hallway in her bare feet. She still wore her black evening dress, and her face was streaked with tears, but in that moment it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except getting away.
She flew down the stairwell until she reached the first floor and raced out the exit located in the back of the building. The forest beckoned and she ran deep into the National Park until the trees and the night surrounded her. She shifted and allowed her bear to roar several times to release the pain.
Then she ran.
Chapter Seven
Dave stood on his porch and surveyed the forest of trees behind his home. It had been his day off, and he’d stayed home most of the day, angry and upset by Emma’s actions. Her cousin’s hadn’t been kidding when they mentioned her stubborn streak, and when she tried to force him to go out with Lynette, he’d lost his cool.
He saw the hurt she tried to hide when he initially gushed over his date with the other woman, but once her mask was in place, she didn’t let it crack for the rest of the evening. When he’d walked out of the hotel lobby, he forced himself not to look back.
If he had, he would have revealed the truth of his conversation with Lynette and they’d be right back where they started. Several times he’d picked up the phone to apologize, he’d even contemplated visiting her room, but each time, he pushed the thoughts away.
He couldn’t force her to commit to him no matter how much he wanted her, or how much he loved her. It had only been two weeks, but he knew things moved fast when a bear found their mate. He knew he belonged to her, but she refused to accept the truth.
I need to get out of this house!
He checked his watch and saw his date with Lynette should have started fifteen minutes ago. He owed the girl a huge favor for going along with his plan. Darkness shrouded the forest, but he needed to stretch his legs, so he grabbed his firearm, flashlight and handcuffs and disappeared into the trees.
Nearly an hour later, he felt a few drops of water dot his face and he looked for shelter in case the sky opened up. As the drops came down heavier, he raced inside a cave in the nick of time.
Buckets of water splashed to the ground, but he knew better than to run blindly into a cave. He stayed next to the opening while he surveyed the dark space behind him with his flashlight.
His search revealed a female grizzly with a light brown coat. She lay on her stomach with her head resting on her paws, and though she blinked when the light landed on her face, she did nothing more than glance at him. It didn’t matter if she stayed in her human form, or shifted into a bear, he would always recognize his woman.
She’s not yours!
“I’m sorry,” he said, shutting off the light. “I’ll leave as soon as the rain lets up.”
He walked back toward the entrance and leaned against the cave wall. As much as he wanted to leave and distance himself from her, the rain seemed to fall in waves, hindering his visibility. He’d be an idiot to leave the cave and jeopardize his safety.
For lack of something to do, he pulled his handcuffs out of his back pocket and twirled them between his fingers.
“You don’t have to go,” she said from behind him.
He didn’t turn back. He’d never keep his hands off her if he saw her in her human form.
The silence stretched out between them until he felt as if he would suffocate. Eventually, she broke the ice.
“How was your date?”
“Great,” he lied.
“Are you going to see her again?”
“Maybe,” he said. “It looks like it’s letting up, so I’m going to head out.” The water had only let up a fraction, but he couldn’t stand being so close to her and pretending they were nothing more than friends. He took a step forward, but her words stopped him.
“I hope she makes you happy.”
“You made me happy,” he confessed, still staring at the rain, “and I haven’t been happy in a really long time.”
“You only think that because you
She flew down the stairwell until she reached the first floor and raced out the exit located in the back of the building. The forest beckoned and she ran deep into the National Park until the trees and the night surrounded her. She shifted and allowed her bear to roar several times to release the pain.
Then she ran.
Chapter Seven
Dave stood on his porch and surveyed the forest of trees behind his home. It had been his day off, and he’d stayed home most of the day, angry and upset by Emma’s actions. Her cousin’s hadn’t been kidding when they mentioned her stubborn streak, and when she tried to force him to go out with Lynette, he’d lost his cool.
He saw the hurt she tried to hide when he initially gushed over his date with the other woman, but once her mask was in place, she didn’t let it crack for the rest of the evening. When he’d walked out of the hotel lobby, he forced himself not to look back.
If he had, he would have revealed the truth of his conversation with Lynette and they’d be right back where they started. Several times he’d picked up the phone to apologize, he’d even contemplated visiting her room, but each time, he pushed the thoughts away.
He couldn’t force her to commit to him no matter how much he wanted her, or how much he loved her. It had only been two weeks, but he knew things moved fast when a bear found their mate. He knew he belonged to her, but she refused to accept the truth.
I need to get out of this house!
He checked his watch and saw his date with Lynette should have started fifteen minutes ago. He owed the girl a huge favor for going along with his plan. Darkness shrouded the forest, but he needed to stretch his legs, so he grabbed his firearm, flashlight and handcuffs and disappeared into the trees.
Nearly an hour later, he felt a few drops of water dot his face and he looked for shelter in case the sky opened up. As the drops came down heavier, he raced inside a cave in the nick of time.
Buckets of water splashed to the ground, but he knew better than to run blindly into a cave. He stayed next to the opening while he surveyed the dark space behind him with his flashlight.
His search revealed a female grizzly with a light brown coat. She lay on her stomach with her head resting on her paws, and though she blinked when the light landed on her face, she did nothing more than glance at him. It didn’t matter if she stayed in her human form, or shifted into a bear, he would always recognize his woman.
She’s not yours!
“I’m sorry,” he said, shutting off the light. “I’ll leave as soon as the rain lets up.”
He walked back toward the entrance and leaned against the cave wall. As much as he wanted to leave and distance himself from her, the rain seemed to fall in waves, hindering his visibility. He’d be an idiot to leave the cave and jeopardize his safety.
For lack of something to do, he pulled his handcuffs out of his back pocket and twirled them between his fingers.
“You don’t have to go,” she said from behind him.
He didn’t turn back. He’d never keep his hands off her if he saw her in her human form.
The silence stretched out between them until he felt as if he would suffocate. Eventually, she broke the ice.
“How was your date?”
“Great,” he lied.
“Are you going to see her again?”
“Maybe,” he said. “It looks like it’s letting up, so I’m going to head out.” The water had only let up a fraction, but he couldn’t stand being so close to her and pretending they were nothing more than friends. He took a step forward, but her words stopped him.
“I hope she makes you happy.”
“You made me happy,” he confessed, still staring at the rain, “and I haven’t been happy in a really long time.”
“You only think that because you
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