But it did, and they both knew it. If Conner didn't take the out she was giving him, it would definitely be a big deal. A very big deal. She'd have to report it. If he had been doing what she suspected him of-planting the fish, trapping and killing them for the purpose-it might even be considered criminal. It couldn't be ignored.
He sneered. "Like I said, you're not a dumb bitch. You took my job. The manager position was supposed to be mine."
Of course it was because of the job. She should have seen it earlier. Conner had been an asshole when they were equals, but he was downright insufferable this season. Of course it was because she'd gotten the job he'd wanted.
"It wasn't-"
"It was!" He dropped the bucket he'd been holding and his right hand disappeared behind his back. "And you just wouldn't go away." He whipped a handgun from the band of his jeans and waved it at her. Kira's heart jumped and her bear clawed to be free. But she still couldn't shift. She had to stay calm. He was still talking. More like ranting, maybe. "I gotta give you that. You just wouldn't give up. And you got the mess cleaned up so fast I couldn't even get the guests to complain enough to get you fired. And just when I was ready to kick up my efforts, she … " He pointed the gun at Sasha. "Convinced me not to. And I was stupid enough to fall for it for a little bit." He shook his head. "But when the charms of a woman wear off, the problem is still there. But now you're leaving."
"Word travels fast."
The gun swung around and pointed at her. "And I was going to make sure you never came back. That's what today was all about. But once again, you had to go and stick your nose in it and now everything is all fucked up."
There weren't a lot of options left, and Kira didn't want to know what Conner was capable of if he was backed into a corner. "You don't have to get in trouble for this." She tried to reason with him one more time. "I can just turn around and walk away. No one has to know." Her voice shook a little and she hoped like hell Conner hadn't noticed. But with a gun in his hand, she could no longer pretend that everything would be okay. Her heart raced, her breath caught in her throat, and more than anything, she wanted her bear to put an end to the situation. In her human form, she was scared, and she hated it.
Especially when he pointed the gun directly at her and said, "You know as well as I do, there isn't another way out."
Nash couldn't get out of there fast enough. Away from his brother, his backward views and everything that wasn't … Kira. Talking to Nolan, it had become clearer than ever that being fated was everything. It was his entire future. He belonged with Kira, and she with him, and yes, she may have let him walk away but it wasn't as simple as that for her. It wasn't because she didn't feel exactly the same way. Because there was no doubt in his mind that she did.
She always had.
Without Kira in his future, they didn't have one. Nash tried to explain that to Nolan. That was the reason there'd been no pups. There was no love. In his attempt to save the pack from extinction, he'd steered them the wrong way.
Not that he'd see it. He wouldn't. And he might never see it. But that didn't mean that Nash had to go down with him. When it became clear that Nolan wasn't going to listen to him, he made his apologies, because he truly was sorry to make the choice to say good-bye to his brother and to see the pain and the sense of desperation when Nolan finally realized Nash's choice. But sorry or not, he couldn't stay. Not when every bone in his body ached to be back with Kira.
Now, he raced down the highway, the need to see her increasing in urgency with every mile. At first he thought it was just because he was so anxious to see her and convince her that no matter what happened, they'd get through it together. But as the miles went by, something changed. It was different.
There was something in the air.
And then he could feel it.
Kira.
She was in trouble. Something was very wrong. He'd never been able to sense her that way before. Usually it was only when they were in animal form. Then their connection was complete. Or if one of them was shifted, there was a sense of the other. But that was different. Very different. He pressed harder on his gas pedal, urging the old truck to go faster.
Nash was familiar with the route, and fortunately, he'd chosen the less traveled highways, and traffic was light. He made good time and it wasn't long before he turned in to the campground and parked behind the office. The ATVs were gone, and the sign was in the window. It was quiet. Way too quiet. Nash ran to the cabin. It too was empty but his instincts were going crazy.
There was only one thing he could do. He dashed into the woods behind the cabin, pulling his shirt off as he went. It was risky to shift so close to people. But he didn't have another choice. Kira was in trouble and there was only one way to help her.