Chapter Twenty-one

Nick’s throat rattled in warning as Tom placed Dan down on the worn couch. He’s injured, he told his bear. He can’t hurt us.

Jo looked over his shoulder worriedly. “Are you going to call a doctor?”

Tom laughed. “And tell them what?”

“Oh, yeah. Right,” Jo muttered, a bit of embarrassed blush tinging her cheeks.

“No need to be embarrassed,” Nick consoled with a smile. “Who’d expect you to know?” He shot a glare at his brother. “Stop teasing.”

Tom chuckled. “Fine, fine.” Glancing at Jo, he said, “You remember that big nasty cut Nick had on his shoulder?” he asked. “The one I’m told you dressed?”

Jo gave Nick and Tom a confused look. “Yeah.”

Tom clapped Nick on the back where the wound had been, hard. “Notice how I can do that without it spewing blood?”

Nick winced. “Though it’d be much more effective a demonstration if I wasn’t injured in other ways, Tom,” he hissed through gritted teeth.

“No pain, no gain, brother,” Tom said with a grin. “Anyway, I’m sure she gets it.” He turned back to Jo. “We heal faster than humans. Fast enough that, if you had the time, you could probably watch some of Nick’s wounds closing up right before your eyes right now.”

“Let’s not leave out the part where the worse the wound the slower it heals,” Nick added. He looked down at Dan where he lay unconscious on the couch, and felt a bit of pity for him. He’d passed out from the shock and blood loss about half way to the shop. “Dan’s the luckiest bear I know to not be dead right now. Who knows how long it’ll take for him to recover from this, or if he’ll come out of it unscathed for that matter.”

“What he needs right now is rest,” Tom continued. “Then a good cleaning up to assess just how messed up he is, a re-setting of bones, and then I’ll cast him and let his body do the rest.”

Jo’s jaw dropped. “You can seriously do all of that?” she asked, in awe.

Tom shrugged, but Nick could see his slight blush in the face of Jo’s wonder. “It’s no big deal. We’ve been at this a long time. You learn things.”

He shooed in their direction. “Anyway, I’ll see to Dan,” he assured. “I have some locks to secure the door when I leave, not that he could do anything to me in his state, but still. I’ll be safe here by myself. Why don’t you guys go on up to the cabin? Get some rest.”

“What about your leg?” Jo asked.

Nick watched Tom favor his injured leg a little less, feigning nonchalance. “Nothing I can’t take care of,” he replied without missing a beat. “You just go take care of you.”

***

It didn’t really hit Nick that Jo was back, really back until she was in his car going back to the cabin. She’s really here, with me. He couldn’t bring himself to speak, in case it might break some crazy illusion that he’d used on himself.

He pulled up on the cabin and heard her stifle a gasp as she took in the damage. “What happened?” she whispered.

Nick rubbed his chin. “It was a warning,” he said, shrugging as if there was nothing more to say.

“Nick,” Jo sighed. “I’m only going to make things worse for you, aren’t I?”

He nodded. “But not because of the Northern Wind.” He pushed open the front door, stepping inside and offering her a hand.

“You’ll make things worse by drinking the last of the coffee, or taking all the blankets in bed. You’ll make things worse when you eat my fries, or you ask me for fashion advice. You’ll make everything infinitely worse when you leave the room and the light you carry leaves with you. You’ll make my life worst in the best way, Jo.

“But do you know the worst thing I could possibly imagine right now?” She shook her head, eyes filled with admiration. “It’s you, walking back out that door, and leaving for good this time. I don’t think I could survive it.” He slowly raised her hands to his lips and kissed each finger.

“I’m sorry for running away, Nick,” she whispered, breathless and near tears.

Nick kissed her as the first tear fell, tentative at first, but then dipping back down for more. Jo curled her fingers into the chest of his shirt, pulling him closer as his hands slid up the back of her neck and into her hair. When he pulled away, they we both gasping.

“Don’t be sorry, Jo,” he murmured against her lips. “I just can’t believe you came back”

“I can,” she replied, twining her hands around his neck and pressing butterfly kisses along the side of his jaw all the way down his throat.

His bear snapped wide-awake then, urging him to step through the door she’d opened for him. “I can’t, Jo,” he growled, already willing the beast down. “It’s not safe.”

“I’m not scared,” she whispered, her breath tickling his ear. “I didn’t know what you were before, so I could understand being apprehensive of my not knowing what I was getting myself into, but now I do, Nick I know what you are, I know who you are, and I know you’ll never hurt me and I love you for it.”

Nick froze, stunned. “You love me?” he whispered.

Color washed across her cheeks, a sign of how shy her confession had made her, but she smiled. “Of course I do. Can’t you tell?” she asked, almost too soft to hear.

“How can you love someone who could lose control at any moment? The bear inside of me could tear you apart, “Nick warned. “I already hurt you once when I—”

“Have you ever thought that your bear might know exactly what I want because I’m your mate?” Jo asked, interrupting him.

Nick’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “You know what that means?

She shrugged. “Kinda. Tom tried explaining it to me.”

Nick ran a hand through his hair, blowing out a breath in frustration. He had no idea what to do. Of course he wanted to take Jo in his arms and make her his; the thought of her loving and accepting him fully for who and what he was excited him and made him want her all the more. What if she was right? What if the bear knew all the right moves and Nick was just letting his doubt get in the way?

What if she was wrong?

Nick let out a long sigh, catching Jo up in his arms. “I love you too, Jo. I love you so much that it hurts to imagine being without you for even a second, but—”

“Shhh,” she interrupted again, lips dangerously close to his. “Just love me.”

Letting out a groan, Nick leaned down and ran his tongue across her lips and she whimpered in response. He caught the scent of her arousal, and he nipped lightly at the soft flesh of her lips, suppressing a growl. Lifting her body in his arms, he strode up the stair and into the bathroom as she locked them in another hungry kiss.

Nick set Jo down, stealing a final kiss before he reluctantly pulled away to turn on the steamy shower water.

Jo licked her lips, her cheeks already pink with need. I suppose you do need to clean up after all that fighting,” she purred, stepping closer to run her hands up Nick’s shirt. “His breath came out in a hiss.

He held her hands tightly over his heart, stopping her exploration short. “You first,” he breathed.

With a coy smile, Jo stepped away and pulled her shirt overhead. For once, Nick allowed the bear to take the lead, stepping forward in a frenzy to lay biting kisses against her neck. She moaned in shock and excitement as his hands slid down her back and into her jeans.” “No cheating!” she gasped, dragging his shirt out of the waistband of his pants.

“Call it a draw?” he growled with a glint in his eye, tearing off all of his clothes with vigor. He helped Jo out of hers with equal enthusiasm and she squealed with delight as he pulled her into the shower.