Definitely a pleasant sight for his poor, frustrated bear. Also…
“What are you doing here?” he asked. “I could have sworn you told me you’d never come back.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “Here’s a better question: what areyoudoing here? How did you even know this is where my pack is located?”
He certainly had that confirmation he’d been looking for, didn’t he?
He scratched his nose. “Just taking care of some business.”
“Some business?”
“I was planning to come find you when I was done. Thanks for making that part easy on me.” Although it certainly complicated the first part of his plan. He’d intended to kill the pack leader’s brother without her prior knowledge. And when he found her, he was going to simply tell her the man was dead.
End of story. But the beginning of her ability to get on with her life.
So he hoped.
“You came here looking for me, even though I said I’d never come back?”
“Nope.” He popped the P. “I planned to go looking for you after I was done here.”
“Done doing what?”
They really needed to get off this merry-go-round. “So, how have you been? Where have you been, anyway?”Why didn’t you call? Why did you leave me in the first place? Are you ready to give us a chance yet?
Her gaze swept around the area while she adjusted the strap on her shoulder. The backpack was smallish, probably meant to hold her clothes while she was shifted into her bear. Was she deliberately planning to shift, or was she simply always prepared?
“I’ve been okay,” she finally said. “Better than four years ago.”
His bear did a little anticipatory jig.
“I didn’t go all that far away, actually. Been living in Chicago.” She chuckled while shaking her head. “It’s hard to find a place to shift when you live in a big city teaming with humans.”
“I seem to recall that had been Peter’s issue too.” And Peter had eventually settled on pack land with his mate, plenty far away from humans.
“I miss it,” she said, giving the area another sweep with her gaze. “Not here, literally, but the ruralness, I guess. Nature. Peace.”
There was lots of nature and peace in southern Louisiana. He bit back that comment, didn’t think she was ready to start that conversation.
Yet.
“So you came back for the nature?” he asked.
She laughed. “We’re both dancing around this subject, aren’t we?”
He took a step closer, and when she didn’t shy away, he took another, and another, until he stood before her, soaking in her beauty, wishing he could pull her into his arms and never, ever let her go again.
“You look good,” she said, and he groaned before he could bite it back.
Her brows arched.
“I just…I just want to hold you,” he finally admitted.
She gave a little shudder, and before he could worry that it was not a positive shudder, she practically collapsed against his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his left pec, right over his heart, which had started beating with an almost desperate urgency.
Closing his arms around her, he laid his cheek against the top of her head and let his lids fall over his eyes with a deep sigh. If his bear were a cat, it would be purring right now. As it was, the animal was rubbing itself against the side of his head like it wanted to be petted.
“This is…” he started, but paused when he heard sounds.
