familiar amber eyes.
Holly froze, but not with fear. Awe softened her features as she took in the massive creature before her. She blinked several times, as if making sure her eyes weren’t deceiving her.
“Daniel?” she whispered.
The bear nodded its massive head once.
Holly stepped closer, her hand trembling as she reached out. “May I?”
The bear moved forward to meet her touch. Her fingers sank into his thick fur, and his bear rumbled with pure joy.Our mate. At last.
A laugh bubbled up from Holly’s throat, bright, joyous, and utterly free. She sank to her knees in the snow, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug that Daniel felt to his core.
“It’s still you,” she said against his fur. “I can see you in there.”
Daniel’s bear was ecstatic, playfully nudging her shoulder before flopping onto his back in the snow, rolling from side to side like a cub. Holly’s laughter rang out across the ridge as she watched him, her eyes filled with wonder rather than the fear or disgust he had worried might come.
They spent a while getting to know each other, with Holly stroking his fur, scratching behind his ears, asking questions he answered with nods or head shakes. It was as if at last they were complete.
She accepted him. All of him.
Chapter Twenty-Two – Holly
The air crackled and popped as the bear disappeared, replaced instantly by Daniel, fully clothed and standing before her in the snow. Holly blinked, her mind struggling to process what she had just witnessed, yet her heart had no such hesitation.
“It’s really you,” she whispered, her voice catching on the words.
Daniel stood perfectly still, his eyes never leaving hers. The mountain wind swept between them, carrying snowflakes that caught in his hair, on his shoulders, melting from the warmth of him.
Holly didn’t step back. Instead, she moved closer, her boots sinking in the snow as she crossed the small distance between them. Her gloved hand reached up to touch his face, tracing the line of his jaw that moments ago had been covered in thick fur.
“You’re not afraid?” Daniel’s voice was rough, barely audible over the wind.
“No,” Holly said, and she meant it. “I could never be afraid of you.”
Daniel’s expression changed, the tension melting away. He covered her hand with his own, pressing it more firmly against his cheek, his eyes closing briefly as if memorizing her touch.
