“Why not?She’s your mate.”
“Don’t deserve her.”What Axel told me rings true.
“You think I deserve Paloma?”Darius asks.“Do you think he deserves Lana?”He points to Teddy, who’s shaking his head.
“We mated up.There’s nothing we could do to deserve our mates.They just love us, and we let their love make us better.”
“It’s not that we earn it…it’s more that we recognize the version of us that they love, and we choose to be that version every day.”
“Can’t.”If I get close to Maisy, I’ll hurt her.And I won’t allow that.
So I have to stay away.
Darius closes his eyes.Teddy growls, “Were we this stupid?”
“You were,” Darius says.
“Shut up.”
Both of them peer at me.Outside, I see Everest’s bulk just out the window, his rounded bear ears perked up.Even in bear form, he looks worried.
If I don’t get a hold of myself, I’m going to lose my humanity.That’s why my brothers are so afraid.
But Maisy’s gone.And all I can think is,Maybe it’s easier to let the bear take me.
ChapterTwenty-Four
Maisy
I drive up Bad Bear Mountain.I know where Lana and Teddy live.I also know which property is Darius, Paloma and Wren’s.Both of them have built new, gorgeous mountain homes in the past few years.
I also know that threaded through the woods are the older cabins where each brother lives, but I don’t know which one is Matthias.
Still, I drive straight up the mountain, somehow certain that I’ll figure it out.
I scream and throw on the brakes when a giant, polar-grizzly leaps in front of the car, waving its giant paws.My Subaru is made for snow, but it still skids at the sudden stop.
The bear leaps toward the rear of my car and braces against it to stop the skid.
“Everest!“ I open my door to look back at him.“What’s wrong?Is it Matthias?”My fear spikes again.
He nods his head and starts loping forward on the road.
I step on the gas, making the Subaru fishtail again.I’m hoping he’s leading me to the cabin.When he heads off-road and plunges into the woods, I hope that he’s on a road, so I don’t get stuck in a ditch.
He points again.I round the bend and see an adorable cabin nestled in the trees.The windows glow with firelight, and I see figures in the windows.
“Is this it?”
Everest paws at my door.
I skid to a stop.Okay, I guess this is it.
I throw open my door and jog to the cabin.There is a freshly tromped path of bear tracks and human boots through the snow, as well as the imprint of something large being dragged.
Matthias!Oh, God.
I throw the door open without knocking, fear gripping my throat.
