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“I can take care of myself.” Marigold had started crying, and Lyra shushed the infant, whose face was red and screwed up with distress.
“Not against a group of bear shifters like the Montana Maul, you can’t.” Timber’s voice was hoarse.
He wasn’t sure if it was with anger or with distress, like Marigold.
“Are you saying they’d send you after me?” Lyra stopped in her tracks. Timber could practically see the anger draining from her face.
The anger was replaced, almost instantly, by cold, hard fear.
“They wouldn’t send me.” Timber’s voice was gentle again. He just had to make her see. “But they’d send a group of warrior bear shifters to make sure I didn’t end up with you.”
“We don’t even know that it was a bear shifter who followed me. We don’t even know that it is the bear council behind it.”
Timber realized Lyra was trying to reason with him. But she’d get angry again when she realized that it couldn’t be done.
“I don’t care.” The warning in his voice was clear. “You aren’t going anywhere without me.”
She didn’t say anything but grabbed Marigold’s bottle and pack of diapers and headed for the nursery.
He winced as the door slammed shut. Marigold continued crying for a few minutes, but Timber heard Lyra soothing his daughter.
Soon, he heard Marigold’s breathing change. The bear cub was falling asleep, slowly but surely.
Timber inhaled and exhaled with Marigold, but Lyra never came out of the nursery.
* * *
Lyra didn’t leavethe baby’s room for the rest of the night. And instead of falling asleep alone in the bed they had been sharing, Timber slept out on the porch.
He woke up to frost stretching across the window panes.
He was cold … even the heat from his bear didn’t make up for the cold Montana night and morning.
Timber had overslept, he realized when he walked into the kitchen and looked at the clock that shined its numbers at him in blaring red.
He blinked as he headed for the bathroom to wash away the sleep that was crusted to his eyelashes.
Hopefully, Lyra would be in a better mood today.
In the cold light of day, his words and behavior seemed unreasonable to him too. He could understand why Lyra was upset.
But he just wanted to keep her safe.
He was in the kitchen, putting the kettle on, when Lyra came out of the nursery.
She walked out, carrying the duffle bag she had moved in with and two large cloth bags filled with things that Timber couldn’t identify.
“Good morning. Would you like some coffee?” he asked. Surely, she wouldn’t miss the tremor in his voice.
“No.” Lyra’s voice was curt. “I’m leaving. Consider this my resignation.”
“What?” Timber’s voice cracked on the word.
“I can’t stay here and work for you if you’re going to insist on keeping me locked up.”
Lyra’s voice had been curt before, but suddenly, Timber heard her voice shake with emotion.
“I … please don’t leave, Lyra!” Timber didn’t think he could do anything but beg.
