Bear Arms (Alpha Werebear Shapeshifter Romance) (Mating Call Dating Agency Book 4) by Lynn Red

something crazy?” Lexie asked.
    “Crazier than what I just laid out?”
    “With you, I think I’ve known you a lot longer than a few hours. I feel like we’ve known each other forever and have just been looking for each other’s phone numbers after we parted ways after middle school or something.” She took a deep breath. “I know that’s hard to understand, but—”
    “No it’s not,” Blake interrupted her, and followed it with another kiss that pushed her head back this time.
    The two held on for dear life for a few seconds, until they both needed to breathe.
    “It makes perfect sense,” Blake said. “I always thought this stuff was a bunch of bullshit. The whole waiting for the one thing, all that? It never made sense to me. Until now.”
    There were tears rolling down Lexie’s cheeks that she didn’t feel coming. And when Blake turned, with her still latched onto him like a lovesick barnacle, she saw one running down his. She kissed it away and couldn’t do anything but smile. “You know?” she finally asked, “I think the two of us have both been waiting a long time for someone that thought all that stuff was bullshit until it finally happened.”
    When Lexie finally dropped her deathgrip, she remembered the box that fell on the ground like a forgotten coffee cup tumbling out of an overfull cabinet.
    Blake looked back to the Fun Pit, and just shook his head. Morales had Eve on top of the air hockey table, actually tickling her. “He’s tickling her,” Blake said. “They’re gonna have to adjust the jets on that table afterwards. Or maybe just buy a new one at the rate those two are going. I wonder what that’s like?”
    From out of nowhere, another vehicle pulled down the long road leading from the edge of civilization to Ralph’s Fun Pit. “A bike?” Blake said, forgetting for the moment his emotional reverie. “I hope no one’s expecting to come out here and have a quick round of mini-golf.”
    He froze stock-still. “Wait,” he said slowly. “Wait a second.”
    Lexie tugged his arm. “What is it? You smell something else?”
    Blake nodded, barely visible in the darkness, but the glint of moonlight off the back of his head was visible. “Lion,” he said. “There’s a lion on that motorcycle and he’s alone. Why do I think there’s about to be trouble?”
    “Uh,” Lexie edged up against Blake’s side. “If your boy is in there with her, why is a lion coming around?”
    Blake shook his head. “I heard something about a guy named Rake. Lion named Rake, I guess. Supposedly some tall, dark, and golden lion from Eve’s past. You heard any of this?”
    “Shit,” Lexie breathed. “Yeah, I mean, everyone in town has. They had a real... well, a real past, let’s put it that way.”
    “Anything I should know? As in, is my friend in danger?”
    “I can’t say,” Lexie said as she bit down on her lip. “But he doesn’t seem like he noticed us, at least.”
    Blake stared long and hard at the new member of their limited party. He stepped off the motorcycle, kicked down the stand and swung his leg off effortlessly. That was when he noticed how tall, exactly, the newcomer was. Lanky wasn’t the right word to describe Rake.
    He was tall, and slender, yes, but lined with muscle. Every movement the lion made was packed with purpose, and obvious power.
    “Is he gonna attack them? Can you smell, you know, intent?”
    Blake snorted a laugh. “Smell it? No, but after five years in a warzone, I’ve got a pretty good read on people. That guy is dangerous, but I don’t think he’s the sort to hurt anyone for no reason. And besides, if what I heard about him and Eve was true, he’s been wanting to get her back for almost twenty years. That’s a hell of a long time to wait. Not that I don’t understand,” he added almost inaudibly.
    “What was that?” Lexie asked.
    “Nothing. I don’t know what this guy’s planning, but if I get the slightest hint that he’s about to pull