by Fel Fern
He didn’t want to push Danny, knowing full well this wasn’t a decision his mate could easily make, but he had to know. Otherwise, his bear would try to break the leash Connor put on it again.
* * * *
“You’re sure there’s no news about Ronald?” Danny asked Trish on the phone again.
He was in the living room, remembering the last time Connor and he had sex on the couch. Since then, they fucked in every corner of the cabin. The memory still made him blush. Even a month after Connor made him his mate, the heat between them hadn’t cooled. It was the opposite. The flames of passion between them burned only brighter as their relationship reached a newer, deeper level.
“Affirmative. His letters to you have stopped, too,” his agent said. “The police have found nothing, either. You’re in luck, Danny. Maybe you don’t need to stay another month in that hicksville town after all.”
Danny’s heart thudded at those words. Part of him had hoped Ronald would continue sending more threatening letters to the agency, to his apartment, because that meant he could stay in Red Mountains a little longer. It was selfish, but he needed more time to figure his life out, his next step.
Craig had been constantly texting him, too, worried about him, asking if Danny needed him there. Knowing Craig was busy with an important shoot, he lied and told Craig he was fine. It didn’t matter. He’d soon update his best friend about Connor.
When he said nothing, Trish continued, “Your disappearing act really riled up the press, you know? In fact, you’ve been getting more and more job offers—”
Danny listened with half an ear as she rattled off designer names and exclusive shoots he would have killed to do weeks ago. He felt like a changed person though. He became a model because it had been his mother’s dream, one she passed to him, because she never made it big.
Was this life what he truly wanted for himself? He remembered meeting one older model during a party a year ago. Collin Reeve had one hell of a career, but the entire evening, all he talked about were the people he met, the clothes he wore, the events he’d partaken in. Nothing about his personal life.
Danny could imagine himself in Collin’s shoes, a middle-aged man, spending all his money on keeping appearances, on face lifts and a life time of miserable diets. An empty and barren life.
“Danny, you still there?” Trish asked.
“Yeah,” he replied. “I’m here. Sorry, I got distracted. What were you saying?”
“When can we expect you back? Want me to get your assistant to book you a ticket? Are you eating healthy, keeping fit?”
Would Trish be appalled to know he’d tossed his diet in the trash and stopped counting calories? Danny did start to go on more nature walks with his mate. He was certainly a lot fitter than he’d ever been. Happier, too.
“Trish, I’ll call you back, okay?” he interrupted her.
“All right, but give me an answer soon.”
Trish ended the call. Danny walked to the window and saw Mac and Connor emerging from the cabin next to his, the brothers’ new project. Danny would have liked nothing better than to see all the cabins spruced up and ready for occupation when summer came around.
He even volunteered to help out if they needed an extra pair of hands. Then his smile dropped. Would he still be around when summer came? Trish wanted him back as soon as possible. A heavy weight settled on his chest. For a few moments, it hurt to breathe.
As if Connor knew he watched, his werebear turned his head, looked straight right at him. His heart hammered as Connor grinned up at him. The smile proved lethal, infectious. He smiled back. Connor strode toward the cabin and right there and then, Danny came to a decision.
He felt like a fool for taking so long to decide. Danny knew his bear would wait forever if need be, but that was no longer necessary. Some would consider it a crazy, impulsive decision to leave everything behind for a man he only met a month ago, but Connor wasn’t just anyone.
Connor was his soul mate, the man he’d been searching for his entire life.
Chapter Twelve
Danny Denver, the apple of his eye and future husband, was no longer in the city. Ronald Dawes came to that conclusion right after the tabloids and news posted about Danny’s mysterious disappearance from all the winter shows.
Ronald knew he made a mistake, not running fast enough when he paid his idol a visit all those weeks ago. He knew Danny’s schedule by heart. Danny would have been tired from that photoshoot, his guard down, and yet Danny slipped through his fingers. Hell, Danny took one look at him and ran outside.
He remembered how Danny dashed into the closing elevators doors before he could catch up. Only then did Ronald know he’d lost the man of his dreams. Danny would have called for help, for the bloody police by then. So he had no choice but to retreat. He’d been too distracted, already imagining the things he’d do to his sweet Danny once he had Danny all tied up in his basement, in the honeymoon suite he’d prepared lovingly for his gorgeous model husband.
Ronald wouldn’t make the same mistake again. That was why he sat in his car, waiting for the private investigator’s call. Ronald’s phone pinged and he looked at the number. Finally, some news.
“I’ve just sent you a photo. Can you confirm if that’s Danny Denver?” asked Tag, the PI.
He put Tag on hold and checked his messages. Ronald opened the attachment with anticipation. He told himself not to get his hopes too high. Ronald hired two other PIs, and both men sent him pictures of random guys who looked a little like Danny. Poor copies.
Recognition hit Ronald at the brown-haired man seated at what looked like a restaurant table. In the picture, the man was smiling, his eyes full of warmth. Ronald had never seen Danny look like that, so relaxed. Danny always seemed indifferent, professional on the runway or on TV interviews. Who was this man?
Aside from the dyed hair and contacts, Ronald knew Tag hit the jackpot. This was the real Danny, even if the man in the photo gained a little more weight, looked healthier. He returned to Tag and breathed.
“That’s him. Where is this?” he asked, unable to contain his excitement.
“A small town near the mountains. I’ll give you the location once you wire my payment,” Tag said.
Greedy son of a bitch, he thought, but whatever. Tag did what the other two PIs couldn’t, locate his future husband.
“Fine.” They ended the call. Ronald transferred the agreed sum, finally relieved to see the location. Red Mountains. Huh. Ronald checked his GPS, amazed Danny managed to find some remote town no one ever heard of.
Clever Danny. Ronald made one mistake, and he wouldn’t do so again. This time, he would come after his future possession prepared. Their honeymoon suite awaited, along with new locks on the basement door, as well as a thick, long chain to secure on Danny so his precious husband wouldn’t get away.
“Just wait for me, Danny baby. I’m coming for you,” Ronald muttered under his breath.
He started the car engine and made a list in his head of what he’d need to pull off a successful and efficient kidnapping.
* * * *
“So what’s really eating you?” Connor finally asked Danny that morning.
They were at the kitchen, drinking their first coffee of the day.
Of course his werebear would know something was wrong. He hadn’t told Connor about his call with Trish yesterday. They had a dinner date planned, and the last thing he wanted was to ruin the evening by telling Connor about Trish’s call.
Connor had been every bit the gentleman, too, had taken him to the newly opened Italian restaurant in town. Danny knew Connor didn’t do well with crowds but made the reservations anyway. Connor endured the crowded restaurant for him, knowing Danny wanted to go out instead of being stuck in the cabin the entire winter.
His bear could be incredibly sweet and thoughtful, too. Last night, the snow wasn’t falling too hard. They took a walk around town after dinner, and Danny fell in love with the place all over again
. Holding hands with Connor while walking past empty streets felt like he’d been transported to some quiet and magical place, like the whole world ceased to matter.
“Trish, my agent, called me yesterday,” he said. He met Connor’s steady gaze and continued, “She said the police haven’t found anything on Ronald, says its safe enough to go back.”
“What did you tell her?”
“That I’d call her back.”
“I heard you sneaking around this morning. Was that the call?” Connor’s tone was neutral, but Danny was beginning to understand the mating bond better. He sensed apprehension on Connor’s end. He wasn’t just looking at the man, but also the lethal and protective bear that lived in Connor’s skin.
Danny realized he loved both man and bear. They were one and the same. The startling revelation must have shown on his face, because Connor asked, “Why are you smiling like that?”
“Because I love you so damn much.”
Connor looked stunned. “I fucking love you, too, but this—”
Connor didn’t know how much those words meant—they were the world to him. He took Connor’s hands across the table and clasped them. “I told Trish my answer.”
“Which is?”
“That I’m only heading back to the city one more time, to get my belongings, because I’m moving here.”
Connor looked stunned, as if he didn’t quite trust his words. “Here? The Red Mountains?”
“Where else, silly bear? Am I not welcomed here?” he asked in a teasing voice.
“Fuck, baby. You sure?” Connor rose from his seat, walked over to him, and hugged him tightly from behind.
“I’m sure. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, coming up with different scenarios. I don’t want to end up that older model I told you about. I’ve been focused so much on my career, I forgot to live life. Being with you reminded me what I’ve been missing.”
He rose to his feet, leaned forward to slant his lips over Connor’s. His bear kissed him, soft and sweet this time around, strong, big hands on his waist. The kiss seemed capable of melting his insides, of making him feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
No doubts or second thoughts plagued him. Danny wasn’t surprised, because he finally understood. His place was here, in the arms of the man he loved. Danny still didn’t know what the future would bring, or what he’d do next, but he figured with his man by his side, everything would be all right.
* * * *
“Thanks for coming in, Danny. We’ll see you at the practice show next week,” said Elle Reeves, reaching out to shake Danny’s hand.
Danny gave her a firm handshake. That morning, he’d been surprised when Connor left him the classified section of the local paper, circling an ad for a potential modeling job in the larger town next to Red Mountain. Since Danny didn’t need to hide his identity any longer, he went as himself to the casting call and scored a job for the local department store.
“I’ll be there,” he told Elle.
“It’s none of my business, but what made you decide to do a small gig like this, when you’ve done runway shows all over the world?” Elle asked, tone curious.
“I decided I needed a massive change in my life. Up until today, I didn’t think I could continue doing this,” Danny admitted. Modeling for a department store was certainly different from his past experiences working with top fashion designers, less glam and pay, but the slower pace might be what he needed.
He left the casting call, feeling on top of the world. Danny had been incredibly touched Connor left that paper on the counter. Truthfully, Danny didn’t know what he’d do if he wasn’t a model. He was ready to try new things, but he decided continuing to do local modeling gigs might not be so bad after all.
Danny walked back to Connor’s truck, which Connor left for him to use after learning Danny wanted to try going for the interview. He drove back to the Red Mountains. Halfway there, his phone rang and he put Connor on speaker.
“How did it go?” Connor asked.
“I got the job,” he said, excited to share the news with his mate. He planned on calling Connor as soon as he returned to town, but his mate beat him to it.
“I knew you would,” Conner said with obvious pride.
“Really?”
Connor snorted. “I’ve seen videos of you on the walkway. This will be a piece of cake for you, baby.”
His heart raced at that term of endearment. Danny loved it when his mate called him that.
“You’ve been watching videos of me?” he asked, amused.
Connor snorted. “Well, yeah.”
Danny had to smile at that. Connor might not care about fashion but Connor certainly cared about him and his passion.
“Where are you now?” Connor asked.
“On my way back. I just passed the town welcome sign,” he explained.
“I’ll meet you back at the cabin. We’ll have little celebration tonight.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay, I’ll stop by the local grocer first. We ran out of bacon.” Danny knew Connor got grumpy when that happened.
“Don’t take too long. Mac and I are about to finish the kitchen today,” Connor said.
“See you soon.” Danny ended the call and drove to his favorite grocer.
Seeing the closed sign in front, he sighed and headed west of town to the other grocer. At a red traffic light, he glanced at his rearview mirror, frowning at the blue Volvo behind him. That car had been behind him ever since he entered town. Could it be a coincidence he and the driver were going to the same location?
Trish had assured him the letters from his stalker stopped coming. Why was he thinking about Ronald now anyway? It was just fear getting the better of him. Ronald probably lost interest in him a long time ago and he was imagining things.
At another red light, Danny picked up his phone to update Connor. His battery was only at ten percent, so he didn’t want his mate to worry. Danny sent the message just as the light turned green. The tires of the blue Volvo behind him let out a screech. The next thing Danny knew, the car crashed right behind him, throwing him forward.
“What the hell?” he whispered, craning his neck. Did some kind of accident happen?
The seat belt saved him, but through the mirror, he spotted the Volvo backing away, only to drive forward again. That had to be intentional. Fear gripped him as he caught sight of the shadowy form of the driver. Then it really hit him. The crazy bastard was coming for him again.
He panicked but realized he couldn’t remain there like a sitting duck. Danny slammed the accelerator only for Connor’s truck and the Volvo to collide. This time his seat belt wasn’t enough. His skull slammed against the wheel so hard, his head spun. Before he could recover his senses, the Volvo rammed into him again. He must have blacked out for a few seconds. Head swimming in pain, Danny became vaguely aware of the driver’s door being opened. Bloodshot eyes met his, and he recognized that disarming yellow smile from his nightmares.
Danny opened his mouth to scream, but a thick, meaty arm wrapped around his throat and an oily voice said to his hear, “I’m here, Danny love. I got to admit, you led me on a merry chase. Finally, I’ve got you, and this time I’m not letting you go.”
Danny didn’t know what he was doing. His head hurt and his entire body ached, but he managed to send one call for help through the mate mark connecting him to Connor. Then Danny blacked out.
Chapter Thirteen
Connor had pried the last of the old moldy kitchen tiles when white-hot fear stabbed through him. Not his own, he realized a second later, but from Danny. He let out a snarl. His bear surged through his skin, wanting out, but he wouldn’t be any help to his mate if his let his animal take over.
“Connor, what happened?” Mac asked, stopping work from his side of the kitchen to look at him. His brother probably sensed his rattled bear.
Connor had difficulty forming logical thoughts. He couldn’t think past the rage, the
confusion, until he took deep breaths.
“Danny.” It was the only word he could manage.
Not liking the confined space, Connor stalked out of the cabin. With the winter wind blasting at his face, he could think clearer. Danny mentioned that he was in the clear, that his stalker lost interest in him, but what if that wasn’t true?
It was a possible a tenacious stalker could trace his mate all the way to his new home. A snarl rumbled out of his throat. Connor might be wrong about the entire situation, but he always trusted the gut instincts of his bear. He was about to get into his truck, then remembered Danny loaned it for the job interview.
“Connor, we’ll take my truck,” Mac said, already in the driver’s seat.
Connor grunted and joined his brother.
“Where to?” Mac asked.
Connor forced himself to think. He took his phone from the pocket of his jeans, hoping Danny’s previous text messages would give him a clue.
“Southwind Foods,” he said, referring to the grocer at the other side of town.
Mac drove for the main town center, his nerves still frayed.
“Can you keep the growling noises to a minimum? You’re going to rile up my bear, too,” his brother pointed out.
Mac had stepped up, probably came along because he feared Connor would snap on his own. Connor appreciated the support, but he wasn’t exactly the best company right now, not when Danny’s life was at stake.
“I’ll try,” was all he said.
“Tell me, what kind of trouble do you think Danny is in?” Mac asked.
“Do you care?” Connor felt like a jerk for saying those words. He tended to lash out when hurt or angry.
