Not a slow recognition. Not a gentle knowing.
More of an avalanche. Unexpected. Unstoppable. Transformative.
Because we are transformed. Forever.His bear shifted restlessly beneath his skin, wanting to move closer, to touch, to claim.
Mate.
The word echoed through his mind with each heartbeat.
Caleb gripped his knee, fingers digging into denim as he stared straight ahead at the rain-slicked road. The windshield wipers cut arcs through the streaming water, a steady rhythm that did nothing to calm the chaos inside him. He’d never expected this, not today, not on this road, not with a woman who had appeared out of the mist as if conjured by his longing to findher.
He replayed the moment when he’d first sensed her presence on the mountain road. He’d been running across the lower mountain slopes in his bear form, racing ahead of the weather front that was rapidly closing in.
When it hit him, he’d skidded to a halt as the sensation slammed into him, leaving him breathless and confused. As the fog in his brain cleared, he struggled to believe what his senses were telling him. That his mate was up ahead.
Instinct took over, and he ran to her. Drawn by an invisible thread.
When he’d seen her stranded by the side of the road with a flat tire, he’d been consumed with the need to help her. To get to her. To make sure she was safe. But after he shifted into his human form and approached, he quickly realized she was more than capable of looking after herself.
The sound of her voice, calm even in trouble, had stirred something deep inside him. She was incredible. So confident and composed as she methodically tackled the problem in front of her.
In that moment, his world tilted.
His bear had known immediately, too, going still and alert in a way Caleb had never experienced.
Mine, his bear had whispered.Ours.
But Hannah Rigby wasn’t theirs. She was her own person with her own plans. Plans that at present involved Slateford, not Bear Creek. Not this town. Not him.
Not yet,his bear replied confidently.
The truck hit a pothole, jostling them closer for a brief moment before Hannah shifted slightly away, pressing herself against the door. She stared out the window, her profile illuminated by the occasional passing headlight, her expression unreadable.
She’s not sure of us,Caleb said.
She will be, when she knows the truth,his bear replied.
A truth Roy seemed to have guessed already. The mechanic kept glancing between them, a knowing smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Caleb ignored him, focusing instead on keeping his breathing steady and his posture relaxed. The last thing Hannah needed was some stranger getting weird and intense about a connection she couldn’t even feel yet.
We need to find a way to make sure she stays, his bear said.
Caleb mentally shook his head.We’re not manipulating her into anything.
But fate brought her here, his bear argued.Right to us.
Then fate can find a way to make her stay, Caleb countered.Without us interfering.
His bear huffed but retreated, settling into watchful silence.
Caleb used the brief respite to try to compose his thoughts, though it was hard to think clearly with his mate sitting so close, her warmth, her scent, a constant awareness at his side.
At last, the garage appeared ahead, its lights glowing through the rain. Roy pulled in and parked under the overhang, shielding them from the worst of the downpour as they climbed out.
“Let’s get this beauty down and take a look,” Roy said, already moving to the controls.
Caleb stood back, giving Hannah space as she watched Roy lower her car to the ground. Her shoulders were tight; her arms were wrapped around herself. Protective. Concerned. Bracing. He recognized the look of someone who didn’t want to hear bad news about something they cared about.
He remained silent as Roy examined the car, lifting it on the hydraulic platform and inspecting the undercarriage with practiced efficiency.
