Wild Bear (Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance) (Rescue Bears Book 2) by Scarlett Grove Page A

groaned.
    “Wild raspberry.”
    “I can always count on you to feed me wild foods,” she said.
    “You always did like the taste of raw nature,” he said, looking over at her with a grin in his eyes.
    Lily took a sip of water from her bottle, and they continued to walk along the trail. She could feel the pheromones taking over. She was Shane’s fated mate. She could tell from the way he always made her feel inside.
    “So. You’re famous. That must be crazy,” she said, feeling like a dork.
    He glanced at her with dark eyes. “Not anymore,” he said.
    “I heard what happened. It’s terrible. People are so hateful.”
    “That’s the price you pay for fame. And for being a shifter.”
    He seemed angry and distant. She almost stopped on the trail and didn’t continue, but he seemed to brush it aside.
    “None of that matters anymore. Tell me what you’ve been up to,” he said.
    “This and that. Nothing too special. I left Fate Mountain soon after you did. I started school but it got too hard to keep going and pay rent.”
    They made it to the bottom of the mountain where Lily had her car parked. Shane had a motorcycle parked right beside it. He told her the address of his apartment, and she followed him down the highway back to Fate Mountain Village.
    They parked in front of a nice apartment complex in one of the older neighborhoods in town. There were mature oak trees along the sidewalk with new green leaves rustling in the evening air. They went upstairs to his place. He had a comfortable apartment with a few pieces of furniture and a balcony with a view of the mountain.
    She looked out at the view, wishing she could have changed out of her hiking clothes. Lily glanced back over at Shane in the kitchen. He was pulling pots and pans out of cabinets.
    “Make yourself at home,” he said.
    She walked over to the counter between the kitchen and dining room and took a seat on one of the stools. Watching Shane work in the kitchen was a sight to behold. Even in the small apartment kitchen, she could see his skill. His hand flew between ingredients and bowls. Mixing, blending, chopping.
    “What are you making?” Lily asked.
    “Steak au proivre with Dijon cream sauce.”
    “You have all that lying around?”
    Shane started to sear the steak, and the smell wafted through the air.
    “Might as well make the most of it while I can.”
    “How did you end up a chef anyway, Shane?” she asked.
    He used tongs to turn the steaks and whipped the cream sauce in a pan. With another fluid motion of his body, he grabbed a bottle of red wine and popped the cork. He filled her a glass and then another for himself.
    “When I left Fate Mountain, I knew that it was time for me to make my own way in the world. I couldn’t believe I made it out of that cave with my shifter identity still a secret. When I made it to Portland, I got a job in a kitchen. It was under the table, washing dishes. Over time, I worked up to prep cook. By then, I had a place to live and was doing okay. My chef suggested I go to school. He helped me make it happen. A few years later, I got a job working at a restaurant in San Francisco. It didn’t take long for me to work to the top. I was only twenty-three when I opened the restaurant. I’m not going to say I did it all on my own. I had a lot of help. Personality played a big role. People loved my image. The fame just kept rolling in once it started.”
    “That must have been a wild ride.”
    Shane took the steaks out of the pan and slid them onto a plate. He poured the white cream sauce over the steak in a perfect zigzag motion. Then he plated a side of fresh greens. The presentation was beautiful. He slid the plate across to her and handed her a fork with a cloth napkin. Shane stood in the kitchen, cutting into his food. He wasn’t even sitting down. And here Lily was, thinking this was a date.
    She took a bite and it melted in her mouth, the flavor bursting with complexity and savory goodness. She