Page 18 of Wild Fated Mate
But Gavin stiffened as if he’d heard the man. His mouth was clamped tight, his jaw flexing so much it was like something was moving under his skin.
“Do you work with him? Is he a relative?” I thought it was just him and Olivia. “He looks like you could be related.”
He grunted. “Cousin.”
“Oh, don’t you want to?—”
“Nope.”
“But—”
“Six.”
Instantly I knew what he meant. I clenched my thighs together. What could I say to make it seven?
He growled at me, as if he knew what I was thinking, and I was powerless to stop the laugh that shook my whole body.
This whole morning had been surreal, and my laughter was like a pressure valve, releasing the nervous tension that had built up as we made our way through the gauntlet of people from forest to parking lot.
Gavin’s arms tightened around me. I never considered asking if I was too heavy. I especially didn’t ask him to put me down; I already knew what he’d say.
He stopped in front of a big truck and opened the door before he ushered me onto the bench seat.
He shook his head, a smile on his lips. “I love hearing your laugh. But we need to get the hell out of here, Sunshine, before I get arrested for indecency.”
8
Gavin
The only thing that kept me focused on the drive to our cabin was the knowledge that the most precious cargo in the world sat next to me. Even my bear settled down, understanding the clash between his primitive nature and the modern vehicle would be deadly.
Seeing Torben had been like getting hit with a water dump from a DC-10 Air Tanker to clarify for my human nature what was at stake with Serena. But the sight of another bear shifter, even a distant relative, had been a threat. There would be no family reunions until my mate was well and truly claimed.
Her gasp of wonder gratified me as I pulled to a stop in front of the cabin. Custom built with ceilings and doorways to accommodate my height and wide shoulders, it still looked like part of the forest it had been carved out of.
“Oh, Gavin,” she sighed. “It’s perfect.”
“You haven’t seen the inside.”
“If you’re there, it’s perfect.”
The way she looked at me as she said the words relaxed the man but roused the bear.
Mate. Now.
I ignored her request to put her down so she could look at everything.
There was no time to waste. My bear had waited long enough, and I still had to explain what she was about to see.
My bed was another custom piece, and when I set Serena down, her feet dangled well above the floor.
“Handfasting isn’t the only tradition around here.” I wanted to pace, to burn off the energy rippling through my body, but our string remained tied. I was about to mark her as mine and seal the bond in the only way that really mattered, but there was something special about that string that made me reluctant to break it.
“Have you ever heard the legends about Wild Mountain?”
“I’ve heard a few…like the stories about animals changing into people? Cassie and Carrigan told me some wild ones.” She smiled. “Those two have vivid imaginations.”
More like no concept of danger.
