Page 10 of Destined Bear

My bear wanted to cuddle up against the warmth and protection that his bear could provide. My bear was a glutton for punishment it seemed. So was I.

“We need to talk,” I said.

I should have rehearsed this.

I should have figured out what I was going to say before just blurting it all out.

“I’m leaving,” I said. “My car is packed. I should be on the road right now, but I know that I would kick myself later if I didn’t at least say something to you before I left.”

I took a deep breath, forcing the words to come.

“I know the two of us haven’t really said much to each other besides what my order was and you delivering it. Most of the words we exchanged were when you gave me the cinnamon roll. But…” I closed my eyes, took a deep breath. There was no going back after this. I’d have my answer, and I would need to accept it. “I have to know before I leave, so that I can move on… Why won’t you claim me, Patrick?”

I swallowed, feeling my throat tighten as I pressed on.

“You’re my mate, gifted to me by the fates, and yet here I am, standing in your territory for over a year, unclaimed. Why?” I swiped at my eyes, feeling the tears fall. “Why, after all this time? What is it about me that makes you not want to claim me?”

Patrick’s shift happened so quickly that I barely registered it. Where once stood a bear, now stood a man, completely naked. I kept my gaze fixed on his face, refusing to let myself look anywhere else, no matter how much I wanted to.

“You’re mine?” he said. It barely sounded like a question. He stepped forward, bringing himself closer to me.

“I’m yours,” I replied, barely understanding why this was a shock to him. He knew, didn’t he? He had to know. I sat within twenty feet of him for an entire year. He had to know I was his mate.

“You never said.” His eyes narrowed as he stepped even closer, gripping the back of my neck and burying his nose there, inhaling deeply. It was as if he were both man and bear in that moment, a low growl tearing from his lips.

“Mine,” he said. “My mate.”

“You didn’t know?” I whispered, my voice trembling.

He pulled back, his eyes searching my face. “I… I didn’t know,” he said. “I never thought… I was scared to believe…”

“You know now.”

“I do.”

The air between us was electrified. Everything around us ceased to exist.

Drawing on the boldness that allowed me to confront Patrick just moments ago, I said, “What are you going to do about it?”

Patrick’s gaze darkened, and a low growl sounded in his throat. The noise went straight to my cock, and I knew the moment the scent of my arousal hit Patrick’s nose. He swung me into his arms and went inside. His stride was long and his steps sure.

Then we were in his bedroom. He placed me on the bed.

“Is this what you want, Finn?” he asked.

I nodded. “Is it what you want? You can take time—”

He covered me with his body after making quick work of removing my pants. I shucked off my shirt, tossing it to the floor. His lips covered mine and silenced my words. I had my answer.

His fingers dove into my hair, and he held my head steady as he kissed me. His tongue explored my mouth and danced against mine, all the while his body covered me like a blanket.

I let my eyes close and soaked in the sensation of being with Patrick. My mate. The man I’d dreamed about since the first moment I’d seen him. He was mine and he was in my arms. He wanted me. I hadn’t been rejected, not intentionally.

Patrick was my alpha, and I was his omega. If I was asleep, I didn’t want to wake up. I’d been waiting for this for far too long.

Patrick’s lips left mine long enough to kiss his way down my neck and chest, then the heat of his breath tickled my cock. He licked a circle around the tip before his mouth enveloped my length. A gasp escaped my lips as I gripped the sheets to keep from springing up off the bed.

With his hands, he opened my legs, and his fingertips danced over my hole. It was hard to believe this was Patrick, the alpha who barely spoke to me, who I thought didn’t notice me. Here. Now. He was reading me, as if he paid attention to every single breath I’d ever taken, every single move I’d ever made, every single word I’d ever spoken.