“What?”
“I’m hungry.”
I laughed, rolling onto my back. “You’re always hungry. My big, hungry bear.”
One minute, he was beside me and the next, he was hovering above me. “Say that again.”
“You are my big, hungry, growly bear. And I love you.”
“I’m never going to get tired of hearing that. I love you too. Let’s order in.”
I had to get used to his appetite, for food and for me. Neither one was an inconvenience, not by a long shot.
We showered while the food was being delivered and spent the rest of the day watching movies and snacking.
“You know what’s crazy?” I said.
Sothea reached for the remote and paused the movie. Not once had he gotten on his phone while the movie was playing. A huge point in his favor. “What’s crazy?”
I put my hand over my chest. “I feel calm. Usually, I’m a bit anxious about things. Sometimes, my mind makes up things to be worried about but now, I’m…still. I think as long as I have you, everything else is going to be okay.”
My bear leaned forward, touching his forehead to mine. “That’s because it will be. We’ll get through anything and everything together.”
We watched movies and talked into the night. I didn’t want him to leave. “Stay the night with me,” I said. “I have to work in the morning but…here.” I stood up and got my spare key and put it in his palm. “Just lock up when you leave.”
“A key? This is getting serious, omega.”
I laughed, throwing my head back. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt so damned free. It was Sothea. The tattoo. His care. His love. Even him turning into a bear. He gave me a purpose.
“Want to take your omega to bed? I need to shower and get my clothes out for tomorrow.”
“I’d be honored. I can help with the showering part.”
I let Sothea pick out my very boring office outfit. Then he insisted on making my lunch because he was the sweetest bear.
When we lay down together, in my bed, I got a sense I was finally where I belonged all the time.
“I want another tattoo,” I said.
Sothea ran his fingers along my mark. I gasped at the full-body tingles that brought me. “You just got another one, of sorts.”
“Want to tattoo your name across my ass?” I slapped my hand over my mouth. What I couldn’t cover was my body shaking from laughter.
“Absolutely not. Though I have done those before. I tried to warn them not to.”
“You did not!” I said.
“I did.”
I sat up and braced my arms on either side of him. “No more ass tattoos for you.”
“Is that right? Are you getting possessive already, little mate?”
“I am. No more asses.”
“That’s fine. I’ll type up the rule and frame it at my station. Greta will get a kick out of that.”
Chapter Thirteen
