Mallory's Bears(41)
* * * *
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Gunner fisted his hands, ready to come to blows. Or better yet, he’d shift and use fangs and claws to make Rick see his mistake. “Are you trying to run her off?”
Rick washed the blood off his already healing wound. “Fuck off. I’ve had enough crap tonight.”
“Damn it, Rick. Her finding us naked was a good opening. We could’ve told her the truth right then and there.”
“No.”
Fuck, but his brother was frustrating. “No? Come on. We can still do it.”
“I said no. Think about it. If we told her tonight, would you be sure that she wouldn’t freak out? And if she did, what would you do if she took off running? A woman out in the dark with that rogue werewolf around? That’s just asking for trouble.”
“I wouldn’t let her get that far.”
“Okay. So you’d bring her back to the house and then what? Lock her in her room until she accepts us for what we are?”
Rick was backing him into a corner, but he had no way out. “Yeah. Maybe. I’d at least make her understand and show her, if I had to.”
“Oh, don’t worry. We’re going to have to do just that. She won’t believe it until she sees us.” He wiped a hand over his face, his fatigue showing in the deepening lines. “Gunner, I know I’m stalling. First because I’m afraid she won’t want us and take off. Second because I just don’t have it in me right now. Like I said before. One problem at a time. I’m worn out and I can’t take any more tonight.”
He was right. Every inch of his body hurt. If he had to shift one more time…
They’d shifted, running through the pastures, checking the herd out and looking for any signs of the wolf. At one point, they’d run into Jacob Carr, one of the unofficial leaders of the werewolves who lived in Forever. After shifting back into their human bodies, they’d talked about the killings. Even some of the werewolf ranchers had suffered losses. Jacob, one of the few werewolves that the Northman brothers liked, assured them that he and his brothers, Jayden and Jackson, were doing everything they could to find the werewolf that was responsible for all the trouble.
“Fine. We’ll keep playing it your way. But if you let your shithole attitude get in the way again, we’re going to lose her for good. Even the connection can’t make up for you being an asshole.”
Rick blew up a lot easier than he did, but, although it sometimes took a while for him to work his anger out, he always came back to a level-headed way of thinking.
“I know. I screwed up again.”
“No shit.”
“Yeah. No shit.” Rick flopped down on top of his bed. They had enough bedrooms in the house so that each of them could have their own room, but soon they hoped that they could join Mallory in the largest bedroom. That was the room they’d saved for the woman of their dreams.
“I’ll take care of it,” said Rick. “Once we have time to do it right, we’ll tell her.”
Gunner gazed out the window, his mind already drifting to the problem that had kept them away from her for far too long. “I’m going to hold you to it. Soon, too.”
“Yeah. Soon.” Rick rose and started for the bathroom door. “First, the werewolf. It’s just a matter of time before we find the bastard.”
Gunner felt the hackles rise on his bear’s neck. Its claws flexed and a warning growl rumbled in his chest. “Is that right? Is that all it is? Just a matter of time?” It was his turn to blow up, but at least he’d taken his frustration out on his brother and not Mallory.
Rick cocked an eyebrow at him. “Yeah, it is. The bastard’s slick. I’ll give him that. But he’ll fuck up soon enough. And when he does, we’ll get him.”
“Then we turn him over to Jackson and the pack?”
He knew Rick hated the idea of letting the werewolves decide the rogue’s fate. He’d rather exact justice on his own terms.
“I don’t know. Let’s decide that after we nail his ass.”
“Done. Until then, we keep looking.” He shot his brother a hard look. “And you start treating our mate the way you should.”
* * * *
Another two freaking days.
Mallory paced back and forth in the living room.
Two freaking awful, sexless days.
She checked the landing of the second story, expecting to see Rick and Gunner at any moment. If nothing else, she’d get to see them before they left. She’d made sure of that by getting up at five in the morning. They wouldn’t leave her behind today. That was the promise she’d made to herself.