He turned and glared at Matt across the crowd. The asshole had the balls to toss him a taunting grin, but it was hard to take it seriously behind the bruising and the broken nose that his shifter healing was struggling to fix. Brighton must’ve got him good. He wished it was him to avenge Danielle’s treatment, but if he couldn’t, his twin was second best at settling down his inner bear. God, his animal was roaring for blood. Everything was bathed in shades of red. Everything except for Danielle, who kept pulling his face back to her. The only red on her was the tiny smear at the corner of her mouth Denison wanted to clean off with his tongue. He gave in once more, thinking it would calm his bear, and kissed it clean. Danielle gave off the most delicious little moan as he sucked her lip, and he hoped that touching her affected her like it did shifters. Warmth spreading through her limbs, calming her from the inside out. That’s why he had to stay near the Ashe Crew. Their presence calmed the raging animal inside of him better than a tranquilizer. And they knew it, too. Bruiser’s hand had been on his shoulder the entire time since he’d learned Matt had gone after Danielle. That, Tagan’s order, and Danielle’s pleading eyes kept him from lunging over the crowd of unknowing humans and ripping Matt’s throat out through his stomach.
If Danielle knew what he really was, what he was really capable of, she’d run away and never come back.
Matt had come way too close to Turning her into a bear shifter. If he would’ve gone deeper, bit her harder, she would’ve been a Gray Back by law. He repressed a shudder at the thought. War would’ve been unavoidable then.
If she was a born bear shifter, this could’ve been avoided. He could’ve claimed her when they were together in the Bronco earlier, and Matt wouldn’t have any right to mess with her. As it stood, he didn’t want this life for her. Didn’t want to Turn her for his own happiness. Being a bear was awful and painful at times. It would mean hiding what was inside of her for the rest of her life. Brooke struggled with it still, and she’d been Turned by a man she loved. Denison didn’t know if Danielle was quite there yet. His bear had chosen her years ago, and when she’d left, he’d had to accept that he would be mate-less forever. But now she was back, and he couldn’t rush this. And if she didn’t want the bear inside of her and didn’t fully understand what she’d be giving up—namely, her humanity—he was going to make damned sure she was never touched by the tooth of a shifter. Not even his own. Not even to claim her and bond her to him completely.
He and Brighton knew the dangers of being different from humans. They’d paid in agony for that knowledge. Danielle couldn’t ever know that fear.
Matt had gotten too close to Turning her though, and it dumped panic into his system. He could’ve so easily bitten into her muscle, been more thorough, ruined her life. Ruined Denison’s shot at happiness with the woman he still loved more than anything.
He didn’t know what he was going to do, but one thing was for sure. He had to keep her away from the Gray Backs and the Boarlanders until she decided for herself if she wanted this life or not.
What if she ran? No. She was different now. He pulled her against his chest and rested his chin on top of her head. She was stronger now. Matt hurt her, but she still showed up here, trying to play it off like no big deal to protect Denison from doing something stupid in a crowd full of humans. And she didn’t even know what he was.
Maybe she could handle all of his secrets.
Not now, but someday.
“Come on. There’s not much time between events, and Tagan is up next.” He needed to take care of her in some way to soothe the rampaging animal inside of him, and feeding her was all he could do right now. Tonight, he was going to take her home and adore her body. Not in some quickie passion-fuck like he’d pushed in the Bronco. But better, slower, like she deserved. He inhaled her scent—fruit shampoo, soap, blood, and the lingering bitter smell of fear. That last trace threatened to buckle him and force a Change, but he couldn’t lose it here.
As if she could read the turmoil flooding him, she stood on tiptoes and kissed him. Giving into his need for her, he pulled her closer and slid his tongue past the seam of her lips to taste her. God, his mate was perfect.
His mate? Hell yeah. She had been for years, and this time he was going to do this right. He was going to share more of himself and hope she stayed around for the ugly parts.
History said he wasn’t good enough to keep her, but this time he was going to show her exactly how important—no, pivotal—she was in his life.