Page 10 of Shielded By My Mate

“We are,” he confirms.

“And you’re a teddy bear.”

He chuckles. “Not quite.”

“And something about fate.”

He nods, clasping his hands between his knees.

I grimace. “It’s all kind of jumbled in my head.”

Ansel clears his throat. “I shouldn’t have said anything while you were on pain medication.”

“Well, you can tell me now,” I offer. “Before this next dose kicks in.”

“I said I was sure we were soulmates because I’m a bear shifter.”

I frown as his words from last night come back to me.

“What’s a shifter?”

“Someone who can change between an animal and a human form. I’m a bear shifter.”

“That’s fitting. You’re all big and cuddly like a teddy bear.”

“I patted your head,” I say.

“Yeah,” he says, watching me like he’s waiting for me to do something.

I’m not sure what to do or how to react. I mean, he sounds insane, but that doesn’t really fit with my first impression of him. He’s been nothing but kind and honest.

I feel bad that I don’t believe Ansel because he’s been so good to me. He doesn’t strike me as a liar, but I’m clearly not a great judge of character if I believed the people at the education center.

I wish what he said was real. I wouldn’t mind having him as my soulmate. He’d keep me safe and love me the way I always wanted to be loved.

I try to shake off that thought, but it’s impossible. Ansel is the first person I’ve ever been attracted to. That feels important somehow, but after being kidnapped, I’m having a hard time trusting my judgment and intuition.

“You don’t believe me,” Ansel says, breaking the silence.

I give him an apologetic look and whisper, “I can’t.”

He straightens his shoulders, his expression determined now. “I’ll prove it to you.”

“How?”

He stands. “I’ll shift for you so you can see that I’m telling the truth.”

“Shift for me?”

He nods, tugging his shirt over his head. “I’ll change into my bear. He’s been dying to meet you.”

“Right,” I say slowly, averting my gaze as he pushes down his sweatpants and boxers.

He moves away from the couch so I can see him.

“Um…” My cheeks blaze as my eyes lock onto his ass, and my mouth waters at the thick muscles in his legs and back.

“Ready?”