“No,” she replied. “It feels strange. So big. But not painful.”
“Good. How about this?” He pulled back and pushed again. She squeaked. “That all right?”
“Yes, Russell. It doesn't hurt.”
Reassured, he began to move slowly in and out of her tight passage. There was no room for harder thrusting, but for today, this gentle loving would more than suffice.
Riley lowered herself to her elbows, her cheek on the rug, eyes closed. The movement caused a ripple to caress him. Beads of sweat broke out on Russ' forehead. His canines lengthened. He had to fight to keep his fingers human enough to hold her without scratching her.
Quickly now, no time to waste, Russell thrust, groaning, daring to take Riley a little harder. Another roar was ripped from his mouth as his pleasure peaked. Hot seed spilled deep in Riley. He growled words that had never belonged to human language. Words she could never understand.
When the spasm finally faded, Russell eased out of Riley's body and laid her on her side, curling up behind her. “I'm sorry,” he said. “I lost control. You felt so good.”
“Don't be sorry,” she urged. “It was… very nice. You made me feel good also.”
“I'm glad,” he said. “You're an amazing girl, Riley. I'm so happy you're mine.”
“And I'm happy you're mine.” She rolled over in his arms. “So happy.”
They gazed into each other's eyes with expressions of mutual adoration. Russ didn't dare say all that was in his heart. Not yet. But for now it was enough to know that they were together, and that they were one.
Chapter 5
Russell opened his eyes with a start. His shoulder ached and his back felt tremendously cold. Deep darkness seemed to close in all around him. What's going on? Instantly on the alert, Russell stretched out with his other senses. He could hear nothing, and there was something disturbing about the silence. It seemed wrong. He could smell nothing out of the ordinary, though with the sweet aroma of woman and flowers bathing the entire scentscape, he couldn't quite tell. Wait, woman… flowers? Riley! Ah yes. Her comforting softness pressed against the front of his body. Beneath them, he recognized the fur rug. I'm lying on the great room floor in front of the fireplace. Being able to pinpoint his location helped Russ understand more. The scent of Riley barely concealed the lingering smokiness of a cold fireplace. The fire had gone out. So had the power, which was why the silence sounded wrong. The hiss of the heater and the hum of the refrigerator rarely registered on his senses, but their absence did.
Sagging with relief, Russell slipped away from Riley's body, flipping the edge of the rug over her to keep her warm. Working largely by touch, he placed several logs and some kindling into the fireplace. As he stirred the ashes, he found a few live coals, which glowed red as the air teased them. The faint illumination showed him where to touch a rolled up newspaper. The chilly bricks of the hearth seemed to bite at his bare skin as he breathed on the paper and the coal, and he sighed in relief as flame flared. He quickly touched it to the kindling, which caught instantly, licking upward against the larger logs.
It would be a while before the fire sufficed to warm the house, and Russell didn't feel like waiting naked in the cold. He moved the rug away from Riley and carefully lifted her. She didn't weigh nearly enough to tax his ursine strength, and he easily carried her through the dimly lit living room and into his bedroom. She stirred, making a sleepy sound that turned his heart over, and she snuggled into his chest.
He eased her under the quilt and followed her. The chill of the sheets assaulted them both and Riley rocketed upright, nearly taking out Russell's nose.
“Easy, honey,” he said in a low rumble. “I just moved us to the bed. Everything's okay.”
“Russell?” she sounded confused.
“Yes, honey. I'm right here. The power is out, but I have a fire going, and now that we're under the blankets, we should warm up soon.”
She settled back down against the pillow, drawing as close to him as she could get, her head on his shoulder, her knee on his belly.
Russell smiled. Snowed in, power out and he couldn't be happier. Content, he closed his eyes.
* * *
Russell sat up in his bed, but he knew he was dreaming. Riley sat beside him, her legs drawn up to her chest, arms wrapped around her knees. Russell extended his hand. She grasped it.
“This is interesting,” he said.
“What is?” Her whiskey dark eyes seemed to glow in the dim bedroom.
“I didn't have to invite you into my dream. You were just here.”
“Maybe it's my dream,” she suggested in that saucy way she had.
Russell snorted. “Sure, Riley. Most likely it's our dream.”
“I didn't know that was a real thing, sharing dreams,” Riley said, and he could see how puzzled she had become. “I thought all those times I dreamed about you, it was just because I had a crush…”
“One that was enthusiastically returned,” he replied. Watching the questioning frown on her forehead and lips turn to a smile delighted him. “So I'm pretty sure you were sleeping before me. What were you doing, just waiting here?”
Riley shook her head. “I was outside. The stars were… whispering to me? I don't know. It seemed like they were. And the Big Dipper… I saw it and it got bigger, brighter. It seemed to pulse and glow at me. I couldn't stop looking at it. Russell, what does it mean?”
“It means you were blessed by the Sky Bear,” Russell replied, awed. “You can't imagine how special that is. To the best of my knowledge, only the Den'a have received her favor thus far.”
“The Sky Bear? Why would she bless me, Russell?”
“I think I know.”
“Is this a shape shifter thing?” she asked, suspicious.
“Of course,” he admitted. “Have you had enough shape shifter things? We don't have to talk about everything at once.”
Riley climbed into his lap. He looped his arms around her.
“Russell, in the past day, I've crash landed in your airplane…”
“Wait a minute,” he interrupted, “that was an emergency landing, not a crash.”
“Okay, okay, Mr. Precise.” She rolled her eyes. “I 'emergency landed' in a plane with a tree in it, nearly froze to death, watched my crush turn into a bear and had sex for the first time. I think, if I'm not freaking out by now, a story isn't going to do it.”
“You're something else, Riley,” he commented. “Okay.” Her scent tickled his awareness. “You know how they say animals can smell intentions, more or less?”
“Yes,” she said, her face twisting as she tried to wrap her mind around his non sequitur.
“It's not exactly that, but kind of. Scent, body language and a few other, less easily defined traits make it possible for animals to know a person's motivations sometimes before they do.” He paused, wondering where to go next. “There are parts of me that remain a bear even when I'm in human form. Some of my senses – smell and hearing for instance. And my appetite. And there are parts of me that stay human even when I'm in bear form, such as my intellect and reasoning ability. Okay?”
“Yeah, I can see that,” she replied.
“Right. Well, part of that means I have greater than average intuition about people. From the first time we met, I knew things about you.”
“Like what?” Now Riley looked a bit concerned. He kissed her hand.
“Like how kind you are. How much you want to help your students, even when they drive you crazy. I knew you were afraid of something, and I knew you got over being afraid of me really quickly. I knew you were shy, but underneath it, also intelligent and funny. I knew those things within the first week. I knew in the first moment that you would never seek to cause harm to me or anyone else.”
“Wow.” Riley blinked. “I think you have a higher opinion of me than I do of myself.”
“I'm sure of it,” Russ replied. “It doesn't matter what he told you about your worth. You know he was crazy, so do
n't pay it any mind.”
The oblique reference to her brother elicited a shiver from deep within Riley's frame. “Let's not go there. So all this is very interesting, but I'm not sure how it applies. You knew I was an okay person and that's why we feel this attraction so strongly?”
“Yes and no,” he said. “Okay, so part of me is always bear, and part of me is always human. But there are a few things about me that are uniquely shifter. This is going to sound crazy…” Riley raised one eyebrow at him. “Okay, perhaps a bit crazier than anything to date.” The second eyebrow joined the first and her eyes widened. “A shifter is unique because we can smell our mate. I'm not sure exactly how it works, whether it's some kind of fate, biology or a combination of the two. There haven't been studies done of shifters, but it's a fact. I can say now that I've experienced it. At a guess I'd say the scent of the person whose DNA perfectly complements our own creates a flood of neurotransmitters that cause an instant and unbreakable bond.”
“So it's not love at first sight but love at first scent?” Riley quipped.
Russ nodded. “That's it exactly. At first, I wasn't sure what I was feeling. I had heard of 'scenting' one's mate before, but I thought it was a shifter myth, like the Sky Bear one I told you the other day. This one at least is apparently true. Because the first time you climbed into my plane, I knew we would be good together, and that I wanted to be with you.”
“Wow,” she breathed. “So what does that mean for us, Russell?”
Russ traced Riley's cheekbone with one fingertip. “It means I'm committed to you, to this relationship. The more time I spend with you, the better I like you. I don't see that changing anytime soon. But I realize you're human, Riley. That 'just knowing' you belong with someone because of the way they smell isn't going to work for you. You'll need time to know how we fit together, to build up trust and all. That's okay with me, as long as we can be a couple while we work through the process.”
“It's a lot to take in,” Riley said. “I feel something for you, Russell. It's strong and sweet. I'm attracted to you, have been from the first. And I enjoy spending time with you. I'm glad we're a couple, but you're right. Calling this a fated relationship for life is a bit hard to grasp. What does that mean, exactly? Is it like a marriage?”
“To a certain extent,” he replied honestly. “I'm committed to you, as I said. If we were both shifters, no further ceremony would be needed. When shifters find their mate, that's it. They're a couple for life. But like I said, I'll take this slowly.”
“You have a different definition of slowly than I do,” she said dryly. “It's November and we met in September.” Her words were undermined by the twinkle in her eyes.
“Even for a human, becoming a couple after two months isn't that unusual.”
“Maybe not agreeing to date,” she replied, suddenly serious. “But all this… talking about fate and sleeping together… that's a bit fast.”
It wasn't, he knew, but he also didn't want to argue. If it felt fast to her, it was fast. What other people did was irrelevant.
“I'll give you time, sweet girl. I won't rush you. As long as you don't run, you can have all the time you need.”
“Russell.” Her voice turned fond and her fingertips smoothed the stubble on his cheek. “I have no intention of running away from you. I don't know about fated mates, but I know this relationship is something I want. I care for you. You care for me. So far we've been great as friends. If we're rushing this a bit… that's okay. I trust you.”
The sweet words drew him down to her lips. He kissed her with lingering tenderness. She stroked his face while their mouths clung.
“It's going to be fine,” he told her. “Wait and see.”
“I will,” she agreed.
This time, she drew him back down into the kiss, curling her tongue around his. At last, he broke away, gasping. “We should sleep for real, love. Now that I've had you… I'll need you again soon.”
She giggled, a blush creeping over her cheeks. “Okay.”
He stretched out in the dream bed, mimicking their position in the real world. “Sleep, Riley. I'm here.”
She nestled into his arms and they settled into restful slumber.
Chapter 6
Being snowed in over Thanksgiving proved to be so much fun, they made it last as long as they could. Long after the power came back on, they still puttered around Russell's cabin, talking, cooking, and making love. Russ took great pleasure in tutoring Riley to enjoy sex. She proved to be an apt and eager pupil. But at last the time came for them to emerge from their pleasure haze and reconnect with real life. Sunday, Russell showed Riley his oversize garage, where a snowmobile awaited. She eyed the machine nervously.
“I take it you've never ridden before,” he suggested.
“Nope,” she replied. “And a friend of mine broke his arm on one back in high school.” Though her tone was light, her eyes lingered on the chrome and a worried frown creased the skin between her eyebrows.
Russell scooped her into his arms and kissed the crinkle until it smoothed away. “That kid was probably hot-dogging. I'll drive carefully. All you have to do is hold onto me. Can you handle that, Riley?”
She nodded, though she looked far from convinced.
“Come on, you've ridden a wild bear. How much worse can this be?”
“Well, when you put it that way…” Some of the sparkle returned to her eyes. Russell straddled the snowmobile and extended a hand. A moment later Riley's slender curves pressed against his back, her arms gripping tight around his waist.
“Safety first,” he said, handing her a helmet with a darkened visor. “Are you warm enough?”
“Not really,” she replied, “but I don't want to go back to town in your clothes. They don't fit me. We can stop by my apartment first, and I can change out of school clothes, if that's okay.”
“Sure it is, honey,” he replied. Then he revved the engine and set the snowmobile in motion. As he zipped between the towering pines, headed toward Golden, the soft speaking of nature was drowned out by the noise of the engine. He preferred walking – as man or bear – but it was too far for Riley, especially now that winter had set in.
Eventually the quiet drone of the engine seemed to lull her, and she relaxed against him, her head pressing into his back. She still has plenty of adjusting to do before she's truly at home in Alaska.
Trees opened out into a small meadow with a partially frozen stream. Two deer nibbling the bark of a pine shot their heads into the air and stared at the noisy creature that had just burst upon them. Then they turned as one and sprang into the undergrowth. Russell steered away from the deer, not wanting to alarm them more than necessary.
The snowmobile ate up the miles quickly, and before twenty minutes had passed, the town of Golden appeared on the horizon. First the landscape sprouted up isolated homes like Russell's with increasing frequency. Then outlying subdivisions crowded cheek by jowl in one or two block squares of matching new construction. At last the town proper became visible. A few taller buildings, mostly historic. Some houses. A school. A store. A church. Russell reduced speed. Eventually he skidded to a halt and helped Riley to her feet. She groaned and waddled around, rubbing her aching thighs while he chained the snowmobile to a tree. Then, pocketing the ignition key, he gathered up his girlfriend and walked her into town, arm around her waist.
Though not overly large, Golden had a bit more size than was comfortable to walk in cold weather, and Riley began to shiver in no time. Russ tried to keep her warm, but didn't succeed as well as he would have liked, and by the time they arrived at the former mansion that had been subdivided into rental units, she was stumbling.
Her fingers fumbled and slipped on the security keypad.
“What's the code,” he demanded.
She stuttered it out between chattering teeth and he quickly punched the numbers in and then dragged her through the door. Inside a blast of heat belched from radiators at the floor level of the lob
by, which had once been a formal living room, though now the wood floors looked scuffed and tired. Russ hauled Riley into his arms, warming her as best he could.
A blast of icy wind bit into him and he cursed as the door swung open. A woman with wild, curly hair stepped over the threshold and tutted.
“She's freezing,” he tried to explain, but Riley took the initiative and lifted her head.
“Not a word, Margo,” she cautioned, her teasing tone subsumed by chattering teeth. “Want me to tell people what I saw last week?”
“You're evil, Riley,” the woman replied, smoothing her mop of black hair out of her eyes. “You might as well get your story ready, because you and Russell Tadzea finally becoming a real couple… I can't hold that back.”
“Finally? We've known each other two months,” Riley protested. Her shivering had slowed and she seemed steadier on her feet.
“I think… well everyone thinks you two were made for each other. No one will be surprised you succumbed. If there was any way to confirm suspicions… I think they would have taken bets how you two spent your vacation.”
Riley's face flamed a brilliant, painful scarlet.
“I think you just confirmed the speculation, honey,” Russell pointed out as Margo burst out laughing.
“At any rate,” the woman continued. “It's cold in this hallway. I'll see you two love birds later.” She breezed out.
“What floor are you on?” Russell asked, trying to distract Riley from the fact that everyone would now know their business.
“Follow me,” she replied.
As she led the way up flight after flight of stairs, Russell regarded the ragged wallpaper and droopy, water-stained ceilings with a bit of regret. Back in its heyday this had been one of the nicest addresses in town, the home of a gold tycoon and his family. But once the grandchildren had squandered the last of the money and slouched off to Anchorage, Fairbanks and Nome in search of employment, the place had been let go. Clearly the years had not been kind to the old girl. He supposed Riley could afford better, but in this town, better was not really available at any price.
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