Gray Back Bad Bear(40)
The ground was uneven and stung the bottoms of her feet with cuts, but she didn’t care about that now. She’d heal in no time. All she cared about was getting as far away from Easton as she could.
He’d hurt her, Turned her, but she’d hurt him back. The sound of his snapping bone echoed through her mind, over and over. Tears blurred her vision as she stumbled through the woods toward the distant sound of running water.
Faster and faster she ran until the forest morphed into a smear of brown and green. She could run forever now and not get tired. Her bear pulsed inside of her, relieved to be away from the others and in the woods. The woods felt like home. These woods felt like home.
A sob tore out of her as she skidded to a stop on the bank of the river. “I’m a monster.”
“No, you’re not,” Matt said from behind her.
Oh, she’d known he was following. She’d sensed him and heard him. He hadn’t tried to follow quietly.
She turned, and he caught her, clutched her hard to his bare chest.
“You’re not a monster.” His voice sounded raspy, as if he were forcing the words through his tightening vocal cords. “You’re so fucking beautiful. Your bear is perfect. Strong and fierce, just like you, Willa.” He picked her up and carried her into the water, then washed the blood from her arms. From her face and neck as she cried silent tears.
“How will I tell my Dad?”
“I’ll help.”
“How will I tell my friends?”
“The bombshells? They’ll be insanely jealous. And if they don’t like it, you can eat them.”
The first hint of a smile curved his lips.
With a sigh, she traced the long, open gash across his shoulder. “I hurt you.”
Matt snorted. “I’ve had worse. You were terrifying and lethal. Powerful. Do you know how rare you are?”
She frowned and hugged his neck as he walked along the sandy bottom toward the falls. “What do you mean?”
“Did you not hear Creed declare you second in the crew?”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“It means you are second only to the alpha. Easton and I have been battling for that rank for two years. It’s why I always come home bloody.”
“Oh no, I took your spot? I’m sorry.” Shit, she couldn’t do anything right.
“Nerd, I’m glad you took it. I don’t care about rank. It’s a dominance thing with our bears, and your bear is a beast.”
Chills rippled up her arms. “You say that like it’s a good thing.”
“I just watched my mate whoop Easton’s ass. That was fucking awesome. I wanted to kill him.” Matt gritted his teeth so hard a muscle in his jaw twitched. “I wanted to rip him apart limb from limb for what he did to you, but I didn’t have to. You can defend yourself just fine.”
“You don’t think the boys are going to be mad at me for…you know…”
“Taking every one of us on? No, not mad. Shocked, but not mad. You just dumped our little crew on its ass, Willamena Madden. And you came damn close to taking this crew out from under Creed.”
“I wanted you to do it,” she rushed out.
“Do what?” he asked, touching her cheek just under her eye.
“I thought about this, Turning. I imagined what it would be like years from now if we decided to do it. I know you didn’t want to Turn me, but I thought if I was ever like you, it would be because you chose me.”
“Oooh, Willa,” he whispered, stroking a damp tress of her hair from her face. “I already chose you. I just didn’t want you to have to register to the public. I didn’t want you to ever go through what I did with IESA. I wanted to protect you.”
“So you regret that I’m like this?”
He shook his head, his blue eyes so sad. “No. If anything, I love you more.”
She smiled through her tears. “You love me?”
“I do, and I can’t stand that Easton was the one who claimed you.”
“Will you fix it?”
Matt nodded uncertainly. “It’ll hurt.” He brushed his fingers over the uneven skin of the scar Easton had bitten into her shoulder.
“Do it quick. I don’t want to be Easton’s.”
Matt’s throat moved as he swallowed hard, and he turned her gently in the water. She exhaled a shaky breath as he laid a kiss over her claiming mark. This would seal their linked fates. His bite would tether their lives together for always, and a trill of excitement blew through her as he kissed her scar again, grazing his teeth against her this time.
“You ready?” he asked in a gravelly, sexy voice.
The cicadas died down as if they anticipated the life-altering moment. The frogs and birds didn’t sound as deafening as she prepared to receive the mark that would change the course of her future. Toes on the sandy river bottom, water lapping at her breasts, gooseflesh on every inch of her body, she nodded. “I’m ready.”