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wrong, and Riley seemed to like him.
    As soon as they’d walked into The Bear’s Den , Nate had realized he’d found the other shifter family living in Longmeadow. The hostess, the bartender and two of the waiters, were all redheaded polar bear shifters.
    “No, everything looks great,” Riley said. “Thank you, Holt.”
    “You’re welcome,” the waiter said. “Flag down myself or Holden if you need anything.”
    “Sure thing.”
    Holt raced across the room toward another table, and Riley salted her fries, and then picked one up and dipped it into the tiny, ketchup filled ramekin on her plate.
    “My brother, Reid, used to own this place,” she said, suddenly. “Did you know that?”
    “No, I didn’t,” he answered cautiously. Considering he’d just delivered a loud, attention drawing speech a few moments before, she was incredibly calm.
    “Yeah,” she said, dipping another fry. “Up until about three months ago, this place was a rough drinking bar called The Dirty Bear. Reid changed a lot after he lost his mate, and the bar was an extension of that. It made him a lot of money, but it attracted a lot of trouble. When Jillian came back, he became a silent backer and sold the place to Hayden.” She nodded toward the bar. “He’s the bartender. The hostess, is his sister, Hayley, and she had worked for Reid, too. Their cousins, the twins, moved up here about a month ago, after the renovations were complete. The difference between the two places is like night and day.”
    “Wow, that’s a cool story,” he said, “and this place is amazing. It seems like Hayden has a great mind for business.”
    “Reid does, too,” she nodded. “I think it’s one of the reasons they’ve always worked so well together.”
    She ate a few more fries, and then spoke again.
    “I appreciate what you did,” she said, “but I’m not sure I can be the mate you need.”
    In true predator style, she’d softened him up before delivering the fatal blow.
     
    ***
     
    Riley’s bear roared beneath the surface, rejecting her words, but her human side knew it was the right thing to do. From the look of indifference on Nate’s face, he knew it, too.
    As much as she cherished his willingness to stand by her, and defend her in a room full of complete strangers, he deserved a whole mate, without baggage, who could give him everything.
    “You are exactly what I need,” he said, his voice soft, but firm.
    “I know your wolf thinks so,” she said, “but listen to your human side. You already get a ton of attention for being the new sexy, single sheriff, but it will never go away if you take me as your mate. I’m fat and scarred, and though it may not bother you, it bothers the people you protect. You’ll never get them to stop staring, or to stop wishing you picked someone better.”
    “Riley, I—”
    “Let me finish,” she said, cutting him off. “The scar on my face isn’t the only one, nor is it the smallest, or the best looking. Honestly, I’m not even sure you could stand looking at the rest of me, but that’s not the worst of it.
    “I’ve only been with one other man, and it was…bad. So bad, sometimes I still have nightmares about it, and I’m not sure they will ever go away. I want to be intimate with you, but I’m not sure I can, and either way, I don’t want to have children. Ever. I know I should have told you this sooner, but it’s not something I’m willing to budge on. I’ve thought about it for a long time, and being a mom isn’t something that’s right for me.
    “Also, I wasn’t joking when I said I was a horrible cook. I haven’t poisoned anyone yet, but I’m truly awful. You’d survive if I made you something, but you’ll be miserable for the rest of your life.”
    There. She’d said it all.
    She stared at her chicken sandwich, but a wave of nausea washed over her and she nudged her plate away. She hadn’t meant to be so brutally honest, but it was for the best. Now, Nate could make