Page 110 of Mated to the Mountain Bear
She leans back into me, and I breathe her in, still marvelling that she’s here, that she chose this life. My bear settles, content in a way I never thought possible.
“I love our life,” she whispers, and through our bond, I feel the truth of it. The grief for Amber is still there, might always be there, but it’s part of a larger tapestry now. One that includes hope, purpose, and family.
“Just wait,” I murmur against her ear, giving it a sharp nip in a promise of what’s to come.
Her laughter fills our kitchen, and I know that’s a sound I’ll never tire of.
My mate.
EPILOGUE
BEN
“This is going a bit overboard.”
Zara stands in the middle of our cabin, hands on her hips, supervising my brothers’ somewhat chaotic work around her. It’s been three weeks since the barbecue, and my protective instincts have been ramping up daily. Something my brothers find endlessly amusing.
“No, I don’t think it is.” Folding my arms across my chest, I watch Maddox install another camera with the practiced efficiency of someone who’s done this countless times.
When Zara gets that dreamy look in her eyes as she watches us work, I flex a bicep, and her cheeks pink, knowing she’s been caught staring at the arms she loves so much.
My bear preens. She can stare all she wants.
“I thought the whole point of living up here was to be away from this kind of stuff,” she says, wincing at the whine of Mason’s drill outside where he’s installing sensor lights on the porch. “Do we really need this?”
“I moved up here to get away from people. Got no problem with technology that’ll keep you safe.”
She may roll her eyes, but there’s affection in it. These past weeks have shown me just how well she fits into this life. The online counselling program starts next month, and she’s been meeting with families through the support group. Chase even officially brought her on as a consultant. My mate is building a life here, a purpose beyond just being with me.
Another truck pulls up, and Mitch climbs out with more equipment. “Got those extra sensors you wanted,” he calls, heading our way.
“Are these going to go off every time a deer walks through the trees?” Zara watches Maddox work. “We live in the forest. Surely, animals are going to trip these constantly.”
I laugh and cross to her, then pull her against me. She comes willingly, always ready for my touch now. “I’m a bear, Zara. If you haven’t already noticed, not too many prey animals come by here.”
She pauses, mouth open, processing. “Oh, my God. You’re right. I never put two and two together. All I ever see are birds.”
“And Jerry,” I add as our spoiled dog lifts his head from his bed by the fireplace, checking if he’s being summoned for treats. Where once he was a wanderer, who stopped by on his way through, he’s well and truly domesticated now.
Mitch sets down his box of sensors and really looks at Zara for the first time today. His head tilts slightly, that expression I’ve seen a thousand times when one of my brothers is trying to place something.
“You know, you look really familiar,” he says. “Have we met before the barbecue?”
Before Zara can respond, Mason’s voice drifts in from the porch. “Of course she looks familiar, you idiot. Her sister’s that actress. Been all over the news.”
Mitch’s face clears. “That must be it.” He shakes his head, looking embarrassed. “Sorry. Been a long week at the bar.”
Maddox clears his throat. “We’re almost done here. Completely secure. Nobody but you or us, with your permission, can access the feeds.”
I’ve been struggling with my bear’s increasing need to hover. Each day brings new protective urges I can barely control.
“Do this for me, baby,” I murmur against her ear. “Just humour me for a while.”
Her fingers slide under the back of my shirt, finding skin. The touch grounds me, even as it sets my nerves on fire. “I suppose I can put up with it. For a while.”
“If it’s any consolation,” Maddox says as he packs up his equipment, “Chase put one of these setups into his place too. And Natalie’s a bear. She was equally unimpressed.”
He gives her a sympathetic smile. “This isn’t about you being human. It’s about shifters being protective of their mates.”
