Series: Lee Savino
Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 66414 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66414 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
“Give him some food,” Teddy directs, holding a plate out.
Darius slides half the salmon steak onto a plate, and Teddy puts it on the table, helping me sit.
My hands transform to claws as I snatch up the food, my fangs lengthening to chew. The fish tastes amazing. I must have forgotten to eat anything these past few days. I scarf down my plate, and hunch my back to lower my head and lick it clean.
When I look up, Teddy and Darius are exchanging glances.
“What?” It comes out more of a grunt.
“I’ve never seen you like this,” Teddy says.
“You look bad, man.”
I growl and keep licking my plate clean. Then I drop it and wipe a hand across my mouth. It feels weird being in man form. But it’s nice having opposable thumbs. My belly is full, even though my upper chest cavity feels empty. I try to grunt, “Thank you” but it comes out as a bear growl.
Still, Darius gets the meaning. “Anytime. You’d do the same for us.”
“Hell, you have.” Teddy leans back in his chair, propping it on two back legs. “I never thought I’d see you acting like…”
“Like us,” Darius says. I know they’re in sync when they stop fighting and start finishing each other’s sentences.
But it’s annoying. I want them to fight. I want to fight them, use up this useless energy crawling beneath my skin.
Maisy Maisy Maisy—
“Matthias!”
My ears ring like Teddy’s been calling my name for some time.
“You need to get it together,” he says. “You’re going feral.”
Darius says, “You’re better than this.”
I shrug. What does it matter? I lost Maisy.
“Mom’s worried about you.” Darius plays the guilt card. “She told us about the shifter cancer.”
I pause at that. They know?
“You shouldn’t have taken all of that on yourself, Matthias,” Darius says.
“Yeah,” Teddy agrees. “But she still needs you. What if she comes out of remission?”
“If you don’t care about us, or Mom, think of Maisy. You don’t want her to see you like this.”
“She’s not going to. See me.”
“Why not? She’s your mate.”
“Don’t deserve her.” What Axel told me rings true.
“You think I deserve Paloma?” Darius asks. “Do you think he deserves Lana?” He points to Teddy, who’s shaking his head.
“We mated up. There’s nothing we could do to deserve our mates. They just love us, and we let their love make us better.”
“It’s not that we earn it…it’s more that we recognize the version of us that they love, and we choose to be that version every day.”
“Can’t.” If I get close to Maisy, I’ll hurt her. And I won’t allow that.
So I have to stay away.
Darius closes his eyes. Teddy growls, “Were we this stupid?”
“You were,” Darius says.
“Shut up.”
Both of them peer at me. Outside, I see Everest’s bulk just out the window, his rounded bear ears perked up. Even in bear form, he looks worried.
If I don’t get a hold of myself, I’m going to lose my humanity. That’s why my brothers are so afraid.
But Maisy’s gone. And all I can think is, Maybe it’s easier to let the bear take me.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Maisy
I drive up Bad Bear Mountain. I know where Lana and Teddy live. I also know which property is Darius, Paloma and Wren’s. Both of them have built new, gorgeous mountain homes in the past few years.
I also know that threaded through the woods are the older cabins where each brother lives, but I don’t know which one is Matthias.
Still, I drive straight up the mountain, somehow certain that I’ll figure it out.
I scream and throw on the brakes when a giant, polar-grizzly leaps in front of the car, waving its giant paws. My Subaru is made for snow, but it still skids at the sudden stop.
The bear leaps toward the rear of my car and braces against it to stop the skid.
“Everest! “ I open my door to look back at him. “What’s wrong? Is it Matthias?” My fear spikes again.
He nods his head and starts loping forward on the road.
I step on the gas, making the Subaru fishtail again. I’m hoping he’s leading me to the cabin. When he heads off-road and plunges into the woods, I hope that he’s on a road, so I don’t get stuck in a ditch.
He points again. I round the bend and see an adorable cabin nestled in the trees. The windows glow with firelight, and I see figures in the windows.
“Is this it?”
Everest paws at my door.
I skid to a stop. Okay, I guess this is it.
I throw open my door and jog to the cabin. There is a freshly tromped path of bear tracks and human boots through the snow, as well as the imprint of something large being dragged.
Matthias! Oh, God.
I throw the door open without knocking, fear gripping my throat.
Matthias’ head jerks up from where it rested in his hands. He’s sitting at the kitchen table while his brothers stand over him.