can. She’d already seen him shirtless, and he knew he had nothing to hide.
He walked into the open bay, and saw both Audrey and Declan standing at the counter talking. She looked relaxed, but as soon as she saw him, she ran over and jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He slid his hands under her ass, and he nuzzled her neck.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “I was so worried.”
“I’m fine,” he said, “but we don’t have a lot of time, and we need to talk.”
He carried her to the counter, and nodded at Declan.
“I’ll wait outside.”
“What’s going on? Declan wouldn’t tell me anything.”
“I love you,” he blurted. “I know you probably have about a zillion questions, but we’re short on time, so I have to talk now and you have to listen. I love you. I’ve loved you almost from day one, but I was resisting it because of these scars.”
She opened her mouth to say something, but he put his finger up to her lips.
“My ex used a flesh-eating poison called Carvrix, or Carve for short, and left me for dead. Luckily, she didn’t cut near deep enough, but after that, I swore off women. Until you. Not every shifter has one, but you’re my fated mate, Audrey. That means that you’re the one woman in the world made especially for me.
“I’ve been fighting my feelings for you since that night in the bar, and I knew it was you in my bed this morning. I didn’t get angry because of the kiss, I got angry because it stopped. I went to bed last night with every intention of talking to you today, but things haven’t been going exactly as planned.”
Her giggle made him smile, and he continued.
“The problem we now face is the fate of your life. Our Itan, the clan leader, is on his way, and we need a plan. Humans can’t know about shifters unless they’re married to one, so you need to either mate with me, or another bear, within twenty-four hours.”
“Or what?” she asked.
“Or be killed.”
Tad turned to see Ty Abrams, the town sheriff, and leader of the bear clan, standing a few feet away with Declan by his side. He briefly wondered why his brother hadn’t warned him about the Itan’s arrival, but he quickly pushed the thought aside. He had more important things to worry about.
He turned back to Audrey, and placed his hands on her waist.
“Don’t be afraid” he whispered.
She nodded, and he lifted her off the counter, letting her slide down his body until her feet touched the floor.
“Itan,” Tad said. “This is Audrey Harris.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Audrey,” Ty said. “I wish it was under better circumstances. I heard Tad explaining your options, but I’ll repeat them so there’s no misunderstanding. You can stay here and mate with Tad, or, if you want to meet other bears, you can come with me to the clan compound. You’ll have twenty-four hours to choose a willing mate, but if no choice is made, then you’ll be eliminated.”
“I understand,” she said, speaking directly to Ty. “If he honestly wants to marry me, I’d like to stay with Tad.”
“Hell yes!”
Tad’s holler filled the room, and Declan and Ty laughed.
“I love you, too,” she declared, quietly.
He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, and then tossed his keys to Declan.
“Close up for me, Dec.”
“No problem, bro,” Declan laughed. “Have fun.”
“Oh my god… Tad, put me down.”
She’d tried to sound firm, but her giggles revealed otherwise.
“Not a chance, sweetheart,” he laughed.
“Thank you, Itan,” he said, nodding once out of respect.
“You’re welcome, Tad,” Ty said. “It’s good to see you smiling again.”
“It feels good, too.”
And it honestly did.
Chapter Six
Audrey laughed as Tad practically ran to the house, and took the stairs two at a time. Dangling upside down like a sack of potatoes wasn’t her ideal way of travel, but Tad’s enthusiasm was contagious, and she couldn’t stop
He walked into the open bay, and saw both Audrey and Declan standing at the counter talking. She looked relaxed, but as soon as she saw him, she ran over and jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He slid his hands under her ass, and he nuzzled her neck.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “I was so worried.”
“I’m fine,” he said, “but we don’t have a lot of time, and we need to talk.”
He carried her to the counter, and nodded at Declan.
“I’ll wait outside.”
“What’s going on? Declan wouldn’t tell me anything.”
“I love you,” he blurted. “I know you probably have about a zillion questions, but we’re short on time, so I have to talk now and you have to listen. I love you. I’ve loved you almost from day one, but I was resisting it because of these scars.”
She opened her mouth to say something, but he put his finger up to her lips.
“My ex used a flesh-eating poison called Carvrix, or Carve for short, and left me for dead. Luckily, she didn’t cut near deep enough, but after that, I swore off women. Until you. Not every shifter has one, but you’re my fated mate, Audrey. That means that you’re the one woman in the world made especially for me.
“I’ve been fighting my feelings for you since that night in the bar, and I knew it was you in my bed this morning. I didn’t get angry because of the kiss, I got angry because it stopped. I went to bed last night with every intention of talking to you today, but things haven’t been going exactly as planned.”
Her giggle made him smile, and he continued.
“The problem we now face is the fate of your life. Our Itan, the clan leader, is on his way, and we need a plan. Humans can’t know about shifters unless they’re married to one, so you need to either mate with me, or another bear, within twenty-four hours.”
“Or what?” she asked.
“Or be killed.”
Tad turned to see Ty Abrams, the town sheriff, and leader of the bear clan, standing a few feet away with Declan by his side. He briefly wondered why his brother hadn’t warned him about the Itan’s arrival, but he quickly pushed the thought aside. He had more important things to worry about.
He turned back to Audrey, and placed his hands on her waist.
“Don’t be afraid” he whispered.
She nodded, and he lifted her off the counter, letting her slide down his body until her feet touched the floor.
“Itan,” Tad said. “This is Audrey Harris.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Audrey,” Ty said. “I wish it was under better circumstances. I heard Tad explaining your options, but I’ll repeat them so there’s no misunderstanding. You can stay here and mate with Tad, or, if you want to meet other bears, you can come with me to the clan compound. You’ll have twenty-four hours to choose a willing mate, but if no choice is made, then you’ll be eliminated.”
“I understand,” she said, speaking directly to Ty. “If he honestly wants to marry me, I’d like to stay with Tad.”
“Hell yes!”
Tad’s holler filled the room, and Declan and Ty laughed.
“I love you, too,” she declared, quietly.
He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, and then tossed his keys to Declan.
“Close up for me, Dec.”
“No problem, bro,” Declan laughed. “Have fun.”
“Oh my god… Tad, put me down.”
She’d tried to sound firm, but her giggles revealed otherwise.
“Not a chance, sweetheart,” he laughed.
“Thank you, Itan,” he said, nodding once out of respect.
“You’re welcome, Tad,” Ty said. “It’s good to see you smiling again.”
“It feels good, too.”
And it honestly did.
Chapter Six
Audrey laughed as Tad practically ran to the house, and took the stairs two at a time. Dangling upside down like a sack of potatoes wasn’t her ideal way of travel, but Tad’s enthusiasm was contagious, and she couldn’t stop
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