Jo didn’t know what was happening to her, almost couldn’t explain it. Her need for him was working her into an inferno, her entire body was on fire. His hands weren’t just exploring her, they were pulling the clothes from her body in an almost feral way, tugging and clawing at them until her skin was exposed. In response, she spread her hands across his chest. Nick ripped his own shirt off, tearing it at the neck. Jo didn’t normally like rough men, but Nick was different. He was both rough and strong, yet managing not to hurt her even slightly. It was….exciting. Each touch of his hands seared her skin.
You need to stop. You shouldn’t be doing this. “I can’t stop,” Nick breathed, half to himself as his hands tugged her top up before landing back on her soft, warm skin.
“I don’t want you to,” Jo moaned. “Please, don’t stop, Nick.” She was gasping now, her breath coming quick and fast as he continued to explore her body. Her hands gripped his hair, tugging it hard as she arched against him.
The pain almost had him change right then and there. You’re not going to make it.
“Please,” Jo whimpered, her nails scratching down his back before scrambling at his trousers. “Please, Nick.”
“No!”
Tearing himself from her, he got to his feet, running two hands through his hair. Breathing hard, he tried to control the bear. The bear liked pain, it needed pain when it came to mating. Just a little, but enough. The way she'd tugged his hair and scratched her nails down his skin had been too much. His breath was rattling, a warning that the bear was on the verge of pushing through his skin. "I have to go. I shouldn't be doing this."
And with that, he was gone. Leaving his shirt behind.
When Jo woke up, she had absolutely no idea where she was. Lifting her head, she looked first at the fire, then saw the two empty wine glasses on the table – and everything came flooding back.
Getting to her feet, she stretched lazily, before rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Groaning as she saw the discarded clothes on the floor, she bent to pick them up, everything coming back to her at once.
She had no idea what had happened to Nick, or why he’d run out on her. It had been one of the most mortifying moments of her life. She’d been lying there, almost on the verge of release just from him touching her – and he’d left. His eyes had been darker than she’d remembered and his chest was heaving as he’d stood, clearly aroused, but trying to gain control. Why had he left? What had he meant when he’d said that he ‘shouldn’t be doing this’? What had been so wrong? It had certainly felt right to her.
Picking up her top, Jo realized that it was torn all the way down, meaning it was only fit for the trash. She couldn't wear it now. Trying to remember if it had been Nick or her who'd done that, her eyes fell on Nick's shirt. Frowning, she picked it up. He'd gone out in the cold, back home, with nothing on? It had been below freezing last night! Seeing the way it had been torn at the neck, Jo felt heat rush up her neck and into her cheeks. Her heart began to pound just with the thought of him, the way he'd literally torn the clothes from her body. It had been rough, but she'd liked it. She'd felt safe, even with his intensity. Somehow, he'd been both strong, but still gentle.
Trying not to worry about seeing Nick again, Jo poured herself a cup of coffee and wandered over to the snug book corner. It would be embarrassing when she saw him again, that was for sure! Trying to push all thoughts of the man from her mind, Jo picked a couple of books off the shelf, snuggling up into a cozy armchair. Throwing a blanket over her legs, she opened the first book and began to read.
“How much is there still to fix?”
Tom grimaced. “It’s mostly cosmetic stuff that’s left, really. The lights still need a bit of work, but not much.”
“I’ve fixed the oil leak,” Nick grunted, pulling himself out from under the car. “So just the lights and some panels to fix. That won’t take long.”
“Then we’ll just be waiting for the part,” Tom said, fixing his brother with a look. “You were back home late last night.”
Nick shrugged. He didn’t want his brother to know anything about what had happened. “We were just talking.”
“Right. And I’m just a –”
“Don’t start,” Nick interrupted. “I already know what you’re going to say.”
“So what happened?”
“It’s not your business.”
“So you just ate, talked and then you left?”
“Yes.”
“I’m not stupid, Nick,” Tom bit out. “You’re not the only one who could see how she was watching you.”
A rattle came from deep in Nick’s throat, warning his brother off. “It doesn’t matter how she was looking at me or anything like that. We’re just helping someone that stopped by. That’s all.” That was far too close last night. You can’t go near her again.
“I’m not going to quit warning you away from her, Nick. You’re normally the smart one, but when it comes to her, your brain’s not working properly.”
Nick had heard enough. If Tom wanted a fight he was going to get one. The rattle in his throat changed to a growl, his whole body tensed. His spine cracked, as the bones in his body began to lengthen and change. There was no-one else around, no-one to hear the half scream, half roar that sprang from his throat. Fur climbed over his skin, his anger and rage made him coil inwardly, ready to spring at his brother. They were going to fight this out.
CHAPTER 8
Something had woken Jo, but she wasn't quite sure what. Her book had been mildly interesting, but the blanket had been warm and the little area quite cozy. Despite the cup of coffee she drank, she still was unable to stay awake. Nick hadn't exactly helped her to get a lot of sleep last night. Her eyelids fluttering, she tried to wake up a bit more. The blanket slipped down, making her shiver a little. Tugging it up over her shoulders again, Jo cuddled back into the chair. She was awake at least, but she didn't want to leave her lovely soft den. Realizing that she had no idea what time it was, Jo grinned to herself. She didn’t care, and out here, she didn’t have to care. “I’m definitely making this a vacation,” she murmured to herself.
A sudden noise had her pushing herself upright again, her eyes widening as she realized the sound had been a roar. Her mind whirled, trying to place the noise. It sounded as though something was in pain. It came again, forcing her to get out of the chair. She had to find out what it was and where it was coming from. Her book fell to the floor with a thump as she crept across the floor, fear tingling all the way down her arms. The sound, she was sure, came from an animal. Given what had happened to her on her way here, her first thought was that bears were approaching the cabin. "Did you lock the door?" she asked herself, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the key in the lock. Carefully jiggling the handle, she let out a sigh of relief, glad that she was safe. She hadn't touched the windows since she'd arrived, so everything was secure. The sound came again, making her jump with surprise – and then another, and then another. "There's more than one," she muttered to herself, her heart picking up its pace.
Stepping carefully to one side, Jo peered carefully out of the window, trying to see where the noise was coming from. She couldn’t see much except trees, the sound of her breathing the only noise. “There!” she exclaimed, after a few minutes. There was something moving in between the trees – something big and dark. It had to be a bear. “There’s no reason for them to come near the cabin,” Jo told herself, spotting another one. “Just stay indoors and try not to worry.”
Moving back slowly from the window, Jo wondered whether or not to phone Nick. Shaking her head and deciding that she was being ridiculous, she walked into the kitchen area, thinking that perhaps she’d grab something to eat and head upstairs. The roars were getting louder, as though they were getting closer and Jo felt all the hairs on the back of her neck stick up in fright. Trying to settle her nerves, she began to head towards the stairs, when a sudden thud hit the front door.
Jo screamed aloud as it came, again and
again, the sound of the bear's angry roars flooding her ears. Panic flew through her, her heart hammering wildly. Glass smashed from the window beside the door, where she'd been standing minutes earlier. Her eyes widening, Jo tried to edge her way towards the staircase, but her legs were quivering so badly, she could barely move a muscle.
The roars came again, the door cracking under the strain. A scream lodged in her throat, the shock forcing her into action. Scrambling for the staircase, Jo climbed the stairs two at a time, sure that the ground was shaking under her feet. As she threw herself into the bathroom and locked the door, Jo realized that it wasn't the ground that was shaking – it was her. By now she was so frightened that her legs had turned to jelly as the bears surrounded her and the cabin. Glancing out of the window, she saw a very large bear begin to walk towards the other three. Growls came from him, clearly in warning. As she watched, the largest of the three moved forward, growling back.
“They’re talking to each other,” Jo murmured to herself, her fingers tingling as she let go of the windowsill, letting herself drop down to sit on the floor.
“Tom!” Nick frowned, glancing up at the security camera that focused on the cabin. They used it regularly, to ensure no-one was causing any damage to their property - but now a movement caught Nick’s eye.
“What?”
“Look.”
Tom shook his head. “I don’t see anything.”
Refusing to even blink, Nick stared at the camera. “I swear I saw something.”
Watching it for a few seconds more, Tom was just about to turn away when he saw it too. Something moving, rippling, in the long grass. It was approaching the cabin. “Is that what I think it is?”
“I reckon so,” Nick replied, grimly. “I didn’t think the Northern Wind pack would be back so soon.”
Tom watched as two bears walked into the security camera’s feed, making their way towards the cabin. “You said that, if they did come, they’d get her scent and leave her alone.”
Saying nothing, Nick shifted uneasily.
“Nick,” Tom said, warning in his voice. “You said they’d leave her alone, right?”
“Maybe I was wrong,” Nick muttered, seeing a third bear begin to climb the steps of the cabin. His muscles were tensing, his anger growing as he gave in to the urge to fight.
Tom shoved his brother, hard. “You said she’d be safe, Nick! Get out there and take care of this! You put her there. She’s your responsibility!”
Nick moved at once, practically running to the door. “I won’t be long.”
“Do you need me to come with you?” Tom asked. While he thought this was Nick’s mess, he didn’t want to leave his brother to face the Northern Wind pack alone.
Nick shook his head. Whilst they were both alpha bears, being the eldest he was slightly bigger and slightly stronger than his brother. “There’s only three of them. They’re small. I can handle them by myself.”
Tom said nothing, turning away from both Nick and the camera.
It didn’t take Nick more than a few minutes to arrive near to the cabin. Throwing the car door open, the scent of the Northern Wind pack hit his nostrils almost at once. Tearing off his clothes, Nick felt his veins begin to pump with blood. The rattle in his throat was there immediately, his body tensing in preparation for the change. His bones were shaking, his spine cracking as it lengthened. It was a mixture of pain and exhilaration, his body growing and changing in one swift motion.
His paws hit the ground, the fur immediately warming him. His strength as a man was nothing compared to his strength as a bear. He could feel it coursing through him, his breath coming out in an angry snort.
Shaking his fur once, he breathed in a long breath, the scent of the Northern Wind pack forcing a growl from his throat. His bear wanted nothing more than to fight, to knock them all into the ground, ripped and bleeding. The human part of him wanted to try and talk them out of it, but if it came to it, then he would fight and fight hard. They had to leave. He had to protect Jo. Moving forward, Nick rose onto his hind legs, drawing the Northern Wind pack away from the cabin and towards him.
“You’re here” Nick heard as one of the bears came closer. “Who’s she?”
“No-one,” Nick growled, dropping to his four paws as he recognized Dan from the Northern Wind pack. “Leave her alone.” If Jo was watching, he knew she would only hear his words as growls, hating that she would probably be completely terrified by the scene unravelling before her.
A large brown bear walked down the steps of the cabin, its footsteps slow and sure. Nick hadn’t met this one before. “Join us.”
Nick’s dark eyes glowed dangerously. “No.”
“Said that before,” the second bear rumbled. It was a dark mottled gray and had begun to move towards Nick as stealthily as possible. Flood, if Nick remembered correctly. “We don’t like that.”
Nick braced himself. He could smell the adrenaline coming off all three bears, knew that they were preparing themselves for a fight. “That’s too bad.”
“We don’t want to hurt anyone.”
“But we will.”
The warning was clear. “Leave her alone.” Nick’s muscles were rippling as his body grew ready for a fight. His eyes began searching in the woods for Dan, the third bear. He’d gone downwind, so Nick couldn’t pick up his scent. “She’s not one of us.”
“She’s your mate.”
Thumping the ground with his two front paws, Nick growled loudly. They’d been watching him, watching the cabin. “She’s not. She’s human.”
“Then join the pack,” the large brown bear said, now ambling closer and closer as he began to swing his head from side to side in warning.
Nick could sense the darkness in its voice, saw the way its ears moved back. The attack was imminent. Blowing out a long breath through his nostrils, Nick snarled his teeth. "No.”
The moment he gave his answer, Dan came from behind Nick and began a vicious attack. He had snuck around the back, attacking him where he was most vulnerable. Claws dragged their way up his back, and Nick let out a roar of pain, turning to defend himself. A swipe of his huge paw sent Dan away with a whine, a deep cut to his face, but Nick immediately had to deal with the other two.
Gathering his strength, Nick knocked Flood to the ground, while the other sank its teeth into his shoulder. The pain only fuelled his rage, as Nick shook the other one off. Dropping to the ground, Nick tensed, waiting for them both to attack him again. The moment they advanced, he pulled himself back up to his full height, swiping first at the eyes of Flood and the nose of the other.
A roar of pain came from Flood, blood beginning to pour from his eye. Nick’s claws had found their mark, leaving only the largest bear to deal with.
Standing as tall as he could, Nick roared aloud, the sound echoing through the trees. He stood taller and larger than the other bear, his dominance clear. His lips curled, his teeth bared, blood dripping from his claws.
“This isn’t over,” the bear snorted, dropping to its four paws and turning away. “Watch yourself.”
Nick didn’t move, his roars sounding long after the three bears of the Northern Wind pack had disappeared into the forest. He stood there for a long time, waiting for their scent to disappear entirely, before going back onto his four paws. Blood was roaring in his ears, the adrenaline only beginning to leave his veins. He couldn’t change when he was like this, he needed to wait until the bear had grown quiet. Then he could check on Jo.
CHAPTER 9
Changing back into his human skin was agony, the roar ending in a scream as his bones shrank and muscles snapped. The injuries from the attack were now red scrapes to his shoulders and back, and Nick could taste blood. He’d bitten down hard when he’d changed, in an attempt to keep the pain inside, but it hadn’t been any use. The bear liked it when he roared, but he always tried to keep it inside. It never worked. Nick just hoped that Jo hadn’t seen anything. He’d tried to change far away from the cabin, but he
didn’t know where she was or if she’d even been looking out of the windows.
Dressing quickly, Nick walked through the trees towards the cabin. He was struggling to hide his limp. He'd really taken a beating. The Northern Wind pack hadn't been kidding when they'd threatened to force him into joining them, but their threats against Jo had to be taken seriously. She was human and could be easily killed. A single swipe from a paw could do that. Fragile, delicate, gentle little human, he warned himself, just as the rush of protectiveness flooded him. He could almost taste her fear as he walked towards the cabin, pulling himself up the steps.
“Jo?” he called, hammering on the door. “Jo, are you there? Are you okay? It’s Nick.” He strained to hear any sound from indoors, frowning when nothing caught his ears. “Jo?” he called again, banging on the door again. “They’ve gone. It’s Nick, you can let me in now.” The door creaked loudly. Nick winced as he saw the marks on it. They’d really given it a battering, no wonder Jo wasn’t answering.
Her legs were still shaking, but Jo could hear a familiar voice calling her name. Relief flooded her as she realized it was Nick. Her first thought – that he was outside and the bears were attacking him – had her scrambling for the door, but as she made her way down the stairs, she heard him call that the bears were gone.
Nick’s senses were all focused on Jo. Finally, he heard her footsteps coming down the stairs, sagging against the doorframe in relief. “Jo?”
“I’m here,” she replied, her voice quivering. “I’m just coming.”
She’s shaking, Nick realized, standing back so she could open the door. Her fingers had slipped on the key at least twice, and he could hardly bear the wait. "Jo?"
“I’ve got it,” she replied, finally managing to swing the door open.
“Jo,” he breathed, catching her up in his arms. “Are you all right?”
“What happened to you?” she asked, at exactly the same time. He half carried her back into the house, slamming the door behind him.
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