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Bram wasn’t going to remind her that she was his mate. She could deny it, push it away, and try to avoid the truth of the matter, but in the end, it wouldn’t make one difference, because she was his.
“I wouldn’t have done it any other way, especially when that person is you.” He leaned in and kissed her once more. His body was on fire for more, but now was not the time to let his bear have control and do whatever the hell it wanted. She was hurt, and she needed her rest. “The bathroom is just down the hall, second door on the left.” He stood and grabbed the clothes he had set on the bed for her. “If you feel like getting cleaned up, that’s fine, but don’t take a shower, since I just stitched you up.” She stared up at him, and he handed her the clothes. “Are you hungry? I can make you something to eat.”
She shook her head, and a tendril of hair fell forward. Bram reached out and brushed the blonde lock away from her forehead. Her flesh was butter-soft, and he forced himself to pull his hand away or he would never stop touching her. When she didn’t say anything in response, he nodded once and turned to leave her in privacy, but her soft voice stopped him right before he stepped back into the hallway.
“Thank you again, Bram.”
He curled his hands into fists and hung his head. Eyes closed and breathing now increased from hearing her say his name, Bram cleared his throat and walked away before he stepped back into that room and did something that would ruin everything before it even got started.13Kenzie watched Bram leave the room and shut the door behind him. For several moments, all she did was sit there and stare at the wall. Looking down at the clothes Bram had given her, tears welled in her eyes. He was a good male, a very good male, and the longer she stayed with him, the worse things would get.
This was not a time to be selfish and jump into the arms of another shifter. Kenzie needed to be independent and stand on her own two feet, run far from Rook, and lead him away from her bear.
Her bear.
It was easy to think about that when in the comfort of his home, but ultimately, he wasn’t hers, not really. She would take his hospitality and spend the night, but in the morning, she would leave the town of Sweet Water and Bram Wylde behind. The bear shifter had turned her world upside down in a matter of hours, and that was not a good thing, at least not at this point in her life.
Kenzie stood and walked over to the door. There was no noise coming from the other side, and when she opened it and looked down the hallway, she saw the lights had been dimmed.
After slipping quietly down the hall and to the bathroom, she leaned against the closed door and closed her eyes. What she wouldn’t give for a hot shower to wash the blood, sweat, and stench of Rook off of her.
She didn’t want to risk opening up another stitch, so she cleaned up as best as she could in the sink and put on the sweats and T-shirt Bram had given her. The clothing smelled like him, and even though they were three times too big for her, she felt as if Bram were right here with her.
Once she was back in her room and under the covers, she thought she would have fallen right asleep, but every time she closed her eyes, all she felt was worry. She wiped away her tears and tried to realize she was no longer trapped in a nightmare.
“Why didn’t you leave, Kenzie?” she whispered softly in the night and covered her face with her hands. That was the same question she had asked herself over and over again, and quite frankly, she was sick of it. There had been a lot of factors involved, but fear and lack of resources had been the main ones.
What would she do out there in the world alone? A job was a first priority, because without money, she would be living beside a dumpster like she had been doing at ten years old.
Letting her hands fall back on the bed and staring at the ceiling, she didn’t want to think anymore. All Kenzie wanted to do was go to sleep and pray that things looked clearer and brighter in the morning, but then again, she’d always hoped that before she fell asleep, and it had never come true.
Kenzie closed her eyes and silently asked whoever was listening if she could have a peaceful sleep for once in her ruined life.
