Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 1

such a fool. I thought, wanting him to hear.
    He looked at me with wide eyes. Wait. I'm not saying any of this out loud.
    I smiled and allowed my satisfaction to roll to him. It's the bond. We can hear each other's thoughts.
    Really, does that mean I have no privacy? He didn't sound afraid, like he had something to hide, just uncertain.
    No, you can keep thoughts private when you want, but watch this…my name is Abraham Lincoln. I thought, holding back a laugh.
    Whoa? He looked up with wide eyes . I felt that, like a ripple in the words. What was that?
    A lie. You don't have to reveal thoughts to me, but I will know if what you reveal is the truth.
    Are you going to stay with me this time, really? He asked the perfect question.
    Yes. I can't walk away again. I could see the wonder in his eyes as he realized that I wasn't lying. A tremendous joy welled up from deep inside him and spilled over both of us.
    Butterflies danced in my stomach. I just promised to stay with Kyle and we knew nothing about each other. Would I be good enough for him? Would I need to quit my job and move out here? Who was my mate? What did he do?
    I… I want to know all about you. It's strange, I know I want to be with you, that life is… empty without you, but all I know is your name and that you visited Williams College. Did you go there? We had so much to catch up on, but it seemed like a reasonable place to start.
    Yes, I went to Williams after high school. I kept hoping it would lead me back to you. His pain and disappointment sliced through me with a razor's edge.
    I don't deserve you. I was so wrong. I pulled him closer.
    His tone of thought was teasing. You'll make it up to me.
    ****
    We talked for hours. I learned he just finished medical school and came home for a vacation before he started his residency at Mass General. Once he completed his training, he planned to move back here and be the pack doctor. That meant I could keep my job at Soft Corp for now, but there would be some commuting involved.
    I thanked luck or destiny or God or whatever that brought us here together.
    Around dinner time we went downstairs to find food. His Alpha and parents were waiting. Kyle had filled me in. The Alpha's name was Rupert Aragon. Everyone seemed to breathe sighs of relief when they saw us holding hands.
    "Bear mates hear each other's thoughts," Kyle said in a pleased voice.
    "That sounds useful, son. Does this mean you two have come to an understanding?" His dad held back a grin, wanting confirmation.
    "Yes, Dad," Kyle said and kissed me.
    "Devlin," Rupert said in a formal tone. "As a mate to a wolf, you are considered part of our pack. We've never had another type of shifter before, so I suspect we each have some learning to do. Will your… what is a pack of bears called again?"
    "Sleuth," I answered.
    "Should I contact your Sleuth?" he asked.
    "No. I was banished. They will not want us." My muscles tensed. I tried to staunch the pain flowing through the bond, but Kyle knew and rubbed my back.
    Rupert held out his hand to shake mine. "Then you are welcome here." I took his firm clasp.
    My eyes leaked, dampening my face. I had been alone for so long and now I had everything: Kyle and a new family.
    ****
    We spent a few days staying with his parents and getting to know each other. Soft Corp let me take a few more vacation days before I started my new role. I let my manager know that I wouldn't need a hotel room when I got there; Kyle already had an apartment in Boston. I went and got my car, relieved to still find it on the side of the road.
    The pack gathered to meet me, and Rupert told me I could hunt with them. We bears don't really hunt in packs. In fact, living together in a large Sleuth only started a few generations ago when the strict laws requiring monogamous mating were enacted.
    We had one more day before heading east. I went for a walk on pack lands while Kyle helped out at a local clinic. The rustle of the leaves and the scent of pine reinforced my good mood. I wondered if I should have shifted and walked as a bear. There would not be many opportunities to do that when we lived in Boston.
    Off in the distance, I heard the roar of engines coming closer. Dread filled me along with the urge to run. I turned, heading back to my car when a black Jeep Grand Cherokee drove in front of me. Two men jumped out and tackled me to the ground. I caught their scent. These were bear shifters. What the fuck?
    My face pressed into the dirt, I