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“In the lake,” I shout as I point to where Ethan and Aylwin are exchanging devastating blows. Aylwin is free from Ethan’s chokehold and is getting the upper hand. I hate that I’m the cause of all this.
The four firefighters run into the water and jump on top of my old boss. Violent waves ripple out from the brawl as the four guys each grab a limb and hold Aylwin down.
Ethan steps up to him, breathing hard and looking mean as hell. His flexed shoulders are hunched up and his arms look impossibly jacked as he bears down on the man who dared to touch his mate.
“You never touch a mated girl,” Ethan hisses as he stands over him. “Especially mine.”
I turn away with a wince as my protector grabs a hold of his head and breaks his neck.
Aylwin slumps down into the water dead.
It’s over. Almost.
There’s still a fire to put out.
The boys run back to the truck to take care of Ethan’s house as he comes up to me looking bloody and bruised and sexier than ever.
“You nearly died for me,” I tell him as he comes up to me, towering over my body. “You killed for me.”
“I’d do anything for you,” he says in a voice that’s full of love and tenderness. “You’re my girl, peaches. Nothing else matters but you.”
The firehoses burst to life as the boys start to douse the flames that have ruined his home.
“Your house…” I say as tears start to fill my eyes.
He cups my cheek and wipes the tears from my face.
“We’ll build a new one.” He doesn’t look upset at all. It’s like everything he needs is standing right in front of him. “It will be our house. We’ll start fresh. A new house with lots of rooms for all of the cubs I’m going to breed into you.”
I grin as I gaze into his protective eyes. “I love you, Ethan.”
He wraps his arms around me and kisses the top of my head. “I love you too, peaches. It’s all blue skies and rainbows from here on out.”
I look up at his face that I’m already obsessed with and smile.
I’m pretty sure he’s right.
Epilogue
Chloe
Seven months later…
“Excited?” Ethan asks me as he covers my eyes with his big hands.
“So excited,” I say with my heart racing as he carefully guides me into our new house.
We rebuilt it bigger and better on the same spot on the lake. Ethan insisted on having at least six bedrooms. I insisted on knowing what for.
He just smiled and quickly changed the subject. My stomach is already round with our first child—a boy—and I think I have to get used to it. This man has big plans for my womb. That’s okay, I love being pregnant with his child.
“Careful of the cargo,” he says as his big protective hand cradles my baby bump away from something. “Keep your eyes closed!”
“I am!” I lie as I try to peek through his thick fingers, but it’s impossible. His hand is so damn big.
He guides me past the master bedroom to the room on the left.
“Can I open now?” I ask him. “We’re going to have guests over soon.”
“You know I took care of everything,” he says as he holds onto me. You’d swear I was bedridden by the way he does everything for me when in actuality, the pregnancy is going great. Our little cub is six months old with a flawless bill of health.
The house was ready last week and we just moved in two days ago. I’ve seen it all except for this room, which Ethan has forbidden me to see. He wanted it to be a surprise and he was so excited that I couldn’t deny him. Besides, I’ve been so tired lately with the move that I just let him do whatever he wanted with it.
I was sad to leave my old apartment where we’ve been staying this entire time, but the landlords weren’t too upset to see us go. We have been a little loud during the nights, and the mornings…
...and sometimes the afternoons.
Okay, most afternoons.
“All right,” he says as he releases my eyes. “Open.”
“Oh, Ethan,” I say as my heart swells inside my chest. He set up the most adorable little baby’s room with soft pastel blues and plush teddy bears all over the place. “I can’t believe you did this.”
I turn around and look into his loving eyes, wondering how I got so lucky.
He’s a big, rough, mean-looking guy, but inside he’s a real softie. Especially when it comes to me and our growing little cub. I can’t wait to see him as a father.
“Are you happy?” he asks.
I stand up on my toes and he leans down so I can kiss him. “Thrilled. He’s going to be so happy here.”
“We’re going to be so happy here.”
I let him wrap his big arms around me as I look at the room, feeling the excitement build inside. “We are. Starting now.”
I love it when the guys from the firehouse get together. It’s always so much fun.
“First, you find a mate,” Carter says as he shakes his head at Ethan. “Now, you’re having a kid. Why do you keep insisting on ruining your life?”
Ethan just laughs at him. “You don’t know what you’re missing, Carter. Life has no spark without a mate.”
I grin as I watch Carter shake his head. He’s really hot (not that I’d ever tell Ethan that—he’d kill the poor guy) with tattoos all over his muscular arms and chest. The guy could get any girl he wants, but for some reason, he’s not interested in any of them.
I’d love for him to meet the right girl and have to eat his words one day, but who knows if that will ever happen? There are four beautiful fit bear shifters here who still haven’t found the girls for them.
Maybe it’s time I start helping them look…
Something tells me I won’t be the only girl hanging around the firehouse for long.
Once one bear finds their mate, it catches like wildfire, passing from one shifter to the next.
I grin as I look around the room full of hot eligible firefighting bachelors.
I wonder who will be next?
Epilogue
Chloe
Eight years later…
I wake up with a groan and reach over to find an empty bed. My eyes fly open and instead of seeing Ethan’s gorgeous sleeping face or broad muscular back facing me, I see the floor-to-ceiling window with the stunning view of our private lake.
It’s a beautiful end of spring day and I take a couple of minutes to admire the gorgeous water as our only neighbors—six cute ducks—glide along the glassy surface.
The trees are starting to sprout their leaves and I wake up with a smile knowing that summer is right around the corner.
Nine o’clock?!?
It’s not even Mother’s Day and Ethan has let me sleep in. He’s the best.
I don’t hear any of our kids fighting or yelling or running around, so he must have taken them out, which means that I have a few quiet minutes to myself.
Not wanting to waste them laying in bed, I get up and rush over to the kitchen. The place is spotless and I already have a big grin on my face when I see the full pot of coffee waiting for me. There’s a note with a gorgeous yellow flower resting on it and I immediately head over to see what it says.
Ethan is always leaving me love notes in my purse or car, or my favorite—on the steam in the mirror whenever I take a shower.
I take my time and smell the carnation, savoring the moment and knowing how much I’m loved by my big burly bear shifter mate.
