Mated to the Wilde Bear

“I figured when you knew, it would change things,” he said.

“It does,” she admitted and rushed on when she saw the uncertainty flash in his eyes. “It makes me even more determined to be myself. To stop hiding who I am. From you and everyone else, because maybe then you’ll do the same. We’re both living in hiding. Hiding from people in my life who are anti-shifter is one thing. The world will always be full of people who don’t like me for some reason or another. I’m learning to accept that. But you. You’re hiding from yourself, Xavier. From your future. I don’t know how to fix that.”

She thought he’d push her away. Storm off or tell her to leave it alone, something an alpha would do. Instead, Xavier reached for her and pulled her into his lap, smoothing her hair and pressing kisses to her temple. She was too shocked to do more than let him.

“You’re right about me but not about the differences in us,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

“The reasons we each have for hiding. The ones we are hiding from. They’re the same thing, love. We can fix each other.”

doubt she’d had about his words melted away. She had no idea if she could be fixed. That meant coming clean about her animal to the rest of the world. That thought still terrified her. Humans weren’t nice

around Xavier’s neck and held on tight as he deepened the kiss. Desire flooded her like a warm spray of water. When he parted her lips with his tongue, she rolled her hips reflexively against him. He growled into her mouth, and she prayed for the liquid heat to turn to fire, burning their clothes away. She vaguely hoped Xavier’s truck windows were tinted enough

at the hem

need to touch you,” he

back again. With his other hand, he found his way to the seam of

against him now, half

to the side and offering her neck without

licked and nipped at her before trailing kisses down her collarbone. She tried not to acknowledge the disappointment as he ignored her offering.

slipped his fingers inside,

for me,” Xavier said, his hot

she didn’t even