Bear's Heart: BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance (Bear Heat Book 5) by Natalie Kristen

her. “He is awake, and he is
okay!”
    Luke caught her in a fierce
hug and she let her tears flow. They were tears of sheer joy and
relief.
    The clan crowded round, and
this time, she didn't push them away. She returned their hugs and
smiles, and let them fully into her heart.
    They were here for her. Now
and forever.
    The Black Bears weren't just
her brother's colleagues. They were his clan. And now, they were
hers too.

CHAPTER
TWENTY-SIX

    Dylan waited as Luke unlocked
the door and held it open. He was holding Jade's hand and he didn't
want to let go of her hand to unlock the door, so he had simply
passed his keys to Luke.
    Dylan stepped into his
apartment and was amazed to see vases of vibrant flowers on the
shelves and a bowl of fresh fruit on the dining table. There was a
distinctive feminine touch to his home, and he loved it. He loved
that Jade had decorated the apartment and added her own personality
to the décor. It was her home too. Their home.
    Baxter, Thor and some of
Dylan's team members brought up the rear. Dylan had told the clan
that he could make it home on his own. There was no need for them to
put their work and important projects on hold.
    Still, a mini contingent had
shown up when he was discharged from the hospital. His team members
had grinned and lined the corridor as he walked to his car. They
opened the door for him and helped him into the backseat
solicitously, treating him with utmost care as though he were a
feeble, fragile thing. He'd huffed at them but he knew they were
just showing their concern. Bax and Thor were the only ones who
slapped him resoundingly on the back and made fun of him.
    Dylan sat down on the sofa
and looked around his apartment. It felt really good to be home.
    “Thanks, guys,”
he grinned. “Bax, you're temporarily in charge of my team,
right? You should get them back to work. They've been skiving long
enough.”
    “We haven't been
skiving!” someone protested.
    “Baxter has been
working us to the bone!”
    “He's a slave driver!”
    Baxter rubbed his chin. “Ah,
do I hear complaints about me? Well, it seems I haven't been working
you hard enough. You still have the energy to complain.”
    That shut them up in a jiffy.
    Dylan laughed. “Okay,
okay, get your asses back to the office. Thanks for coming to fetch
me. I appreciate it. But I think I can manage in my own home now.”
    Baxter and Thor began to herd
the younger Black Bears out of Dylan's apartment. Thor stood at the
door and gave Luke a significant look.
    “Eh, Luke,” Thor
began. “Don't you have a meeting to attend?”
    “No,” Luke said.
“I don't have anything this afternoon. I cleared...”
    Thor narrowed his eyes and
jerked his head at Dylan and Jade.
    Luke blinked at him, then
slapped his hand to his forehead dramatically. “Oh! Oh yes, I
forgot. Ah yes, of course, the meeting...to discuss...um, something
really important.”
    As Luke scampered to the
door, Thor rolled his eyes and shook his head. Some people were just
terrible liars.
    “Yep, I have to go now.
Bye Dylan! Bye Jade!” Luke called out, giving his sister a
big, exaggerated wink.
    Jade glared at her brother,
and made a growling noise in her throat. “The brat,” she
mumbled.
    The door closed quickly, and
the apartment was suddenly very silent. It was just the two of them.
Finally.
    Jade smiled at him shyly and
cleared her throat. “I'll get you a drink,” she said.
She got up but Dylan tugged her down to him. She landed in his lap
with a gasp.
    “I don't need a drink,”
he said. “I need you.”
    Her blush deepened.
    “Dylan...” Her
eyes widened when she felt his erection pushing against her thigh.
“You...y-you just got home. You should rest…” she
stuttered.
    “I've been lying in
bed, resting and doing not much else for weeks now,” he said,
nuzzling her neck. “You've been at the hospital with me the
whole time. I love having you around. But I think I will love
having you in my bed more. Not my