8. Holden

CHAPTER EIGHT

HOLDEN

I leaned back against the wall of the family room, my arms crossed as I braced myself for what was coming. I could hear Hope's voice carrying from the kitchen, followed by Sarah's. And to make things worse, they'd dragged Mom into it. I rubbed a hand over my face, letting out a deep breath, but it wasn't going to help.

"Are you seriously going to keep avoiding him?" Hope's voice cut through the space like a knife, and when she appeared in the doorway, hands on her hips, I knew I was in trouble.

I sighed, standing up straighter, but didn't even get a chance to open my mouth before Sarah appeared right behind her, arms crossed like a mirror image of Hope.

"Holden, this is ridiculous," Sarah added, her tone just as sharp. "You're going to push him away if you keep acting like a damn robot around him."

"It's not like that," I muttered, knowing full well they weren't going to listen. "I'm protecting him."

Hope threw her hands in the air, exasperated. "Protecting him? From what, exactly? You keep saying that, but none of us know what the hell you mean."

Before I could answer, my mom, Addison, stepped into the room. Her expression was softer, but the disappointment in her eyes hit harder than anything Hope or Sarah could throw at me. "Holden, sweetheart, we understand you're cautious, but you're going too far. The Adalbern wouldn't have brought Mylo to you if this wasn't meant to be. You know that."

I looked away, trying to avoid the weight of her words. Yeah, I knew what Adalbern was supposed to do—bring mates together. But I wasn't most people, and my past still haunted me every damn day.

"You don't get it," I said, my voice low. "I'm not like you guys. I can't just?—"

"Can't just what?" Hope interrupted, stepping closer. "Can't just trust your mate? Can't just tell him what's really going on? You're not doing either of you any favors by keeping him in the dark."

I clenched my jaw, the frustration building. "It's not that simple."

"It kind of is," Sarah said, crossing her arms tighter. "You're the one making it complicated."

They weren't going to let up. And deep down, I knew they were right. But I wasn't ready. Not yet.

"I'll apologize," I said, forcing the words out through gritted teeth. "I'll talk to him. Happy?"

Hope and Sarah exchanged a look, but before they could say anything, Mom stepped forward and placed a hand on my arm, her voice softer now. "Holden, honey, we just want you to be happy. We want you to let yourself feel something. For once."

I didn't say anything. Just nodded.

The truth was, I felt everything… and they didn't get how hard it was to stay away. But it couldn't be about me.

I found Mylo in the kitchen later that afternoon, stirring something on the stove. He was humming softly to himself, completely oblivious to my presence until I cleared my throat.

He jumped, turning to look at me, his eyes widening for a second before he composed himself. "Oh, hey," he said, his voice casual, but I could see the tension in his shoulders. "What's up?"

I took a deep breath and stepped closer but kept my distance. "I wanted to apologize," I said, my tone gruff. "For the other day. I overreacted."

He blinked, clearly not expecting that. "Oh, um... okay. Thanks, I guess." He paused, stirring the pot in front of him before glancing at me again. "But why didn't you just tell me I was riding into Montague territory? Noah explained it after, but you kinda... freaked out instead."

I blinked, confused for a moment. "Montague territory?"

Mylo grinned, and something in his face softened, like he was holding back a laugh. "Yeah, Noah said your family and his are like the Capulets and Montagues or something. I figured you were just trying to avoid a Shakespearean disaster."

A laugh escaped me before I could stop it, the tension loosening in my chest just a little. Leave it to Noah to make a feud between bear shifters and wolves sound like a literary battle. "Yeah, something like that," I muttered, shaking my head.

His smile widened, and I could see that curious glint in his eyes again. I could see him searching, trying to figure me out. And for a split second, I thought about telling him everything. About the feud. About the risks. About why I was so terrified of getting too close to him.

But I couldn't. Not yet. Until I knew it was safe.

"Just... don't go near that land again," I said, keeping my voice firm but less harsh than before. "It's dangerous."

His brow furrowed, and I could see the wheels turning in his head. "Dangerous how? I mean, Noah's family can't be that bad, right? What's the worst that could happen?"

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay calm. "Just trust me on this, okay?"

He held my gaze for a long moment, searching for answers I wasn't giving. Finally, he nodded, though I could see the frustration in his eyes. "Fine. But you're not off the hook."

I raised an eyebrow. "Off the hook?"

He smirked, crossing his arms. "Yeah. I want to know what's really going on. And why you keep looking at me like... like I'm some kind of puzzle you're afraid to solve."

I stiffened, the weight of his words hitting harder than I expected. "I'm not?—"

"You are," he said, cutting me off. "But it's fine. We can play this game for a little while longer. Just don't expect me to ignore it forever."

I swallowed hard, not sure how to respond. He wasn't just stubborn. He was relentless. And that scared the hell out of me.

"See you around, boss," he added with a wink, turning back to his pot.

I stood there for a moment, frozen, watching him stir the contents of the pot like we hadn't just had a conversation that shook me to my core.

Yeah, I was in trouble.

The apology didn't go exactly how I'd planned. But at least he wasn't pissed. Now, I just had to figure out how to keep my distance without pushing him away entirely. Because no matter how much I tried to convince myself I was doing this for him, the truth was, I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep this up.

If my family was right, if Adalbern truly did bring us together for a reason... then why did I feel like running in the other direction every time I looked at Mylo?

And worse... why did I feel like I couldn't?

I stood there for a moment, watching him stir the pot like nothing had just happened. I knew I should walk away, get back to business, put this whole conversation behind me like everything else, but something kept me rooted in place. My chest felt tight, my bear restless, like I'd missed something important.

I cleared my throat, trying to ignore the way his presence made it hard to think straight. "Look," I started, and his eyes flicked back up to mine, curious. "I wasn't thinking clearly the other day. I—" I paused, feeling the words get stuck in my throat. Apologizing wasn't exactly my strong suit. "I was worried about you. About what could've happened if you'd gone too far into that territory."

His brow furrowed slightly, and for a second, I thought he might laugh at me. Instead, he surprised me. "You were that worried about me?"

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Yeah," I admitted, not sure how much to reveal. "I didn't handle it well. I panicked. But... I'm glad you're okay."

His face softened, and I could see something shift in his expression—something warmer, like he appreciated that I'd admitted it. "Thanks, Holden," he said quietly. "I didn't realize you were that freaked out. But I guess... it's kinda nice knowing someone was looking out for me."

My chest tightened at that, and I forced myself to look away before I let the moment linger too long. The last thing I needed was for him to start thinking I was someone who had a soft spot for him, because that would only make this harder.

"Anyway," I said, clearing my throat again. "I wanted to make it up to you."

His eyebrows shot up, his lips twitching with amusement. "Make it up to me?"

I nodded, already regretting what I was about to say. "There's a bourbon tasting tonight at the resort. High-end stuff. It's... not exactly my thing, but I thought you might like it. If you're free."

His eyes lit up, and a smile tugged at his lips. "Wait, you're inviting me?"

I shifted, feeling the weight of his gaze on me. "Yeah. I mean, it's just a tasting. It's not like... a big deal or anything."

"Not a date, then?" he asked, and there was a teasing glint in his eye that made my stomach do something I wasn't prepared for.

I huffed out a breath, trying to keep my cool. "No, it's not a date. It's an apology. For my... behavior."

He grinned, his eyes still searching my face like he was trying to figure out if I was telling the truth. "Alright, I'm in," he said, and I couldn't help but notice the way his excitement made my pulse quicken. "I mean, I've never been to a fancy bourbon tasting before, so... why not?"

"Great," I replied, maybe a little too quickly. My bear practically purred at the thought of spending more time with him. I had to remind myself this wasn't some kind of... romantic gesture. It was just an apology. That's all. "It starts at seven. I'll meet you in the main lounge."

"Seven," he repeated with a nod. "I'll be there."

I nodded once, too stiffly, before turning to leave. "Good," I said, probably sounding more gruff than I intended. "And Mylo?"

He raised an eyebrow, that curious glint in his eyes still there. "Yeah?"

I hesitated, my chest tightening again. "Just... don't think too much about what happened the other day. It was my fault, not yours. I don't want you to feel bad."

For a moment, Mylo just stared at me, and I could see the surprise in his expression. Then, slowly, he smiled. "I won't," he said softly. "But I appreciate you saying that, Holden."

I nodded, unable to find anything else to say. So, without another word, I turned and walked out of the kitchen, my stomach still flipping in ways I wasn't used to. My bear growled in satisfaction, happy to have spent time near our mate, and I had to push down the instinct to call it what it was.

It wasn't a date. It wasn't anything more than an apology. I wasn't going to let it be anything more than that.

But the way my heart fluttered at the thought of seeing him tonight told me my bear had other plans.

Damn it.