Nick ground Flood’s snout into the dirt and dead leaves as he stood, springing around frantically towards the wreckage of Jo’s car. Smoke billowed from the hood of her car, further obscuring the already dark clearing. Panic in his throat, he stared intensely at the windows of her car, trying to make out her fate. From where he stood, he could see the stark white of the deployed air bag inside, hoping beyond hope that it was enough to keep her alive. The windshield had shattered to zero visibility and the hood of Jo’s car was crumpled to near disrepair, Dan’s heavy, motionless frame wedged between the car and the thick trunk of a nearby forest tree. His face was turned away from Nick’s, and between the night and the smoke, it was near impossible to see if he might be breathing from afar.
With a gasp, Jo’s head emerged from the ample material of the air bag. She rose up in her seat, spluttering and catching her breath as a slow trickle of blood trailed its way down her face. His bear flinched at the sight of scarlet upon her, but Nick used his rationale to remind it that it was likely just a small cut caused by the impact. She’d be fine.
Meanwhile, all signs of the fight had ceased at the moment of Jo’s crash, rendering the blood-scented night to silence. A feral snarl tore through the cool air, Lucas breaking the silence before anyone else dared.
“One of our own, killed by the likes of a human!” Lucas roared, lurching forward in a stalk toward the wrecked car. Toward Jo. “I’ll take a special sort of pride in gutting you,” he growled, the rumble loud and deep as it spilled from his throat.
“What?” Nick heard Tom exclaim behind him, the whimpers and shocked noises of the Northern Wind whispering through the trees as they processed what Lucas had said. “What happened with Jo?”
“She… she drove the car,” Nick said softly, eyes only for Lucas as he descended upon his mate. Jo’s gaze was still glazed over, her consciousness not quite finished rebooting after the violent impact of her car on the solid muscle of a bear. Nick doubted she even saw Lucas closing in on her, his teeth bared and dribbling stringy ribbons of saliva as he growled.
Darting as quickly as his cut and bruised legs would let him, Nick closed the distance between himself and Lucas, cutting off the pack leader’s path. “She’s off-limits.”
“She’s nothing,” Lucas snarled, snapping his jaws at Nick. “Move before I finish you off myself.”
“You’ll have no choice but to,” Nick thundered, ignoring his injuries as he rose tall on two paws. “But you’re sorely mistaken if you think it’ll be easy.” He glared down at Lucas. “You’re no alpha, Lucas. You’ll do well to remember that.”
He saw the faintest uncertainty flit through Lucas’s eyes and decided to coax it to flame. “Your men are injured, one possibly dead. You have no more reinforcements, and you’re one uninjured non-alpha against two injured alphas… Those are your odds.” He snorted. “Choose wisely.”
Lucas looked from the quivering heaps of his bears to the prone figure of Dan’s body across Jo’s hood, then back to Nick. Then ever so slightly, he took a small step backwards. “This isn’t over.”
Nick watched as Lucas beckoned his bears to retreat, but remained standing mightily with bipedal intimidation. He wouldn’t be able to relax until the Northern Wind’s scent was a distant memory on the chilly breeze.
“You dare not take your fallen?” Tom called after Lucas. “He might not be—”
“I have no use for bodies, alpha,” Lucas growled back, his stride unfaltering. “Whatever remains in that pile of rubbish is worthless. Leave him here to rot.” Without another word, Lucas darted into the thick of the woods, his subordinates limping sadly after him.
Chapter Twenty
Jo shoved open the side door on the driver’ side, toppling gracelessly out onto the ground in a fit of terror. She’d regained consciousness at the sight of a large bear’s face twisted in agony as it lay prone across her car. It was still there, large, bloodied, broken, and painfully, painfully still. She felt the beginnings of a scream bubbling up her throat and clapped both hands over her mouth. A frantic whimper managed to fight its way out as her body started to shiver in shock as well as cold.
Nick and Tom weren’t too far away, and she could distantly hear them moving about passed the numbness that was trying to settle over her. As much as she wanted to lock eyes with Nick and have him reassurance her that everything would be okay, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the bear she’d killed as it tricked blood down the side of her car.
A few moments of distant rustling passed before a pair of warm arms wrapped around her from behind. Her body tensed for a beat before melting into Nick’s embrace.
“Jo,” he whispered, feathering a few kisses on her temple and down her cheek. “Are you okay?”
She swallowed hard once, running her hand across Nick’s strong arms over and over. She nodded once, still unable to pull her eyes away from the dead bear.
Nick nuzzled the bed of her neck, pulling her close. Vaguely, she could feel that he’d started trembling as well. “You came back… you were gone… but you left… you came back… you’re here…” he chanted, his grip growing even tighter. “You could have been killed,” he finished after a moment of silence.
“I know,” Jo whispered back, finally speaking. “But I saw you… then the bear… He was going to…” She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.
“I know, I know,” he crooned. He sighed softly. “You saved me, Jo. You came back… and saved my life.”
His words finally gave her the strength she needed to turn away from the grisly wreck in front of her, embracing him the way she should have the moment she knew he was safe. He tried to tilt her chin up for a kiss, but instead, her gaze travelled downward, bringing a slow, tentative smile to her face. “You know you’re naked, right?”
Nick chuckled. “And bloody, and bruised, and broken, but of course, that’s what you noticed first.” A hint of blush tinged her cheeks as he kissed her.
“You’re hurt?” Jo asked as he pulled away.
He nodded. “Nothing that won’t heal up fine with time. We bears have healing that a human like you wouldn’t believe.”
“I’m hurt, too,” Tom quipped from afar, attempting to lighten the mood. “You know… just in case anyone cares.” He grinned as they both looked at him. “I’m also woefully naked, so, I’m just going to stay over here.”
Jo cracked a smile. “I—”
Jo’s car bucked and groaned as metal bent and twisted, and she bit back a surprised yelp. A deep growl reverberated loudly through the trees, morphing and changing until it became a scream while bones cracked and popped in the background.
She watched as Tom moved cautiously forward, keeping himself expertly covered and decent for Jo’s eyes as he walked to the destroyed car. The bear that had once been on her hood was on the tail end of a change back, his human skin rippling and shivering in pain. With a final groan, he was fully human once more. His frame was smaller as a human, no longer wedged between car and tree, and with a pain-filled grunt, the man slid limply onto the dirt and damp leaves of the ground.
Tom leaned down, raising a hand forward to check the man’s pulse. As if on instinct, the man’s arm shot out for Tom’s throat. Tom intercepted it easily, pinning the arm behind the man’s back. “Now, now Dan. That’s the thanks I get for trying to see if you’re still alive?” The man only growled in response, though it sounded more painful than angry.
“Holy shit” Nick breathed, face shocked and filled with pity. “I can’t believe he survived that hit.”
“No one’s more surprised than me,” Dan rumbled, hissing in agony as if it was literal torture to talk.
Jo stared from Nick, to Tom, and then finally allowed her eyes to rest on Dan. “I…” she began. “I’m not a killer. I didn’t murder anyone with my car,” she breathed, her body sagging in relief.
Nick grinned. “I’m glad.”
Tom only snorted, still holding fast to Dan’s wayward arm. “Great. Just
when life was shaping up to return to some form of normalcy,” he spat. He looked to his brother. “What do you want to do with him?”
Nick shrugged. “Not sure. Leave him here, I guess?”
Jo gasped. “You will not!”
“Doing anything otherwise would be taking on an unneeded risk,” Nick replied, genuinely perplexed by her response. “His pack will eventually return and find him here. Then they can decide what to do with him.”
“They think he’s dead, though,” Tom interjected, shrugging his nonchalance. “Not that I care. I just thought I’d point that out.”
Jo looked from one brother to another in disbelief. “He’s hurt!” she protested. “I hit him with my car! You can’t be seriously considering just leaving him out in the cold!”
“He’s a shifter, Jo,” Nick reassured. “We heal faster than you could ever imagine.”
“Well he’s not healed now,” Jo rebutted, standing. “And that’s on me.”
“Only because he was about to kill me,” Nick replied, standing after her.
“That’s beside the point,” Jo retorted, and in a burst of courage, she made the short walk to where Dan lay pinned in the dirt. Leaning down, she asked, “How badly are you hurt?” Dan growled at her.
“Hey,” Tom warned, twisting Dan’s arm uncomfortably. “Like it or not, she’s the closest thing you’ve got to a friend right now, bud. Play nice.”
Jo was unfazed, knowing that he could do little harm in his broken state. She only felt a bit of pity. “Can you walk?”
Dan glowered at her for a few beats of silence before giving one tiny shake of his head.
“Right,” Jo sighed, standing. “Tom, could you stay here with him while Nick and I go grab a car?
Nick raised an eyebrow. “Jo, you know we’re miles from the shop, right? And your car is in bad shape?”
Jo paused. “Crap, you’re right.” She pondered further. “I guess I’ll hang out here as well, but if we want to get everyone back to the shop easily, we’ll need a car.”
Nick looked at her in mild amusement. “Well, if that’s the case, you can always ride me?”
Jo couldn’t stop the blush that washed excitedly across her face. “Nick!” she chastised.
Nick barked a laugh. “I mean on my bear! Like a horse.” He narrowed his eyes mischievously at her “What did you think I meant?”
“Not really the time guys,” Tom grumbled. “Big boy here’s starting to shiver, and my leg is pretty messed up. I don’t think I’d be able to change and run back if I wanted.”
Nick’s face fell, immediately serious again. “Are you okay?”
Tom grimaced. “I will be,” he said, waving Nick away. “You just worry about getting a car. And bring us back some clothes too, will ya?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Nick agreed, stalking off in into the night to change once more. “I’ll make some noise once I’m set up, Jo,” he called back before darkness swallowed him up.
Jo looked to Dan’s prone form, staring for a beat of silence before dutifully removing her coat. Careful not to walk near his free—but very broken—arm, she gently draped the thick coat over his cold body.
Dan frowned, his face etched with pain. “Why?”
Jo could tell he was going through some tough emotions behind those dark and angry eyes. He was the enemy, after all. But try as she might to think as Nick and Tom did, seeing him as a proper threat while lying in a pool of his own blood just wasn’t in her programming.
She shrugged. “Because you’re cold.” She stood and tuned to walk away.
“I tried to kill Nick!” Dan shouted as she walked, pain evident in his voice.
Jo sighed. He didn’t sound proud to say it, she thought. He sounded confused, and in pain. Maybe even a bit scared. She tilted her head slightly, not quite turning back around. “Yes, you did, and I don’t ever think I could be okay with that, but right now you’re hurting, possibly dying, and I won’t allow you or your pack to put that on my conscience.” She continued her walk to a nearby tree, leaving against it heavily as she waited for Nick’s signal.
“You okay?” Tom asked softly, walking over to where she sat at the base of the tree.
She shrugged. “I guess.” She searched her mind for the words to explain how she was feeling, and could find none. “He’s… Everything’s… It’s all just a lot to unpack for me,” she finished solemnly.
Glancing over at him, Jo asked, “You sure it’s a good idea to leave him unrestrained like that?” A faint smile tilted her lips. “I may be the one here showing mercy, but even I have limits.”
Tom waved the thought away. “Nah. With the state he’s currently in, he could barely hurt a fly,” he calmed.
Jo recalled the way Dan’s arm shot out to attach Tom earlier and silently disagreed. “I’ll take your word for it.” They sat in silence for a while, the wind brisk enough that Jo briefly regretted trying to be such a Good Samaritan.
“Jo, I want you to know that all of this… all of me, and how I’ve been reacting… all that was never about you. You seem like a nice person in general, and an even better person for Nick. I was only trying to protect him.”
Jo shook her head sadly. “Tom, how could I ever possibly hurt someone as amazing and strong as Nick?”
He looked pointedly at her. “By dying.”
Oh.
“Right,” she amended softly. “It wouldn’t be too hard to do that as a human, would it?” she looked away. “That’s why you always say humans and shifters don’t mix. The danger.”
“Right,” Tom confirmed.
She leaned her head against the tree. “What if I decide to stay?” she asked, surprising herself. She hadn’t really thought much about her future after quitting, only that the first thing she’d wanted to do was apologize to Nick and thank him for making her stronger. But now, after what had happened between them… she’d almost lost him forever. Could she honestly still say goodbye and move on without a second thought?
Tom chuckled, a light and easy noise in the night. “For once, I’m going to leave that up to you and Nick to decide.” He looked down at her with a faint expression of kindness on his face—the first he’d shown Jo since she met him. “You came back. You’re a human, and still you came back. That’s proof enough for me.”
Jo’s nose wrinkled in mild confusion. “Proof? Of what?”
“That you’re Nick’s mate,” Tom answered. “Which you know probably nothing about, so don’t worry.”
“Could you try explaining it to me?” Jo asked. “It doesn’t have to be super in depth. I just want to know more about shifters… about Nick.”
Tom shrugged. “It’s nothing too complicated. It basically means that you and Nick belong together. Bound for life, if you want to be dramatic. Think love at first sight, or whatever you humans call it, only it’s more, and different than love. You still have to find that on your own…” he glanced down at her, “which I’m sure you already have.”
“Bound for life, huh?” Jo swallowed a bit, taking it all in. “What would have happened if I didn’t come back, then?” Just asking the question aloud made her heart break a little.
“Then he wouldn’t find anyone else,” Tom answered, voice matter-of-factly, but sympathetic. “He’d be alone.”
“Forever?” Jo asked, surprised
“Forever.”
“How could you be sure?” Jo probed, desperately.
“Do you really think you’d be the first mate to deny the bond? The first to walk away?” Tom asked her. “This isn’t an easy life. Like mere humans, we have complex thoughts and emotions that interfere with instinct. Many have gone their entire lives. Mate bonds don’t discriminate, but people do. If they’re scared, or have the slightest bit of doubt, it could fester into something big enough to overcome the urge to mate… temporarily.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean… how did you feel when you finally got away from Rawlins?” Tom asked.
“Bette
r… and then worse,” Jo answered with a frown.
“And in San Francisco?” he prompted.
Jo recalled her emotions in the hotel room. “I’d thought that maybe I overreacted. And I felt really depressed that I’d decided to run away instead of face my issues head on.”
“Ah,” Tom said. “That makes sense. And how did you feel when you decided you were going to come back to Rawlins and see Nick?” He raised an amused eyebrow. “And don’t sugarcoat it. Remember, I saw the look on your face when you stood in the office waiting for him.”
Jo blushed, recalling the eagerness she’d had at the time, stumbling over her heels in an effort to get to Nick as quickly as she could. “Yeah the excitement just kept building. Pretty soon it was the only thing on my mind. Well, until…” Her voice trailed off as she gestured to the forest.
Tom laughed. “See, you can’t escape the bond forever. The rightness of it. Sure, you can ignore it, but you’ll never truly be happy until you give in.”
His smile faltered and then fell completely. “And even then, it’s not the only mate loss we know. As bears, we fight, we die, and we lose the ones we love. The high possibly of your mate dying in battle is just another fact of life for us.” He didn’t sound bitter, but it hurt Jo’s heart to see him speak of death so nonchalantly. She imagined he must’ve seen a lot of it to grow so numb. “That’s something the both of you have to be prepared for.” He looked over to her. “When a bear’s mate has died, I’ve never seen them love again. I know that’s not something you’re prepared for, no one ever is, but you deserve to know.”
“So… my only options are to stay and love him forever and risk my humanness becoming a crutch for your pack, or run away where I’m not a burden, but always love and miss him no matter how I try to distract myself?”
Tom nodded. “And have him love and miss you uncontrollably in return.”
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