by Liv Brywood
Mack grabbed her hands and gently tugged her forward. He dropped his gaze to her glistening eyes. “I don’t know how to explain this, but you have to stay.”
“Why?”
He grappled with how to tell her that his bear had chosen her as his mate. They were fated to be together. He had to find a way to make her stay.
“I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I think you know that there’s something happening between us. We need time to explore it. If you leave now, we’ll never know what could have been.”
His stomach clenched at the thought of losing her now. His bear, on the other hand, pounded on his heart. If he let her leave, he’d lose the only woman his bear had ever wanted to claim as his mate.
She sighed. “If we’d met at some other time when my life was less complicated, then we might have had a chance. But right now, I’m just not ready for another relationship.”
As he ran through all the possible things he could say to make her stay, his heart sank. The determination in her expression made him realize just how unreachable she was right now. He hated the thought of letting her go, but he wasn’t going to force her to stay.
She pulled her hands away from his. “We should get going.”
He reluctantly pulled on a pair of pants and a shirt. He grabbed her bags and followed her toward the front of the house. With each step, his bear struggled to be unleashed. This time, his need to escape wasn’t predicated on rage. This time, his bear was struggling to keep his mate.
As they reached the door, she started to pull it open. He reached passed her and pushed it closed. “I can’t let you leave.”
Her nostrils flared. “Don’t do this. Don’t make my memories of you into something terrible.”
“Can you honestly say you don’t feel what I’m feeling? Don’t you get that there’s a connection between us that can’t be denied?” He didn’t intend to raise his voice, but the passion behind his words seeped into them.
“Mack, I—”
He scooped her up and carried her back into his bedroom. He had to show her how much he wanted her, how much he needed her, and sometimes words were inadequate.
As he crossed the threshold into his room, he kicked the door closed. The frame vibrated from the force.
Her fingers dug into his shoulders as she clung to him. “Put me down.”
When he reached the bed, he lowered her onto it. She tried to sit up, but he covered her with his body. The moment she opened her lips, he kissed them. Soft, warm and supple, his need to claim her ruined his self-control. The wildness inside him came out through his dark, possessive kisses. He needed her, wanted her. With each kiss, he hoped to break down the wall between them.
She gasped between kisses. At first she pressed against his chest, but then she wrapped her arms around him and drew him closer.
“Oh, honey,” he murmured against the hollow of her throat.
“I can’t stay.”
“No. Don’t go. Please, not yet.” He trailed kisses across her neck and down to her breasts. She arched against him and moaned as he pulled her shirt out of her pants.
She writhed beneath him as he slid his hand down her pants. When he found her hot, wet core, he knew he wasn’t wrong. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. She was just afraid. That bastard Ben had ruined everything when he’d shown up.
As he rubbed her slick, moist heat across her clit, she shivered. He knew where she liked to be touched and took full advantage of the situation. If she’d told him to stop, he would have, but she didn’t. Instead, she moaned against his throat.
Encouraged by her sensual response, he slipped his fingers into her. With a gasp and low groan, she moved her hips, forcing him deeper.
“Please,” she whispered with wanton desperation.
He moved slowly, deliberately, coaxing her closer to the brink of abandon. As his own hunger built, she whimpered and moved against him. His gaze dropped to meet hers and in doing so, sparked a wildfire of lust.
Lips parted, throat arched, the sounds coming from deep within her chest aroused him so completely, that he yearned to sink into her. As he kneed her thighs apart, he reached to unbutton her pants.
She grabbed his wrist. “We have to stop.”
He growled in frustration. “I need you.”
“We can’t.”
He stroked her clit. “Just you then.”
An aura of conflicted need rolled off her in waves. She released his wrist and brought her hand up over her head. When she didn’t protest, he rolled his fingers against the walls of her pussy. Thrusting in rhythmic percussion, he swirled his thumb across her clit. He wasn’t playing fair and he knew it, but he didn’t care. The look on her face, the expression of pure lust, was worth leaving his own needs unfulfilled.
When her eyes flew open, he knew she was close. He kept the pace steady, relentless. She clenched around him and screamed as rolling waves fluttered across his fingers. A blissful peace settled over her face.
He slowly withdrew his hand then moved to cradle her against him. “Please, stay.”
She clung to him. “I need time. I need to think. And I need to be alone.”
He released her, stunned that she still wanted to leave. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
He hung his head. What else could he do? He couldn’t force her to want to stay. Maybe if she had time to think, then she’d realize that they were fated mates.
As he sat up, a weight settled over his heart. He stood. “I’ll wait for you at the front door.”
He didn’t wait for a reply. With his shoulders slumped, he walked out of the room. She followed a minute later. Dark circles hung like half-moons under her eyes. Even her normally pale complexion had taken on an ashy-gray tinge.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m just really, really tired.”
After grabbing her bags, he opened the door and motioned for her to go first. He closed it behind them and followed her down the steps. As she descended the steps, she wobbled from side to side. Something wasn’t right.
“Madi—”
She plunged off the last step and collapsed into the compacted snow.
Chapter 10
Madison’s eyes fluttered open. A haze of colors melted together before sharpening to reveal two faces. Mack and a woman she’d never met hovered over her. She tried to lift her head off the pillow but couldn’t. A band of weight encircled her forehead. Pressure pushed against her skull in the space behind her eyes.
“What happened?” she asked.
Mack said, “You fainted on the front porch. This is Harriet James. She’s a midwife who lives in West Yellowstone. She’s going to determine whether or not we have to take you to the hospital in Bozeman.”
Harriet said, “You’ve been unconscious for a while so I’m going to perform some basic tests to make sure you didn’t get a concussion. Okay?”
She started to nod, but a flash of pain arced down her neck. “Okay.”
As Harriet asked her questions, Mack squeezed her hand. The reassurance that he was there and that she wasn’t alone made the experience less frightening.
“How far along are you?” Harriet asked.
“I’m not sure. At least two months. I didn’t know I was pregnant until a few days ago.”
“I’m going to press on your belly a bit. Tell me if you feel any pain.”
The midwife poked and prodded. Although nothing hurt, sweat broke out on Madison’s brow. What if something had happened to the baby? Regardless of the cantankerous relationship with Ben, she wanted the baby more than anything in the world. She’d do whatever it took to raise him or her, even if it meant doing it alone.
Mack rubbed his thumb across the top of Madison’s hand. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to. A knitted brow and firmly pressed lips gave every indication that he was filled with concern. Had he meant what he’d said? Did he really care about her? Maybe she shouldn’t have been so hasty ab
out leaving the ranch.
Harriet stood back. “No pain, right?”
“Nothing but the pounding in my head.”
“I think you might have a small concussion, but nothing serious enough to require a trip to the hospital. I recommend bed rest for a few days and lots of fluids. You seem a little dehydrated, which isn’t good for either you or the baby.”
Madison pushed herself up into a sitting position. The room swayed before coalescing into view. “But, I need to travel. I was heading home.”
Harriet’s expression changed from gentle to stern. “You can’t travel for at least three days. It wouldn’t be safe. I’m sure Mack will let you stay here a few more days, right?”
“She’s not going anywhere,” Mack said.
As much as Madison wanted to fight back, she couldn’t. A weary haze settled into her body. The simple act of lifting her head took monumental strength. Whether she liked it or not, she was stuck here.
“If anything changes, call me,” Harriet said. “I’ll come right over.”
“Thank you,” Madison said.
Mack said, “I’ll walk you out.”
After they left the room, she slid back into the pillows. Sleep tempted her with its gentle hands. She tried to force her eyes to stay open, but they refused to cooperate. Maybe she could just rest them for a moment.
The next time she woke, Mack was leaning over, her tucking a blanket around her shoulders. “Sorry I woke you. I wanted to make sure you didn’t get cold.”
“Thank you.”
“Are you thirsty?”
“A little.”
“I’ll be right back.” He returned with a large cup of water. “Don’t drink it too fast.”
She took the cup. After a tentative sip, she took another.
“Since you have to stay for a few more days, I’ll talk to my brothers and we’ll split up the bed and breakfast chores. We were going to have to do that anyway after you left.”
A tinge of guilt wound its way into her heart. He’d trusted her to do a very important job and she’d walked out on it. She’d never shirked responsibility before, but she’d been too afraid of what Ben might do if he came back looking for her.
“I can’t stay.” She placed the glass on the nightstand next to the bed.
“You heard what she said. You have to stay at least three days. If you leave now, you might be risking the baby’s life.”
Her heart skittered in her chest. “Ben’s going to come back looking for me. He already tried to run you down with a truck. What’s to stop him from finding another way to kill you?”
“I’ve dealt with men like that before. Ignorance makes normally docile men into gun-wielding fools.”
“It sounds like you’ve encountered this before?”
He pulled a chair up to the side of the bed and sat. “Every few years, a new guy moves into town and finds out that we can shift. The guy thinks we’ll make a great trophy for his hunting wall, so he comes out here looking for an easy kill. Well, that doesn’t happen.”
“Has anyone ever gotten close?”
“Once. My brother Logan got shot a few years ago. The bullet missed his heart by a few inches, otherwise he would have died instantly. We captured the hunter and took him to the sheriff. The guy’s in prison now for attempted murder, but there will be others. We’re vigilant about safety. We have to be.”
“Maybe that’s why Logan tries to come on so strong. Almost dying has to change a man.”
He nodded. “Yeah, Logan never chased thrills or women the way he does now. That near-death experience messed up his brain. All sense of responsibility and good judgment went out the window. Sometimes I wonder if he has a death wish.”
“I hope he finds someone who can tame him.”
Mack chuckled. “You never know.”
Her eyelids drooped. “I’m so tired and my ankle is killing me. I must have twisted it going down.”
“I have just the thing to help.”
“What?”
“How about a foot rub?”
She smiled. “You sure know how to make it hard to walk away.”
He grinned. “Once you’ve had my hands on your feet, you’ll never want to leave again.”
“I highly doubt that.”
“Challenge accepted.”
He dragged the chair toward the bottom of the bed. As he slipped his hands under the blankets, she couldn’t help but remember the rough scrape of his thumb across her clit. Forget the foot rub, she knew exactly what he could do to make her feel better. But she couldn’t ask for that, not if she still planned on leaving in three days.
He grasped her right foot in his warm hands. Kneading, massaging fingers of bliss worked across the pad on the bottom of her foot. Her toes tingled with energy. Each caress heightened her awareness of the tension in her feet. Her entire body had been tense for so long, but Mack seemed to have all kinds of ways to relax her.
As he reached for her other foot, she closed her eyes and wondered what it would be like to stay with him. She’d been so eager to leave, but why? Did she really want to run away from Mack? Was she afraid of him? Of his ability to transform into a bear? Or was she really just afraid of having another failed relationship?
If only she could have met Mack two years ago. She wouldn’t be facing single motherhood and she wouldn’t have had to figure out custody with a cheating, lying bastard. Life choices always seemed so clear when she reflected back on them. Of course, looking back, she had more information than she’d had at the time. How could she have known that Ben would end up in bed with her best friend?
She sighed. There was no point in trying to figure everything out right now. She needed to rest so she could be well enough to leave. If she could just get some time to herself, then she’d be able to figure out what she really wanted. And she’d be able to figure out what to do about Mack.
As much as she wanted to deny the magnetic attraction between them, she couldn’t. The man exuded both protective and seductive energy. She couldn’t be in the same room with him without getting wet. When he stood by her side, she felt safer than she ever had. How could she possibly think about walking away from him?
***
Mack’s eyes snapped open. As he glanced around Madison’s bedroom, a shiver of unease snaked down his spine. Madison lay in the center of the bed. The slow rise and fall of her chest indicated a peaceful sleep. The tension in his back loosened as he crossed the room to caress her cheek.
His heart clenched. He’d almost lost her. If only he could find the words to say to make her understand how much he needed her. Thank God the midwife had said she’d be okay after a few days of bed rest. He hated that she was injured, but at least he’d have more time to try to convince her to stay.
The sound of breaking glass cut through his thoughts.
He froze.
He glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Two-fifteen a.m.
A thin stream of moonlight slanted across the carpet. He used the path as a guide to the door. With a steady hand, he inched it open.
The stealthy crunch of footsteps in glass carried up from downstairs. He paused, listening for another clue as to the intruder’s whereabouts. His brothers wouldn’t be prowling around in the middle of the night, but he wouldn’t put it past Madison’s ex.
As Mack slipped through the door, he carefully tested each step to make sure the floorboards wouldn’t creak. He silently closed the door behind him.
When he reached the top of the stairs, he peered into the darkness below. Even the moonlight couldn’t reach into every corner of darkness. He sensed someone waiting in the shadows, so he also waited. Time ticked by in incremental moments.
His patience paid off when he heard the scrape of a shoe across the floor. It came from the living room.
Mack pressed his back against the wall. Because the entrance to the living room and the stairs shared the same wall, the intruder wouldn’t be able to see him descend. Well, unless the intruder walk
ed into the hall.
With little time to spare, Mack tiptoed down the stairs. As he reached the bottom step, the wood planks groaned. A rustle of clothing caught his attention. The intruder stood on the other side of the wall. The awareness of his presence coupled with fear for Madison’s safety sent chills across his back.
He didn’t have the element of surprise on his side any longer, so he needed a different strategy. If he could make it to the kitchen, he could circle around through the dining room and take the other man by surprise.
But first, he’d have to make it past the opening to the living room. He had no way of knowing if the intruder carried a weapon, or if so, what kind. He’d have to rely on his bear’s reflexes to help him.
He crouched down, preparing to spring past the living room. But a split second before he could make his move, the intruder spoke.
“I know you’re on the other side of this wall. Where’s my woman?” Ben asked.
Mack’s jaw clenched. The fool. Did he actually think he could walk onto Mack’s property and live to see another day? “Madison’s not yours anymore.”
“I want to hear that from her.”
“She’s sleeping.”
“I always suspected she was whoring around.”
Rage coiled in Mack’s belly. “She’s not a whore.”
“But she’s fucked you, hasn’t she?”
Mack refused to answer. He’d be dammed if he’d talk to another man about his relationship with Madison, especially not Ben. “I’ll give you ten seconds to walk out that door. If you’re not out of this house by then, I’ll throw you out.”
Ben lunged out of the living room and swung his right fist toward Mack’s face. Mack bobbed to the side then slammed his fist into Ben’s gut. A stunned grunt exploded from Ben. He stumbled back and landed on his butt.
As Mack advanced, Ben scrambled back until he hit the wall separating the kitchen from the foyer.
Mack took another step toward him. “Madison doesn’t love you anymore. She doesn’t belong to you. She never did.”