Page 86 of Mated to the Mountain Bear

“Yes.”

The simple answer makes her flinch. “How is that right? I wouldn’t want that.”

Zara frowns, and I can see the guilt of her survival settling on her shoulders once more. I rub my thumb over the line between her brows.

“Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up, then we’ll talk.”

She’s quiet as I run a bath, her mind clearly spinning. The water heats slowly in my ancient tank. After some food and rest, we’ll talk about it all. About mates. About us. About everything she needs to know.

And maybe she’ll see that being happy, living her life, isn’t a betrayal of Amber’s memory.

That’s if tonight’s revelations haven’t frightened her away.

35

ZARA

The warm water laps against my skin as I sink lower into the bath, listening to the rumble of engines outside. First, it’s just one vehicle, but then, there’s another. Tires crunch on gravel, and doors slam with decisive force. Deep male voices carry through the thin walls of the cabin now, their words muffled, but their presence is unmistakable.

“... perimeter secure.” That’s Beau’s professional tone, the same one I heard that first night at Rosie’s, when he promised to keep me safe.

“... lucky the entire pack didn’t...” Mason’s voice is followed by what sounds like dark laughter.

Ben’s gruff response is too low to make out, but I can imagine him standing there with his arms crossed, wanting them gone, so he can return to me. The wooden floor creaks under heavy footsteps as they move through the cabin. Someone opens and closes the front door. Checking locks, probably.

I close my eyes and breathe in the steam rising from the water. Amber’s apartment always smelled like vanilla candles and coffee. After she disappeared, I’d wake up expecting to hear her in the kitchen, singing off-key, while she made breakfast.The first time I slept in her bed, I cried for hours because her pillow still smelled like her shampoo.

Another engine approaches, louder, more aggressive. A motorcycle. The engine cuts, and I hear more footsteps on the porch, then Maddox’s voice joins the others.

“Pack’s been escorted to the territory line. They won’t be back.” His tone is matter-of-fact, like he’s giving a military report. “Their beta has control now. The alpha...” A pause. “He’s not doing well.”

The word ‘mate’ drifts through the air, though I can’t tell who said it. My chest tightens as reality crashes over me again. I’m someone’s mate. And that broken wolf was Amber’s. And without her, he’s dying.

The same way I almost died tonight. If that wolf had gotten past Ben, if the pack hadn’t listened to me...

“Won’t give up... we’ll keep looking...”

“Sorry Ben, we probably led him up here...”

“No shit.”

The water suddenly feels too hot, the steam, too thick. I slide down until my ears are submerged, muting the voices to distant rumbles. My toes find the edge of the tub as I let the water cover my face, holding my breath in this quiet underwater world.

Everything blurs through the veil of water.

Amber would have loved this. Finding out about shifters, having a mate who literally couldn’t live without her. She was always the adventurous one, the one who said yes to everything, while I made lists and worried about consequences. She would have taken one look at that wolf and probably asked if she could pet him.

But she’s gone. And I’m here.

My lungs start to burn, but I stay under. Life is so fragile, so short. Amber knew that. She lived as if she knew that.

Strong hands suddenly grip my shoulders and haul me upright.

I gasp, blinking water from my eyes as Ben’s terrified face comes into focus.

“Zara, what were you doing?” His hands are frantic as they smooth my wet hair back from my face, checking me over. “I thought...”

“Just thinking.” I stare at him, this fierce man who threw himself between me and death without hesitation, who would die for me.