22. Rhys

Isat in the empty kitchen, the cold silence pressing down on me like a heavy weight. My heart felt like it had been shattered. I’d known from the beginning things could go badly, but I hadn’t imagined it would end this way. Jaxson had been ready to kill me… and our child. I wrapped my hands around my stomach.

The echoes of our confrontation replayed in my mind, each moment more painful than the last. The look of terror and betrayal in Jaxson’s eyes, the way he had pulled the gun, his desperate retreat upstairs to protect Emilia—all of it cut deeper than any physical wound could have. I’d seen fear before, but never directed at me, and never from someone I loved.

As I glanced around at my familiar things, I couldn’t believe I was back in my home. I had a hard time remembering the last time I’d slept here. And for a short time, I’d considered going to my Papa’s. But I would have been alone there too, because they hadn’t returned from their trip.

I stood up from my seat, and paced the length of the kitchen, my thoughts a tangled mess of regret and heartache. I should have told Jaxson sooner, found some way to ease him into the truth. But hindsight was a cruel companion, offering clarity way too late to change anything.

How had I fucked this up so badly?

Even though they hadn’t been here, the space around me felt empty without Emilia’s and Jaxson’s presence. I’d never felt so helpless. And this wasn’t something I could change. I’d convinced myself that if Jaxson loved me, knew me…

I stared out into the darkness, searching for some sign, some glimmer of hope. But there’s nothing. Only the cold, empty night and the realization that I might never see Jaxson ever again.

There had to be a way to fix this, to make Jaxson see that despite turning into a predator animal, I was still the same person who loved him deeply. But how? The question of fucking century. I had no idea how to handle all this, and the uncertainty was driving me crazy.

I sunk to the floor, my back against the wall, and let the tears come. I cried for the loss of trust, for the fear in Jaxson’s eyes even after I shifted back, and for the love that now seemed like it was broken. I also cried for Emilia, for the family we’d been building, that was now torn apart by my secrets and my fear.

When I couldn’t stand the silence any longer, I finally gave in and typed a message to my family in our group chat.

Rhys: He knows. He left.

I thought about it and added,

Rhys: He ran.

There was no response for a while until I heard the front door open and multiple sets of footsteps moving through my home. I didn’t have to say anything. I knew they would find me.

Kian was the first one to approach. He slid down the wall to sit with me on the floor. Kian, always looking on the bright side, said, “Maybe Jaxson just needs some time to think, Rhys. This can be a shock. Honestly, I don’t know why I didn’t freak out more when I found out. Maybe it’s because I’ve known you for years.”

Hunter chimed in, his tone gentle but firm. “Jaxson is a good man, Rhys. He loves you and the family you two are building. He just needs time.”

His words hit me hard, and I cried even harder. I missed Emilia so much; to me, she was as much mine as the little one I was carrying. But through all the tears and agony, all I could manage to say was, “He pulled a gun.”

Gabe, ever the pragmatic one, said, “Rhys, if I were confronted with a massive brown bear, I might pull a gun too. It’s just instinct. Once Jaxson’s brain stops screaming ‘impossible,’ he’ll come around.”

Listening to all they said, all I could think was that they were all happy with their mates and families. It hadn’t been this hard for them. Their mates hadn’t called them monsters or acted as if they were going to shoot them. My heart tried to point out that Jaxson didn’t actually shoot, but it didn’t ease the pain.

I glanced around at my brothers, seeing the concern etched on their faces. They wanted to help, to make this better, but they couldn’t understand the depth of my fear and sorrow. They’d been right about some of the things they said. Jaxson was a good man, and maybe he just needed time. But that didn’t change the fact that he had looked at me with such fear and betrayal.

The image of him standing there, gun in hand, was burned into my memory. I couldn’t shake the feeling of loss, the aching emptiness inside me where the hope for our future together used to be. My brothers’ reassurances felt hollow in the face of that reality.

Kian put a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm and comforting. “Give it some time, Rhys. Love doesn’t just go away. He’ll remember that.”

I nodded, unable to find my voice, but their words did little to soothe the storm inside me. As much as I wanted to believe them, the hurt ran too deep.

Austin also tried to remind me that Jaxson was a good man and that he loved me. “Sometimes only time is the best medicine”. None of it helped.

The pain felt too overwhelming to see past that.

I couldn’t take their well-meaning words any longer, so I got up and went outside. They tried to follow, but I stopped then and ran off into the woods. The dense forest embraced me, and I let the shift take over, transforming into my bear form. The relief was immediate. As a bear, I didn’t have to think about Jaxson or how much it hurt to be without him.

As I wandered deeper into the woods, I relished the simplicity of my animal instincts. The human world, with its complexities and heartbreak, felt too heavy to withstand. As a bear, I could shut out most of the pain. Focus on my instinct and not the aching void where my family used to be. There was just the forest, the scent of pine, and the rustle of leaves.

Maybe it was best for me to stay like this. In this form, I didn’t have to face the reality of my shattered heart. I could forget about the life I had built with Jaxson, the dreams we had shared, and the future that now seemed so fucking far away.