Page 12 of Home With Holden
My blood went cold at her words, the weight of them settling in my chest. I clenched my jaw, my throat tight as I forced the next words out. “I found my mate.”
That got her attention. Hope’s eyes widened slightly, and she uncrossed her arms, leaning forward, her voice softer now. “You... found your mate? Why aren’t you happy about it? That’s great news, Holden.” She studied my face. “Itisgreat news, isn’t it?”
I ran a hand through my hair, tugging at the strands in frustration. “He’s human, Hope.”
She frowned, watching me closely. “And?”
Why is everyone acting like it’s no big deal?
“And... I can’t let him know what we are. I won’t. It’s too dangerous.”
Her frown deepened, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Because of James?”
I didn’t answer, but she knew. Of course, she knew.
“Holden,” she said softly, her voice gentler now. “Just because James reacted badly doesn’t mean Mylo will. Not all humans are the same.”
“You don’t know that,” I snapped, pacing across the room, the tension in my muscles coiled so tight I thought I might snap. “I won’t risk it. I won’t risk him.”
Hope sighed, standing up and walking over to me, her hand resting lightly on my arm. “Holden, you can’t keep him in the dark forever. He’s your mate. He deserves to know the truth. Keeping him at a distance won’t protect him. It’ll only hurt him more. And you,” she added softly.
I shook my head, pulling away from her. “I’m doing this to keep him safe. He’ll be better off not knowing.”
She didn’t argue, just looked at me with that same knowing expression she always had. The one that said she saw right through me, even when I didn’t want her to. And I could swear there was now pity mixed in, too.
“You’re making this harder than it has to be,” she said quietly.
“Maybe,” I muttered, turning away from her. “But I’m not going to lose him. Not like I lost James.”
She didn’t respond, and I didn’t give her the chance. I left her cabin before she could say anything else—before she could make me feel like I was making a mistake. Because maybe I was. Maybe I was overreacting. But I couldn’t shake that image of James from my head—the way he’d looked at me with fear in his eyes. The way he’d run.
And the way I hadn’t been able to stop him.
I wasn’t going to make the same mistake with Mylo. I wasn’t going to let him get hurt, even if it meant keeping him in the dark for now. Even if it meant keeping him at arm’s length.
I’d already lost too much. I wasn’t about to lose him, too.
That was the thing about being a shifter, about having a mate. You didn’t get to choose who it was. You didn’t get to say,Nah, I’ll take a pass on this one.The bond was there, whether I liked it or not, and I could feel it now, getting stronger with every second that passed, pulling me toward Mylo like gravity.
But I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready to let him into this world, into my world.
Because once I did, there was no going back. And if something happened to him—if I let him in and he ended up like James… I wouldn’t survive that.
So, for now, all I could do was keep my distance, hold my breath, and pray that when the time was right to tell him the truth, it wouldn’t destroy everything.
Would it ever be right?I really didn’t know.
My bear chimed in to share his opinion.You’re making a mistake.
CHAPTER FIVE
MYLO
Dayeight at the resort kitchen, and I still couldn’t believe how lucky I’d gotten. Every time I thought about it, I broke into a cold sweat and couldn’t shake the gnawing feeling in my gut that if Noah hadn’t run into me that day, I’d probably be homeless right now—or worse. It was hard not to wonder if maybe, just maybe, there was someone out there looking out for me.Me? Someone looking out for me? Yeah, right.
Still, Noah and his family... they’d been nothing short of amazing. Every single one of them. I didn’t want to think about where I’d be without them. My chest tightened at the thought. Everyone here had welcomed me like I was already part of the family.
Well, almost everyone.