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Lyra remained in bed for a while after Timber left, pressing her face into his pillow and inhaling his scent.
Then she decided to get up and eat breakfast while it was warm.
She checked in on Marigold and then went out to the porch, where she watched as the world woke up.
Lyra had always known that Montana, and Missoula, in particular, was overrun with animals. But she had never seen them up close until she moved into the cabin with Timber and Mari.
Now she was seeing squirrels, chipmunks, and bluebirds almost every day.
She had even seen a fox and a coyote once, though those animals didn’t come close to the house.
Timber said they knew that the human who lived in the cabin was not all human.
They could smell thewrongnessof the human, and smart animals, even if they were natural predators, didn’t mess with what they didn’t understand.
The forest remained dark for a while. Lyra ran a hand through her hair as she inhaled the cool, crisp air that bit at her skin.
Winter was fading away faster and faster, and she could tell the morning would be bright and warm.
She sat on the porch for a while before heading to the bathroom.
Her stomach was in knots as she stood underneath the warm water of the shower. She was anxious and excited for Timber, for her bear, to come home.
She needed him to return with good news. She needed him to tell her they could be together, that the council had given them their blessing.
Lyra had just pulled on her clothes for the day when Timber walked in.
She had expected him to be happy. She had been so convinced that the other bear shifters would approve of them.
Clearly, she had been hoping for too much if his face was anything to go by.
He looked tired, and the corners of his mouth were downturned with sadness. Timber came up to Lyra and pulled her into his embrace, pressing his body against hers. Then he let go of her silently and walked into Mari’s room. He picked up his daughter, who woke at his touch.
“I take it the meeting didn’t go well?” Lyra asked him.
Timber shook his head.
“They didn’t approve. And they threatened to kick out any bear who attempted to mate with a human.”
“From the council?” Lyra’s face had become hot with anger, her eyes wet with sadness.
“From everything.” Timber shrugged and headed to the kitchen with Marigold. “Any bears who dared to mate with a human would be kicked out of the council and would be cut off from the protection of the council.”
“That’s horrible. And I’m guessing they’re not the type to change their minds,” Lyra breathed the words.
Her heart dropped into her stomach, and her breathing, she realized, was shallow, unsteady.
Timber’s eyes darkened then, and his jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth.
“We need to be very careful, Lyra.” The warning in his voice was clear. “We need to continue pretending that you’re my nanny and not my mate.”
“You really cannot expect me to do that.” The distress in Lyra’s voice surprised her. But a dent had been put in her pride.
“Yes, you have to,” Timber said, his voice more serious than Lyra had ever heard it before. “You cannot tell anyone about us. Not even your mother. And I’m not doing this because I want to keep you a secret … far from it. I’m doing this because I want to protect you.”
“Maybe we should move?” The idea flashed across Lyra’s mind so suddenly that she hurried to grasp it before it vanished. “Move to another state where we can live freely. Like Alaska.”
Timber shook his head as Marigold started crying.
