Timberman Werebear(26)

And Denison had burned with him.

He’d known that feeling—felt the ache of a mate loss. He hadn’t been able to talk to Tagan or look at the heartbreak in his eyes without feeling sick to his stomach. Watching Tagan try to go on with life after losing Brooke had dredged up so many feelings about Danielle. Memories and a stark reminder of all he’d lost. He’d burned inside along with his alpha, but he’d hidden his sleepwalking and uncontrollable Changes. Nightmares of awful things happening to Danielle in some anonymous city where he couldn’t get to her, couldn’t save her.

When Brooke had returned, the relief Denison had felt was almost tangible. The nightmares had stopped, and the sleepwalking, too. He was able to put the pain away and lock it behind a set of iron doors in his mind. He could function again without being consumed with thoughts of his own lost mate.

Now Danielle was back, too. Denison had seen the bond between Tagan and Brooke grow over the months, and he wanted that with Danielle so badly he was second guessing every decision he made with her.

He had to be careful about his timing, but he couldn’t wait too long or she’d feel left out and leave like she did last time. Either way, he’d probably lose her.

Women didn’t tend to stick around for this kind of life, and especially not human women. Choosing him back would mean painful decisions. It would mean deciding to become a bear shifter from his bite if she ever wanted to be truly claimed by him. It meant they would struggle to start a family, because history showed it was difficult for his kind to breed. She’d have to think long and hard about whether he was worth the pain and the constant care of the angry animal he would put inside of her, and then she’d have to decide if he was enough for her. If she could handle them being a family of two for the rest of their lives if he wasn’t able to give her a cub.

Shit. He curved his spine over the pain in his stomach. Gripping the wheel until his hands hurt, he shook his head in the dark at the predicament he’d found himself in. He’d been a kid when he met Danielle, gangly and barely over twenty, and he’d allowed his bear to bond to her—to a human—without thinking of the consequences to her. He’d been so stupid, but love had ruled his life. His instincts had screamed she was his from the first time he’d met her, but he’d fought it. He’d tried to spare her at first. Spare her from his past and from the danger that lurked, snarling and waiting inside of him. But Danielle didn’t get the name Badger for nothing. That woman had wanted him back and was determined to have him.

And he’d given in to her. How could he not? She was his mate, and he wanted to please her. Wanted to be with her and make her happy. Satisfying her had been the only thing that ever soothed the seething turmoil that constantly bubbled inside of him. It was bearable when she was near.

At twenty-one, he hadn’t been strong enough to resist the idea that Danielle, the beautiful balm to his slashed-up soul, could be his for always.

He looked at her again and hated himself for what he would ask her to do. She looked so innocent and happy cuddled against the passenger’s seat of his Bronco, snuggling the baby goat.

It didn’t matter that claiming her would be wrong, though, or that it would hurt her.

He already knew he would ask her because he was too weak to let her go again.

****

“I’m going to name him Bocephus. We can call him Bo for short,” Danielle said sleepily as she handed the goat to Brooke.

The woman laughed and nodded. “That’s a fine trailer park goat name. Tagan is setting up a pen for him behind our place for the night.

“Nighty night, wittle Bo,” Danielle said in a silly voice as she scratched behind his oversize, drooping gray ears. “I’ll give you a million snuggles tomorrow.” She kissed a little white swirl of fur right between his eyes, then watched Brooke and Tagan leave with him.

Aw, she was going to miss Bo until tomorrow. She’d never had a goat before, though she knew a ridiculous amount of random facts about them thanks to her insatiable thirst for knowledge on anything furry, covered in tree bark, or plant matter.

When she turned around, Denison was looking at her with his lips pursed into a thin line. He almost looked…sad.

“I’m staying with you tonight,” she announced, marching past him into his trailer. “The Airstream is too big and lonely.”

His deep chuckle behind her sent chills of anticipation up the back of her neck.

“Badger, you’re welcome to stay with me any time you want to.”

He muttered something under his breath, and she turned. “What did you say?”