Loyal To The Bear (Second Chance Shifters 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

better than I ever could,” she said, muffled between large bites. Henry finished his sandwich before she did, and smiled at her while he watched her eat. Her appetite had to be one of his many favorite things about Carly. She was never a “I’ll just have a salad” type of girl and he loved her for that. Cooking and eating were two of his favorite hobbies, and he loved how he could make her happy by simply making her favorite dish. Henry’s smile faltered when he thought about how their relationship was so different now from what it once was.
    Mid-bite Carly looked up at him with a confused look on her face. “Why are you staring at me like that?” she asked.
    “I’m just remembering how happy we used to be,” Henry said sadly. “And how I wish we could be that happy again.” Carly set down her sandwich and stared up at Henry.
    “I told you that I don’t want to ever talk about our past,” Carly said sternly. Henry tightened his hands, hoping to mask his frustration. He couldn’t yell at her, not after what she had experienced tonight.
    “We have to eventually talk about it, Carly,” he said. “There was so much that I was never able to tell you. That you didn’t let me tell you because you ran off without a word.”
    Anger started to bubble in Henry’s chest. Carly had never let him explain himself. She just left without even speaking to him. Had she taken a moment and let him explain, instead of just running off, things might have been different between them.
    Carly stood up in a rush and stalked into the living room. Henry jumped up and followed her, determined to make her talk to him.
    “Carly, stop running away from our problems!” Henry said. “Sit down and actually talk to me about it.” Carly let out a frustrated sigh and stomped over to the couch . Even when she’s angry, she’s adorable , Henry thought.
    “I get it Carly,” Henry said. “You don’t trust me. But you have to understand that I didn’t tell you the truth so you could see that not all shifters are the same.”
    “No, Henry, you don’t get it, “ Carly said. “Shifters petrify me. The one that killed my father was completely unstable, and I’m terrified that his madness was a result of being a shifter. How do I know that it won’t happen to you?”
    Henry threw his arms up in the air in frustration. “That’s the problem, Carly! We don’t know what’s going to happen.” Carly crossed her arms, stood up, and looked out the window of the living room. Henry let out a sigh and slowly walked up behind her.
    “I know you might not believe me when I say this, but that I am in control. Most bears in our clan are. The cougar that killed your father is not me. That is not who I am. My bear and I have a full balance that I was trained to have as a little kid. That shifter and the one tonight have both lost their balance. What they are is not what all shifters are.”
    Henry’s voice waivered. “You have to believe me when I say that I will never hurt you, Carly. I will always be there to protect you, no matter the cost.”

6
    Carly
    C arly let out a long sigh . For so many years, she had feared that all shifters were the monster that killed her father, or the murderer that made the attacks Avery reported on. But deep down, she knew Henry was right. He was different from those shifters. He was a protector, and that was evident tonight, when he had slammed that cougar into the bar. He was also right about how not all shifters were the same. With so many shifters in the world, they couldn’t all be like the one that killed her father.
    Carly turned to face Henry, who was standing behind her, tears brimming in his brown eyes. In that moment, she realized how stupid she was being, letting her fear ruin her relationship with this wonderful man. Henry would do anything for her, and he was the one she was meant to be with.
    Carly rushed over to Henry and pulled his head down to meet hers. Their lips crashed into one another