Hers Read Free Page B

was getting
too hard to be around Sammy and not claim her or hold her. Slater and his bear
craved her touch. He was so glad he did come. Sammy sat between him and Brock
on a big sofa.
    At first she sat still holding their hands and
watched everything going on. A peg game was being played, where you held a baby
doll in one arm and tried to get as many pegs as you could off a line one-handed.
Six women had a turn before they stopped when Susie said she would sit and open
presents. Susie came and sat in a big padded armchair. She turned to his
cousins, Brian and Blake.
    “One of you can get me the presents. The other can
write what I got and who I got it off.”
    Blake pushed his brother toward the kitchen while he
walked to the presents. “Brian, paper and pen is in the top right drawer in the
kitchen.”
    Slater couldn’t help chuckling at the glare Brian
gave Blake as he went off to get the paper and pen. He glanced over at Brock to
see a smirk on his face.   Slater wondered
how they would handle stuff like this when it happened. They’d only just
stopped fighting and agreed to share Sammy three or so months ago.
    At first he and Brock had fought all the time. Their
bears attacked each other over Sammy, trying to kill each other to see who was
the stronger. After months of fighting and being drained because of what was
going on in the shifter world and the situation their mate was in, they’d
decided if Brock’s two younger brothers could share and be happy and content,
then so could they.  
    They’d bought a large five bedroom house, with two
huge living areas, a massive kitchen, four bathrooms, and big verandas. The
house was close to Brian, Susie, and Blake’s place. They’d hoped that Sammy
would love it and be happy to move in with them. They hadn’t decorated much, as
Brock’s sister had told them that if Sammy ever let them claim her she would
want to decorate the house herself.
    “Thank you, Brock, Sammy, and Slater. These will
come in real handy with the babies.”
    Slater gave a mental shake and smiled at Susie as
she looked at the two baby swings boxes. Susie gasped as she opened the present
Sammy brought. Handmade knitted booties, bonnets, and cardigans, three in blue
and three in yellow all different styles and sizes. That wasn’t all. Tears ran
down Susie’s cheeks as she pulled out one blue-and-white and one yellow-and-white
blanket. The work that would have gone into making these would have been hours,
and taken months.
    “Sammy, these are beautiful. They must have taken
you forever. How did you get them all done in so little time?”
    Sammy turned bright red and shrank back into the
seat. “I have no life anymore, so I have a lot of time on my hands. I also find
knitting therapeutic.”
    Susie tried to get up, but Blake stopped her. “Let
me go, Blake. I’m getting up to hug and thank Sammy.”
    “Sweetheart, I think it’s best you stay seated.
Sammy can come to you. She’s not eight months pregnant with twins.”
    Sammy let go of his hand, and Slater watched as she
got up, walked over to her friend, leaned down and hugged Susie.     
    His little mate was talented. You could tell by one
look at the baby knitted stuff that Sammy had put a lot of love and time into
them.
    “I’m happy you like them, Susie. I wanted to do
something extra special after what you did for me.”
    Slater would be forever in debt to Susie for helping
his mate stay safe and protecting her when he didn’t even know her.
    Sammy kissed Susie’s cheek, and Slater could see the
love that shone from her face for her friend. Slater wanted Sammy to love him.
He wanted her to feel and know he would never hurt her and that she could count
on him.  
    Going slow was going to be hard, but if Sammy looked
at him with love the way she was currently looking at Susie he knew it would be
worth it.

Chapter
Two
     
    What do you wear to a lunch with bear shifters who
think you’re their mate? Sammy had no idea. She’d been