by Kim Fox
“What’s it like living in the woods?” she asked, just wanting to hear his deep voice again. “I couldn’t imagine that.”
He scrunched up his face. “What’s it like living in the city?” he fired back. “I couldn’t imagine that. It must be horrible.”
“I like it,” she said with a shrug. She looked around at the tall trees shining in the bright sun. “It’s not like this, but it’s okay.” She told him about her job and her apartment, leaving out the insane price of her rent. He listened attentively as she explained her role at the newspaper and all of the major stories that she had written over the years.
“You like doing that?” he asked.
Normally her immediate answer would be ‘yes, absolutely,’ but for some reason, she felt like she could be honest with him. There didn’t seem to be any judgment in his eyes.
“You know, not really. The competition is exhausting. Everyone is trying to get my position and I’m constantly having to fight for stories, politic in the office and the city is so busy that sometimes it feels like a nightmare.” It felt good to get it off her chest. She hadn’t told anybody how she really felt. She didn’t want to appear weak in anyone’s eyes.
Alexander just listened.
“I’d like to write books instead,” she said. “I’ve had this dream since I was a kid of just living in a quiet place and writing romance books all day, then taking a hike after dinner. Something simple like that.”
Alexander smiled. “You should.”
It was so simple, two little words, but it made her eyes open. Yeah, she should. Why was she living a life that she didn’t want? Seeing how happy her sister Ava was and where she was living was starting to open her eyes. She saw something similar for herself too.
Elena had always been chasing the biggest stories, the highest positions and she forgot to try to enjoy her life. She had traded her happiness for success but that success had felt so empty without the happiness necessary to enjoy it.
Even now she was plotting and scheming on how to turn this moment into a bestselling book instead of just enjoying it. The sun was warming her shoulders, the water was cooling off her toes, the birds were singing for her, and there was the sexiest man that she’d seen in a long time half naked in front of her.
Just enjoy the moment for once.
Elena released the rock and grabbed onto Alexander’s thick forearm. She floated up as the current gently tried to pull her away. He could be her rock for now.
“Am I going to get to see your bear again?” she asked with a grin. “That was so cool.”
He smiled. “Maybe later. We have to cook that fish first.”
His polar bear was enormous. Much bigger than the small polar bears that she had seen at the zoo. “Would he hurt me?” she asked. He was a bear after all.
“Never,” Alexander answered with a fierceness in his voice. “He’d die to protect you.”
Elena felt heat rush up to her cheeks as she smiled shyly. “I’ve never had a bear shifter warrior to kill and die for me.”
His face remained serious. “You do now.” There was no hint of joking or sarcasm. He really is willing to die or kill for me. How sexy is that?
They hung out for a bit until her stomach started grumbling again. She laughed with embarrassment. “I guess you’re not the only one with a hungry creature living inside you.”
He began walking backward towards the shore, pulling her through the water as she held onto his forearm. “Let’s get you fed.”
She watched him as she glided through the river. She was officially intrigued. There seemed to be more to him than she first realized.
She wondered what else she was about to discover.
five
Alexander moaned as he took a long sniff of the trout roasting over the fire. It smelled incredible. He flipped it over on the wire grill that he had made, while his mate watched. She walked up behind him and leaned over his shoulder. Her warm breath tickled his neck, making his cock start to harden.
She smiled at him as he glanced over his shoulder at her. Her wet hair was pulled back and all of her makeup was washed off. She looked even more beautiful than before if that was possible. Alexander always loved the natural look of a woman’s beauty without all of that fake paint to cover it up.
He could still picture her perfectly standing in the river in her wet bra and panties. The sight would keep him going for years to come. He could barely see the dark outline of her hard nipples in her wet bra but it had been enough to make him rock hard in his shorts.
“It smells good,” she said, watching him as he checked if the fish was fully cooked. The trout flaked apart easily. Perfect.
They sat down on a large log that Alexander had brought over when he first started hanging out at the cabin. It was where he ate most of his meals.
“Thanks,” she said with a smile as he handed her a plate with the fish on it. He had added some spices that he kept lying around inside the cabin. He was a nervous wreck, hoping that she would like it. Khan and Julius were the chefs of the household. Alexander could only cook basic meals but he desperately wanted to impress her.
“It’s good,” she said, smiling genuinely as she tasted it. He took a breath of relief as she dug in, devouring the fish.
He was too nervous to eat. His stomach was in knots. It was going far better than he had hoped but there were still a bunch of things causing him stress. First, was what his brothers were going to do when they finally caught up with them. They’d probably drag Elena back to the main house and try to keep him away from her for the rest of the week.
The second was the military. He had agreed to go off to work in the Special Shifter Forces at the end of the week. He was going to be shipped off to Afghanistan and then God-knows-where after. He had volunteered to go in place of Khan but that was before he had bonded to Elena. Now the thought of leaving her was making him sick.
He watched her shiny lips as she ate. She was incredible. He loved a girl with a big hearty appetite. A soft curvy girl who could challenge him at the dinner table.
“Where did you get all of those scars?” she asked, looking at him with curiosity in her beautiful blue eyes.
Alexander didn’t like to talk about his time in service, about the death and the war-zones but he felt like he could trust his mate. He could tell her anything.
“I was at war,” he said. “For about four years.”
“Really?” she asked, lowering her plate. “Where?”
“Everywhere,” he answered. “When one hot-zone cooled down we would be shipped to another. They just kept throwing us into the worst places and letting us either drown or swim to the top. My brothers and I always came out on top.”
“Did they know you were shifters?” she asked, leaning towards him.
“That’s why they took us and forced us in,” he said. He explained about General Samson and how he forced shifters to fight in his special unit. He threatened their families’ lives if they refused.
“That’s horrible,” she said, sounding outraged. “Someone has to stop him.”
He watched her in admiration as her skin flushed an angry red. Her eyes hardened and her nostrils started to flare. My mate has some bite. Alexander hoped that he was never on the receiving end of it.
“How can they do that?” she asked with a tight expression.
Alexander shrugged. “They can.”
“I’m sorry that happened to you,” she said, reaching out and touching his arm.
Alexander’s heartbeat thundered in response to her touch. His lips parted and he turned towards her. His body craved more. He wanted her hands all over him.
His bear felt the same. He purred from within.
“Sorry,” she said, pulling away with a flustered look on her face.
“No, it’s okay,” he whispered but the moment was gone. He reached over and tossed another log on the fire. Little sparks escaped upwards, flying into the sky.
Time flew by as they talke
d some more. She told him about her youth, growing up in Seattle with Ava and her parents. It was a pretty basic childhood with a nice family upbringing.
“What was it like growing up with three brothers?” she asked.
“It was interesting,” he answered. He told her about his war crazy dad and all of the stuff that he made them go through. “He made us dress up in civil war uniforms and act out famous battles. He was nuts. In a good way, though.”
Alexander smiled at the memory. Julius would always make fun of Alexander’s tight pants but Alexander would always have the last laugh. He would usually end up pounding Julius into the ground. The reenactments always got ‘real’ real fast.
“You four must really get along if you’re still living together?” she said, placing her finished plate on the log beside her.
Alexander glanced at the shack and sighed. He wished they did. But the truth was he hadn’t gotten along with any of them for at least five years.
His bear had been ruthless in his pining for a mate and it had really twisted Alexander’s personality and mood to the point where he struggled to be around anyone, even his brothers. He had been rude and mean to them, judgmental and sour. His constant struggle with his polar bear had just been too hard and he didn’t know how to cope with it. Now that his bear was finally happy with a mate, he finally saw the error of his ways. He saw the hurt and harm that he was causing his brothers.
He lowered his head and sighed. He was done with that. Officially. It was time to regain their trust and love. It was time to be a Vega brother again.
He glanced up at his kidnapped guest and gulped.
If they ever spoke to him again.
Elena raised her feet onto the rock that Alexander placed in front of her. “Thank you,” she said as the hot fire warmed up her cold toes.
It was already dark, the sun had long ago dropped, and the brilliant stars were lighting up the night sky. She was actually having a nice time with Alexander. He was open and honest, and very intriguing. She had met a lot of interesting people in her life as a reporter: celebrities, politicians, billionaires, and even a serial killer, but Alexander was by the far the most interesting. It was incredible what he had gone through during his time at war. He had been telling her the most horrifying stories and she was listening with interest.
She hadn’t even noticed the sun going down. She only noticed when she looked away from him for a second and the forest around her had turned black. It had been way too long since she had sat talking with a man like this all night. It was nice.
Alexander tossed another log on the fire and the flames began eating away at it. “I wish I had a glass of wine or something to offer you,” he said.
Elena looked at the tiny shack that was starting to grow on her. “I’m guessing you don’t get a lot of visitors out here.”
He shook his head. “Nope. My brothers don’t even know about it.”
“They seem like really good guys,” she said.
“They are. I’m the one who’s not.”
“You have a rough exterior but I can tell you’re all squishy inside.”
He chuckled. “Thanks. They’re not going to see that when they come and find you, though.”
She tucked her hands under her legs. “You leave them to me.”
Elena watched Alexander as he stared at the fire. The orange glow of the campfire was reflected on his face, the shadows dancing and flickering on his strong chin and down the length of his nose. She couldn’t stop picturing him naked, trying to remember every detail of his body. She bit her bottom lip and swallowed, thinking about how it would feel to have him pressed between her legs, to feel his strong hips driving into her.
Although she wasn’t convinced that it was a particularly good idea. He seemed to be a bit obsessive and possessive. If she slept with him he might take it to the next level and she shuddered at what that level might be.
“I can take you back to the house,” he whispered as if reading her thoughts.
Elena felt a sadness at having the night almost come to an end. She was enjoying herself and wanted to stay. Alexander had a warm, calming presence to him that she enjoyed. He was the incredibly strong, silent type, which she was always attracted too. Add in a few personality challenges and she was interested.
“That’s okay,” she whispered back. “I can spend the night here.” For the book. Not because you want to spend the night with a sexy bear shifter. “If you don’t mind.”
He shook his head vigorously and she let out a laugh.
Normally Elena would be terrified to spend the night in the dark woods but she felt so safe with Alexander beside her. Nothing could hurt her with him by her side.
They spent another hour or so chatting until she struggled to keep her eyes open. It had been a long day for her, traveling from New York to Montana. She had arrived at the airport before the sun rose and she was starting to feel it now.
“Come,” he said, standing up and offering his hand. “I’ll bring you to bed.”
Are you going to tuck me in?
She slid her hand into his and followed him to the cabin. “I’ll sleep outside,” he said. “Call me if you need anything.”
Her hand lingered in his as she looked up at him with soft eyes. It was the perfect moment to kiss and she was drawn to his lips in an intense way. She wanted to feel the power behind them, she wanted to feel his strong arms on her body and his muscular legs between hers.
“Okay,” she said, pulling her hand back, taking the moment away with it. “Good night.”
She stepped into the dark, chilly cabin and laid down on the squeaky mattress. It wasn’t the most comfortable bed ever but she couldn’t complain; Alexander was sleeping in the dirt.
She kept picturing him outside, lying on the ground with bugs crawling all over him and she felt bad. Yes, he had done a reckless, impulsive thing to kidnap her and bring her here, but he had offered numerous times to bring her home and she refused. He didn’t deserve to sleep on the forest floor by himself. Even from inside the cabin she could feel the pull to him or coming from him, she couldn’t tell which direction it was coming from. Maybe he was telling the truth when he was talking about the bond between mates. Could she be a bear shifter’s mate? Why not? Ava was Julius’ mate and they both had similar DNA to their siblings. It could happen.
A lone wolf howled somewhere in the distance and that was enough to make her sit up. “Alexander,” she called out, feeling a cold chill flow through her.
He was in the cabin at once. “Are you alright?”
“There’s enough room on the bed,” she said, reaching out and taking his hand. She pulled him onto the bed and wrapped his arm around her like a big, strong, comforting blanket. He spooned her as she faced the wall with a smile on her face.
His warm breath was tickling the back of her neck while his strong body warmed her with its heat. The bed felt much better with him in it.
His bear purred, making his chest vibrate against her back. “Good night, bear,” she whispered. “And good night, Alexander.”
“Good night, my mate,” he whispered back as he held her close.
She smiled as she fell asleep, dreaming of him all throughout the night.
six
“Oh shit!” Alexander whispered under his breath. He could hear them a mile away, calling her name: Elena.
It was only a matter of time until his three brothers caught up to them. He had been careful not to touch anything or let Elena touch anything on the way up here to help hide their scents but he did have bear shifter brothers and they were bound to use their noses to find her eventually.
He had been surprised that it had taken them so long. Having mates was making them soft. If he had been in their place, Alexander would have tracked down the guilty party in under an hour.
“Elena!” he heard someone call out. It was Julius. He would be the most pissed. They always had the most issues and it was his sister-in-law after all. It was his guest. Ju
lius was likely to never speak to him again. All three of his brothers might never talk to him again for what he’d done. It might be the last straw that broke the shifter’s back.
Elena was still sleeping in his arms. The voices were still too far away to register in her human ears.
Last night had been the best night of his life. He talked with his mate until the moon was at its highest point and then he spent the whole night with her sleeping in his arms. He bit his tongue every time that he was about to fall asleep. He didn’t want to miss one second of it.
She looked so peaceful lying on his bed with her eyes closed. She took long, soft breaths, making her beautiful breasts rise up and down.
Alexander would be holding on to her until she woke up or until her brothers were kicking down the door, and yanking him off her. He was cherishing every second of it.
She would be going back home in a few days and he would be sent back overseas to fight in the government’s war. It would be possible, even likely, that they never saw each other again. He had to take whatever he could get before he returned to a life with a pissed off bear who wouldn’t understand why Alexander was separating him from his mate.
“There’s a cabin,” Julius called out.
Oh crap. It was almost over.
Elena had heard his voice and she opened her eyes. “Good morning,” she said with a smile as she saw Alexander. Her eyes were half closed and groggy. She looked phenomenal. Alexander studied her every movement as she stretched out on the bed.
“What’s for breakfast?” she asked as she curled her toes in a long stretch. “Squirrel?”
Alexander’s chest tightened as he heard footsteps approaching.
“Elena?” Julius called out from beside the campfire.
She jumped up into a seated position as her head darted to the open door. “Who is that?” she whispered.
Alexander sighed. “Your brother-in-law.”
“Elena!” Julius said, popping his blond head into the cabin. He took a breath of relief when he saw her but then gritted his teeth with his nostrils flaring when he turned to Alexander. He stormed into the cabin with his fists ready at his sides and the thick vein on his neck popping out. “You fucking cra-”
