He’s lying there not moving, and I don’t know if I killed him or not, but I know I stopped him from killing Bruin. All eyes are trained on Zenith and I know the Eaters don’t know what to do with their leader unconscious or possibly dead on the ground.
I step out of the truck and Silver leaps toward me. The breath from his roar hits me in the face and I know at any second I will be dead. I try to look around, to find Bruin, to look at him one last time, but I can’t find him.
I clench my eyes shut, waiting… but when nothing touches me, and all I hear is the gnarly noises of two bears tearing each other apart, I open my eyes. Bruin must have intercepted Silver because they’re fighting again. But this time, Silver is no match for Bruin. He’s tearing him apart, blood and guts flying everywhere, but he doesn’t stop. He destroys him until you can’t even tell who it is except by the color of his fur.
Everyone is frozen; all the battles have stopped. Instantly, the Eaters retreat, taking Zenith, who’s awake but injured, with them but leaving the remains of Silver behind.
I run to Bruin, who’s shifted into his human form and is lying on the ground, gasping for breath. I sit down next to him, my hand on his back. “Look at me, Bruin. Please, God, look at me.”
He lifts his head and there are cuts and bruises covering his face. He will mend, but I know he’s in pain right now.
“You okay?” he asks me shakily.
I can’t stop the tears from rolling down my cheek. I cup his face and soften my grip when he flinches as I touch a bruise. “I thought you were trading me,” I confess, “and even though I hated you so much I couldn’t believe that I still loved you all at the same time.”
He takes a deep breath and sits up, pulling me to his lap. I know I’m hurting him and I tell him so. “No, honey, this, you, it’s what I need right now. Right where you’re at.”
I quit struggling and sit down, leaning into his warmth, his protective arms. “I wasn’t lying when I said you were mine, Penny. You are all mine.” He kisses me passionately and when he draws back, he makes his own confession. “I’ve been yours all this time, I just didn’t know it until Deator told me to let you go free yesterday. I knew it would be like giving away my lungs to see you go.”
Surprised, I pull back from him. “Deator told you to let me go?”
He shrugs his shoulders and pulls me in, covering my mouth with his. He kisses me so deeply, and I just live in it, take him all in, everything he’s willing to give. Moaning, he pulls away from me. “I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t let you go. I’m a selfish bastard… but I’m all yours.”
Bruin
The club gathers everyone up and thankfully, everyone is accounted for. Deator calls church and I know not to argue, I would be pushing my luck. With my arm around Penny, I start walking toward my bike. As soon as we get to it, she pulls me to a stop.
Looking down at her, I see she’s covered in dust, and all I want to do is take her home, wash the dirt and grime off her body and hold her in my arms. But I don’t have that luxury. When the pres calls church, you go.
She points at the bike. “You can’t be serious. You can’t ride that thing, look at you!”
I wrap my hand around the base of her neck, pulling her to me. I bend down, leaning my head against hers. “You know what I was thinking when Deator sent Klaus and Johnny to go and get you?”
She blinks, shaking her head side to side.
“I was worried Klaus would put you on the back of his bike, and that didn’t sit well with me…”
Her hand slides up my chest. “He brought the truck--”
I kiss her temple. “I know he did. But that didn’t stop me from thinking that I haven’t had you on the back of my bike with your sweet pussy pressed against me. Don’t fight me on this Penny. I need this. I need you.”
Reluctantly she agrees with a shake of her head. I sit down, holding back the groan. She swings her leg over and sits easily behind me. I wrap my hands around her thighs and pull her into me. “Hold on, baby.”
We drive the short distance back to the clubhouse, and the feel of her arms wrapped tight around me is the only thing that stops me from falling apart right now. I could have lost her.