Chapter 22
Wreck
Jeremy’s fate was signed the second he double-crossed my mate. He just hadn’t realized it at the time.
And after my beautiful Omega was done with him?
Justin and Havoc took the fucker away and left him chained inside a shed, waiting for pickup like the trash he was.
“Fuck. I think the forest drained his magic! That’s some next level shit, Wreck,” Havoc told me after he tossed the passed out Witch into the back of his truck.
“Should we try to call the Enforcers? They have jails,” he added.
“No,” Justin said before I could reply, “I’ll call in the Guardians. They will take him away.”
Of course, my Bear would have been happy to let him rot, but I supposed his Coven needed a good looking at by someone in charge of all that fuckery.
And that wasn’t me.
I had other things to tend to.
Like my mate.
By the time the sun disappeared behind the mountains, the rain was falling steadily, and Gia’s things now sat inside my cabin.
Not that she’d brought much.
A couple of suitcases.
Clothes.
Books.
Plants.
I grinned at the the thought of the fourteen different hair products that now crowded my bathroom sink like they’d launched a hostile takeover.
But somehow?
Seeing her stuff mixed with mine hit harder than all the gory shit that went down today.
Because this?
This was real.
Permanent.
Mine.
Mate.
Future.
The thought still felt too damn big for me sometimes.
The three cabins sat spaced out across roughly an acre of heavily wooded land tucked high in the mountains.
Justin’s place stood furthest back near the ridge line, dark and quiet as always.
I supposed it made sense now that I knew the fucker owned the goddamn mountain.
Havoc’s cabin sat closest to the winding road leading down toward Ember Hollow.
Mine sat in the middle.
Right where the forest thickened around the property like a protective wall.
Home.
Or, at least, it had been. I just never realized how empty it was before Gia.
Now?
Now it smelled like vanilla shampoo and tomato sauce and soft female skin.
Now it smelled like my Honey.
Mine.
Wind moved through the pines overhead with a low whisper while I stood outside on the porch, staring at the glowing windows.
The shower was running inside.
Gia was humming softly to herself.
And for some fucking reason?
Terror sat heavy in my chest.
The Bear paced restlessly beneath my skin.
Not aggressive.
Anxious.
Would she be okay here?
The thought hit harder than I expected.
Gia came from the city.
Noise.
People.
Coffee shops and traffic, and buildings that were taller than trees.
She was brilliant and funny and educated and used to city life.
And me?
I lived in a damn cabin in the woods.
What if this wasn’t enough?
What if I wasn’t enough?
The fear crawled ugly through my ribs.
What if she woke up one day and realized this place was too isolated?
Too rough?
Too small for someone like her?
What if she missed civilization?
What if she hated it here?
The Bear snarled immediately at the thought.
He was of the firm opinion that my Mate belonged here.
Yeah.
But instinct wasn’t the same thing as happiness.
I scrubbed one hand over my face hard.
Fuck.
I’d fought a Grizzly Alpha to the death today and somehow standing outside my own cabin worrying whether my mate liked mountain living felt scarier.
“Bro.”
I jerked slightly.
Havoc stood at the bottom of the porch stairs, holding a beer.
Justin leaned silently against a nearby tree, looking deeply unimpressed by existence.
Fucking Dragons.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Havoc asked.
“What?”
The Wolf blinked slowly.
“Your mate is inside.”
“Uh… Yeah.”
“I can hear water running,” Havoc continued carefully, like explaining something to a brain-damaged child. “Man, is she in the shower?”
My pulse instantly shifted.
“Yes.”
“Alone? And naked?”
The Bear erupted instantly.
“Don’t fucking talk about her in the shower,” I snarled, shoving him hard enough to nearly knock him off balance.
Havoc barked out a loud laugh.
“There he is!”
“Fuck you.”
The Wolf grinned wider.
“Look, just because Sparky over there called you our fearless leader doesn’t mean I ain’t gonna tease you.”
Justin folded his arms.
“I never called him fearless.”
“You implied it.”
“I absolutely did not. He’s level now. Steadier than you or me. And he doesn’t want it. That makes him the best option.”
“Whatever.” Havoc waved him off before looking back at me. “Point is, pussy-ass Bear standing out here worrying while his Omega’s inside naked?”
I glared at him.
“Shut the fuck up before I break something—like your stupid fucking neck, puppy.”
“No, seriously.” Havoc pointed toward the cabin. “What are you doing?”
I opened my mouth.
Closed it again.
The Wolf’s grin slowly faded.
“Oh,” he said quietly.
Justin straightened slightly.
“What?”
I looked away toward the trees.
The mountain stretched dark and endless beyond the property line. Wind moved through the forest, carrying the scent of damp earth and pine and distant smoke remnants from the earlier fires.
“What if she hates it here?” I muttered finally.
Silence.
Havoc blinked.
Then blinked again.
“Shit.” He pointed at me dramatically. “You’re spiraling.”
“I’m not spiraling.”
“You’re absolutely spiraling.”
“I’m thinking.”
“You’re thinking stupid shit.”
The Bear growled low in agreement.
Traitor.
Justin pushed away from the tree slowly.
“She is of the forest, Bear. She was called here. More specifically, she was called to you. Your true Omega mate. Plus, she already allowed you to bite her and she’s moved in. Gia was made for you,” the Dragon said calmly.
“I know what you’re saying, but we almost died today. Adrenaline, fear, that all played a part in her moving in today,” I shot back. “But that’s not the same thing as wanting this permanently.”
The words tasted bad, leaving my mouth.
Because part of me already knew they weren’t true.
Gia chose me.
Not just instinctively.
Consciously.
Still… fear lingered anyway.
“She’s smart. Way fucking smarter than me,” I muttered. “She’s used to city life. She had a career. Friends. Restaurants and shit. What if this place isn’t enough for her?”
Havoc stared at me a long moment.
Then burst out laughing so hard he doubled over.
I nearly punched him.
“You think,” he wheezed, “that female looked at your giant, murdery Bear ass covered in blood today and thought wow, shame he lives in the woods and doesn’t have a degree in finance?”
Justin didn’t laugh, but he raised his eyebrows.
And that said enough.
“Fuck off.”
“No, seriously.” Havoc straightened while still laughing. “Brother, she watched you kill a dude for threatening her and instead of running away she practically heart-eyed at you.”
My ears heated.
The Wolf pointed aggressively at the cabin.
“That female is gone for you.”
The bond pulsed warmly at the words.
Mine.
Justin nodded once.
“He’s right.”
I glanced toward him.
The Dragon’s gold eyes narrowed slightly.
“Gia Anatoly walked into a supernatural territorial war and chose your side before fully understanding the rules.”
Something tight in my chest eased slightly.
“She anchored you,” Justin continued quietly. “Most Omegas would fear what you are. But not her. She has grit, and she was literally born for this place.”
The Bear stilled completely.
Because that was the truth of it.
Gia saw everything.
The violence.
The possessiveness.
The lethal edge inside me.
And instead of recoiling?
She stepped closer.
Mine.
“You settle when she touches you,” Justin added.
Havoc snorted.
“Yeah. It’s actually disgusting.”
I ignored him.
Because Justin was right.
Before Gia, the Bear had always been restless.
Hungry.
Too sharp beneath my skin.
Now?
One touch from her and the chaos quieted.
Like my entire damn soul finally stopped pacing.
The cabin door creaked open behind me.
All three of us turned instantly.
Gia stepped onto the porch wearing one of my shirts and nothing else besides fuzzy socks.
Wet dark hair curled around her shoulders.
My shirt hung mid-thigh on her soft body.
The claiming bite mark beneath her throat flashed visible when the porch light hit her skin.
So fucking mine.
The Bear surged hard enough my vision sharpened.
Gia blinked sleepily at the three of us.
“Why are you all standing outside looking like emotionally constipated lumberjacks?”
Havoc immediately lost his shit laughing again.
Justin turned away, muttering something about idiots.
And me?
The fear vanished instantly.
Because she was here.
At my cabin.
Wearing my clothes.
Looking at me like she already belonged.
And she absolutely did.
To me.
Mine.
Mate.
“So, we having hot cocoa or something?” Havoc asked.
I turned my head and roared at him.
The Wolf yelped and bolted off the porch instantly.
“THAT’S a no!” he shouted while disappearing toward his cabin.
Justin shook his head slowly from where he stood, watching from inside his doorway.
“Try not to break the cabin,” the Dragon muttered dryly.
Then he went inside, and it was just us.
Silence settled softly through the cabin while rainwater dripped from the roof outside and the fire crackled low in the stone hearth.
Gia stood there looking too damn delicious wearing my shirt.
My scent covered her.
My mark rested against her throat.
And every protective, possessive part of me nearly came undone at the sight.
She backed up slowly as I stalked toward her.
One step.
Then another.
The scent of wildflower honey thickened between us with every inch I closed.
Heat rolled through my veins, and my cock was already hard for her.
I felt desire immediately—fast and quick.
But the love thrumming beneath it? That was forever.
“This place is bigger than I thought,” she murmured, glancing around the cabin as if trying to steady herself.
“Is it?”
“Yeah.” She smiled softly. “Cozy, though. Hope you don’t mind if I add some things to it.”
“I don’t mind.”
Mine.
The Bear rumbled deep inside my chest.