Page 32 of My Forever Bear

I nod through the tears swimming in my eyes. “Yeah.” My voice is hoarse. “What do we do now? Tyler, tell me what to do.”

Tyler runs a hand through his shoulder-length hair, tugging at the ends. The strands are a mess from his hands constantly running through them. Blowing out a breath, he turns to address me.

“Help me throw these pumpkins and squash into the woods. The deer and other animals can have them now.” His tone is somber. I can imagine he’s hurting, but he’s holding it together for the sake of the pack. “Reese, Kiernan, can you clean up any broken glass in the greenhouse?”

“You got it.”

In a show of solidarity, we get to work. I grab an armful of charred pumpkins from the ground and head toward the forest. Tyler follows suit, grabbing double the amount I have in his giant arms.

Kiernan and Reese leave us, heading to the greenhouse to pick up glass.

“Are you okay, Tyler?” I ask as we continue cleaning up. His brows pull together as he stops in the middle of the ruined field.

“Yeah, I'm glad no one was here when this happened. If anything had happened to you, Wren, I'd never forgive myself. Not to mention, Kiernan would murder me.”

One side of his mouth tips up in a weak smile, not quite his usual flirtatious smirk.

“He is a little possessive, isn't he?” I joke, trying to lighten the mood. “You know I'm here for you, too, right? I might be Kier’s mate, but I'm your friend.” I reach over and wrap a hand around his tattooed forearm.

“Does that mean you're staying here permanently? Even once Buddy fixes your car?”

“I don't think I could leave Kiernan even if I wanted to. The thought alone makes me sick to my stomach. Plus, this is the first time in my life I've felt like I truly belong somewhere. Besides Kier, I really like the rest of you and I really like working with you. I'm here to stay. I hope that's okay.” I peer up at him through my lashes.

“Wren, are you fuckin’ kidding me? Of course, we all want you to stay. Even grumpy pants, Reese. Like you said, you've become one of my best friends over the past week. Who else is going to read all of my smutty books and gossip with me?”

“Thanks Tyler,” I say, picking up another burnt pumpkin. “Come on, the faster we clean up, the faster we can get the field ready for planting in the spring.”

By midday, we have the ruined crops and the glass shards from the greenhouse cleaned up. The forest animals will get a nice treat with all the squash and pumpkins we had to throw into the woods.

Unfortunately, the greenhouse needs a complete overhaul and the bad soil needs to be tilled under, but everything else can wait until tomorrow.

Tyler decides to take the rest of the day to decompress–alone. Not that I can blame him. I’m sure he has a lot to process.

“Baby, why don’t I walk you back home? Reese and I are going to search the woods, see if we can’t catch a scent,” Kiernan says as he laces his fingers with mine, pulling me toward his cabin. “Meet you at your place,” he calls over his shoulder to Reese, who simply grunts in response.

“Are you sure it’s safe?” My brows scrunch together as I walk next to Kiernan.

He chuckles. “Reese and I are scarier than anything in these woods, Lilac. We’re the biggest, baddest bears around.” He puffs his chest out to emphasize his point.

“If you say so,” I giggle.

“I do.” Throwing me over his shoulder, he sprints the rest of the way to his cabin.

Once we reach the porch steps, he sets me on my feet on the top step. He stays standing on the ground, leaving us eye to eye. I grip the back of his neck and pull his lips to mine. The kiss is slow… and short; when Kiernan pulls away I chase his lips with my own, wanting more. Kier lets out a low laugh.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine, Lilac,” he promises.

He places a tender kiss on my forehead before pulling back. I search his eyes. The brown suddenly darker, like he’s focused, gearing up for action. “Be careful,” I plead, hands twisting in front of my body.

“We will. It’s just a perimeter sweep. We probably won’t find anything,” he says, trying to make light of the situation and assuage my nerves. “Stay here, okay. If it gets dark, stay inside and lock the door.”

Warm lips land against mine, only a quick peck. “See you soon, Lilac.” Kiernan pulls back, flashing me a quick smile before turning toward Reese’s home and jogging away.

The rhythmic creaking of my rocking chair breaks the silence of late afternoon as I sit on Kiernan’s wraparound front porch. It’s a rare warm November day, so I’m only dressed in a thick sweater and leggings. Kier’s wool socks adorn my feet, of course. Stealing them any chance I get is my new obsession.

I’ve spent the afternoon reading the newest book I stole from Tyler’s collection. It’s a rockstar mafia why choose. I’ve just finished a particularly steamy portion when my stomach growls loudly.

“Snack time,” I murmur, patting my rumbling belly as I place my paperback on the table.

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