“But…your brother is married.”
“Yeah, and Elyse is different. She’s tough as leather and a homesteader, born and raised in Alaska and more adept at dealing with her mate sleeping half the fucking year. And it’s hard on her, Lena. She’s scarred now from protecting Ian last winter. Do you want Elyse’s life? Really? When you imagine giving up your career for a man, do you imagine spending six snowy months trapped in a small house fighting cabin fever all alone? I don’t want that for you. Can’t you see?” Moisture rimmed his eyes, and through gritted teeth, he said, “I want better. I want you happy, and what I am will steal your happiness. I can’t do it.” Jenner stood and strode off toward the cabin. “I won’t.”
A sob left her lips as she watched him go. Hibernation? What a mess of a life. Half of his time was spent completely unconscious, and suddenly it made perfect sense why he wasn’t married with kids already. Because before, it didn’t. It didn’t make a damned lick of sense why he’d chosen her to give his attention to, but here was the rub. She could fuck him for a few days, but Jenner, in reality, was untouchable. She hadn’t really ever stood a chance at keeping him because his secrets were too big, and too dark.
She doubled over the pain in her middle. How could something hurt so badly? She’d been right to avoid attachment to people all this time because this was agony.
“Lena?” Dalton said in a soft voice. “Are you okay?”
Tears streaming, she looked up at the dark-haired man who stood near her with worry in his charcoal black eyes. Behind him, Chance stood, holding the reins of two horses, shifting his weight from side to side, clearly uncomfortable with the tsunami of emotion washing through Lena right now.
Jenner had timed it just perfectly, hadn’t he? Break her heart right before the Dawsons showed up. Right before the long ride to the lodge so she could wrap her head around the fact that the man she adored wouldn’t be in her life any longer. Just like Adam all over again.
“I should’ve listened to you,” she said, clutching her stomach.
“Shhh,” Dalton said, gripping her shoulder.
“Ow,” she gasped, jerking out from under his hand.
Dalton’s eyes narrowed, and he pulled her forward, yanking the neck of her shirt back to expose the bandage. “Please tell me that’s not what it looks like,” he growled out. He rounded on Jenner, who was packing the saddle bags of a black horse. “Please fucking tell me you didn’t claim her!” His voice snapped with fury, and a long, low snarl sounded from Chance.
Jenner ignored them both.
“Did you tell her what it means?”
“He did, and you don’t have to worry. All of the secrets here will go with me to my grave. And relax, Dalton,” she said, standing. She hoisted herself over the saddle of a bay. “Jenner’s bite is just a bite and nothing more. It didn’t stick.” She nudged her horse and guided him toward the trail they had come in on.
Hoofbeats sounded moments later, and Dalton pulled up beside her. “That’s not how it works, Lena. If his bear chose you, you’re it for always.”
“Yeah, well, he’s decided I don’t belong out here.”
“You don’t! God dammit, Jenner,” Dalton yelled, twisting in the saddle to where Chance and Jenner followed on their own mounts.
Jenner’s eyes were now the color of midnight, though, and a long snarl rattled from his chest. His horse skittered to the side and blasted a snort. “Careful, dog. This doesn’t concern you.”
Dalton huffed a disgusted sound and kicked his horse into a trot.
Lena followed, urging her horse faster. The quicker they made it back to the lodge, the quicker she could escape the anguish of being too close, yet too far away from Jenner.
Chapter Thirteen
“You okay?” Dalton asked for the billionth time since they’d left the cabin.
Chance and Jenner were far behind, lagging and talking too low for her to hear.
“I’m fine.”
“I can see in the dark really well, so we don’t have to stop until we get to the lodge.”
“Dalton? Why do you care so much about what is going on with Jenner and me?”
He looked at her for a long time, his face cast in blue light from the moon above. “Because I hurt a girl once trying to settle down. I don’t want that for you.”
“So, it’s not because you like me?”
“I like you fine, but not in the way you think. I mean, sure, I like giving Jenner shit, but a wise wolf knows better than to mess with a bear’s claim.”
“But you tried to stop the bond from happening.”
“Yeah well, I’ve seen the aftermath, and it ain’t pretty. Not on the woman, and not on the animal. Jenner and I stay at each other’s throats, but we’ve known each other a long time. He’s one of my best friends.”
“You don’t hibernate though, do you? Not like the bear shifters?”
Dalton shook his head but wouldn’t meet her gaze anymore.