The BEARly Reluctant Grizzly (Bear Clan 4)

Ever since I heard her name from the real estate agent, I’d been obsessing over it, playing it in my head on repeat, unable to get it out of my mind. I didn’t understand it, but it was like this living entity inside of me, refusing to diminish no matter how hard I tried to force it.

So, I immersed myself in work, in restoring my boat, but no matter what, I hadn’t been able to focus on anything. And my bear, my fucking bear was restless, pacing inside of me, demanding to be out. Maybe that’s all it was? It had been too long since I’d let the bastard out, since he’d been free and run.

That had to be it. My animal telling me that it was time to get some energy out.

Yes, that’s what I needed.

I needed to run free. I needed to get back to my roots.

It was dangerous for a shifter not to let his animal out from time to time, and it had been months since I’d let him roam.

I closed my eyes and rolled my head around on my neck, feeling the vibrations of his growl, hearing it my head. He was an anxious bastard on the best of days, but right now, over the last few days since I’d gotten the call from the real estate agent, he’d been one annoying motherfucker.

I breathed out slowly and opened my eyes, going back to measuring. I heard the sound of an approaching vehicle and assumed it was the owner but kept on working. She’d come find me when she was ready.

The scent of dust and age filled my head. It was a damn shame the previous occupant didn’t give two shits about this place, because the state it was in made it clear he probably hadn’t been on the upper level for some time, not even to clean it.

I stepped out of the master bedroom, made my way toward the stairs, but stopped and started jotting down some last-minute ideas and numbers. And as I wrote those things down the scent of something glorious slammed into me.

It was something that filled every single part of me, right down to my very marrow. My bastard bear stilled, froze. He fucking grew calm.

It was like time stood still, as if nothing else mattered. I inhaled deeply, the scent of warm sugar, vanilla, and a touch of honey coating my senses. It wasn’t food that I smelled, but the scent of a female ... of our female. That had a husky roar leaving my bear.

I slowly opened my eyes and looked over the loft, seeing her standing there. She watched me, the strangest expression on her face, as if she were confused about these feelings as well, conflicted about what was going on inside of her.

The moment was so intense that I actually dropped my pad and pen as I reached out and grabbed the banister framing off the loft. I tried to stay calm, steady.

I couldn’t move, so all I did was stand there and stare at her. I let the realization that my mate was actually here slam into me, wrap its possessive claws around every organ in my body, and squeeze tightly.

I couldn’t breathe or think, couldn’t even move. I was lost in the color of her eyes—this cerulean blue that had me thinking of the ocean.

Get your shit together.

But even telling myself that over and over again, even after trying to keep my fucking control, the human and bear sides of me were at war.

Take her. Claim her. Mark her.

I never thought I’d have a mate. Take time to think about this. Really understand what this means.

My bear growled at my human side, at my thoughts and confusion and second-guessing.

But as I looked at her I knew one thing for certain.

This was my reality. She was my mate, the one woman who was meant to be mine. Only mine.

I’d gone so long thinking I wouldn’t find her that I’d come to the conclusion I would live a solitary life. I’d accepted that.

But in the blink of an eye, in one single moment, all of that had changed.

“Hi,” she said after clearing her throat, as if she’d caught herself just as transfixed as I was.

I said nothing in return, not because I didn’t want to, but because I couldn’t find my voice. She lifted her hand and waved, but I still stood there saying nothing. I watched as her brows knitted, as if she were confused, probably thinking What the fuck is up with this dude?

“I assume you’re Asher? At least I hope you are and not some strange man in my house.” She laughed softly.

The sound of her voice, the way her tone rose as she joked, had my heart stopping.

I finally cleared my throat and nodded, moving away from the banister and toward the stairs. “I am.”