Chapter 8

Chapter

Eight

CONNOR

M y bison is itching to get out. Watching Reece almost fall to her death over a cliff has him clawing to get rid of his nervous energy. I can’t seem to sit still either. I pace back and forth in the kitchen; I can hear Grant and Reece talking in the living room, but I try to ignore it. I want to yell at her for being so reckless. I want her to accept our situation for what it is: destiny.

I want her to want to stay.

The casserole we cooked earlier is cooling on the counter. Trying to distract myself, I grab plates from the cabinet and fill them with food. A few moments later, Grant joins me.The water turns on in the bathroom. I release a heavy breath.

Why can’t this be easier?

“She's washing up for dinner,” Grant says.

“I can hear,” I grumble.

“You’ve got to calm down. She’s fine. Everything is fine now.”

“But it almost wasn’t,” I huff.

“I know,” he says, trying to appease me and my bison. “But it is now, and that’s all that matters. You can’t be so hard on her. She doesn’t understand any of this. Give her time to adjust.”

“I’m not that patient.”

He chuckles. “I know that very well, but try. If we’re not careful, we’re going to scare her away.”

“I know.” I sigh. “I’m trying.”

“Good.” His shoulders lose their tension. “Let’s set the table.”

I push a plate toward him before taking the other two to the table. “At this rate, she’s going to like you better than me.”

He shakes his head, taking his food to the table. “No, she won’t. She’ll learn how you are and come to understand you overreact because you care. She’ll love you for it in the end.”

I scoff, but keep my mouth shut—something I should have done earlier, before hurting her feelings.

We look up as Reece exits the bathroom and joins us.Tension in the room rises.

Grant pulls out one of the chairs for her. “Here. Have a seat.”

“Thank you,” she mutters, sitting down.

“Drink?”

“Water is fine, thank you.”

I fill three glasses with water and ice and pass two of them to Grant. He takes them and puts one in front of Reece before sitting across from her. As I join them, my guilt for yelling at Reece worsens.

I don’t want our relationship to be strained even before it begins. Grant clears his throat. We make eye contact, and he subtly motions toward Reece with his head.

I sigh, peering down at my plate. “I’m sorry I scolded you. I shouldn’t have let my emotions get to me like that. I was worried about you, but that’s no excuse for how I behaved.”

Reece smiles, relaxing. “Thank you, and I’m sorry I stormed off. It was stupid and reckless. I let my emotions get the better of me as well in that moment. It’s hard to accept someone is part animal, especially when you’ve just met them.”

I chuckle. “I imagine so.”

Now that we’ve cleared the air, the weight on my shoulders lifts.

“So…” Reece picks at her food. “I guess you were telling the truth about the shifter thing.”

Grant smiles. “You can ask anything you want. We won’t hide anything from you.”

She nods. “I guess I want to know how it happens. Can anyone become a shifter?”

“No. You’re either born one or not. That’s why mates are so important. We can’t impregnate those that are not our match. To keep our kind alive, we have to find our soulmate and procreate.”

“You said I was your mate. How do you know I’m the one you’re meant to be with? Couldn’t you have gotten it wrong?”

“No,” I assure her. “You give off a type of pheromone that can only be sensed by us. It’s what draws us to you. For a human, it’s more subtle. You simply feel sad when we’re not around, or desire to be near us.”

She nods. “That seems to be accurate.”

Grant and I exchange smiles. Even though she was afraid, she felt she belonged with us from the beginning. Knowing that helps me relax a bit more.

“What made you rent a cabin out here?” I ask.

“Um…” she giggles nervously. “I needed a fresh start. This was supposed to be a vacation to get my head on straight. I quit my job and moved out of my apartment. It felt like it was time for a change is all.”

“Have you been here before, like with your family?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “No, I’ve never met my parents. I was raised in an orphanage. I picked it at random. It just seemed like the right place to be.”

“I hope you still feel that way.” I smile. “I’m glad you’re here. Finding you, our mate, is a relief as much as it is a blessing.”

“I’m beginning to feel the same way.” Her cheeks flush with her admission. “When I first woke up, I couldn’t understand why I felt drawn to you both. I’ve always wanted a family, a place where I belong. Being a soulmate to one person is amazing, but being told I have two is mind-blowing.”

“Wait until the sex.” Grant winks.

Reece giggles, her blush deepening. “So, I’m guessing the heat I’m supposed to go through is what it sounds like.”

She looks between both of us, and we nod.

With a sigh, she adds, “From what I’ve read in books, it sounds painful.”

“It can be,” Grant explains. “But it’s a sexual ache meant to bring us together. Being intimate and letting us claim you will stop it.”

“Sounds like a cheap pickup line.” Reece snickers.

I chuckle. “Grant’s specialty.”

He flicks a piece of food at me from across the table, making me laugh harder. Reece and Grant join in. After the day we’ve had, it’s nice to be able to finally come together. Reece doesn’t feel as far out of reach as she did an hour ago, and I’m thankful for it.

The conversation is easy as we finish dinner. We discuss small things like our favorite colors and foods, getting to know one another. By the time we get up to clear the table, the sun has set outside.

Reece offers to help, but we insist on handling it ourselves. She sits at the table, watching us with a smile. I put the leftover casserole away while Grant washes the dishes.Having Reece’s eyes on me as I work is an aphrodisiac all its own.

“I could get used to this,” she says with affection in her voice.

“Good,” I reply. “Because males tend to pamper their mates.”

“Lucky me,” she teases.

The flirtation in her tone makes my blood run south. We’ve come a long way in a little time. That’s not unusual for mates, but knowing that she’s gotten more comfortable with us is a huge relief.

Grant hands me a wet plate he just washed. I dry it off with a clean dishrag before putting it away. Reece’s chair suddenly scrapes across the hardwood and she speed walks out of the room. Grant and I exchange glances.

“Reece,” I call out. “You okay?”

“Fine!” she yells back as the bathroom door slams.