Free Bear Prince: Shifter Paranormal Romance (Royal Bears Book 1) by Emma Alisyn, Danae Ashe Page A

they were just talking, spending time together, his thoughts and emotions were a gentle hum in the background. But now she picked up nothing. She hadn’t known he could do that- just cut off their connection. It chilled her, and for the first time she felt real anger towards him.
    “Whatever the problem is, we won’t solve it by you brutalizing our bond.”
    He turned on her, eyes flashing. Hannah's knees locked. He didn’t frighten her. But if he raised his voice, or a hand, he'd learn the hard way that as much as she loved him, her mother had taught how to handle a disrespectful, bullying husband. 
    With a cast iron skillet.
    Not that her Daddy had ever done anything to deserve that . Usually a look was enough for him to take a discussion to the bedroom, or take a long walk.
    Andrei inhaled. Closed his eyes. “I'm sorry. I’m not angry at you. There are complications I’m dealing with that I wish would just go away.” He sighed. “But I’m no longer a child and wishing a problem gone is fruitless.”
    Her mate wrapped an arm around her waist, pulled her to his chest. She leaned her head against his heart, enjoying the steady beat and the way his tones deepened against her ear when he spoke.
    “Would you like to move to a house, sweet? I've loved our time here, but I thought you might enjoy a place with a studio where you can train. And a bigger kitchen so I can feed you properly.”
    Hannah lifted her head, stared. “If you haven’t been feeding me properly, then your idea of proper will get me fat in no time.”
    He pinched her thigh. “I need meat on my female's bones. I'm a big man, sweet. Don’t ever worry about your appetite with me.”
    She smiled into his chest. It was sweet for him to say it, but she would always watch her diet, being a carb sensitive curvy girl and a dancer. But it was nice to know she would never have to be self-conscious from enjoying a good, well deserved meal after a long day in class.
    But the mention of a house, even though exciting, bothered her. “So you do live in America?”
    He hesitated. “... No. Only a few months out of the year. I'm... overseas much of my time.”
    Hannah wasn't certain how to navigate this conversation. He'd said he wanted marriage.
    “Are mates- is it permanent?”
    Her fingers brushed the small scar nestled in the curve of her neck.
    “I’m sorry, I’ve been avoiding this discussion,” he said. “It's not because of you- I’ve loved our time here together. And I know it can’t go on forever. Hannah, I need to tell you-”
    “Just tell me I can trust you,” she said, interrupting him. The pulse in her neck fluttered. She wasn’t ready to hear what he had to say. Foolish, she knew. But she didn’t want their life to change. Didn’t want reality to intrude.
    A strong finger lifted her chin. His gaze was steady, and firm. “We can’t avoid this any longer, sweet. You can trust me- and mates are more permanent than human marriage. The bond can only be broken by death. In fact, the longer we're together, the strong the bond. To the point where someday it would physically sicken us to be apart.”
    She pressed a hand to her stomach. “But not now?”
    “Not quite yet.”
    Lips brushed hers, offering comfort, hand stroking through her tangled curls. She hadn’t done much with her hair today, just brushed it flat against her scalp into a tail with a bit of gel, and let the tail itself spill free. Wild and messy. She never would have dreamed of appearing before him without having conditioned, combed and dressed her curls a few weeks ago.
    “Hannah, I have to go back home for a few days and prepare the way for us. There are some political complications I need to see to, and then I’ll come back for you.”
    “Political complications?” What did politics have to do with them? “Are human shifter pairings illegal?”
    “No, of course not. But because of my position in my government, there are other considerations.”
    “Andrei... what