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Well, maybe not. Maybe he’s a good man, trying to help me.
He’s still an asshole, though.
“Want to head up to bed instead?” Orson asks gently. I shake my head, and he sighs. He pauses in shrugging off his coat, a hesitant look on his face. “I don’t want to take you out when you’re looking like this, little cub.”
I freeze, and shame fills me.
He inhales, and his eyes widen as he realises what he said. “Wait, shit, no,” he says, storming forward. His tall frame towers over me, the height difference truly massive, but I’m not afraid. He gently cups my cheek, his large hand nearly the size of my head. “I didn’t mean it like that. I want to go on a walk, and you’re standing here looking so dainty… so vulnerable, and I—”
“I can handle a walk,” I say, an enthusiasm I didn’t realise I had ringing true. He nods, and puts his coat back on, and zips it up. “Let me grab some shoes. And a jacket.”
“And a hat and some gloves,” he adds. It takes a few minutes for him to properly bundle me up, but then we head out. He takes us left, leading me to the woods.
It’s peaceful, being surrounded by nature. It’s something both my wolf and I enjoy. The near-silence with no sounds from people, just the rustling wind as it goes through the leaves, and the occasional sounds from the wildlife. There’s a particularly annoying squirrel that is chattering away, and my wolf is adamant she wants to eat it.
“What’s wrong?” Orson asks, and I tell him about the squirrel, causing him to laugh.
I sniff the air, trying not to find the squirrel, but my wolf locks onto the scent regardless. It’s up high in a tree, though, so it’s safe for now. The overwhelming scent of pine combined with the decomposing leaves and wildflowers is so refreshing.
“This is what I needed,” I admit once we’re a bit further into the thick of the forest.
“Yeah?”
I nod, and I can feel the pride radiating from Orson.
“I owe you an apology,” we both say at nearly the same time.
“Why?” I ask, gaping at him. “I’m the one who did something worthy of apologies.”
“And that’s why I want to apologise.”
I frown, taking in his words, but not really understanding them.
“All I’ve ever wanted is to take care of you,” Orson says, tugging me forward when I stop. “As soon as our bond kicked into place, and my bear felt the connection, I’ve been driven by my instincts to protect you. Some bears have mates that need physical protection… and some bears have mates who need the emotional care.”
There’s a snap as I stand on a branch, my weight too much for it to hold.
Orson looks down wryly, but doesn’t comment. “I thrive on helping you. Whether it’s making dinner or helping you do up your coat. It’s how I show you I love you.”
“Acts of service is your love language?” I ask, and he considers that before nodding.
“Probably. It’s more than that, though. I’m driven to give you what you need, and what you need is someone to look after you,” he says, “But I failed you. You’ve been so worried about me, thinking I’m mad at you, and it kills me.”
“I told you—”
“No,” he says, stopping us from walking. He grabs my hands, holding them in his ridiculously soft ones, and I look up into his bright hazel eyes. “I’m not upset with you, little cub, and I need you to hear me on that.”
“But your sister—”
“Is not you,” he replies. His gravelly words are layered thick with emotion, and I have no doubt he means this. “My sister killed herself. You tried to kill yourself. Neither of those incidents had anything to do with me. They’re both terrible events, but neither of them happened because of me, Nora. You’ve created a burden in your mind that you need to let go.”
He wipes a tear away from my cheek with his thumb, whilst still holding my hands in his other one.
“I love you,” he says, softly.
“I love you, too,” I reply, and he smiles at me.
“Now, shift, and let’s go find ourselves a squirrel,” he says, causing me to burst into giggles.
