Chapter Twelve – Kirk
Kirk did not want the evening to end. How he wished he could carry Percy upstairs and tuck him safely into bed in his guest room. A room he hoped would one day belong to this little boy, who would fill it with his thirty-seven dinosaurs.
Then, he would lead his mate along the hallway to his bedroom and undress her slowly, kissing every inch of her skin before making love to her, slowly and deeply, as he’d been imagining all evening.
But that, at least for now, was a dream.
The reality was that his mate would have to return to her cabin, her son buckled safely in his seat in the back of her car.
Kirk would stand in the driveway and watch her taillights disappear into the darkness, the taste of what might have been lingering on his lips.
She’s going to leave, his bear grumbled. Do something.
Percy stirred on the sofa, his small body shifting beneath the blanket. He rubbed his eyes with tiny fists, blinking slowly as he emerged from sleep.
“Is it morning?” he mumbled, his voice thick with drowsiness.
Isla moved immediately to her son’s side, her hand smoothing back his tousled hair. “No, sweetheart. It’s still nighttime. We need to head back to our cabin.”
Don’t just stand there, his bear urged. Help.
Kirk stepped forward. “Let me carry him to the car for you.”
“You don’t have to…” Isla began, but Kirk was already moving.
“I know I don’t have to,” he murmured. “I want to.”
When Isla nodded, Kirk bent down and scooped Percy into his arms. The boy was surprisingly light; his small body was warm and relaxed with sleep. Percy’s head settled instinctively against Kirk’s shoulder, his breath warm against Kirk’s neck.
This feels right, his bear sighed contentedly.
Kirk’s chest tightened with an emotion he couldn’t quite name. The weight of the child in his arms felt so natural that for a moment Kirk could hardly breathe.
Isla gathered her purse and jacket from the chair, moving with quiet efficiency. Her fingers trembled slightly as she pulled on her coat, and Kirk wondered if she felt it too—the same charged awareness running between them.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her eyes meeting his over Percy’s head.
Kirk nodded, unable to find words that wouldn’t reveal too much, too soon.
They stepped outside into the cool night air, the temperature drop making Percy burrow closer against Kirk’s chest. Above them, stars punctuated the inky blackness while the forest stood silent around them, the only sound the soft crunch of their footsteps on the gravel path.
Tell her how beautiful she looks in the moonlight, his bear suggested.
Kirk bit back a smile. Not yet. He didn’t want to rush this fragile thing growing between them.
His bear huffed. Coward.
Patient, Kirk corrected silently. There’s a difference.
They reached Isla’s car, parked in the shadow of a towering pine.
Kirk waited as Isla opened the back door, then carefully leaned in to settle Percy into his seat.
The boy murmured something indecipherable but didn’t wake as Kirk gently secured his seatbelt, making sure it lay flat across his small chest.
“Is he comfortable?” Isla asked, peering over Kirk’s shoulder.
“I think so,” Kirk whispered, stepping back from the car. He closed the door with a soft click, careful not to disturb Percy’s sleep.
And then they were alone, standing close together beside the car, neither making a move to end the evening. The moonlight silvered Isla’s hair, and for a moment she looked ethereal, almost magical. Kirk’s fingers itched to touch it, to see if it felt as soft as it looked, to check she was real.
But she was real; he could feel the warmth radiating from her body, smell the scent of her skin.
Kiss her now! his bear demanded.
Not yet, Kirk said firmly. I want her to lead.
Isla broke the silence first. “I wanted to thank you,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “For today. The foraging, letting us cook in your kitchen... Percy had the time of his life.”
“And you?” Kirk couldn’t stop himself from asking.
Her eyes met his, and he saw the moonlight reflected in them. And more. Desire. Longing. “Me too,” she admitted. “It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed cooking like that. Since I’ve enjoyed... anything... like that.”
Those words carried weight, and Kirk wanted to ask what she meant, wanted to know everything about her—her past, her dreams, her fears. But he held back, sensing she would tell him when she was ready.
“I’m glad,” he said simply.
The moment between them felt so fragile that he did not want to break it. Kirk sensed that whatever happened next would change everything. He took a small step back, giving her space to choose.
His bear growled in frustration. What are you doing? She’s right there!
I’m respecting her boundaries, Kirk replied silently. If this is going to happen, it has to be her choice.
For a heartbeat, Kirk thought he’d misread the situation entirely. But then Isla reached out, her fingers catching the sleeve of his flannel shirt. The gesture was small but unmistakably deliberate.
“Kirk,” she said, his name a question and an answer all at once.
And then she was moving toward him, closing the distance he’d created. Her free hand came up to rest against his chest, directly over his thundering heart. Kirk held perfectly still, hardly daring to breathe as she rose slightly on her toes.
Is this happening? his bear asked, suddenly hushed with wonder.
It’s happening, Kirk confirmed, his own thoughts slowing to a crawl as Isla’s face tilted up toward his.
The first brush of her lips against his was tentative, questioning. Kirk remained motionless, letting her set the pace, letting her decide how far this would go. Her mouth was soft, warmer than he’d imagined in his countless daydreams.
And then something shifted. Isla pressed closer, her kiss growing more certain, more deliberate. There was no desperation in it, no frantic need, just a calm certainty that left Kirk breathless.
He cupped her face and brushed his thumbs gently over her cheekbones as he returned her kiss with equal care. The world narrowed to this single point of contact—her lips on his, the catch in her breath, the moonlight washing everything silver around them.
Our mate, his bear sighed in contentment. Finally.
When they finally broke apart, neither rushed to put distance between them.
Kirk’s hands remained cradling her face, and Isla’s fingers were still curled in the fabric of his shirt.
Their eyes met in the moonlight, both knowing something had shifted between them, that they had taken a step forward and could never quite go back.
“I should go,” Isla whispered, though she made no move to step away.
“Yes,” Kirk agreed reluctantly. “It’s late.”
Slowly, as if it physically pained her, Isla released her hold on his shirt and stepped back. The night air rushed into the space between them, cool against Kirk’s heated skin.
“Goodnight, Kirk,” she said, and there was a warmth in her voice that lingered long after the words were gone.
“Goodnight, Isla,” he replied, watching as she walked around to the driver’s side of the car.
She gave him one last look, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth, before sliding into the seat and starting the engine.
The headlights cut through the darkness, illuminating the path back to the main road.
Kirk stood motionless in the driveway, watching until the red taillights disappeared around the bend.
“She kissed us,” his bear said, sounding both awed and smug.
“She did,” Kirk whispered into the still night.
He brushed his fingers over his lips. Everything had changed.
His bear stirred beneath his skin. We need to run.
Kirk didn’t argue. He headed for the tree line, the memory of Isla’s kiss still humming on his lips. The moon was high, the forest calling, and joy moved through him too fast and wild to contain in human form.
In a moonlit clearing, he gave himself over to the shift, and the air around him cracked and popped as Kirk let go of the world. A moment later, his bear stood where the man had been.
Finally, his bear exulted and roared into the darkness.
Then his muscles bunched, and he launched himself forward.
He tore through the forest, over roots and stone and fallen logs, letting speed and cool air strip his thoughts down to their simplest truth: Isla had kissed him. His mate had chosen him.
A familiar roar sounded somewhere up the mountain.
And then another answered.
Spencer and Leo, his bear said at once.
Kirk changed course, his senses locked onto his brothers. He ran without thought, muscles bunching, lungs burning as he thrilled in the freedom of the mountains. His home.
At last, he found his brothers on the ridge, and the three of them ran together beneath the moon for a time, all strength and breath and wildness, until at last they slowed above the valley.
When they shifted back, Leo was grinning before he’d even caught his breath.
“Well,” he said, stretching, “someone’s in a good mood.”
Kirk tried for innocence. “It was a good night for a run.”
Leo snorted. “Wouldn’t have anything to do with the car I saw leaving your place?”
Spencer said nothing at first, only watched Kirk with that steady, thoughtful look of his.
“It might have,” Kirk teased.
“Come on, out with it.” Leo bumped Kirk’s shoulder lightly with his fist.
“Her name is Isla,” Kirk said at last. “She’s staying at Bear’s Rest with her son, Percy.”
“Son, huh?” Leo said, eyebrows lifting as he glanced at Spencer.
“He’s a great kid,” Kirk said, warmth creeping into his voice. “Smart. Curious. You’d like him.”
“And his mom?” Spencer asked quietly.
Kirk looked out across the valley. “She’s remarkable.”
Leo folded his arms. “You missed the important part.”
Kirk glanced at him, then said simply, “She’s my mate.”
Spencer’s expression shifted, understanding settling in. “No wonder you look different,” he said. “Because you are.”
Kirk let out a slow breath. He couldn’t deny it. Something in him had shifted into place.
“She makes me feel…” He searched for the word, then gave up on anything smaller than the truth. “Complete.”
Leo grinned. “Well, that’s three down, three to go. There’s hope for the rest of us yet. Even Elliot, if he ever comes home.”
“I hope so,” Kirk said. “With all my heart.”
Above them, the stars burned sharp and clear. Kirk stood beneath them and felt the truth settle deep inside him.
He was different now.
And he never wanted to go back.