“You can’t have any kind of feelings for a human,” Tom continued, ignoring him completely. “What if you change? What if she sees?”
“She won’t!” Nick roared, pain ricocheting through his body as the bear tried to get out. “Just leave me alone, Tom!” Taking three deep breaths, Nick glared at his brother, before storming past him, forcing the bear back down with sheer force of will.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Tom called, angrily. The only response he got was Nick, slamming the door in his face.
Jo looked up, surprised to see the almost feral look on Nick’s face. His teeth were bared as though he’d been snarling. “Is Tom coming in?” she asked, timidly.
“No,” Nick growled, climbing the stairs three at a time. He said nothing else, walking into the bathroom and locking the door.
CHAPTER 12
It took a long time for Nick to get the bear under control. It wanted to get out, wanted him to change, but he couldn’t let it. Not here. Not now.
Tom had really upset him, the way he’d shown up and basically yelled in his face. Nick knew everything he said was true, but that didn’t mean that he liked it. He’d wanted to shout that he knew that shifters didn’t touch humans, but that he couldn’t help it – not that Tom would understand.
His spine cracked again, and Nick threw his head back, his nails biting into his palms as he clenched his fists. I can’t change.
After a long time, the bear went back down inside, and Nick was finally able to take a few long breaths. Sitting down on the floor, he leaned his back against the wall and closed his eyes. He couldn’t keep fighting this. It was getting too difficult. His need for Jo was growing, even though he kept trying to take a step away. He’d told her that it was too dangerous, too complicated but he’d wanted to ignore all that and mate with her anyway.
“What am I doing?” he muttered aloud, thumping the floor with his fist. He’d promised her he’d stay here tonight, even though she’d told him that nothing had to happen between them. Yeah, right. Nick knew he had to make a decision. Either he was going to be with Jo, or he wasn’t. Being with her was dangerous, more dangerous than she knew, but the other option meant that the bear simply wouldn’t let him forget her. Even when she was gone, the bear would call for her until he found her again. “I guess she’s my mate.” Even saying it out loud was terrifying, since shifters didn’t have human mates. Not that he knew of, anyway. It was always too risky. When he finally did take her, was the bear going to climb out of his skin? Was he going to end up hurting her – even killing her, like Tom had suggested?
“No,” he said loudly. “I won’t.” Frowning hard, Nick made his choice. He would stay here tonight with Jo, and he wouldn’t stop whatever happened between them. Maybe then the bear would stop calling for her, and leave him at peace.
Jo glanced up from the book she’d been attempting to read. Nick was coming down the stairs. Thankfully, he looked much calmer than before, a light smile on his face as he saw her.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine,” he rumbled, clearing his throat. “Tom just makes me mad sometimes.”
“You needed to calm down.”
He shrugged. “Yeah.”
“How’s the shoulder?”
“Fine.” It was painful, of course, but nothing he couldn’t handle. He’d dealt with much worse before. “What are you reading?” Flopping down next to her, he stretched out on the sofa, propping himself up on one elbow.
“Nothing interesting,” Jo replied, her eyes drawn to the way his shirt was slowly pulling up as he stretched out.
“Mmm.” Fighting always made him tired, and it had used up everything he had to stop himself shifting. “Why don’t you read to me?”
“What?” Jo laughed, her hand brushing his hair away from his forehead. “Are you being serious?”
"Why not?" Lying down completely, he rested his head in her lap. "I like the sound of your voice." It calmed the bear too if he was honest, and he needed that right now.
Jo smiled, forgetting all about Tom. “If you really want me to.” Picking up the book, she flipped to the next chapter and started reading.
Tom slammed around the garage, anger coursing through his veins. He couldn’t believe how stupid Nick was being! He shouldn’t be going anywhere near a human, even though she was only going to be here for a few days. Thumping the desk hard, Tom kicked the desk for good measure. Nick had always been the sensible one, the one who knew exactly how to deal with a situation except now, this city girl had got his head spun the wrong way around. Going near humans was dangerous. They needed to be kept away from shifters, which was why they kept their mechanics shop a little bit out of town. It was safest that way.
He didn't know what to do. The moment he'd caught the scent of the pheromones, everything had become clear. Nick liked Jo. Jo liked Nick. Except, Jo didn't know that Nick was a shifter and Nick was clearly not about to tell her. Maybe I should tell her. He threw away that idea immediately. She wasn’t exactly going to believe that, and he couldn’t risk changing in front of her, just to prove his point. “Then she just needs to get out of here,” he said, aloud.
Walking over to his computer, Tom typed in a couple of details and looked closely at what came up. The only reason Jo was still here was because they didn't have the part they needed for her car. If they got it and fixed it, then she'd have no reason to stay. No reason to be with Nick.
Reaching for his cell phone, Tom paused. Nick would be furious. It could really put a wedge between them, but Tom decided that it would be worth it. Jo had to go out of their lives before she – or Nick – got hurt.
Dialing the number, Tom waited until it connected. "Hi," he said. "I've ordered a part recently, and I'm just wondering if you could tell me how long it'll take to get here." Listening to what the woman on the other end of the line said, he gave a few more details to find out the exact location. "That's great," he said, grinning down the phone. "If you could just let the driver know to expect me, I'll be there as soon as I can. Thanks."
Hanging up, Tom looked down at the address he'd written down. The woman had said that the part he had ordered was on a truck, which was traveling to various small towns before getting to them. It was making an overnight stop and Tom had the address in his hand. It would be a long drive, but he could do it if he left now. Once he got back, he could fix Jo's car and it would be ready by early morning. He'd just say it had arrived sooner than they'd thought although Tom was sure that Nick would realize what he’d done quite quickly. Shrugging to himself, Tom picked up his car keys, flipped the sign on the door and walked out. You’ve only got yourself to blame, Nick, he thought, wishing he could punch some sense into his brother. Revving the engine, he drove away from the mechanics and along the road. He’d do whatever was needed to get Jo out of their lives.
Nick stretched, blinking a few times before working out where he was. Jo was leaning back on the sofa, her eyes closed. She was clearly exhausted, worn out from what had happened. Running a light finger down her cheek and jaw, Nick smiled to himself. She was beautiful to him, even though she wasn't a shifter. Hoping that everything was okay with Tom, Nick eased himself off the couch, walked into the kitchen and pulled his cell phone from his pocket.
He tried calling Tom three times before he gave up. His stubborn brother was either refusing to answer or had deliberately left his phone somewhere he wouldn’t see it. Shrugging, Nick made up a fresh pot of coffee, his ears pricking at the sound of Jo beginning to wake up.
“Did the smell wake you?”
Jo smiled up at him. “I don’t know. Maybe I just knew you were gone somehow.”
He grinned, holding out a hand for her. Pulling her up to her feet, Nick ran a hand through her hair, straightening out the kinks. “Better,” he mumbled, walking back to the kitchen. “Can I get you a cup?”
“Please.” Sitting down at the table, Jo stretched her legs out onto another chair. “Did we sleep for a long time?”<
br />
“Long enough,” he grinned, handing her a mug. “It’ll be time to eat soon.”
“What’s good around here?”
Laughing, Nick lifted her legs with one hand, before sitting down and placing them on his lap. “Small town, remember? It’s either the same Chinese we had last night, or I can cook.”
“You cook?”
He winced. "I try." If he was honest, he'd prefer a nice, very rare steak – or to go out hunting for fresh meat – but neither of those things would be particularly appetizing to Jo.
“Then Chinese sounds good,” she replied, hiding her smile. “I’ll just order something different from last night.” She paused, looking up at him. “What about Tom?”
“What about him?”
“Should we order for him? I don’t want him to feel left out.”
“You’re too kind, thinking about him,” Nick replied, a trace of anger in his voice. “He can fend for himself.” He’s probably out hunting already.
Jo lifted her shoulders. “I’ll get him something anyway, even if he doesn’t want it. We can just drop it by on our way back, can’t we?”
"Sure." Hoping his brother wouldn't be rude, Nick forced himself to relax. He needed to just enjoy the time he had with Jo. The Northern Wind pack wouldn't be back anytime soon, and Tom would get over things soon enough.
“Are you sure this isn’t about me?” Jo asked, cautiously. “I can tell that Tom doesn’t really like me being here.”
Nick’s mouth twisted for a moment. “It’s not that, Jo. He’s just concerned about you, to be honest. He thinks it’s too dangerous for you to be out here.” All of that was true, at least, just not for the reasons Jo thought.
“You mean, with the bears?”
“Yeah.”
“Why was he so angry with you, then?”
Nick rubbed her ankles, turning his face away. “I told him that I didn’t think the bears would come near the cabin. They’ve not been seen around here for a long time, so I insisted that you’d be safe.”
“And I was.”
“Not safe enough, though,” he replied, quickly. “Tom was angry with me for not taking him seriously.”
“He thought they’d be back?”
Nick nodded. “I’m sorry about what happened, Jo.”
She shook her head. "It's hardly your fault, Nick. It's not like you're able to tell when wild bears are going to decide to attack your cabin, right? Besides, I'm absolutely fine. Just a bit shaken up, that's all."
He wanted to tell her that it was his fault, but knew he couldn't say anything.
“And you are going to stay here tonight still, aren’t’ you?” she asked, quietly. “Or is Tom not happy about that either?”
“Oh, Tom’s fine about that,” Nick lied, trying to smile. “He just needed to get a few things off his chest. I’ll be back over to the mechanic’s tomorrow. He won’t mind.”
“I suppose you are just waiting for that part to arrive,” Jo replied.
“Exactly, and it’ll be a couple of days still,” he finished.
“So a good enough excuse to stay here, then,” she grinned, her eyes dancing.
He grinned. “And for getting another Chinese.”
“But I’m paying this time,” Jo insisted, finishing her coffee. “Just let me go and get dressed and then we can go.”
Nick wanted to ask her if she needed help with that but kept his mouth firmly closed. If anything was to happen between them, he would follow her lead, instead of taking the initiative.
“I’ll be waiting,” he said, lightly, his eyes following her as she climbed the stairs.
CHAPTER 13
Jo leaned on the counter, looking up at the menu. “What would Tom like?”
Tom would like a raw steak, Nick thought to himself, hiding his grin. “Probably Chow Mein.”
“Good choice,” she quipped, grinning. “I’ll get that too.”
“Sweet and sour for me,” Nick said, looking at her. She looked more relaxed now, her face calmer now that the tension and stress had disappeared completely. She looked brighter, almost. Maybe talking about Brian had helped.
“Will you stop watching me,” she said, out of the corner of her mouth. “I’m trying to order here.”
Crooking an eyebrow, he tipped his head and lazily let his gaze run down the length of her body. “I can’t help it,” he murmured, making her blush.
“I thought you said this was a bad idea.”
He shrugged, enjoying the flush of heat in her face. “Perhaps I’ve changed my mind.”
His words sent a thrill up her spine, bringing a rush of heat to her core. Licking her lips, she tried to focus on ordering the food.
A growl of pleasure rattled in Nick’s chest, instantly able to detect her excitement. Let’s just get back to the cabin, he told the bear, a grin spreading across his face. He could wait until then.
Taking the bag of food, Jo paid quickly and they left the Chinese restaurant. They’d walked from the mechanics into town, but there had been no sign of Tom. “Do you think he’ll be there when we get back?”
Nick shrugged, taking the bag from her. “Maybe.” He had no idea where his brother could have gone, but right now, he didn’t care.
“Aren’t you worried?”
“Nope.” Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Nick felt her shake. “Cold?”
She nodded. “A little bit. I should have worn my warmer coat.” The wind had picked up since they’d left and now she wished she’d brought her hat.
Putting the bag down, Nick shrugged out of his jacket. “Here, have mine.”
Staring at him, Jo shook her head. “I couldn’t! You’re just wearing a t-shirt under that.”
He grinned at her. “I’ll be fine. Besides, it gives me an excuse to show you how much of a man I am.”
She couldn’t help but laugh, eventually taking the jacket and wrapping herself in it. It was far too big but she felt warmer at once. “You don’t even look cold,” she commented, as he strode directly into the wind.
He shrugged. “I’m used to it.”
Rolling her eyes, she caught up with him and together, they walked back towards the mechanics.
Shaking her head, Jo came out from the back room. “He’s not here.” Handing Nick back his jacket, she grinned up at him. “Not even goosebumps! You’ve convinced me that you’re a real manly man now.”
He chuckled, taking it back from her. “Glad to hear it.” At least she’s not suspicious.
“Should I just leave Tom’s food here?”
“Yeah,” Nick commented, sniffing a few times. “He’ll probably be back soon.” Tom’s car was still gone and he couldn’t smell any recent scents of him.
“I hope you’re not catching a cold,” Jo called, walking into the back room again. “I’ll just put his food in here.”
“Okay.” Grimacing, Nick leaned on the counter and waited, telling himself to be more careful.
Jo emerged, smiling. "I'm just going to write him a note, so he knows where the food is."
Nick glanced at her. “You’re being far too kind to him.”
“Really?” She frowned, looking up at him. “Why?”
Realizing he couldn't really tell her the truth, Nick sighed. "Ignore me, I'm just being a bad-tempered brother!"
She laughed, finishing writing her note. “Do you guys often argue?”
He tilted his head, as though thinking about it. “Sometimes. Not too often. We usually just fight it out, if we do.”
“Not literally I hope!” she quipped.
Trying to laugh, Nick glanced over at her as he walked to the door. “Obviously not.” A slight niggle of worry bothered him, wondering where on earth Tom had gone. Jo’s car was still sat waiting for the part to arrive, and Tom had promised he’d be finishing the lights today. From what he could see, one was still broken.
"Okay," Jo said, walking after him. "I guess we should get back before the food gets cold."
He tried no
t to listen to the invitation in her voice, but couldn’t help it. His smile widened, his arm snaking around her waist and pulling her against him so hard, he lifted her off her feet.
"Careful!" Jo laughed, steadying herself as he put her down. "I know you're…hungry but let’s at least wait until we're back at the cabin!"
A low growl came from his throat as he looked down at her, his dark eyes gleaming. “I should just about manage that,” he muttered, pressing a kiss to her cheek.
She giggled, following him to the car and climbing in next to him. Clearly, food wasn't the first thing on his mind.
“Hi,” Tom called, getting out of his car. “Are you the driver?”
The old truck driver frowned at him, sticking his hands in his pockets. “Who are you?”
“I’m Tom,” he explained, quickly. “I’m from the car mechanics in Woodhaven. I need my parcel.”
The man’s expression cleared. “Oh, yeah. Someone called me about you. Found the part already, let me just get it for you.”
Tom let out a breath. “Thank you.” Guilt twisted in his gut as he took the densely wrapped parcel from the truck driver. “Much appreciated.”
“You just driving back?”
“Yeah,” Tom said, not really wanting to talk. “Got a good few hours of driving ahead of me!”
“You must really be needing that part,” the driver commented, just as Tom turned away. “Some sort of emergency or something?”
Tom smiled tightly. “Just a rush job,” he replied, beginning to walk back to his car. “Thank you for this. Take care.”
The driver nodded, watching Tom for a moment longer before turning around and walking away.
The long drive home was uneventful, even though Tom felt worse and worse with every mile that passed. Shifters didn’t go near humans, but for whatever reason, Nick was attracted to Jo. He shook his head, clenching his teeth. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Jo, it was that he was afraid for his brother. Shifters mated with shifters. That was how it worked. Jo wouldn’t give him what he was looking for, what he was needing. Bear shifters needed cubs, not fragile baby humans who had no strength of their own. Neither of them had ever spoken about mates or setting up their own families, but there were rules about that sort of thing that had been drummed into them both. Shifters are with shifters, he repeated to himself. Humans are with humans. We don’t mix. Got it? “Got it,” he said, aloud, remembering the way his dad had told him the same thing over and over. What was Nick doing?
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