“I don’t want to come with you, Tessa. And if you ever cared for me, you wouldn’t ask.”
“I do care for you. Why do you think I’m here waiting? And now you’re with her. I heard you bonding with her. What about our bond?”
“We didn’t ever have one! Tessa, a bond isn’t just temporarily liking someone and wanting to fuck them on the regular. A bond is unbreakable stitches that hold your heart right up against someone else’s. If you’d ever bonded to me, you wouldn’t have left me for another mate. You couldn’t have. I’m not going with you. I’m not dying so you can use me as a crutch.”
“You love me!”
“I don’t. I haven’t in a long time. I pity you, but no, I don’t love you.”
Tessa’s voice dipped to a whisper. “But you don’t love her.”
Jason shifted his weight and held her gaze so she could see the honesty in his eyes when he said, “Wrong again.”
Tessa’s eyes blazed as she opened her mouth, but Jason had expected this. He turned away from her gory show and walked back to the treehouse.
By the time he’d reached the bottom rung of the ladder, Tessa’s scream had faded away.
Chapter Ten
Jason couldn’t take his eyes off Georgia. She drove this way and that on her ATV, standing straight up, arms locked on the handlebars as she scanned the forest floor in front of her.
He hadn’t meant to stalk her, only to meet up with her, but when he’d followed her scent from the ranger tower out here, he hadn’t been able to stop observing her. He didn’t know this Georgia. Not yet.
She revved the motor and pulled her four-wheeler around a clump of brush. She was wearing a brown, button-down shirt that clung to that hourglass figure he found so damned sexy. Her thick cargo pants clung to her ass just right, and her hair was in a ponytail, whipping behind her when she gunned the accelerator. Her puff jacket was open and a long hunting knife hung down from her belt on one side, a handgun on the other. Both of which she wore and maneuvered around as if the weapons were an extension of herself.
Georgia was a badass.
His dick thumped against the seam of his jeans as he moved forward to show himself. Her eyes met his the second he moved. Surprise faded to relief, then to happiness as her face brightened with that gorgeous smile he breathed for.
Her cheeks were rosy from the cold, and her breath, like his, steamed out in front of her on every exhale as she drove toward him. God, she was beautiful.
“What are you looking for?”
Her smile slipped. “Bodies.”
“What?”
“We have a poacher problem I’m trying to work out. They keep moving inward, closer to Boarlander territory, and it has me nervous. I need to stop them before they get bold enough, and close enough, to take a bear, if you catch my drift. I’ve already warned Harrison and his crew, and they’re on the lookout, but I’ve dealt with this crap before, and these people aren’t acting like regular poachers. They aren’t the get in, take their animals illegally, and get out type. I’ve found three old campsites. That’s ballsy, setting up tents and staying overnight.”
“Maybe they don’t know it’s private land.”
“How could they not? They have to pass through gates with no trespassing signs on them.”
“Hmm,” Jason said. Uneasiness slipped over his shoulders thinking about his mate going head-to-head with these assholes, but this was her job. And like she’d said, she’d dealt with poachers before. Still, his instincts were blaring to tuck her up against him where she would be safe and protected. But he’d learned from Gia and Willa, if they’re mate became overbearing like that, those Gray Back women would put the hurt on them. He suspected Georgia was no different and just as strong.
“You know what gets me?” she asked, scanning the woods with a troubled furrow to her delicate eyebrows. “They aren’t keeping their kills. Hunters are respectful about taking meat, but these guys? They’re just shooting for sport.” She swung her bright gaze back to Jason. “I’ve never seen poachers leave their game behind like this. Bad shots and not even trying to track down the animals.”
“You want me to sniff around? See if I can’t find something you missed?”
“You mean as a bear?”
“Yeah.”
“Nope. I don’t want your animal anywhere near here. Plus, I’m terrified of bears, remember? Now hop on up here and take me back to the ranger tower, sexy dick.” Georgia slapped her hand over her mouth as her eyes went wide. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I just said that.”