North Dakota

by Becca Fanning

  The clink of the mailbox opening never came. She frowned and lifted her head up to spy a familiar head of dark hair through her kitchen window. Her mouth dropped open. His golden gaze caught her and a sheepish smirk came to his face.

  “If you’re looking for more breakfast sandwiches, I’m fresh out at home,” she said in a loud ringing voice when she ripped the door open. Her hand went to her hip. His tall frame hovered on her front porch.

  “I didn’t know you were the one that lived here...” he admitted. The boyish smirk hadn’t dropped from his face. It was cocky and charming all at once. She clicked her tongue and folded her arms over her chest, trying to remember if she was wearing the apron with a giant grease stain on it. His eyes went to her hand. She was still holding the frosting. “Are you still working?”

  “I volunteered to bring cupcakes for my niece’s class. Sometimes I prefer to bake at home,” she said with a shrug. A cold wind blew over them. She bit her lip, considering his flannel shirt with no coat. “Do you want to come in?”

  God, she was an idiot. Inviting a Shifter into her home? But, the chill was getting through her own thick sweater.

  He nodded and she retreated back into the cottage, kicking herself mentally. She watched him peer around the room, his lithe frame looking like an ancient warrior posing as a modern lumberjack.

  “Smells good,” he said. “I’m not even one for sweets.”

  “Thank you, it’s my job.”

  His eyes glittered. “Are you ever not this feisty?”

  Her cheeks burned and she dove to fetch them glasses of water. “Why are you lurking around my neighborhood, stranger?”

  “Neighborhood is a funny word. Seems more like a gravel road in the forest.”

  “Fair,” she sniffed and handed him a glass. Their fingers brushed. His skin was rough, but warm. She suppressed a sudden thrill in her chest.

  “I’m interested in the rental cabin at the end of this road,” he said and sipped from his glass. His eyes were grim in the soft lighting of her living room, the fire crackling softly behind him. He leaned against her counter. “I wanted to ask if you noticed anyone renting it lately.”

  She paused. She’d heard of Shifters waging their own private wars over turfs, but she couldn’t imagine why he would be interested in a place like Gray Creek. “I haven’t seen anyone since October down there. I would see them pass, there’s a dead end at that house. People don’t usually rent up here around winter.” The dead trees shivered outside.

  He flattened his lips together. She admired the furrowing of his brow, a surprisingly wise expression on his rough face.

  “Are you looking for someone?” The question was out of her mouth before she could stop it. He jerked his head towards her and paused.

  “Yes, actually,” he said in a grave tone. Her ears buzzed at his deep tone. “My brother. He left my clan without telling anyone where he went.”

  She lifted her fingers to cover her mouth, thinking of her own younger brother who lived in Gray Creek. Imagining him suddenly disappearing made her heart throb painfully. “But, you think he’s here?” He nodded and somehow she was relieved. Her fingers held the water glass firmly. “I haven’t seen anyone in that cabin, like I said...but if he’s not travelling by car then he could’ve come through the forest.”

  His handsome eyes flashed with warmth. She yearned to reach out to feel the softness of his flannel shirt, to inhale the earthy scent that he’d brought over the threshold. Her head grew light and she anchored herself against the sink. His nostrils flared.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, standing straight. She nodded and waved her hand.

  “Just tired.”

  “You seem busy at that bakery of yours.”

  “We are. Our holiday orders have been bigger than usual.”

  He cast a glance around the room, inhaling deeply. “Your boyfriend doesn’t live here?”

  A warmth spread throughout her chest. “I don’t have a boyfriend.” He cocked an eyebrow upon hearing this. “Too busy,” she said quickly. It was the standard response to everyone in her family. Too frantic with work. She rubbed the space where her engagement ring used to be, three years ago this winter. There were more important things than men.

  And yet...Jack’s broad shoulders looked delicious in the light of her kitchen. It’s the smell of cupcakes, she told herself. Baked goods were good at inspiring fuzzy feelings. She glanced off to the side, refusing to meet his amused face.

  “What kind of Shifter are you, Jack?” she asked. “If I can ask that?” He leaned his head back and gave her a wry smile. “I’ve never met a Shifter before,” she confessed.

  “What do I look like to you?” His hand slithered into his pocket. She shifted her weight on her heels.

  “Not a bear,” she said. He threw his head back to let out a dark laugh.

  “Should I be insulted?”

  She lifted her shoulders into a playful shrug. “No, it just doesn’t fit you. I’ve only heard of bears, lions, and wolves for Shifters...if I had to guess, I’d say a wolf for you.”

  He crossed his arms with a satisfied grin. “Ding, ding, we have a winner.” Excitement bristled through her. She wondered what he looked like...how it happened. How did a gorgeous man like Jack turn into a wolf? Did it hurt? Her thoughts were racing so fast, she could feel an oncoming headache.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” she said and she meant it. “My employee mentioned that you were a carpenter.” He held out his large hands as if they were evidence of his trade. She admired the grooves of his palms. They sent naughty thoughts to her brain and she tried to press them down.

  “I’ve taken a few commissions as I’ve travelled to find my brother. It helps pay the bills. I’m lucky to find great jobs usually.” His tone was humble, but the angle of his jaw was cocky. She didn’t mind it.

  “How nice,” she said. “I’ll be happy to help fuel that work with my food.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow then,” he offered with a gesture of his hand. He set the glass next to her, his body nearly brushing her own. Her pulse spiked. “Ginger.”

  She led him out and the goosebumps on her skin refused to go away even after he’d left in his truck. Would he find his brother? Her heart beat against her chest. There were cupcakes to be frosted.

  She couldn’t shake the image of his strong chest in that flannel shirt.

  Chapter 4

  Jack parked at the end of the road, dirty snow kicking up in the cold air behind the truck. The cottage seemed abandoned, as the pretty baker had said. He smirked thinking of her. How surprised she had been. He could still taste her intrigue on his tongue. He licked his lips and jumped out of the truck.

  “If you’re here, you bastard,” he called out, “I’m going to wring your neck and then hug you.” There was no reply. A heavy layer of dust had settled over the front steps, but his nose caught something. The scent of cedar. The smell of brotherhood.

  The door was locked. He slammed a powerful shoulder in and it released easily, swinging open to reveal a mostly bare cabin.

  “You’re lucky I don’t shift into a wolf and rip out your throat,” he announced. There was a scuffle near the corner of the room and a figure rose up.

  “How did you find me?” Connor asked. Jack surveyed his brother. They had always looked alike, but Connor’s hard muscles had withered beneath his thick sweater. Jack narrowed his eyes.

  “God, what happened? You need to eat,” he barked and took a step towards his brother.

  “I have been.”

  Jack scowled. “You need to feed your human form too, you fool.” Anger crawled up his neck. He balled his hand into fists. Connor said nothing.

  “I’m renting this cottage as of today,” Jack said in a cold tone. “You’re going to eat, shower, and shave. Then you’re going to explain exactly why you left the clan without telling anyone.”

  —-

  It was well into the night when Jack returned from the grocery store. H
e spotted a small light on in Ginger’s home, could smell the scent of her exhaustion mixed with freshly frosted cupcakes. He gripped the steering wheel harder when he made out her sleeping form, leaned over the arm of her couch.

  He had his brother to worry about now. At the end of the road, at their newly shared cabin, Jack grabbed the groceries from the car and hauled them inside. Somehow, his brother had rummaged around to find an old bar of soap and Jack had lent him his own razor. “You may be wolves, but you don’t have to look like them,” their mother used to say.

  “I’ve met the local baker,” he said as he began preparing the thick slabs of steak from the market. Connor needed to feed his human side so the steaks would be cooked medium rare tonight. His brother muttered something unintelligible from the bathroom, seemingly hunched over the sink to shave his unruly beard.

  Jack threw a blend of spices over the meat and Connor emerged from the bathroom a moment later, patting his face dry with his sleeve.

  “You look less like shit,” jack informed him.

  “What’s this about a baker?” Connor asked. Jack put a frying pan on the stove and threw a dash of oil into it.

  “The only upside to my chase after you has been meeting her,” Jack informed him with a wry smirk. “She lives down the road, I’ve discovered. I told her I was looking for your dumbass.”

  Guilt crawled over Connor’s face. “It’s not my fault.” Jack shot him a look and threw the steaks on, the heat producing a satisfying sizzle.

  “Explain.”

  “There’s a rogue band of wounded ex-alphas and tough guys. Mostly wolf and bear Shifters. One’s a real nasty bastard. He likes to play with human women.”

  “Play?” Jack stopped, hovering over the pan with a glowering face.

  “He bullies them with his powers. He preys on the young college ladies. They’re all excited for a romp with a bad boy until he turns in front of them and makes them afraid for their lives,” Connor said bitterly. “I wanted to give him a run for his money. Warn him that he needs to stop.”

  “You should’ve brought this up with the clan.”

  Connor leveled a tired look at him. “We never get involved with outsiders. And...”

  “And?”

  “There’s an old girlfriend of mine...she was one of our classmates from elementary school. Her cousin got involved with this guy. He beat her really badly and tossed her to the side for another woman.”

  Jack scowled. “Why not report him to the police?”

  “Jack, the police aren’t used to Shifters like this. This guy’s crew is violent and stupid.”

  “A deadly combination. Did you already find him?”

  “I issued a warning,” Connor said and rolled up his sleeve to reveal a large gash that had barely healed over. “Not without some damage.”

  Jack cursed and turned the steaks over with a shake of his head. He glared at Connor. “What’s your plan?”

  “Scare him again,” Connor said with a shrug. Jack let out a dark laugh.

  “He has a clan here,” he spat. “We’ve got two dumbass brothers.”

  “I’m going to just tell him to back off humans,” Connor said with a stubborn shrug. Jack shook his head. His brother reminded him so much of his mother. Strong-headed and good-hearted were a dangerous combination in life.

  Jack pulled the steaks off the pan and plated them. As they sat to eat over two cold beers, he considered the situation. “Does he know where you’re staying?”

  “No,” Connor promised. “Unless he’s had me tracked. He doesn’t have that many goons close to Gray Creek, though. They’re all spread out over the surrounding towns, hiding out in trailer parks and committing stupid crimes.”

  “No police are involved?”

  Connor shook his head in a grave manner. “No. Like I said, the cops aren’t used to Shifters like this.”

  Jack bit into another bite of steak, relishing the taste of it in his mouth. There were benefits to being human. Food tasted better. When he was a wolf, food was a blind necessity. It came from a building rage inside him that demanded survival. He enjoyed the pleasures of humanity.

  They cracked open two more beers as they finished the meal. Connor eyed him gratefully. “Thank you,” he said. “I forget to take care of the human side. You know what it’s like when you’re mad and you want something.”

  Jack thought of Ginger sleeping on her couch, exhausted from her day’s work. If you had told him three years ago that he’d be thinking of human women when thinking about what he wanted, he wouldn’t have believed you. He stared out the window, noticing that a light snowfall had started outside. The house was equipped with a few old-fashion water heaters, but Jack had started a fire in the fireplace. The smell of smoke hung in the air, mixing with his brother’s scent and the scent of their finished dinner. Nostalgia punched him in the gut. What would his mother say if she knew what Connor was doing?

  Jack cursed himself because he knew that his mother would want him to help Connor. He sighed heavily and finished the last bit of his beer. Connor glanced at him with neutral eyes, as he knew better than to count against Jack’s logic.

  “I’ll help you,” Jack said. He watched relief flood his brother’s eyes. “But, first, we shift and we go for a run. I could use the exercise.” He shook out his upper body as if his human body was too confining against his wolf spirit. Connor grinned.

  “Just like home,” he said.

  Chapter 5

  Ginger held the calculator in her hand and sighed. Her coffee cup was already half-drained beside her. Vanessa hadn’t even come in yet for work. Ginger rapped a pencil against the notepad on the counter. She always liked to go over calculations twice to make sure she was on track.

  And boy, was she. The holiday season was unprecedented! It would be her busiest season yet. The phone rang. Maybe even busier than expected. She clicked the phone on.

  “Hey, neighbor.”

  The deep voice gave her a jolt that she wished the coffee had. “Jack?”

  “I’ve ended up renting the cabin down the street...” his voice was coy. She nearly smiled, imagining such a sheepish tone coming from his strong mouth.

  “Did you find your brother?” she asked.

  “Yes, he’s staying with me. Actually, I wanted to call...I may have to double that order for breakfast sandwiches.”

  She shook her head and let out a laugh. “Let me guess, he has your appetite?”

  “Worse. He’s been half-starved, hunting a schoolyard rival.” There was some protesting from another voice on the line. She smiled into the receiver. “He’s a bacon fella though. If you can manage.”

  A happy sort of excitement ran through her. That he trusted her with news about his brother, that he was going to bring him by? She doodled a smiley face onto the notepad.

  “You’ll have to get here earlier than nine,” she said in a teasing tone. The back door chimed and Vanessa walked in with raised eyebrows. Ginger’s cheeks warmed and she turned away from her assistant. “I’ll see you guys then.” She clicked the phone off.

  “An order?” Vanessa asked innocently with her eyebrows still sky high. She couldn’t hide her smile.

  “It was our customer from yesterday,” Ginger admitted and tried to shrug casually. “He’s bringing his younger brother.”

  “Is he cute?” her employee asked and then checked her reflection in a shiny bowl. “Darn. I knew I should’ve put some lipstick on this morning.”

  Ginger laughed and closed the notepad. She’d already begun arranging everything they needed to do for their work day. Vanessa refilled her coffee as they chatted over what needed to be done. Ginger left her at the front and went to make the breakfast items for the day. With the hum of holiday tunes, she’d fallen into work soon enough. It wasn’t until Vanessa cleared her throat loudly that Ginger pulled herself away from arranging a tray of croissants.

  “Your gentlemen callers are here,” Vanessa whispered. “And the younger brother is cute!
”

  Ginger smoothed down her apron and walked out to the front. Sure enough, Jack and his brother were there. His younger brother was thinner than Jack, less rugged with a freshly shaved face. His voice had the same deep charm to it.

  “Nice to meet you, Ms. Ginger,” he said and stuck his hand out. She took it. “Connor Wellington.”

  “Connor,” she said and nodded, eyeing Jack from the side of her eye. “You can just call me Ginger.”

  He nodded and then spotted the breakfast sandwiches waiting in the glass display case. His hand went to his stomach. “Jack says you make a great breakfast sandwich.”

  “I try,” she said with a shrug and Vanessa began plating the sandwiches. “Can I get you boys some coffee?”

  Jack’s smirk turned wicked. “Boys?”

  She met his amused smile with a raised brow, as if daring him to challenge her. Connor nodded and said, “We’ll take those coffees.” As she left their table, she heard him whisper to Jack.

  “You’re right. She is feisty,” the younger man whispered. She heard Jack swat Connor’s arm and mutter, “Human ears aren’t that bad.” She stifled the smile blooming on her face.

  Vanessa was humming with excitement as she dashed around the kitchen and tried to think of every excuse for Ginger to return to the front. Ginger snorted at her employee’s antics. “I’ll remind you that I don’t need an excuse, I own this place. I’ll work wherever I want to. In the front or the back, whether handsome men are here or not.”

  “Ginger! Don’t give me that! You’ve been single for a while,” Vanessa said with a huff and peeked beyond the curtain. “They’re so handsome! Are they bear?”

  “Wolf,” Ginger answered smoothly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She was boxing up some sugar cookies for a local church’s order. The bell chimed and Vanessa gestured for Ginger to be the one to greet the new guests. Ginger’s lips twitched upwards into a half grin at the girl’s urging, but she gave in.