24. Rhys

Even though I asked them not to, my brothers chased after me, their shouts echoing through the forest. I knew why they were chasing me. They were afraid that in my mental state, I’d go feral. That I’d forget my human side and give in to my bear’s instincts, going completely animal.

And honestly, that’s all I wanted—to forget.

Who wouldn’t? I just wanted to block it out for as long as I could.

I understood their concern. But the pain was just too much to bear. A part of me prayed for every human memory to be erased, to forget the part of my life where I was happy, where all my dreams had come true. I wanted to erase the existence of that life entirely.

Do you though? I ignored the sane, rational part. I didn’t want to hear what it had to say right now unless it had a way to fix the shitstorm that my life had turned into.

Unless there was a magical way to make it so my mate hadn’t taken our kid and fled like, well, a bear was chasing him. Then I didn’t want to think or feel.

My brothers were good hunters, but I was very good at escaping, hiding, and going unnoticed. And I used each of those talents to elude them. I knew the forest better than they did, knew the secret paths and the places where the underbrush grew thick enough to hide me.

As I ran, I gave into the transformation. My human thoughts faded, replaced by the simpler, more immediate concerns of my bear form. The forest became a blur of scents and sounds, the rustle of leaves and the scent of pine filling my senses. I pushed through the undergrowth, my powerful limbs propelling me forward, away from the pain of my human life.

I knew my brothers were calling my name, their voices tinged with worry and desperation. But I ignored them, focusing instead on the rhythm of my movements, the pounding of my heart. I let the bear take over, revelling in the freedom it offered. In this form, there was no heartbreak, no betrayal, no crushing weight of loss. There was only the forest and the instincts that guided me.

I reached a dense thicket and paused, listening for any sign of them coming after me. But the forest was quiet, except for the distant calls of my brothers. I had lost them for now. I pressed deeper into the thicket, finding a secluded spot where I could rest.

As I lay there, hidden from the world, I let the bear’s instincts soothe me. The ache in my chest lessened, replaced by a sense of detachment. In this form, I could forget, if only for a little while. I could leave behind the pain of Jaxson’s betrayal and the emptiness that followed.

But even as I embraced the bear’s mind, a part of me knew I couldn’t stay like this forever. My brothers wouldn’t give up. They would keep searching until they found me, driven by their love and concern. And deep down, I knew for our baby in my belly I would have to go back.

I could feel the baby inside me, a tiny, precious life that was the result of love and passion, but also of betrayal and heartache. The thought of our child stirred conflicting emotions within me, both a fierce protective instinct along with a deep well of sorrow for the family that had been torn apart.

As I lay there in the thicket, the sunlight filtering through the leaves above casting patterns on my fur. I closed my eyes and focused on the bond with my unborn child. It was a connection unlike any other, a tangible link to my mate. The man who had once been my everything.

Still is!

Despite everything that had happened, despite Jaxson leaving and my chest feeling like there was a crater where my heart used to be, I couldn’t shake the love I still felt for him. It was there, just like the ache in my chest, mixed all up with the raw pain of their absence.

But love alone couldn’t mend what had been broken between us. The trust that had once bound us together… could it?

I had no answers and none seemed forthcoming.

So I allowed myself this escape. I let the bear take over completely, pushing away the remnants of my human thoughts. I closed my eyes, breathing in the scent of the forest, and let the wildness envelop me.

Tomorrow, I would face my brothers. I would face the pain and the heartbreak. But tonight, I was just a bear, free from the burdens of my human life. And for a little while, that was enough.

It had to be.