Page 6 of Coveted By The Bear (When Worlds Collide #1)

I waited impatiently for the wall on the clock to change.

12:57

12:58

I headed down the stairs. Stopped to check my phone.

12:59

The seconds ticked by so slowly. My Grizzly roared inside me until the growl spilled from my still human lips.

1:00

I knocked on her door, and it pulled open a heartbeat later.

“Hi,” Hope said.

That familiar warm welcome I always felt when in her presence shone in her velvet gaze.

“Hi,” I replied, lifting the grocery bag in my hands.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“My turn to cook, remember?”

“Of course, I remember, but I thought you were just going to make me whatever I had here, which is only cold cuts since I didn’t have time to shop. But I am super excited now,” she murmured and giggled.

“Wait till you taste it,” I promised, the Bear inside me chuffing at the sight of her in a pair of leggings and tank top.

Her hair was damp from her shower, and she smelled vaguely of Ivory soap and her natural honey crisp apple scent.

It had been five days since my bike broke down and I’d come to Barvale.

Four nights of pacing behind the auto repair shop where Hope worked. Eight meals shared since I moved in.

Breakfast or lunch, depending on her mood, at one o’clock. Followed by dinner at eight. Her shift was from 10:00PM until 6:00AM Sundays through Fridays.

I fucking hated that she was there alone at night. My Grizzly demanded I wait with her, and so I paced behind the shop. Staying as hidden as possible amongst the trees and shrubs.

Barvale was the home of a Bear Shifter Clan of the same name. Mostly Black Bears, but I’d also heard there were Grizzlies and Polars in their ranks, making them quite formidable.

Their Alpha was a man named Marcus Devlin, and I’d already put forth a petition to meet with him. The man was certainly busy, and getting in to see him was not easy.

In fact, I’d only just received confirmation our meeting was to take place one week from today, on the following Friday. Nerves assailed me, but I pushed them aside.

Tiegs was the sort of Alpha who took one look at a Shifter and decided what his job would be in the Clan. With my size, it was a no brainer. I’d started as a Soldier before I finished high school.

I’d had my fill of war, though. Thinking of Hope, I realized I’d spent more than enough time fighting, bleeding, and causing pain.

I didn’t want to be a weapon anymore. I wanted something else. Something soft and permanent.

Mate. Family. Home.

My Grizzly chuffed, and I rubbed my hand roughly over my face.

I didn’t know if I deserved any of those things, but that didn’t stop me from yearning.

One thing I realized was I couldn’t simply sit around and pine away for her. I had to show her I would make a good mate, er , boyfriend.

Fuck. The fact she was a human was problematic.

I couldn’t just tell Hope she was mine. How would that conversation even go?

Hi Hope, so funny story, I actually turn into a Bear. Yeah, monsters are real and mine says you belong to me. Cool, right? Let’s fuck.

Something told me that might not go over so well. But it didn’t stop my dick from getting hard just thinking about her soft curves and pretty face.

Hell. I am in actual Hell right now.

No. I needed a better plan than just dumping that on her, otherwise she’d think I was fucking nuts.

If I was even going to try to be worthy of Hope, I had to find a job. Maybe that might prove I was useful to the Barvale Clan as something other than a Soldier.

Making lunch for her, providing nourishment, seemed like a good place to start.

“Oh my goodness, are we feeding an army?” she giggled as I emptied the contents of the bags.

Fucking giggled.

My heart started pounding.

“I eat a lot,” I replied.

“Me too,” she said, and her velvet eyes were twinkling with amusement. “Can I help with anything?” she asked.

“Yeah, actually,” I murmured. “Cutting board?”

“Here,” she said, handing it to me.

Our fingers brushed, and I growled at the jolt that speared through me, like a fifty-thousand volts of electricity just passed through my body.

My Bear stood up inside my mind’s eye. The Beast was always growling, but when she was around, he got quiet.

Oh, I had no doubts he was watching her. It was what he did. What the universe had designed him for.

Hunter. Predator. Monster.

But like my human side, I knew my Bear would never harm her. He couldn’t.

Hope was ours to cherish and protect.

Ours to covet.

Mine.