spark that would mean he’d found The One. No matter how many times his father told him he would know without a doubt the moment it happened, he’d kept searching like it would be a quiet whisper he could miss.
His father was right, it was a thunderbolt from the heavens. Not a whisper, never something so calm and reserved. His body felt like it was engulfed in flames, his cock hardened the moment he saw the blue of her eyes. He wanted to claim her, right then. Of course he was much more in control with his rational mind than with his horny bear, thank goodness.
The initial shock was fading and now he was mad. His mate had gotten hurt and he wasn’t there to protect her. Yes, she didn’t know she was his mate, but that didn’t seem to factor right now.
“Don’t move, honey, help is on the way. What else hurts besides your head,” he asked, trying to keep himself calm and his anger at bay all while reassuring her. He ran his hand over the back of her head and it came away sticky. Her head had started to bleed. He didn’t want to alarm her so he kept her focused other things.
“My…my chest hurts,” she whispered. She was still staring up at him, it was like his gaze was sucking her in. She felt a magnetic pull to him. It was physical, like she needed to curl into him and he would keep her safe. She’d just met him and she was lying on the ground hurt, but she knew somehow that he would protect her.
The hulking form leaning over blocking the sun and him calling her honey, was just a bonus in her mind.
“Your heart?” His deep voice was laced with panic.
“No, it hit me,” she managed, taking in a sharp painful breath.
“The pipe,” he asked turning to look behind him.
“The end, I think, it hurts to breathe.”
“Take slow shallow breaths, honey. Help is coming, I don’t want you to move.”
She wheezed, “Are you Mr. Rochon?”
“I’m Cage to you darlin’ and you must be my Sophie,” he said giving her a sweet smile.
Sophie didn’t know how to respond to the ‘my Sophie’ statement right now so she ignored it.
“What the fuck happened?” She heard the voice coming from farther away, and then she saw Wyatt running towards them.
He skidded to a halt when Cage’s head whipped towards his brother and he growled, “Mine,” in a low voice that Sophie could feel in her bones.
Wyatt turned a little ashen, looked down at Sophie then back to his big brother and whispered, “No shit?”
“Mine,” Cage repeated.
“Mom is going to freak, man,” Wyatt said, then his worried look shot back to Sophie on the ground. “You okay sugar?”
“Don’t call her sugar if you want to keep all your limbs, baby brother,” Cage warned. To Sophie’s eyes he seemed to get even bigger, his body leaning closer to her in an act of protection. Like a dog guarding a juicy bone.
“Sorry man, no disrespect. You know I’d never do that. Take a deep breath, you’re barely holding on, man,” he warned.
Cage took stock and noticed his nails were elongated and his back felt broader. His bear was too close to the surface in his need to protect his Mate.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed his bear back down. His fingernails shortened and he gave a grateful look to his brother.
“Find out what happened, I don’t want to leave Sophie,” Cage ordered to Wyatt.
“I’m on it man. Hey can I tell mom,” he asked stepping out of his brother’s reach just in case.
“Wyatt…” Cage warned.
His brother laughed and turned to speak with the drivers who were still arguing at each other. Cage had been walking towards them to break them up when he saw a glimpse of curly brown hair blowing in the wind. Before he could see who it was he’d heard the pipe burst. The thick hydraulic hose exploded out towards Sophie. Cage took off at a run, but he was too late. He saw Sophie fly through the air and land hard on her back.
When she didn’t move, he thought the worst. She looked tiny to him, but most people did.