Page 23 of Luke: The Bears

“I don’t want you to feel that way. I want you to have your dreams, Valley.”

She turned to face him.

Damn, he was becoming her everything.

“I didn’t want to ask you to leave everything for me. You belong in King Lake,” she said.

“I belong with you. And you didn’t ask me to leave, I chose you. And I will, every time. Here, two hours away, the other side of the world? I’m with you.”

She inhaled shakily as everything cleared in her mind, the fork in the road suddenly making sense. Fate had brought her and Luke together at this point in time because it was right for both of them. If she’d not let Eisley talk her into going to The Howl, she would have packed up and moved away, never knowing the sweet bear was just across the bridge.

She couldn’t picture her life without him in it.

And even though he’d agreed to go with her, she couldn’t picture either of them away from King Lake.

“I love you.”

His brows lifted. “I love you too, Valley.”

“You do?” she asked, blinking at the tears.

“Yeah, of course. You’re my mate. I can’t imagine my life without you in it, and that’s how I know that you’re mine and I’m yours. It might be fast, but that doesn’t mean it’s not right for us. I love how talented you are in the kitchen. How funny and sweet you are. I can’t wait to talk to you, to see you. I feel like I’m half living when we’re not together.”

The tears came then, and she couldn’t stop them, but she didn’t really try.

Luke held her until she stopped crying.

“I want to stay here,” she said, brushing at her wet cheeks when she was finally able to speak. “I have to call Margie and tell her I won’t be joining her. I was worried about her being mad at me, but I’m mad at myself for pushing you away so much in the beginning.”

“I’m not mad about that, you were still figuring me out.”

She smiled at him. Sexy bear.

“King Lake feels like home, and I think it’s because you’re here,” she said.

“We’ll figure it out as we go along,” he said. “If you want to stay here, I want to be by your side.”

She chewed on her bottom lip. “I don’t know what the future looks like. And despite my parents being free and breezy hippies, I do like to make plans.”

“Oh? You don’t say,” he said with a grin.

She laughed. “Just small plans. Like moving in together. Me finding a job.”

He moved close and cupped her face. “You becoming my mate in truth.”

She shivered. “I want all of it. With you.”

“You’ve got me. Forever.”

He kissed her and the world fell away as all the plans she’d made morphed and rearranged to include staying in King Lake and being with her mate.

It might only have been four days since they’d met, but she felt like she’d lived a lifetime in that short time. And in that lifetime? She’d found the love of her life.

Luke left Valley sitting on the porch to call her boss while he went inside to get dressed. He sent a quick text to Colt.

Running a little late. Valley came over. I’ll be there as soon as I can.

Colt replied a few moments later. No worries. I’m already at the gazebo. Couldn’t sleep, thought I might as well work.