Page 36 of Polar Destiny
“Perhaps? Where does this sudden enthusiasm comefrom?”
I won’t tell him that I dreamed of running through the snow with him last night. Of our paws leaving large prints on the ground as we were flying through the air, chasing each other. Even now I can still sense an echo of the elation I felt. Maybe being a bear shifter isn’t all thatbad.
Instead of an answer, I roll over and kiss him on the lips. He laughs against my kiss and responds, pulling me all the way on top of him. I think I may be ready to have sex with him again. Andagain.
A growl comes from the other side of the door. With a sigh, Torben gives me a final kiss on myforehead.
“They want to meetyou.”
“Who?”
“Their bears want to meet their alpha’s newmate.”
I frown. “They’ve known me for a while now. Surely they haven’t forgottenthat?”
He smiles. “No, but before you were a friend. Now you are someone different. As my mate, you’re automatically above them in the hierarchy. They want to show you their respect.” He chuckles. “And smellyou.”
“Please don’t tell me I’m going to be sniffedagain?”
He laughs and ignores my protests as he gets up, leaving me alone on the bed. I pull the duvet around my naked body. They can sniff that, but I’m not getting naked in front of them.Again.
He opens the door and three bears pour in. Ràn and Húnn have trouble squeezing through the door frame; this house isn’t made for bears to live in. Finn is lucky that he’s a bit smaller. Still big, but not compared to the two giant brownbears.
Finn jumps on the bed and I shriek, scrambling back so I won’t be squashed to death. In the process the duvet slips down and my boobs are out in the open. Oh well, let’s pretend it didn’thappen.
The honey-coloured bear looks at me curiously, then puts his snout between my breasts and sniffs. Seriously? Does he even know that it isn’t appropriate in theleast?
“Get off!” I tell him sternly and to my surprise, he backs off with a whimper, retreating to end of the bed. “It’s bad to sniff a woman’s… body. Even a bear should knowthat.”
Torben is laughing so hard he’s gripping the door frame to steadyhimself.
I growl at him. “Don’t you teach themdiscipline?”
He shrugs and continues to laugh. “Bears don’t much care where they touch and sniff a female. All he wants is for you to recognise him and know that heexists.”
He grows a little more serious. “Did you know that in the wild, female bears take several mates? There’s a lot of competition for males, so they may show you much attention in the next few days. It’s instinct, they’ll have a hard time fighting it. They’ve not been around a female bear shifter for a longtime.”
He grins and comes back to me and sits on the bed. “And neither have I. If I could, I’d lock you into this room and wouldn’t let you out for days until my bear is convinced you’rehis.”
I stare at him and fight against the urge to take him here and now. Maybe I’ve turned into a bunny shifter rather than a bear? My sex drive certainly supports thatconclusion.
Finn lies down and puts his large head on my lap. I gently stroke his soft fur. He growls which I interpret as a beary purr. The two brown bears have held back until now, but when they see me petting Finn, they approach me from both sides. Húnn gets up on his hind legs as if to present himself, then puts his front paws on the bed which creaks dangerously. Pretty sure it wasn’t made to hold the weight of two humans and threebears.
I stretch out a hand to Húnn and he licks it withoutwarning.
“You were supposed to sniff it, not lick it,” I complain and wipe my hand on the duvet.Yucky.
Torben starts laughing again and I elbow him in theribs.
“Not helping. Can we take this outside? I don’t think Bertrand and Arnold will be very happy if we break theirbed.”
He sighs, then nods. And smiles wolfishly. “You should probably get dressed for that, but I think your clothes are still in the livingroom.”
Bastard. He wants me to walk naked around the house? No way. If it was just us two, maybe. Even then my sense of modesty would fight me with every step. But with the other bears, and our hosts… nochance.
Then I remember the wardrobe. When they brought me here yesterday, they gave me some of the clothes we had found in that other house down in the village. Torben is messing withme.
I smile at him sweetly. “Torben, darling, would you mind getting some clothes from the wardrobe over there? I’d be ever so grateful.” I lick my lips in a way that I hope looks vaguely seductive. I need to learn how to use my womanly charms, if I possess them atall.
