Chapter 16
Gia
I didn’t know what was happening to me.
Or how I could fall this fast.
One minute I was a thirty-six-year-old Dryad trying to reconnect with her magic in the Montana wilderness, and the next I was apparently soul-bonded to a giant Bear Shifter who looked at me like I hung the damn moon.
It didn’t make sense.
None of it did.
And yet, every time I closed my eyes, I felt him.
Warmth.
Protection.
Possession.
The strange invisible thread between us hummed constantly beneath my skin now, tugging gently at my magic no matter how far apart we were.
Mate.
The word still made my stomach flutter nervously.
Because the thing with Wreck?
It was complicated.
I wasn’t a Shifter.
I didn’t grow up with Clan or Pack laws or Alpha biology or any of the intense instinctive bond stuff he kept hinting at.
For Dryads—and honestly for most Witches too—mating was still a choice.
Even soul-deep love didn’t erase free will.
And maybe that made me selfish because I wanted Wreck to have that too.
A choice.
I didn’t want him picking me just because of chemistry.
Or biology.
Or instinct.
I wanted him to choose me.
Me.
Gia Anatoly.
Curvy Dryad with emotional baggage and plant magic and a tendency to cry during dog food commercials.
Not because his animal side demanded it.
But because somewhere beneath all that instinct and Alpha intensity, he genuinely wanted me.
Was that needy?
Maybe.
Was I asking too much?
Possibly.
But the truth was, I’d waited a very long time to give my heart to someone.
And if Wreck was going to keep it?
I needed to know it meant something beyond fate and hormones and ancient Shifter biology.
So far, we’d avoided the conversation entirely.
Mostly because every time we got close to talking about feelings, one of us ended up kissing the other senseless.
Which honestly?
Not the worst communication style I’d ever encountered.
After Wreck found me in the woods earlier, we’d agreed to have dinner tonight at my cabin.
Which was how I ended up wandering the tiny market in Ember Hollow, trying to decide between fresh pasta or steaks while also pretending my lower stomach wasn’t cramping intermittently.
The discomfort had started earlier that afternoon.
Not awful.
Just strange.
And okay, yes, maybe my brain immediately jumped to Shifter knotting apparently equals babies panic, but realistically it probably meant my period was coming.
Which honestly would suck because cramps plus Montana mountain sex recovery wasn’t exactly a winning combination.
But at least I knew everything still worked properly then, right?
Right.
Totally normal thoughts to have after accidentally mating a giant magical firefighter.
I sighed and grabbed a carton of strawberries from the produce display.
The little market smelled faintly of coffee beans, fresh bread, and pine cleaner. Locals drifted lazily through the aisles while country music played softly overhead.
It was cozy. Peaceful even.
Until the front door chimed.
And Stephanie walked in with her sidekick, Barb.
Fantastic.
I spotted them immediately and looked away just as fast, pretending to be deeply invested in avocados while both women strutted farther into the store like bargain-bin reality show villains.
Unfortunately, Shifter hearing apparently wasn’t required to catch their whispers. I heard those two just fine.
“Seriously?” Barb snorted loudly enough to carry. “He picked fat ass over there instead of you?”
Stephanie laughed under her breath.
“Guess even guys like Wreck get desperate, eventually. Besides, she looks like she swallows!”
My stomach tightened instantly.
Ignore them.
I reached for another avocado.
“I’m not sweatin’ it, Barb, honestly,” Stephanie continued, “he never stays with one woman long, anyway. He’ll be back knocking on my door soon enough.”
Barb barked out a laugh.
“Especially once the novelty wears off or once fat ass leaves town.”
My jaw clenched.
Okay.
Maybe I cared a little.
Which was stupid.
I barely knew these women.
And logically, I knew Wreck’s past didn’t actually matter.
We were adults.
People dated.
People slept together.
Still, the comments slid directly into every old insecurity I’d spent years trying to outgrow.
Too soft.
Too big.
Too much.
And Goddess help me, part of me wondered if they were right.
Wreck burned so intensely.
What happened when that intensity faded?
Would he still want me then?
Or was I just some biological inevitability his instincts latched onto?
The cramps in my stomach twisted sharper.
I exhaled slowly through my nose.
Nope.
Absolutely not ruining my day over two women who looked like they moisturized with spite.
I grabbed a bushel of Brussels sprouts from the produce display.
And then Stephanie walked past me close enough to mutter, “I guess it’s easier to survive winter with extra insulation.”
Barb snorted loudly.
My magic snapped.
Not dangerously.
Not violently.
Just pettily.
Honestly?
I was pretty proud of myself.
Because instead of unleashing vines from the ceiling or causing a localized produce tornado, I merely encouraged gravity.
The stack of Brussels sprout bushels behind them trembled slightly.
Then it toppled.
Hard.
“OH MY GOD!”
Stephanie screeched as dozens of tiny green vegetables rained down around them like aggressive little cannonballs.
Barb slipped immediately.
Stephanie went down a second later.
Both women sprawled dramatically across the tile floor in a tangle of limbs and knock-off designer handbags while Brussels sprouts rolled cheerfully in every direction.
The entire store went silent.
Oops.
I pressed one hand lightly against my chest.
“Oh no,” I said sweetly. “I guess sometimes it pays to have a little cushion.”
A few nearby shoppers choked suspiciously into their laughter.
Barb glared at me from the floor.
Stephanie’s face turned crimson.
And honestly?
The tiny pulse of satisfaction through my magic felt incredible.
“Did you do that?” Stephanie hissed.
I widened my eyes innocently.
“Do what?”
One elderly woman near the apples actually snorted.
Stephanie scrambled upright furiously while brushing produce off her jeans.
“This place is ridiculous,” she snapped.
“Mmm,” I agreed pleasantly.
Barb muttered something under her breath while dragging Stephanie toward the next aisle.
The second they disappeared, I burst out laughing.
Actually laughing.
Deep.
Real.
The kind that loosened tension in my chest I hadn’t realized I was carrying.
“Well,” an amused male voice rumbled behind me, “that was terrifying.”
I froze.
Then slowly turned.
Wreck stood at the end of the produce aisle, holding two bags of ice.
His mismatched eyes gleamed openly with amusement.
And something hotter.
Something proud.
Oh Goddess.
“How long were you standing there?” I demanded.
“Long enough.”
Heat flooded my cheeks instantly.
“That was immature.”
“A little.”
“They were being awful.”
“They were.” One corner of his mouth twitched upward slightly. “You were so hot, though.”
My stomach flipped embarrassingly hard.
Wreck stepped closer slowly.
The market around us seemed to fade immediately.
Just like everything always did whenever he was around.
“You okay, Honey?” he asked quietly.
And somehow, beneath the teasing, I heard the real question.
The protective one.
The one that genuinely cared if those women hurt me.
The bond warmed softly between us.
I nodded.
“Yeah.”
Wreck studied my face carefully, like he was checking for damage, anyway.
Then he moved both bags of ice to one hand, and his free hand slid gently against the small of my back.
Mine.
The possessive warmth behind the touch wrapped around me instantly.
And just like that, the mean whispers and old insecurities quieted beneath something steadier.
Something stronger.
Him.
We checked out together at the register, and because Wreck apparently suffered from chronic overprotective mountain-man syndrome, he paid for everything despite my repeated protests.
“Wreck, I can buy my own groceries,” I argued while the cashier tried very hard not to openly eavesdrop.
“I know. But these are for us, right?”
“Yes, but why are you acting like I’m a Victorian woman who might faint from financial responsibility?”
One corner of his mouth twitched.
“You called down produce vengeance on two females today, Honey. I’m choosing my battles carefully.”
I gasped softly.
“You thought that was funny.”
“I definitely thought it was funny.”
Wreck’s gaze sizzled as he looked at me, and I swayed towards him, lifting my face to his lips before I even knew what I was doing.
The kiss was sweet and promising but cut short when the cashier cleared her throat loudly before immediately pretending to reorganize gum packets.
Traitor.
Wreck grabbed the bags effortlessly, all six somehow dangling from one massive hand while the other settled lightly against my lower back again.
The touch sent warmth spreading through me instantly.
Protective.
Possessive.
Comforting.
Dangerously comforting.
The second we stepped outside, thunder cracked overhead.
Then the sky opened up.
Rain slammed down in cold heavy sheets hard enough to soak the parking lot instantly.
“Oh, come on!” I yelped, laughing despite myself as I ducked closer to Wreck automatically.
His entire body immediately shifted around me.
Sheltering.
The giant male barely even reacted to the rain beating down on him while he hustled me toward the row of parked vehicles.
“YO! You got the ice?” Havoc yelled from the truck nearby. “Come on, man, I’m dying of thirst!”
Without even looking, Wreck launched the bags of ice through the open truck window.
Havoc caught them with an offended grunt.
“Jesus Christ!”
“Shut up,” Wreck barked.
Then, before I could process what he was doing, he yanked off his dark sweatshirt and draped it around my shoulders.
The fabric was still warm from his body.
Smoke and pine wrapped around me instantly.
Wreck.
The scent hit me embarrassingly hard, and I felt another cramp squeeze my lower stomach.
“You’ll freeze,” I protested weakly.
“I’m a Bear.”
Which honestly?
Fair point.
Rain soaked through his t-shirt immediately anyway, clinging to every massive line of muscle across his chest and stomach.
Good Goddess.
I really needed to stop staring at this man like he was handcrafted pornography.
Wreck guided me gently toward my car with one huge hand at my waist while rain poured around us.
The entire parking lot smelled like wet earth now.
My magic stirred happily beneath my skin.
Storm rain always felt alive.
Wreck stopped beside the driver’s side door once we reached my car.
“You gonna be okay driving back?” he asked.
Concern darkened his mismatched eyes immediately.
Like the idea of me driving alone physically bothered him.
“Yeah,” I assured him softly. “I’m fine.”
Lie.
I was absolutely not fine.
Not when he stood there rain-soaked and gorgeous, looking at me like I mattered more than oxygen.
Not when his sweatshirt hung around my shoulders, smelling like him.
Not when my entire body still remembered what it felt like to be wrapped around him.
I tried very hard not to swoon at his feet.
Only partially succeeded.
The rain plastered dark strands of hair across his forehead while water slid down the strong line of his throat.
And then his gaze dropped slowly to my mouth.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
The bond between us tightened warm and heavy beneath my skin.
Mine.
I felt the possessiveness through him this time.
Not words.
Emotion.
Need.
Wreck stepped closer slowly until the rain barely touched me anymore because his huge body blocked most of it.
“You sure?” he asked quietly.
The question felt bigger now.
Not about driving.
About us.
About whatever impossible thing was growing between us faster than either of us could stop.
I swallowed hard.
“No,” I admitted honestly.
Something fierce and unbearably tender crossed his expression.
Then his rough fingers slid gently beneath my chin.
“You don’t have to figure everything out tonight, Honey. We can go slow.”
The endearment wrapped around me warm as the sweatshirt.
“I know. But I don’t think I want to.”
After all, how did you slow down an avalanche?
Wreck’s chest rumbled and his thumb brushed softly across my lower lip.
And just like that, it was only him and me.
The rain.
The parking lot.
The world.
Everything faded down to him touching me.
And I wanted him all over again.
Wreck’s eyes darkened instantly like he could scent the shift in me too.
“Fuck,” he muttered roughly.
My pulse jumped.
Behind us, Havoc leaned halfway out the truck window.
“OH, COME ON,” the Wolf shouted dramatically. “Can you two stop eye-fucking each other for five minutes so we can leave and finish out our shift?”
Wreck didn’t even glance back.
“Die mad about it.”
I burst out laughing.
Havoc looked deeply offended.
Justin’s laughter drifted from inside the truck while rain hammered against the roof.
Wreck finally looked away from me long enough to flip Havoc off.
Then, he leaned down unexpectedly and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.
The tenderness of it nearly wrecked me more than the dirty kisses ever had.
“I’ll see you tonight, Honey. Drive safe,” he murmured against my skin.
My chest tightened painfully.
“You drive safe, too.”
He stepped back reluctantly.
Very reluctantly.
Like every instinct inside him hated putting distance between us.
Honestly?
Mine did too.
I climbed into the car slowly, clutching his sweatshirt tighter around myself while rain streaked across the windshield.
Wreck stood there watching until I started the engine.
And when I finally pulled away?
The giant Bear Shifter stayed exactly where he was in the rain, eyes locked on me like he physically couldn’t leave until he knew I was safe.