Chapter Three
“What’s going on with you?”
“Huh?” Carter looked up from his dinner to find his mother glaring at him from across the dining room table. “Well, I’m enjoying my dinner—which is delicious, by the way. Thanks for cooking.”
“Nice try, buster. You think I haven’t noticed what a space cadet you’ve been the last few days? Or the fact that you’ve been spending a lot of extra time in the woods every evening?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I just have a lot on my mind.” He twirled his fork through the pasta until he’d collected a huge wad of noodles and sauce, and then shoved it all into his mouth and chewed. Despite the close bond with his mother, there were some things he just wasn’t ready to discuss.
“Is something wrong at work?”
“No.” Work was fine. He’d run into a few unexpected issues with the Jackson’s remodel, but he liked a challenge. If nothing else, it got his mind off the sexy brunette who was haunting his every waking moment.
“Did anything happen at the community center? Oh my goodness. There isn’t something wrong with one of the kids, is there? You’d tell me if one of them came to you for help, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes, I would tell you. And no, there’s nothing happening at the community center that you don’t already know about.”
“Hmm.” She took a dainty bite of her dinner and continued to stare him down.
Amusement coursed through him. “You know, that look didn’t work when I was a kid and it isn’t going to do the trick now either, especially when there isn’t anything to confess.”
“Mm hmm.” She picked up her napkin and wiped her mouth. “You might not want to talk about whatever’s on your mind tonight, but it won’t take me long to figure out what’s going on. Mark my words.” She pushed away from the table and carried her plate and glass to the sink.
All Carter could do was shake his head and laugh. His mom was like a dog with a bone when she suspected something was being kept from her. “I might have met someone. However, before you start asking a million questions, I don’t have anything else to share right now. When I do, you’ll be the first person to know. All right?”
She snorted. “Fine. I won’t hold my breath though. You boys are all as closed-mouth as your father, rest his soul. If I sat around and waited on the lot of you to open up, I’d never know anything.”
“I don’t know what else you want me to say.”
“Nothing at all.” She walked toward him and ruffled his hair. “I’m going home. I cooked, so you can do the dishes.”
“Yes, ma’am. Thanks for dinner.”
“You’re welcome.” She walked out the kitchen door.
He got up, walked over to the sink, and looked out the window to watch her walk across the backyard to the small house he’d built for her at the back of the property. Once she was safely inside, he finished his dinner and put all the dishes in the dishwasher.
After locking up the house and showering, he went to bed alone and tried not to think about Eliza Anderson.
He failed.
The bear within him shifted, restless and yearning for something out of reach. He’d been at loose ends, his human and animal counterparts at war with each other, ever since meeting the sexy single mother the previous week. He’d lost more sleep than he cared to admit and had been short tempered at work with his men. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get her off his mind.
Attraction had stirred inside him from the moment he laid eyes on the curvy single mother, but the true magnetism hadn’t occurred until the moment he’d stood in front of her and breathed in the alluring scent of milk, honey, and a deeper, richer undertone that made his beast stir to life and test the limits of his control. The way his body had reacted toward her was nothing short of mind-boggling. It was a minor miracle no one had noticed the bulge he was sporting while in her presence. In spite of their surroundings and the poor timing, he hadn’t been able to help himself.
He could only think of one reason why he’d respond so strongly.
Eliza Anderson was his mate.
The very thought of finally having the other half of his soul within reach excited him and scared the piss out of him in equal measures. Eliza was human and might not feel their connection as strongly as he did. For all he knew, she might not sense the bond at all. Humans weren’t exactly known for listening to their instincts. He would need to be careful about how he approached her. The last thing he wanted to do was act impulsively, come on way too strong, and scare her off.
He tossed and turned, too wound up to sleep. His muscles vibrated with the need to move, to burn off some energy.
Frustrated, he got back up, and strode outside. Naked, he stared up at the dark summer sky and called forth his beast. Bones broke and muscles stretched. Both reformed and realigned, making him larger and stronger. Hair sprouted from his pores and long, sharp talons extended from the ends of his newly reshaped paws. In a matter of minutes, a large brown bear stood where there had once been a man.
With his transformation complete, he lumbered forward on all fours, gaining speed with every second, until he was sprinting toward the line of trees at the back of the property. His paws dug into the rich, damp earth, stirring up the scent of fresh grass and loam, and propelled him ever closer to his destination. Fireflies zoomed by him and crickets chirped in concert. If a run through the forest didn’t wear him out, nothing would.