She nodded, her eyes never leaving his face.
He closed his eyes and let the shift take him, surrendering to the old, familiar magic. One moment, he stood before her as a man, and the next, his bear stood beneath the moonlight.
Estelle did not flinch. She watched him with the still, intent focus of someone who understood exactly what it meant to surrender to the shift. What moved across her face was not fear, but wonder—and something deeper that made his bear go very quiet inside him.
See?his bear said, relieved.I think she likes me.
She does,Leo agreed, watching her carefully.
Estelle stood completely still, her eyes wide as she took him in. Moonlight silvered the edges of her hair and caught in her eyes. Then, slowly, she stepped forward, one hand slightly extended.
“You’re beautiful,” she whispered.
His bear preened at the compliment, warmth spreading through them.She thinks I’m beautiful.
Leo’s bear lowered his massive head in invitation. Estelle moved closer, her steps measured but not hesitant. When she was near enough, she raised her hand and gently, so gently, touched the fur between his ears.
The contact sent a jolt through him, a recognition that seemed to reach somewhere deep and wordless. His bear rumbled with contentment, the sound vibrating through his chest and out into the quiet clearing.
“I can feel you in there,” she murmured, her fingers threading through his thick fur. “Both of you.”
Leo pressed his muzzle against her palm, breathing in her scent, which called to him more powerfully than anything ever had. He could have stayed there forever, in that suspended moment, with her hand in his fur and the night holding still around them.
She knows us now,his bear said with profound satisfaction.She sees us.
Estelle’s hand trembled slightly as she kept stroking his fur, her eyes never leaving his. In them, Leo could see the walls coming down, piece by piece. Not completely—she still held parts of herself back—but enough that he could glimpse what lay beneath. Wonder. Recognition. The same certainty that had gripped him from the moment they met.
After a long moment, Leo stepped back and shifted again, the change washing over him in reverse until he stood before her as a man once more.
“Thank you,” she said softly. “For showing me.”
“Thank you for seeing me,” he replied.
They stood facing each other in the moonlight, and Leo felt the distance between them thinning. He had shown her the truest part of himself, and she had not turned away.
Now, as she looked up at him with those remarkable gray-gold eyes, he saw her decision form. She straightened her shoulders, drew in a breath, and spoke the words that made his heart leap.
“My turn.”
Chapter Seven – Estelle
My turn.The words echoed inside Estelle’s head.
Estelle’s dragon roared with joy.This is it. Time to show our mate our true selves.
And hope he doesn’t turn tail and run for the hills,Estelle replied dryly.
He won’t.
Her dragon was so sure, so certain of their mate. Estelle wished she could share that same certainty. She looked at Leo, standing bathed in moonlight. He had revealed himself completely, trusted her with his most intimate self, and now waited for her to do the same.
This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. She had come to Bear Creek to disappear, not to be seen. Especially not like this.
“Are you sure?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “A dragon isn’t like a bear or a wolf. It’s...” She searched for words that wouldn’t sound like warnings.
Her dragon huffed impatiently.Stop stalling. Our mate deserves to see us.
Leo stepped closer, not touching her, but near enough that she could feel the heat coming off his body. “Estelle,” he murmured. “I want to see all of you.”
