Mallory's Bears(61)

“Scared? Of what?” She wanted to understand, needed to understand. If she couldn’t, then that left no option but to leave.

Rick tucked his head, almost like he was embarrassed. “I was afraid we’d frighten you off. Other werebears have had their intended mates do the same and they never recovered. Damn it all, Mallory. I was too afraid that we’d lose you, so I kept putting it off, hoping that would give you more time to fall in love with us as men before you had to know about our animals. Looks like I might’ve been wrong about holding back. We might end up losing you anyway.”

He was hurting. If she could take his pain away, then she would. But she wasn’t ready to commit yet.

Would she have believed them if they’d told her earlier? Was Rick right that she would’ve run? Even now when she was certain of her love for them, she was finding it difficult to understand. If she’d found out too soon, before that love had grown, she wasn’t sure she would’ve stayed.

“Can you forgive me, Mallory?”

The plea in Rick’s eyes tore at her. Yet she had to know more before she could give into the ache to soothe his pain.

“What does it mean? To be a mate?” She saw the hope on their faces and hated that she might have to squash that soon. “Truthfully, right now, with my head in a whirl, I don’t know if I can love that side of you.”

“Then you do love us?”

Telling them the truth was one of the hardest things she’d ever done. Not when the truth wouldn’t keep her there. “I do. I love you more than I can say.”

Their hoots of joy died when she lifted her hand. “Stop. Please. Loving you is easy. The other? Knowing that you’re an animal inside?” She choked back a sob. “I don’t think I can handle that.”

“We’re still the same men you fell in love with. Whether we’re in our human forms or as bears, we’re still us.”

“What about a family? Would my, your, children be like you?”

“They could be.” An indescribable look covered Rick’s face. “Would you hate that?”

“That’s what I’m saying. I don’t know.” She wanted to scream at a world that had brought them together only to put up an impossible barrier. “Please. I don’t think I can stand much more of this.”

“Baby, take some time to think about it. That’s all we’ll ask of you.”

Rick came beside his brother, doubling the pain she saw. “He’s right. Don’t make a decision tonight. Give it more thought. After having that asshole attack you and then seeing us and the werewolves, it’s too much for you to handle all at once. Just think about it overnight.”

Could she stay there, knowing that they were in the other room? Knowing that if she said no, she’d never see them again? Wouldn’t the connection draw them together once she let down the wall she’d built around her?

“For us, Mallory.” Gunner’s soulful brown eyes dove into hers. “Think about it for you and for us.”

She couldn’t stand to talk about it any longer. The agony stabbing her heart was too much. “Fine. I’ll think about it. But I can’t promise what I’ll decide to do.”

“That’s all we can ask.” The hopeful expression on Rick’s face had died, but the hunger was still alive and fresh.

“But you have to promise me. You’ll unlock that door and keep it unlocked.”

“Of course,” offered Gunner.

“And if I decide to go, you’ll take me into town to catch the bus, right?” She saw their hesitancy and knew they didn’t want to agree to her terms, but what choice did they have?

“Agreed.” Gunner’s tone was low, soft and tortured.

She’d gotten her way, but it took everything she had not to call them back as they unlocked the door and left.



* * * *



“Rick, hold up.” Gunner kept stride with him. He felt his brother’s heartache and knew the suffering he was going through. His own torment was hard enough, but to know Rick hurt just as much tore at his gut. “She’ll stay. You have to believe that.”

“The hell I do.” Rick burst out of the house, stripping his clothes away as he stalked toward the pasture.

He knew his brother well enough to recognize his need to run. His own bear clawed to get out, to prowl over the land. “Wait until dark.”

If a human saw two bears roaming around, things could get dicey. Most werebears kept their excursions confined to the cover of darkness. Thankfully, the human residents of Shatland and the surrounding areas knew about their existence, but they still had to be careful. They’d already taken that risk once today.