Chapter Two – Leo
It was as if there was a tether attached to his soul, pulling him onward as Leo reached the porch steps and stood staring at her.
Our mate, his bear added.
Our mate, Leo murmured in agreement.
Even better, our shifter mate, his bear could barely contain his happiness. There will be no awkward “hey, I’m a shifter” conversation for them. Because their mate is a shifter too.
But what? Leo asked as he inhaled her scent. She wasn’t a bear shifter or a wolf...
“Mama?” A small child appeared behind the woman, slipping her hand into her mother’s. Leo’s focus instantly shifted to the little girl with dark curls. She clutched a sparkly stuffed dragon in her free hand, holding it protectively against her chest as she peered up at him with wary curiosity.
A dragon, his bear murmured with sudden understanding.
Of course, Leo replied internally. That’s why I couldn’t figure out what she is.
The realization hit him so hard it threatened to rob him of breath. His mate was a dragon shifter. That was rare. So incredibly rare. And somehow, against all odds, she was his.
And she has a child, his bear added with a rumble of pleasure. How lucky are we?
Very, Leo agreed, his heart expanding.
The woman—his mate—cleared her throat. “Can I help you?” she asked, her tone matter-of-fact, businesslike even. As if she had no idea who he was or what was happening between them.
But she did know. Leo could see it in her face, in the light flush coloring her cheeks, in the way her pupils dilated slightly when their eyes met. She felt the connection, too.
“I...” Leo started, then faltered. What was he supposed to say to that? How did one even begin this conversation?
Something, his bear prompted impatiently. Say something.
Leo took a breath. “I was passing, and I sensed you,” he said, choosing honesty. He wouldn’t start his relationship with his mate with a lie.
Her eyebrow arched slightly. “Did you?” she asked, her hand tightening almost imperceptibly around her daughter’s.
“I did,” he replied simply.
And we thought this would be easy since she knows about shifters, his bear grumbled.
Leo’s gaze moved past her to the cottage. “You’re moving in?” he asked, trying a different approach.
“What makes you think that?” Her voice remained neutral, giving nothing away.
Leo frowned slightly, wishing his mate weren’t being so evasive. “Well, the cottage has been empty for some time,” he explained. “So I presumed you and your... daughter were moving in.”
The little girl tugged at her mother’s hand. “Mama, who’s this?” she whispered, not quite quietly enough.
His mate—he really needed to learn her name—bent down slightly. “This is...” she paused, looking up at Leo expectantly.
“Leo Thornberg,” he supplied, crouching down to the little girl’s eye level. “I live nearby. And what’s your name?”
The child pressed closer to her mother’s leg but didn’t hide her face. Progress, Leo thought.
“I’m Adara,” she said after receiving a reassuring nod from her mother. She held up her sparkly dragon. “And this is Fizz.”
“It’s very nice to meet you both, Adara and Fizz,” Leo said solemnly, fighting a smile.
“You’re funny.”
A shimmer of amusement flickered in those golden-flecked eyes.
Dragon eyes, he realized. The little girl was a dragon shifter, too.
Of course she is, his bear said. Like mother, like daughter.
“I’m Estelle,” his mate finally said, her voice still carrying a careful edge. “We just arrived. And it’s been a long drive.”
Estelle. Leo savored it like a fine Thornberg wine.
She stood tall and protective, her body angled slightly between him and Adara. The motherly posture stirred something primal in him, making his bear rumble with approval.
“Welcome to Bear Creek,” Leo said, straightening up. “I’m sure you’ll love it here. With the mountains and the forests... and the town. Everyone is friendly, and the schools are good. My family has been here for generations. Since the town was founded... We definitely have roots here...”
He was rambling, he realized. But something about Estelle’s guarded expression made him want to establish himself as a permanent, reliable fixture in this place. Someone safe.
“That’s... nice,” Estelle replied, her tone suggesting she wasn’t entirely convinced. Or interested.
But she should be interested, his bear said. We are as much her mate as she is ours.
Adara tugged at her mother’s hand. “Mama, can we unpack the car? Fizz wants her things.”
Leo noticed how Estelle’s expression softened instantly when she looked down at her daughter. The transformation was striking. From guarded stranger to loving mother in the blink of an eye.
“Of course, honey,” she said, her voice warming. Then she looked back at Leo, the coolness returning. “If you’ll excuse us, we have a lot of unpacking to do.”
It was a dismissal, polite but firm. Leo felt a pang of disappointment, but he wasn’t beaten yet.
“Of course,” Leo said, taking a step back to give them space. “Or I could help. Since you’ve had a long day.”
She smiled, his bear said happily.
Yes, there was no mistaking the quirk of her lips, even as she tried to hide it.
Then the smile slowly faded from Estelle’s face, replaced by something that made Leo’s chest tighten. A sadness so profound it seemed to age her before his eyes. It was as if pushing him away was costing her dearly, but she was determined to do it anyway.
“Please,” Leo said softly, his bear whining in distress at the pain in her expression. “I understand you need space. No strings, no expectations.”
He meant it, even though every instinct in him wanted to draw her closer, to protect her and Adara from whatever shadow haunted her eyes.
Estelle nodded, her shoulders slumping slightly. “Okay.”
That single word carried such weariness that Leo had to fight the urge to reach for her. She was carrying something heavy. He could see it in the tightness around her eyes, the way she held herself as if braced against an invisible weight.
Whatever had brought her to Bear Creek, it wasn’t just for a change of scenery. Or the call of her mate.
No. Something was wrong. Leo could sense that current of friction beneath her polite smile, beneath the protective way she looked down at Adara. His instinct to fix, to protect, rose strong within him.
Do it, his bear urged. Ask her what’s wrong. We can help.
I can’t, Leo replied silently. I just promised no strings and no expectations, and I think no questions is probably wrapped up in that promise too.
She had something to hide, that much was obvious. But it was too soon to pry. If he pushed now, she might disappear completely, and the thought of never seeing her again made his chest ache with a hollow pain.
That would surely hurt her as much as it hurts us, his bear insisted.
Maybe, Leo conceded. But to Estelle, it seems worth the cost.
Which meant whatever she was hiding, whatever she was running from—because he was certain now that she was running—was significant.
“The car is this way,” Estelle said, breaking into his thoughts. She walked down the porch steps, still holding Adara’s hand firmly in hers.
Leo followed them to a modest sedan parked nearby. Estelle opened the trunk, revealing a surprisingly sparse collection of belongings, just a few boxes and bags, most of which appeared to contain children’s items.
They’re traveling light, his bear observed.
Very light, Leo agreed, concern growing as he took in the meager possessions. This wasn’t the normal amount of luggage for a permanent move.
“Can you help me carry my toys and clothes to my room?” Adara asked, looking up at him with those golden-flecked eyes.
“Yes,” Leo said, grateful for the distraction from his worrying thoughts. He reached for one of the boxes. “This one?”
Adara nodded enthusiastically, then pointed at another. “And this one.”
The little girl slipped her hand from Estelle’s grip and beckoned to him as she ran toward the house, her stuffed dragon trailing behind her. “Come on, come on, let’s put them in my room!”
Leo chuckled, balancing both boxes easily in his arms as he followed the energetic child. A movement caught his eye, and he turned to find Estelle watching him with an expression he couldn’t quite decipher... surprise, perhaps, mingled with something softer, more vulnerable.
“She doesn’t usually warm up to people so quickly,” Estelle said quietly, picking up a duffel bag. “She’s normally cautious around strangers.”
Leo nodded, understanding the significance of what she wasn’t saying. “Kids have good instincts.”
“Yes,” Estelle agreed, her eyes never leaving his face. “They do.”
They climbed the porch steps together, Leo careful not to crowd her space. Inside, Adara was already dancing impatiently at the foot of the stairs.
“This way!” she called, clutching Fizz to her chest.
“I’m coming,” he called after her.
“The yellow room is mine,” Adara announced, pushing open a door to reveal a small bedroom with buttery yellow walls and a window seat overlooking the forest.
Leo set the boxes down carefully where Adara directed, by the small dresser. “Where would you like these, Princess Adara?”
The little girl giggled at the title. “Right there is perfect.” She immediately opened one box and pulled out a small collection of books. “These go on the window seat,” she informed him seriously.
“Ah, for bedtime reading with Fizz?” Leo asked, helping her arrange the books.
“Yes. Fizz loves stories about dragons and princesses.” Adara lowered her voice conspiratorially. “But mostly dragons.”
“Well, dragons are very interesting,” Leo agreed, matching her serious tone.
He glanced up to find Estelle leaning against the doorframe, watching their interaction with a mixture of tenderness and apprehension. When their eyes met, she quickly looked away.
“I should check the kitchen,” she murmured. “See what supplies we need.”
She disappeared down the hallway before Leo could respond. As her footsteps grew fainter, his determination grew stronger.
Estelle might be determined to keep him at a distance, but Leo wasn’t going anywhere. He would wait, and when she let him, he would help shoulder whatever she was carrying.