Long after Georgia had turned out the lights, I silently cried myself to sleep, thinking about Hutch and feeling uncertain and humiliated.
21
Veronica
Time moved too quickly. Before I knew it, I was standing in Georgia’s bedroom, in the sexiest lingerie I owned. The bra cups only covered the bottom quarter of my breasts, so I was covering myself with my hands while Georgia thrust dress after dress in front of me. My date was arriving in less than an hour and I felt like vomiting.
“This is it. This is stunning.” She held up a tiny black dress that cut down almost to the base of my bra and dipped just as low in the back. She helped me into it and tugged and adjusted until my body was snugly in it.
I stared at myself in the mirror and tilted my head to the side. “It’s not too much?”
She looked at me, took in the cleavage I was sporting and the long expanse of leg that was sticking out, and shook her head. “You look fucking amazing.”
I sat down on the corner of her bed and sighed. “I don’t think this is a great idea.”
She sat down beside me and put her arm around me. “I know. You need to do this, though. Hutch deserves to see that you don’t have to wait around on him. You deserve your mate, Ronnie. This will get him.”
“I’m not sure I want him.” I took in her shocked face and shrugged. “I mean, of course, I do. I just don’t know. Do I really want to be with someone that my friends have to help me coerce into being with me?”
“We’re not tricking him. We’re just nudging him. He’s waiting too long. Just give us tonight and then you can decide from there. Okay?”
I groaned and nodded. “Tonight. After this, I’m done.”
She jumped up and grabbed a pair of sky high heels. “Good. Now, get these on and let me finish your makeup. I’m thinking a blood red lip to top you off.”
I let her finish what she wanted and then, before I was ready, a knock sounded on the door. I groaned and stared at my reflection in the mirror. I looked great, but I didn’t know if I even had it in me to smile at whatever poor man they’d roped into the date with me.
I walked down the stairs and tried to keep breathing as I walked into what was sure to be the weirdest night of my life. Only, it was Dr. Jennings who was waiting on me.
He was the local veterinarian and an avid reader. He stopped by the library once a week to check out books and I knew from his selections that he wasn’t into me, at all. Relief flooded me and I felt like hugging him.
“Oh, thank god, it’s you. They didn’t tell me who they were setting me up with and I was terrified.”
He grinned at me. “Allie explained your situation to me. I expect all of you to bring your future pets to me for the potential beat down I’m going to take tonight.”
“I don’t think Hutch will do anything like that. He barely likes me at all, Dr. Jennings.”
“First of all, you’re crazy if you think any male is going to sit by while his mate flirts with another man. Second of all, call me Matt.”
I rolled my eyes and nodded. “Matt. You don’t know Hutch, but I’ll bring my future pets to you, anyway.”
Georgia said goodbye and Matt walked me out to his car. He opened the door for me and then squatted down so he could talk to me. “You look nervous, Veronica.”
I frowned. “I am.”
“If you don’t want to do this, we don’t have to. We can just go somewhere else and hang out as friends, which is what we are. You’re the only person in Burden who knows the truth about me and I’m more than willing to chance ruining Georgia’s plans if you aren’t comfortable with this.”
I smiled at him. “You know what? I’m so tempted to agree and just ditch her plan, but I promised her that I would give her tonight. After this, though, I’m done.”
He gave me a sympathetic nod and closed my door before coming around and getting in. “To my death, we go?”
I laughed and shook my head. “To a friend date. No deaths allowed. Possibly some sickness from overeating bread and chocolate, but that’s all.”
“I could go for some chocolate.”
I looked over at him and noticed the dark bags under his eyes. They probably matched mine. “Trouble in paradise?”
“Ha. Paradise is just a drink for me at this point. Do you know how many single, gay men there are in Burden, Texas? I’ll give you a hint. One. He’s me.”
I turned to face him and frowned. “Why stay here, then?”
He shrugged. “There’s just something about Burden. I mean where else can a man who has studied medicine and veterinary science find such interesting work as in a town full of shifters? I’m hoping one day another gay guy moves into town and I can convince him that he should pair off with me. Secretly.”
I wanted to tell him that he shouldn’t think he had to live in secret. Burden was a pretty open town. If they could accept shape shifters, they could certainly accept homosexuals. No one would care. I knew that it was something he would have to work through himself, though. “Maybe I’ll turn Georgia on to you next. When she’s done rescuing me, she’ll need someone else to make her pet project.”
“Never—don’t you dare.” He parked beside the bar and came around to open my door. “You ready?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
He held my hand as he led me inside. Allie was working, so she was there to grin from ear-to-ear and lead us to a table. Matt pulled out a chair for me and then sat next to me, closer than a first date normally would.
I almost laughed at the lengths he was going to. “You don’t have to make it look so real. I’m not counting on anything coming from this.”
Matt looked around the bar and then leaned it to whisper to me. “Oh, something is going to come from this. Your man’s little brother is already calling him. Don’t look now, but the glare he’s giving me could pierce my skull. Hell, I didn’t think about more than one of them jumping me. If I die, I have a dog at home that you’ll have to take in.”
I grinned and patted his hand. “Even if he did come, I wouldn’t let him hurt you.”
“Comforting that my only backup is wearing six inch heels and a fuck me dress.”
I looked down at myself. “You think so?”
He laughed and then leaned back. “That was faster than I thought it would be.”
I felt the air change behind me and swallowed. I could feel Hutch’s anger like it was a tangible thing sitting next to me at the table. I scooted my chair back and positioned myself so I could jump up and block Matt if I needed to.
Holy guacamole! Matt was suddenly flying backwards as Hutch’s huge body tackled him to the ground. Instead of the fear and anxiety that I expected, Matt looked excited for the fight. He wrapped his arms around Hutch’s neck and squeezed as he used his legs to try to lock him into place.
Hutch roared and threw a hard punch into Matt’s side. When that didn’t unlock the man, he slowly lifted himself, taking Matt with him, and then slammed both of their bodies to the ground.
I screamed and got up. “Stop it! Hutch!”
They both ignored me. Hutch broke Matt’s grip and landed a hit to his jaw. Matt’s eyes flashed neon and he threw a punch right back to Hutch’s face. Blood splashed onto the ground and hysteria hit me. They were going to kill each other. I hadn’t known that Matt was a shifter. They could kill each other. They were evenly matched.
I like to think I did what any sane woman would’ve done in that situation. I jumped on Hutch’s back and clawed and screamed like a wild banshee.
22
Hutch
I felt tiny hands grasping at my shoulders as I landed another punch to the asshole animal doc’s face. How the hell he thought he could take my woman out and sit close to her was beyond me. Veronica was on my back, though, and while I already wanted to kill Matt, if he accidentally hit Veronica, I would kill him.
“V, get off!”
She somehow managed to get her arms around my neck and her legs curled
around my waist. Any other time and I would’ve really appreciated the gesture, but I was worried she was going to get hurt.
I pushed off of Matt and dragged Veronica from my back. I tossed her into Sterling’s arms and turned back to Matt. He tackled me backwards, taking out a table and a couple of drinks. I felt glass shards bite into my back and made sure to roll him under me so he got to feel it, too.
Someone screamed as we rolled into another table. Matt gave as good as he got, landing punch after punch as I did the same. I started to enjoy the fight, giving into my animal instincts. Bloodlust was taking over, my bear demanding I kill the son of a bitch who dared talk to my mate.
Before I could satisfy my bear, though, I was grabbed from behind. I snarled as I found myself being held back my Thorn and Sam. Wyatt stood in front of Matt, holding him back.
I tried to jerk free. “Let me fucking go!” I growled.
“Looks like you need a night in a holding cell to calm down, son.”
I jerked around at the sound of Sheriff Day’s rusty voice. The man never intervened with these types of matters. He just let shit happen. Until now. He looked around the bar and shook his head. “You going to come willingly or do I have to tranquilize your big ass?”
Fury tore through me. “Tranquilize me, if you have to. I’m not leaving here without-”
Shock rippled through me as I felt the needle jam into my neck. I fought against the hands and arms holding me back. “Let me go! I’m going to kick this old man’s ass, too!”
Matt gasped from across the bar. “What the fuck? I was calm!”
Sheriff Day shrugged. “Just wanted to be fair.”
I looked around for Veronica, needing to see her as the anger seeped out of me and my body grew sluggish. She was still in Sterling’s arms, kicking and clawing at him. She was tough, my little mate, just like she’d need to be to deal with a man like me. I groaned and then felt my body go slack.
My eyes felt like someone had poured sand in them. I blinked a few times and rubbed at them. When my vision cleared, I saw metal bars and concrete. Everything came back to me and I growled low in my throat. Fucking Sheriff. The one time he decides to do his job and he shoots me.
“Don’t growl as though you didn’t deserve to be shot. You were trying to kill Matt.” Veronica appeared in front of me, looking like sex in heels in a dress that showed damn near all of her hot little titties. She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled. “Stop looking at my chest.”
I pulled myself to my feet and swayed as the last of the drug worked itself out of my system. Being a shifter meant my body rid itself of unhealthy shit like that pretty quickly, but it still didn’t feel great. I gripped the bars and groaned. “I’m going to be sick.”
Worry crossed her face, but then she rolled her eyes. “Go ahead.”
I swallowed it down and tried to settle my rolling brain. Dizziness washed over me again and again and I almost wished I’d slept a little longer to avoid it.
“Are you okay?”
She scoffed. “Am I okay? You’re the one who looks like you got your face slammed in a door. You didn’t have to fight Matt, you know.”
I gripped the bars tighter. “Don’t say his name.”
“Don’t say his name.” She mocked me with a deepened voice. “You’re a fool. You’d fight anyone for touching me, but you won’t just fight for me.”
“I was fighting for you!”
She shook her head and looked so damn sad that my stomach flipped again. “No. You’re fighting like I’m your property or something. You’re not fighting for me. You’ve done nothing for me, nothing to try to win me over.”
I thought about it and frowned. “I brought you home with me. I…”
“Because Georgia and Allie came up with a way to push your bear over the edge. I sat on some guy’s lap and had to deal with his bad breath and handsy nature to get attention from you.”
I swallowed as rage coursed through me. I didn’t like what she was saying at all. “But you know you’re my mate.”
Her cheeks burned red as she glared at me. “Of course, I do! I have since that first day I bumped into you! I’ve known you were my mate for over a year and I knew every single day that you were rejecting me. I hid from you because I was horrified that I’d run into you and see the look of disgust on your face again. I had to trick you into touching me. Do you understand how that makes me feel? I had to change my appearance completely to get your attention. Was I so horrid before?”
I jerked away from her like she’d hit me harder than Matt ever hoped to. “What?”
She stared at me with tears pooling in her eyes. “I don’t want to do this anymore, Hutch. I did this tonight for Georgia, but I can’t do it anymore. I’ll spend forever alone, but that has to be better than having to convince the man who’s supposed to love me that I’m good enough for him. I do have a little bit of pride. Maybe not enough to have felt the humiliation and shame to the extent that I should have, but enough to end this right now.”
She turned away and I rattled the cell I was in by throwing myself hard against the bars. “Veronica! Wait! I was fighting for you tonight. I didn’t want that asshole touching you. You’re supposed to be with me.”
She looked at me with tears flowing down her cheeks. “You don’t get to say that now. You should’ve done it so long ago. You broke my heart, Hutch. I don’t want to let it go on for one second longer.”
She turned and hurried out of the hallway connecting the jail cells, ignoring me as I screamed her name.
“Veronica! Stop. You’re my mate. We’re meant to be together!”
Panic flooded me and I found myself doubled over, clutching my chest as air refused to enter my lungs. My mate had rejected me. Just like I’d been doing to her for over a year. A year in which she knew we were mates and allowed me do it. A year that she felt the way I was feeling now.
Dots appeared in front of my eyes and I went down to my knees. Gasping for air that wouldn’t come, I fell over and stared at the ceiling while my body finally sucked in a breath of air and my lungs clenched around it.
My mate had rejected me. She should. I was horrible. I closed my eyes and fought tears. I couldn’t lose her this way. Even if I didn’t deserve her, I had to show her that she was worth fighting for. I owed her that. I would fight for her. She belonged with me. I’d spend forever fighting for her.
23
Veronica
It’d been days. Days. I’d finally managed to stem the flow of tears, but in their place, was a cold emptiness that terrified me. Even when I was at dinner with Allie and Georgia, even when I made more of an effort to see my own family and went to Dallas, I felt horribly alone. It seemed that everywhere I looked, I saw couples paired off.
Knowing that I would be alone for the rest of my life was disheartening. It made reality sad and dark. That wasn’t even me being dramatic. I knew, without a doubt, that I would spend the rest of my life alone, because I couldn’t stomach the thought of touching another man after the night I’d spent with Hutch.
Life seemed to be made for couples.
Seeing my friends mated, too, made me feel extra poopy. I was happy for them, of course, but it was hard to see people being with their mates. Every time Wyatt or Thorn looked at Georgia and Allie, I felt like an ax was landing on my poor, pathetic heart.
Some pitiful part of me had hoped that having me walk away from him would send Hutch running after me. I’d meant the things I said to him, but I still hoped. I wanted to be proven wrong. I wanted him to show me that he did care about me. Instead, it’d been days and I hadn’t seen him once.
I wasn’t hiding anymore. He was. Each time Thorn looked at me, there was pity on his face. He would pat me on the top of my head, call me a kitten, and then shake his head like he’d just seen the worst train wreck of his life. It wasn’t great for my mentality.
None of Hutch’s other friends would even look at me for too long. What I’d feared had come true. I was t
he sad, forlorn woman who got rejected by her mate. I was like the sick old dog in the shelter who people kept passing and tried to avoid making eye contact with because they didn’t want to feel guilty for what I was going through. And, what was worse, I was now destined to be Burden’s lonely spinster librarian.
I was experiencing life through a haze of numbness and I had no clue when it would end. Was there some kind of time limit for how long a mate rejecting you could affect you? Would I eventually hit max time spent? Would I be released from the hell of mourning a man who was still alive and well?
God, I’d been reading too many sad novels. I hadn’t touched an erotic romance in longer than I cared to admit, especially with the book exchange right around the corner. I didn’t know how I was supposed to suggest which book to read if ladies were interested in spanking, or beginner BDSM, when the mere thought of sex made me want to hurl.
I’d no sooner found my groove that I lost it again. I’d lost my groove so bad that I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to get it back. Not that I’d ever need it again.
I left work and headed home, but Georgia intercepted me. She caught up to me when I was just a block from my house and I couldn’t hide the exhaustion that darkened my face.
“Ronnie, honey, you need a drink.”
I shook my head. “No. I do not need a drink, Georgia. I need to go home and get in bed and sleep. I’m tired.”
She grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the bar. “I love you, but you don’t need more sleep. You need to get your mind off of all this shit. Come on.”
I wanted to fight, but I didn’t have it in me to resist a powerhouse like Georgia. I let her pull me to the bar and sighed, “One drink.”
She pushed open the door and then shoved me in. “Good luck in there.”
Bears of Burden Complete Series Box Set Page 28