She stood near him, her breath coming out in little puffs of white air, as if daring him to laugh or comment. Not happening. Not when she wielded a hunting knife and wanted an excuse to use it on him. He bit his tongue.
Now close and relatively safe, he assessed her condition. The gash on her forehead had stopped bleeding. She moved a bit stiffly. It appeared her injuries were superficial, not life threatening or seriously debilitating. Whatever happened to her, she’d survived. Barely. She was lucky he’d found her when he did.
Protect her, Brutus whined.Not like other wolves.
No. Definitely not. Brenna Jones had always marched to her own set of drums, and not just because she was a null. When he discovered his mate was the woman who made his blood sing every time he came near, his emotions collided. He wanted her, but he also expected a powerful wolf as his mate, his equal. Not a null. Not someone more vulnerable and more in need of protection than any other member in the pack. Only after he ruined things past the point of retrieval did he realize Brenna had never been weak and she was already far better than he’d ever hope to be.
And right now, she must be very cold. The winter jacket, toque and face covering were not meant for prolonged excursions through a blizzard and her jeans clung to her legs from the wet snow. They wouldn’t have provided much insulation in this weather or protection against the wind.
“Thank you.” She stood stiffly and studied him. Her lips compressed into a thin line.
Hell, he was thankful he’d found her when he did. His gut twisted as the “what ifs” flooded his mind again. He dropped the backpack at the entrance. The tension in his legs and torso faded. “You’re welcome.”
Her gaze flicked down his naked body and back to the door. “You can go now.”
Understanding hit him like a semi-truck. “I’m not going out there again.”
She flinched.
“Look, Brenna. I know you think little of me and I know you’re angry, but I’m not going back to my parents’ cabin in this. It’s too dangerous to leave you here.” And it was fucking cold outside.
Her shoulders drooped. “Find some clothes then and stay away from me.”
He saved her life, and she wanted him to leave? To risk his life again, so she didn’t have to be in the same room as him? Unbelievable.
The Brenna he knew throughout high school wouldn’t have been so spiteful, so cold. But then, the Brenna he knew was from years ago and he’d hurt her. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who’d changed.
“I’ll do that. Then I’ll get the fire going.” His heart felt heavy in his chest. “Did you want to make something warm to drink or take a hot bath?”
Brenna’s dark gaze turned to him again and narrowed.
“A bath will help relieve stiff and sore muscles. It looks like you need it.” Would probably help melt that cold heart, too. Of course, ice was probably the better option for reducing swelling, but already cold to the bone, the bath would be more relaxing.
“I’ll make some hot chocolate,” she said, now looking anywhere but at him.
Her tone sounded resigned, but with the one statement, the anger and hurt coursing through his veins eased away. With a momentary truce, Eric set to finding clothes and building a fire. His mind reeled. He’d secretly hoped for an opportunity to be alone with Brenna. He had a lot of groveling to do. Saving her life hadn’t thawed any of that ice-cold rage, but now that he had the chance to fix things, did he even want it?
Had he been dreaming of a woman who no longer existed?
Chapter 5
Brenna cursed and clanked around the kitchen, putting away the food she’d brought. She stashed the remaining packages of candy hearts. They seemed like such a childish thing, but they were a family tradition for Valentine’s. She snuck one last piece and enjoyed the sweet flavour rolling over her tongue.
Had she really suggested Eric go home in a blizzard after he saved her? What was she thinking? Sure, he could shift into a wolf and didn’t have to worry about human dangers, like frostbite but the weather was truly nasty. She acted like a spiteful hag, as if being nice to the man would put her in danger of falling for him again. She owed him her gratitude and an apology.
Mate, Maisie whispered.
Brenna shook her head. He’d shut down the possibility of the alpha’s powerful son bonding with a weak null years ago. And could she blame him?
Yes.
Yes, she could. He’d decimated her heart before she understood the ramifications. When she turned eighteen a month later and felt the pull and loss of her mate, the awful realization had slammed into her like a sledgehammer. He’d rejected her before she even had a chance. Maybe she would’ve fought harder had she known. Maybe she would’ve pulled Anna off him by her hair.
And maybe she would’ve run away just as she had, just as a null would.
Brenna sighed. That happened so long ago. She learned to live as a wolf-less werewolf. She survived the rejection and learned to live without a true mate. She could learn to be nice.
While she brooded in the kitchen, Eric found a spare set of her brother’s clothes and threw them on. He made a roaring fire before going back outside. He said he wanted to get wood for the fireplace and check the perimeter to make sure the wolves hadn’t followed them.
