by Fel Fern
Connor raked his gaze up and down Danny’s tempting little body. His dick pulsed inside his jeans. This was bad. It wasn’t just sex he wanted. That he could get anywhere else, but this little human intrigued him, made him want to know Danny even better, in and out of the bedroom. His bear would eat Danny right up.
“I’ll get you more wood.” Fuck. Connor actually meant those words and decided it was worth it when Danny’s face lit up.
“Really? Wait, you’re being nice again.” Danny narrowed his eyes at him.
Connor shrugged. “I’ve decided you’re not as bad as I initially thought.”
This wasn’t good news. The last guy Connor had in bed fled when Connor shifted when they were sleeping. He couldn’t quite erase the look of horror in the other man’s face even months after the incident.
“I got to go,” he said abruptly.
“Wait, would you,” Danny hesitated, “want to get something to eat with me? I planned on driving out to town to get supplies and some warmer clothes.”
“That won’t be a good idea.”
Danny let out a snarl of frustration. “I can’t tell if you like me or not.”
“It’s not you,” Connor said honestly. “You can’t handle me.”
Harsh words, but it was the truth. Every unmated single shifter and paranormal wanted a ride with the O’Riley brothers, but even the bravest eventually ran away once they saw Connor’s bear. He was only good for quickies, a thrill to brag about to their friends in the morning.
Because dominant shifter males needed touch and physical contact more than other shifters, he occasionally agreed to a hook-up when his bear became restless and lonely. After that last screw-up though, he stopped seeing anyone. No small wonder he was horny as fuck. This human though was off-limits, he told his bear.
Hurting Danny was a huge no-no, because that was all Connor was ever good at, hurting others. He didn’t know why he felt that way toward a human he just met, but Connor knew staying away would be the best option.
Finally, Danny asked in a small, hurt voice, “What’s wrong with me?”
“Nothing. I need to go.” Before Connor did something he’d regret, like bring the human close and take those tempting lips. Once he clashed with Danny’s tempting slender body, he’d want to touch that tempting smooth skin, to—
Connor cut that line of thought off.
“I don’t even know your name,” Danny blurted.
“Connor O’Riley.”
He left before the human could say a word. Fuck, he rocked a full erection now and had no way to ease the ache in his dick. Connor needed to stop thinking with his prick and do something more helpful for their new guest.
Danny mentioned something about needing clothes, he remembered, once he returned to his own cabin. He shut the door behind him, gritting his teeth. His bear hadn’t liked refusing Danny at all, especially given Danny had been the one to invite them for a meal. A date? No, monsters like Connor didn’t do dates.
Staying away from Danny would be for the human’s own good. Still, Conner didn’t know why he grabbed the black puffy jacket in his closet and left it in Danny’s car. The last thing he wanted was for the human to freeze before getting to town. That done, he halted in his footsteps and peered at Danny’s cabin. Through the windows, he could see Danny had opened his luggage and began to unpack.
Huh. So the stubborn human really intended to stay. There was a story there. Why would an attractive, single, human male—for Danny was that, more pretty than handsome—decide to spend the winter alone in some secluded cabin for the entire winter? For the single part, Connor was certain because he didn’t catch any other male scent clinging to Danny’s skin.
He shook his head. Connor should stop. He went back to the cabin only to discard his clothes and exit via the backdoor. Even the cold did little to his hard dick. Who knew how Danny would react to a naked shifter? He hadn’t imagined the undisguised interest in Danny’s eyes though or the human’s scent of arousal.
“He’s not for us,” he told his bear.
The animal rebelled inside of him. It felt like claws ripped him from the inside out, like his bear wanted to punish him for thinking that. The change hurt like hell this time around. Fur covered his chest and shoulders. Bones popped and organs rearranged themselves. Finally, he landed on all four paws. He hooked his long ebony claws into the snow and ran toward the nearest tears, letting out a roar loud enough for snow to fall from the nearby trees.
Connor had just shifted this morning, had slipped out before his brothers noticed he was gone. Not a good sign. He kept shifting more than he should, because his bear kept wanting to be in control. Sooner or later, the inevitable would happen. Connor would turn rogue, unable to shift back to human, and his brothers would be given the awful task of hunting him down.
No, it was definitely better for everyone to stay the fuck away from him, Danny especially or the little human might end up dead.
* * * *
Danny stared at the clothes and other personal belongings he stuffed into his luggage and realized he hadn’t packed anything suitable for the weather. No use blaming himself, because he’d been in a hurry to get out of the city, but he didn’t relish driving to town, still freezing in his thin clothes.
Sighing, he looked out the windows. He better head out now before the sun set. There weren’t any street lights on the way to the cabin, and driving in the dark, nothing but trees on either side of him, seemed like a scene from a horror movie.
A roar made him jump to his feet. Fear crawled down his spine. That sounded like an animal, and the sound came from somewhere nearby, too. He peered out the windows, relieved to see Connor’s truck still there.
Connor. That werebear infuriated him to no end. Connor had been cold to him, an asshole, then he suddenly became all nice and thoughtful even when he offered to get Danny more firewood.
“Put that rude bear out of your head,” he muttered to himself.
It would be hard though, given Connor lived right next door. He’d watched the werebear enter the largest cabin in the compound. It was unavoidable they’d bump into each other again.
He didn’t mistake Connor’s curious, hungry look, either, or that woody Connor spotted when he left, had he? And Connor didn’t know and probably didn’t give a damn who he was. That was a damn bonus, except hadn’t the werebear repeatedly told Danny to stay away?
As if he did what people told him to do. If Connor thought he was some meek and compliant human, then Connor had another thing coming.
Enough. He was wasting daylight, thinking about a man who may or may not be interested in him. Danny wished that damn bear would make up his mind. Making sure his wallet and phone were with him, he headed outside. Goosebumps appeared on his arms. His teeth clattered. He stuffed his hands under his armpits and, by some miracle, managed to open his car door.
His jaw dropped, seeing the puffy winter jacket there. Was he dreaming? Danny put it on, unsurprised it was twice, maybe three times his size. It had Connor’s lingering scent on it, too. Score.
Wait. Did this mean Connor had a heart buried under all that muscle? The werebear sure had an odd way of showing affection. He got into the car, feeling less cold now as he started the engine. It made that strange rattle again, but yes, it was working.
He took the path he travelled earlier. The hair on his arms rose, and he tore his gaze from the road a fraction of a second, only to see a pair of golden eyes in the trees and an enormous shadow cast by some kind of beast.
Danny accelerated, shaking his head. He was imagining things after receiving that threatening letter days ago, that was all.
Chapter Three
In his grizzly form, Connor watched Danny speed up with narrowed eyes. That piece of junk Danny rode in sounded like it could break down any moment. He circled a few more times in the woods, tiring his bear out, before heading back to the cabin.
He spotted Mac’s jeep parked next to his truck and snarled under his
breath. Typical. Connor entered via the back door of the cabin, not bothering to shift to annoy Mac. He found his younger brother eating a bowl of cereal, beer in the other hand. Mac had always been a damn weirdo.
“You’re dripping snow all over the floor,” Mac told him as Connor shook his fur in response. Mac glared at him as he changed back to human and donned his clothes. “You asshole, what was that for?”
“For not telling me we had a tenant,” he grumbled, grabbing another beer from the fridge. “You went drinking again at the Honey Bear without me?”
“Well, I wanted to invite you, but you were nowhere in sight earlier this morning.” Mac raised his cereal bowl and drank all the milk. His brother’s gaze hadn’t left his. “This the second time you changed today?”
Shit. Of course Mac would notice. His older brother Rick didn’t give a damn about the shit that went on their lives, only Mac did. All Rick cared about was running their dad’s bar.
“What’s it to you?” he asked.
“Don’t ignore the question, Connor.”
Sensing concern, he regarded his brother. After their parents died, Connor had been the one to step up and help raise Mac, because Rick was too busy keeping the bar alive and paying the bills. He didn’t blame Rick, was grateful to his brother for handling the responsibilities of an adult, despite being a kid himself.
“Fine. I did.”
“How bad is it?”
Connor wanted to know the answer to that question, too. “Danny, the new tenant, he confuses the fuck out of my bear.”
Mac raised his brows. “In a good or bad way?”
“Can’t tell yet.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t manage to scare him off. You’re not exactly the most sociable person.”
“The human doesn’t scare easy.”
“Huh.” Mac quirked his lips to a familiar smile, one Mac wore when he was growing up and had something mischievous planned. “Maybe I’ll pay a little visit to this little human of yours.”
He snarled at that. Mac was family, pack, but his bear didn’t like another man getting close to Danny, even if that man was his own brother. Christ. What was wrong with him, acting all overprotective over a human he just met today?
Mac didn’t look the least bit intimidated. “I also noticed there’s no car outside. He went to town?”
Connor started to wish he accepted Danny’s offer about getting a bite to eat. That sounded like date material though. He ought to know, because while Mac kept all his gay romance books hidden under a loose plank in his room, Connor had snuck to Mac’s room when he was younger and flicked through some of the pages. Well, a book or two.
Asking someone out for some kind of meal was definitely a date. He didn’t do dates, couldn’t see himself in any kind of long-term committed relationship, simply because no one stuck that long enough with a monster. Still, personal time with Danny would give him a chance to question the human, get to know the reasons why Danny would choose to spend winter in the Red Mountains, of all places.
Maybe after dinner, Danny could be dessert. His bear definitely liked that idea. Bears had a sweet tooth, after all, and he bet Danny would taste—
He didn’t finish that thought, because Mac wore that smug look on his face again. Damn his brother.
“I’m heading out,” Connor said shortly.
“Sure you are,” Mac said, whistling under his breath.
Connor slammed the front door shut and fished out the keys to his truck. Damn it. He hadn’t planned on spending the rest of the night tracking Danny down, but his bear wanted to see what the little human was up to. He got into the truck and headed toward town.
* * * *
Danny lugged his groceries to the trunk of his car and made sure he had everything. Instant noodles, Pop-Tarts, bags of chips, plenty of frozen dinners, and a couple of pints of ice cream. Check. Even thinking about food made him hungry. Danny couldn’t remember the last time he was this frivolous with his calories.
Everything he’d been eating had been measured so he could look good on camera. He shook his head. Since he would be stuck here for months, he might as well enjoy himself. Danny had taken care of clothing earlier, too, although he didn’t find a lot of clothing options. Well, it didn’t matter. Danny spent so much time looking good and worrying about his reputation that all that fame began to stress him out.
It felt good, pretending to be someone else. Here, he wasn’t Danny Denver, world-famous model, just Danny Stalinksi, crazy tourist who decided to spend winter in some remote town in the mountains.
Snow hit his—well, Connor’s—jacket, so he looked up. More clusters fell on him. He had to admit, Connor’s jacket really helped ward off the cold, but he had his own now. Part of Danny had been tempted not to return it, just to see how Connor would react.
Stop it, he told himself. His momma taught him some manners. Danny got behind the wheel. This time, the engine didn’t start, simply died on him. He let out a huff of frustration. A honk brought his attention to a familiar-looking white truck that stopped in front of him. Connor rolled the window down.
“Need a ride?”
He blinked several times, wondering if this was real.
“Last chance,” Conner said.
He got out of his car. Okay, definitely the same rude and surly bear he met earlier.
“Wait, I need to get my shopping out,” he said.
He must be taking too long, because the werebear got out and helped him with the rest of his bags. They placed his frozen items in the back, making sure they remained cold. Finally, he got inside and put his seat belt on. Finally, some heat.
“You shouldn’t be driving that piece of junk. What if it broke down in the middle of the road?” Connor asked.
“I’m not entirely helpless. I’ll search for the nearest car repair shop and ask them to tow it,” he said, not mentioning the fact he left his phone in the cabin to charge. Slightly unnerved by Connor’s stare, he went on, “It’s an airport car rental. They had nothing else available. I’ll call them to pick up that car tomorrow.”
“You talk a lot,” Connor said simply before driving out of the parking lot of the supermarket.
Seriously? That was all Connor was going to say?
“I blabber when I’m nervous. You’re confusing me again. First, you’re mean, then you’re nice. What is it?”
To his surprise, Connor didn’t ignore him this time around. “You’re not the only one who’s confused. I’m not usually good at this, with people. I keep to myself for a reason.”
“What reason is that?” he dared to ask. He knew he might be pushing the envelope, but despite the strange day he had, he was still curious about this particular bear shifter.
Connor grunted. “My bear’s not normal, it’s not completely under my control.”
“Why?” He jumped when Connor’s snarled filled the tiny space.
“I’ve always been different from my brothers. My bear’s always felt like a monster inside me, always fighting me, and my parents’ deaths only made things worse.” Connor swore. “I’ve never told anyone else that.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your parents, and I’m honored you feel comfortable enough with me to share that,” he said, meaning every word.
Connor said nothing for a few moments. Okay. They were apparently moving on from that topic, but Danny wasn’t worried. Connor just lived next door, after all, and Connor’s recent actions confirmed the werebear was interested in him.
When his stomach growled, the bear shifter shot him a look. “You haven’t eaten?”
“Well, no. I don’t know a lot of good places in town, and I want to avoid crowds as much as possible. I was thinking of heating up something at home,” he explained.
“I took a peek at the stuff you bought. All junk.”
“Just like a bear,” he muttered under his breath.
“What did you say?”
“Bears poke and peek at the stuff campers bring along, right?”
“And how many bears have you observed up close?” Connor’s question threw him off-guard.
“Well, none. I remember that from a cartoon.”
Connor let out a huff. “I’ll take you to my favorite bar. They serve good steak there, too.”
His stomach let out another embarrassing rumble. Didn’t shifters have a good sense of hearing? He blushed, which was odd. Danny had been a model for three years. He wouldn’t have made it in the industry if he was shy but being around this bear made him uncertain of himself.
“I can eat some steak.” Realizing he’d drooled, he rubbed at his mouth.
Could Danny embarrass himself any further? He couldn’t remember the last time he worked this hard to impress another man, then again Connor wasn’t like most guys. His publicist and agent might have told him to lay low, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have fun, right?
Chapter Four
“Oh, this is so good,” Danny exclaimed, cutting himself another huge piece of steak and shoving into his mouth.
Connor couldn’t stop staring. Danny even made a curious little moan with every bite, like a man who’d been starved for a long time. He wondered if Danny made the same enticing sound in bed. Just like that, his dick pressed against the zipper of his jeans.
Thank God, Danny was too busy eating to notice.
“You’re not eating. If you don’t want that steak, I’ll take it,” Danny said.
Connor pushed his own plate closer to his side of the table, stabbed a fork into it, and lifted the entire piece of meat to his mouth and bit. Danny blinked. Shifting always made him hungry, and he was the kind of guy who disliked sharing his food, even with his brothers. Connor only made an exception when they were all growing up and food was scarce. Not anymore though.
The bar made them decent money. While Rick ran it, he and Mac took turns helping out. Connor made a decent bartender surprisingly, and the locals were used to his gruff silences. As long he served their beverages, they certainly had nothing to complain about.
