by Anya Nowlan
“Don’t let him play you, Addison,” was all that Reid said.
Reeling, Addison sank down onto her bed, a million thoughts rushing through her head. Was Reid lying? Why would he? What had he and Gage discussed earlier? Had Reid confronted him about their relationship? What had Gage said?
She didn’t have any of the answers.
Reid just stood there, silent for a few moments before speaking again, his tone sympathetic.
“Don’t worry, by this time tomorrow we’ll be back in Chicago, and Black Oak will be little more than a distant memory. And then we can start talking about you taking on your own cases. It’s been long overdue.”
Addison’s gaze snapped up at that. This was it. Reid was giving her the shot she had been itching to get, her chance to prove herself, to make her name known. Yet it didn’t seem to hold the same appeal it used to.
She didn’t know what to say, so she just nodded, and he seemed to be pleased with that. Without saying another word, he left the room, leaving her sitting there, not knowing what to do or how to feel.
She didn’t want to go downstairs anymore, didn’t want to run into Gage. It didn’t feel like she could even put her thoughts into words. Hours passed, and as she sat there alone, she started to feel more and more stupid.
Was Gage even planning on saying goodbye? It didn’t look like it. So if he wasn’t even going to come to speak to her knowing she was leaving at dawn, chances were he wasn’t exactly broken up about her returning to Chicago.
Suddenly, everything Reid had said started to make sense. Reid at least had shown more interest in her the past week than he had the past year, and Gage had already admitted she was the reason he had let his brother stay at the ranch in the first place.
At the time, she had taken it as a compliment, but what if it had actually meant Gage had seen her as an opportunity to get back at Reid? And if that wasn’t the case, why wasn’t Gage in her room right now, saying he was sad to see her go, or better yet – asking her to stay?
The more she thought about it all though, the angrier Addison got. But most of that anger was directed at herself. She was a reasonable person, wasn’t she? Then how had she gotten herself entangled in this fantasy she had created?
Now that she had a promotion to look forward to back in Chicago, the thought of leaving her stable, hard-earned career and life behind suddenly seemed ridiculous. All those late nights, early mornings and weekends she had spent working her ass off were to make sure her future would be secure. And now she had been willing to throw all that away?
And for what? A man who couldn’t even be bothered to come upstairs to speak to her after claiming to care about her? If he was going to let her go so easily, then what they shared must have not meant that much to him.
The thought sent a deep ache vibrating through her chest, a sensation she did her best to ignore but couldn’t. The truth was, she had been falling for him, hard, and more deeply than she could have ever imagined.
Yet reason and pride kept her from leaving her room and confronting Gage. She stayed there, packing, scrolling through her e-mail, flipping through some magazines and books she had brought along, trying to distract herself from the tears that kept trying to spill from her eyes.
Finally, as the sun was about to come up, she let them fall, quickly splashing cold water on her face to keep her eyes from getting puffy. After that, she pulled her hair into a tight bun, got dressed, slipped on some heels and carried her suitcase downstairs.
She could hear the car arriving as she did, and not long after, Reid joined her, his own suitcase in tow. A foolish, desperate part of her hesitated at the front door for a moment, waiting for Gage to appear.
But he didn’t, and so she stepped outside, making a beeline for the idling SUV.
Goodbye, Black Oak.
Eighteen
Gage
Listening to his front door close and a car drive off, Gage cursed under his breath, his shoulders tense and his bear thrashing beneath his skin. Why hadn’t he stopped her from leaving? All he’d had to do was go knock on her door…
And say what, exactly? Would you mind leaving your career and life and staying with me here in the middle of nowhere?
Pacing around his bedroom, Gage rubbed the back of his neck, the growl in his chest growing louder and louder. He could still smell Addison’s scent, imagine her skin beneath his hands, recall every freckle on that beautiful face of hers…
He had to admit – his brother’s words had gotten to him, or at least fanned the flames of his own secret doubts. What if Addison agreed to stay, only to grow to resent him for effectively ending her career? The thought of him being the cause of her unhappiness was unbearable.
But as a sense of unmistakable anguish started to take over, he realized – just letting her go without a fight was even more unbearable.
Now that she was actually gone, that fact hit him like a ton of bricks. She was his mate, and he had let her walk out the door, too scared to even face her, because he knew if he had watched her go, there would have been no way he wouldn’t have just scooped her up and carried her back inside.
Fucking coward, he snarled to himself.
But it wasn’t too late. Addison and Reid might have had a head start, but he had his own tricks up his sleeves. So there was a good chance she would tell him to fuck off after he had messed up so colossally. Not to mention Gage suddenly realized he had let his brother of all people interfere and get in the middle of everything, even after he had been telling himself for years he didn’t care what his brother thought of him, or anything really.
With frustration taking over, and his animal side already close to the surface, he rushed down the stairs, throwing the door open and letting the shift fall over him. Spine curving, he sank down onto all fours, feeling bones realign and muscles expand.
The smell of the earth around him became more distinct as his hands turned to paws and fur-covered skin stretched around the new frame of his body. Within seconds, the man he had been was replaced by a huge grizzly, sniffing the air impatiently.
He knew Addison and Reid would be headed to the airfield just outside of town, where a small plane would take them to a bigger airport. This early, the traffic would be sparse, and the trip short.
Just his luck though, he knew a shortcut.
Pushing his huge body into movement, Gage dashed toward the woods, propelled forward by his powerful muscles and unrelenting determination to get to Addison before she left Black Oak for good.
Leaves rustled and dirt sank beneath his paws as he ran, dodging trees as he went. Adrenaline was taking over, making his vision even sharper and his reactions quick. Despite his size, he was fast, and he knew the woods like the back of his hand.
Steam had to be pouring off his fur as he sprinted across hills, leaping over roots, the thud of his paws hitting the ground loud in his ears. A roar ready in the back of his throat, he focused on the image of Addison in his mind to push himself to be even faster.
He really had no plan as to what he was going to do once he caught up with her. One thing was for sure, though – this time, he wasn’t going to hold back or second-guess things. She needed to know the truth. After that, whatever decision she came to would at least be made with her knowing all the facts.
As the woods up ahead began to thin, Gage knew he was getting close. Once he broke through the tree line, he would be at the far end of the airfield. From there, all he had to do was reach the plane before Addison did.
Huffing, with leaves and branches giving way as he bolted past them, he focused his attention on the horizon, and the worn asphalt starting to peek through the green. He could already smell fuel and metal, and the scent of several people.
Seeing that the airfield was empty except for the plane, Gage slowed down, carefully stepping onto the field. People around Black Oak were used to having bears freely roaming around, but people visiting the airfield might not be local, and could very well freak out seeing a
grizzly run out of the woods.
Head on a swivel, he approached the plane, keeping an eye out for any movement. Down by the hangar, he caught sight of one of the pilots, a man named Todd who he was friendly enough with to share a beer or two at the local bar.
He could see Todd turn to look at him, brow raised, then sniff the air, give him a wave and go back to whatever pre-flight preparations he had been in the middle of. Only in Black Oak could anyone be that blasé about a bear hanging out at an airfield.
Well, to be fair, he was a man in the body of a bear, but from an outside perspective, that was a difficult distinction to make. Lucky for him Todd was a member of the clan, and could recognize him as a friend by scent alone.
Perking up his ears, Gage could already hear a car approaching. The shine of black metal appeared from behind a curve in the road not long after. Gage just stood there as it approached, parking near the hangar.
There was a moment of stillness before the doors swung open. Reid and Addison stepped out, both of their gazes fixed on him. Gage padded toward them, his animal instincts on high alert.
With his bear this eager and restless, he had to focus more than he regularly did to pull back the change. The bear was slow to leave him, his frame morphing and rippling gradually, the process unhurried.
Getting back on two feet, he relaxed his muscles and shook off the last of the shift, while Addison looked at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. Reid just scowled, looking disappointed and inconvenienced.
Gage walked over to Addison, knowing this could very well be his last shot to make things right and explain himself.
Here goes.
Nineteen
Addison
Addison stared at Gage, who a mere moment ago had been a huge grizzly, loping toward her, furry ears and all. It was the first time she had even seen someone shift right before her eyes, and knowing about shifters and watching one change was as different as it got.
Stunned, she did her best to kick her brain into gear. But her first response at seeing him again was an emotional one. With his glittering dark gaze fixed on her, Gage looked tense, yet also eager somehow.
What is he doing here?
Her hear beat faster as that question passed through her mind. Could it be…? Before she could ask any questions, Reid spoke up.
“Gage,” he said. “What the hell is this?”
Gage didn’t even look at his brother, but there was a snarl in his voice as he spoke, the words clearly directed at Reid.
“Shut up, get out of the way and let me talk to her unless you want to get punched again. And this time, I won’t be holding back.”
Reid sputtered to himself, clearly not happy with any of it, but backed up nonetheless. Addison spared a thought at their poor driver, the same one from when they arrived, who was probably seriously over being involved in Atherton family drama. But when Gage reached out to grab her hand, all she could think about was the man in front of her and what he might say.
She hesitated probably less than she should have in taking his hand, and he led her away a couple of steps, until they were standing in between the plane and the hangar. That’s when Addison snapped at him, finally getting enough clarity to know she had had enough.
“Stop,” she said, tugging her hand free. “Why are you here?”
“I’ve been an idiot,” he replied, as she crossed her arms in front of her.
“No arguments here,” she couldn’t help but mutter under her breath.
“I don’t know the best way to say this so… I’m just going to say it,” he said, clenching and unclenching his hands at his sides. “You’re the one. I can’t imagine my life with anyone else, and I don’t want to. You’re my mate, Addison, and I couldn’t let you get on that plane without saying it.”
Well, if Addison had thought Gage showing up like this was a hell of a surprise, it was clear she hadn’t seen anything yet.
“You’re serious?” she blurted out, before having a chance to think better of it.
This wasn’t the type of thing shifters joked about. Finding their soul mates was serious business, and if that wasn’t enough, the nervous sincerity on Gage’s face spoke volumes, too.
“I mean,” she shook her head, trying to get her foot out of her mouth. “You’re telling me this now? Reid told you we were leaving yesterday. You didn’t come to me. I waited…” she trailed off, choosing to not finish that sentence lest any pesky tears leak out.
“Did I already mention I’m an idiot?” Gage offered, giving her a strained smile. “In my defense though, counselor, what I really wanted to ask you is kind of a tall order,” he admitted.
Addison’s heart was now thudding against her ribcage, the rising wind whipping her hair around as she looked at the devastatingly handsome man that had burrowed his way into her very soul.
Thinking about what he had just said, at least she felt less foolish about getting so attached to him so quickly. Turned out, it was biology, pure primal instinct, and what some might even call fate involved in their relationship. How could she deny that?
“And what’s that?” she asked.
“Stay,” he replied simply.
In that one word, she found everything she had wanted to hear. But that annoying little part of her that wanted to make sure everything was as she thought it was pushed her for more answers.
“You mean in Black Oak? With you? For how long?” she rattled off, unsure if she should give in to the joy blossoming inside her.
“Until you get sick of me, I guess,” he shrugged. “Which I of course hope doesn’t happen. Look, I know you have a life and a career back in Chicago. I know it’s insane of me to ask you to leave all that to be with me. The last thing I want is for you to regret anything down the road. But I realized I had to at least ask.”
The points Gage brought up were valid. She was set to take on her own cases now, and staying in Black Oak in no way aligned with the plans she had made for her life. But considering all that, in her heart, the decision had already been made.
“Yes,” she said, making Gage’s eyes widen. “I’ll stay.”
Instead of replying, he grabbed her into his arms, whirling her around. She yelped as one of her shoes went flying, but at least the airfield was empty enough so the heel wouldn’t take anyone’s eye out.
Locking her arms behind Gage’s neck, she couldn’t help but laugh in ecstatic relief. Every cell in her body told her it was the right decision to make, even if it didn’t make a whole lot of sense as far as her career was concerned.
But in the short week she had spent here with Gage, she had known true happiness, and come to see that was what mattered most at the end of the day.
“You can put me down now,” she said, when her head started to spin.
“As you wish, counselor,” he replied, gently setting her down on her feet while still holding her close.
“And for the record – I don’t think I’ll regret anything, or be sick of you,” Addison said.
She had barely gotten the sentence out when Gage pulled her into a slow, lingering kiss that made her forget all about how angry she had been at him just a few minutes ago.
No regrets, she thought, melting in his arms.
Epilogue
Addison
With mountains of case files piling up on her new desk, Addison got up to get herself another cup of coffee before diving back into work. It had been a long day, and she couldn’t wait to see Gage again, but there was also a contented smile on her face.
Her new office in Black Oak had barely been open for a couple of weeks, and she already had both locals and people from neighboring towns knocking on her door. And she couldn’t be happier about it.
At last she was not in anyone’s shadow, and could choose her own cases. So she focused on actually helping people, both with their small and big problems, and was really starting to feel like a true part of the community.
Gage’s friends were treating her like she had been in their l
ives forever, which was heartwarming but not especially surprising – with what a great man Gage was, it only made sense his friends would be wonderful, too.
All in all, Addison couldn’t be happier in her new home, and couldn’t wait to have her friends and family come and visit. Black Oak was like a whole other world, and she wanted to share it with everyone she loved.
With a fresh cup of coffee in her hand, she walked back to her desk, looking at the stacks of paper with anticipation, almost. She had never been more passionate about her work, especially now when the people she helped would walk past her on the street, with a smile and a kind word at the ready.
As far as her former employer went, Addison was somewhat conflicted. It had been Reid that had convinced her that Gage didn’t actually have feelings for her, and from what she had gathered later on, he had influenced Gage to leave her alone, as well.
But, as soon as he had heard that she was Gage’s mate, Reid had backed off considerably, and had even looked apologetic. Well, as apologetic as Reid’s pride would allow.
Later on, as she talked through her exit from the Atherton Law Office over the phone, he had even asked to speak to Gage. Addison stepped away, and still had little idea of what the brothers had discussed. Gage had been tight-lipped about it, and it was clear all was not forgiven and forgotten between the men.
But since then, the brothers had made an effort to keep in touch, which surprised her, but also made her hopeful. They were all the family they had left, after all, and she knew deep down both Reid and Gage wanted to make peace.
More than want, she felt like they needed some closure.
Lately, she had even heard Gage laugh when he was on the phone with Reid, which put a smile on her face, too. Mostly she stayed out of it, though, fearing that her involvement would only complicate things.