Katie's Mates by Alicia White

him and noticed he was looking into the trees. He didn’t seem to notice she was on her butt. She stood up and craned her neck to see what he was looking at. A large polar bear came out of the treeline and headed in their direction.
    She screamed and grabbed Ryan, pulling on his arm hard. “Ryan. Shit. We’ve got to get in the house. Come on.” Fear ran through her system, and she didn’t know what to do. Ryan reached out and pulled her close. He didn’t move, just stayed still and calm. “Shhh…it’s okay. He’s not going to hurt us.”
    “How can you be so sure? Is he like a pet or something?” She watched the bear as he came closer, taking deep breaths and trying her hardest not to shake.
    Ryan’s laugh threw her off for a minute. She looked up at him, loving the way his face transformed when he was smiling. “Nope…not a pet. That’s Lucas.”
    “You named the polar bear after your brother? Isn’t that a little harsh? What did the bear do to piss you off?” Ryan laughed again, and she heard a growl come from the bear. She preferred seeing him happy. He was an incredibly sexy man.

    * * * *

    Ryan had been pissed when Lucas had found him and told him Katie had taken off down the driveway. He had wanted to run after her, grab her, and claim her. He wanted to show her that she was theirs and wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. It had been Lucas’s brilliant idea to change and herd her back to the cabin, and before he could do anything, his brother had changed and charged into the trees surrounding the property. It took all of Ryan’s strength to remain calm. He hadn’t bothered with a jacket. Letting the cold wind cut through him helped to clear his mind.
    Katie was huddled close to him now, watching Lucas closely. He knew she was scared, could smell her fear, but he also knew that all their secrets needed to be exposed if their mate was going to stay. He wanted her acceptance.
    “There’s a secret that I want to tell you.” He kept his eyes on her, wanting to see her reaction. Lucas growled deep in his throat, and Ryan knew it for the threat it was. His brother didn’t want him exposing their secret.
    “You have a pet polar bear?” She gave him a suspicious look, but he just shook his head and smiled, pulling her closer into his body. “He’s not attacking us. The other night, Nathan came to my rescue, but I never was in any danger, was I?”
    “No. You’re never in any danger, and he’s not our pet. I’m not sure if you can handle this secret, Katie. I’m trusting you.” He took a deep breath and tightened his arms around her, holding her against his chest. He didn’t want her to be scared or to try to run away from them.
    “You can trust me.” She held onto him as if trying to comfort him, and he leaned down to kiss the top of her head. When she looked up at him, he realized that he really did want to tell her everything. He didn’t want to keep any secrets from his mate.
    “We aren’t completely human. I know this is hard to believe, trust me, I know. We live here with our clan. The cabins are spread out throughout this whole forest. We’re shifters, and I’m going to prove it you.” He kissed her once more, this time on the lips, and then turned her body so that she was facing Lucas. She didn’t say anything, so he hoped that she was keeping an open mind and not thinking he was crazy.
    “Lucas, shift. I want you to show Katie what we are.” His brother growled, and he knew Lucas was angry, but he hoped that he would just cooperate. “Shift. I want Katie to know all our secrets. She’s our mate.”
    He stared at Lucas, and finally he got a response. His brother moved closer, letting the change happen slowly for Katie’s sake. They had all been changing for years, since puberty, and it just became a part of them. Watching in slow motion was almost a new experience for him as well. He could imagine what Katie was feeling as he held her in his arms, hoping that she wasn’t