by Pandora Pine
“Do you remember anything about today?” His voice was gentle as he smoothed the blanket around my waist.
Taking a deep breath, I searched my mind. “My frat brothers and I are staying at the Presidential.”
Kodi’s left eyebrow shot up. “Aren’t you a little old to be a frat boy?”
“Did you just call me old?” I shook my head, and instantly regretted it. “Annual reunion. We do this every year.”
Kodi nibbled his lower lip as if he were trying hard not to laugh. “I take it this is the first year things went horribly wrong?”
“The bear started it all,” I blurted out, suddenly remembering. Kodi stiffened, but I didn’t pay him any attention. I was just so thrilled I had part of my memory back. “Last night, at the hotel bar, Cabot hooked up with a bear.”
“Say what?” Kodi looked confused and concerned for my welfare.
“My best friend, Cabot French, is into big guys. Really big guys, like you.” I noticed Kodi had gone from looking concerned to blushing. How was it possible for such a big man to blush? “The bear was at the jukebox playing ‘Almost Paradise’ when Cabot approached him. They had a few drinks and left together half an hour later. The rest of us stayed at the bar eating wings and drinking beer.”
“The rest of you?” Kodi seemed a bit more relaxed in his questioning of me.
“Yeah, Archer and Wells. We were all electrical engineering majors. They drank too much last night, and with Cabot off with Mr. Big Dick, I decided to go out for a walk alone.” Sitting here now, half-naked and sore all over, it dawned on me how lucky I was to be alive.
Kodi’s face ran the gamut of emotions from shock over the big dick to horror when I mentioned walking alone.
“Okay, so let me get this straight, egghead by day and intrepid vacation hiker? The next thing you’re going to tell me is that you didn’t check the weather.” He didn’t look pleased with his assessment of me.
“I didn’t.” I hated admitting my stupidity to the man who’d risked his life to save me. How many other cops and game wardens had taken the call to help me?
“Why are the smart ones always so stupid?” Kodi asked aloud.
“I told the front desk clerk where I was going.” Christ did that excuse sound pitiful. My story was nothing short of the opening scene of one of those survival movies.
“The front desk clerk?” Kodi leveled a withering gaze my way. “You mean the clerk who left the hotel an hour after you went on rumspringa?”
My mouth dropped open. “When I thought to text the guys, I had no cell service. No one knew where I was,” I said aloud, mostly to myself. My stupidity knew no bounds.
“That’s right, Poindexter. No one knew where you were. Your frantic friends called 911 and mobilized every cop and member of EMS in the Mount Washington Valley. Unfortunately, I’ve got worse news.”
“Are you going to kill me and eat my liver?” I couldn’t think of anything worse than the fate that awaited me when I got back to the hotel and my friends lit into me for hiking alone. Being as lost-prone as I was, it was a miracle I’d managed to stay on the trail.
Kodi crossed his arms over his chest. “No. Not going to eat you, but you do deserve a spanking.” He looked me over like he was a hungry bear, and I was a spawning salmon. “I don’t have cell service either. So, there’s no way for me to let anyone know I’ve found you.”
“Well, shit.” I’d really fucked things up. “What about getting me to a hospital or back to the hotel?”
“We’re due to get three feet of snow before this is over. It’s safer here. Until the storm ends, anyway.” Kodi climbed back to his feet, showing his body off to its full advantage.
My mouth went dry. Holy shit! Kodi looked like he was at least six and a half feet tall. His muscles bunched under his tee, while springy dark hair popped over the collar.
“You hungry?” Kodi asked casually.
I nodded, knowing that if I tried to speak, I would sound like a total idiot. Making matters worse was the way his ass swayed as he was walking away from me. My dick agreed. I felt it wake up and join the party. Thankfully, I had a heavy blanket pooled at my waist. I’d be safe for now.
A few minutes later, Kodi set plates piled high with sandwiches and chips on the table. They were joined by bottles of water and fruit cups. I snickered.
“Something funny, Poindexter?” Kodi turned to me with his hands fisted on his hips.
If I could move, I’d be on my knees in an instant. I totally understood why Cabot had left with his bear last night. Bear? A hazy memory niggled at the back of my mind. Why was my mind stuck on a bear?
“You gonna eat, or sit there staring off into the fire all night?” Kodi asked, breaking me out of my head.
I startled and turned to Kodi, who was grinning at me. “I just remembered something else.” I went to push the blanket off my lap when I noticed I was naked under it. “I guess I’ll keep the blanket.”
The lighthearted look in Kodi’s eyes darkened. I couldn’t help thinking he was remembering what it had been like to strip my clothes off. “Did you look your fill?” Shit! If I’d misread the look on his face, or if his eyes looked darker thanks to a trick of the firelight, I was fucked. He was a big man, and it wouldn’t take much for him to squash me like a bug.
“Not nearly enough.” Kodi winked at me. “If you’re feeling shy, I’ve got a robe you can wear. All of my sweats would swim on you.” Kodi looked as if he wouldn’t mind that one bit. He grabbed a black robe from the newel post at the foot of the stairs and sent it my way. “I’ll even turn around.”
I was only disappointed at his turning around for a minute. What he didn’t realize was that he gave me a front-row seat to that juicy ass.
“Oh, I realize it all right,” Kodi’s voice was barely above a whisper.
If I weren’t careful, this guy was going to eat me alive. What a way to go. I got gingerly to my feet. My left ankle ached, but I didn’t think it was broken. “Think I sprained my ankle.” I shrugged into the robe and knotted it around my waist. It dipped down toward my ankles. I had a feeling it was knee length for Kodi.
“I was thinking the same thing about your ankle. Do you need help getting to the table?”
To be honest, I think I could make it, but why risk further injuring myself. “Yeah.”
Kodi stalked toward me, looking like the hungry bear I thought he was. Without batting an eye, he scooped me into his arms. I was instantly warmed by his body heat. Jesus, he was close enough to kiss. Just one little taste was all I needed.
“One taste won’t be enough. I guarantee it.” Kodi set me gently into the chair closest to the fireplace, while he sat across from me. At least we were on the same wavelength. He took a huge bite from his sandwich. “What memory came back to you a little earlier?”
I snorted. It all seemed so ridiculous now. “I had this hazy memory of a bear. A real one with fur and claws. It set me down and let me pat its face. Crazy, huh? Must have been the bump to the head I took.” I shrugged and popped a chip into my mouth,
“Yeah, totally crazy,” Kodi agreed easily. Although, there was something in his eyes that didn’t look easy at all. Unless I missed my guess, he was alarmed.
Why the hell would Kodi be alarmed? Did this guy have a pet bear he was hiding in another room? I took a bite of my sandwich to keep from laughing out loud. God I sounded crazy, even to myself.
I might be crazy, but at least I was safe for the night.
6
Kodi
Two hours after Tanner mentioned seeing a bear, my heart was still pounding like I’d run the Boston Marathon. Jesus Christ. It had been years since a human had seen me in bear form. Thankfully, I was in Alaska when it happened, and a loud roar was all it took to send the man running for his life.
I’d managed to blow Tanner off, but what if the memory persisted? I supposed I would just have to lie to him and tell him it was a result of knocking his head during the fall. After dinner I’d done
a concussion protocol exam and he’d passed with flying colors, which of course would make him think seeing a bear was all the more real.
Once Tanner dropped off to sleep, I headed outside. The sharp, icy air helped clear my head. My attraction to the young man was nearly overwhelming. Not making it any easier was the way he spent the evening looking at me.
I’d had a few casual hookups with tourists in the years I’d been with Fish and Game. I never wanted to muddy the waters where I lived and worked. I still wasn’t out to my co-workers. New Hampshire was a conservative state, especially this far north of the Massachusetts border. I wasn’t exactly sure how my coworkers would take the news. To be honest, I didn’t want to find out over a one-night stand holding a grudge.
Would I be willing to risk it with my forever? Maybe? Yes, I would. For the right man, I would. Hell, I was thirty-five years old. When was he going to show up?
Maybe he’s sleeping on your couch, my mind suggested.
“Yeah, right,” I said aloud. My breath crystallized in the frigid night air.
Even though I’d shifted earlier, I still felt restless. Maybe it was the buzzing sexual attraction zinging through my body. I hadn’t felt like this about another man in a long time. I wanted to get to know Tanner better, but how could that possibly be in the cards with him injured and on vacation?
It wasn’t like Massachusetts was at the ends of the earth. It was about a two-hour drive from here to Tanner’s house. I assumed it was one of the reasons for this being the spot for the frat brothers’ reunion.
I’d made fun of Tanner at first, but it was pretty amazing that he was close with his best friends from college. When I’d left Alaska, I hadn’t left any friends behind. I’d always been a loner. I’d managed to change things for the better here in Bretton Woods. Bill and I had a great friendship, and I was close with the other guys stationed at our field office.
All I was missing was that special someone.
Thinking about perfect little Tanner asleep on my couch got me moving. I stripped out of my clothes and shifted. Everything made sense as a bear. I was pure instinct in bear form. Taking off down the driveway, I let the frigid air energize me. As soon as I hit the tree line, I was free. The crunch of my paws on the newly fallen snow was riveting.
I made my way to the Ammonoosuc River, taking time to drink my fill of the frigid water. Come morning there would be tiny pools of water coated with ice. This was my favorite spot in all of New Hampshire. Not too many people knew this place existed, which made it all the more special to me.
What the hell was I going to do about Tanner? I’d never felt this kind of connection before. All I wanted to do was rush back to the cabin and watch him sleep. Or wake him up and… And what?
Christ, the man had fallen down a mountain, and all I could think about was mounting him. My bear agreed. I could feel his hunger for Tanner. Maybe that was the reason for me feeling so out of sorts.
I took one last drink from the cold river and turned to walk home. The night was still. I could hear the crunch of my paws on the newly fallen snow. To my left, an owl softly hooted.
How would I ever tell Tanner about my bear? Most people were only familiar with shapeshifters thanks to Hollywood. Movies like Twilight and shows like True Blood introduced the idea of my kind in a way that made us seem like a normal part of society. Being a fan of hunky actors playing wolf shifters for a living was one thing. Telling someone I was a real bear shifter would be another thing entirely.
My claim was easy enough to prove after all. One minute I’d be a naked human man and the next, a fifteen-hundred-pound bear. I could only imagine Tanner laughing at my claim to be a bear only to be scared to death a minute later when I shifted. I didn’t know what would be worse, being laughed at, or seeing fear in Tanner’s green eyes.
My worries could all be for naught. All I knew about Tanner at the moment was that he was some kind of rocket scientist and seemed to be interested in me. He could have a boyfriend back home and be looking for a little strange, or maybe a one-night stand like his friend Cabot.
What the hell kind of a name was Cabot? It was a sharp Vermont cheddar cheese or the town in Murder, She Wrote, not something you named your kid. I shook my massive head. What I thought about Tanner’s friend’s first name didn’t matter either.
The warm glow of the cabin came into view. Everything looked as it had before I’d gone out. I couldn’t wait to shift and warm up by the fire. I’d check on Tanner and then head up to bed. I was exhausted. Shifting took a lot out of me, and this was the third time I’d done it over the last thirty hours or so. My muscles were going to ache something fierce.
I’d deal with that later. Right now, I needed to get inside and make sure Tanner was okay. I loped toward the back door, anxious to shift, when a dark shadow caught my eye. I assumed it was due to the height of the fire in the hearth. I’d added more wood before I’d gone out. The last thing I wanted was to come back and find Tanner freezing in the cold, dark cabin.
I climbed up the stairs and shook my fur. Droplets of melted snow smacked against the cabin’s French doors. Being as dry as I was going to get, I shifted. The icy night air blasted against my naked skin. I shivered and reached for the doorknob when the dark shadow moved. It wasn’t a shadow at all, it was Tanner.
One hand rested over his mouth. His emerald eyes widened in what I thought was surprise but could have been fear. He seemed to be rooted to the floor.
I guess the fifteen-hundred-pound bear in the room was out in the open now. Literally.
With a heavy heart, I turned the door handle and walked toward my doom.
7
Tanner
I’d woken up feeling completely disoriented. It had taken a minute for me to remember the frat reunion, my disastrous walk, and Kodi. I don’t know how I knew, but he wasn’t here. There was an emptiness to the cabin I hadn’t felt before falling asleep.
I pushed back the covers and gave my limbs a stretch. Kodi had been right about all of his clothes being too big for me, but he’d given me a pair of cut-off sweats with a drawstring. They were still miles too big for my slim hips, but at least I didn’t have to worry about them pooling around my ankles.
Not that I would have minded being naked in front of Kodi.
Running my hands over my clothes, I could feel how damp they still were. It was going to take ages for the heavy denim of my jeans to dry. Near the fire was the best place for them. Who knew when the power would come back on so I could put everything in the dryer?
After a trip to the bathroom, I stood by the back porch, looking out over the yard. It was a beautiful piece of property. The kind of place I’d love to live someday. There was a certain freedom to being in the mountains. Standing there, my day job and responsibilities seemed so far away. Movement from the tree line caught my eye. At first I thought maybe it was a deer or a moose, but a moment later, I realized it was too compact and low to the ground to be a deer.
It was a bear. I gave my head a shake. It couldn’t be a bear. This was January, and bears hibernated. Didn’t they?
I watched stunned as the animal ran full-out toward the cabin. If it didn’t slow down, it was going to crash through the French doors. A niggling thought resurfaced. Kodi tried to downplay it, but he’d reacted when I told him I’d seen a bear. I’d touched its fur, and now that I really thought about it, the animal seemed to somehow smile at me. Did Kodi have a pet grizzly he allowed to run free like some kind of search and rescue dog?
As the animal got closer to the cabin, it slowed and then stopped in front of the stairs leading to the back deck. What was it going to do now?
I was glad for the power being out. The large great room was in shadows with the only light being from the fireplace. My eyes narrowed on the bear as it lumbered up the back stairs. I felt my hands start to tremble. What the hell did I do now? Did I stay put or run? Where would I even go?
Before I could make up my mind, the most amazing thing happene
d. The bear became a naked man. Kodi. Holy fucking shitballs! Kodi was a shapeshifter like Jacob in Twilight, only he was a bear, not a wolf.
I wasn’t losing my mind at all. Kodi had found me and rescued me in the woods, and I’d woken up just as he’d set me on the porch. Thank Christ I hadn’t woken up when he had me in his jaws.
Kodi took two steps forward toward the French doors. We stared at each other. The look in Kodi’s dark eyes was filled with uncertainty. My paralysis broke and I grabbed the door handle, yanking it open. “Get in here, you’re going to catch your death.” The icy air blasted against my bare feet, chilling me to the bone.
He grabbed a set of clothes from a chair near the door and walked into the cabin. “Aren’t you scared? Or thinking you’ve lost your mind? Or about to call Fish and Game on me?” Kodi stood by the doors looking as if he were about to make a break for it.
“You’re a bear, for goodness’ sake, not Jack the Ripper.” I raised an eyebrow at him before grabbing his arm and tugging him toward the fireplace. He came willingly. God knew I wouldn’t have been able to budge him if he’d wanted to stay put. I pushed him down in front of the fire and covered his back and shoulders with the blanket I’d been wrapped up in when I’d woken up.
“Jack the Ripper?” Kodi burst out laughing. It was a full, rich laugh, sounding as if the last thing he expected was to be laughing over this situation.
“Do you want some tea? A glass of water maybe? Raw meat?” What the hell did one offer a man/bear? Or was it a bear/man?
“I’m fine. I had something to drink when I was out.” Kodi seemed amused by me trying to mother him.
“When you were out?” I took a seat next to him, trying not to laugh. In my mind, I could see a bear sitting on a barstool.
“You must have a million questions.” Kodi looked as if he’d rather be sitting in the electric chair than answering my questions.
He was right. I did have questions. Lots of them. Instead of asking any of them, I reached up to run my hand down the left side of his face. Kodi’s skin was surprisingly warm against my hand. He’d been out running in the woods for who knows how long, and then standing naked on the porch, but his skin was rosy and perfectly warm.
