"Chloe."
"The herbalist?"
"Yeah."
Elias leaned back in his chair, those silver-gray eyes studying Corin with an intensity that would have been uncomfortable from anyone else. "Does she know?"
"No."
"You didn't tell her."
"I panicked." Corin scrubbed a hand over his face. "She slipped on the ice, I caught her, and the second I touched her skin, my bear just... knew. And I had no idea what to do with that, so I started asking her questions about druids and whether she might be accidentally poisoning the land, and now she thinks I suspect her."
"That's bad."
"I know it's bad."
"You should probably fix that."
"I know." Corin's voice came out snappy. He forced himself to breathe. "I don't have a clue how how to be around her now. Every instinct I have is telling me to claim her, protect her, keep her close. But she doesn't know anything about the bond. She probably thinks I'm just some strange bear shifter who can't hold a normal conversation."
Elias voice was quiet, watching Corin.
"Vane bears don't rush claims. You know that."
"I know."
"We wait to be chosen. We let our mates come to us." Elias tapped a finger against the desk, thinking. "The bond is real whether she knows about it or not. But it won't mean anything if you force it on her before she's ready."
"I'm not going to force anything."
"Good." Elias's gaze softened slightly. "Then give her time. Let her get to know you. The bond will pull her toward you whether she understands it or not. Your job is to be worthy of her when she figures it out."
Corin stared at the floor, his thoughts churning. He wanted to act. Wanted to go to her right now and explain everything, lay it all out so she understood what was happening between them. But Elias was right. That wasn't how this worked.
He needed to do what he was taught: protect, provide and wait.
And right now, the best thing he could do for Chloe was focus on the actual problem: the sickness spreading through his land, the whispers blaming her for something she didn't do, the unknown enemy hiding in the shadows.
He couldn't give himself away. Couldn't let his feelings cloud his judgment or compromise his ability to investigate. But she was his mate and that meant keeping her safe came first. Even if it meant keeping his distance.
"What do I do tomorrow?" he asked. "She's supposed to come back to check the beds."
"Then let her come back. Act normal. Or as normal as you can manage." Elias almost smiled. "You've spent years keeping your bear in check. This isn't that different."
It was completely different. But Corin didn't say that. He simply nodded, pushed to his feet, and headed for the door.
"Corin."
He paused, looked back.
Elias's expression had gone serious again. "The mate bond doesn't make you weak. It makes you stronger. Remember that."
Corin didn't answer. He just walked out into the cold.
The drive home was silent. His bear paced underneath his skin, restless and unhappy, and for once, Corin couldn't blame it.
He'd found his mate. And he had absolutely no idea what to do about it.
