Free Bear Exposure (Highland Brothers 3) by Meredith Clarke, Ally Summers

pantry and fridge. Striker hummed as poured pasta into a boiling pot of water and started a cream sauce on another burner. It was a good thing the stove ran on gas and there was more firewood than they would ever need.
    He didn’t bother to put on a coat as he walked to the woodpile behind the house. The snow felt clean and cool as it dotted his chest. He loaded his arms with logs for the fire. The snow could fall for days. He didn’t care. As long as he was inside with Presley, the world was perfect.
    When he returned Presley was sitting on the couch, the blanket from the bed wrapped around her. She took his breath away.
    “Hi.” She smiled.
    He dropped the logs on the hearth. “Hi.”
    “I’ve been trying to think of something to say to you.”
    He tried to read her eyes. He felt fear between his ribs. It was too much. He had taken her too hard. He wasn’t patient enough. Damn it. He should have known after everything she had been through she needed time. Not to be claimed.
    He blamed his bear. His impatient, fucking bear.
    “What’s wrong?” He didn’t care about the fire anymore. It could wait.
    She scooted over on the couch, so there was room for him to sit. “I don’t know how to explain it.”
    “Just try,” he urged. There had to be a million things going through her mind right now. Why didn’t he give her more time?
    “When I woke up and you were gone I panicked.” She dropped her eyes to the quilt.
    “Panicked? I was just making something for us to eat. And I figured we needed more firewood. I don’t know how bad this snowstorm is going to get. We might lose power again.”
    She pulled the quilt around her shoulders. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
    “No. Go ahead. What is it?”
    She chewed on her bottom lip. “I don’t know what’s happening to me.” She looked in his eyes. “I’ve never felt like this in my life and we’ve only known each other three days. But I swear my body feels different. And the thought of you being gone almost ripped my heart out.” She covered her face with the quilt. “I sound crazy. This is crazy.”
    “No. No.” He pulled her palms from her face. “It’s our bond.” He smiled at her. “And what you feel is the shifter magic I gave you.” He waggled his eyebrows. “It only lasts as long as it’s inside you, but it’s the reason your cut healed so quickly. It’s my essence inside your body.” He traced the place the cut used to be on her cheek. “And the reason you’re looking for me is because you told me to claim you. You’re mine. I’m yours.” He moved to pull her in his arms.
    “This is intense.”
    “It is.” He kissed her forehead. “What else do you feel?” His hand moved to her stomach.
    Her eyes flashed to his. “You think I’m pregnant? That’s not possible.”
    He pressed his palm against her flesh. “Actually, it is. When a bear takes his mate it’s almost a sure thing.”
    Her eyebrows pinched together. “Is that why I’m starving? And I want to eat all the bacon in the house and why I feel like I’m humming from the inside out?”
    He nodded. “Yep.”
    His bear was happy. He had filled her with his cubs. He was fucking proud as hell.
    “We’re going to have a baby? A bear? A what in the hell is it?”
    Striker laughed. “I’m hoping there are two.” He brushed his lips over her mouth, trying to wipe the worry from her face. “And they will be born like other babies. They won’t face their shifter side until they are twelve or thirteen.”
    “Oh great, so on top of puberty, they have to deal with shifter changes?”
    “It’s actually not that bad. It gives them an outlet. At least that’s how it was for me. I think Crawford and Hudson would say the same thing.”
    The quilt fell from her shoulder and Striker looked at her.
    “Hold on. Don’t move.” He jumped from the couch and raced up the stairs. He jogged down the stairs, holding his camera.
    “What are you doing?” she asked.
    “You