I straightened, trying to shake the tension from my shoulders. “Just make sure he’s taken care of,” I said. “And don’t tell him anything yet. I’ll handle it when the time’s right.”
Noah watched me for a second, and then, with a nod, he agreed. “Alright. But don’t wait too long. Mates don’t like to be left in the dark.”
I knew that.Hell, I felt that.But I wasn’t about to rush this—not when there was so much at stake.
“I’ll figure it out,” I ground out, my voice harsher than I intended. “Please just give me time. I have to be the one to tell him... Mylo about shifters.”
Saying his name out loud—fuck, it felt so good.Mylo!
Noah, ever calm, leaned against the desk, crossing his arms over his chest like we were discussing the weather. “I wasn’t planning on telling him about you, Holden. That’s your secret to keep. But telling him about me? About my family? That’s my business. Not yours.”
His casual tone pissed me off. Didn’t he understand what was at stake?How couldn’t he see just how dangerous this was?My jaw clenched, and before I could stop myself, I had him pinned against the wall, my hand gripping the front of his shirt, muscles taut.
“He’s my mate,” I growled, my voice low and dangerous. “And I don’t want him to know.”
Noah’s eyes flickered, a sharp gold flashing through them—the telltale sign that he was very close to shifting. But he kept his cool, his voice steady, even though I could feel the power radiating off him.But my bear was stronger than his wolf, and we both knew it.
“I know what you went through, Holden. I know about James.” His voice softened just a fraction, but it didn’t dull the intensity in his eyes. “But you’d better take your damn hands off me before I rip out your throat.”
Fuck! Noah is family—what are you thinking?
Even with that reminder, I hesitated, my grip tightening for just a second longer before I finally let go, stepping back. I couldn’t let this spiral out of control. Not here. Not now.
Noah adjusted his shirt, keeping his eyes locked on mine. “You don’t need to worry. I won’t tell him your secret. But you can’t keep this from him forever, Holden. He’s your mate. He’sgoing to figure it out sooner or later. And you’re not going to like it when he realizes you’ve been keeping him in the dark.”
“I’m doing this to protect him,” I shot back, my voice tight.
“Protect him from what?” Noah asked, his tone exasperated but still calm. “Yourself?”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.I didn’t want to admit that maybe that was exactly what I was trying to do.
Noah shook his head, standing straight again. “I’ll get him settled in. But this is a temporary fix.” He snorted. “It’s not even a fix, Holden. You know you can’t run from this, right?”
I grunted but didn’t speak, because I knew he was right.
With that, he left the office, shutting the door quietly behind him. I was left standing there, my fists clenched, my bear raging inside me. I wanted to punch something, break something—anything to release the pressure building up inside my chest. But I couldn’t. I had to keep it together.
“Breathe in and out,” I repeated over and over until my heart rate slowed.
It wasn’t just Noah’s words that were eating at me.It was the fact that he knew.He knew about James. He knew about that day—about the one thing I tried to bury so deep that no one could ever drag it to the surface.But somehow, Noah knew.
I left the office, the walls feeling like they were closing in on me, and I headed straight for the one person who would have the answers: Hope.
Her cabin was tucked away in the more secluded part of the resort grounds, far enough from the bustle of guests but close enough to everything else that she could be there if she was needed. I pushed through the front door without knocking, my frustration boiling over as I walked in.
Hope was sitting on the couch, reading a book, her feet propped up on the coffee table. She didn’t even flinch when Ibarged in. She just sighed, setting the book down and giving methatlook. The one that said she’d been expecting me.
“What did you tell Noah?” I demanded, not bothering with pleasantries.
Hope raised a brow, leaning back on the couch, completely unfazed by my tone. “What are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about. Noah knows about James.”
She didn’t flinch, she didn’t even look guilty. Instead, she shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest. “Of course he knows. He’s my mate, Holden. I tell him everything.”
I stared at her, my pulse hammering in my ears. “You had no right?—”
“He’s my mate,” she said firmly, cutting me off. “When you find your mate, you’ll understand that there are no secrets. Not between us.”
