Page 43 of His to Defend

Nina focused on the dance going on in front of her. Harper and Axel were swaying together to the music. A song about love and soul mates and all of the things that should have been making her heart dance with joy for herself and Ryker. No. She forced herself to focus on what was important. And it wasn’t her broken heart. She wouldn’t let it be.

Thankfully, Bree provided the perfect distraction. “Hey there,” she said as she joined Nina at the edge of the dance floor, a man next to her. “Isn’t everything about this day perfect?”

Nina forced a smile. “It really is. They are just…”

“Perfect?”

They both laughed.

“They are,” the man next to Bree said. “Hi.” He reached over and extended his hand. “I’m Gabe Wilder.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Nina looked between the two. “Are you guys a…” She waved her finger between them.

It was Bree who laughed first. “No. I mean, sorry, Gabe—no offense.”

“None taken,” he said. “But no. We’re not together. Just friends. I’ve been in the area for a few years now and Bree was one of the first friendly faces I saw. Along with the Jacksons, of course.”

“That’s because we’ve all managed to stay on the right side of the law,” Bree said with a laugh. “Gabe here is local law enforcement. He keeps the area safe, the troublemakers out, that kind of thing.”

Troublemakers. Nina couldn’t help but think of Ryker’s brother. Was he a troublemaker? Obviously, considering whatever he’d said to Ryker had caused him to leave.

She shook her head. No point bringing that up. Besides, the music had changed, and Harper and Axel were waving their hands, inviting everyone to join them out on the dance floor. Nina looked to Bree and Gabe. “What do you say we all go dancing?”

Ryker ran hard and fast until every muscle in his body burned with the effort but still he didn’t feel any better. He shifted back to his human form as he got to the ridge. Naked, he sat and watched the sun set behind the mountain tops. His arms burned for Nina. To hold her in them, against his chest and share this memory with her.

But he’d never share this memory with her. How could he? His brother may be an asshole, but he was right. He had nothing to offer Nina. He’d screwed up and he knew it. Maybe if she’d had a choice…but she hadn’t.

The best thing he could do now was get as far away from her as possible. The ridge wasn’t far enough. He could still feel her. Sense her, as if she were part of him.

And maybe she was.

They were mated. Fated.

How foolish he’d been not to believe.

Until now.

Until it was too late.

Distance would help. He had to get away.

But first…

Ryker turned in the direction of the Den and Nina. He’d lost all track of time. Darkness had fallen around him while he’d sat lost in his thoughts. The wedding would be wrapping up soon and then he’d go collect his camera and his other things and leave.

A clean break. It was the only way.

Only two hours later, when Ryker slipped back onto the property and into the tent that Luke had set him up with, he was no longer convinced that a clean break would be possible. The closer he’d gotten to the buildings, the stronger the pull was. It was a physical ache in every cell of his body. He couldn’t have ignored it for anything. The need to see Nina was intense and it took all the self-control he had to bypass the Den for the tent in the first place.

But there was no trace of Nina in the tent. Hell, he himself hadn’t even spent a night there. He gathered the few things that were there, pulling on jeans, a T-shirt, and his boots, stuffing the rest of his things into his pack before standing outside, where he stared at the huge log building.

Nina was inside.

Ryker’s eyes went to the second floor and the little balcony that he knew was hers.

Maybe a clean break was for the best, but even so, it wasn’t possible. He couldn’t leave without his camera.

It was the excuse he told himself that convinced him to climb up the side of the building, using the logs as toeholds as he easily scaled the wall and heaved himself up on the small balcony. The sliding glass door was open a little and he peered inside.