Brock's Bunny

by Jane Wakely

  “Jenn!” He yelled into the house as he took off his sweatshirt and draped it around her shoulders. “Come on inside, hon.” Matt urged her to stand, guided her inside and yelled for Jenn again.

  “Wha—Oh my God! Hollie, what happened?” Jenn’s arms came around her, and Hollie started sobbing violently. Her friend rubbed her back, whispered soothing words and let her cry until it seemed she had no tears left.

  “Better?”

  She shrugged. She wasn’t better, never would be, but the tears had stopped.

  “C’mon, let’s find you something to wear. Bull and Christina are here now, you can tell us all what happened.”

  Hollie nodded in agreement and soon they were gathered in Matt and Jenn’s living room, her four friends patiently waiting as she stared into her cup of tea. Christina gave her knee a reassuring squeeze.

  “Tell us. It’ll be okay.”

  It would never be okay, but they were her friends and she trusted them.

  Hollie told them what happened.

  ****

  Brock jerked awake at the sound of the ambulance siren and opened his eyes to see a paramedic hovering over him.

  Oh God. Not again.

  For the second time this week, Brock was in an ambulance.

  When Hollie ran out of his life two days ago, his heart hurt to the point of pain. Afraid he was having a heart attack, he dialed 911. After several tests, he left the emergency room with a clean bill of health. Brock met with his physician the following day and received the same diagnosis.

  Traumatic stress.

  His body chose to mirror heart attack symptoms in response to watching Hollie change from a cute little bunny rabbit into the woman he loved. The woman he still loved.

  He refused to lie to himself any longer. His heart didn’t hurt from watching her change; he hurt because he’d reacted badly. Instead of listening, he’d yelled and pushed her away. The pain on her face, combined with the knowledge that she ran into the forest naked to get away from him, replayed over and over in his mind. Looking back, his reaction didn’t make any sense. His heart ached for her and he believed that they belonged together. Why had he yelled?

  The paramedic asked him something and he reached up to remove the oxygen mask.

  “Sir, you need to keep the mask on until we reach the hospital. What’s your name?”

  “Brock Smith. I’m not having a heart attack.”

  “No, I don’t think you are, but you collapsed in the restaurant so we’re going to run some tests.”

  Oh God. He collapsed in the restaurant. Candace had told him to stay home, but he was going crazy thinking about Hollie. In an effort to put her out of his mind, he went to work. Everything was fine until he walked by the booth he’d met her in. He started to hyperventilate and his chest pain was more severe. Brock remembered the room getting blurry and then he fell, but never landed. The next thing he saw was the paramedic.

  “I’m fine. I had the tests two days ago. It’s traumatic stress.”

  “Humor me until we get there. How old are you?”

  Brock answered all of the paramedic’s questions with ease. When they got to the hospital Brock was seen by the same doctor that treated him two days ago. He didn’t do all the tests, but he performed an evaluation and gave Brock a list of several therapists in and out of the area.

  Brock tried to refuse the list, but the doctor wouldn’t release him unless he accepted it.

  The list wouldn’t help. There was only one thing that would heal his breaking heart.

  Chapter Seven

  The doorbell rang again, followed by the hammering of a fist, shaking the wood and waking Hollie from a sound sleep. She bolted upright and started to get out of bed until her sleep-fogged brain recognized that it must be Brock again.

  Five days had passed since he forced her out of his house with angry words. She’d stayed with Matt and Jenn the first night and took the week off work to lick her wounds and pick up the pieces of her broken heart. It was a risky thing to do. Now that she’d found her mate, the hunt was over, and so was hope and the possibility of happiness. A long, lonely life stretched out in front of her. If she wasn’t careful, she’d fall into the abyss of depression and never be able to crawl out again.

  Brock started searching for her on the third day. Her employees told her he’d been in the store asking about her, he’d been to her house, and he’d left several messages on her cell and home phones. He’d even had Candi call, and though Candi had expressed concern in her message with no mention of Brock, she couldn’t help feeling betrayed by her friend.

  Hollie squinted at the clock. Five in the morning. Apparently he was trying something new. A twinge of curiosity had her questioning his motives. Did he want her back or did he plan to threaten her with his knowledge of her bunny? She should talk to him to find out for sure. If he decided to threaten her safety, she would have to give up everything she loved and move.

  Every fiber of her being wanted to go to him. Her heart ached for his, but his harsh dismissal kept her from leaving the warmth of her bed.

  She couldn’t face him right now. She needed more control over her emotions, and, deep down, she hoped if she ignored him he would give up and leave her alone.

  ****

  He was a fool.

  Brock had tried everything. He’d gone to her work, her house, left phone messages and even had his sister call. Candi refused to relay the message he’d written and instead talked to Hollie’s machine as a friend, the same way she always would. She didn’t know the details, but Candi knew that something was wrong, and she was sure he was to blame. She was right, but her admission still stung. He’d wanted someone on his side.

  It appeared it wasn’t going to happen. In desperation, Brock went to Matt and Jenn’s, hoping they could help him contact Hollie. He now stood on the porch staring at Matt, and he swore he heard a growl escape the man’s lips. Brock glanced inside the house and saw Bull looking on. Both men held their arms crossed, expressing their displeasure at his intrusion.

  Matt was only an inch or two taller than Brock, but his muscular frame made him appear larger. Bull was huge everywhere and towered over the two men. Brock wasn’t afraid, but he knew better than to get these two on his bad side. It was clear they had reason to dislike him, but did they know everything? Brock wasn’t about to give away Hollie’s secret. They were her friends and he had to tread carefully.

  “Hey Matt, I’m Brock.” Matt kept his arms crossed and raised an eyebrow to Brock’s outstretched hand. Brock cleared his throat and let his hand fall to his side. “I was looking for Hollie. I can’t find her anywhere and I thought she might be here.”

  “Maybe she doesn’t want to be found.” Matt’s smile didn’t look friendly.

  “Look,” Brock cleared his throat again. “I messed up. Bad… I messed up bad and I need to see… I need to tell her… She needs to know…”

  Both men smiled and Brock got the feeling they enjoyed watching him squirm. He searched for the right words. At a loss for what else to say, he rubbed his palm over his aching heart and met Matt’s steel gaze.

  “I love her. Please help me.”

  Matt looked back at Bull, who shook his head and rolled his eyes. Great. They thought he was a wimp, but it’d be okay if they’d help him.

  “I hope you mean it. I’ll hurt anyone that hurts that girl again.” Matt’s glare delivered a clear message, but Brock had a message of his own.

  “You won’t have to. If she forgives me, I’ll protect her.”

  Apparently it was the right thing to say.

  “Yeah you will.” Matt smiled and offered his hand as Bull’s words met his ears.

  The three of them laughed as they walked back toward the kitchen.

  Chapter Eight

  Ambushed.

  Hollie couldn’t believe her friends had forgiven Brock and tricked her.

  “Just talk to him. The guys say he’s sorry, and I believe them. You know that feelings ge
t all jumbled up when a mated pair meets—especially for the human half.”

  Jenn was right. Emotions run high when mates meet for the first time. Could she have exaggerated Brock’s rejection? Hollie didn’t think so, but Brock could have overreacted. They had shared feelings close to love the day before. If the situation were reversed, she might have acted the same way. Hollie couldn’t imagine treating Brock with such disdain, but she knew it was possible.

  Earlier that day, after banging on her door at five in the morning, Brock visited Matt with hopes that he and Jenn would help him find her. All attempts to contact her had been with the intent to apologize and ask for another chance. Could she forgive him? Would she be able to trust him again? She wanted to, but her heart still hurt because of his cruel words.

  “He didn’t tell us about you, Hollie.” Bull said. “We asked him tons of questions about the fight, even egged him on a bit—as sort of a test you know—but he didn’t tell us the whole story.”

  “He kept my secret?”

  “Yes, he did. He said the two of you had a misunderstanding, he was wrong and he really needed you to know that he was sorry. Oh, he also said he loves you.”

  “He said he loves me?” Hollie tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. They hadn’t made the declaration to each other, but Brock had told her friends.

  Did he mean it?

  “I think he meant it, Hollie.” Matt answered.

  “I did mean it.”

  She looked up to see Brock standing in the kitchen, surrounded by the two couples.

  “We’ll be in the other room if you need us,” Matt said as they all abandoned her.

  Brock shortened the distance between them by half. He was much closer, but she’d be able to run if she wanted to.

  “Hollie, I’m so sorry. I hate that I treated you so badly. I knew I loved you then, but I felt so angry, betrayed and afraid. When I was saying the words, I knew they weren’t what I meant, but I couldn’t stop myself. Pushing you away and watching you leave, so upset and frantic, broke my heart. I love you. I never want to be apart from you again. Please forgive me?”

  She wanted to trust him, but it was so hard. She didn’t want to get hurt again.

  “You don’t mind the fact that I can shift into an animal?”

  “Not at all. I hope one day you’ll agree to change me and form the mating bond. I want to share everything with you.”

  She didn’t have to ask how he knew.

  “Matt showed me his wolf and filled me in on shifter basics.”

  Matt and Bull seemed to have left out a few details of their conversation with Brock. Later she’d make them pay. Right now she needed to hear Brock say the words.

  “You want to shift into a bunny?”

  “Human or bunny, I want to be with you. Always.”

  Hollie closed the distance between them, buried her face in his chest and let the tears fall. Brock was willing to become a shifter, and he wanted to spend his life with her.

  “I love you, Brock.” Her tears soaked his shirt, but she didn’t hold them back. She was where she was meant to be, holding everything she always wanted.

  “I love you, too. So much. I’ll try hard to prove it to you every day.”

  ****

  Brock tightened his arms around Hollie. The pain constricting his heart for the last week finally loosened. He felt whole again with her in his arms. He held her until her tears no longer fell and her breathing returned to normal. Brock hated to break the embrace, but they couldn’t stay silent forever.

  “We need to talk.” He kissed her forehead and pulled away. Hollie plastered a smile on her face and steeled her shoulders. It hurt that she expected the worst, but he knew he deserved it. It would take time to earn back all of her trust.

  Brock grabbed her hand, pulled her close and called in the others. When everyone returned, he started, “I got another call from Ronald today…”

  “My Ronald?” Hollie asked. “Why is he calling you?”

  Too bad he couldn’t growl like Matt. Instead he glared at her and raised an eyebrow. “He’s not your Ronald. He’s a jerk you went on a date with.”

  She must not have minded his heated words, because Hollie laughed and rested her head on his shoulder. It felt nice just to be with her.

  He looked back at the group and everyone was wearing a big grin, trying not to laugh at him. Great. He couldn’t get too upset about it though, knowing they’d all been through the same thing.

  “Ronald left a note for me the night he brought Hollie to the restaurant. It said to call him about a business offer. I wasn’t interested and threw the note away, but he started calling the restaurant every night. I wasn’t sure it was him… He never leaves a message with the staff, but today he left a message on the machine. It says he has pictures of my girlfriend that will make me change my mind about his offer.”

  “Pictures?” Hollie turned almost as white as her bunny fur and shook her head frantically. “No! No, I was careful.”

  “Did he say what kind of pictures?” Matt asked.

  “No, but he wants to meet me at the restaurant before we open tonight. He’s definitely trying to blackmail me into a deal with him.”

  “I’m so sorry, Brock,” Hollie whispered.

  “It’s not your fault Ronald is a creep, Hollie. I won’t go into business with him, but I might be able to buy him off. Wave enough money in front of a man like that and he’ll give in.”

  “Either way, you’re going to need some back up. Matt and I will come with you,” Bull said.

  Brock was grateful. If Ronald’s pictures were of Hollie shifting, they could all be in trouble.

  Chapter Nine

  Hollie was afraid.

  Everything they had could be gone in less than ten minutes. Not just her store, but Brock’s restaurant and possibly the lives her friends had built in this town. They might all have to run and hide and it was all her fault.

  Her mind replayed Sunday’s events over and over, but she couldn’t remember making a mistake. The desire to see Brock had been strong, but she hadn’t been careless. Even when she was so upset after their fight, she hadn’t shifted because she sensed someone nearby.

  The only error might have been shifting in Brock’s house. Did Ronald take pictures of her through the window? It could’ve happened, but he wasn’t out there when Brock caught her, so when did he show up? What did he have pictures of?

  Hollie jumped when Brock hugged her from behind.

  “Relax. Everything is going to be fine.” His whispered words helped, but only slightly. She probably should have stayed with Jenn and Christina, but she wanted to see the pictures with her own eyes. Brock agreed to let her come if she let him do the talking.

  She’d reluctantly agreed after the three men threatened to leave her behind.

  A flash of light caught her attention and she looked up to see the door closing behind Ronald. His smile was both confident and greedy. He walked up to the center of the bar where the group stood surrounding a high round table. Matt and Bull stood on one side, Brock and Hollie on the other.

  “I thought you’d be alone,” Ronald stated.

  “I never make any business decisions without my advisors.”

  “You don’t have advisors.”

  “I’m disappointed, Ronald. You didn’t do your homework.”

  For a moment, Ronald looked flustered. It was obvious he didn’t expect Brock to bring witnesses to his scheme. Brock didn’t waste time.

  “Let’s see the pictures.”

  Ronald opened his folder and revealed two eight by ten photos, side-views, of a very human Hollie running through the forest naked. They were slightly blurry and if it wasn’t for her platinum hair, they could have been pictures of any woman.

  Brock looked at his friends, and after a few moments he nodded once and returned his attention to Ronald. They kept their expressions neutral and if an exchange happened, Hollie wasn’t aware of it.

  “I don�
��t want you to print those pictures.”

  Ronald smiled, sure he was winning.

  “Then you’ll have to give me what I want. A partnership. You give me the start-up money, plus the use of your name for my new restaurant. I make all the decisions, keep all the profits and these pictures of your girlfriend will disappear.”

  He had to be out of his mind. All of that for some blurry naked photos? No man, shifter or otherwise, would agree to that deal.

  “No.”

  Hollie trusted Brock. She wasn’t surprised by his response.

  “No? Then I’ll get these pictures printed tomorrow.” Ronald’s ridiculous threat was delivered with malice. It was hard not to laugh.

  “Can you do it on Monday instead? I really could use more business at the beginning of the week.” She wasn’t supposed to say anything, but that was when they didn’t know what Ronald was capable of.

  Bull looked down to hide his smile and Matt winked at her. Only Brock kept his features controlled.

  “Believe me, these won’t help your business, you little slut.”

  “You don’t talk to her. Ever. Your meeting was with me and it’s over. Print the pictures if you chose, but keep in mind that I’ve let the authorities know about this meeting and this community doesn’t support harassment of its citizens.”

  Something Brock said scared Ronald, if only briefly. He picked up the folder and left the restaurant without another word. The guys silently watched him walk to his car through the windows.

  After Ronald drove away, Brock turned to face her.

  “‘Can you do it on Monday instead?’” Brock repeated, and Bull and Matt burst out laughing. “What happened to keeping quiet and letting me do the talking?”

  “I did keep quiet… In the beginning!”

  “We’ll see you tomorrow. Great job, Brock.” Matt slapped him on the back as he and Bull went to leave.

  “What’s happening tomorrow?” Hollie asked as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

  “We’re having a barbeque at our place.”