I swallowed at the intensity in his voice.
“Know what?” I asked even though I already knew the answer.
He looked into my eyes and there was this fierceness. “They’ll know you’re mine and if they fuck with you, my wrath is what they’ll get.” He cupped my cheek and leaned in close, kissing me, sealing his words. He broke the kiss and pulled me in closer, my chest to his, our sweaty skin reminding me of what we’d just done.
I’d never thought this was how my life would turn out, but with all the loneliness I felt, all the misplaced feelings I had during my life, they all made sense now. Fate was waiting for Asher and me to find each other. We were those two missing pieces of a puzzle, and that puzzle was our lives.
We’d saved ourselves for each other, never even kissed another person because we knew, deep down, without ever seeing each other, that there was someone special out there just for us.
Fated mates.
And once we were put together, completed the picture, making it whole … it all made sense.
Cason
I stood on my deck, leaning against the railing as I stared off into the forest. The sounds of birds filled my head, the sight of animals scurrying deep within the woods something I was able to pick up with my shifter vision. I was shirtless, my sweats hanging low on my hips, wild energy pumping through my veins. I’d already shifted twice today, let my bear free, let him be wild, but I was ready for round three.
If I were being honest, I was not the type of person who particularly enjoyed being around others. I liked my solitude, my little piece of land away from everyone and everything. I’d built my cabin far away from my brothers, not because I didn’t enjoy their company, but because it was just easier for me to be with my own thoughts.
And now that four out of the six of us had found our mates, with only Damon and myself without our other halves, it was really fucking easier to be on my own. Seeing my brothers happy and content, their fated mates by their sides, their families growing, had this ache settling deep within me.
So yeah, being alone was really fucking good for me.
And as the years passed, and the idea of my female grew further and further away, I realized that being out here was for the best. I’d started to become grumpier, more animalistic. I let my bear out more than I was sure any other shifter consciously did.
And one thing I was sure most humans didn’t know, one thing that shifters kept tightly guarded, was the fact that the more times we let our animals out, the more times we shifted to let it be free, the more primal we became.
I was right on the verge of just saying fuck it all and being a bear full-time. But I’d miss a lot of shit being human afforded me: enjoying a nice meal, sitting around the campfire with my brothers and shooting the shit.
I’d miss a lot of fucking things about being a human.
But the truth was, it was easier to be a bear. Less hectic, less confusing. There were no responsibilities or expectations. I lived off the land and just let my basic urges run free. And it was incredible. It was exhilarating and liberating. But whether I was in human form or shifted as a bear, there was one thing that was deeply rooted in me, something that grew by the second.
My mate.
It was this growing feeling inside of me, like this seed that was planted deep inside of me and every year it grew until one day it would just burst free, tearing me from the inside out.
I had one sole purpose on this planet, and that was to find my mate, to claim her, mark her, to get her swollen with my child. And the very thought, the picture of her big and round, my baby growing inside of her, my mark on her neck, was nearly enough to send me into a frenzy of possessive need.
I didn’t know where or who she was, but what I did know for certain was that if I ever did find her, I was going to claim her so fucking hard, there was no turning back.
I just hoped I wasn’t more animal than human when that time came.
Epilogue One
Ainsley
I was covered in sweat, probably had dirt all over my face, but in this moment, as the sun beat down on me, no breeze in sight, and my muscles aching, all I could feel was happiness.
We’d been working on the renovations to the cabin for months, for what felt like an eternity. But there was a light at the end of this long-ass tunnel. We were working on the finishing touches of the last room that needed remodeled, and despite the fact I was exhausted, I kept on going.
Because I knew as soon as this was done, I could devote my time to Asher.
Just thinking about him had my heart racing. Only three months since our mating and I felt like every day was a new beginning for us. We learned things about each other constantly. I found out he didn’t even like tea, which gave me a chuckle seeing as that was the first drink I’d offered him all those months ago.
He preferred his steaks nearly raw, but liked his grilled cheese sandwich almost burnt. He rarely drank alc
ohol, but when he did he preferred beer, craft to be exact. But the one thing he told me was his absolute favorite, that he was completely addicted to ... was me.