by K. D. Jones
She parked the snowmobile in front of the cabin. She jumped off and ran over to Cosmo’s truck. The shotgun was hanging up on a rack behind the driver’s seat. Why would he leave a door to his truck unlocked when he had a shotgun inside? Anyone could take it. She checked the barrel, but it wasn’t loaded. She looked in the glove department, but there were no shells there. Maybe in the cabin?
She took the heavy shotgun with her and ran to the steps of the porch. She climbed the steps and entered the cabin. She looked around, not sure where the shells would be. She spent almost fifteen minutes going through every drawer in the cabin, but nothing. She needed to call for help, but it didn’t sound like Cosmo wanted to notify the sheriff. So, she called his office. Someone answered on the second ring.
“Vedar Scout and Tour, this is Dahlia. How may I help you?”
“Dahlia, this is Andy Johnson. We need some help out here at Miracle Lake.”
“We?”
“Cosmo and I were out on the lake. We heard what sounded like a polar bear roar. He told me to bring the snowmobile back and wait for him. I can’t find shells to the shotgun. I left him there. Oh God!” She was starting to have a panic attack.
“Calm down, Andy. Cosmo stayed behind to check out the...noise that you heard, right?”
“Yeah. He said that there was a farm close by that needed to be warned about the creature and that he would have someone there bring him back within the hour, but it’s been over twenty minutes.”
“He probably went to Jeb’s place. It’s the closest to Miracle Lake besides your cabin. Just stay there and I’ll try calling Cosmo on his cell or Jeb’s. Then I’ll call Cosmo’s brothers to come out if I can’t get a hold of them.”
“I’m going back out. He’s all alone.”
“No! Andy, look. We can’t be searching for both of you if you get stranded out there. Didn’t Cosmo teach you the number one rule about snowmobiling is to never go out alone? Never mind. Just stay there. Give me fifteen minutes to make some calls and then I’ll call you back. Okay?”
“I’ll give you seven minutes. Cosmo has no transportation, no food, or water. The temperature is dropping as we speak.”
“Okay then, seven minutes. I’ll call you back.”
Andy hung up the phone and realized that she forgot to ask if there were any shells for the shotgun. She tossed the useless thing on the table. She paced back and forth, checking the clock on the wall. Where was he? Was he okay? She was startled when the phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Andy, he’s fine. He’s on his way,” Dahlia’s calm, gentle voice told her.
She felt an immediate sense of relief and cried a little. “Oh, thank God! I was so worried. I didn’t want to leave him and I didn’t know what to do.”
“You did fine, Andy. Cosmo said that you were very brave. Stay there until he comes.”
“He’s fine, really?”
“I promise you he is. He’s coming to you, so don’t go anywhere.”
She nodded her okay even though Dahlia couldn’t see her. “Yes, okay.” He was okay. She could breathe again. “Thanks, Dahlia.”
“No problem, honey.”
She hung up the phone and plopped down on the couch in relief. He was okay. She wiped the tears from her cheeks. When he got back, she was going to kill him for having her leave him like that. What was he thinking? She needed a distraction badly. She got up and went outside to the snowmobile and pulled her stuff out of the cargo bin. She headed back inside, shivering.
She pulled out her camera and notebook. It was a digital camera so she could look at the images on it. She zoomed in on the tracks. That had to be polar bear tracks. She got up and went to the bedroom and set up her computer at the small desk in the corner under the window. She pulled the camera cord out and plugged it into her computer, then pulled up the track identifier program. It was going to take about an hour. She went to the main room and sat on the couch, and added her findings at Miracle Lake to her notes. A knock at the door of the cabin had her stumbling to answer it.
“Cosmo!” she yelled out, jerking the door open only to stop dead in her tracks. It wasn’t Cosmo standing there, but… “Denny?”
“Hi, Andy.” He smiled at her.
“What are you doing here?”
“Can I come in? It’s freezing.”
She opened the door wider and allowed him to pass by. She closed the door behind them, feeling anxious and confused. “Why are you here?”
“I wanted to see if you have gotten anywhere with those notes.”
Notes? Oh, the notes. “Yes, over here at the coffee table. I finished what I could after I changed some things.”
He sat on the sofa and reached for the notes on the table. “What have you done?”
“Some of the notes weren’t complete. I had to search for the rest of it and finish them. Those are my additions on the side there.” She leaned over to point on the paper. “I couldn’t find anywhere in the notes where Miracle Lake was searched.”
“It’s not a hot spot for us, so it was marked off our list of possible locations to investigate. No polar bears have been sighted here in like twenty years.”
“I saw two myself this week and I think I found tracks to one.”
Denny shook his head and looked down at her. “It couldn’t have been polar bear tracks. I’ll take the notes and fix them up.”
She frowned. “The notes don’t need fixing. I fixed them already.”
“Are you hungry? There’s not much in town but the little diner there has decent food.” He placed his hand on her knee.
What? He just insulted her and now he was asking her out? She pushed his hand off her. “Denny, I think you should leave.”
He reached for her, pulling her upper body against his. “Stop playing hard to get, Andy. We’ve been dating for a while and now we should take it to the next level.”
“We’ve had one date and that was months and months ago. We aren’t taking anything anywhere.” She shoved at his chest. “Let me go.”
“Come on, baby. Kiss me.”
“No!”
A loud crash at the front door had them both turning in surprise.
“I believe the lady told you to let her go. If you want to keep your hands, I would advise you to do that now,” Cosmo growled out.
Cosmo was back and he was furious.
Chapter 13
Denny dropped his hands immediately and stood up. “What are you doing here, Mr. Vedar?”
“I own this cabin. What are you doing here?”
“I...I...came to get the notes from Andy.”
Cosmo raised his eyebrow. “Then get them and leave.”
Denny bent down, scooped up the notes from the table and rushed to the door. He slowed down and moved past Cosmo gingerly, then fled through the door. A few seconds later Andy could hear the engine to Denny’s borrowed car as it sped away.
Andy got up and made her way slowly toward Cosmo. “You’re okay?”
He turned to close the cabin door, taking in deep breaths. “I’m fine, except for coming back and finding that weasel touching you. Why did you let him in?”
She stopped and stared at him in shock. He was blaming her for Denny? “I thought he was you. He came for the notes and I don’t have to explain myself to you. You can leave now!” She pointed to the door.
“Did you ever date him? Sleep with him?” He stalked closer to her.
She backed up slowly, putting the kitchen table between them. “It’s none of your business, but yes, I went on one date with him. It was months ago and I refused to go out with him again.”
“Well, did you tell him that? He seems to think you two are an item.”
“Again, it’s none of your business.” She crossed her arms over her chest. She underestimated that he had really long arms.
He growled. “I’m making it my business.” He reached over the table and grabbed her arm firmly, gently pulling her over the table to him. He turned her around
to face him, but he kept her on the table. He stepped between her legs.
“Whoa. What are you doing?”
“Claiming what’s mine.” He leaned down and took her lips with his.
Andy felt the world tilt on its axis. Should she fight or should she give in? Fuck it! She wanted him more than any other man she had ever known. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, returning his kiss.
*****
Cosmo fought his bear for control. He had to slow down. He didn’t want to scare her with how much he wanted to rip and shred her clothing off her body and fuck her while he bit into her shoulder. When he inhaled deeply, he not only smelled her arousal, but he could taste it, too. Fuck!
He grabbed the hem of his shirt and ripped it up his torso and over his head, tossing it somewhere behind him. Her hands were on him as soon as his skin was bare. Her small, delicate hands rubbing over his chest and shoulders, then down to his abs felt so good. The lust on her face was obvious—she liked what she was seeing. He wanted the same opportunity to touch her skin on skin.
Cosmo unzipped the jacket that she had never taken off. Then he peeled off each layer of sweater over T-shirt one by one. He kissed her in between each layer being taken off, so she wouldn’t protest. Finally, he got to her lacy white bra cupping her weighty breasts. The bra clasped in the front. How convenient. He unhooked the bra and spread the cups apart.
“So fucking beautiful.” Her mounds filled his large hands nicely. He dropped to his knees to suck a pert nipple into his mouth. He teased and sucked, making her moan. He loved the sounds she made, and wanted her to make the same ones when he was buried deep inside her. He needed that badly and wasn’t sure he could wait much longer.
He unfastened the buttons on her pants, then dragged them past her hips and down her legs. Then he removed the white panties. He lifted the tiny material up to his nose, and inhaled deeply. Ah...the scent of his female. His mate. Nothing was better than that. He quickly tucked them in his back pocket.
“What are you doing with my underwear?” she asked, surprised.
“They’re mine now,” he growled, then lifted her legs up so her pussy was level with his mouth. “This is mine, too.” He leaned closer and licked her seam and the juices that were coating her. “Delicious.” Her taste was nothing like any female he had ever experienced. She was like a drug that seeped into every pore of his body.
“Cosmo,” she moaned, and he felt even more desperate to have her.
He used his fingers to part her folds and slid his tongue inside. He fucked her that way, adding a finger or two until he felt her inner walls convulse and she screamed out in pleasure.
He wasted no time unbuttoning his jeans and shoving them down far enough for his cock to spring forward. He brought his penis up to her entrance, letting her juices coat him. Then in one powerful thrust, he buried himself deep inside her. “Oh my God, you feel so good. So tight.”
“Please, Cosmo.” She tried to make him move.
“Easy, love. I’ll set the pace for us.” He moved in and out of her with powerful strokes. Her nails scraping his back made him pound into her faster and deeper. Just as she screamed his name with another orgasm, his seed shot out and he bit down on her shoulder, leaving his mark and claiming her as his forever.
When he was able, he pulled out of her and lifted her half asleep body in his arms and carried her to bed. He would let her get a little rest before he took her again. He would never get enough of her.
*****
Cosmo got up carefully, trying to not wake her, and walked over to the phone. He dialed his brother.
“Why do people keep calling me at God awful hours of the day?” Ivan grouched.
“I need you to cover for me today.”
“Why? You spending it between the sweet thighs of a hot brunette?” he teased.
“You talk about my mate’s thighs again, you won’t be walking straight for two weeks,” Cosmo growled.
“Easy brother. It was a joke. So you claimed her?”
“I did. I couldn’t hold my bear back.”
“You sound like this is a problem.”
“I didn’t tell her what I was first. That’s why I need you to cover for me today.”
“Ah, hell, you’re supposed to take those nosy humans out to Berkin Lake today. I don’t want to deal with them all day.”
“It will only be until I arrive with Andy. I need time this morning to tell her everything.”
“Fine. Good luck and congrats. You are lucky to have found her.”
“Thanks, Ivan. One day you’ll meet your mate.”
“I have.”
“What?”
“I have to go. Nature’s calling.” Ivan changed his tone.
“See you later.” Cosmo hung up and headed back to the bedroom. Seeing her there naked against the sheets; nothing was better than this. He hoped she didn’t freak out.
Chapter 14
Andy felt his mouth on her first. He was suckling her breasts while one of his hands was playing with her clit. He strummed her with such sureness, she wondered how many women he had been with to learn that technique. Of course, she would never ask him that. The past should be left in the past. He was with her now, and that was all that mattered.
She groaned when he removed his fingers. “Don’t stop.”
“Oh, I won’t.”
She watched him move over her and settle in the cradle of her thighs. It felt so right—this was where he was meant to be, and this was where she was supposed to be, welcoming him into her body, her heart, and her soul. They had more than shared sex, they shared a part of themselves so completely that she felt like a different person; she felt like a part of Cosmo. It was a little scary.
All thoughts left her when he entered her with slow deliberateness. She looked up into his black eyes and was entranced. No one looked at her the way he did—as if she were the most precious thing to him. She loved that. She felt her heart flutter as she realized that she was falling in love with him.
She stopped thinking and just let herself feel what he was doing to her. She wasn’t sure how long this would last, but she wasn’t going to miss out on one single moment.
****
Four hours later
“Where are we going?” Andy sat in the passenger side of Cosmo’s truck and looked at the unfamiliar landscape getting increasingly icy and with a heavier snow cover. He was acting very strange. They had a wonderful morning of loving and then he turned to her, telling her to dress warmly because he was taking her somewhere special.
“We’re here.” He pulled the truck off the main road onto what looked like a small path through the trees.
“Where?” She looked at him, confused, when he parked the truck and got out. He walked around to her side and opened the door.
“You came to research and try to discover the secrets of the North Pole. I’m going to show you the biggest secret here.” He gave her his hand to take to get out of the truck.
“What secret?”
“It was never an abominable snowman. Hell, there’s no such thing as an abominable snowman.”
“Oh, you’re talking about the rumors. What was it then?”
He took her hand and led her a few feet down the path. “Shifters. The hunters that stumbled down the wrong path came across shifters.”
She stopped walking and looked up at him, confused. “As in werewolves?”
“Werewolves are only one type of shifter. What those hunters witnessed was much bigger than werewolves.”
“What were they?” She was having a hard time believing what he was saying. It was crazy talk. The kind of that landed people in the insane asylum.
“Polar bear shifters.”
She laughed. She couldn’t help it. It was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard of. “Polar bear shifters? That is not…” She watched in shock as Cosmo began to take off his clothes. “What are you doing? You’re going to freeze to death.” She was scared n
ow. He was acting so bizarre. “I think we should head back…” She froze, watching as Cosmo seemed to be growing in height and weight.
“Don’t be frightened of me. I would never hurt you, Andy,” he said with a much deeper voice.
She heard popping sounds as his joints moved and his muscles grew larger. Fur started to come out of his skin. He threw his head back and his nose and mouth stretched out, forming a muzzle. That’s when she screamed and started to run. She could hear him chasing her. He was getting closer. Had he brought her out here to kill her? Eat her? She almost felt his breath on the back of her neck. The next thing she knew she was shoved from behind and she fell into the deep snow.
She turned over and saw a huge white polar bear with black eyes sitting on his backside, watching her. She crawled backward a few feet before she realized that he wasn’t following her. She was having another panic attack. She made herself breathe in and out slowly. He wasn’t trying to hurt her. He was just watching and waiting.
“Cosmo? Is that really you?” The bear nodded but didn’t move. She slowly crawled toward him and stopped about a foot away. She lifted her hand slowly up to touch his fur. He licked her hand but didn’t do anything else. She gasped, then erupted into hysterical giggles.
“Oh my God. You’re a bear. A real polar bear shifter.” She continued to pet his fur on his shoulder then his side. She felt the fur recede and then she was touching nothing but skin. He was human again.
“I think I’m going to faint.”
Chapter 15
She didn’t faint, thank goodness. She listened to him talk about his people, his clan. It was simply incredible and if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn’t have believed it. He sat next to her in the truck. He was worried that she would freeze in the cold so he brought her back to his truck and turned up the heat. She sat next to him, staring at him.
