Though dread pooled in her gut, this was what she wanted, right? To know the events that had led him to this state.
“The villagers … they thought I was a monster. And there was a child.…”
A myriad of emotions went through her as he continued the story. Pity and sadness for the poor, dead boy. Some sympathy for the parents who, in the misplaced expression of their grief, sought a boogeyman they could blame for their terrible loss. And then, fury toward the men who hunted her mate without so much as giving him a chance to explain or showing him compassion. By the time he was done telling her, tears were pouring down her cheeks.
“Don’t cry,” he whispered. “Please … not for me …”
“Don’t cry?” she said, her voice trembling with barely contained rage. “How could I not cry for you? Those men … just because they weren’t soldiers you might think they were innocent, but so were you. What were you supposed to do? Wait for them to kill you first? It was self-defense.”
“They were just misguided and misinformed.”
“And so, you’ve been keeping yourself prisoner up here, thinking that’s the only way to atone for their deaths? Shutting yourself away from the world—from your mate—because of some misconceived notion of who’s innocent and who’s not? And if you ask me, you’ve already paid for your sins.” She cupped his strong jaw in her palms. “Can’t you see? How many people you’ve saved—me, Anna Victoria, Temperance, Daniel, Darcey, not to mention every lost hiker or shifter up here? I think your ledger’s balanced by now. And it’s time to forgive yourself.”
In that moment, something changed in him. It was so subtle, yet fundamental, that she could feel the tectonic shift as if it was happening inside her too. “I love you, Krieger. I love everything about you. And yes, you’re enough. You’ve always been enough.”
Her fox yipped and barked with an emotion she hadn’t felt from it in such a long time that it took her a moment to recognize it: pure, unadulterated happiness.
Mine, her fox shouted in joy. Mine, mine, mine.
He must have sensed it too because his eyes widened, and he leapt forward, pulling her into his arms.
Mine, his bear replied. Mine, mine, mine.
Then he captured her mouth in a kiss. A heat sizzled inside her, making her skin run warm and cold at the same time. Electric sparks burst inside her, emanating from her chest and moving out to spread all over her body. The kiss continued on and on, lips melding and caressing, tasting and savoring the feeling of being one with their mate. The mating bond formed, fusing their souls into one.
When they finally pulled away for air and she opened her eyes, another tectonic shift occurred.
There it was. The indescribable blue that could make the sky jealous.
“John.” Her voice trembled. “H-have I ever told you that your eyes … they’re so beautiful. I’ve never seen anything as blue as them.”
He gaped at her. “Dutchy … are you … can you …”
She nodded. “Yes.” It was overwhelming, all the colors she could see, filling her synapses with information to process. The shades of brown of the cabin’s walls. The hunter green blanket on top of the bed. The riotous array of the book spines lining the shelves. But none of that compared to the sight she’d been longing to see the most. “I love you,” she said, beholding his blue eyes.
He lifted her up into his arms and carried her to bed. “I love you, too, Dutchy.”
The sun wasn’t even out when Dutchy’s eyes fluttered awake the next day. Krieger was curled up behind her, arms surrounding her, the delicious warmth from his body reminding her of the hours they spent making love. She could stay like this forever.
Yet, she had an urge to get up. To do … something.
He barely stirred when she pried his arms off. Still, it was a feat because they were as heavy as steel. Slipping out of bed, she put on his flannel shirt, then glanced around … looking for … Ah! There. She spotted the yellow legal pad by the CB radio. The top page had various scrawls on it—weather reports, schedules, and a bunch of acronyms and numbers she didn’t recognize. She picked up the pad and the pen from the table, then headed out onto the porch.
Early dawn dominated the skies when she put pen to blank paper. Her hands moved swiftly, like they had