Lucky Bear - Wild Bear 01 by Ruby Shae Read Free Book Online Page A

short time, he’d known she was his from the beginning, and he’d hoped she would accept it sooner than later.
    Instead, she’d held onto her fears and accused him of using her.
    He pulled into the parking lot of the bar and used his cell-phone to call the realtor. Though he hated to lose first dibs on the property near the preserve, he wouldn’t make a decision on their home until Belle trusted him and agreed to be his mate.
    Her old wounds ran deep, and it would take time for her to fully recover and accept his love. Today’s events proved it would take more than a few days or weeks to gain her trust. It might even take months. Or years. He inwardly groaned.
    When the call ended, he entered the small apartment he now called home and sighed. The room smelled like Belle, with a hint of sex in the air. Gabe had offered him the use of the room unconditionally, but he’d wanted to leave the space since the day he’d arrived.
    He’d searched a long time for a woman he wanted to claim, and he longed for his mate, cubs, and a home to call his own. Once he’d found Belle, he’d been eager to move to the next step.
    Unfortunately, she was on an entirely different schedule.
    He laid down on the bed and closed his eyes.
    If he had bitten Belle when he’d had her up against the wall on the night they’d met, she would know his feelings were true, and he’d be in her bed right now. His bear sat up tall and grunted, showing his approval. If the animal had its way, he’d drive back to her house, sink his teeth into her flesh and fuck her until she begged him to stop.
    When a shifter found his mate, the mate mark allowed the receiver to feel the emotions of the giver. Even if Belle never marked him, she would always know how he felt about her. The process worked with shifter and human pairings, too, except few humans could follow through with the animalistic process. For a successful mating, a human must bite and break the skin of their mate during sex.
    His dick hardened when he thought about how her soft curves had molded against his hard skin. The way her pussy molded around his cock had felt like heaven, and he hadn’t needed to hold back when he’d plowed into her. Belle had been made for him, and while they were not equals in height or strength, they were paired as they should be in both their bear and human forms.
    As much as he wanted to force her to accept his mark, he knew he needed to woo her into submission. It might kill him to refrain from touching her perfect, soft skin, but he’d do what was necessary to convince her to open her heart.
    With a plan in place, he drifted off to sleep.
     
    ***
     
    Later that night, Finn waited for Belle to arrive in the parking lot of the Wild Bear . On the slow nights, she and Jared alternated who would come in first, and tonight was her night to open. He usually didn’t start working until everyone had a few drinks in them, but he liked being next to his mate, so he often came in early and lingered at the bar.
    He checked his watch for the third time, and swore when he finally saw her truck turn into the lot. She’d arrived a minute before her starting time, effectively making small talk with anyone impossible.
    He crossed the parking lot and pulled open her door as she gathered her keys, phone and ID case. She usually travelled light, shoving everything in her pockets, and he’d been surprised to see her with a purse the night before. He didn’t care what she did with her things, as long as she felt comfortable.
    She remained calm when he opened the door, proving she’d seen him waiting for her.
    “Thank you,” she said, sliding out of the cab. “What’s up?”
    “Nothing’s up,” he said, closing her door. She started walking toward the building, and he caught up to her in two steps. “I wanted to have a few minutes alone with you before you went inside. I missed you.”
    She stopped walking and turned to look at him, obviously puzzled.
    “Why?” she