Bearing the Midnight Sun (Ice Bear Shifters Book 3) Page 8
He had to forgive her for being moody this week. After all, she had been so patient with him thus far. She hadn’t run back to Nebraska when he revealed that he was a bear shifter. She had stood by him when she realized that the Blizzards were a constant threat. And she had been kind and caring to the other member of the clan. She had even taken the initiative to approach Neal and see if there was anything she could do to help in the fight against the Blizzards. He had assured her they were safe for now, as long as they stayed near the cabins together. But that might change once the frigid winter returned and the Blizzards were fully on the prowl again.
The starting gun went off, startling Tyler out of his reverie. Kat laughed and took off at full speed.
“I’m gonna beat you,” she called over her shoulder.
“Wait up,” he said, sprinting after her. “You need to pace yourself or you’re going to run out of steam.”
But she just laughed and kept going full speed. Predictably, she was forced to slow down after a minute of full speed effort. But she settled into a happy rhythm and padded along beside Tyler as they ran together through the beautiful race course. It wound from the edge of town, through a well-marked forest trail, briefly peeking out near a ledge that boasted a far off view of the Arctic Ocean, and then winding back toward town.
Kat wasn’t the fastest runner in the race. Not by a long shot. But Tyler could tell she was enjoying the accomplishment of participating in her first 5K. The spectacular views made it easy to ignore aching muscles and burning lungs, and press on toward the finish line.
As they neared the finish line, an announcer on a microphone was belting out encouraging words to the last, incoming stragglers. When they finally crossed the finish line, Kat let out a triumphant whoop. They had been slow, but they had made it. She threw her arms around Tyler and held him tight.
“Thank you,” she whispered in his ear, “Both for signing us up for this race, and for convincing me to start running again. I love how happy running makes me feel, and I never would have pursued it without your encouragement. I feel happier and healthier than I have in a long time.”
Tyler squeezed her close. “You’re welcome,” he said. “Believe me, the pleasure was all mine. It’s been such a privilege to watch you transform from a sad lonely woman into the happy, bubbly person standing right in front of me. You’re magnificent.”
“Ohhh, look,” Kat said, pointing over to a tree-shaded area to the left of the finish line. “They’re opening the lunch buffet. Let’s go replenish our energy stores.”
Tyler grinned. “We will, in a moment, but there’s one thing I have to ask you first,” he said. He got down on one knee as they stood beneath the giant finish line banner that spelled out “Glacier Point 5K” in bright, bold letters.
“Oh my god, Tyler, are you doing what I think you’re doing?”
Tyler didn’t answer. He just grabbed her hands in his, and looked up at her with a happy smile on his face.
“Kat, I’m so proud of you,” he said. “You’ve worked so hard this summer. You’ve taken control of your life, and you’ve discovered what makes you happy. Not because it’s what some guy thinks you should do or be, but because it’s who you really are. And who you really are is the most amazing, beautiful woman I have ever met. I can’t imagine ever having any other woman standing beside me. I know my status as a shifter brings unique challenges, but you’ve never shied away from those challenges. You’ve just loved me for exactly who I am. And I hope that you’ll give me the chance to love you for exactly who you are for the rest of your life. I want finishing this 5K today to be a symbol of the end of our old lives and the start of our new life together.”
Kat covered her mouth with her hands and tears formed in her eyes as Tyler looked up at her and smiled.
“Katherine Peterson,” he asked. “Will you do me the great honor of being my life mate?”
Kat nodded her head, the tears spilling over as Tyler let out a growl and stood up, picking her up and spinning her around. The bright Alaskan sun, in its last days of full glory, made her wet cheeks sparkle.
“Well, well folks,” came the announcer’s jolly voice over the loudspeaker. “Lookie here! Looks like we had us a proposal just now, and it looks like she said yes!”
Tyler turned to look in the direction of the announcer’s booth, and he fist pumped the air. He felt like his heart would burst from happiness as he put an arm around Kat’s waist. “She did,” he yelled out to the announcer. “She said yes!”
The crowd nearby burst into cheers, and Tyler let a few tears of his own spill over as he looked over at his beautiful life mate-to-be.
How could he ever ask for more?
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About the Author
There are bears walking among us. Sloane Meyers is devoted to telling their stories.
Sloane thinks we could all use a little escape in our lives. And what better way to shake up the ordinary than to transport yourself to the mysterious world of those who have an animal within them, roaring to be let out. Sloane promises hot shifter males, and spunky, spirited heroines—with NO cliffhangers! Each book can be read as a standalone.
When she’s not busy crafting bear tales, Sloane enjoys a good glass of wine, preferably shared with good friends. She loves reading, baking, and pretending that she’s actually a music buff. On weekends, she spends a lot of time in the great outdoors, hiking with her own sexy alpha and adorable little cub.