“That they have freakishly small b...”
“Hey!”
“What? I was going to say brains.”
“Uh-huh. I got your number, Bonnie-bean, and I know you’re falling for me.”
“If by falling you mean someone’s pushed me off a cliff while my back was turned, sure.”
“I knew it! You love me!”
“I plead the fifth.” I have a feeling this fall is going to be a rough one. The kind that you never heal from.
“Don’t worry, mate, I’ll make sure my freakishly large body protects you from getting hurt.”
I’m sure it’s that body and the owner of it that’s going to cause the most damage. Probably, all to my heart.
Chapter 13 – Pike
Bloom and I lay face to face. I’m scanning her’s for any sign of pain. For the first time in days I find none. Our connection is open again, and I can feel contentment flowing from my mate. I pull her closer to my body and ask the question that’s been haunting me since the pain hit her. “Why were you closing our connection?”
She stiffens in my arms. My wolf’s hackles rise within. I growl her name in warning. “Bloom.”
“Don’t growl at me, Tennessee.” She says, smacking my bare chest.
“You love it.” I bury my face in her neck and growl against my mating mark. She lets out a soft moan. “Point proven. Now stop changing the subject.”
She releases an annoyed huff. “It’s really not a big deal.”
“Tell me.”
She moves out of my arms, pulling herself up so her backs against the head board, and the sheets are pulled up to cover her chest. She closes her eyes, swallows hard, and then spits out the words in a rush. “Having the connection open made the pain worse.”
I jerk back from the shock. I can’t even find words. She reads it from me, so in a sign of comfort she reaches out to touch my cheek. “I hated doing it. But from what I could figure you being the Alpha amplified my connection to the pack. And amplified the pain. Closing our connection was the only way I could lessen it.”
I pull her hand away from my face to hold it in my own. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because not being able to help me was already making you miserable. I didn’t want to hurt you more by telling you our bond was making me worse.”
“It wouldn’t…..”
“Yes, it would have. You take pride in being able to protect me. To heal me.” Her eyes get far away. I can see through our bond she’s remembering the dark place she went to after losing her dad. The sadness dims and happiness feels her eyes, as she then remembers us finding each other. “You won’t always be able to do those things, and that’s going to be hard for you to handle. So if I can save you from feeling a little bit of that disappointment, I will. Because whether you want to believe it or not our responsibilities to each other are the same. As your mate I’m supposed to protect and take care of you, as well. I may not have your type of strength to handle the first part but I have my own type of strength. And I will use every ounce of it to keep you safe in every way.”
“That’s why you’re my mate. You bring balance to my life. And without that I’d topple over into a pit of darkness so deep I’d never be able to climb out.”
Her face softens as a smile takes it over. “You do the same for me.”
I pull her back down the bed and cover her body with mine. My fingers brush up her bare sides, and with my lips hovering over hers I say. “Now, we can get back to the fun stuff.”
Her arms move around my back. Her fingertip’s tracing the muscles there, causing me to shiver with need. “I like the fun….”
Bloom’s words are cut off as she sucks in a sharp breath. Her body goes completely still, and her eyes glaze over. Somehow, through our bond I know what’s happening, but knowing doesn’t stop me from worrying. I roll us over so we’re once again on our sides. I push the hair away from her face to sprinkle kisses across her forehead, cheeks, chin, and mouth.
Finally, I feel her body relax and see her eyes clear. She blinks rapidly as she comes back to herself. When she’s fully back to herself she looks me directly in the eyes and whispers. “We have a problem.”
****************************
We track Bonnie, Tucker, and the Savage pack to the hot springs. Bonnie’s eyes are alert and locked on the wooded area we walk out of. Tucker is standing beside her on guard. She must have got bad vibes off Bloom. She strides to us, the smart mouthed girl I’ve come to know pushed aside, the Guardian in her place. When she reaches us she doesn’t even say a word, just waits. She knows her orders are coming, and she’s prepared to handle whatever they may be. Tucker takes a moment to admire the strength radiating off his mate before his focus snaps back to the situation at hand.