The Bear's Bride (Mail-Order Mates #3)(13)
“She’s not in high school anymore. She graduated last year. And I’m not dating her anymore.” Dom pointed at Frank. “This isn’t about me, though. Someone has broken our big bear’s heart. I can tell. I know about these things.”
It was a very astute observation from the brash tiger. Dom was a new addition to the group. He’d only lived in Sunset Falls for the last eight years and had come to the cabin for the last three, plus he was the lawyer for the entire group. He had taken over the practice when the last lawyer in town had retired. Dom had come from New York and had been a real ladies man when he first got to town. He had even dated Gwen for a short time. He hadn’t been Frank’s favorite guy at first, but the young man had grown on the bear. His loud and boisterous personality covered up a very good friend. Once you got to know Dom, he was the kind of guy who would do anything for a friend and always had your back.
“I’m not feeling quite myself,” Frank admitted. “I’m not up for talking about it just yet.”
“You know what you need?” Dom put down his beer and pulled off his shirt. “A run.”
“Alright. I was wondering when we were going to get outside.” Clint started disrobing too.
“It’s snowing,” Frank protested. “You guys don’t want to be out there in that.”
“Let’s go to the top of the mountain,” Owen suggested. “We haven’t gone all the way to the top in years.”
The rest of the men agreed. Frank gave up his arguing and stripped down too. They all went outside and shifted. Once he was on four paws, he knew it was the right choice. He’d been avoiding his bear all week. The animal was just as distraught as he was. Now that he was in his bear’s skin, Frank felt oddly at peace.
The giant brown bear moved with his motley crew up the side of the mountain. They were lucky Ben’s family owned all the area all around the small mountain range. Humans in the town didn’t mind shifters, but seeing all of them together would have made anyone nervous. A lion, tiger, bear, stag, and panther traipsing up a snowy ridge was a bit much.
It took the better part of two hours for them to reach the top. When they got there, they enjoyed the view until sunset. They horsed around and played in the newly fallen snow. It had to be a hard climb for Clint but the stag played like he was a fawn again. The three big cats wrestled around in the snow before teaming up to take down big Frank.
He played gently with Owen, Dom, and Ben until they all started getting tired. They rested at the top of the mountain before starting their descent. Frank shuffled around while the other three caught their breath. Clint was standing near the edge of a cliff. His giant antlers glinted in the moonlight. His animal had always fascinated Frank. He had never seen antlers so white on a regular stag. Shifters were always bigger than regular animals but Clint seemed so huge. He was an inch or two shorter than Frank in human form and not nearly as wide. Humans would think of Clint as massive but he was regular size for a shifter.
His animal was quite the opposite. Frank went and sat next to him and the stag towered over his bear. Not even including his antlers, he had to stand nine feet high Frank had to assume running into Clint would scare the hell out of any human. Even for a shifter, in his animal form he was scary big. He had to be at least twice the height of an average stag.
Frank sat with Clint and looked out on the city below. There were so many people down there. Humans and shifters alike. They were all preparing for the holiday season. It gave Frank hope. It was the season for miracles. He couldn’t sit around moping and give up on Amy. Anything could happen. He had faith and trust that the universe would lead his mate back to him. Frank looked out at the city for a long time before Dom roared to get them all to gather again. They headed down the mountain as a group. It took a little longer since the snow was deeper but it was invigorating.
They gathered around a giant fire out back once they were at the cabin again. Everyone was mellowed out now that they had spent so much time in animal form. Frank was more relaxed and hopeful than he’d been since Amy had left. So relaxed, in fact, that he told the guys what had happened.
“Whoa. That’s rough,” Ben said when Frank had finished.
“Have you talked with Olivia?” Owen asked. “Maybe she can still get you in touch with another match.”
Frank shook his head. “I don’t want to meet anyone else. Amy was it. She’s my mate. I have to get her back.”
“Easier said than done,” Dom said. “You know women are crazy. The minute you think you have them figured out, they do something like this! More work than they’re worth.”
“Maybe if you found a new playmate, you wouldn’t be so bitter,” Ben told Dom. “Don’t listen to him, Frank. If this woman is your mate, you’ll get her back. Is she from town? I don’t recognize the name.”
“Nope. She’s from Akron.”
Clint spat on the ground. “That explains it. Never trust someone from Akron.”
“They aren’t the most shifter friendly,” Frank admitted. “But what town is as good as Sunset about our kind? Around here, I mean.”
“That’s not even an hour’s drive, Frank,” Owen laughed. “Go and find her as soon as we get home.”
“I don’t know.” Frank reached for another beer. “Wouldn’t that be coming on a little strong? We’ve only been on two dates. I don’t want to come across as desperate.”