Chapter Twelve

Jamie

The trip must’ve made Eddie hangry. He ate two of Franklin’s loaded turkey sandwiches and a double helping of cobbler. No ice cream. No coffee. Milk.

Interesting.

Eddie sat back in his chair and patted his belly with a moan. It was a moan of satiety, of appetite satisfaction, but the sound shot from my ears directly down to my cock.

Perhaps Franklin was right. I’d judged this man too quickly. Once he got some carbs in him, he wasn’t half bad. In fact, as I sat across from him, he was beautiful, polite, and even charming.

“If everyone is done eating,” Franklin said, “I thought the two of you would like a walk. My mate and I used to love walks at night.”

“You have a mate?” I asked, overeager to refute my brother’s claims. He’d become quite the know-it-all before I left.

“I did.” Franklin’s expression changed as did the atmosphere around us. My wolf whined at the sadness coming from the older bear. “That was a long time ago. No better way to work off some of that cobbler than a good run outside. Good for the body and the soul. Go on.”

“Can we help you clean up? At least pick up the food?” Eddie asked, rising from his chair.

“No. No. I mean it. Get out of here.” Franklin practically shooed us out the back door.

I didn’t know about Eddie’s beast, but a run was exactly what my wolf needed. Today had been exhausting mentally. I’d worked myself up so much getting here only to find the man now standing beside me, the one who was supposed to be my mate, couldn’t look less interested.

“I, um, I’m sorry about earlier. I’m kind of a bear after hectic travel.” He rubbed the back of his neck, bracelets rattling the whole time.

“Is that right? I hadn’t noticed.” I pursed my lips, denying a smile.

Eddie cracked up and kicked off his insanely expensive shoes. I’d seen them in an Instagram ad and then quickly clicked away once I saw the price. “I’ve been told I can be mean and kind of a jerk. I’m working on it. People aren’t nice on airplanes.”

“No, they’re usually not. They were probably thinking you were not nice either. Shall we start over?” I asked, hopeful. The alpha was gorgeous and, despite my wolf’s earlier first impression, Eddie had grown on him over the course of dinner. Not to mention, that humble apology was adorable.

“I would really like that. “Let’s try this again.” He stuck his hand out between us. “I’m Eddie. It’s very, very nice to meet you.”

I took his hand and, instantly, my heart skipped a few beats. My breath ceased in my lungs. The world could’ve cracked in half, and I wouldn’t have cared.

Eddie was my alpha. My mate. That one person my wolf had been looking for—albeit haphazardly and without focus, but searching all the same. “I’m Jamie. It’s nice to meet you.” I barely croaked out the words.

“A wolf.” If I wasn’t mistaken, his bear spoke through him.

“Should we walk toward the forest? Before we shift?”

He chuckled low and deep, vibrating my insides. “What? You don’t want to give Franklin a show?”

I bounded down the porch steps until my bare feet hit the cool grass. “Not really. I’m not one of those shifters who strips in front of just anyone.”

He followed me through the grass to the tree line. “Omega, I’m not just anyone. I’m an alpha bear.”

I ignored the question. “It’s really beautiful out here. You don’t get this kind of view in the city.”

“The city.” Eddie bristled. “You live in a city.”

“Yes. But I’ve always yearned for a quieter life. Somewhere I could see the stars. A place like this. Out in the middle of nowhere. The only other person…” I didn’t want to get ahead of myself.

“Your mate.” His warm fingers brushed mine.

I nodded my head and pulled my shirt over my head.

“I thought you didn’t strip in front of strangers.”

Sucking in a breath, I tossed my shirt and then my jeans aside while he did the same. The cold night air gave me goose bumps. “You’re not a stranger, Eddie. I don’t know you yet, but my wolf… Let’s see how a bear and a wolf get along, shall we?”

I shifted before he replied. I didn’t want to hear any kind of hesitation in his voice if there was some.

Through my wolf’s eyes, I watched him shift. My wolf whimpered a bit as the power of the magic took him over. Eddie was a beautiful man. His animal was equally stunning. Powerful. But something in the strength that emanated from him told me he was a gentle giant.

Time to find out if the big, bad alpha bear liked a chase.

I turned on my paws and sprinted into the forest, darted through trees, hopped over broken branches. The ground shook as he threw his weight around, chasing me. I shuddered at his chuffing. That big body of his was working hard to keep up.

I stopped and whirled around as my mate got near. He was mine, all right. I’d never been so sure of anything in my life.

When Eddie’s bear came near, I noticed his shiny black fur. His brawn. His stature. Truth was, if he wanted to, he could clamp that giant mouth down on my body and that would be the end of me. Except he would never do that. Mating wasn’t a one-sided happening. He was mine, but in return, I was his.

The bear approached, breathing heavily, and nudged my belly with his nose. He took great inhales of my scent and then lay on the ground next to me.

A surrender to me and this mating.

Franklin really had a gift.