Page 50 of Mated to the Mountain Bear (Bear Protector #1)
BEN
T he coffee mug shatters against the wall before I realise I’ve thrown it. Ceramic shards scatter across the floor, and dark liquid drips down the wooden cabinets.
My bear claws at my insides, demanding we go back for her. One day. It’s only been one day since I left her in that apartment, and already, the cabin feels like a tomb.
What the hell was I thinking?
The front door bangs open without warning. I’m halfway there, ready to attack, before I recognise Beau’s scent, followed by Maddox’s. They both freeze in the doorway, taking in the destruction.
The shattered mug is just the latest casualty. Cabinet doors hang crooked where I gripped too hard. Claw marks score the bathroom door frame from when her scent in there got too overwhelming.
“Jesus, Ben.” Beau’s voice is carefully neutral. “When did you get back?”
“Yesterday.” My voice is raw. “She asked me to leave.”
Beau whistles low, shocked at how badly I’m taking it. Maddox kicks aside the remains of what used to be a chair. “You need to get out of here.”
In this mood? That seems like a recipe for disaster.
“I’m fine.” Three more days. Might as well be three years.
“Sure you are.” He pulls out his phone and shows me a photo.
It’s my truck parked crooked in my driveway. Deep gouges in the dirt show where I’d slammed on the brakes. The driver’s door is still open. I barely remember the drive home.
“Meeting her Friday to go to Vancouver.”
“Because that’s going to go well.” Beau examines the claw marks on my walls. “How close are you to losing it completely?”
Closer than I’m willing to admit. The bear’s been riding me hard since I left her, demanding we go back and claim what’s ours. Every instinct screams to drive back down that mountain and never leave her side again.
Only the memory of her trying to help, trying to give me what I needed, keeps me here.
I growl. “I can make it three days.”
“Like hell.” Beau pulls out his keys. “Get in the truck. You’re coming with us.”
Absolutely, no way.
“I’m not going to a bar. I said...”
“I heard what you said. And I’m not stupid enough to bring you out drinking in this state.” He steps closer, eyes pleading. “But you need something to do besides tearing your cabin apart. We’ve got a stakeout tonight. Boring as hell, but it’ll keep you busy.”
I look around the cabin. Every breath brings her scent. Every surface holds a memory. My bear’s going mad with it.
“Fine.” Maybe focusing on someone else’s problems will help. “But I’m not taking any job. Just... helping out.”
Beau rolls his eyes, confident that he’s going to wear me down eventually.
“Whatever gets you in the truck.” Maddox is already heading for the door. “Shower first and bring your gear; it’s an overnight thing.”
The bedroom doorway looms as I approach. I make the mistake of going inside. The sheets are still tangled from our last morning together. I couldn’t even bring myself to sleep here because her scent is everywhere. My bear whines at the emptiness of it.
“Ben.” Beau’s hand on my shoulder pulls me back. “It’s going to be okay. You’ll be back together in no time.”
“Yeah?” I turn on him. “You ever been away from your mate? Ever have them send you away because you’re too pathetic to handle their world?”
He flinches but doesn’t back down. “Zara didn’t reject you. She just knows you need more space. She’ll be back.”
I want to believe him. Want to believe she’ll be there Friday morning at the airport like she promised. But doubt gnaws at me. What if she takes the LA job? What if she realizes she’s better off without a bear who can’t even handle a few days in the city?
“Let’s go,” I say, shouldering past him. “Before I do something stupid.”
Like driving back down there and begging her to come back here and never leave.
The truck rumbles to life as I climb in back. I force myself not to look at the cabin. Not to think about how empty it is without her.
Maddox glances at me in the mirror as we drive. “For what it’s worth, she called Beau. Asked him to check on you. Make sure you were okay.”
Something loosens in my chest. She called. She’s thinking about me, too.
“Still doesn’t feel right,” I mutter.
“No,” Beau agrees quietly. “Don’t imagine it does.”
The bear settles slightly as we leave the mountain. Not calm—I won’t be calm until I see her again—but maybe I can hold it together.
I just have to make it to Friday without going completely feral.