Once Upon a Shifter Read Online Free Page A

story. But he wished he could tell about the actual wild things he’d done, in his bear form.
    What was he going to tell her? And how? His parents had both been shifters; he’d always assumed his mate would be one too, until he’d met all the eligible shifter women his family knew, and not one had called to his heart and soul like Raina did.
    He had to believe that his mate wouldn’t be put off or frightened by learning that he could become a bear. Mates meant that you would be together forever, didn’t it? Or did it only mean that you should be? If Owen scared her off, would they both be lonely forever?
    Their appetizers arrived, and Owen didn’t miss the glance Raina shot him, as if she expected him to judge her for eating her own dinner. A fierce anger swept over him at the thought of all the people who must have been cruel to his gorgeous mate, to do such a good job of convincing her that she wasn’t beautiful and desirable, and needed to hide her perfect self.
    Track them down and rip their heads off , his bear suggested. They hurt our mate!
    Owen shushed his bear, and instead told Raina she was beautiful and offered her a share of his shrimp. He saw that she was enjoying her food, and he enjoyed watching her enjoy it. But he barely tasted his own. All he could think of was how sexy she was, and how maddening it was to have her within touching distance and keep his hands off her.
    But she’d obviously been hurt before. She kept shooting him wary looks. He didn’t want to frighten her by coming on too strong… especially since he had a secret that might be much scarier to her than a premature pass.
    Owen gritted his teeth and tried not to be overwhelmed by the sight of his mate, with him at last. He breathed in the intoxicating scent of her, a delicate rose perfume and a womanly warmth beneath it, and didn’t let himself lean across the table to inhale it direct from the hollow of her throat.
    When she’d told him about the foster homes, he’d longed to hold her in his arms and tell her that she’d never be lonely and unwanted again. But he’d seen that it would have been too much too soon. He’d tell her later.
    The waiter cleared their appetizer plates, and brought them dinner.
    Owen watched Raina bite into her rare steak. A drop of juice escaped, and she quickly swiped it up with a lick of her pink tongue. He imagined how that tongue would feel as it licked its way along his body. Licked his cock. Those luscious lips of hers, sucking his cock…
    He forced his thoughts away from those fantasies. He was already so hard just from watching her, he thought he was going to rip through his pants.
    They kept talking through the rest of their dinner. The time flew by. The waiter cleared away their steak plates, then offered them the dessert menus.
    “Oh, I shouldn’t,” Raina said, though she shot the menu a longing look. “I’ve eaten so much tonight already. I’m supposed to be dieting.”
    Owen put his hand over hers. Deliberately, he traced the delicious softness of her hand, her plump wrist, the delicate skin of her forearm. “Raina, eat as much as you want. I know people have told you that you should starve yourself to be thin, but you weren’t made to be thin. You were made to be a beautiful, big woman, and you wouldn’t be half so gorgeous if you were skinny. So you’re a big girl— so what? I’m a big guy. I can’t even buy clothes at a normal store— they have to be custom-made for me. But there’s nothing wrong with me, and there’s nothing wrong with you. You don’t have to try to change a thing. You’re perfect exactly the way you are.”
    Maybe she believed him. She ordered, anyway. The next thing he knew, the waiter had brought him chocolate mousse with raspberry sauce and whipped cream. Raina got butterscotch pudding with caramel sauce and whipped cream.
    He looked her over. She seemed more relaxed now. So he dipped his spoon into his mousse and offered her a bite, spoon end