Chapter Ten – Adam

Adam ran along the trail, with Frankie following. He didn’t temper his pace, she’d said she was fit, and he didn’t want to treat her as if there was something wrong with her. It would take time for them to both get used to the other, and that included Adam learning what it meant to live with a person who had received a heart transplant.

But for now, he was going to enjoy the evening, as if they were just two fated mates out for their first run together. His bear skidded around a bend in the trail, his claws digging into the dirt as he propelled himself forward.

He led her on to a cliff which looked down over the valley below. The sun was still high in the sky as the afternoon wore on. They paused, standing side by side, bodies touching as they looked out at the world. Up here, they were detached from it all, just two bears on a mountain.

Nudging Frankie, Adam turned away and lumbered across a grassy trail before turning into a wooded area. Weaving between the trees, the two bears took a meandering route, although Adam had a destination in mind. There was a waterfall, or so he’d been told by one of the waiters at the hotel, but with no one to share the scene with, he’d never visited it.

Until now. Now he had a mate, a woman to share his life with. He couldn’t bear to dwell on the thought of losing her, ever.

Forcing himself to think positive thoughts, he pushed on, sensing Frankie close behind him. The waterfall was close, he could hear the thundering sound of the water as it poured over the edge of the cliff and down into the pool below. He turned his head and looked over his shoulder, drinking in the sight of the smaller bear behind him.

Frankie was a lighter brown than most bears he’d met. There was no mistaking she was a female, her features, even in bear form, were prettier, more delicate. Adam wondered how her bear had coped when her human side went through the trauma of a transplant. Certainly, she seemed fit and well, her coat was sleek, her eyes bright.

His bear chuckled to himself. Sleek coat and bright eyes, what about her shiny nose? Like those are the things that are most important.

I’m practicing in case she wants me to be a judge at the dog show, Adam quipped back.

They reached the waterfall and stood side by side watching the water cascade down off the cliff above. It was a magnificent sight, but not as magnificent as his mate. He turned his head and gazed at her. A long, deep yearning filled him as his blood vibrated in his body, calling to a long lost love.

His head snapped back around. Was she right, were they haunted by the ghosts of the dead?

Beside him, Frankie took a step closer to the pool of water and looked down at her own reflection. Then she did something unexpected, she launched herself into the air and belly-flopped into the water. Water sprayed up, covering his silver-tipped coat. With a challenging roar, he leaped into the air and dove into the water. He was grateful for his size, and he swam under her, tipping her up so that she had to wriggle around to keep upright.

Frankie’s bear swam toward him, her head above the water, while her short legs propelled her forward. Adam trod water, waiting for her. But as she got close, she lifted her paw out of the water and slapped it down onto the surface of the water. He closed his eyes as the water swept over him, then shook his head, big droplets spraying off his fur. But Frankie’s bear had already swum away.

Adam took up the pursuit, but she was smaller and faster and he couldn’t turn as fast. At last, he gave up and headed to the side of the pool where the water was shallow and he climbed out, staggering forward as the weight of the water tried to pull him back down. He shook, his whole body quivering as he rid his bear pelt of water.

“Don’t you want to come back in?” Frankie’s voice asked from the pool. She’d shifted into her human form.

“Your clothes are soaked.” Adam’s concern made her frown.

“I’ll have to take them off and dry them,” she teased.

“I won’t object,” he tried to keep his voice light, but his fear she would catch a cold and be taken from him was real. He slumped down onto the ground. The experience of thinking his mate was dead was still with him.

“Are you okay?” Frankie pulled herself out of the water, curling her hands around her hair and wringing it out.

“Yes. I care about you, Frankie.” His words were feeble, they didn’t explain his feelings adequately. “What I want to say is...I want to keep you safe.”

“We discussed this.” Frankie sat down next to him, her clothes dripping water onto the ground. “I’m okay. Really.”

“I know. The part of me that’s Adam knows that. But there’s this tiny part of me that’s something else. Someone else.”

She smoothed her hand down his back, comforting him as you would a child, then she leaned forward, her wet clothes cool against his skin as she rested her chin on his shoulder. “We need to figure this out.”

He nodded. “People will think we’re insane.”

“Then we don’t tell them. We’ll say we’re going away for a few days to spend some time getting to know each other. We’ll drive to Reaminster, go to the hospital and see if anyone can help us. If not, we can go to the local library and check out the news articles on the accident. Then we trace the family.”

“If we need to. We might be able to get the information without bothering them.” He turned his head to look at her. She was so beautiful, yet there was an unmistakable fragility to her. One she tried to hide from the outside world. She covered it up with her enthusiasm and drive, but it was there.

“Agreed.” Frankie fell silent.

“We’ll figure it out.” He hugged her close and she shivered against him. “We should get you home and dry.”

“My mom died giving birth to me.” She stared at the pool of water, looking deep into its hidden depths. “Ruth raised me and my siblings.”

“I knew Ruth raised you.” Adam took hold of her hand and pressed his lips to her cool skin. “Not through gossip. I was talking to Jenny and Jason one time and they said Ruth was good at being a mom because look how Frankie turned out.”

“She was the best mom anyone could ask for. But I always felt cheated. I never met her. Our mom. I used to fantasize about what she was like, the sound of her voice, the touch of her hand, the scent of her skin.” Frankie shook her head as if trying to shake off her thoughts. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this now.”

“Because it’s part of who you are.” He kissed the top of her head as he held her close. Was this the fragility he sensed?

“I don’t want our children to grow up without a mom. That’s why I’m so hesitant to have children. I thought you should know. Before we embark on this journey, I thought you should know.” Frankie placed her hand on her heart. “Now, shall we walk back to your car?”

Adam looked up at the sky, the sun had crested the mountains and the warmth was disappearing from this side of the peaks. “Yes, you should go and take a warm bath.”

“Will you join me?” Frankie asked.

Adam caressed her cheek. “If you want me to.”

She leaned into him and her lips met his, moving against them, igniting his desire. He wanted her, he yearned for her, as if he’d waited a lifetime for this moment to arrive. Was this him or the other side of him? As their kiss deepened and she opened her mouth and their tongues entwined, he understood it didn’t matter. This bond was real. This bond was theirs and he was going to damn well own it.