Page 15

Kelly

I’m on a date with the sexiest bear in town. And he smells like cake. Mouthwatering. Irresistible. Magnetic.

“I resisted everything about you, but here we are, going on a date.”

Gideon chuckled and laved his fingers through mine. I gasped at the impact of the skin-on-skin contact. “Isn’t this better than pretending we only wanted to be friends?”

I shook my head. This bear, my bear never minced words. “So much better.”

We arrived at a fancy restaurant near the edge of town. I’d heard they served wine made by a tiger shifter, but I had to see for myself. When Gideon suggested this place, I jumped at the chance. Jason and his mate were babysitting my Wyatt for the night. It was the first time I’d ever hired a babysitter, but a first date with my mate was a good reason for a night out without my son.

We were seated at an intimate table lit by a candle inside a glass lantern. While we waited for our wine, Gideon moved his chair closer and took my hand in his again. “When did you know?” he asked. “When did you first know that I was yours?”

My blush couldn’t be contained. “When you showed up at my house with the cake. The first cake.”

He smiled, flashing deep dimples I hadn’t noticed before. He was full of surprises in the best way possible. “That was the moment for me as well. Then I walked off like a dufus and forgot the smash cake. I was lovestruck from the beginning, sweet deer.”

“I’m sorry I took so long.”

“Don’t be. I know now that you had to see the end of some things before you were ready to be with me. For the record, I would’ve waited a decade, even a century, for you.”

“Thank you for waiting for me. I feel so much freer now that everything is done and settled. He had such a hold on me.”

Gideon nodded. We ordered our food and, when it arrived, well, it almost rivaled the scent of my mate. This was dinner, but I was more than sure he was my dessert.

“Bad people often do. And you will always have some tie to him because of Wyatt, but he will be out of our lives as much as possible from now on. I don’t know half of what he did to you and I invite you to share those things with me as time goes on, but I would never treat you that way, Kelly. I would never betray you or treat you as anything but the most precious gift of my life. You are everything to me. I hope you know that.”

“I don’t think he’ll be around at all.” I nodded. “You’re making me cry over my steak.”

My mate chuckled. “Let’s not do that. Let’s talk about the future. About us.”

“That sounds good.”

That night, we talked about everything. Gideon wanted kids. Of course he did. His nurturing nature screamed future papa in the making. He also hinted at Wyatt and I moving in with him. He’d bought a bigger house when he moved to Oliver Creek in hopes of one day having a family.

I told him about wanting to find a job, and while Gideon was certain he could provide for our family, I never wanted to be financially dependent on another person. He respected that.

“How about we get out of here. I have an idea.”

“That sounds…intriguing.”

Gideon rubbed his thumb across my cheek. “Sweet omega, it’s not what you think, but my bear is dying to see your beautiful deer. We need them on board as well.”

“You want to run?” I asked on our way to his truck.

“I do. Let our animals bond a little?”

I absolutely agreed.

My alpha took us out to a field beyond the county line and assured me that no one else would be there. He wasn’t shy about taking off his clothes but was a gentleman and turned so I could take mine off, but I swore I saw him peek over his shoulder. Naughty alpha.

“Me first?” I asked.

“Yes, please.”

I let go and my deer took over our shared consciousness. He was more than ready to preen in front of his alpha, showing off his fur and bushy tail.

“Look at you. Come over here and see your alpha, sweet one.”

We walked over to him and waited. He ran his fingertips through our thick but short fur and whispered all kinds of loving compliments.

“Time for my bear. Don’t be afraid. He’s big, but remember, we would never hurt you. Not in a million years.”

My deer stepped back so he could complete his transformation and boy, he wasn’t joking about the size part. Gideon’s bear was huge. Brown, almost-amber fur. A huge mouth and sharp teeth. Equally sharp claws. Hind legs as big as my whole body.

Run with me, omega. Let’s let these two fall in love.