AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Finally, Mila returned her attention to me, and I saw the resignation in her eyes. “Fine. I accept your offer.”
My bear huffed in approval. “Good. Now we have an understanding, perhaps we can learn to trust each other.”
Mila dropped her eyes to her lap, where she twisted her hands nervously. “Trust is… difficult for me.”
My heart clenched at her words, at the vulnerability evident on her lovely face. "Trust is a two-way street, Mila. Tell me what I need to know, and we can start to build that trust.”
Mila seemed to crumple in on herself. “I don’t know who’s blackmailing me," she confessed. “I’ve tried to trace them numerous times over the last two years, but just when I think I’ve hit paydirt, the trail disappears, leaving me with a dead end.”
I studied her carefully to see if she was telling the truth. But her frustration wasn’t faked. She was good at what she did, and it hurt her pride that she couldn’t locate the person who’d put her in this situation.
Mila winced and rubbed her temple as if keeping a headache at bay. “I think I’m being watched. I haven’t eaten or slept properly for weeks.” She lifted empty eyes to mine. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”
I gritted my teeth to stop myself from reaching for her. “Prove it. Help me locate your blackmailer.”
She nodded and slumped in her chair. “Okay.”
It was as if all the fight had suddenly left her. I should have been angry, but all I felt was the overwhelming need to protect her. She’d been surviving alone for years with no one to rely on. She’d made dubious choices with no one to guide her. It was no wonder she didn’t trust anyone because no one had ever put their trust in her.
She needs comfort, my bear urged.
Moving in front of her, I pulled her to her feet. Her blue eyes locked onto mine. I took her chin between my thumb and forefinger and kissed her lightly.
She shivered, lifting her hands to my chest and bunching the material of my shirt in her fists. Her eyes were shadowed, vulnerable. Her façade was gone, and I was seeing the lonely woman hiding beneath.
Chapter 5
Mila
Tears clogged my throat. God, what was wrong with me? I was falling apart. Something inside me had broken when Magnus had offered his help rather than his censure—the walls I’d erected had tumbled down, leaving me empty and more alone than ever. He’d forced me to face my inner demons and offered me the chance to stop running.
“Why are you being so nice to me? I don’t deserve it.” I shook my head as I gave in to the sadness I’d held at bay for years, coating it in a layer of anger and bitterness. Tears trickled down my cheeks as I faced the reality of my situation. The reality of me, of all I’d lost and never known. I mourned for who I was and who I could’ve been had my circumstances been different.
Magnus cupped my face, wiping away my tears. “Everyone deserves a second chance, Mila. You’re not alone anymore. You have me. This connection we have, it’s more than physical. It’s the mating bond.”
I frowned. “Mating bond? What are you talking about?”
“I knew you were the one the moment I saw you. It’s why I followed you into the elevator yesterday. My bear wouldn’t allow you to leave without marking you.”
I blinked. “Uh, did you say your bear? As in Winnie the Pooh?”
His eyes crinkled as he smiled. “No, not Winnie the Pooh.” His expression grew sober as all traces of humor left his face. His eyes bored into mine. “I’m a bear shifter. And you’re my mate.”
I opened my mouth. Closed it. Searched his eyes. Dear God, he was serious.
My laugh was slightly hysterical. “This is a joke, right? Mate? Bear shifter? You’re telling me you change into a grizzly or something?”
Magnus nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m telling you. My brothers and cousins too. Our role is to protect those we love. And my protection now extends to you.”
I staggered back, moving away from him and pacing the floor.
“Tell me you don’t feel our connection. Tell me you don’t crave my nearness. That you didn’t feel me when we were apart last night. Tell me you don’t burn for me like I burn for you. It’s the mating bond. It’s how we recognize each other. Our fated mate.”
I paused as he vocalized everything I’d felt after I left him yesterday. I had felt our connection. Wanted to be near him. Burned for him. I still did.
“I-I don’t know what I feel. I don’t know what this is.” But deep down, I did know. Last night, leaving him at the office and going home had been like ripping myself apart. I hadn’t understood why it had felt so devastating.
Magnus moved toward me carefully, as if trying not to spook a wild animal, and gently grasped my arms. His warmth seeped into me like warm molasses. His touch soothed me like the weighted blanket I used at night when I was restless. It took away my anxiety. Removed my pain and discomfort.
