Some Bear to Love: BBW Bear Shifter (BWWM) Romance Standalone by Terry Bolryder Page A

we agreed to,” she said.
    He gritted his teeth. He guessed what really worried him is if she didn’t have a good enough reason, then his reason would also be faulty, and then he’d end up risking everything for her. And when he thought of that, sheer panic welled up inside him. It felt like he couldn’t breathe. It was even worse than the thought of losing her.
    He swallowed and set aside his glass. “I can go first if you want.”
    “Or I can,” she said.
    “I’ll go,” he said. “Before I lose my nerve.”
    “Ha, you? The brave sea captain losing his nerve? Impossible,” she teased.
    “Come sit with me,” he said, moving to the back. There was a soft bench there and they could watch the sunset together. For a long moment, they sat there quietly.
    “I’m a polar bear,” he said.
    “I guessed,” she said. “There’s just something fierce and arctic about you. But how do you live out here in the warmth?”
    “As well as any creature, as long as there is water. And as long as we don’t put on the heavy coat of fat that helps us survive in cold climates.”
    “Ah,” she said, running a hand over his hard abdomen. “Not much chance of that happening.”
    “My dad met my mom and it was love at first sight. Fated mates, if you know what that is.” He felt stupid right after saying it. Of course she knew what that was. They were fated mates. They were just ignoring it, which, now that he thought about it, didn’t seem smart.
    But anyway…
    “They had three of us, which was astonishing because bear shifters aren’t very fertile. But they were both strong alphas, and I suppose that helped.”
    She nodded, letting him continue without interruption. He sort of wished she would interrupt. He hadn’t really talked about this with anyone.
    “Anyway, she hated the cold. She and my dad would argue when I was little, but she was good to us. A good mom. And then one day, she was just gone.”
    Her face tightened. He was used to seeing her smiling and lighthearted, so it was quite a striking change.
    “What do you mean gone? Weren’t they mated?”
    He nodded. “It destroyed my dad. I don’t think he ever considered the possibility, even though he knew they were very different.”
    Realization dawned on her and her eyes widened. “So you think because we’re different, I’m going to be like her and leave you?”
    He bit his lip. That did sound bad. But he would bet if you’d asked his mom back when his parents were first dating if she would leave her mate, she’d have said it was ridiculous as well. “They were different. Too different. At first, the mating thrall was enough to keep her beside him… but after some time.”
    “Sebastien, I wouldn’t leave you. I love you.”
    He felt the hardness in his face. Felt the cold inside him rise to the surface. “And you think she didn’t?”
    She shut her mouth, eyes troubled. “I don’t know what would make a woman leave her cubs. I don’t understand that at all. At the same time, who am I to judge? But are you just going to judge every woman based on one who did something really heinous?”
    “I learned something as a child that I don’t seem to be able to unlearn as an adult. There’s something very cold in me, and I’m not sure how to change it. I just know I’d rather let you go now than watch you walk away when you’ll devastate me and our children.”
    Her eyes widened. “I’m a little offended that you think I’m that irresponsible,” she said.
    He tried to crack a smile. “Well, you did steal my boat when I first met you.”
    She tried to smile back. “I suppose.”
    He put his hands together and tried to look casual. “Besides, what does it matter? You have your own reasons for leaving.”
    She tightened her lips into a line. “Yes, but it’d be much easier to leave if I knew one day you’d trust someone enough to let them make you happy.”
    He frowned. “Why?”
    She shook her head. “Haven’t you been happy these past