Page 16 of Just Right (The Beasts of Blackmoor #3)

PLEASE

D id Rowan know that, while we were tracking the human’s scent, a different beast was stalking us ? There’s no way to tell because, up until the moment the ginormous wolf comes barreling out the woods, slamming into Rowan from the side, I had no idea how much danger we were in.

Rowan goes flying, the big man landing on his side so hard, the whole fucking ground shakes. Proving just how tough a shifter is, he doesn’t react to the hit. Instead, he jumps right to his feet as the snarling wolf wheels around, targeting him again.

He spares one moment to give me an order—“Run, Goldie, run!”—before his clothes and boots explode right off of him.

Completing the shift before I even have the chance to scream a warning at him, a nine- foot-tall grizzly is standing tall on his rear legs, digging into the earth before bracing itself for the wolf’s impact.

Compared to just how massive Rowan is as his bear—and I finally understand why he didn’t let me see him like this for fear of frightening me—the wolf looks like a plaything.

That just proves how much my eyes are playing tricks on me.

I saw it right before it hit the human Rowan, and it’s huge.

Now it isn’t, but that doesn’t mean that Rowan can just bat at it with the bear’s paw and the fight it over.

If only.

The two crash to the ground, each one getting back up again after another collision. Fur goes everywhere. Bloody sprays. Snarls and growls and roars intersperse the sounds of their bodies hitting. It’s brutal and it’s wild, and I want nothing for it to be over with.

Run?

How can I run?

I can’t. I back away so that I’m not in the line of fire, but as long as one of my bears is involved, I’m not going anywhere—and it doesn’t take long before Rowan realizes that.

The bear’s head swivels my way during one short lull in the skirmish.

In his fur, Rowan has dark, black, shiny eyes.

They’re not like the molten gold shifter’s eyes he has in his skin, but it doesn’t matter.

I see Rowan staring back out of me from the beast’s gaze, and I know how suddenly afraid he is that the wolf might realize that the quickest way to defeat the bear in their challenge is by turning its attention on the human woman who is currently unprotected.

Because I didn’t listen.

Because I didn’t run.

I can’t now. I’m frozen in place, helpless to do anything but watch as Rowan falls forward onto all fours, running at a quick clip to reach me. Too bad it wasn’t quick enough. The new way the bear is moving means it’s much lower to the ground—and easier for the wolf to attack.

I don’t think the beast would’ve gone for me. At least, not right away. It always seemed like Rowas was its target, and that’s who it goes for now. Jumping on the bear’s back, aiming for its hump, the wolf uses claws and fangs and pure animalistic strength to tear into Rowan.

My bear roars up, returning to his full height. A rough shake has the wolf falling back to the earth. Its muzzle covered in blood and gore, it lands on its back before rolling over to its feet.

Like Rowan, it’s quick, but it’s not quick enough. Especially not when it’s facing off against a bear in a berserker's rage.

Rowan swings the bear’s arm, catching the wolf in the side. There’s enough force behind the strike that the wolf goes flying this time, smashing into a tree, and landing in a crumpled heap on the earth.

Instead of going after the wolf again, Rowan’s bear plants itself in front of me. Even injured as he is, he’s made his position clear. He’ll die to protect me if he has to.

He’ll die ?—

The wolf finally figures out this is a losing battle.

Rowan might die, but he’ll make sure he takes the wolf with him.

Limping slightly, partially satisfied it got its message across that this territory belongs to the wolf and that Rowan and I were trespassing, it starts trotting away.

Within a few steps, the trot becomes a flat-out run before his tail quivers and it’s gone .

Just because he’s out of sight, that doesn’t mean that my protector is falling for it. Using his paw to make a clear gesture, telling me to stay put, he lumbers forward, parking himself in the space between the trees where the wolf disappeared.

Once Rowan assures himself that the wolf is far enough away that he’s no longer a threat, he drops down from his two-legged stance onto all fours. A moment later, he’s on his belly.

I bolt toward him. “Rowan!”

Shaking his head, the bear turns his head away from me.

Oh, hell no.

Once I’m near him, I drop down to my knees. I grip the fur around his face, tugging with all of my strength. “Damn it, Rowan! I know you’re hurt. Stop being a hardass and look at me!”

As though he can’t resist it when I give him an order, his bear’s dark eyes lock on mine almost instantly.

No. Not good enough.

I shake my head. “Give me the man. I want Rowan.”

The big bear rumbles.

Worried tears— angry tears —glitter in my eyes. I make sure he can see them as I plead with him. “ Please .”

His rumbles turn into shudders. He goes still, then snap . I’m not kneeling in front of a bear any longer, clutching his fur. I’m on my knees in front of a powerful male, eye-level with his erection, my fingers digging into his right hip.

One part of me almost has to laugh. Somehow, I’m not surprised that battling a wolf and ending with a gash somewhere on his body would be enough to turn the oldest Brown brother on.

Then again, maybe it’s the position I’m in, my breath panting softly, blowing against his cock as he goes immovably still under my possessive hold.

I want Rowan. I haven’t done anything to hide it, but though it would be so fucking easy to move my head and slip the crown of his cock between my lips, even I’m not that ridiculous.

I like sex as much as the next girl—something both Colt and Finn…

and probably Rowan, too… knows all too well—but there’s a time and a place, and without knowing how bad Rowan is hurt right now…

I scramble up and off of my knees. Pulling my hand back, pretending I don’t notice the flash of disappointment crossing his rugged features as I put some space between us, I whirl around Rowan.

And then I gasp.

I knew he was hurt. I saw the blood spray and fur fly when the wolf got a huge chunk out of the bear’s shoulder.

Now I can see exactly how the damage translates to the man.

It’s about eight inches long, two inches wide, and I hate to think how deep. That’s the gash stretched across his shoulders. It’s only one line, as though only one of the wolf’s fangs or claws damaged Rowan, but it’s nasty.

And he got it because of me .

I go up on my tiptoes so I can get a better look. I brace myself against his uninjured shoulder?—

He hisses.

I let go. “Sorry. Are you okay?”

What the fuck is wrong with me? He just battled a wolf , his back is dripping blood, and I’m asking if he’s okay ?

Duh, Goldie. Of course he’s not okay! But I ask because I have to, and I only have myself to blame when his answer is a sucking in of his breath before he grates out, “I told you to run.”

You know what? I’m so stinking pissed that he got hurt because of me, I almost want to dig my fingers into that gash and make him feel it. Run? Did he really think I was going to abandon him to that wolf and run ?

“I couldn’t do that.”

“Why the fuck not?”

“Because I couldn’t abandon you.”

He shakes his head, slapping his hand over his shoulder, searching for the wound. “You should have,” he says flatly. “What kind of shit protector was I? That wolf almost got you.”

“It’s not your fault?—”

“Of course it is. I shouldn’t have…” Another rough shake of his head. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter. The trail’s a dead end anyway, and it’s later than I wanted it to be. We’ve got to get you back to the cabin before that happens again.”

Is he serious? “You’re dripping, Rowan. Let me clean you up first.”

“It’s not necessary.”

Right. Because he’s a hardass. “I insist. There’s got to be a river nearby, right? Let’s stop at one, clean out the cut, and start back.” When he tries to argue, I cut him off. “You’re worried about another beast coming after us? Won’t they be drawn to the blood? Let me help you first.”

Rowan waits before me to finish. “I told you, Goldie. That’s not necessary. Look.” He shifts his shoulder, drawing my attention to it. “I’m already starting to heal.”

Holy shit. He’s not making it up. Though there’s still a gash on his back, it’s only about six inches now. The width has narrowed considerably.

“I’m a shifter,” he says by way of explanation. “We heal quickly.”

“Yeah, but are you immortal?”

He hesitates. “Blackmoor keeps us alive as long as it wants to.”

That didn’t answer my question.

I try again. “Can you die?”

Another pause before Rowan reluctantly admits, “Yes.”

That realization slams into me like a hammer. This quiet, stoic man with the hungry eyes and the big heart… he could’ve… he could’ve…

“You could’ve died ,” I whisper.

“You didn’t.”

“That’s not what I said.”

Rowan glances over his shoulder. He eyes scan my face, looking for… I’m not sure what, but whether he finds it or not, his expression is back to being closed-off.

That doesn’t work for me.

Barely aware that he’s standing in the middle of the wood, completely naked and more than a little aroused, I march around him again until I’m standing right in front of him.

His gaze shoots right over my head. He’s not meeting my stare.

I can fix that.

I reach up, shaking the sleeve of my coat back so that I can lay my chilled hand against his cheek.

“Why do you do that?” I ask. “Why do you insist on shutting me out?”

Rowan’s molten gold eyes flash, more orange than yellow. His brow furrows at the same time. His gaze drops to my mouth next, his breath coming a little sharper as he traces my lips with his gaze.

And then he says through gritted teeth, “Because, if I let myself want you, I won’t be able to stop.”