Bear Prince: Shifter Paranormal Romance (Royal Bears Book 1) by Emma Alisyn, Danae Ashe
Authors: Emma Alisyn, Danae Ashe
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through her.
This is getting dangerous, she thought. If I don’t ask him to leave, I’m going to make a terrible mistake.
She turned back, steeling herself against the pain. “I can’t sleep with you, Andrew. I'm not- I can’t do it.” Her hands clenched, jaw clenched. “I think… if you stay any longer we’ll do something I would regret.”
He stared at her, face impassive.
“Please,” she whispered, looking away. “I think I could fall in love with you, and that’s not what you want, is it?”
CHAPTER
7
As Hannah went to get ready for school, Andrei finished the rest of his pancakes and cleared the table. While she was dressing, he wolfed down another helping of pancakes, and prepared batter for more. Andrei couldn’t risk letting her see how much food he ate. She would realize that something was different about him, and that would lead to questions he wasn’t prepared to answer- not yet.
He felt the lingering warmth of her touch on his shoulder, radiating with crackling energy. It surged through him like the rhythmic thrum of his pulse. He reached over to brush his own fingers across the spot on his bare shoulder where she’d so briefly touched it.
Her bedroom door opened, and he watched as she marched toward the door, her eyes glued to the carpet two feet in front of her. She had her backpack slung over her shoulder, helping to hide her face as she passed him.
“Hannah?”
“Bye, Andrew. I’ll see you this afternoon.”
The door closed behind her, leaving Andrei alone with his thoughts.
For the first time, he hated her apartment. Bear raged at him to get their mate, drag her back. If she’d been one of his people, this never would have gone on as long as it had. He would have claimed her, marked her as his. She’d be his mate before his people and already full with his Heir. But she wasn’t a Bear. She was human, and sheltered, and too sweet for him to make decisions for her, with callous disregard of her feelings. If he pressed his own needs- and he could press, seduce her into forgetting her scruples- that would make him little better than a rapist.
And there wasn't a single wall in this apartment his fist wouldn’t shatter into little pieces were he to indulge the impulse.
Perhaps it was better this way. What did she know about Bears, much less about the life of a royal? To bring her to Casakraine, to become Princess and eventually Queen… he laughed. She wanted to dance . It wouldn't be fair. The honorable thing would be to walk away like she’d asked. Walk away and leave her heart and body intact. Allow her to find a nice, normal human man to settle down with. Have babies, worry about… what did middle class couples worry about? He hadn’t marked her, it was possible for her to find someone else. Suffering would subside after the first few days, since they’d never sealed the bond.
Would she go hungry? Would her husband treat her well? Would she have to worry about a decent place to live?
He didn’t want her to worry about anything, ever. Honor demanded he give her space and time to think. Walk away and approach her later with the truth, and let her decide. Andrei ate his pancakes, cleaned up the kitchen and took out his laptop. He had work to do, compounded by his present self-initiated furlough, and no time to indulge himself in more fruitless mental gnashing.
Work to do, and a decision to make.
***
He was gone when she came home. Numb, she checked the bathroom, the closet. Empty of his belongings. She went into the kitchenette to make a sandwich- she had to eat, even if she wasn’t hungry. Saw the note on the fridge. He’d left a casserole in the oven.
Hannah sat down, hard, almost missing the chair. Wouldn’t that be great, banging her head on the table and needing stitches she couldn’t afford?
He’d left her a casserole.
Tears blurred her eyes. How could he think she would eat? Was it so easy for him to leave? She’d hoped he would
This is getting dangerous, she thought. If I don’t ask him to leave, I’m going to make a terrible mistake.
She turned back, steeling herself against the pain. “I can’t sleep with you, Andrew. I'm not- I can’t do it.” Her hands clenched, jaw clenched. “I think… if you stay any longer we’ll do something I would regret.”
He stared at her, face impassive.
“Please,” she whispered, looking away. “I think I could fall in love with you, and that’s not what you want, is it?”
CHAPTER
7
As Hannah went to get ready for school, Andrei finished the rest of his pancakes and cleared the table. While she was dressing, he wolfed down another helping of pancakes, and prepared batter for more. Andrei couldn’t risk letting her see how much food he ate. She would realize that something was different about him, and that would lead to questions he wasn’t prepared to answer- not yet.
He felt the lingering warmth of her touch on his shoulder, radiating with crackling energy. It surged through him like the rhythmic thrum of his pulse. He reached over to brush his own fingers across the spot on his bare shoulder where she’d so briefly touched it.
Her bedroom door opened, and he watched as she marched toward the door, her eyes glued to the carpet two feet in front of her. She had her backpack slung over her shoulder, helping to hide her face as she passed him.
“Hannah?”
“Bye, Andrew. I’ll see you this afternoon.”
The door closed behind her, leaving Andrei alone with his thoughts.
For the first time, he hated her apartment. Bear raged at him to get their mate, drag her back. If she’d been one of his people, this never would have gone on as long as it had. He would have claimed her, marked her as his. She’d be his mate before his people and already full with his Heir. But she wasn’t a Bear. She was human, and sheltered, and too sweet for him to make decisions for her, with callous disregard of her feelings. If he pressed his own needs- and he could press, seduce her into forgetting her scruples- that would make him little better than a rapist.
And there wasn't a single wall in this apartment his fist wouldn’t shatter into little pieces were he to indulge the impulse.
Perhaps it was better this way. What did she know about Bears, much less about the life of a royal? To bring her to Casakraine, to become Princess and eventually Queen… he laughed. She wanted to dance . It wouldn't be fair. The honorable thing would be to walk away like she’d asked. Walk away and leave her heart and body intact. Allow her to find a nice, normal human man to settle down with. Have babies, worry about… what did middle class couples worry about? He hadn’t marked her, it was possible for her to find someone else. Suffering would subside after the first few days, since they’d never sealed the bond.
Would she go hungry? Would her husband treat her well? Would she have to worry about a decent place to live?
He didn’t want her to worry about anything, ever. Honor demanded he give her space and time to think. Walk away and approach her later with the truth, and let her decide. Andrei ate his pancakes, cleaned up the kitchen and took out his laptop. He had work to do, compounded by his present self-initiated furlough, and no time to indulge himself in more fruitless mental gnashing.
Work to do, and a decision to make.
***
He was gone when she came home. Numb, she checked the bathroom, the closet. Empty of his belongings. She went into the kitchenette to make a sandwich- she had to eat, even if she wasn’t hungry. Saw the note on the fridge. He’d left a casserole in the oven.
Hannah sat down, hard, almost missing the chair. Wouldn’t that be great, banging her head on the table and needing stitches she couldn’t afford?
He’d left her a casserole.
Tears blurred her eyes. How could he think she would eat? Was it so easy for him to leave? She’d hoped he would
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