~

 

“I haven’t pushed it. In case you didn’t notice I’ve been here for days,” Mitzi said.

Bowie turned his attention back to the water heater on the wall. It felt like the job needed to be done and now, maybe even five minutes ago would have been better because then he would have been out of there and the conversation never would have happened.

“I got this now,” Bowie said, trying to ignore her words, trying to change the subject.

“Is there something wrong with me?” Mitzi asked, and Bowie almost choked on his own tongue.

“It’s not you…” he rushed out.

“You’re going with that line?” Mitzi smiled and the sun came out and shone on him.

He liked that — he liked it a lot. He could have gotten lost in that smile, but when his beast growled, urging him to do just that, he knew he had to snap out of it.

“It’s not a line — it’s the truth,” Bowie had to make her understand. He couldn’t have her thinking it was her fault. “I’m messed up — I mess up — I’ll mess up.”

“That’s a lot of messing up,” she bit down on a nervous chuckle.

“It’s not a joke.”

Bowie liked to hear the sound of her laughter; he thought that was what those people that believed in angels probably heard when they thought of an angel laughing. But not now, not when he was being serious, and when he needed to make her see that she hadn’t done anything wrong.

She was good, and she was kind, and she was his. He wanted that more than anything, but he knew he’d screw it up.

Mine…

“You’re just like my brother,” Mitzi said, but Bowie was already shaking his head, and he thought his head might just explode if this kept up.

“No — I’m much worse,” he said.

“You men all think that you’re badass bears, well, newsflash, you’re not so badass.”

“No — I’m crazy, and that’s where me and your brother are different,” Bowie said, turning his attention back to finishing what he had to do, so he could get the hell out of there.

Mine…

“Crazy Bowie bear,” Mitzi chuckled again.

On one level it was nice for her to downplay his craziness, he liked that, that somebody could believe in him like he was a real person. On another level that was dangerous.

She didn’t know him. She didn’t know his beast. She didn’t know the monster that he could be, and he never wanted her to see that man, that monster, that killer within him.

Mine…

“Yes,” Bowie said. He was crazy Bowie bear.

“When are you going to say it?” Mitzi asked, and every inch of Bowie’s body tensed with the knowledge that he needed to get the hell out of there before she said it first.

Mine…

“I can’t,” Bowie bit down on his instincts, on his needs, his wants, his desires, and even that of his beast.

If he said it then there would be no going back. His bear would do everything imaginable to force him to claim his mate, and he didn’t trust his beast to be gentle about it either.

His bear growled again. This time the beast growled at him, shamed him for his thoughts, and yet, he couldn’t trust that animal as far as he could throw it.

Bowie flicked the power back on to the boiler and lit the flame. He’d provided what his mate had needed and now he had to leave.

“I have to go,” Bowie said, and even though he desperately wanted to look and her one more time, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“That’s it?”

Mine…

“It’s done…”

“That wasn’t what I was talking about and you know it,” Mitzi called after him as he raced toward the door. She was about to go after him when Joshua cried out from the bedroom.

Mitzi bit down on her annoyance. Bowie was already at the open when he hesitated — his back went ramrod straight — she saw him incline his head as if he was listening to Joshua cry, and for one long moment she thought he was about to turn back — but instead, he walked outside and tossed the door closed behind him.

“Coward bear, more like it,” Mitzi said.

Bowie turned left the moment that he closed the door behind him. He stopped in place and tried to pull in a whole breath — that wasn’t working for him.

Then he heard his mate’s words and it shamed him to the core.

Coward bear — she’d called him a coward, and maybe he was where she was concerned. Part of him rose to that challenge, but it was the monster within him and not the man.

Mine…

The hell she is — you leave her alone. Bowie growled back at his beast.

 

~

~

~

 

“Let’s go,” Bowie growled out as he stormed past Rayner and Dane.

He needed to get out of there before he did something stupid; like turn on his heels and go back to his cabin and claim his mate. That wouldn’t be right.

“Okay sunshine,” Rayner teased him, and got a dark look back in return. “You know you don’t have to do this, right?”

“Yes, I do.” Bowie growled back.

Rayner shot Dane a questioning glance, and her mate shrugged his broad shoulders. He had no idea what Bowie was thinking, never usually did, probably never would, but he still didn’t like the damn idea of Bowie going after Colt.

“Bowie, the whole point of this…” Rayner started, but Bowie didn’t want to hear it.

“I started this — I’m going to finish it. I bit you…”

“Oh, Jesus, Bowie, are we back to that again?” Rayner said, tossing up a hand and letting it fall back to her side. “Would it help any if I bit your stupid ass?”

“Not the same thing,” Bowie tossed back.

“Besides, you have,” Dane chuckled.

“Can we just do this — now?” Bowie growled.

“Not until you tell me what’s going on with you,” Rayner shot back. She had no intention of going bad guy hunting with Bowie in the mood that he was in.

“Nothing…” Bowie shook his head fast.

Funny, but she still didn’t believe him even with the visual backup of denial.

“Something…”

“I…” Bowie stopped talking. He did start to fidget on his feet, but he still couldn’t bring his eyes up to her.

“I’m so glad we’ve had this talk,” Rayner teased him.

“I found my mate,” Bowie rushed the words out of his mouth before he choked on them. He’d needed to tell Dane anyway — now was as good time as any.

Mine…

“You what?”

Dane wasn’t quite sure that he’d heard his brother correctly, and Rayner looked somewhat lost for words.

“Hello!” Rayner bit out.