I grabbed a fallen log and hurled it as hard as I could. It crashed into the undergrowth with a dull thud. Then I screamed. Just once. Loud enough to scatter the birds.
I punched a tree. Not smart. My knuckles split, sharp pain blooming beneath the skin. I didn’t care. I hit it again. And again.
He didn’t trust me to protect him. That’s what it came down to. And the worst part? Maybe he was right. I couldn’t keep him safe in that alley. Couldn’t stop those bastards from hurting him.
From using me to get to him. I’d bled all over the pavement and it hadn’t been enough to stop any of it. What kind of mate did that make me?
I sank down on a stump, chest heaving, hands raw and shaking. That’s when I smelled Leo. The man moved quieter than most bears, but his scent of cedar and black coffee gave him away.
He stepped out from the trees, holding a brown paper bag. “Didn’t want to interrupt the rage fest.”
I didn’t look at him. “What do you want?”
He walked over and plopped down beside me. “Cass said you skipped breakfast. Again. Figured you might want something before you collapse from low blood sugar and emotional instability.”
I grunted but took the bag anyway. Inside was a ham and egg sandwich and a thermos of black coffee, still hot.
“Thanks,” I muttered.
He didn’t say anything for a while. Just sipped from his own thermos and stared at the trees.
Finally, he said, “Sometimes love shows up looking like trouble.”
I gave him a side glance. “Is that your idea of comfort?”
“Yeah.” He scratched at his beard. “Sometimes love looks like late-night arguments, dumb decisions, and running into danger without a plan. Sometimes it looks like leaving without saying goodbye because you think it’s the only way to keep someone safe.”
My jaw tightened.
Leo shrugged. “Doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you. It just means he’s scared out of his wits.”
“I know that,” I snapped. “Doesn’t make it easier.”
“No, it doesn’t.” Leo leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “But he’ll come back. You’re too much a part of him now. Hell, we all saw it.”
I stared down at the sandwich, appetite gone.
“He thinks he has to handle everything alone,” I said quietly. “He’s been like that since day one.”
“So were you,” Leo pointed out. “Until he cracked you open like a walnut.”
I huffed a laugh despite myself.
Leo stood, brushing off his jeans. “By the way, a new shop opened down the block from Bear & Bun. Secondhand bookstore. Guy who runs it gives me grief every time I stop by. Calls me puppy bear. I think he might be the devil.”
I raised a brow. “That sounds like your type.”
“I think so too,” he said, deadpan.
Then he turned to me, expression softening. “You’re not alone in this, Raf. You’ve got us. We’re gonna find him.”
I nodded. “Yeah. I know.”
But deep down, I also knew something else.
If James was doing this to protect me… then nothing I said would bring him back. Not yet. Not until he realized he didn’t have to face it alone.
And God help anyone who got in my way when I went after him. Because I would.
