When I hear the microwave beep, I realize Lance is heating up our hot chocolate. He returns to me with two mugs in his hands.

“Let’s talk about what being a werebear means,” he says. “Tell me what you know.”

“You can shift whenever you want to, but some werebear can’t control it as easily as others, and extreme emotions can trigger your bear. I know about true-mate love too.”

I take a sip of my drink and let the sweet flavor fill my mouth.

“Okay,” says Lance. “Let’s talk about shifting. Almost all adults have complete control.”

“Oh.” A flush rises in me. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. How were you supposed to know?” He lifts his mug to his mouth for a drink. “However, we do let out a growl from time to time when something angers us, we want to enforce a statement, or”—he waggles his eyebrows—“when we’re turned on.”

I smile before I recall something else I heard. “What about when you bite a mate? How does that work?”

“Ah. Bonding is pretty serious stuff. When mates bite each other during sex, it makes orgasms more intense. And a rush of love flows through you too.”

“Wow. I can see why you’d want to do that. Good to know.” It is good information, because unless Lance and I have a soul-mate bond it can never happen for us. But I’m not ready to rule out the possibility of us being soul mates yet. Especially because ever since we met, I can’t get him off my mind. And I suppose that’s part of what’s scaring me too. Being Lance’s soul mate would sure put a wrench in my whole return-to-Florida plan. I shake my head at myself, because if I’m lucky enough to find that bond, I won’t care.

“What’s going on in that pretty head of yours, Dawn?”

Since there’s only one way to find out if Lance is more than a usual love interest, I reach for his mug and say, “I was wondering when we’re going to get back to the cuddling-under-the-covers lesson.” I put our drinks on the nightstand and slide my hand over his chest. “I believe you were teaching me about the part where a sexy growl makes my knees weak.”

“Yeah?”

Lance kisses me, but he seems to have lost his passion, and I pull back. “Now it’s my turn to ask what’s wrong.”

“I don’t want you to be afraid of me, Dawn. I need you to be absolutely sure you can trust me to keep you safe. Because I trust you, and if you think about it, I’ve got more to worry about in that department.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“Did you know there was once a medicine man who wiped out a whole bear clan because the alpha tried to kill him?”

“No.” I shake my head as I recall hearing from my mother that werebear can be weird about magic. She told me they are afraid of us. I didn’t believe it, but now I think I’m seeing it.

Lance relays the story to me, and I realize that if I really wanted to, I probably could wipe out a clan. But I don’t possess that kind of evil, and most of us dedicated to healing arts would never be. Although knowing the fondness my people have for stories to teach a lesson, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out this was a legend created as a warning to werebear to treat us right.

Lance says, “There’s also the matter of Tokala.”

I sigh, because my uncle, the previous medicine man for the Veilleux clan, was definitely evil. “I’m nothing like him.”

“I know that, Dawn. My point is that the werebear in this clan have a healthy respect for what you can do. You aren’t as helpless as you seem to think you are. In reality, we’re the ones who should be afraid of you.”

I recall an incident with my friend Bella, who had an argument with her powerful warrior boyfriend. She used her magic to throw the huge guy against a truck so hard she crushed his door. Since werebear heal at the speed of light, it was like bruising a human, but the drama sure made an impact on him, and I let out a chortle.

“What’s so funny?”

“I was just remembering something one of my friends did with her magic to a guy that made her angry. You’re right. I’m not powerless.”

Lance drags his finger down my chest and between my breasts. “You certainly aren’t.” I take his hand and move it over my breast, and he asks, “We’re good?”

“Mm-hmm,” I say before I lie back and tug Lance along with me. “I believe I interrupted something I shouldn’t have earlier.”

Lance grins at me before he works his way down my body with light kisses and ends up between my legs. I moan as he laps at me, and when I begin to shudder with my oncoming orgasm, he thrusts his fingers into me to bring me closer to the edge. His growl rumbles just before I fall into the ecstasy of sweet release.

I tremble as I come down, and Lance rises up over me.

I let out a sigh and reach for his cock. “Your growl is incredibly sexy,” I say as I stroke him. “Let’s see if I can make you do it again.”

I slide the tip of his erection between my folds, and he lets out a guttural sound before he pushes into me. I spread my legs farther to accommodate him and let out a noise of my own. My insides wrap around him, drawing him in, and I lose track of everything else except the sound of Lance panting like the beat of my pounding heart, the scent of his musk, which is like a favorite cologne, and the way our bodies seem to move as if they know each other.

It hits me that maybe we do on a spiritual level, and I open up my mind to let the essence of his bear in too. “Oh!” I cry out as the power of his bear shows itself to me, and suddenly, I understand my fear, but I don’t ponder it as my orgasm comes as well.

Lance holds me tight as I shatter into pieces from my intense release, and while I know his passionate cries aren’t any louder than normal, his bear spirit roars in my mind to send me a message. It overwhelms me, and tears come to my eyes along with the truth.

We barely recover before Lance becomes concerned. “Dawn? Baby, did I hurt you?”

I shake my head because my emotions are too much for me to speak, and hot moisture burns on my cheeks before I swipe it away.

“Talk to me,” he pleads.

“I’m fine,” I manage to get out. I take a deep breath, and I push on the mattress to sit up. “Give me a minute.” I climb out of bed and walk over to the window to process what just happened.

I place my forehead on the window, and the glass is icy on my skin as I replay the message. My spirit guide shows me how to heal and see things with compassion no matter how difficult it may be. She’s been so strong all my life that I never imagined she would cower to anything. Until just now.

But she didn’t cower in fear. She laid herself at the bear spirit’s feet like a sacrifice. And the bear lifted her up into his arms to embrace her like the most precious of gifts. He threw his head back to roar to the gods in thanks. That was when I knew for sure. Lance is my soul mate.