Free Her Bear Protector (BBW Shifter Romance) by Bonnie Burrows

shower, my stomach in knots. Even though I knew that he'd most likely be fine during the battle, and even though he'd promised me that, I knew that realistically, there was a chance, however slim, that he might not be fine. And I knew I could never live with myself if something happened to him and I couldn't be there for him more or less immediately. I shuddered under the warm spray of the shower, imagining him lying in bed, injured, maybe mortally, while I was seven hours away in Traverse City.
                By the time I'd dried my hair and gotten dressed, I'd made a decision.
                Aaron looked at me from the front door. "You ready?"
                I shook my head. "No. I'm not going. You may be the leader of your family, and maybe you can control them, but you can't control me . I'm not going. And that's final."
                 
     
     
     

C HAPTER EIGHT
     
      Aaron looked at me, his jaw clenched. "You are going. And that's final."
                "But-"
                "No buts. You are going. I love you, Kyla. Do you seriously think I'm about to take any chances when it comes to your safety?"
                "But I just-"
                "Do you have any idea what a shifter wolf could do to you? Do you have any idea how quickly one of them could kill you? It wouldn't even take a second. Shifter bears and wolves have strength about twenty times that of regular bears and wolves. Think about that. Think about how it would feel to have a shifter wolf pounce on you and rip you to shreds. Though of course your pain would be very temporary, as you'd soon bleed to death in the blink of an eye. Think about that possibility. How it would feel."
                I did think about it. I thought about watching while a wolf prepared to pounce on me. Excruciating pain while getting my throat ripped out. Lying in a pool of blood, dying, knowing that I'd never see Aaron again.
                Tears sprang to my eyes, and I covered my face with my hands.
                Aaron crossed the distance between us within seconds and pulled me into his arms. "I'm so sorry, Kyla. I'm so sorry. That was horrific imagery for me to put into your mind, and that was completely wrong of me. Please forgive me. I just wanted to make you understand why it's so important for you to be very far away during this battle."
                I sniffled against his chest. "I understand, and I forgive you. But I want you to understand the reason that I don't want to go away. It would kill me if anything happens to you and I'm not right there. I couldn't live with myself. It would actually be far worse than having my throat ripped out by a wolf."
                Aaron smoothed my hair, rocking me in his arms. "I understand. But like I told you last night, I promise you nothing is going to happen to me. I'm the strongest in my family, and I'm a good fighter. I expect to have Alexander dealt with within minutes. You don't need to worry about me at all. In fact, I swear to you on my honor as the leader of my family that I'll be just fine."
                I lifted my face. "You can't know that with a hundred percent certainty, though. You can't predict what Alexander and his pack are going to do, or what dirty tricks they might try. Even with all your strength, and even though you're a good fighter, that doesn't mean you can prevent them from taking some sort of cheap shot at you or something. And if that happened, and if you got hurt, and if I was seven hours away in Traverse City...." I wiped a fresh tear away. "Aaron, I wouldn't survive. I don't know how I'd ever live with myself if I couldn't be there for you."
                He sighed and planted a kiss on my forehead. "You've got to trust me. I will be fine."
                "But isn't it my responsibility as the woman who loves you, though, to stay nearby just on the