Page 32 of Bearly Yours
“Hello,” I said, my voice gravely from sleep.
“Hello.”
I smiled. Roarke.
Wait.
I sat up so quickly my head swam.
Roarke!
“Umm, hi, how are you?” I clenched the comforter in my other hand, and tried like crazy to make my brain compute like a fully functioning and alert brain. But I’d stayed up late with the guys, and my brain was giving me error messages and sleepy smiley face emojis.
Great, brain. Way to help a girl out.
“I’m fluctuating between insanely and incurably happy and regretting all of my life choices.”
The first thing sounded amazing, but the second made me wince.
“Because of me?” I dared to ask.
“The first, yes, the second—no.” He sighed. “I’m going to petition your alpha to move into the Clan lodge later today.”
I blinked owlishly, certain my brain was still not processing correctly. “You’re what?”
“Yep, just consider me one of the bears.”
His laughter sounded dark, and I winced again. He was moving in because of the danger to me, and the mysterious person or persons who’d stolen my locket.
“I’m sorry,” I said in a small voice.
He sighed. “Please don’t apologize. I’m just mostly complaining because I have to room with people again. The last time I had a roommate was several hundred years ago. I like my privacy.” He sighed again. “I’m flubbing this up, aren’t I?”
“Well, you’re certainly making a go of it,” I said, teasing him.
He groaned. “I’m sorry. You know I’d do anything for you. It’s just that people give me hives.”
I laughed. “They give me hives too, but these bears are good people. They’re one of the few that I actually don’t mind being around.”
“Even Taco?”
“Even Taco. He makes me laugh.”
I smiled, remembering Taco’s efforts to make me laugh last night. He’d succeeded a time or two.
“You know, you don’t have to come,” I said. “My Clan will protect me, and I’m pretty good at protecting myself.”
“You going to go allKung Fu Pandaon them?” he asked with a laugh.
“I really could. Except Po was totally awesome and I’m just kinda awesome.”
“I disagree,” he said in a voice that made me practically fan myself.
Whew! Was it hot in here?
“Anyway,” he changed the subject. “I realized that before I can move in with the bear Clan, like some kind ofThree’s Companyexcept with a million bears—and yes, I know I’m dating myself with that reference—I need to invite you over first for our movie night. Except, it will have to be movie day, and can you please come over today instead of Thursday?”
“Because you promised me I could see your house?”
