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My mate was a majestic bear. Huge and menacing. If I were his prey, I would be scared stiff. He could eat me up in one bite.
I took off, wanting the chase. Truth was, I desired the chase in human form, too. I wanted him to romance me and take me as his, but I’d seen the look on his face when I revealed the purpose of the Bearclaw and the invitation. He hadn’t been exactly eager.
Bears could run a bit faster than rabbits, in general—yes, I’d googled it—but my athleticism seemed to carry over to my other form, making us equally matched.
We ran through the forest behind the B&B. The trees were magnificent above us. The moon shone through the branches. The smells of incoming winter and the falling away of autumn made me feel as though we were flowing through a fantasy. We stopped once or twice, and he lay on his side, letting me get onto his belly. He sniffed my form, and I rubbed my face against his chest. He smelled like honey and amber, at least those were the names to the scent that came to mind.
By the time we were done and both exhausted, lying on the ground, it was nearly midnight. Locke reached out a paw and curled me into his chest. The sound of his steady heartbeat nearly lulled me into a deep sleep, but I awakened when reality sank in.
I couldn’t help but sigh, knowing that my time with Locke was coming to an end.
Weekends were too short in general, but this one was flying by.
What would happen after this? Would we fizzle, exchanging a few texts and calls? One missed call and one week of no communication would stretch into a month and, before I knew it, there would be years since the last time I had spoken to my fated mate.
No, I couldn’t let those thoughts win.
“What is it?” he asked as we shifted back.
“Never enough time,” I answered but didn’t explain any further. He didn’t need the added pressure.
Our animals had bonded as we ran. They had communed with each other and decided our fate before we could mess it up.
If only our human sides would catch up.
“Should we head to bed? I’m sure Franklin has plans for us tomorrow.”
I tried like hell not to read into what he was saying. There was nothing I wanted more than for him to take me into his embrace and make love to me. Mate me. Make me his.
I wanted him as my alpha.
All the flinging back and forth—the last few months of having no purpose and no vision of the future…it was all clear now.
I wanted a family and a life and a home with the gorgeous male in front of me. Craved it. Hungered for it.
And, despite my fears about mating, I knew this was not a whim to quell my boredom. A family and a life with Locke was my destiny, or, at least, one of them.
“I’m sure he does.” I forced a chuckle.
We went into the house. Franklin was most likely fast asleep, so we tiptoed up the stairs. My body was exhausted, but my mind was wide awake.
“Sheppard?” Locke whispered, and I melted right there on the balcony. The door to his bedroom was to our right and the door to mine was to our left.
Lust threatened to burn me alive while love kept it at bay, that and my need for my mate’s heart to want me as much as I wanted him. I would wait for him to come to me.
Rabbits didn’t chase—they were chased.
“Good night, Locke. Sleep well.”
I forced my feet to walk toward my bedroom. I held my breath waiting for him to stop me. To tell me he wanted me. To tell me that this weekend wasn’t in vain. That Franklin wasn’t wrong.
That we were meant to be together.
Honestly, I would’ve taken anything he was willing to give me in that moment.
I went inside, not daring to look back at him; all my resolve would crumble with one breath from my beloved mate. Sitting in the chair by the window, I memorized the sight of the moon—everything about that night.
As hard as I tried, no sleep came to me.
