She heated her energy, slowly and methodically picturing the essence of Bear healing.
His growl was a low roll of pleasure.
She shivered. The damage was extensive, so she concentrated on one small area, soothing it over and putting the pieces back together, much like restructuring a bone. But this was more fundamental than a mere bone. All sounds and sights of the world around her disappeared. Nothing else existed. She lost herself in repairing that small part of the damage. Her hands began to shake, and her strength ebbed. She swayed.
"Hey." Bear grabbed her shoulders and held her upright.
She jerked back into the present. Drawing a deep breath, she slowly tried to move away from him. There was no way he'd been in bear form for three solid months, or there'd be at least a little more evidence of healing. He had definitely shifted from bear to man more than a couple times during the summer. What had he been doing?
He held her in place until her legs regained enough strength for her to stand on her own. She looked up at him.
He studied her, his eyes unreadable, his entire body one long solid line. Gone was the dangerously teasing cranky Bear. This was the real Bear, and he was way too primitive.
This was too much. He was way too much. She'd overestimated her power and strength, and she'd underestimated his.
"That felt good," he said softly.
She nodded. "You have a lot of damage." Could she completely heal him? She wasn't even certain any longer. "I've never seen anything like it. Ever."
"I'm sure," he murmured. "Mating a witch would help me, right?"
She stilled, and the walls felt like they were getting closer. "Probably."
"Mating a witch with healing abilities would probably really, really help," he mused.
She couldn't see past him to the door. "I, ah-"
"You wanna back out, Councilwoman?" he asked, not moving an inch.
The use of her former, temporary, title reminded her of all she had to lose. All she had to gain. Yet her plan, her glorious plan of mating him and remaining in perfect control of the situation, seemed silly now. The situation was beyond her. The male was way beyond her, and she'd only gotten a glimpse of who he really was. What had she been thinking? "I'm not certain I fully thought this out," she admitted.
The corners of his eyes crinkled. "No shit."
She cleared her throat.
"I'm thinkin' it's too late to back out," he said.
Her chin lifted. "That is not your decision."
"Isn't it?"
Oh, she'd give anything for the ability to throw fire. To burn him a little. "No."
He released her and traced one finger-just one finger-across her cheekbone, nose, and down her jaw. "I've never had anybody that was just mine. All mine."
His touch ignited her skin, heating all the way down her body. A pulse set up between her legs. She kept perfectly still. "I have no intention of being all yours. If this happens, after a lot of negotiation, then we'll go our separate ways."
His hand caressed down, easily enclosing her entire neck. "You really think that's how a mating happens with a shifter? Any shifter? Much less with me?" His hold was infinitely gentle, but the strength in those fingers, in that broad palm, couldn't be denied. "You chose an alpha, baby. Head of the entire grizzly nation."
"Aye," she whispered, her trachea moving against his hold.
His head lowered slowly, deliberately, his molten gaze trapping hers. "Do you honestly think I'd let my mate go? Ever?"
She couldn't shake her head, so she didn't. "A mating of convenience doesn't carry possession with it." While she wanted to sound determined, her tone had gone breathy. Soft.
"There ain't nothin' convenient about a mating." He leaned in, his lips barely brushing hers. "Possession is too tame of a word to describe what mating me would carry with it." His emphasis on her words held a clear warning.
Yet if she was correct about him, very soon he'd have a lot more to worry about than an absent mate. "I need ta think about this." The more nervous she became, the stronger her brogue emerged. She cleared her throat. "If we're going to discuss this rationally, then we both need to sit down and introduce our terms."
"Terms?" Amusement lightened his eyes to a honeyed warmness. "Seriously?"
She began to nod just as he straightened and stood back. His head lifted, and he scanned the area, his body going tense.
Witch signatures and power slammed into her a second later. She sucked in air. They were close. She'd been distracted by Bear and hadn't been paying attention.
He kept perfectly still, his gaze slashing to her. "There are witches on my property."
"Aye," she said weakly, looking for the door. How had they found her so quickly in Seattle? She'd left no trace.