The Bear's Christmas Love: A Cozy Small Town Shifter Romance by Harmony Raines

Author:Harmony Raines [Raines, Harmony]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harmony Raines
Published: 2025-11-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven – Christopher

Deflated. That was how Christopher felt as he watched Sorcha drive away.

Dumped, might be a more appropriate word, his bear said miserably.

How can we be dumped when Sorcha never knew we were mates in the first place? Christopher asked. And with her leaving town so soon, she might never know. Christopher’s chest tightened at the thought, a dull ache spreading under his ribs like frost cracking through wood.

Follow her, his bear urged, the words rumbling low in his mind.

But chasing after her now would only push her further away. She’d made it clear she didn’t want company for this skating trip, even though he’d expressed obvious interest.

Obvious interest in ice skating, his bear said. But not her.

We nearly kissed, Christopher countered. How much more obvious can a man be?

An actual kiss, his bear huffed. However, they both knew that would have been a step too far. He needed her to close the space between them. Because only then would he know that she wanted him. Wanted them.

To her, yesterday had probably been nothing special. She’d probably seen it as just another local buttering up a journalist for good press. Everywhere she traveled, people likely did the same, parading their town’s best spots in hopes of glowing words that drew more visitors. She probably figured he’d tagged along just to score a favorable mention for the cabins, to pull in more guests. His bear let out a miserable huff at that.

Yeah, you’re probably right. I need to be more obvious in my feelings toward her, Christopher admitted. An admission that sat heavy in his gut as he felt the bond between them stretching thinner with every mile she drove, like a thread pulled taut and fraying at the edges. What would happen when she left for good? Would that connection snap clean through, leaving nothing but a raw, empty tear in his soul?

“Christopher!” Gretel’s voice cut through the chill morning air, pulling him back as she trudged toward the office, her boots crunching on the packed snow.

He waved, forcing a smile that felt stiff on his face, and headed her way. “Morning.”

“Wow, you look like Santa skipped right over your chimney,” she said, eyeing him with that sharp gaze of hers.

He shrugged, the motion dragging through him like lead. “Something like that.”

“Come on, let’s brew up some fresh coffee, and you can spill it,” Gretel said, pushing open the office door and stepping inside, the bell jingling behind her.

“Not much to tell,” he muttered, following her into the familiar surroundings, but it did little to ease the knot in his stomach.

“That bad, huh?” She bustled over to the coffee maker, scooping grounds into the filter with practiced flicks of her wrist.

“Couldn’t be worse,” he admitted, moving to the fireplace. He kneeled and poked at the embers, the faint heat warming his fingers as he added kindling. The dry twigs caught with a crackle, flames licking up until the glow turned cherry-red, chasing some of the cold from his bones.

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