Page 64 of Sweet Heart for the Bear

And, of course, the entire supernatural secret, which he firmly states must remain just that—a secret.

There’s a lot of gasping. A lot of“oh my Gods,”and“you’ve gotta be kidding me,”and“this is some Twilight-level bullshit,”thrown around.

Dina’s eyes are wide as saucers as she looks back and forth between Uzzi and me.

“So you’re a Shifter,” she says, pointing at me.

Then she turns to Uzzi. “And you’re a Witch?”

Uncle Uzzi sighs dramatically, smoothing his pristine white beard. “Technically, dear, I prefer the term Magical Matchmaking Consultant, but yes, that would be accurate.”

I grunt, rubbing my hand over my face.

Dina and MJ resemble Carina, their dark eyes sparking with the same kind of intelligence and fire that makes my mate so irresistible. And my Bear?

My Bear already sees them as family.

But they are not her.

No one compares to the beauty of my mate.

My mate.

I swallow hard. Will she agree to that?

Will she forgive me? Accept my claim?

Or will she wake up, tell me I’m out of my damn mind, and walk out of my life forever?

The thought twists like a blade in my chest.

I’ve seen what a broken mate bond can do.

My father had the unfortunate experience of claiming a human mate—my mother—before explaining what he was. She’d been religious, and while she agreed to have me, she didn’t stick around for the rest of it.

I watched my father carry that devastation for the rest of his life.

It broke him.

Slowly.

Painfully.

Until it killed him.

And now, the ball is in Carina’s court.

All I can do is wait.

Wait.

And pray like hell that I don’t end up like my father.

“So, you’re saying this big guy is afuzzy wuzzyBear?” MJ asks, and I raise my eyebrows.

“Easy with thefuzzy wuzzyshit,” I growl.

“Well, technically, she’s right,” Dina corrects me, and I snort.

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