Free Rough (The Bear Chronicles of Willow Creek Book 1) by Emily Minton, Julia Keith Page B

my lips, before walking over to the massive tub and turning on the water.  When he’s satisfied with the temperature, he stands and adds a bit of what I’m assuming is some kind of scented oil.  Immediately the room begins to smell like a mixture of vanilla and sandalwood and leaves me feeling even more relaxed. 
    Walking over to me, the desire covering his face, is something that sucks the air right out of my lungs.  Never in my life have I had anyone look at me with anything even remotely close to desire, and the feeling it gives me to see this look on Ethan’s face is something that I can’t quite describe.
    Stopping in front of me, he slowly bends down and slips my sandals from my feet before sliding his rough callused hands up my legs.  His hands leave my legs and before I know it, I’m being hoisted off the counter and am standing before him.  Grabbing the hem of my dress, he pulls it over my head is one fluent movement, before quickly removing my panties and bra.
    Leading me over to the tub, he holds onto my hand as I step over the edge and sink into the deliciously warm water.  Turning to face Ethan, I take a moment to appreciate his masculinity as he slides his jeans down his thick thighs. 
    Without giving me time to truly appreciate his raw beauty, he walks over to the tub and steps in, sliding behind me, and pulling me so that my back is nestled against his solid chest.
    Inhaling deeply, he seems to take a second to collect his thoughts before he beings to speak.  “So I’m thinking that the best way to do this, is for me to explain as much as I can while you listen, and then when I’m done you can ask me any questions you have.  Sound good to you, darlin’?”
    “Sure.  I think I can handle that,” I say.
    “Well to start things off, I’m just going to say that there is no one exact story that explains how shifters came to be.   There are tons of different tales that explain it in different ways; everything from a curse to someone being bitten and infected by a virus.  Because of that, I can’t really give you a lot of information regarding our history and background.
    You see, with shifters depending on the kind of animal you are, you may be a social person or a person who prefers space and privacy.  Due to the mixture of these traits, many of the different breeds didn’t have anyone to keep up with the history of any one particular line.  As the years have gone by the stories have morphed into what most of us believe to just be simple folklore. 
    The important things for you to know will revolve around me and my family.  Sure there’s a lot of different kinds of shifters living in this community, but it will take you ages to learn all of their different traits and personalities.  Seeing as you're stuck married to a bear, I’m thinking we should stick with that information.”
    Nodding my head, I give him my silent agreement, not wanting to say anything for fear of getting him off topic.
    “The big thing for you to know is that bears are very loyal creatures.  What you witnessed today with Marissa is not the norm.  Bears really aren’t big into fighting with each other.  It’s honestly something that rarely happens, so I don’t want you to ever be worried if you find yourself in a room full of bear shifters, okay?”
    Again, I give my silent agreement, and nod my acceptance.
    “For shifters in general, we can all mate with whoever we chose to, however, we are each given one destined mate.  When you find your destined mate, you are literally with each other until death.  The bond created between destined mates is something that can never be undone and although we may have our differences from time to time just like any married couple, we will never truly want to be without the other person. It’s just as the saying goes, it’s as if you’ve found the other half of your soul. 
    If a shifter, decides to take a mate that is not their destined, they will still stand