Page 50 of The Bear's Second Chance Mate
“He is. And he isn’t.” Stanley struggled to explain what had always been instinctive to him. “We’re the same being, but different…aspects. He’s more...primal. More certain. Less worried about the consequences.”
“And what does he think about all this?” June asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.
Stanley felt his bear stir with pleasure at being acknowledged. “He’s been telling me to claim you since the moment we met. To tell you everything.”
“Claim me?” June’s eyebrow arched, but her lips curved upward.
Heat rushed to Stanley’s face. “His words, not mine.”
“Tell me more,” she whispered, her breath caressing his cheek.
Stanley took a deep breath. “It means we’re connected. Deeply. It’s like...the universe recognizing that two souls belong together.” He paused, watching her face carefully. “For shifters, it’s immediate. The moment I saw you, my bear knew. It’s why I couldn’t stay away, even when I tried to give you space.”
“And for humans?” June asked quietly.
“It’s different,” Stanley admitted. “Slower, usually. More like a feeling that builds. A pull. A recognition that might not make sense at first.”
June nodded slowly, her eyes distant with thought. “That explains a lot.”
“Like what?”
“Like why I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” she said simply. “Why I dreamed about you. Why being near you felt so...right.” Her cheeks flushed slightly. “I thought I was just desperate and lonely.”
Stanley’s heart constricted. “You’re not. You’re...everything.”
The words hung between them, raw and honest. June’s eyes met his, and the connection that had been there from the beginning seemed to deepen, to solidify into something tangible.
“Does this mean we’re...what? Destined to be together?” she asked, her voice catching slightly.
Stanley shook his head. “It means we’re meant for each other. But destiny isn’t the same as choice. You still get to choose, June. You always will.”
She was quiet again, processing. Stanley waited, his bear surprisingly patient now that the truth was out.
“And Oli?” she asked finally. “What does this mean for him?”
“Whatever you want it to mean,” Stanley said honestly. “In shifter families, children are treasured. Protected. Loved.” He swallowed hard. “I already care about him, June. That hasnothing to do with the mate bond and everything to do with who he is. Who you both are.”
June’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. “This all feels too good to be true.”
“I know,” he said, threading his arm around her waist and pulling her close. “I have felt that way since we met. But being here with you, holding you close…”
Then he closed the distance and kissed her. She clung to him as he nipped her bottom lip, and he tightened his arm around her, never wanting to let her go. As their kiss deepened, their tongues entwined, and desire coursed through his veins.
He wanted her. Here. Now.
And as their kiss broke, she looked up at him with eyes that mirrored his deepest desire. Then she whispered, “Claim me.”
How could he refuse?
Chapter Sixteen – June
Claim me. Did she actually say that?
The words hung between them, and June felt a jolt of electricity surge through her. Stanley’s gaze searched her face, and she held his eyes without hesitation, only desire, certainty, and something that felt very much like love.
Which was ridiculous since she barely knew him.
But was that true? She might have only known Stanley for a few days, but it felt as if she’d known him her whole life.
