Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 99(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 99(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
“He wouldn’t hurt us,” I say firmly.
He tilts his head and looks at me as he lets out a long exhale. “Never trust a feral bear.”
“You really hate them, don’t you?”
“Feral bears? Yes. With all my heart.”
I slide my hand out of his and tuck it into my lap. “You’re wrong about them.”
He shakes his head sadly. “I wish I was, mon petite oiseau. I was wrong about them once. I failed to chase off a grizzly bear who wandered onto my pack’s land back in Quebec. I won’t make that same mistake twice.”
“What happened?”
His eyes get all watery as he gazes at me. “I didn’t realize he was feral until he was tearing through my pack, slaughtering everyone. He caught us off guard. He tore through my family like we were pups. He too was probably a nice guy. Friendly even. But once that feralness sets it, it’s all bloodthirsty monster.”
“He killed… everyone?”
Remy nods as a tear slides down his cheek. “Everyone but me, ma chérie. I picked up the sword you saw today and took the beast down. I’ve been ridding the world of these furry menaces ever since.”
“I’m sorry that happened to your pack,” I say as my chest tightens. “But my brother is not a menace.”
We stare at each other for a long moment, neither of us wanting to concede.
“Well then what do you call it when a savage beast tries to kill everyone within swiping distance?”
I grit my teeth together as I glare at him, about to let him have it. But then it all comes crumbling down and I start sobbing. I drop my face into my hands and cry.
He immediately wraps his big comforting arms around me and whispers sweet things in my ear.
“It will be okay, mon cœur. I’m here now. I’m with you now.”
It’s all been so much. I haven’t realized how stressed I’ve been until now. I’ve barely been hanging on, trying to keep it together for Colin and Nathan’s sake. I hadn’t realized how much it’s been affecting me.
“There’s something else,” he whispers. “Something I didn’t tell you.”
I lift my head and stare at him through watery eyes.
“Some feral shifters…” he says, not wanting to say it.
“What?”
“They’ve been turning back once they find their mate. But it’s very rare. It almost never happens.”
“But it can happen? It can work?”
“The likelihood is no. It’s not something we can plan to happen.”
I instantly feel lighter. Even if it’s unlikely, it’s still possible. It’s something to hang some hope on. It’s something to get me by the next few days.
“Thank you, Remy,” I say as I cup his cheeks. “Be here tomorrow morning at nine. I’ll pick you up.”
“That’s it?” he asks, looking at me with pleading eyes. “I have to leave?”
I pull his face forward and kiss his soft lips.
I’m not prepared for how good it feels. I’m not prepared for the way my body melts. How it screams for more. I taste him and immediately know that I’ll never be able to let him go. I’ll be his forever.
We’re desperate for one another, but we go slow and gentle, tasting each other with soft moans.
My body is humming for more when I finally pull away and look into his stunning green eyes.
“Tomorrow morning,” I say with a smile. “Don’t be late.”
Chapter Five
Adalynn
“Who is this guy?” Nathan asks as I pull onto the highway with Remy beside me. My nephew hasn’t stopped giving him the side eye since Remy got into the car a few minutes ago. “Is he a ninja or something?”
I look at the Samurai sword resting between Remy’s legs and then give him a frown. He shrugs.
“He’s like a policeman for shifters,” Colin says. He’s sitting beside Nathan in the back. He was reading him a science fiction book, but they stopped when Remy got in.
“Oh,” Nathan says. He studies Remy even harder after that.
I thought I’d have to really sell the idea of bringing Remy along to my brother, but he seemed almost relieved when I told him.
I guess he doesn’t trust his grizzly bear around us either and it was a relief to hear that an AFA agent will be riding along to help protect us in case anything goes wrong.
Colin continues reading to his son as I drive along the highway. It’s a nice summer day and there’s hardly any traffic. I turn on the radio so that Remy and I can talk without the boys in the back hearing.
“So…” I say, not knowing what to say. “This is a little awkward.”
He chuckles and looks at me with a big grin. “Why do you say that?”
“It’s like we catapulted past a few steps.”
“Katapoulted?”
“Like jumped over,” I say, forgetting that English is his second language. “We went straight to the heavy stuff and skipped over all the light fun stuff.”