Chapter 36 – EMMA
EMMA
Sunlight streams through unfamiliar curtains, and I blink, disoriented, then roll onto my back to stare at the wooden ceiling.
My heart skips a beat, and for a second, I think I’m back in that cabin.
Then I remember I’m safe. I’m at Black River. And I know Bodhi is somewhere nearby because I can sense him, like a steady presence that settles the panic before it can take hold.
The sheets beside me are cold. He’s been gone for a while.
The ache in my chest has dulled to something manageable now that we’re close, and no longer that desperate pulling that plagued me for days.
Last night comes back in fragments. His mouth on mine.
His hands everywhere. And my body aches in the best way, but the morning light brings questions that passion chased away.
The bond hums between us, close, intense, but not fully settled, and there’s still so much unresolved between us we haven’t really talked about.
I drag myself upright and find my clothes scattered across the floor. My shirt is torn. I don’t even remember that happening. I grab a flannel from a hook by the door, wrapping myself in fabric that smells like cedar and smoke and Bodhi.
The main room is empty, but there’s fresh coffee in the pot and a note on the counter in rough handwriting:
Didn’t want to wake you. Come find me when you’re ready.
I pour myself a mug and stand at the window, looking out at the clan’s territory as it comes to life. People are moving between buildings. The sound of hammering echoes from somewhere nearby while kids chase each other around the community garden.
A knock at the door makes me tense.
I open the door to find another man I don’t recognize. Dark hair and a similar bone structure to Bodhi’s, but without the sheer bulk. He’s carrying a coffee mug and offers a cautious smile.
“You must be Emma. I’m Mitch.”
The brother who didn’t want to be Alpha. The one Bodhi took over from.
“Just stopping by to check on things after last night.” His eyes scan my face, probably noting the whisker burn on my neck, obvious evidence that I spent the night. “When you’re settled in, I’d be happy to show you around Black River. Give you the lay of the land.”
Before I can respond, a growl cuts through the morning air.
Bodhi appears behind Mitch, shirtless and chest heaving, as if he ran here. His eyes land on his brother standing in the cabin's doorway, where I’m wearing nothing but his shirt, and the temperature drops.
“That won’t be necessary.” His voice is low but firm. “I’ll show her around.”
Mitch holds up his hands. “I just meant…”
“No.” Bodhi moves past him, positioning himself between us. Every muscle in his frame is rigid. “I said I’ll handle it.” Bodhi’s eyes narrow, his expression giving away his irritation.
I hope he does handle it. Or me.
Mitch’s expression shifts to amusement. “Right. I’ll see you both later then.” He retreats quickly, smart enough to know when to leave.
When he’s gone, Bodhi turns to me, some of the tension bleeding out of his shoulders when he pulls me to him and breathes, then releases me after he’s had his fix, and his bear has retreated.
“Sorry. The bear is... possessive. After last night.”
“I noticed.” I smile, resting a hand on his chest, feeling his heart thumping against my palm. “Interesting.”
His eyes trail over my body, the open buttons at the top of his shirt showing him a hint of cleavage, my bare legs, and my tangled hair.
“How do you feel?” His voice is dark and husky, and a shiver passes down my spine.
Like I want to drag you back to that bed. But I don’t say that.
“Sore,” I admit. “In a good way.”
“You smell fucking incredible.” Hunger flashes across his face. “I should let you rest. Eat something. I’ll be working on the deck if you need me.”
He’s giving me space, stepping back after last night’s intensity. He’s letting me come to him.
Part of me is grateful, but more of me wants to grab his bulging biceps and pull him inside.
“Go,” I say instead. “Be Alpha. I’ll find you.”
After I find some of his clothes to steal, I wander the small town, trying to clear my head.
The grocery store is small but well-stocked. The community garden is bigger than I’d expect. Everywhere I go, people stare. Word has spread about the human who arrived last night.
Eventually, I end up at the construction site without meaning to.
The afternoon sun beats down as Bodhi and Marcus work on the new deck outside the saloon. They move in easy synchronization, passing tools without a word, muscles flexing with each movement. It’s mesmerizing watching Bodhi in his element. Natural. Competent. And at home.
Sawdust clings to his bare chest. His hair is tied back, exposing the powerful line of his jaw. When he lifts a beam into place, the muscles in his back ripple, and I remember digging my nails into his skin last night.
He senses me watching and turns his head, eyes finding mine across the distance, and the heat in his gaze makes my breath catch.
A woman approaches him. Different from last night’s blonde, but she touches his arm as she speaks and leans far too close.
The bond flares hot in my chest.
Bodhi steps back. Deliberately removes her hand, saying something I can’t hear, but she retreats quickly, cheeks flushed.
His eyes find mine again.
I shouldn’t feel this surge of possessive satisfaction, but I do. And damn, he seems to like it.
A young man approaches me with two coffees and an amiable smile. “You must be Emma. Thought you could use—”
A growl cuts through the air, and Bodhi is halfway across the clearing before I can blink, eyes locked on the man who dared approach me.
“Just being friendly, Alpha.” The shifter stumbles back, nearly spilling both coffees. “Meant nothing by it.”
“She doesn’t need coffee.” Bodhi’s voice is barely human. “She needs you to walk away.”
Seems I’m not the only one being driven crazy by the volatile emotions inside me. It’s like a rollercoaster of lust and rage. Bodhi yanks his shirt to the side, and when the boy spots the raised bite mark, his eyes go huge.
He backs away. Quickly.
I fold my arms. “That was unnecessary.”
“He was looking at you.” Bodhi crowds my space, burying his hand in my hair before running his hands down my back until they rest on my ass. “They’re all looking at you. My bear wants to rip out the throat of every male who gets within ten feet of you.”
“That seems excessive.”
“It’s driving me insane.” His voice drops. “I can smell myself on you. In you. But it’s not enough. Won’t be until everyone knows you’re mine.”
The words send heat pooling low in my belly. “Will it calm down? This... possessiveness?”
Amber flashing eyes stare back at me. “Never. You’re all mine.”
“Really?” The question slips out before I can stop it, teasing but amused by his absolute confidence. “You’re awfully cocky for a man who’s never even taken me on a date.”
His smile is pure predatory satisfaction. “Never.” He affirms. “Because after last night, after feeling you wrapped around me, I’m not living without you. Without burying myself inside you every night.”
Holy shit. My panties flood again, and my knees turn to jelly. Curling my fingers into the front of his shirt, I curse my weakness. I should be annoyed at his arrogance. Instead, I’m clenching my thighs together, on the verge of pleading with him to take me home and satisfy the ache building there.
Commotion near the treeline breaks the moment. Shouting. Someone running.
A young man stumbles from the forest, hand pressed to his ribs and blood seeping between his fingers.
Bodhi moves before I can react. I follow, and we reach the injured man together.
“Ray.” Bodhi’s voice is sharp. “What happened?”
“Ran into some of Jensen’s old crew.” Ray winces. “They recognized me from when I used to run with my dad. Took offense to a bear being in town.”
Bodhi’s jaw clenches. His father’s legacy is still causing problems.
“How many?” Bodhi’s considering going to deal with the threat to his clan personally, but Ray places a hand on his arm to calm him and keep him there.
“Three. I handled it.” Ray’s grin is bloody but proud. “Walked away. Didn’t shift.”
“You’re an idiot.” But there’s no real heat in Bodhi’s voice. “Mitch! Medical kit.”
I step closer to assess the wounds. Three gashes across his ribs, deep but not life-threatening. “These need cleaning and stitching.”
Ray blinks at me, sniffing, eyes going wide as he stares at where I’m touching him. “You’re the Alpha’s...”
My patient tries to squirm away, understandably concerned that he might lose any part of his body that I touch.
“This is Emma.” Bodhi’s hand settles on my lower back. “And she’s right. You need the clinic.”
Mitch appears and takes over, hauling Ray away, along with one of the other bears who laughs at him for kicking up a fuss over such a minor flesh wound. The crowd disperses slowly.
I’m aware of the blood on my hands and my borrowed shirt as the adrenaline still hums through my veins.
But I wasn’t afraid.
I should’ve been. I still have nightmares about blood, about that cabin, about strange men coming for me. But these bears don’t scare me. They’re Bodhi’s family, and there’s such a sense of community here that they make me feel safe.
“Come on.” Bodhi takes my hand. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Back inside the cabin, he guides me to the sink, runs warm water, and then gently washes my hands himself. The tenderness of the gesture undoes something in my chest.
“I was terrified,” he admits quietly, watching pink-tinged water swirl down the drain. “When I heard shouting and saw blood... All I could think was that someone was coming for you.”
That hadn’t even occurred to me. And it certainly hadn’t occurred to me that a big, scary bear like Bodhi could be worried like that.
“I’m fine.” Looking him in the eye, I try to reassure him, but his jaw remains clenched and his shoulders are tight.
“I know.” He dries my hands with a worn towel. “But watching you out there, calm and competent, caring for our people...” He shakes his head. “I’m so proud of you. You’re doing better than I am.”
He sets the towel aside and frames my face with his hands, tilting it up so I have no choice but to meet his eyes.
“I love you.” The words come out rough. “Not because of the bond. Because of who you are. Even if there were no bond, I’d want you here with me.”
Simple. Direct. And through our connection, I feel the weight of everything he’s not saying, the depth of it too big for words.
The last of my resistance crumbles.
I’ve been holding back, protecting myself and waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Waiting for him to prove he’s like every other person who’s let me down.
But he’s not. He’s infuriating and overprotective and terrible at communication, but he’s also loyal and fierce, and he looks at me like I’m the answer to every question he’s ever asked.
And I’m tired of fighting it.
“I’m staying.”
His whole body goes still. “What?”
“I’m staying. Here. With you.” I reach up and grip his wrists where his hands still frame my face. “Not because of the bond, and not because I don’t have other options. But because I want this. And I want you.”
The sound he makes is barely human. Relief and joy and desperate hunger, all tangled together.
“Emma, are you sure?” He’s afraid to believe it, probably about to argue with me that I need more time.
“But I need you to understand something.” I hold his gaze. “I’m not going to be some fragile thing you have to protect and shelter. I want to be your partner. Your equal. That means you need to talk to me before making decisions that affect us both. You include me. Trust me to handle hard things.”
He blinks and nods once, but it’s enough.
“Yes.” The word comes out hoarse. “Anything. Everything.”
“Good.” I rise on my toes, bringing my mouth close to his. “Now stop talking.”
The first brush of our lips is gentle. Testing. Then his control snaps, and he’s kissing me like I’m oxygen, and he’s been drowning. His hands slide into my hair, angling my head where he wants it, tongue sweeping into my mouth with a hunger that makes my knees buckle.
He catches me easily, one arm banding around my waist, and pulls me flush against him.
I can feel every hard inch of him through our clothes, the evidence of how much he wants this. Wants me. I pour everything into the kiss. Every fear I’ve let go. Every wall I’ve let crumble. And every promise I’m making without words.
When we finally break apart, both breathing hard, his forehead rests against mine.
“I need you,” he says roughly. “I need... fuck.” His hands flex on my hips, restraint visibly fraying. “Tell me to stop if you want to stop. Because in about ten seconds, I’m going to carry you to that bedroom, and when we get there, I don’t think I can be gentle.”
Heat floods through me, pooling low in my belly. The smart thing would be to slow down. To take this slowly.
But I’m done being careful.