Taming the Beast

Even his bear was attached to her and his bear didn’t like anyone. The vicious, out of control animal was the reason why Logan was out here in the first place and he just rolled over and acted like a teddy bear next to her. He could always feel him inside watching her lovingly.

Logan had considered that Bella could be the one that his bear bonded to but if it hadn’t happened by now, it probably wasn’t ever going to happen. Ferocious bears like his didn’t take on mates. They destroyed lives, they didn’t enrich them.

“Tomorrow,” he said, closing his eyes. “You tell her tomorrow.”

This had gone on for too long. He had gotten too attached for his own good.

The longer she stayed, the more attached he would become, and all that would do is make the pain that much more unbearable when she inevitably left.

Tomorrow he would ask her to go.

But tonight, he would indulge in his fantasy. He dreamed of Bella saying that she loved him and moving in to spend the rest of her days by his side.

It was unrealistic and would never happen, but it was nice to think about. It was nice to dream.

Logan fell asleep with a smile on his lips.

“When is your birthday?” Bella asked as she fiddled with the coffee maker. Logan was sitting

at the table, staring at her big ass but she didn’t mind. She liked how he looked at her abundance of curves.

“February,” he said. “The fourteenth.”

“Valentine’s Day?” she said, turning around with a smirk. “No wonder you’re so romantic. In a barbaric caveman sort of way.”

He laughed, making her chest flutter. “I’m going to buy you a coffee maker for your birthday,” she said, pushing as hard as she could to press the coffee. Only a few drops squeezed out. “I hate this thing.”

“You need electricity for a coffee maker,” he said.

“Then I’ll buy you a generator too for Valentine’s Day,” she answered, throwing her hands in the air and giving up. “Can you do it?”

He grinned as he stood up and traded places with her. Bella bit her bottom lip as she watched his muscular back, the ridges moving under his tight t-shirt while he made the coffee easily.

She grinned as she admired him work. When she had first arrived, he barked at her that she was in charge of cooking the dinners and doing the laundry. He must have seen how hopeless she was at doing both because he had been doing everything since she moved in, spoiling her like some kind of discount princess.

“What are we going to do today?” she asked as he filled the coffee press with more hot water.

His body tightened as she asked.

“We could go see the owls again but they’re probably just sleeping, so fuck them,” she babbled on. “Maybe we could hike to the top of the mountain, or go swimming again.”

He lowered his head, his back still to her. “I think you should leave,” he said in a flat voice.

It was like he yanked the breath out of her throat. “Okay,” she said when she finally recovered. “Why? I thought we were having fun.”

His knuckles turned white as he squeezed the counter top. “It’s better this way.”

“Why?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “Why is it better this way?”

He was so frustrating. Always pulling her in close only to then push her away. She liked him and he liked her, so what was the problem? Why did he keep intentionally trying to sabotage it all?

His big shoulders drooped down as he let out a heavy sigh. “It just is.”

“That’s not good enough for me, Logan,” she said, gritting her teeth. “I need answers. Why is it better this way?”

He turned around with his hard dangerous eyes boring into her. “Because I’m a beast, Bella,” he snapped. His thick veins were snaking up his tight neck and his face was twisted in agony. “I need you to leave.”

“Do you need me to leave?” she asked, staring at him back. “Or do you want me to leave?”