chapter 38

The rawness gripped her throat, and she put a hand against her chest, almost as if she felt him crushing her now, telling her what she would and wouldn’t do. His orders, filled with so much rage, echoed inside her head.

“I’ve got you, Heather. Breathe. In and out. Slowly. Deeply.”

Heather didn’t realize straight away that she had collapsed to her knees and had started to struggle to breathe. David had a hand on her back and one on her chest.

He looked worried. The frown between his brows seemed more pronounced than ever before. She wanted to press her thumb to it, to wipe it away, but she didn’t touch him.

Instead, she focused on getting oxygen into her body, thrusting the ghastly memories behind and ignoring the fear taking over her body.

The rogue bear was gone. He was dead.

But she had a horrible feeling he’d left a permanent scar deep within her.

****

“Do you want to talk about it?” Caleb asked, coming out of the house just as David brought the axe down on a fallen tree stump he’d gathered for firewood.

“Nope.”

“You were gone a week.”

“I know.” Returning home after a spell of mating heat might not have been the best idea for him. While Heather was back with her family and seemingly so fucking happy about it, he struggled with the men.

Caleb was practically a mated wolf, but seeing other men touch her was driving him crazy. It angered him, filled him with a rage he didn’t know he possessed.

His only outlet was running in his wolf form. Ever since Caleb mated, the rest of the pack had been able to shift on will rather than with the power of the full moon. It was liberating, another perk of having their alpha claim a mate.

Caleb sighed and leaned against the far wall.

David brought the axe down four more times, hoping to pretend he couldn’t sense his alpha’s disapproval.

“What?” he asked, looking up and meeting Caleb’s eyes.

He raised one of his. “After a mating heat, there is supposed to be a honeymoon period between the couple, and yet you’re out here, and let me put this politely, you’re in a shit mood.”

He laughed. He couldn’t help it.

“Yeah, well, the honeymoon period is for those that accept each other. Heather doesn’t accept me. We even missed the full moon. The mating isn’t even completed.”

His wolf wasn’t happy about it, but they were putting on a brave face, acting all nonchalant as if they didn’t care. The truth was, it fucking hurt big

time. Their mate had all but rejected them, and they wanted to go and lick their wounds.

Throwing the axe to the ground, he stepped back. “I need some air.” “You’re outside, David.”

“I need to be away right now. Will you … will you keep an eye on her for me?”

“I think you need to come in and talk to us.”

David shook his head. “What I need is to be left alone.” He turned on his heel and ran toward the forest. The moment he broke through the tree line, he stripped off his clothes, feeling the freedom of the ground. All he wanted to do was run.

The mating heat still touched his body. The scent of her still wrapped around him, mocking him with his need.

His wolf was close to the surface as he thought about her, and he allowed himself to turn, to feel his wolf roam freely as it split his skin, bringing about his creature.

Charging through the night, he ran, basking in his pain, not allowing himself to stop, but to keep on going. To not give up.

His thoughts were dominated by Heather. The way she said his name as she came, the feel of her nails as they sank into his back.

The tightness of her virgin pussy. The way she tasted as he licked her even after he’d come inside her.

They hadn’t used protection.

During the mating heat, there was no point. No condom would stand up to their needs. It was impossible.

The mating heat was designed to bring mates together and to have babies. Heather could be pregnant. Even as that was a joyous thought, it was also one filled with sadness. Heather wasn’t ready to be his mate, and she certainly wasn’t ready to have his babies.

Coming to the edge of a cliff, he brought himself to a stop, changing back into his human form and taking a seat to look over the beautiful view.

The steep drop didn’t bother him, but he didn’t risk hanging his legs over the edge. The fall might not kill him, but his wolf was only capable of healing so many wounds at one time.

“What the fuck am I going to do?” he asked. There was no answer.

His heart and body belonged to Heather. She may not know love, but he did.

He understood her hesitation when it came to mating, he honestly did.

But her rejection of him, of them, was the worst feeling in the world. “I thought I would find you here.”

David turned to see Mika, Heather’s sister, coming out of the forest edge. She was completely clothed as she took a seat beside him. “I didn’t want any company.”

“I know. I heard.”

“You’re sneaking around listening in on conversations that don’t concern you?” he asked.

“Always.” She sighed. “If I don’t sneak around, I never learn the truth, and that sucks big time. People are always trying to keep me safe.”

“That’s because you need to be kept safe.” “Do you love Heather?” Mika asked.

David took a deep breath and turned to look at her sister. “I don’t think that’s a question you should be asking me.” He didn’t want to talk to her sister.

She tucked some hair behind her ear and nodded. “I know. There’s a lot of stuff I shouldn’t get involved in, but I feel like I should be the one to tell you things anyway.”

He wasn’t in the mood for talking. “I didn’t come all the way out here to talk.” The fact he was having to attempt to hide his nudity was more than enough for him.

“Oh, I know. You want to be alone. I’ve noticed a lot of people want to be alone when they’re miserable.”

“So why don’t you head back to the house? That would be great.” “Yeah, that’s not going to happen. I want to help you and Heather.” He ran a hand down his face. “We don’t need help.”

Mika snorted. “You guys have been through the mating heat.

That should be the moment you’re both so happy and planning the wedding, finishing each other’s sentences and all of that. My sister is on her bed, crying.

You’re out here, talking to yourself, staring at nothing for answers. Believe me when I say this, you both need my help, like sooner rather than later.”

If he just ignored her, she would eventually go away.

“You can stare up at the sky all you want and pretend not to hear me. I get it. What can I know? I’m just Heather’s sister. Probably the last person you want to see, but she’s been different lately. You don’t know it, but I do. She has always been a good sister.

The one who followed the pack. Never made waves. Did as she was told. I don’t know if you know this, but Heather has wanted to find her mate since she was a little girl. She planned the wedding.

She had this notebook of what she wanted her mate to be like. They were long stupid lists of kind and smart, but ferocious. How he would love her above everyone and everything else, because she was completely devoted to him.”

“That’s not the woman I know,” he said.

“Exactly. Ever since Heather found you, she hasn’t been like the person she claimed to be.” Mika growled. “Don’t you see? You’re not getting the real Heather. She is … terrified.”

“Why? I’m not going to hurt her.”

“Men are so fucking stupid.” She growled. “She’s still suffering from the attack, stupid. She might have PTSD, I think that’s what people call it. We’re wolves, right? Have you ever heard of a wolf having to deal with it?”

“No.”

“I’m not a doctor. I don’t know for sure if that’s what’s wrong or if she’s just being a giant pain in the ass and making you work for it.

Believe me, David, Heather is not herself. Ask our uncle. We’re the only ones who know the real Heather, and well, in the attack, our stuff got destroyed.

I don’t think the notebook with all of her hopes and dreams made it.” Mika looked up to the sky. “I love my sister. Please, don’t give up on her. She’s been through a lot, and you may not feel it now, but she does love you, so much.”

Mika got to her feet, and he didn’t call out to her or ask her to come back.

He gave one last lingering look at the night’s sky, stood, and took off back home.

No one was around when he arrived.

He’d already picked up his clothes, and made his way into the house, going straight to his room. After a quick shower, he dried his body and then left his room to go toward Heather’s.

David placed his hand on her door.

He felt her presence. She was already part of him.

The first whimper had him tensing. The second, he gripped the handle of the door and opened it.

Heather lay in bed, thrashing back and forth. The whimper turned to a scream.

He closed the door and moved to the bed, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her in close. “I’ve got you,” he said.

Within seconds, she settled in his arms. He’d chased her nightmares away.

“I will never give up on you.”