Page 10 of Night Grove Falls, Midnight Haven Volume Two

My eyes widen as he pulls it over his head, and I hold up a hand when he reaches for his pants. “Wait! Uh… what are you doing?”

“If I shift wearing my clothes, they’ll rip,” he explains.

“Right.”

I glance away as he pushes his pants and boxers down, my cheeks heating with a fierce blush.

“Ready?” he asks gently.

I take a deep breath and turn to look at him. Our eyes lock as he steps back. I watch in shock as he changes. It happens fast—crazy fast. One minute, he’s Knox, and in the blink of an eye, a bear is standing beside the bed.

“Whoa!” I squeak, my eyes wide as I stare at the black bear.

I freeze, my heart racing as the bear prowls closer. His nose brushes the back of my hand, and I suck in a sharp breath.

This is insane.

Crazy

And completely real.

I reach out with shaking fingers, brushing my hand tentatively over his head. The bear grumbles happily. I giggle, feeling braver, and scoot closer, stroking my fingers through his fur. I scratch one of his ears, eliciting a deep rumble of approval.

“So soft,” I murmur.

He steps back after a few minutes, shifts back to human form, and pulls on his clothes. Once he’s dressed, he turns to look at me. We lock eyes, both at a loss about what to say or where to go from here.

Finally, he takes a deep breath and breaks the silence. “So, yeah…”

I can’t help it.

I laugh.

FIVE

Knox

Is laughter a good sign? my bear asks.

I mentally shrug at him. We’re in uncharted territory here. But I don’t think she’s laughing at you.

Of course not. I’m magnificent.

I smile at his confidence. I wish I could be as sure as he is. Instead, my head is racing with a thousand thoughts.

Did I explain everything right? What is she thinking? Can she feel this thing between us too?

“Do you have any questions?” I ask Daisy when she finally stops laughing.

“Uh, no, I don’t think so. Or, not right now anyway.”

“Okay, well, if you do, I’m here.”

She smiles and nods.

I relax a little. “Are you hungry? It’s late, close to lunchtime already.”

Her eyes widen, and she scrambles off the bed. “Seriously?”