Chloe
My jaw fell open, but no words came out. I was Declan’s mate? Declan, the overly responsible, overprotective, and overly grumpy bear shifter? It explained the attraction I had to him, but he was not my type. I wanted someone who supported me. Not someone who tried to restrict me.
“Are you sure?”
He nodded but didn’t seem pleased. I probably wasn’t his type, either. I ignored the stab of disappointment that I wasn’t what he wanted in a mate. My experience with shifters was that they were all in when they met their mates, but he obviously didn’t feel that way. Something I could hardly blame him for, considering my own reaction.
“This isn’t how I wanted to tell you.” He scrubbed his hand across his face, his expression softening as he stepped away to grab a shirt from the cupboard. I tried not to watch as his muscles flexed and bunched when he pulled it over his head.
“How did you want to tell me?”
“I hadn’t figured that out yet. Thought I should see what you thought of mates first.” He hesitated, a vulnerable expression flashing across his face so fast I might have imagined it. It seemed out of place with our interactions so far. “Then, I guess, dinner? That’s how humans do things, right?”
“Usually.” Had I read him wrong? Maybe he wasn’t upset I was his mate but just uncertain how to handle one who was human. “I know shifters approach things differently.”
“We do. With shifters, the marking and mating happens fast. Then we get to know each other.” His gaze shot to me. “I don’t expect that from you. I know humans need more time.”
“Are you disappointed I’m human?” I was hesitant to hear the answer, but the question needed to be asked. Honesty was important if we wanted a chance to make things work.
His eyes widened. He stepped in front of me, reaching out to cup my cheek with his work-hardened palm. “Never.”
Heat raced across my skin, radiating out from where we were connected. I wanted to turn in to his touch, to lay my hand over his. The idea of being his everything was enticing. But I still held back. “You can be honest with me. I’m sure a shifter mate would be easier for you.”
“Mates aren’t meant to be easy. Knowing it’s right doesn’t take the work out of it.” His eyes, so serious, gazed deep into mine as his thumb brushed across my cheek. “It just means you know it’ll be worth it.”
My tongue wet my lower lip and his gaze dropped to my mouth. He groaned, dropping his hand and stepping away from me. “I think I need to take a dip in the pond. Should be cold enough. Maybe.”
My lips curved into a smile, and I followed him as he retreated. “Is that really what you want right now?”
“Hell no.” He gave a rough laugh. “You know exactly what I want. But I’m trying to give you time. Not pressure you.”
My mate was a gentleman, but I found myself wanting to shake that control of his. “Might do us some good to relieve this tension between us.”
He stilled and his eyes heated. “Don’t tempt me.”
“What if I want to?” I tilted my head and brought my hand up to rest against his chest. Now that I knew he actually wanted me, the thought of walking away right now seemed impossible. Why resist the attraction when it was fated? I never thought I’d have a shifter mate like my sister did, and secretly I’d been jealous of the bond she had. The knowledge it was right.
Declan and I clashed, but fate had other plans. I wanted to see what fate saw in us. I wanted to know what we could become if we stopped arguing and considered the possibilities. That was how I lived my life, after all. Seeking the adventure that existed all around us. Whatever form it came in.
He growled, drawing my attention back to him. The tension between us thickened, his chest rising and falling with his harsh breaths, his fists clenching and unclenching as if fighting for control. Then he stilled, his gaze focused entirely on me before he pulled me into his arms and kissed me, showing me a whole other side of him. One that wasn’t all rigid and stern, free frompassion. He was fire and heat, and I melted into a puddle in his embrace. Only his powerful arms kept me on my feet. When he lifted his head, I was certain my expression was dazed.
His voice was rough, filled with feeling, but his hand was steady as he held it out after stepping away from me. “Will you come with me?”
FIVE
Declan
Chloe’s hand in mine wasn’t soft. She didn’t pamper them, or shy away from putting them to work. They were firm and strong. It reminded me of earlier, when I watched her climb down the rock formation—something that was obviously not a first for her. She grabbed life and ran with whatever it brought. Would she be content with life on the ranch?
My promise to my mother would keep me here. I couldn’t leave my brothers to care for the ranch alone. They relied on me.
Chloe’s fingers squeezed mine, bringing me back to the moment. I pushed aside my worries about the ranch and if it would be enough for her. We were mates and could work through it. She knew I was a rancher but had still taken my hand when I offered her the choice.
I led her to the second floor of the house, glad that it was Mae’s day in town, and turned right. My room was at the end of the hall. The top half-story held the master suite, but none of us felt right moving in there after our parents died. We always said the first one to find a mate would get it. I’d let Chloe redecorate however she wanted. Make it feel like a new space.
My bedroom was plain. The walls were a light blue, and the bed and window coverings were navy. The furniture was sturdy but basic, and the only thing resembling decor was a colorful rag carpet beside the bed. I never understood the point of putting pictures on the walls, as I only used the bedroom to sleep. Now, seeing the room from Chloe’s perspective, I wished I had done more.
I turned to her, ready to apologize, but the sight of her robbed me of any words. She was leaning against the closed door, head tilted down as she looked at me, biting her lip. The position itself spoke of shyness, nerves, but the sparkle in her eye was pure seduction. She pushed away from the door, hips swaying as she closed the distance between us. “I only have one rule.”
