I make my way towards the stairs, and he meets me at the bottom of them. My hand shakes slightly as I reach out and stroke the bear’s head. We’re almost eye to eye, even with me having the added boost from the steps.
He makes a rumbling noise as I brush my hands over his soft fur, and I smile.
“So soft.”
He pushes his head further against my palm and I laugh. I pet the bear for a few more minutes, getting used to being around him, and then he turns and walks back to the yard. A second later, Alec is standing there and grabbing his clothes.
“Not so bad, right?” He asks me as he pulls on his pants, and I nod.
“No, he was cute.”
He snorts, and I wonder what his bear is saying.
It kind of hits me then that this is real. I’m in love with a bear shifter. I can feel my mind racing and I back up a step. My phone starts ringing and I know that it’s probably my parents. When I pull it out and see my mom’s name on the screen, I sigh.
“Do you need to go?” Alec asks as he joins me on the porch.
“Probably. I still need to play nice with them until tomorrow.”
“Are we still on then? For our wedding?”
He seems nervous, and I smile.
“Yeah, we’re still on.”
He nods, looking relieved, and I follow him back to the front door. We pull on our boots and coats and then head out to his truck. The ride back to the resort is mostly quiet, and I groan as we pull up out front.
“I don’t want to go back in there.”
“You don’t have to,” Alec says, and I wish he was right.
“One more night,” I tell him, and he nods.
“There’s one more thing,” he says before I can get out.
“Another shifter thing?” I guess, and he nods.
“Tomorrow is the full moon.”
“Right.”
“And shifters and their mates can feel this thing called the mating heat. It’s like a pull between them.”
“What kind of pull?”
“We’re going to have sex on the mind tomorrow,” he tells me, and I stare at him.
“What?”
“Like a lot,” he admits, and I’m not sure how to react.
“Alright…”
“I just wanted to warn you in case you wake up tomorrow and feel…strange.”
“Got it. Anything else I should know?” I ask him, and he shakes his head.
“I don’t think so. Not right now, anyway.”