“Well, that was kind of you,” she said after a minute. “Do you want to come back to bed now?” Her clear invitation made him grin, and he leaned down to brush a gentle kiss across her lips.
“Sure,” he replied, tugging her after him. “But we both need to sleep, Jo.” The bear was growing restless and he wouldn’t risk touching her again.
“I know.” She couldn’t keep the disappointment from her voice, knowing he was right. Perhaps there would be time for that in the morning.
CHAPTER 15
Unfortunately for Jo, by the time she woke up, Nick was already washed, dressed and making breakfast. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she sat up, just as Nick walked in with a tray in his hands.
“Good morning,” he rumbled, placing the tray down carefully on her lap and leaning over to kiss her. “You look even more beautiful this morning, Jo.”
“I doubt it,” she laughed, aware of her messy hair and tired eyes. “But thank you for the compliment. Are you sure I can’t tempt you back to bed?”
“Unfortunately not,” he sighed, genuinely regretful. “I promised Tom I’d be back this morning, to help finish up a few things.”
“But will you be back later?” Jo asked, her hand sliding around his wrist as though she could keep him with her.
He nodded. “Of course I will.” Suddenly, his nostrils flared, and he abruptly stood up.
“Nick?” Jo searched his face, concerned. “What’s wrong?”
Nick didn't answer immediately, sniffing a few times, before leaving the room. "I think someone's here," he said, leaving the room. "Stay here." He was sure he'd heard a car, and then caught Tom's scent. Why on earth was he back so soon? He knew that Nick would be coming back later that morning, so what was the point of coming here again? A growl caught in his throat. If Tom were to go on about Jo again, then there would only be one outcome. The bear was already snapping its teeth, ready for a fight.
“What?” Throwing open the door, Nick glared at his brother who was framed in the doorway. “I don’t want to talk, Tom. I thought I made that clear.”
Tom glared right back, his hackles rising. “And you ignored me anyway.”
“I can take care of myself,” Nick bit out, trying to close the door. “I’ll be back later.”
“Wait.” Sticking a foot in the door, Tom practically forced his way in. “I’ve got something to tell you.”
“What?”
Tom swallowed, knowing what was coming. “Jo’s car is ready.”
Nick froze, ice swimming in his veins. “What?”
“I said, her car is ready. It’s fixed.”
“It – it can’t be,” Nick stammered, confused. “We’re waiting for that part –”
“Which I went and got,” Tom interrupted, his face reddening. “Don’t get me wrong, Nick, I like Jo. But this is for your own good.”
Nick’s jaw tightened, blood beginning to pump furiously in his veins. Grabbing his brother by the front of his shirt, Nick huffed out a few breaths, feeling his bear getting ready for a fight. “How dare you.”
“I did it for you,” Tom spluttered, his toes barely touching the ground. “One day, you’re going to thank me for this.”
Muscles began to stretch as Nick prepared himself to shift – only to be stopped by Jo’s clear voice.
“Is something the matter?”
With an effort, Nick dropped Tom to the ground, although the bear refused to calm down. “No,” he grunted, refusing to turn around in case she saw the change in his eyes. “Tom was just leaving.”
“Your car’s fixed,” Tom said, pushing past Nick. “I’m sorry it wasn’t done sooner.”
“Oh.” Confused, Jo looked from Tom to Nick, wondering why he still hadn’t turned around. “Thank you. I thought you were waiting for a part?”
“I drove down and got it for you,” Tom explained, trying to smile. “I know how frustrated you were.”
Jo tried to thank him, wondering why Tom seemed so keen to get rid of her. “There’s no rush now, though,” she said, softly, seeing Nick’s shoulders slowly loosen. “My client isn’t meeting me for a couple more days so I guess I could just stay here as planned.”
A muscle worked in Tom’s jaw. “I think it would be best if you left, Jo.”
Her heart dropped to her toes. “What? Why?”
“Ignore him,” Nick bit out, walking up to his brother and grabbing him by the shoulder. “He was just leaving.”
“Let go,” Tom growled, pushing his brother away. “You know I’m right about this.”
“Right about what?” Jo asked, feeling a little dazed. “Do you hate me or something, Tom?”
He shook his head, walking back towards the door. “It’s nothing like that, Jo. It’s just best for Nick if he doesn’t see you again.”
“And why’s that?”
Tom scowled. “He’s got other responsibilities.”
“Which I can deal with myself,” Nick shouted, finally losing his temper. “Why can’t you just let me make my own choices, Tom?”
“Because she’s not right for you!” he yelled back, forgetting that Jo was there. “When did you become so stupid?”
“I care about her, okay?”
“So?”
“So that means something.”
“Means what?” Tom shouted, shoving his brother, hard. “You know the rules.”
“Rules?” Jo asked faintly, sitting down on the sofa. She’d just heard Nick tell Tom that he cared about her, which was more than he’d told her, and now they were talking about some kind of rules? “I don’t understand.”
Nick’s anger blazed, his bear roaring to get out. “Let’s take this outside, Tom.”
Instead of answering, Tom stared at him, tilting his head to hear. At that exact same moment, Nick became aware of a scent in the air. They’d been so busy arguing that he hadn’t noticed before.
“They’re here,” he mumbled, his muscles beginning to snap.
“Yup.” Turning to Jo, Tom gave her a sad look. “I’m sorry, Jo,” he said. “This was never about you.”
Jo opened her mouth to ask what was going on when a roar sounded from just outside the door. "The bears are back," she whispered, her heart beginning to pound. "Come in, lock the door!" Staring at Nick, she pushed herself back into the sofa as she saw his back begin to bend. There were cracks of bone, rips of muscles tearing and a scream of pain that suddenly turned into a roar. Falling onto his hands, Nick transformed before her eyes, his entire body covering with fur, like a wave rolling over the sand. His clothes dropped, ripped and torn, to the floor. Her mouth opened in a silent scream as instead of Tom and Nick, there were now two bears in the cabin. Neither of them looked at her as they thundered outside, ready to defend themselves again.
Jo blinked furiously, not knowing how to process what she’d seen. There had been Nick and Tom, and then there had been two bears. Two big bears at that. Their roars echoed through the cabin, shaking her like a leaf. They’d somehow become bears. Her mind couldn’t accept it, couldn’t take it in. Pulling herself to her feet, Jo made her way along the sofa, gripping it tightly with her hands. Her legs shook as she stumbled to the front door, slamming it shut and turning the key. Panic was filling her, making her tremble all over. Sinking to the floor, her legs refusing to hold her up, she crawled along the side of the cabin and into the little book corner, pulling herself into a chair and covering her entire body with a soft blanket. The bears continued their fight outside, while Jo fought with herself over what she had seen.
All of the anger Nick had towards his brother was redirected at the Northern Wind pack. There were more of them now, but Tom being there had been something they'd not expected. Nick knew they'd been watching the cabin and would have known that he was here with Jo, but Tom turning up unexpectedly meant that they now had two alphas to contend with. The battle was hard and fierce, but eventually, they turned tail and ran back into the forest, cut and bleeding from the brother's attacks.
&n
bsp; His chest heaving, Nick watched and waited until he couldn’t catch any trace of their scent anymore.
They’re gone, Tom said, turning to walk away from him. I’m going back.
Good idea. Nick had no idea how he was going to explain this to Jo. She should never have been in this situation in the first place. Nick had tried so hard to keep her safe, but she’d managed to get caught up in their fight anyway. Dropping to his four paws, Nick climbed the stairs back to the cabin door and sniffed.
Jo wasn’t there. She was probably hiding, terrified out of her mind. He couldn’t blame her. The bear grew quiet, allowing him to change back. It was fast and painful, his desperation to get back to her, to explain, forcing him to shift quickly. “Jo,” he gasped, his chest heaving as he thumped on the door. “Jo, open up. Please.”
Jo shook her head, as though he could hear her. The moment the roars had stopped, she'd managed to uncurl herself from the blanket and climb the stairs, frantically grabbing her things and shoving them into her bag. She didn't care if she left most of them, she just wanted out of here. Her mind was whirling, and she knew she couldn't stay here. She needed to get away, get back to her normal life. A life where people didn't just turn into bears at any moment.
Wrenching open the bedroom door, she pulled on her coat and walked down the stairs. Nick was still hammering on the door, asking her to open it and let him explain, but she couldn’t do it. Pocketing her car keys, Jo sat down on the sofa and waited for Nick to leave.
“Please, Jo, let me in.” He could both smell her and hear her, knowing that she was downstairs and able to hear him. “I know this must be really weird for you, but it’s not something I ever meant for you to see. Please, let me explain.” She didn’t move, didn’t speak. Growing desperate, Nick sagged against the doorframe, leaning his head on the wood. “Fine,” he said, softly. “I know you can hear me, Jo, so I’m going to explain anyway. Whether you’ll accept me or not after that is your choice.”
Inside, Jo leaned her head back on the sofa, blinking away sudden tears. She had begun to fall for Nick, but what she’d seen threw all of that into confusion. The least she could do was listen, but Jo knew it wouldn’t change her mind. She wanted to get as far away from him as possible.
“Tom and I,” Nick began, his words reaching her through the door. “We’re what’s known as shifters. Bear shifters, obviously. We were the bears that damaged your car.”
Jo swallowed, her eyes widening as she realized this must be the reason that the brothers had been so kind to her. They'd been paying her back for what they'd done to her car. Closing her eyes again, Jo pressed a hand to her mouth. This was crazy.
“The bears you saw, the ones that attacked us, they’re shifters too,” Nick continued. “They want us to join their pack.”
Jo shook her head to herself, hardly able to believe what he was saying.
“The Northern Wind pack are known for being aggressive and hostile. They stay in their bear forms for a long time, hardly ever using their human skin. Instead of living quietly like most of us do, they want to make the biggest, strongest pack in the state. So, they want us to join them. We’ve said no, but they keep trying to get us to join. I guess now they’ve started using violence." He closed his eyes, wishing she would let him in. "I'm so sorry that you got caught up in all that, Jo. I never wanted you to see it. That's why Tom fixed your car, he knows that shifters and humans can't really be together, no matter how they feel. And I feel something for you, Jo." He could smell the salt in the air, and his heart broke. She was crying.
“I do,” he continued, honestly. “This hasn’t just been a quick fling for me, Jo. There’s something about you that I need, something that my bear needs too. I know that sounds really strange, but when I’m with you, I’m happy. Satisfied. Even though you’re not a shifter like me, that doesn’t seem to matter. I’m really starting to care about you.”
CHAPTER 16
Jo raised her hands over her ears, not willing to take in anything that he had to say. She didn’t know what to think or what to feel, her mind screaming that she needed to get out of here.
“Just go, Nick,” she shouted, not wanting to hear another word. “Please, just go.”
Outside, Nick thumped the door with his fist, completely frustrated. “I don’t want to go,” he said, quietly. “I want to see you, Jo.”
She didn’t reply, the silence telling him more than she could with words.
“If you want me to go, then I will,” he said, eventually. “I know this must be terrifying for you, Jo, but I want you to talk to me. Please, don’t leave before we have a chance to talk.”
Jo waited until she couldn't hear his footsteps anymore, before bursting into fresh tears. Nothing made sense. By the time her tears dried, she was ready to go. Not caring if she'd left anything behind, she picked up her bag, and walked to her car, leaving the cabin door key under the front doormat. All she wanted was to get out of here.
Tom swore loudly the moment Nick walked into the shop, the look on his face warning him of what was on his brother’s mind. Mentally and physically exhausted, he backed away, holding his hands up. “Please, Nick,” he began, quietly. “What’s done is done. I know you didn’t mean for her to see us change, but –”
“If you hadn’t come by, that wouldn’t have happened,” Nick growled, his fists clenching.
“It might have,” Tom contradicted. “The Northern Wind pack are determined to get you – get us – any way they can.”
“You didn’t have to fix her car.”
“I know, but it’s for the best. Really.”
Nick slammed his fist down on the counter, making Tom jump. “Since when is it your business to tell me how to live my life, Tom?”
Tom could feel the tension coming from his brother. “It’s not. I’m just trying to protect you.”
“I don’t need protecting!” Nick roared, spittle flying from his mouth. “She’s my mate, Tom! Don’t you get it?”
Tom’s mouth fell open. “Your mate?” he stammered, his eyes wide with shock. “She can’t be, Nick. You’ve made a mistake. Jo’s not a shifter, she’s a human.”
Closing his eyes, Nick nodded. “I know that,” he said, more quietly. “It doesn’t make any more sense to me, either, but all I know is that the bear has found its mate.” His anger ebbed away, leaving him feeling exhausted. “I’ve been trying to stay away from her, Tom, but the bear has only called for her more and more.”
Finally, Tom realized what a struggle Nick had been facing. Finding a mate, only for her not to be a shifter? That was almost too difficult to understand. "So that's why you couldn't stay away from her."
Nick nodded, running a hand through his hair. He was more than just upset, he was almost distraught at the thought of Jo leaving him. She was his mate, he was sure of it now. There wouldn’t be someone else, not ever. “I was with her,” he explained, simply. “The bear was quiet so I went for it. I couldn’t help myself.”
“And you didn’t hurt her?” Tom asked, surprised.
“I didn’t. Not once. The bear was quiet, almost peaceful. It was like we were meant to be together. She’s the only one for me, Tom.”
“Then I’m really sorry,” Tom replied, honestly. “I didn’t know.”
“How could you?” Nick sighed, closing his eyes and almost groaning with misery. “It doesn’t make sense. Shifters don’t touch humans.”
“At least now she knows who you really are,” Tom said, after a moment. “You don’t have to hide that part of you anymore.”
“She wouldn’t talk to me.”
“What?”
“She locked the cabin door and wouldn’t talk to me.”
Tom sighed, his mouth twisting into a rueful smile. “Can you really blame her, Nick? Just give her a chance. She’s seen something she was never meant to see and it must be terrifying for her. Let her think about things for a while and then try again.”
Nick glanced at his brother. “You think?”
“Yeah,” Tom shrugged. “I’m sure she just needs some time.”
Nick wanted to believe him, but the sound of a car caught his ears. Striding outside, he waited as it drew closer, his eyes catching sight of Jo’s car as it drove towards him. His heart lifted, hoping that she was coming to talk to him – but instead, she just drove straight past, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.
“No!” he shouted, sprinting after her. “Jo! Come back!” His bear was roaring, wanting him to catch up with her, never to let her go again. Your mate is leaving. Running as fast as he could, Nick waved frantically, hearing the sound of the engine revving harder. She was driving away from him as fast as she could and in the end, he had to let her go.
Jo checked into a hotel room for two nights, with both dinner and breakfast delivered to her room. There were going to be no more motels. If Brian wanted her to drive instead of fly, she was going to stay in style. Charging it to her work credit card, Jo thanked the receptionist and walked to her room.
Flopping onto the plush bed, Jo wanted to curl up into a ball and cry, but she’d done far too much of that on the way here. She’d caught sight of Nick in her rear view mirror, saw the way he chased after her with a desperate look on his face. Instead of stopping, instead of talking to him, she’d pressed the accelerator harder, leaving him behind.
Now that the pain and panic had begun to die away, Jo was beginning to think that she'd made a mistake. She'd never faced up to her problems, running away from them the way she'd run away from Nick. That was why Brian was able to take advantage of her because she never stood up for herself. Was that really the way she wanted to end things with Nick?
Sighing, Jo pulled herself up and began to sort her luggage out, thinking that she might have a bath later in the evening. Her cell phone rang, and her heart jumped in her chest. Was it Nick? Had he called?
It wasn’t Nick. It was Brian. Sighing, she answered. “Yes, Brian. What is it?”
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