Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
A low growl vibrated from my chest, impossible to hold back.
Rowan flinched, but she didn’t pull away. She surprised me by leaning in, her gaze locked on my hand as though she was seeing magic come to life in front of her. With a slow, trembling inhale, she reached out and brushed her fingertips against my altered knuckles.
The shift snapped back so fast it felt like my skin ignited. I was back to being fully human again. Her gentle touch sent my bear to his knees in gratitude as devotion and need crashed through me.
Rowan’s eyes went even wider. “Did I really see that? What are you?”
I swallowed, forcing my voice to stay steady even as my heart hammered in my chest. “I’m a polar bear shifter.”
Silence spread between us, filled with something new and fragile. But she didn’t run.
My bear pressed against my ribs, awed that she was still here. I had to remind him that we still needed to go at her pace.
Rowan didn’t speak for several heartbeats. The fire crackled softly next to us, and snow continued to fall outside.
Then she whispered, “A polar bear shifter.”
Her voice held an edge of wonder.
“Yes.”
Her gaze lifted to mine, steady despite the tremor in her hands. “When you shift, is your fur actually white? Like a real polar bear?”
I nodded once. “Yeah, white as snow.”
She blinked, absorbing that. “And how big are you?”
I hesitated, not because I didn’t want to tell her, but humans tended to underestimate just how massive a polar could be. “Around a thousand pounds, and I’m just over nine feet tall standing.”
“Wow,” she breathed.
For the first time since revealing the truth, some of the pressure in my chest eased. My little mate seemed fascinated by what I was sharing with her, and the tightness in my chest finally loosened.
Her voice softened even more. “Are you still you when you shift? Or is it like something else takes over?”
It was a valid question. And one that mattered more than she knew.
“I’m always me. My bear has always been a part of me. Loud, stubborn, and protective.”
She nodded slowly, a flush creeping up her neck. “So when you said you wanted me too much, was it because of him?”
“He doesn’t make it any easier, that’s for damn sure,” I rasped. “Both of us want you. More than anything.”
Her breath hitched, and my bear shoved at my skin again, desperate to get closer.
Her lashes fluttered, her courage gathering itself. “Do you ever show people? Shift for them, I mean?”
“You’re not just people, Rowan. You’re my fated mate.” I didn’t even need to think about it. “If you want to see my polar, he’d love to shift for you.”
She licked her lips, visibly conflicted. “I think I’d like that. If it’s safe.”
Everything inside me stilled. “You never have anything to fear from my polar. Protecting you is the only thing he cares about.”
Her eyes widened again. “Then I’d love to see him, please.”
My bear roared his approval.
“It can’t be in here.” I glanced around the living room. “The cottage is too small. I’d wreck half the place by accident.”
“Oh right.” She giggled. “That makes sense.”
“You’ll need more layers,” I added gently. “It’s freezing out there, and I don’t want you getting cold.”
She nodded, pushing to her feet. “Okay. I’ll go bundle up.”
As she disappeared down the hallway, my bear pressed to the surface, nearly vibrating with anticipation.
She wanted to see us, and for my bear, that meant everything.
7
ROWAN
Ibundled myself in as many warm layers as I could manage before following Bexley outside. The cold air hit my lungs, but that wasn’t what made my breath falter. It was watching Bexley stop on the porch, searching my expression with a worried gaze.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
I wrapped my arms around my torso. “I think so.”
He nodded. “Just remember, it’s still me.”
That reassurance shouldn’t have calmed me as much as it did, but most of my nerves eased.
Bexley exhaled slowly, then began removing his clothes, each layer falling away until nothing separated his body from the cold air. Or from my stare. But I didn’t get the chance to appreciate all his bulging muscles—or the hard shaft that bounced against his six-pack abs when it sprang free—before he moved to the front yard and the impossible began. His body shimmered, and his silhouette expanded, stretching upward and outward. His spine lengthened, and his shoulders widened, the sound of bones shifting loud in the hush of falling snow.
I gasped, but I remained rooted in place.
Where Bexley had stood, an enormous white polar bear now towered. Snow dusted his fur, and his eyes were locked on mine with an intelligence that was impossible to miss. Bexley was definitely in there.
My jaw hung open, and I was filled with wonder at how amazing this was.