“Good idea.Does later today work?”
“Yeah, the quicker the better.”
“Should I check on her now?”Christian asks.
We pause, listening for any sound coming from the bedroom, but it’s quiet.
“No, I think she’s asleep.”
“I’ll come back, and I’ll bring my mate, Quinn.”
He smiles as we stand and claps me on the back.“You’ll be okay.Just have a little patience.”
I force a smile as I see him out.Once he’s gone, I head down the hall to my mate.She rolls over in bed as I crack open the door, and her eyes meet mine.
I push the door open wider and step inside.“Hey.”
She eyes me warily.“Hey.”
“Can I try to explain things again?”
She bites her lip.“All right.”
I shove my hands into my pockets.“So, I’m a bear shifter.”
“Got that part,” she says dryly.
I bite back a laugh.“Shifters can change between their animal and human forms.Christian, the doctor, is a wolf shifter.A lot of people in town are shifters.We’re a pack.”
Vivian listens silently, watching me warily.
“Shifters have mates.Fated mates,” I ramble on.“We don’t date.We don’t sleep around.We have one specific person who’s the only one for us.It’s like soulmates.”
“Soulmates.”
“Yeah.And you’re mine.”
Her expression tells me that I’ve lost her again.She doesn’t believe me.I can’t say I blame her.I mean, her own parents lied to her and sold her off.
I switch tactics.“Are you hungry?”
“No.I think I’d like to take a shower.”
“Of course.”
I grab her some clean clothes and set them on the bed.“We’ll go shopping for some stuff for you later.”
She studies me, trying to figure me out.It’s like she wants to trust me, but something is holding her back.
“I’ll be in the kitchen,” I say, turning toward the door.I have guests to prepare for.
I smile as I open the fridge and pull out the ingredients for dinner.
My quiet life is changing, but I suddenly find that I don’t mind.
FOUR
Vivian
