Jo raised her hands over her ears, not willing to take in anything that he had to say. She didn’t know what to think or what to feel, her mind screaming that she needed to get out of here.

“Just go, Nick,” she shouted, not wanting to hear another word. “Please, just go.”

Outside, Nick thumped the door with his fist, completely frustrated. “I don’t want to go,” he said, quietly. “I want to see you, Jo.”

She didn’t reply, the silence telling him more than she could with words.

“If you want me to go, then I will,” he said, eventually. “I know this must be terrifying for you, Jo, but I want you to talk to me. Please, don’t leave before we have a chance to talk.”

 

Jo waited until she couldn't hear his footsteps anymore, before bursting into fresh tears. Nothing made sense. By the time her tears dried, she was ready to go. Not caring if she'd left anything behind, she picked up her bag, and walked to her car, leaving the cabin door key under the front doormat. All she wanted was to get out of here.

 

Tom swore loudly the moment Nick walked into the shop, the look on his face warning him of what was on his brother’s mind. Mentally and physically exhausted, he backed away, holding his hands up. “Please, Nick,” he began, quietly. “What’s done is done. I know you didn’t mean for her to see us change, but –”

“If you hadn’t come by, that wouldn’t have happened,” Nick growled, his fists clenching.

“It might have,” Tom contradicted. “The Northern Wind pack are determined to get you – get us – any way they can.”

“You didn’t have to fix her car.”

“I know, but it’s for the best. Really.”

Nick slammed his fist down on the counter, making Tom jump. “Since when is it your business to tell me how to live my life, Tom?”

Tom could feel the tension coming from his brother. “It’s not. I’m just trying to protect you.”

“I don’t need protecting!” Nick roared, spittle flying from his mouth. “She’s my mate, Tom! Don’t you get it?”

Tom’s mouth fell open. “Your mate?” he stammered, his eyes wide with shock. “She can’t be, Nick. You’ve made a mistake. Jo’s not a shifter, she’s a human.”

Closing his eyes, Nick nodded. “I know that,” he said, more quietly. “It doesn’t make any more sense to me, either, but all I know is that the bear has found its mate.” His anger ebbed away, leaving him feeling exhausted. “I’ve been trying to stay away from her, Tom, but the bear has only called for her more and more.”

Finally, Tom realized what a struggle Nick had been facing. Finding a mate, only for her not to be a shifter? That was almost too difficult to understand. "So that's why you couldn't stay away from her."

Nick nodded, running a hand through his hair. He was more than just upset, he was almost distraught at the thought of Jo leaving him. She was his mate, he was sure of it now. There wouldn’t be someone else, not ever. “I was with her,” he explained, simply. “The bear was quiet so I went for it. I couldn’t help myself.”

“And you didn’t hurt her?” Tom asked, surprised.

“I didn’t. Not once. The bear was quiet, almost peaceful. It was like we were meant to be together. She’s the only one for me, Tom.”

“Then I’m really sorry,” Tom replied, honestly. “I didn’t know.”

“How could you?” Nick sighed, closing his eyes and almost groaning with misery. “It doesn’t make sense. Shifters don’t touch humans.”

“At least now she knows who you really are,” Tom said, after a moment. “You don’t have to hide that part of you anymore.”

“She wouldn’t talk to me.”

“What?”

“She locked the cabin door and wouldn’t talk to me.”

Tom sighed, his mouth twisting into a rueful smile. “Can you really blame her, Nick? Just give her a chance. She’s seen something she was never meant to see and it must be terrifying for her. Let her think about things for a while and then try again.”

Nick glanced at his brother. “You think?”

“Yeah,” Tom shrugged. “I’m sure she just needs some time.”

Nick wanted to believe him, but the sound of a car caught his ears. Striding outside, he waited as it drew closer, his eyes catching sight of Jo’s car as it drove towards him. His heart lifted, hoping that she was coming to talk to him – but instead, she just drove straight past, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.

“No!” he shouted, sprinting after her. “Jo! Come back!” His bear was roaring, wanting him to catch up with her, never to let her go again. Your mate is leaving. Running as fast as he could, Nick waved frantically, hearing the sound of the engine revving harder. She was driving away from him as fast as she could and in the end, he had to let her go.

 

Jo checked into a hotel room for two nights, with both dinner and breakfast delivered to her room. There were going to be no more motels. If Brian wanted her to drive instead of fly, she was going to stay in style. Charging it to her work credit card, Jo thanked the receptionist and walked to her room.

Flopping onto the plush bed, Jo wanted to curl up into a ball and cry, but she’d done far too much of that on the way here. She’d caught sight of Nick in her rear view mirror, saw the way he chased after her with a desperate look on his face. Instead of stopping, instead of talking to him, she’d pressed the accelerator harder, leaving him behind.

Now that the pain and panic had begun to die away, Jo was beginning to think that she'd made a mistake. She'd never faced up to her problems, running away from them the way she'd run away from Nick. That was why Brian was able to take advantage of her because she never stood up for herself. Was that really the way she wanted to end things with Nick?

Sighing, Jo pulled herself up and began to sort her luggage out, thinking that she might have a bath later in the evening. Her cell phone rang, and her heart jumped in her chest. Was it Nick? Had he called?

It wasn’t Nick. It was Brian. Sighing, she answered. “Yes, Brian. What is it?”

“I’ve just seen your recent transaction,” he said tightly. “A little expensive, Jo.”

She shrugged. “And?”

There was short silence. “I beg your pardon?” His voice began to go into a slightly higher pitch. She was annoying him.

“Brian, I’m staying in a nice hotel. What’s the problem?”

“The problem is that we are on a budget,” he exclaimed.

“And that’s not my concern,” she replied, calmly. “I’m staying somewhere reasonable, Brian, not some crummy back road motel.”

“The cost is ridiculous!”

“Then you should have paid for me to fly,” Jo said, firmly. Her stomach was churning, but she kept her voice calm and determined. “If you expect me to drive to meet clients, then I’ll be staying overnight in a decent hotel. That’s all there is to it.”

Brian spluttered for a few moments, while Jo waited with bated breath for his response. Was she going to be fired? And if she was….did she really care?

“Fine,” he muttered, eventually. “Since you’re available a little earlier, I’ll phone the client and have him meet with you tomorrow.” Back to business, he was now all professional. “I’ll text you the details.”

“Thanks,” Jo replied, hanging up immediately. Her lips curved into a light smile as she looked down at the phone. Nick had been right, she shouldn’t let him treat her like that. And look what had happened when she’d stood up for herself – she’d kept both her job and her hotel, making it very clear that she wouldn’t be doing the motel thing again. “What would have happened if I’d stayed with Nick?” she murmured, putting down her cell phone and wandering back to the bed. Would she still be there? Would they have managed to sort things out?

Putting on the small kettle, Jo shook her head to herself. He’d told her – through the door – that he was beginning to care about her, but at the time, she hadn’t wanted to listen. Admitting that she felt the same was terrifying, but now she had calmed down, Jo couldn’t hide the truth from herself. Yes, there had been a physical attraction to Nick, but it had been the way he’d helped her sort herself out, listened to her when she talked about Brian and held her when she’d cried, that had made her fall for him. He’d told her that she needed to stand up for herself, made her question her life and what she was doing - and then she’d run away from him.

“But he changed into a bear,” she muttered to herself, shaking her head. She could still see him change, his skin ripping open to reveal dark fur. It had been completely terrifying to watch, but for some reason, she was beginning to accept it.

“Maybe I should go back and talk to him on my way home,” she said aloud, making herself a cup of tea. There was a lot she wanted to ask and perhaps it was the only way she’d get him out of her mind. Physically and emotionally exhausted, Jo switched on the tv and sat back on the bed, coffee in hand. She’d think about it all again tomorrow.