Page 17 of My Forever Bear

I huff a small laugh, noticing we've already made it to the trailhead parking lot. It's still early in the morning, so the lot is empty. A thin layer of frost coats the ground, glittering like tiny diamonds.

“What the fuck?” The gruff tone of Kiernan's angry voice startles me. I follow his line of sight, my eyes snagging on my car. Or what's left of my car. A wave of nausea churns through my stomach. Unbuckling my seatbelt, I climb out of the truck while trying to swallow the bile rising in my throat.

“W-who would do this?” I question, my voice quiet and shaking with nerves. On numb legs, I approach the front of my car where the windshield has been smashed in. A large rock still remains on the front seat. Shards of glass litter the front seats and floor.

Rounding the side, each tire has been slashed, and a word has been keyed into the silver paint.

WHORE.

The backs of my eyes sting with unshed tears. I blink rapidly, trying to keep them from falling.

Suddenly, I’m being pulled against a warm chest. Strong arms band around my waist, keeping me upright as my knees buckle. I bury my face in the chest of Kiernan’s well-worn flannel. Filling my lungs with his comforting woodsy scent, I let it wash over me like ocean waves. This is what I need right now, and somehow Kiernan knows.

I match my breathing to the steady thumping of his heart. We stand in silence for a few moments, him letting me calm down, the tears slowly stopping and drying on my cheeks.

With a hiccup, I pull back and look up. My eyes search his beautiful face; his brows are furrowed in concern, his full lips set in a firm line. Using gentle fingers, I smooth the line between his brows until the muscles relax. “Thanks,” I rasp, “I needed that.”

He slides one hand into the hair at the nape of my neck. With the other, he rubs slow circles on my back, dropping his forehead against mine. In the glow of the morning sun, I can see flecks of gold mixed in with the deep brown of his irises.Beautiful.

Staring into my eyes, he speaks his next words softly.

“Are you okay, Lilac?”

Stroking my fingers over his short beard, I cup his cheek in my palm. Tilting my head up, I brush a chaste kiss against his lips. The faintest touch of our mouths.

“Yeah, I’m okay now,” I whisper. “But who would do this? Why would someone target my car?”

“I don’t know, baby. But I’ll do everything in my power to find out who did this. Who knew you were hiking yesterday?”

I shrug. “No one besides my sister, Sydney. And obviously she didn’t do this.” I sweep my arm towards the car.

He grunts his agreement, arms falling from around me, making me instantly miss his warmth.

Kiernan steps closer to look at my ruined car. Opening the back door, he grabs out my duffel bag, jacket, and tennis shoes.

“Is there anything else you need before we leave?”

I shake my head, still reeling from the fact someone deliberately vandalized my car. And why did they choose that specific word?Whore.I’m pretty much the furthest thing from a whore. Not that I’m a prude either. Chris had been my first. And then there’s Kiernan… staring at me, waiting for a response.

“Sorry, um, no, that’s all I need.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, why do you have a duffel bag of clothes in your car?” He holds up the bag in question.

“I was planning to spend a few weeks with Sydney after my hike.” I look up at him sheepishly. “I’m kinda between jobs right now.”

“Are you and your sister close?”

A wide grin spreads across my face. “She's my best friend. She's my person. Syd is two years younger than me, but we've been inseparable all our lives. My mom used to call us two peas in a pod.” I giggle. “We tell each othereverything.”

He rubs a hand over the back of his neck, giving me a small smile. “I'm glad you have someone like her in your life, Lilac. Maybe someday you'll think of me as your person, too.”

“I know,” I say quietly, unable to meet his heated gaze.

Kiernan steps back in front of me, invading my space. Gripping my jaw, he tilts my head until our eyes lock.

“Will you stay with me, please? After seeing what someone did to your car, I can't stand the thought of you being away from me. I want you to be safe, Lilac. You're my mate; if something happens to you, I won't be able to live with myself. Please, Wren. I know you asked for time, but this—” he waves his hand at my totaled car, “it changes things. I need to protect you. You're mine, baby. That means keeping you safe and finding the asshole who did this.”

I stare at him, utterly speechless. Tears well in my eyes at his declaration and need to protect me. Besides Sydney, I’ve never really had anyone in my corner, ready to stand by my side no matter what.

---