Page 33 of Bred By the Beast

Poppy picked up her fork, and she glanced over to Wilder. “Well, maybe the bear felt threatened, and perhaps those poachers deserved it.”

****

Wilder needed to get out of the kitchen. He couldn’t believe Poppy thought the worst of him. That fucking room was his own personal nightmare, and even now, he didn’t want to think about it.

Those fucking poachers were not leaving well enough alone, and he finally had Poppy back to safety, and now, she had cooked him a delicious meal.

He wasn’t angry with her anymore. He could only imagine what she must have thought seeing that room. It had been so long since even he’d been inside it. He could not blame her for being afraid.

After he left the kitchen, he didn’t linger in the yard, as he needed to clear his head, and especially find a way to abate the rage that consumed him. The only way he could control his bear, was by having complete and total control, and that meant over his emotions as well. There was no room for error, otherwise someone would get hurt, and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt his woman. Poppy didn’t deserve that. But she did deserve an explanation. How did you tell a human that the big grizzly bear and himself were one and the same? That he’d been a bear shifter all his life. His parents were bear shifters, and he’d always been alone.

Not only were there bear shifters, but wolves, coyotes. Those were just two of the shifters he’d met coming through this very forest. They all had an understanding. So long as they didn’t trespass on his land, they were quite welcome to coexist. It had suited him for a long time.

Sure, he talked with a few of them, even invited one or two back for coffee and allowed them to rest for the night. But, by morning, they were gone. Sometimes he wrote to them and started a friendship.

After he’d checked the perimeter and finally returned back to his home, he’d discovered Poppy had cooked for him. Her apology meant a great deal to him, and that was another reason he knew she was his mate and belonged to only him. He could forgive her. Her apology was sincere. They were not empty words and had real feeling behind them.

So, he wasn’t angry with her anymore. However, he did take another shower and told her to get some rest. The fawn was still fast asleep and only moved when he was close, but she knew nothing bad was going to happen to her.

Rather than sleep with Poppy, he took a spare pillow and some blankets he didn’t need out into the living room. He removed his clothes but kept on his boxers, extinguishing the light as he made his way toward the window.

Something wasn’t right with those poachers. They wanted the bear alive. They wanted him alive, and they somehow knew there was a connection between him and the beast. He’d been sloppy. They hadn’t quite figured out yet that they were one and the same.

This was bad because he’d noticed there was a new poacher. They must have called another of their buddies to take the place of the man he’d killed. They were not going quietly, and seeing as tonight he’d killed another, he wondered if another human would take his place.

They knew where he lived. The only reason he came back here was because as of right now, it was the only safe place in the forest. Everywhere else was at risk. The poachers were defenseless here. The only way to keep him and Poppy safe was to remain here.

He looked out into the night, knowing there would come a time soon when Poppy was going to know the truth.

At the sound of her moving, he turned his head just before she came into view.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hi.” He didn’t move from his spot near the window, giving her space. He sensed her nerves.

“You’re still awake.”

He didn’t say anything, just looked at how beautiful she was.

The fawn looked up at Poppy, but then deemed her not to be a threat and went back to sleep. It wouldn’t be long before he’d be able to release her back out into the wild. He’d gladly have a whole pet sanctuary for every injured animal he found. But he’d learned long ago the forest was their sanctuary. It was the humans ruining it for them all. He tried to keep the forest safe. However, some humans were relentless.

She gave him a gentle smile and stepped closer. “I miss you.”

“Poppy, you need tonight to clear your head.”

She rushed forward and grabbed his hands. “I don’t need tonight. I don’t ... I was foolish to think the worst of you, but please don’t ... sleep out here alone. I can’t stand it.”

He looked down at her hands. So small compared to his own. She was human and vulnerable and she didn’t know the truth.

“I had no right to be angry,” he said.

“Yes, you had every right. I was foolish and you didn’t give me permission to go looking in that room, and for that, I am sorry.” She sighed. “I shouldn’t have gone into that room, and I shouldn’t have ran off, and that is my fault. That is not your fault.”

Wilder hated this, because he could use this to his advantage. Use her guilt to make her forget all about it and just live with what he said. But it wasn’t right. She deserved to know the truth. Poppy was his mate. She wasn’t just some random human.

He reached out and tilted her head back so he could look into her eyes. She’d noticed that his eyes were the same as his bear’s. His bear’s temper was the same as his. There were a lot of things he and his bear shared.

It was how he was able to control himself for so long.