The door opened, but I was already almost at my car, but I turned to find my younger brother and my papa. “Kian! Where is he? Is he at the office? I need to talk to him.”
I was back to my car when my brother’s words hit me like a Mack truck. “He left.”
I spun around. “What?” I whispered.
“He just left,” Papa said. “I tried to keep him here, but…he left.”
My brother was just shooting me daggers, but I ignored him. “What? Where? When?” I bent over, trying to catch my breath from what felt like a sucker punch. “Where is he? Please tell me you know where he is.”
Rhys sighed and came up beside me. “You better not fuck this up,” he snapped.
“I won’t. I promise.” I couldn’t even get mad at my brother for the rebuke because I had fucked up.
“He just left”—Rhys pulled his phone out—“like five minutes ago. Papa and I stalled as long as we could, hoping you weren’t a total idiot.” As Rhys spoke, he pulled his phone out. He tapped for a second, then met my gaze. “He’s not gotten to the front gate yet. He said he wanted to stop and drop a gift off for Bailey.”
Before he finished his sentence, I shifted and took off. The last thing I heard was my brother saying he would follow in the car.
It would have been a little faster in the car, but I knew a shortcut that would bring me out on the road. I pushed my bear as much as I could and came out a couple of miles before the gate and parked myself in the middle of the road.
I heard a car coming and hoped it was my mate and I hadn’t in fact missed him. When I saw it was his car, I stood on my hind legs to make sure he saw me.
I saw his eyes widen—I knew he was far enough to brake in time, so I waited till he came to a complete stop. His eyes were on me, and he had both arms on the wheel. It took me by surprise when the door opened and Kian stepped out.
Right then and there, I knew my mate would accept me. And maybe Mark was right—maybe there was a part of our mates that knew us even in this form. Because sane people would run and scream or at least back away. I made a mental note to make sure he knew not all wild animals were shifters, and sometimes flight was a good way to go.
As my mate approached me, his eyes wide and mouth open, I drew in a breath, wanting to fill my senses with that scent I’d missed as I waited where I was for him.
My eyes widened, and I took in another whiff to make sure I wasn’t wrong. By the time he was standing in front of me, I knew without a doubt: my mate was pregnant.
15
Kian
I should have been terrifiedof the bear on its hind legs that could probably crush my windshield if it wanted to, but for some reason, I wasn’t. There was something familiar about it. I could swear it was the same one from that night.
A car pulled up behind me, and I turned to see who it was. Rhys was in Gabe’s car, but he didn’t move to get out. It sounded ridiculous, but to me, that told me he thought it was safe. I knew my best friend, and he would have done everything he could to protect me if he thought I was in danger. Even if that meant running headfirst towards it.
With somewhat of a blessing from Rhys, I turned back to the bear, who seemed to have stayed completely still the whole time, but had its eyes firmly on me. I should have felt like prey as I got closer to this apex predator, but just like the last time—maybe even more so—I didn’t feel like I was in danger. It almost felt like it was waiting for me to approach.
And not in theI want to bathe in your entrails so come closerkind of way.
When there was barely any space between us, there was a movement, and right before my eyes, the bear changed. Fur disappeared and the face changed, until the one man that I’d been dying to come after me was in front of me. And suddenly, everything clicked into place.
I opened my mouth, but the only thing that came out was, “You’re naked.” For some reason, laughter erupted from my mouth. “You’re naked.”
Gabe’s brows turned down, and I took another step towards him. We weren’t quite touching, but it was close. He held my gaze as he said, “A man could get a complex when laughter is the only reaction he gets standing naked in front of his person.”
My brain stalled on ‘his person.’ Was that how Gabe saw me? I hadn’t been wrong believing there was something between us. I hadn’t been wrong thinking he felt it too. The voice that had said it was too soon tried to chime in, but I put it on mute.
I gave him a once-over, my eyes traveling down his body. I couldn’t help it—I was only human, and Gabe was stunning. From the top of his rich, chocolate-brown hair to the muscled column of his throat, down to his perfectly sculpted biceps. I was pretty sure drool escaped at the sight of the V. Was there anything hotter? I wanted to trace him with my tongue. His thick cock that had filled me so good. His muscled thighs with a fine dusting of hair. The man was a walking wet dream. I could still remember his arms holding me up against the wall as he’d thrust into me.
Focus, Kian.
“Trust me, that’s not why I’m laughing. You’re perfect.” I reached out to touch him but dropped my hands before I did.
Gabe took my hand and placed it on his chest. “You can always touch me, Kian. Always.”
I met his gaze and looked away quickly. “I was just thinking about the day Rhys told me to pass you the honey after I’d brought it out for the bear…for you, I guess. I knew there was something familiar about it, which is crazy because, you know, it was a bear…” I pulled my hand from over his heart where he’d put it. “But I suppose it was also you.”
