Chapter 11
ELODIE
Iwoke to an empty bed. For a moment, I lay still and listened for the sound of Garner moving through the cabin. Footsteps. A drawer sliding shut. Anything that would tell me I hadn’t imagined the weight of his arm around me earlier.
But there was nothing.
I pushed myself upright and wrapped the blanket around my shoulders, sliding off the mattress and padding toward the living room. His boots were gone. So was his jacket.
I told myself not to panic. Garner was more than capable. I’d seen what he could do in his human form both times he’d rescued me. And felt the strength he carried so effortlessly.
He was a shifter. If anything went wrong, his cougar would be there.
But knowing all that didn’t stop the unease from creeping in.
I tossed on a pair of sweats, wrapped the blanket around me again, and stepped onto the front porch. Sunlight filtered through the trees, dappling the wood beams in soft gold. It was so peaceful outside, but it did nothing to ease my inner turmoil.
I spotted a wolf shifter out there who Garner had introduced me to yesterday. Booker leaned against one of the posts, his gaze fixed on the tree line. His posture was alert in a way that told me he wouldn’t miss anything happening around us.
He noticed me immediately. “He went out to the construction site to check on something less than an hour ago. He'll be back soon.”
My fingers twisted into the edge of the blanket. “I hope so.”
“Don’t worry, I’m keeping watch while he’s gone,” he assured me, his gaze swinging back to the woods surrounding us. “You’re safe.”
“Thank you.”
I headed back into the cabin and tried to keep busy myself. I made tea I barely touched, took a shower, made the bed, and checked my phone even though there were no messages.
Each minute stretched longer than the last, my thoughts spiraling despite my best efforts to rein them in.
I’d survived far worse than a little bit of waiting, but I’d never been quite so scared before. Garner had become the center of my world in such a short time. The thought of losing him terrified me.
I was staring out the front window when Garner’s car came into view at the end of the drive, dust drifting up behind it as he slowed near the cabin.
Relief hit me like a physical force.
My breath rushed out in a shaky exhale I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. Before my brain could catch up, my body was already moving, my bare feet carrying me out the door, down the porch steps, and across the gravel.
He was out of the car before the engine fully cut, his gaze snapping to me. Stark relief flashed across his face, and then I was in his arms.
I pressed my cheek into his chest, breathing him in like I needed him more than air. Like my body had already decided I couldn’t survive without him.
His arms wrapped around me, one hand cradling the back of my head. His breath puffed against my hair as he murmured. “You’re okay. I’m here.”
And then the relief cracked.
I shoved lightly at his chest with trembling hands, just enough to create space between us. “You didn’t say goodbye, or tell me where you were going.”
His brows knit together, a concerned gleam shining from his amber orbs, but I didn’t give him the chance to say anything.
“I woke up and you were gone,” I continued, my words tumbling out faster now. “I didn’t know if something had happened or if—” My throat closed, and I hated that my eyes burned. “I didn’t know if you were coming back.”
“I’m sorry.” He cupped my face gently, his thumbs brushing beneath my eyes. “You’re right. I should’ve told you or left a note. That’s on me.”
The sincerity in his voice took the edge off my anger, leaving only the ache underneath it.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he added. “I won’t do that again.”
Behind him, Booker cleared his throat. “I’m gonna go check the perimeter. Give you two a minute.”
I barely registered his departure. All I could see was Garner.
“Fear isn’t always based on logic, but you need to know that I was never truly at risk. The guy they sent to fuck with the site didn’t need much convincing to give up his bosses at Holt & Crane.”
He filled me in on everything that went down while he was gone, and I felt like I’d blown everything out of proportion since Garner had only gone up against one guy who was no match for him.
I swallowed hard. “I hate that I was that scared.”
“The fated mate bond makes everything hit harder.” His expression softened. “I’ve been terrified something would happen to you.”
Knowing he felt it too made the fear easier to carry.
The tension didn’t vanish all at once. It eased slowly instead.
Garner’s hands stayed on me, anchoring us both.
I rested my forehead against his chest, listening to the strong, even beat of his heart. The sound soothed something deep inside me.
“I didn’t mean to unload on you like that,” I murmured.
“If that’s you unloading, I’m a lucky man.” His thumb brushed a slow arc along my jaw. “Seemed to me like you were just sharing your worries, which is what fated mates are supposed to do with each other.”
I tipped my head back just enough for our gazes to meet. His breath mingled with mine, and the words slipped out before I could second-guess them. “I love you.”
For half a heartbeat, panic flared. I’d never said that to anyone before. Ever.
It was another first for me, one that was even scarier than having sex the first time.
Garner stilled. Then his hand tightened at my waist. “I love you, too.”
The world around us remained the same, but something solid locked into place inside me.
My chest ached in a way that wasn’t painful. “That went better than I expected.”
“I’m glad.” He pulled me closer with a deep chuckle. “Love is supposed to be easy.”
He pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead, and love didn’t feel like something I had to earn or fear losing for the first time in my life.
But there was still a thread of doubt in the back of my mind that had been ingrained in me over a lifetime of neglect. “You don’t think this is too soon?”
“Not even a little bit.” I didn’t understand why he seemed so unconcerned until he explained, “We’re moving slow by shifter standards. It isn’t unheard of for a couple to solidify their bond with the mating mark the same day they find each other.”
There was a lot to unpack there, so I started by asking, “The same day, really?”
He grinned at me. “The same hour sometimes.”
With that confirmed, I needed to know, “What exactly is the mating mark?”