Page 18 of Her Embarrassed Bear Mate (Crescent Lake Bears #5)

EIGHTEEN

Alix

The faint light of morning pushed through the gap of the hotel curtains and woke Alix from her restless slumber. She turned on her side, snuggling into Veronica's warm body until she remembered what morning brought.

She jolted up, the sheets and Veronica's arm falling away from her.

"Hmm... just five more minutes," Veronica murmured sleepily.

Alix gently touched Veronica's face. "Okay, you sleep five more minutes."

That worked out just fine for her because it gave her the necessary privacy to check her body for a mating mark. She stepped into the adjacent bathroom. There was no lock on the door for stupid hotel safety reasons but that was fine, as long as it closed, she got all the privacy she needed.

The harsh light took a moment to switch on and she squinted at her unsightly reflection in the mirror. Her face was still puffy from sleep and her dark hair matched the dark bags under her eyes but that wasn't her concern right now.

She touched her face with both hands and let them slide down her body, examining every inch of skin for irregularities. She checked the sides of her neck but the only irregular thing there were more hickeys. Her shoulders were smooth, her arms slightly cold. She couldn't quite see or reach the middle part of her back but mating marks were usually as big as their shifter counterpart and there was no way she would miss something that big.

Her stomach tightened as she ran her hands further down. Maybe there was no mating mark. If that were the case, it meant neither Veronica or anyone else that was in the lake last night was her fated mate.

Alix didn't think she had a preference either way but now that she was faced with the possibility of that, she realised that wasn't what she wanted. Perhaps if they were in love and a serious relationship, Alix might believe that Veronica would disregard the Moon Goddess' opinion and stick with her. Considering they only just started dating, she was under no illusion that would be the case. She didn't want it either. There'd been many times where Alix had doubted her self-worth but she hadn't such low self-esteem that she was going to be someone Veronica settled for.

If they weren't fated, this would be the end---

Her left hand brushed over some unusual raised lines on the back of her leg and Alix contorted herself in an unnatural way to get a glimpse. She couldn't see it properly but there was definitely something pink that hadn't been there before.

Instantly, her heartbeat quickened. Was it a mating mark? And if it was pink, what were the chances it wasn't Veronica's? There was a reason why people believed in fate and that was because it always made sense.

From the random meeting in the bar to the weird situation with their parents to now this. It certainly felt like some other power was determined to get them together. If that wasn't fate...

Alix returned to the bedroom where she found Veronica sitting up in the bed, looking a bit dazed and confused. Her hair was no longer up in a nice bun but cascading messily down onto her shoulders. It was reassuring to know that all her elegance and class required effort and wasn't some innate difference that somehow separated them.

In the early morning, they were just the same.

Veronica yawned. "What time is it?"

"Not sure, I didn't check my phone. I was a little preoccupied with, umm, checking my body instead." She hesitated, unsure how best to break the news. Should she dance around it for a little while or just plonk her leg up on the bed and get it over with?

Since subtlety wasn't exactly her strong suit, Alix decided on the latter. That was how she would want to be told something this life changing. She turned around, exposing her backside and the pink marking on her thigh. It was a good thing she was already comfortable being naked around Veronica, or this could've been awkward.

The stunned silence behind her made her nervous.

"I would really appreciate it if you said something," Alix prompted, nerves tingling through her body now she was on display. Maybe she'd gotten it wrong and it wasn't Veronica's mark after all .

The bed creaked and moments later, Veronica pressed her soft warm body against her. Her arms wrapped around Alix and soft kisses were peppered in her neck, retracing the love bites from last night.

Alix felt herself relax. This had to be a good sign. No shifter would embrace someone with someone else's mating mark like that. She turned around and found her final answer in the adoring glint in Veronica's eyes.

"So... looks like I'm your mate," Alix said, although it came out more as a declaration.

Veronica chuckled softly. "Yes, it looks that way. Wow, that's kind of unexpected."

"Bad unexpected?"

"No! Good unexpected. I just, well, didn't expect this."

Alix grinned. "That's kind of the definition of unexpected."

"I'm just taken aback. Two months ago, we were total strangers. And now, you're my fated mate? Although I suppose you already were my fated mate then, we just didn't know." Veronica gestured at the space between their naked bodies, not that there was much of it. "Guess that explains this. "

"It does," Alix agreed, leaning in to kiss the other woman. She didn't know if it was the familiarity, the moment, or the knowledge that they were fated mates, but the kiss somehow tasted sweeter.

"So... should I make some grand declarations now? You want that proposal now?" Veronica asked. Despite her teasing tone, her question seemed rather serious.

Alix rolled her eyes at the thought. "Please don't."

"What about a tiny promise instead, then?"

"What kind of tiny promise?" Alix asked curiously.

"A promise to take things slow and savour the journey and do things right. Even if we're fated, there's still a lot we don't know about each other yet. It's too soon to start talking about things like love, but I do want you to know I'm in it for the long haul."

"That doesn't sound like a tiny promise at all," Alix pointed out, a smile lifting her lips. Even if it wasn't a grand declaration, her stomach felt light with butterflies. "But okay, I'm in too."

The smile on Veronica was bright like the sun and drove away the chill of winter. "Yay! So... that's it then? We're a couple now?"

"Yeah, I think so." Alix laughed at their unease. "Maybe this is why people do grand declarations because it's just so anti-climatic without one. "

Veronica pulled her onto the bed with her. "I'm sure it gets awkward after grand declarations too."

"It doesn't in the films," Alix said with a laugh. The butterflies in her stomach were threatening to escape and it was the most delightful exhilarating feeling in the world. It was no wonder everyone was so desperate for love.

"This isn't a film." Veronica pointed out as she leaned down for a kiss. "But if it was, we'd get a really fun montage of sexy and romantic clips now."

Instead, there was a sharp knock on the door. "Alix? Are you awake? I need to talk to you!"

Alix's head dropped down onto Veronica's collarbone. Of all the people to interrupt, why was her mother on the other side of the door?

"Alix?" Her mum knocked again. There was no way she was leaving.

"Just a second!" Alix shouted back as she untangled herself from Veronica. The last thing she wanted was to be interrupted during such a lovely moment but it wasn't like her mum could've known.

In hurried silence, Alix got dressed while cursing her past self for throwing her clothes around the room without much care. While Veronica hid in the bathroom, Alix did one quick sweep through the room to make sure there was no glaring evidence of her presence.

Her mum knocked again. "Alix? Sweetheart, are you okay in there?"

Alix dashed to the door and pulled it open. "Yes, sorry. Still waking up. What's up?"

The redness in her mum's eyes revealed the outcome already. "We're not fated."

"Oh, Mum." Alix wrapped her arms around her mother, her heart quietly breaking for her. It wasn't the first time she had to console her mother after a relationship gone wrong but it never got easier.

She ushered her mum into the room, past the dangerous bathroom, so they could sit on the bed.

"I'm so sorry, Mum. What did Dirk say?" Alix asked gently.

"He said he still wanted to get married but I could see in his eyes that he was disappointed. Oh, Alix. I don't know what to do."

"Well... if you're not fated, then isn't it over?"

Her mum sniffled. "It's not that simple. This is my chance to give Trixie a stable home and a better life. Dirk is a good man and he's a good dad."

Alix tactfully said nothing about that, especially because one of his disgruntled children was hiding in her bathroom .

"I think I could put up with Dirk settling for me if it'll give Trixie a better life," her mum added, sounding mostly lost in thought. "I want her to have the best life and a stable home is the one thing I've never been able to give you girls. There's so much you lacked as a child, I don't want Trixie to grow up like that too."

"Mum... I didn't lack a single thing growing up. I love our campervan and the home you made for us. You helped me with my homework and held me when I cried and came up with the best cosy nights in. It was a full home even without a dad and I'm sure Trixie feels the same way." Alix took her mum's hand in hers. "You don't need a man to be a better mum. Just pay attention to Trix and be there for her instead of dragging us on holidays with people we don't care about. Trixie doesn't need extravagant holidays and fancy gifts, just her mother's time."

"Do you really mean that?" Alix's mum looked like she was ready to burst into tears once again.

"Yes, I mean it."

They hugged tightly and when Alix let go, her mum looked a bit different. She was still crying but there was a clarity in her eyes that hadn't been there in a while. She looked more like the mum from Alix's childhood memories and that could only be a good thing.

"I should have another talk with Dirk." Her mum got up from the bed, more determined than when she had come in. "Thank you, Alix."

"Anytime." Alix smiled, basking in the warmth of the moment. She was so relieved and elated, she felt light and happy.

Her mum paused. "I just need to nip to the loo."

"Nooo!" Alix dashed forward but it was too late. Her mum had already walked into the bathroom where she locked eyes with a shocked Veronica.

Shit.