Chapter One

Weldon

Twigs snapped beneath my large paws as I made my way through the forest. I wasn’t traveling along one of the normal paths I’d beaten down over the years, so the ground was overgrown and rough.

But even though I didn't wander this way often, I knew every step of this land I had inhabited for decades. I wasn't exactly wandering, however; I was headed towards a specific location…I just didn't know where it was.

I was following the pull of my keen bear senses, which had never led me wrong. And usually, they led me to a trespasser. Even though my land was marked as private property, hikers still managed to stumble upon it. Most times, it was an honest accident. And very rarely, someone needed assistance.

Which is why I was clutching a backpack between my teeth. The bag held a change of clothes inside. If I ran across a hiker, I would shift back into my human form and get dressed before approaching them. Clothing didn’t fit my animal body, so I was always nude when I shifted. I didn't want to upset anyone, since some people found my bare ass more off putting than my bear ass.

Any time I found someone, if the hikers were up to no good, I would stay in animal form, and they'd receive a menacing growl to frighten them away. But if the trespassers appeared friendly and I was in a good mood, I'd let them take a few photos of me in bear form before I'd slip away and shift to speak with them to give them directions off of my property.

Usually, I had an indication of what awaited me. I could feel in the pit of my gut if someone was in trouble or if they were causing it. But today, I couldn't get a good read. All I knew was that I needed to keep moving.

That need escalated as I climbed a small hill. Something was luring me forward, and putting urgency into my steps. I moved quicker, my heavy paws slapping the ground and my claws digging into the dirt.

My breaths came faster, and a delectable scent hit my nostrils. It was sweeter than anything I'd ever smelled before. My mouth watered. My pulse raced. I had to find its source.

My nose led me to a tall oak tree. Its autumn leaves were beautiful shades of red and orange, but it didn't look any different from the ones surrounding it. It was different though; I could both sense and smell it.

I dropped my bag to the ground and stood up onto my back legs, digging my front claws into the tree's bark. I stretched my neck for a better sniff of the intoxicating aroma. I couldn't see amongst the thick branches and leaves, but something wonderful was up there. I licked my lips and lifted one back leg to begin climbing the trunk when a small voice froze me in place.

“Please,” it begged shakily, “ Please don't eat me.”

My ears twitched, funneling in the precious sound. My nose went into overdrive, sniffing the sweet breeze as jubilant realization struck me; I'd been tracking my mate. The man I'd been waiting my whole life for, yet doubted I'd ever find, was mere feet above me. Granted, he was hiding from me in a tree, terrified I was going to eat him, but it was still a magical moment.

I hated to leave him, but not many humans knew of the shifter race. I didn't want to frighten him more by turning from a bear to a man before his eyes. So, I lowered myself to the ground, snatched my bag with my teeth, and hurried off to hide behind a closeby tree with a wide trunk.

My shift began; my claws retracted as my paws transformed into hands. My bones popped as my skeleton realigned and my skull morphed shapes. My wiry fur retreated, though I still had a layer of hair coating my thick body.

I unzipped the backpack and pulled on a pair of dark jeans and a cream sweater to block against the nip in the air. I skipped my socks, and shoved my bare feet into a pair of boots, not even bothering to tie the laces so that I could hurry back to my mate.

I quickly reached the tree once more, peering into the leaves. But before I could say anything, his voice called out to me, “Be careful! There's a bear running around out here. He might try to eat you! He tried to eat me!”

He was sweet to warn me, though he had no reason to fear. That bear would never hurt him, and would take down anyone who tried. “He was probably just curious,” I tried to soothe. “I'm sure he didn't want to eat you.”

“Oh, yes he did! He was big and fat and looked hungry!”

Ouch. Hopefully, his fright made me appear larger in his mind, but I did tend to pack on some weight in the fall. I was half bear, after all.

“Plus, I think he already ate someone else,” he added, his voice shaking again.

My brows furrowed as I tried to figure out his rationale, but came up empty. So, I asked, “Why do you think that?”

“He had someone's backpack! He probably gobbled its owner up before stealing it.”

I was sure he wasn't ready to hear the actual explanation, so I replied, “He probably just found it lying around somewhere. I bet the owner got scared off and left it behind.”

“I hope so. He was pretty scary.”

My heart ached over the fact I'd frightened my poor mate. It was the last thing I ever wanted to do. “Well, he's gone now. It's just you and me.”

“Are you sure?”

“I'm positive.” When he only answered with silence, I tried changing the subject and calming his nerves. “My name is Weldon, by the way. What's yours?” I needed to know the name of my fated one.

After another moment of silence, he finally answered, “Tater.”

Tater? What kind of name is Tater? An adorable one, that's what. A dumb smile crossed my lips as an equally dumb thought crossed my mind. Aw, he's my sweet tater.

“I promise you're safe, Tater. Can you climb down to me?”

To my surprise, he answered with a giggle. “It's Tatum.” Ohh, that makes more sense. I had excellent hearing, and I could only guess why I misunderstood him. Maybe he was covering his face since he was scared. “But Tater is cute.”

I bet he is. I was itching to see just how cute. I longed to lay eyes on my beloved. “Are you able to come down to me?”

“I don't think so.” He added quietly, “I'm too scared. I don't even know how I made it up here.”

I did; an adrenaline rush most likely fueled him. Tatum was more afraid of the bear than he was of the climb. Now that the “threat” was gone, his mind was getting in the way.

“You can do it,” I encouraged. I was strong enough to easily shimmy up the trunk to retrieve him, but I doubted the tree was strong enough to hold my broad, heavy body, let alone both of us. “I believe in you. Just take it one small step at a time.”

“Okay, I'll try,” Tatum replied, and pride surged in my chest.

“Good boy,” I answered on instinct, and heard a quiet gasp in reply. I had enough faith in Fate's pairing to believe it was a good gasp. I smiled when the leaves rustled as he moved. “Good job, Tater.” Knowing he approved of the nickname, I was more than happy to use it. “Nice and easy.”

After a few more moments, the leaves abruptly stop shaking. “Weldon?”

“I'm right here. Are you okay?”

“My head feels funny.”

I scrunched up my forehead once more. “Did you bump it?”

“No,” was followed by a shriek as branches creaked and Tatum's body came tumbling down, his arms and legs flailing.

I reached out and caught him, but before I could get a good look at him, Tatum wrapped his arms around my neck, and legs around my waist, holding onto me for dear life.

“It's okay,” I said as I hugged him back, rubbing my hand up and down his spine. “I've got you.” Daddy's got you. He'd been through enough of a shock, so I didn't push it by saying the words aloud.

His body trembled against me. Tatum was thin and light (and would be even if I didn't have shifter strength). The way his legs were stretched around my middle suggested he was much shorter than I was. A mop of rowdy brown curls topped his head, and I buried my nose in them, deeply breathing in his sweet scent.

“Thank you,” he whispered, hugging me tighter. “I got dizzy and lost my grip.” I assumed his nerves had gotten to him.

“I would never let you fall,” I promised. As much as I wanted to see Tatum's face, I wasn’t about to push him away. I was happy to hold his slim body against mine forever.

But after a few minutes, his breathing slowed down against me, and he pulled back. My jaw dropped at my first sight of him. He was stunning.

Tatum looked to be in his early twenties. His cheeks and jawline were smooth, and he had plush, pouty pink lips. But what captured my heart in an instant were a pair of light green eyes, which were wide as they studied my face.

I wasn't angelic as Tatum was. My skin was weather-worn, and a brown, bushy beard cascaded down my cheeks. My blue-gray eyes didn't sparkle in the sun like his. But Tatum appeared to like what he saw, judging by the slight blush of his cheeks and the way his tongue trailed across his bottom lip.

“I feel like I'm gonna be sick,” he whispered. Wow, I misjudged that one.

But any worry that his illness was caused by my appearance quickly faded when I caught a familiar scent on his breath. Then, an entirely new and larger fear seized my chest.

“Tatum, what were you doing before you saw the bear?”

He let go of my neck to cover his mouth with his hand for a moment, as if he was holding back his sickness. After a few deep breaths, he removed it and replied, “I was really hungry. I found some berries to snack on.”

Fuck. Panic burst through me as I motioned towards a nearby bush, which was coated in bright berries. “It wasn't those, was it?”

He nodded, biting his lip in a way I'd find irresistibly sexy if I weren't about to have a panic attack. “Was that bad?”

I didn't want to scare him, but I also wouldn't lie to him. Not that it would do any good, as he was surely about to find out anyway from his symptoms. “Those are holly berries. They're pretty to look at, but they're poisonous to eat.”

Tatum's eyes swam with moisture. “Am I going to die?”

“No.” The berries wouldn't be fatal, though he might feel like death. It broke my heart to tell him, “But you're going to be very sick.” Now knowing what he ate, things were starting to make sense; why he slurred when saying his name, why he was nauseous, and why he got dizzy and slipped. He was beginning to feel the effects of the poison.

Thinking of what he was about to endure gave me physical pain as well. I didn't want my mate to be sick; I wanted to shield him from everything bad in this world. I only wanted him to feel happiness.

And it killed me to know I could technically put a stop to it all; my mating bite would bind our bodies and souls together. It would make Tatum immune to illness or disease of any kind. But this wasn't the way to make that sort of decision. It would be different if it were a life and death situation, and there was only one way to save him. But when it came to our bond, it needed to be Tatum's choice, made from longing and love - not fear. We needed to have long conversations first. He needed all the information.

Until then, there was something I could do. “I’ll take care of you. I won’t leave your side and I’ll do anything I can to help you feel better.” There was so much I didn’t know about Tatum, and equally as much he didn’t know about me. But neither of us asked any questions.

For me personally, as much as I wanted information about Tatum, I didn’t need it to care for him. I knew he was mine, and I would do anything for him. I would reveal everything about myself to my mate when it was time.

But for now, Tatum only nodded his understanding and agreement. All that mattered was his health. Though human, he would feel the pull of our bond as well. He wouldn’t understand the extent, but he would know he could trust me. I held him close to my chest and hurried towards my home.