The Lost Slipper (Fairytale Shifter 3)

“Why don’t you give him a chance?” Gwen pushes. Her tone isn’t firm like she often uses with pack members. She’s really asking. Not putting an edge to it, not making it sound like a question when it’s really not.

I want to tell her I’ve given him a ton, but the image of him this morning, all half-shy, presses in on me, making the mate mark tingle again.

“I’m not his type. I look nothing like you guys.” I motion down to my body.

Gwen laughs, and it makes X—who I’d forgotten about—growl softly and sweetly, like he’s enjoying the sound of her laughter, and it makes me smile.

“Winnie, I think you’re his type. I’ve noticed his eyes on you.” Gwen stands, grabbing my hands, pulling me to my feet.

“His eyes on me?” I feel my cheeks burn at the idea that Stone has been openly looking at me and someone noticed. “Like before yesterday?”

“Oh, yeah!” Her eyebrows wiggle.

“She does that when she’s talking about something related to sex,” X says, and we look over at him. “The eyebrow thing.” He nods as he finishes, like he had to explain the eyebrow thing to me because I might have been lost. I often forget that Xavier hasn’t been around people much.

Gwen just winks at him.

“How about I help you with the bakery today, then we go upstairs to my old apartment and you let me do a little makeover? Nothing much. Maybe just give him a little more to look at.”

The idea of giving Stone a little more to look at compels me to nod.

“I’ll stand guard in case the funny-smelling blonde tries to come back.” X folds his arms over his chest.

“You do that, baby,” Gwen tells him, and I burst out laughing.

6

Stone

I’ve spent all day preparing for Winnie to come over tonight. I called the bakery and Gwen answered, letting me know that Winnie would be ready and at my house at six tonight.

I’d seen Gwen and Xavier on my way home this morning and asked for some advice on cooking. Gwen seemed all too pleased to help me, saying that she would go have a talk with Winnie. I’m hoping that her friendship can work in my favor. I’m willing to use every trick up my sleeve if it means Winnie will be mine.

Running around the house and cleaning up, I want everything to be perfect. I made a simple dinner of spaghetti. Gwen said it was idiot-proof, and she knew Winnie liked it. I just hope I did it right. I really want to impress her.

When it’s just before six, I rush into the bathroom and take a quick shower. It’s strange now that my cock gets hard, having never had that happen before. I’m not sure if I welcome the feeling or not. It’s almost painful. Anytime I’m near Winnie, or catch her scent, my cock gets so hard and thick, aching to be inside her. I rub the soap across it, feeling the warmth of my hand. But no matter how much I stroke it, nothing will happen. I’ll only cum inside my true mate, never before.

I was so hard when I was around Winnie this morning, but the second I left her and almost bumped into Trish, it went away like it had never even happened. Then when she put her hand on me, I felt nauseated. Having another scent on me besides my mate’s made my blood run cold, and I let Trish know it. I explained that Winnie is my mate and that she should be more careful with her flirtatious nature. I may have been hard on the little wolf, but she needed to know. Everyone in the pack needs to know, so I spent the day sending messages to everyone and even other packs around Gray Ridge to let them know I’m mated. Winnie may deny me now, but I’ll never want another. For as long as I live, I will be mated to her. And I want everyone to know it. It is my first step in showing her that she is mine. That I will always choose her first. That I am proud to have the little bear shifter as my mate.

Once I’m finished getting clean, I jump out of the shower and throw on some clothes. I opt for a black T-shirt and some loose jeans and go barefoot. As I look in the mirror, I finger comb my hair to try to tame it some. The sides are shaved, with the top a bit longer, the way Winnie always looked at it made me think she liked it.

Looking down at my arms, I see the tattoos that start at my wrists and run up my arms. They cover the entire span of my chest as well, showing off my alpha status. Shifters don’t normally get tattoos because it can be painful, and unless you use a special kind of ink, most won’t stay in the skin. I got mine slowly over the years after my father died, commemorating our heritage and the Gray Ridge pack. There’s a tattoo artist in the neighboring pack that does them for me, using a special ink and needles. It always takes hours for even a small one, but I feel showing my pack that I’m committed to them, even through the pain, is important. I’ve been saving a place on my chest for my mate, and I look forward to putting Winnie’s mark there. She and our babies will have a special place of pride on my body, showing anyone who sees me that I’m taken and proud of who owns me.

I walk out of my bedroom, wondering if Winnie and I will have pups or cubs. Female bears are so incredibly rare that I don’t know of a case like ours. I smile, hoping we have cubs. I want them to look just like her.

I know I’m getting ahead of myself, but I can’t stop the hopeful, warm feeling in my heart. We will mate, and it will all be okay. We’re just going to get there a bit slower than most shifters in our pack.