Nick’s throat rattled in warning as Tom put Dan down on the worn couch at the back of their office. He’s injured, he told his bear, settling him. He can’t hurt us.

“Are you going to call a doctor?”

Tom laughed out loud. “No, of course not. How would we explain what had happened?”

“Oh, yeah. Right,” Jo replied, completely embarrassed. Tom was right, they wouldn’t exactly be able to explain all the injuries away.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” Nick grinned, catching her hand. “It’s just a different way of thinking, I guess. Takes time to get used to.”

Tom leaned against the door. "I'll see to Dan," he said, firmly. "There's a lock I can fix on the door too if I have to. Why don't you guys go on up to the cabin?"

“What about your leg?” Jo asked, worried.

“Nothing I can’t take care of,” he replied, calmly. “You guys need some time to talk.”

Nick raised his eyebrows, surprised at his brother’s thoughtfulness. “Thanks,” he said, smiling at him. “I appreciate that.”

“Come up to the cabin when you’re ready,” Jo commented, making him promise he would before leaving the office.

Their ride up to the cabin was quiet, a slight awkwardness between them. Jo gasped as she saw the boarded up windows. “What happened?” she asked, squinting in the early morning sun.

Nick rubbed his chin. “It was another warning.” He shrugged his shoulders, trying to make light of it. “It’s just the downstairs windows. The upstairs ones are fine.” He was going to get them fixed as soon as he could.

“Nick,” she sighed, sadly. “I’ve only made things worse for you, haven’t I?”

He shook his head, unlocking and pushing open the front door. “This was always going to happen, whether you were here or not.”

“Yes, but Dan –”

Pressing his finger to her lips, Nick quirked an eyebrow. “Will you stop worrying? This ain’t your fault.”

Jo sighed against his hand, as he slowly moved his fingers over her cheek and down her jawline. Her eyes fluttered closed. “I’m so sorry,” she murmured, as his fingers dug into her hair.

“Sorry for what?” he asked, stepping closer and wrapping one arm around her waist.

“Sorry for running away.”

Nick kissed her then, brushing his lips against hers before delving in deeper. Jo pressed her hands against his chest, as his hands slid up the back of her neck and into her hair.

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

She sighed, molding her body against his. "Well, I did," she replied, quietly. "Besides, after all of this I don’t think I’d be able to return to a normal life, Nick. I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about you."

Nick clenched his jaw as she lifted her lips to the side of his jaw. The bear was wide awake, urging him to take her again, but his strength might be too much for her. “I can’t,” he growled, steeling his resolve. “It’s not safe, Jo.”

In response, she twined her hands around his neck, pressing butterfly kisses along the side of his jaw all the way down his neck. “I’m not scared,” she whispered, her breath tickling his ear. “I didn’t know what you were before, but now that I do –” She leaned back to look into his eyes. “It makes me love you all the more.”

Nick froze, stunned. She loves me? Staring into her eyes, he could tell that she was just as surprised as him. She hadn’t meant to say that.

Jo stepped away from him. “What I meant to say was, uh…”

“You love me?”

She swallowed, glancing up at him before dropping her eyes to the floor. “I guess. I mean, it’s been a long time since I –”

“Even though you know what I am? What I could do?”

Sympathy flashed into her eyes as she stepped closer. “Nick,” she said, softly. “You would never hurt me. I know you wouldn’t. I’ve seen your bear and I’ve seen you, and both sides of you want to protect me. Protect us.”

Nick felt his breath catch in his chest.

“Yes, but I could change at any moment. The last time we were together, the bear was tired and peaceful.”

Jo smiled gently. “What if the reason it was peaceful was because you’d found your mate?”

He jumped in surprise at her use of the word. “You know what that means?”

She nodded. “Tom explained it to me.”

Nick ran a hand through his hair, blowing out a breath of surprise. He didn’t know what to do. He wanted to take Jo in his arms and make her his, knowing that she accepted him and his bear but his fear held him back. What if Jo was right? What if the bear was quiet because he was finally with his mate?

“I’m not afraid to tell you that I love you,” Jo continued, trying to be brave. “You’re the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time.”

Nick let out a long sigh, catching Jo up in his arms. “I love you too, Jo. I mean, we’ve only known each other for a short period of time, but I’ve never experienced these feelings before. I tried to hide it from myself for so long, but it can’t be hidden anymore.”

“Then love me,” she whispered, her mouth dangerously close to his.

Letting out a groan, Nick leaned down and brushed his tongue against the seam of her mouth, which opened for him instantly. He caught the scent of her arousal, which only heightened his. Lifting her bodily in his arms, he strode up the stairs, not even breaking their kiss. Dropping her to her feet, he stepped back and grinned lazily.

“Back to where it all began,” he murmured, turning on the hot water.

Jo licked her lips, her cheeks pink. “You do need to clean up after all that fighting,” she replied, stepping closer and running her hands up his shirt. His breath came out in a hiss.

“You first.”

With a coy smile, Jo pulled her shirt over her head, only to catch her breath when biting kisses slammed against her neck, his hands running down her back and into her jeans. “Don’t cheat,” she murmured, dragging his torn and bloodied shirt out of the waistband of his jeans.

“Never,” he growled, dropping all his clothes to the floor in what seemed like seconds. Then he helped her out of hers, before pulling her into the shower.