Heart of the Bear (Hells Canyon Shifters Book 5) by T. S. Joyce Page B

the claw marks.” Muriel turned a knowing, steady gaze on her and lowered her voice when she said, “But not about the part where you smell claimed by him.”
    Rae wanted to curl up in a little ball. Did shifters just know every damned thing about every damned person? They could smell if someone had sex, too? Freaking great. Another first impression nailed.
    Burning heat flooded up her neck and landed in her cheeks. She couldn’t look Muriel in the eyes anymore as she took her first sip of tea.
    Muriel chuckled softly. “Rae, you know sex isn’t anything to be ashamed of, right?”
    “I do.” Rae tilted her head toward the door. “Jesse’s the one who’s ashamed.”
    ****
    “Why was Rae crying?” Logan asked as soon as they hit the edge of the yard.
    Her soft sobbing in the truck had gutted Jesse and done something awful to his bear. All he wanted to do right now was change back and escape the tidal wave of human emotion threatening to drown him. “Because I did something stupid.”
    “You’ll have to be more specific than that. I can name fourteen stupid things you’ve done off the top of my head.”
    Gritting his teeth, Jesse picked up a rock and chucked it as hard as he could into the woods. “I bonded with her, Logan. I knew she was important, that what I felt about her was different, and I slept with her anyway. And what’s worse? I didn’t even tell her what the risk was. She doesn’t even understand.”
    “Oooh, shit.” Logan stared back at the house with an utterly shocked expression. “Are you sure it was a bond? Like, you felt it?”
    “Yeah, I felt it. It nearly blinded me, and from her reaction, she felt it, too.”
    A slow grin took Logan’s mouth, and he shook Jesse’s shoulder slowly. “You bonded, man. What the hell are you doing out here with me. You should be celebrating with your mate.”
    “She’s not my mate!” Anger over the unfairness of it all settled over him. “She’s not a bear, Logan. She’s not a shifter at all. She’s a human woman I met today who’ll be gone as soon as Ethan says she can leave. I’ve just bonded to a woman I don’t have a shot in hell at keeping.”
    “Jesse, is this about Miranda? Because her leaving doesn’t mean every woman will do the same. You’ve lived a half-life for too long because of what she did to you, but this is your shot to move on.”
    “It’s not about Miranda.” Jesse twitched his head in agitation. “It’s not only about Miranda. I haven’t even told Rae about Jonathan.”
    Logan’s eyebrows winged up. “You haven’t told the woman you bonded with you have a son?”
    “Of course I didn’t! She’s a huge risk to our people. Of course I didn’t put my cub in front of her. I’ve known her for a day, Logan. How can I trust someone after so short a time?”
    “That’s bullshit, and you know it. It’s not the same for shifters. Nothing is the same. If your bear chose her, she’s trustworthy. She came here for a reason, man. This is your shot at moving on from the shit Miranda pulled, and you’re blowing it. You know what Rae was asking about in there? If bears could be with humans. She’s already thinking of you like that, Jesse. Please tell me she wasn’t crying because you were a dick after sleeping with her. Because if so, and she leaves, that’s on you. It’ll be your own damned fault for pushing her away. Jesse,” Logan gritted out, shaking his head. His dark eyes were solemn and serious. “You can’t screw this up. A bond isn’t just something that’ll go away with time. Trust me. She’s it. It’s up to you to make it work—to make her feel safe here and like she could have a life in Hells Canyon. It doesn’t matter to the bond if she’s human. You’ll pine forever if you let her go.”
    “I’ve known her one day,” Jesse reminded him.
    Logan threw his hands in the air. “Screw one day. That’s how the bond works. It’s not magic. It’s science. It’s chemistry. If you’re lucky