Page 32 of My Unbearable Mate

“One of them could’ve stolen the locket, but how would they know the significance? I don’t even know what it all means.”

He leaned in close and I almost wiped the cupcake boxes away from the table and grabbed his beard for a kiss.

“You know more than you’re giving yourself credit for,” he said.

“Like what?”

“Close your eyes,” he instructed, his voice way too husky for his own good. We were in public, bear. “And tell me what power you think the locket has.”

Give it a try, my bear insisted just as I was about to remind Bellamy I had no magic.

It felt a little silly to be sitting in the middle of a busy bakery with my eyes closed, but only for a moment. I was transported to Nana’s apothecary, with her grimoires and crystals, and wait…were we in a tent?

My heart started pounding because I wasn’t sure if I’d accidently transported myself to Alba’s apothecary instead.

Trust the process, my bear said.

She had to feel so frustrated, claustrophobic, and yet she was still patient with me.

Why do you think I’m doing this? she teased.

I saw the locket. I wanted to open my eyes and tell Bellamy, but for once in my life, I willed myself to be patient. It wasn’t in my hand, but the hand that held it was young. Smooth. Not present day Nana’s.

Then I saw Alba, laying on a cot. The women I’d met was old, but this version of her looked like a shrunken apple doll, which made the apple pie cupcake in my stomach churn. That young, smooth hand placed the locket on Alba’s chest, and I gasped as the years literally melted away and revealed the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.

“Clover.” Bellamy’s voice jolted me from the vision.

I opened my eyes, and everything was foggy. Bellamy was still there, even more gorgeous than ever, but he wasn’t alone.

Nana had joined us at the table.

Chapter

Fifteen

She Wore Her Bad Decisions Like a Sleeve of Tattoos

Bellamy

I’d never seen a bear shifter resemble a Cheshire cat until I saw Shirley grin at her granddaughter like she’d just found her prey. Clover’s sapphire eyes were wide, her plump pink lips parted. It wasn’t often my…Clover was speechless, but right now she was frozen in place.

Fix this for her, my bear demanded.

I couldn’t waste time arguing with him about how that was the worst possible thing I could do. Clover needed to win this battle on her own. I could help her find answers and pick up the pieces that were sure to fall, but if we were right…

No wonder Clover was stunned. Shirley was the matriarch of our clan. A mother figure to all of us. The one who fixed our shit when we didn’t know how to do it on our own.

Not trusting her felt traitorous. Like it would have consequences.

“Nana,” Clover finally managed. “What are you doing in Granger Falls?”

“Making sure that you’re okay, dear.” Shirley placed her hand over her heart in dramatic fashion. “When you didn’t come back home, I was sure that you and Bellamy had reconciled. But even if you had, it wasn’t like you not to call me. My intuition told me that I needed to come to Granger Falls.”

Clover was frozen.

“You knew I found her,” I said carefully, not to allow the growl that was begging to come out to get its way.

“I needed to see her with my own eyes, Bellamy.”

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