A chill went down my spine but still I moved closer to him. I just wanted him to wrap his arms around me, but he was holding strong to his conviction not to touch me. “I don’t agree. I may not understand it, but there’s something between us. I’ve barely said a hundred words to you, but I feel connected to you in a way I’ve never felt with any person before. I know it sounds insane, but I know that there’s something here, Michael.”
*****Michael*****
Hearing her say it didn’t help me any. Knowing that she felt the connection almost as intensely as I did made it feel like it was impossible to walk away from her. She was my mate. How was I supposed to walk way?
“I just need to know. I saw what happened. I saw your eyes change and I saw the fur. I’m not going to freak out.”
I turned away from her and looked back at my family. I could hear my brothers talking about Daisy chasing me down. They were also talking about me. They were worried about me. It’d been months since everything happened with Lucas and Sammie. Months since I’d killed a man.
My shifter hearing was excellent and with the light breeze blowing their voices our way, I couldn’t help but hear them.
“Should he be alone with her?”
“Dammit, I’m not sure. He’s been so different lately.”
“We’re going to have to do something soon if the chick is going to be sniffing around him.”
I growled in their direction. It pissed me off to hear them thinking my mate wasn’t safe with me, even if it was the same thing I’d been thinking. At least John wasn’t around to give me grief. Three of my brothers talking shit about me was bad enough.
“What are you growling about? Are you sure you aren’t a werewolf?”
I looked down at Daisy, into her sincere eyes, and made the decision to be truthful with her. I couldn’t have her thinking that we were some strange family of werewolves. “I can hear my brothers talking. They’re worried that you’re not safe with me.”
She rested her hands on my chest and stood closer to me. “You’re not going to hurt me.”
My dick was working against me. It hardened painfully at her touch. I could smell her arousal and all I wanted to do was bury my face between her legs. “You don’t get it, Daisy. I could. I’m not… I’m not just the man you see in front of you.”
She nodded and her blonde hair fell into her eyes. She blew it out of her face and frowned. “I know you’re something else. I don’t care.”
“Bear. Not werewolf, bear. I’m a bear shifter, Daisy. Not just a normal bear shifter. A bear shifter with issues who can’t control his beast. I’m a monster.”
Her eyes widened, but I still couldn’t sense fear. “A bear? Wow. A little bigger than a werewolf, huh?”
I wrapped my arms around her waist and brought her into my body. I knew what I should do, but it didn’t matter. “You keep ignoring the part where I tell you that I’m no good, that I’m dangerous.”
She reached her hands up and grabbed me by my hair pulling me down to her level. “I don’t care if you’re a bear or a gosh darn unicorn. You are good and you won’t hurt me.”
“How are you just accepting all of this without blinking an eye?”
“Honestly? I don’t know. Maybe I’ll freak out later, but I just… Being next to you makes me feel alive, Michael. Colors are brighter, sounds and scents are enhanced, everything feels electric when I’m near you. Like suddenly someone flicked on the light switch to my life. Are you doing that? Is it some sort of bear power?”
I shook my head. “We’re mates. We’re fated to one another.”
“I want you now, Michael.” Her, soft, sweet, full lips pressed into mine and she forced her tongue into my mouth. Her taste exploded on my lips and I had her ass in my hands in a second. When I lifted her, she wrapped her legs around my waist and locked on.
“Don’t freak out this time, Michael.” She held my face in her hands and peppered kisses all over it. “I need you.”
I wasn’t strong enough to walk away from her again. Her taste and smell enveloped me and I couldn’t control my overwhelming desire. I crossed the road, headed for the trees. I ran with her in my arms, bouncing up and down against my dick with every stride. When I found a secluded spot deep in the woods, I stopped and dropped to my knees.
“I’m sorry this isn’t a better place.”
She was already tugging her cardigan off. “I don’t care. I just need you.”
I yanked it off of her shoulders and threaded my hands into her hair. It was so soft it reminded me of silk. I ran the strands through my fingers and watched it slip over my rough hands. “Beautiful.”