And she has a child,his bear added with a rumble of pleasure.How lucky are we?
Very,Leo agreed, his heart expanding.
The woman—his mate—cleared her throat. “Can I help you?” she asked, her tone matter-of-fact, businesslike even. As if she had no idea who he was or what was happening between them.
But she did know. Leo could see it in her face, in the light flush coloring her cheeks, in the way her pupils dilated slightly when their eyes met. She felt the connection, too.
“I...” Leo started, then faltered. What was he supposed to say to that? How did one even begin this conversation?
Something,his bear prompted impatiently.Say something.
Leo took a breath. “I was passing, and I sensed you,” he said, choosing honesty. He wouldn’t start his relationship with his mate with a lie.
Her eyebrow arched slightly. “Did you?” she asked, her hand tightening almost imperceptibly around her daughter’s.
“I did,” he replied simply.
And we thought this would be easy since she knows about shifters,his bear grumbled.
Leo’s gaze moved past her to the cottage. “You’re moving in?” he asked, trying a different approach.
“What makes you think that?” Her voice remained neutral, giving nothing away.
Leo frowned slightly, wishing his mate weren’t being so evasive. “Well, the cottage has been empty for some time,” he explained. “So I presumed you and your... daughter were moving in.”
The little girl tugged at her mother’s hand. “Mama, who’s this?” she whispered, not quite quietly enough.
His mate—he really needed to learn her name—bent down slightly. “This is...” she paused, looking up at Leo expectantly.
“Leo Thornberg,” he supplied, crouching down to the little girl’s eye level. “I live nearby. And what’s your name?”
The child pressed closer to her mother’s leg but didn’t hide her face. Progress, Leo thought.
“I’m Adara,” she said after receiving a reassuring nod from her mother. She held up her sparkly dragon. “And this is Fizz.”
“It’s very nice to meet you both, Adara and Fizz,” Leo said solemnly, fighting a smile.
“You’re funny.”
A shimmer of amusement flickered in those golden-flecked eyes.
Dragon eyes,he realized. The little girl was a dragon shifter, too.
Of course she is,his bear said.Like mother, like daughter.
“I’m Estelle,” his mate finally said, her voice still carrying a careful edge. “We just arrived. And it’s been a long drive.”
Estelle. Leo savored it like a fine Thornberg wine.
She stood tall and protective, her body angled slightly between him and Adara. The motherly posture stirred something primal in him, making his bear rumble with approval.
“Welcome to Bear Creek,” Leo said, straightening up. “I’m sure you’ll love it here. With the mountains and the forests... and the town. Everyone is friendly, and the schools are good. My family has been here for generations. Since the town was founded... We definitely have roots here...”
He was rambling, he realized. But something about Estelle’s guarded expression made him want to establish himself as a permanent, reliable fixture in this place. Someone safe.
“That’s... nice,” Estelle replied, her tone suggesting she wasn’t entirely convinced. Or interested.
But she should be interested,his bear said.We are as much her mate as she is ours.
