Harley, stop running.
I try to block him, but I push back, No freaking way. I saw you by the truck.
Shit. I can explain.
Explain? You’re a freaking bear.
He keeps forcing words into my head, but I start singing “Livin’ On a Prayer” by Jon Bon Jovi at the top of my lungs to drown him out.
It works. I run through the woods, knowing I’m probably a fool to be out here alone. But it isn’t the stupidest thing I’ve done in the last twenty-four hours.
Why did I drink that freaking punch? Why did I let Blaine get inside my head? Why did I think of him as more than a rebound when that is all he should have ever been?
Before I know it, I’ve run through the woods, and Main Street is right ahead of me. I’m out of breath and my brain is still a mess with what I just saw, but I don’t stop. Not until the bookstore is in my line of sight.
When I finally reach home, I stop in my tracks.
I may have seen a man shift into a bear this morning, but what’s waiting for me at our doorstep is so much worse than that.
Chapter 9
Blaine
The last woman I gave my heart to was Laney, and she fucking ripped it to shreds. I thought she was one thing, turns out she was another. After her, I swore off women - especially women who used their charm to weasel their way into a relationship.
It’s why I tried to resist Harley. She’s all wrong for me. And yet, damn, she is so, so right. It’s not just her body, amazing as it is. It’s her everything. Her smile and her laugh and stubborn will. I want to win her over, I want to prove to her I’m what she needs.
It’s crazy. I said never again, yet here I am, running through the woods in my bear form, thinking about how just hours ago I laced my fingers with hers, how I pinned her hands over her head. How I gave as much as I took.
I run, watching as she sings at the top of her lungs, trying to force out my thoughts that are penetrating her mind.
The urge to be her man is so overwhelming. It’s all I want, but at the same time, she is doing everything she can to get away from me.
I’ve fucked up before, but shifting in front of her was truly messed up. She’s terrified. And with good reason. We haven’t talked about being mates, what I really am, or what it’ll mean for her.
No, because all we’ve actually done is fuck and fight.
I growl, standing on my hind legs. Wanting so badly to rewind time. But it’s too late. She’s made her way into town, and she never looked back.
And I wonder if I haven’t lost her for good. I’d been pissed at my brother Gunnar when he’d shifted in front of his mate, revealing himself and our kind, and now I did the exact same thing. I didn’t know she’d been watching me from the kitchen. At least that’s what I keep telling myself. Maybe there’s a fucked up part of my brain that wanted her to see me. That needed her to see me.
I make my way back home, and when I reach my truck, I shift and pull on my sweats. Stepping back inside my house all I can smell is her scent. And all I can picture is the disappointment on her face when I’d pulled into myself, letting my insecurities rule my mood. I’d retreated like a goddamn coward.
Am I always gonna be that kind of man? A man who quits when things are hard? I need to be more than that. More for her.
But I’m scared it’s too fucking late.
Shit.
I pull out my phone and call her. It goes straight to voicemail and so I leave a message.
“Please, Harley, I can explain. Just give me another chance. Let me prove to you I can be more than what you think I am.”
I can just imagine her reply, I know what you are. You are a freaking bear!
And she wouldn’t be wrong.
After Laney and I split, I was so angry. She cheated on me, and it sent me into a spiral. I kept thinking that she was two people. The one I thought I knew and the one she really was.
But aren’t I just the same?
Both man and bear?
I slam my phone down on the table -- hating my form. Hating the fact that it might cost me the one woman I have ever considered mine.
Punching my fist into my palm, I try to get a grip. I need to fix this, first and foremost. I need to make sure Harley isn’t losing her mind, make sure she doesn’t think she is crazy. And make sure she doesn’t tell another living soul.
Grabbing my wallet and keys, I head to the Silverado. I may have fucked up more than once this morning, but I sure as hell am not gonna let that happen again.
As I pull my truck out of the driveway, I see my brother Gunnar pulling up. I roll down my window and holler hello.
“What the hell man?” he asks. “Harley is freaking out.”
“You know?” I run a hand over my beard, frustrated that so many people are gonna know my shit.
“Yeah, Addie was at my place when Harley called. She was hysterical. Addie headed home to calm her down and I came over here to try to talk some sense into my big brother. What gives, man?”
I drop my head on the headrest. “We got in a fight over stupid shit—”
He cuts me off. “Stupid shit or your fucking Laney-baggage?”
“Does it matter?”
Gunnar snorts. “Yeah. It does. And what the hell were you thinking shifting in front of her?”
“I needed a run, and I didn’t know she was watching.”
He shakes his head at me. “You were freaking out because she’s the one, isn’t she?”
I close my eyes and grunt. “Yeah, she’s the fucking one.”
When I glance back at my brother, he’s got a mixed look of compassion and humor in his eyes.
“Look. I know you’ve got this whole standoffish act down pat, but you’re going to have to open up if you’re going to make things work. Time to show Harley who you really are.”
“Well, she sure as fuck knows what I am now.”
“I don’t mean about you being a goddamn Kodiak. I mean about why you walk around like a fucking douche most of the time.”
I glare at him. “Nice pep talk.”
“I’m serious. If you really want this girl, you better stop acting like an ass and step up to the motherfucking plate.”
“For the record, that is what I was about to go do,” I tell him.
“Good, then you have a plan?”
I shrug. “I’m gonna tell her she’s my mate and she can’t run away like that again.”
“Dude, I know you aren’t that stupid.”
I frown, not appreciating my brother’s commentary. He’s engaged for a few weeks and suddenly thinks he’s Dr. Phil. “What, you think I should get all touchy-feely?”
“I think you should lead with something besides telling her she belongs to you.”
I lift my eyebrows. “But she does.”
“Damn, you are one stubborn asshole.”
I pause, thinking about how good it felt to have Harley in my arms. How different she is from Laney.
Like me, she was treated badly by her ex. And I know she would never do anything to hurt me. I need to remember that and remember that beneath our fighting, there’s a deeper connection. One that will always keep us together, no matter how far she runs from me.
“You’re right,” I tell Gunnar. “I need to chill out and open up and all that shit.”
“Good,” Gunnar says, putting his truck in reverse. “Then go get your girl.”
The bookstore is quiet when I walk in. Harley’s bubbly voice isn’t to be heard and my first thought is that she must be crying in bed.
“She isn’t here,” Kate says, walking in from the back room with a stack of hardbacks in her arms. They look wobbly, like the whole pile is about to fall and I take half the stack from her.
“Where is she?” I ask, placing the books on the front counter. “She left my place upset and I need to fix it.”
Kate’s lip twitches and her unruly red hair covers her eyes. When she pushes it from her face, she reveals her freckles. But I see som
ething else. She’s cringing, and I get the odd feeling like she feels bad for me, while at the same time ready to fight fisticuff for her friend.
“I just need to explain a few things to her—”
She cuts me off. “Look, I get it. You and Harley are fire and ice. There’s an appeal to that.” She gives a small shake of her head, making the curls fall back over her cheeks. “But Harley has been hurt before. I was there, picking up the pieces after what happened with Chad. I don’t want that to happen again.”
“I’d never hurt her.”
“If she left your place, maybe that should be the clue she wants you to stay away.”
“I get you’re trying to help her,” I say, determined to stay calm. “And I’m glad she has a friend like you. But this is between Harley and me. So if you know where she is, can you please tell me.”
Kate sighs. “Honestly? I couldn’t help with that if I wanted to. I just came in to work and haven’t seen her all morning. Piper is still upstairs, but she and Addie never came home last night. And she isn’t answering her phone.”
Knowing I’m not gonna get anywhere with Kate, I thank her and head outside.
That’s when I see my mate.
Through the window of the diner, I see Harley sitting in one of the booths.
I start to head toward her but stop when I notice she isn’t alone.
A man sits across from her.
A man I’ve never seen before.
A man who looks way too comfortable with my mate.
My bear begins to pace wildly inside me.
“Blaine.”
I turn to see Addie getting out of her Jeep and heading toward me.
She looks worried. “Did you find Harley? I think her phone is dead—”
“I found her,” I growl, glancing back at the cafe, just as the guy takes Harley’s hand and brings it to his lips. “Now tell me who the hell that asshole is that has his hands on my mate.”
“Mate?” Addie blinks up at me. “Oh my God. That’s—” She stops mid-sentence when she follows my gaze. “Shit. That’s Chad.”
The bastard ex-boyfriend.
She sounds truly distraught. “What’s he doing here?”
My question exactly. But the way he’s looking at Harley, it doesn’t take a genius to guess his intentions.
He’s come here for Harley, to get her back. And the way she leans toward him, I wonder if maybe she just might want him too.
Chapter 10
Harley
Every single thing about today is effed up. Blaine turned into a bear before my very eyes and then Chad mysteriously shows up on the front steps of the bookshop.
All I want to do is go to my room, curl up in a ball, and sleep away all this craziness.
If I hadn’t been in shock from both the bear thing and Chad’s sudden appearance, I probably would have pushed past him, and slammed the bookstore door in his face. But somehow I ended up letting him lead me across the street to Nana John’s Diner.
“Just give me another chance,” Chad says, his dark brown eyes so unsettlingly familiar. He takes my hand and raises it to his lips, but when he touches me all I feel is the chilly reminder of how he hurt me. “Let me explain. I’ve missed you so damn much—”
“There’s nothing you can say. You cheated on me.” I pull my hand away and fidget in my seat. I don’t want to be here with him. What I want is Blaine. But that’s not possible either, because...well, because he’s a freaking bear.
My fingers tremble as I reach for the bowl of creamers, then open one up and pour it in my coffee.
“Are you okay?” He reaches for my hair and I swat his hand away. “You’ve got branches and leaves caught in your hair. Were you just in the woods?” He looks over his shoulder as if trying to work something out.
“It doesn’t matter,” I say, blinking back tears. I drag my fingers through my tousled hair and the leaves fall out. “I’ve just had a weird morning. And you being here is just adding to it.”
“I know I’m probably the last thing you expected to see today.”
I laugh sharply. He has no idea what I’ve seen today.
“What are you doing here, Harley?” Chad asks, concern tightening his features. Concern he has no right feeling. “You’ve got twigs in your hair, you look like you’ve been sleeping in the woods, and what exactly are you wearing?”
I glance down, realizing I’m still in one of Blaine’s shirts.
“This isn’t you, Harley. You’re a mess. Where is the girl who spent her Saturdays shopping and her Sundays having brunch? You should be in Seattle, where your family is. Where our future is.”
I frown, part of me does miss those things. The familiarity of my life back in Seattle. But I also know that life is over. It ended the moment Chad broke my heart.
“It’s not our future anymore,” I say, trying to steady my resolve. Looking at the man now, I wonder how I ever loved him. How I ever put up with his insults and uppity hand.
“It could be our future,” Chad says. “It’s not too late.”
I hold his gaze, taking him in. The thousand dollar suit and hundred dollar haircut. Sure, he’s good looking, but I realize now that all his charm only hid the ugliness inside him.
It isn’t Chad I want, I know that much. But it doesn’t mean I want Blaine. If Chad lied to me, what do you call what Blaine did?
Is he even human?
And if he’s a bear, then are his brothers also? Does Adelaide know? She’s going to be married to one of them. And she’s pregnant. Is she going to have little bear babies?
Head spinning with a million questions, I groan and cover my face with my hands.
What. Is. Happening?
“Look,” Chad keeps talking like I’m not in the middle of a complete mental and emotional breakdown. “Just hear me out, Harley. Please.”
Under any other circumstance, I might have pushed him away, but right now I’m exhausted. Worn down. And still so...very...hungry.
The waitress delivers a stack of hotcakes to the table next to us and my stomach rumbles.
“You ready to order?” she asks when she approaches our table.
“Two yogurt parfaits,” Chad orders for me.
“Are you buying?” I ask the cheating sack of broken promises.
“Of course.” He gives me a smile that used to melt me like the butter on my soon-to-be-ordered pancakes.
“Good, then I’ll have one of everything on the menu. I’m starving. A full morning of being ravished by a sexy mountain man will build up an appetite.” I’m not sure why I say it, but it feels good to see Chad’s expression harden.
The waitress grins at me before turning and walking away.
“You’re already sleeping with someone?” Chad frowns at me.
“Like you can talk. We were still dating—”
“How many times are you going to make me apologize?”
“I didn’t ask you to come here.”
“Maybe not, but thank God I did. I just want to fix things. You’re better with me. Better than this.” His eyes rake down my body, and his lips curl up.
I can’t even imagine what I look like right now.
I’m glad my friends haven’t seen me today. After my phone died, I realized that I’m not even ready to discuss any of this with Addie. I don’t really want to deal with explaining Blaine right now to anyone. Not when my head is still swimming with so many confusing images. And having to tell her that her future brother-in-law is a bear.
And is it wrong to actually find that kind of attractive? Wrong to be drawn to him somehow? His thick fur and masculine scent and his thoughts stirring in my mind. I blink, realizing Chad has his hand on my arm.
I shrug him off, then lean back, but he keeps talking at me, rambling on about how good we were together and how much better I would be if I was back in Seattle.
The waitress returns with a tray full of food.
“Thank God,” I groan in gratitude as she places eggs, bacon, sausag
e, and toast in front of me. Hangry Harley was ready to let loose if I didn’t eat soon.
I dig into the food, not caring that Chad watches me with a frown as he plays with his damn yogurt.
“Jesus, Harley, slow down. You’re going to choke.”
I wave a piece of bacon at him. “The time of you being able to tell me what to do has passed. I’ll eat what I want.” I shove the bacon in my mouth, and dare him to say anything else.
He doesn’t, but it only takes me a split second to realize trouble just walked into the diner.
Blaine.
He’s here.
I sense him before I see him. But when I glance over and see him stalking toward me, his gaze furious, I’m ready to dart.
Don’t even think about it, he pushes into my head.
“Shit,” I mutter, but before I can even move a muscle, Blaine pushes into the booth beside me, placing one possessive arm around my shoulder.
“We need to talk,” he growls out.
I raise my brows at him. Really? You want to do this here?
His nostrils flare when he looks at Chad. “You’re the ex, I take it.”
“And you must be the one-night stand.”
Blaine tenses and he glances over at me. “Is that what I am?”
“I didn’t say that. I just—”
“Really, Harley?” Chad shakes his head. “You’re going to choose some wood chopping lowlife over me?”
“I’m not choosing anyone right now.” I push on Blaine’s arm, trying to move him so I can get out of this damn diner, but he doesn’t budge. “I need to think.”
“You’re actually thinking of going with this douchebag?” Blaine demands.
I’m your mate, Harley. You belong with me.
“I don’t even know what that means. But if it’s some weird bear thing, then I don’t want any part of it.”
You can’t mention the bear in public. It’s dangerous.
I hold his gaze, and I can feel Chad watching us, probably wondering what the hell is going on since half of our conversation is inaudible.
Then you probably shouldn’t turn into a bear in front of people, I push back.
Untamed Lovers (Mountain Men of Bear Valley Book 2) Page 5
