2. Nitro

2

NITRO

I grabbed the spare helmet before I walked over to Tommy. He was waiting for me.

Gently, I placed the helmet on his head, my fingers tightening the straps under his chin.

"Ready?" I asked.

"Born ready," Tommy replied, his response drawing a laugh from me.

I swung a leg over my Harley, settling onto the seat, and watched as Tommy walk over and effortlessly mounted the bike behind me.

His golden hair shone under the warm sun, and his blue eyes radiated sheer delight.

Today, He wore a plain white t-shirt, faded jeans, and white sneakers - but he looked absolutely amazing.

My inner grizzly growled with satisfaction and possessiveness.

Ever since I first laid eyes on Tommy, I immediately knew he was mine. My mate. I knew he felt something for me as well.

Of course, I had no intention of rushing this, or rushing Tommy himself.

I couldn't even begin to imagine the hellish ordeal he'd been through during his captivity.

It was nothing short of miraculous that he had managed to emerge from it, battered but alive.

Not completely intact, I thought, my mind drifting to the painful moment when Marc had embraced Tommy, and Tommy had tensed.

Spike had warned me that helping Tommy heal would be a long, challenging process. But I didn't care one bit about the hard work ahead.

Tommy was mine, and we had all the time in the world to figure everything out together.

I revved the engine, the roar of my bike filled the air, drowning out everything else. I felt Tommy wrap his skinny arms wrap securely around my waist.

I couldn’t help but notice his chest was warm against my back.

Then, with a twist of the throttle, we were off, the wind rushing past us. Tommy's delighted laughter reached my ears.

I couldn't help but glance back and catch Spike's truck in the rearview mirror.

He gave me the middle finger, clearly wishing he was on his Harley as well.

I couldn't blame him; there was something thrilling about the open road.

Taking the scenic route back to Moon Burrow, I wanted to prolong this moment with Tommy. Plus, I knew Spike wouldn't mind the detour.

About halfway there, the realization struck that my gas tank was running close to empty, and I swore softly under my breath.

Tommy tightened his hold around me. "What's wrong?" Tommy asked.

"Need to refuel," I replied irritably.

"Good," Tommy whispered. "I could use a toilet break."

"It's settled then," I said with a grin, signaling to Spike to follow me as I veered toward the nearest gas station.

Once there, Tommy dismounted from the bike, and I did the same.

"I'm heading for the men's room," Tommy announced, stretching a bit. "I think I want a candy bar from the convenience store."

"Can you get me a soda?" I asked.

Tommy nodded, and I seized the opportunity to exchange a meaningful look with Spike.

"Right. I'll come with you," Spike offered.

"To the men's room?" Tommy asked and raised an eyebrow. "I don't need a bodyguard, Nitro. I'm perfectly fine on my own."

Oops, were Spike and I being overbearing? I sucked in a breath and decided to play it cool.

"No, seriously, I need to go," Spike chimed in, stepping toward the bathroom.

“I want grape soda," I reminded Tommy and he only rolled his eyes.

Once my gas tank was full, I couldn't help but notice that Spike and Tommy hadn't returned yet.

My eyes narrowed as I observed Spike heading my way, holding a box of cigarettes and a can of opened beer.

I couldn't help but frown. Spike shouldn’t have left Tommy’s side.

"Where's Tommy?" I asked Spike.

"Cool your jets, he was right behind me in the line. He'll be here soon," he assured me.

Spike's nonchalant response only irritated me and I debated punching his lights out but at the last second, changed my mind.

As each minute ticked by, my unease only grew. After a brief internal debate, I decided to take matters into my own hands and find Tommy myself.

I entered the convenient store, immediately seeking out Tommy’s familiar scent.

Would Tommy freak out, if he knew I already imprinted it to my memory?

As I made my way through the aisles of the convenience store, a man's arrogant voice reached my ears.

"You don't have to think about it. Come with me. I'll show you my Porsche. She's a beauty."

I hurriedly located Tommy, who was standing near the counter, cornered by an alpha shifter.

The stranger wore expensive slacks and a crisp blue polo shirt. Tommy clutched his purchases—a chocolate bar and my grape soda—close to his chest.

His body language screamed discomfort.

"Tommy," I called out, my voice firm and protective.

That immediately captured Tommy's attention as well as the jerk's. Relief washed over Tommy's features as he caught sight of me.

He wasted no time and hastily made his way in my direction.

The other alpha, noticing my Grizzly Reapers MC patch on my leather jacket, turned pale and fell silent.

I slipped my arm around Tommy’s shoulder and bared my teeth at the alpha.

I wanted to make it clear that Tommy was off-limits. To my disappointment, the other alpha wisely chose to back off.

He probably realized he had bitten off more than he could chew.

Part of me, though, had a dark curiosity and almost wished for him to resist, to fight back.

Memories from my past clouded my mind, particularly the image of Gin, my ex-best friend, who fought like a cornered animal when I had caught him making out with Benji.

The recollection played out vividly in my head—violence, blood staining the floor, Benji weeping as he stood over Gin's unconscious body, and Benji looking at me with accusatory eyes.

Monster, Benji had mouthed.

"Nitro?" Tommy's voice shook me out of the haunting past, and I snapped back to the present. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I replied, my voice a little rough as I shook off the painful memories. "Let's get out of here."

“I got you your grape soda,” Tommy said, offering it to me as we returned to Spike and our vehicles.

“I’m glad you remembered,” I told him with a smile.

Tommy's quietness on the way back and the gas station incident left me wondering if he was more shaken up than he was letting on.

I decided to check in with him about it later, not wanting to push if he wasn't ready to talk.

As we rode, I could feel Tommy gradually becoming less tense behind me.

We passed the "Welcome to Moon Burrow" town sign, and I couldn't help but hope that Tommy would eventually come to see this place as his home, just like I did.

Finally, I cut the engine after locating a parking lot right in front of Tommy's new apartment building.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment knowing that I had played a part in helping him find this place.

The location was perfect, conveniently close to the main town area, ensuring that Tommy had easy access to everything he needed.

Spike parked his truck behind my motorcycle.

“We're finally here,” Tommy whispered as he dismounted.

"Yeah," I agreed, looking him over.

I had the sudden urge to walk up to Tommy, run my fingers through his wind-blown hair and maybe surprise him with a kiss.

How would Tommy react? Appalled? Happy? Would he kiss me back or push me away because it was too soon?

"Nitro, if you could stop making moon eyes at Tommy, you can help me unload this stuff. Some people have jobs to get to," Spike muttered, his tone carrying a hint of grumpiness.

I didn't think too much of it at the moment.

Spike was probably just a bit envious that I had found my mate while he was still on the hunt for his.

"Sorry, Spike, and thanks for helping us out,” Tommy said, jumping in quickly to smooth things over.

My future mate was thoughtful that way.

Spike flashed a lopsided grin, appearing a touch embarrassed.

"Nah, don't worry about it,” Spike said.

He began unloading the boxes. In a matter of minutes, we managed to carry all the boxes upstairs to Tommy's compact studio apartment.

It became evident that the space was a bit snug for Tommy and two not-quite-small bear shifters.

"Spike, don't you have a job to get to?" I reminded my best friend.

Spike, who was enjoying a cold glass of water that Tommy had handed him, downed the remaining liquid and cleared his throat.

"Right. See you around town, Tommy. If you ever get bored of Nitro's company, come knock on my door," he said.

Spike knew how to push my buttons, and his teasing touched a nerve.

I shot Spike a withering look, a warning that he should know better than to hit on my future mate, even if it was all in jest.

The possessive grizzly within me stirred, itching to assert its dominance.

I knew Spike was just being playful, and we had been friends for a long time, but my instinct to protect what was mine ran deep.

With Spike's departure, a sense of relief washed over me. I turned to Tommy, wanting to know what was next for us.

"So, what's next? I can help you unpack," I offered.

Tommy's cheeks colored with a slight blush as he hesitated.

“You've already helped me enough. I can take care of unpacking on my own,” Tommy said.

Disappointment gnawed at my gut, but I was determined not to let it show on my face.

"Right, I should get going, then," I said, making a lame attempt to move toward the door.

However, I didn't make it far before Tommy spoke again.

"Um," he began, his uncertainty evident.

"Tommy, you don't have to watch your words around me. Say what you mean,” I reminded him gently.

Tommy inched closer, reaching out to tug the hem of my jacket. He bit his lower lip, as if carefully weighing his next words.

I waited patiently, knowing that with Tommy, I could afford to be as patient as he needed me to be.

Finally, he whispered so softly that only a shifter could hear, "I don't want you to go yet."

His admission was tinged with embarrassment, but it warmed my heart.

I was more than willing to stay a little while longer to keep Tommy company.

A brilliant idea suddenly sparked in my mind, and I couldn't help but smile.

"Are you hungry? Why don't we order some pizza or Chinese?" I suggested, my eyes flicking towards the living room area.

The apartment came furnished, and it was a relief to see that it included a TV.

I continued, “We can watch a movie or catch up on the news. I don't care, as long as I can spend time with you."

Tommy's face reddened, but he seemed to like the idea.

"Sometimes, I envy how you can always just speak your mind," he confessed.

I chuckled softly. Tommy had been through a lot, and his past experiences had made him cautious with his words.

"Well, I've always believed in being straightforward," I replied. "So, pizza or Chinese?”

"I can't decide. Both sound good? Would that be too much?" Tommy asked, his uncertainty evident.

I shook my head, my grin widening.

"Bears have big appetites. You can save the leftovers if there's any," I assured him.

While Tommy started unpacking, I grabbed my phone and called my favorite pizza place and the local Chinese take-out.

In the end, Tommy allowed me to assist with the unpacking.

He pulled out his belongings and directed me where to put them, and together, we made quick work of the task.

"Thanks, this went a lot faster thanks to you," Tommy said, his tone appreciative.

However, his expression grew quizzical when he caught me sniffing one of his shirts.

He cleared his throat and hesitated, finally asking, "Um, are you..."

I wasn't embarrassed in the slightest that he had caught me, and I only shrugged.

"Yeah," I confessed. "This smells nice, like lemon and you."

Tommy, unsure of how to respond, was momentarily at a loss for words. He was clearly relieved when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," he said quickly, hurrying to answer the door and giving both of us a moment to regain our composure.

“Behave, Nitro,” I silently admonished myself, before following after Tommy.