Well, tried to shove him away. It was like pushing against a brick wall, and I was the one who ended up stumbling backward into my apartment. Still, my pride held as I snapped, “Don’t touch me!”
To Hawk’s credit, he didn’t try to block me out. I could feel his hurt bleeding through the bond, along with a tinny, anxious hum from Leif, who worried my neighbors might think they were assaulting me. Then, to my shock, I felt a deep wave of regret.
Not from Hawk. Not from Leif. I blinked, and my eyes landed on Koda—the Mountie I’d initially pegged as animatronic.
It came from him.
His shields were down, and through the connection, I heard him murmur to Hawk,“This is on me. I’ll handle it.”
“I’m not something to behandled,” I informed him with my teeth clenched.
I shoved all my fury down Hawk’s bond as I added, “Or discarded after being promised forever. You didn’t even leave me a note!”
My voice was rising again.
And this wasn’t a bear nest. No more waiting for an invitation. I felt the three of them decide to step inside without waiting formy permission. Hawk, then Koda, then Leif, who softly shut the door behind him.
“Holly…” Koda began, his dark eyes filled with pity. He took another step toward me.
“No!”
I threw up my hands and backed away until my legs hit the armchair.
But Koda kept coming. “Hol?—”
“No!” I choked out.
No one was squeezing my neck, but it felt like it. I couldn’t breathe, and my chest was tight with all the emotions I’d been trying to shove down since I got in my rental car and drove away from Bear Mountain.
He took another step forward. And there was nowhere else to go.
Apparently, I hadn’t learned my lesson because I tried to shove another bear.
But this time, Koda caught me. His arms clamped around my body like steel bands, pulling me flush against his chest.
Of course, I kept trying to push him away.
And by push him away, I mean I broke down sobbing like a tired, confused, starving baby as soon as he got his ridiculously strong arms around me.
“Ssh, ssh. I messed up, Vixen,” Koda whispered into my hair, his voice rough with emotion. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I love you so frigging much, and I’m so, so sorry.”
“Then why did you leave me?” I sobbed into his chest, the words cracking like dry leaves underfoot. “I waited for you. I waited for you for hours!”
“I know, but…”
He stopped. Hugged me tighter. Then, without letting me go, he asked aloud, “Hawk, can you…?”
That was all the warning I got before a series of images exploded in my head, downloading like I was seeing everything through Koda’s eyes.
Waking up early the next morning.… Leaving the cave to retrieve the toolbox he’d left at Mak’s workshop.
Wanting to get back to the den as fast as possible so he’d be there when I woke up….
But then… seeing the bloody handprint on the wall of the den he’d just spent a week baby-proofing.
My stomach dropped. His had, too—hard and fast. The memory vibrated with the weight of his panic.
“What?” I jerked back, pulling out of his arms to stare at him. “Are you trying to tell me that instead of waiting to talk to me, you ran off and fought an entire crew of murderous bear bikers?”
