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Fated and Furr-oscious

Kelly Collins

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 1

The deed to the cabin cut into Fawn’s hand as she pressed it against the steering wheel. Fog as thick as honey blanketed the road ahead. The last thing she wanted was to end up dead in a crumpled late model four-wheel drive. It would be bad enough to die in a car accident in a strange place, but to die in a gas-guzzling tank of a vehicle was unthinkable.

Taking her mom’s car was the only concession she made. She’d spent a week arguing with her mom on the merits of self-discovery and living green. Mom had spent the week warning her against claiming the property. “It’s a different place,” she said. “The people in Grayslake aren’t like us.” She begged and pleaded, but in the end, Fawn did what she always did. She did what she wanted.

In the rearview mirror, the last glimpse of sunshine flashed before a wall of black clouds snuffed out its flame. The trip to Grayslake was different than she had imagined. Visions of sunshine and flowers paraded through her thoughts. In her fantasy, eagles swooped overhead like welcoming sentinels. Bunnies and ground squirrels dotted the landscape, entertaining her with their silly animal antics.

Pa-pling. Pa-pling. Pa-pling. Boom. The sky opened, and sheets of rain poured down. By the sound of the thunder, the Gods were angry. She took one last look at the deed. Fawn Blackly was scribbled across the top of the page. Seventy-six Grays Lane would be her home. She had no expectations—no preconceived notions. Just a hope and a dream to figure out the parts about her that had always been missing.

A flash of lightening nearly blinded her. Something large ran from the woods. Why do things happen in slow motion in your head, and in fast forward in your life? Reflex action had her slamming on the breaks, turning the steering wheel, and missing the big brown bear that stood in the center of the road. Her heart stopped at the same time the car did. They were at a stand still—a stare down.

With a slow and steady hand, she reached behind the seat to grab her camera. Wasn’t this what she was after? No more Vegas weddings or stripper parties to photograph. She wanted to experience something real. She’d dreamed of having a national geographic moment but never thought it would happen on a country road in Georgia.

Through the rain dotted window, she focused the lens on the majestic creature and snapped several pictures of the enormous brown bear. Call her crazy, but she would have sworn he posed for her. Then, he shook his head and lumbered into the forest.

With her heart beating a thousand miles a minute, she scrolled through the pictures she just shot. He was amazing. He was massive in stature, and yet so fluid and graceful.

On the side of the road, she watched the woods where he disappeared and willed him to return. When her heart reached a near normal rate, she shifted the SUV into drive and pressed forward. It had been a long journey from Las Vegas. Three ten-hour days had taken its toll, and she was ready to claim her future.

The town of Grayslake came into view. She pulled into the parking lot of Miller Grocery and waited for a lull in the rain. A joke her mom used to tell her when she was little replayed in her mind. “What do you call a wet bear?” She’d shake her head and begin to laugh because her Mom said the same joke every time it rained. “A drizzly bear.” Mom would bust out laughing at her own bad joke. Fawn never thought the joke was particularly funny. Mom’s laugh was the reason for her own. She laughed so infrequently; it was a sight to behold and embrace.

With no relief from the rain in sight, she grabbed her bag and made a run for it. To say she was drenched before she hit the door was an understatement. Her T-shirt stuck to her skin like tissue to glue.

When she pushed through the door, the bell above announced her presence. A young man bounced up from behind the counter. “Can I help you?”

“Just picking up a few supplies. Can you tell me anything about the old Blackly cabin on Grays Lane?”

The young man jumped over the counter and handed Fawn a basket. “You mean Brody’s place?” He looked her up and down.

Fawn’s nipples were pressing forward like headlights on a dark road. No missing those suckers. She should have been embarrassed, but she was too wet and too tired to care. She pulled her shirt away from her skin and let it fall loosely down her front, camouflaging the fact that she was also too cold.

“I don’t know what they call it now, but that’s where I’m headed. Do you know if there’s electricity? Running water?”

“We may be a small town, but we have all the bells and whistles.” He rolled his eyes and leaned against the counter. “Are you visiting?”

She started down the aisles throwing supplies into her basket. Matches. Water. Cheese. Yes, cheese was a staple in her life. She got to the fish section and lost her breath. There were big cities that didn’t have a selection this comprehensive. Right then, she knew she was going to love Grayslake.

“Oh my God, how do you have so many different kinds of fish?” She pressed her nose against the glass and peered at the variety like a kid looking through a candy shop window.

“We cater to our population. Fish is a staple.”

“Heaven—I’m in heaven,” She sang out and leaned down to look at the offerings. Being pescatarian was never a choice for her, it was just who she was. The only land animal products she could consume without tummy trouble were animal byproducts like cheese and milk.

“We don’t get a lot of strangers coming through town. What’s your name?”

“I’m Fawn Blackly, and I’m no longer a stranger. I’ll be living in the Brody cabin.”

The poor boys brows lifted to his hairline. “You can’t live there, it’s not safe.”

“Who are you?” Fawn never liked the word can’t. It felt foreign to her way of thinking. Can’t simply meant short-sighted.

“I’m Rick, the owner’s grandson.” He tripped over his feet and hurried toward the door. “Ring the bell on the counter and Emily will help you,” he called over his shoulder just before he exited the store like a bullet freshly discharged from its pistol.

She’d never understand teens. At twenty-seven, she felt a million years away from being anything but an adult. Was she ever that young and carefree? She exhaled the disappointment of a tragic past. Her fingertips traced over the raised scars that had destroyed her parent’s marriage. A silly fall under her dad’s watch and everything changed. She’d spent years trying to understand but always came up short.

“What can I get you?” The young girl behind the counter pulled a piece of butcher paper from the box and placed it on the scale. “Salmon’s really fresh. So is the trout. It was brought in just before the storm broke loose. Mr. Byron catches the best trout.” She had a dreamy look in her eyes as she mentioned the man. Fawn would have to meet this, Mr. Byron. If he could turn a girl’s insides out, she was game for an introduction.

The storm raged outside. The lights flickered on and off in the store. She hurried through the aisles to get whatever else she could throw in before the power failed. A bag of ice and a foam cooler were her last grabs before the lights fizzled and died a quick death. Thankfully, Emily had already tallied her totals.

She packed the cooler full and tossed in another bag of ice for free. “You better get to wherever you’re going. This storm is supposed to rage for days, and the roads are already getting impassable.”

Fawn paid her bill, hefted the cooler into her arms and inched toward the door. Sheets of rain created small rivers, which created bigger rivers, which in turn created small lakes in the intersection. It was now or never. She kicked open the door and ran in ankle-deep water to her car. She preferred her showers to be one hundred and five degrees, inside, with a warm fluffy towel waiting for her. This was awful.

One more look at the map and she was on the last leg of her journey. After the first right, she took the second left and then drove three miles along the lakefront. She hated this SUV, but when it floated across water two to three feet deep, she wanted to give her mother a great big hug. Mom knew something about Grayslake that she didn’t, and now she wished she’d demanded more answers.

In the distance, a cabin came into view. It wasn’t the abandoned rough-hewn log enclosure she had expected. Smoke rose from the chimney. Flower boxes full of trailing ivy and purple forget-me-nots hung below the windows. Someone was living in her house.

She threw the car in park, muscled the door open, and marched to the door. Her frosted knuckles ached when she rapped on the wood. In her left hand, she gripped the deed, proof that whoever was in her cabin was a trespasser.

She pulled the key that had come with the deed from her pocket and slid it into the lock. Nothing happened. She twisted and turned but nothing budged.

She pounded on the door insistently. This was her house, and she wanted inside. Wet and cold, with fingers that had pruned an hour ago, she was miserable. “Let me in,” she screamed. Lifting on her tiptoes, she peeked into the window and saw the crackling of flames behind the metal screen of a fireplace. Overstuffed furniture with warm wooden accents decorated the space. It was such a cozy scene, and here she was an outsider looking in. She’d felt that way all her life.

“Who the hell are you?”

The sound of his roar had her stumbling off the porch, and down onto her knees in the mud.

“Who the hell are you?” She struggled to stand in the slippery mess, but gave up when she fell to the muck one more time. Her eyes followed his wet feet all the way up his naked body. He stood before her, a predator wrapped in attitude and nothing else. Water dripped from his chiseled muscles. He was a God, who had emerged from the lake. Like Triton from the sea, he shielded his weapon, but his large hand couldn’t sheath the sword between his legs.

Chapter 2

With his stiff dick in his hand, Brody took her in. All of her. Her hair lay plastered to her head covered in mud. He couldn’t tell if it was brown or black, only that it was long, but not long enough to cover her rock hard nipples.

Nothing was left to the imagination with her Grateful Dead T-shirt plastered to her body. She only became more revealing as the rain poured down soaking her to the skin. Soft looking, pink skin. She was a fucking skin. He didn’t do skins; they only created havoc and heartache. They couldn’t handle the thrust and power he got from his animal side. When instinct kicked in, he couldn’t control what happened. Humans were weak and undependable. He didn’t do weak. He did hard—fast—and often.

Rock hard and ready, he had to remind his bear that she was a trespasser. She wasn’t here for their pleasure. Something told him that she was pain. A pain in the ass was more like it. She’d nearly hit him less than thirty minutes ago. What was a stranger doing on clan land during the worst storm of the year?

“You lost?” He unfisted his cock and set it free. Offering her his hand to help her stand, she shook her head and scrambled to her feet on her own.

Her big eyes took him in and rose at a snail’s pace to meet his. She glanced down at the rod between his legs, then back up again. “No, I’m not lost. This is my cabin.” She looked at her empty hands and frantically searched the ground for something. She turned to the porch and swept up a wet piece of paper stuck to the smooth wooden planks. With care, she held it by the corners and hung it in front of his face.

Property deed was written in bold letters across the page. Then it gave the address and the name Fawn Blackly. There was no way it was her.

“So, it says Fawn Blackly. Who cares?”

She pulled the page down, and stared at him defiantly. “ I care because I’m Fawn Blackly, and you’re living in my cabin.”

He laughed until he roared. “Your cabin? I’ve been living here for fifteen years.”

“And who are you?”

“I’m Brody Byron and this cabin is mine.”

“Well, Brody Byron, you’ll be living somewhere else from now on.” She turned around and began marching toward the front door.

“Like hell I will. I took a crumbling, piece of shit, one room abandoned shanty, and I turned it into paradise. I’m not going anywhere.” He was big, but he was quick. His body blocked the door before she could enter. Anger was beginning to build. Brody’s skin was heating. His scalp prickled with energy just like it did before every shift. That’s when things got dangerous. He’d never tried to control his bear. He was allowed to come out whenever he pleased. That’s why Brody chose to live in a remote cabin, away from everyone. It protected them, and him.

“I legally own this property. It belonged to my father. He died and left it to me. I’m here to claim it.”

“Bullshit, no one has been here for twenty-five years. The guy who owned it took off and was never heard from again.”

“Yep, that would have been my father, Lincoln Blackly.”

Brody knew that name. He knew this girl. “Oh, shit.” He reached above the door and grabbed the hidden key. “Stay here.” Before she could argue, he entered the house and bolted the door closed.

“You asshole. Let me into my house!” She banged on the door while he paced the living room floor.

There was no way he was moving out of this house. It was his. They’d left without a word. Without a goodbye. He’d spend years waiting for them, waiting for her. Now it was too late. Anger ripped through him. Fur covered his skin. Black nails poked from his fingertips. He bolted for the back door. She couldn’t see him shift. If she did, he’d have to kill her, and he knew he couldn’t. Outsiders weren’t allowed, and as far as he was concerned, she was an outsider. She’d been gone for twenty-five years, three months and four days. She may be Lincoln Blackly’s half-skin daughter, but he had no idea how much she knew about her past. Brody made it out the back door before he completed his shift. A good run in the forest would clear his head.

When he rounded the corner she was sitting on the porch, chin resting on her knees. Her wet blue jeans hugged her wide hips. Hips made for fucking. He shook his head and roared. Her eyes bugged wide, and she took off toward her car like a rabbit being chased by a hyena. Fawn, he remembered her. He had loved her even when he was a boy. But now, things were different. She’d leave. He’d win.

An hour later she was still in her car. Brody tried to ignore her, but he couldn’t. Damn sensitive hearing. He could no longer listen to her shiver in the cold. Her teeth chattered relentlessly. He could almost feel the tension in her jaw.

It wasn’t in his nature to be cruel. He was fierce. He was stubborn. He wasn’t without heart or compassion. After throwing on a pair of jeans, he moved silently through the fog and opened her door.

She jumped across the seat. “You scared the shit out of me.” She rubbed the top of her mud-crusted hair. Blue eyes rolled over his body from his shoulders to his jean clad legs. His bear begged to be released, but he held him tight.

“Come on before you freeze to death.” She wasn’t going anywhere tonight. He’d run passed the only access road to get here, and it was completely washed out.

“There’s a bear out there.” She craned her neck to see around him and scanned the woods in the distance. “It growled at me, and then took off into the forest.”

“It’s gone.”

“How do you know? It could be sizing you up right now. You could be dinner. I could be dessert.”

“It’s not that bear you have to worry about.” Brody pictured her clean and naked before him. He tamped down the feral animal inside that wanted her. “Dessert sounds good though.” Tired of being wet. He helped her exit the car. She packed light. A small suitcase, some camera equipment, and a foam cooler were the only things she had.

She crept behind him, hiding in his shadow, ever watchful for the bear to come out of the woods. Little did she know, she was entering his cave.

Soup bubbled on the stove. Long overdone, it resembled fish stew rather than Cioppino. There was no doubt the halibut had lost its delicate taste, and the shellfish meat had turned to pearls.

He set her stuff down and watched her huddle against the door. Her trembling blue lips stood in deep contrast to her now pale white skin. He thought about kissing them until they heated to a fiery red but knew that wouldn’t be a wise move. She didn’t remember him.

She made her way to the fireplace that had burned down to a few hot coals.

“Let me put a log on for you.” He reached around her and stoked the hot embers. It didn’t take long for the new log to catch flame. She shivered while chunks of dried mud fell to the floor. “You’re making a mess of my cabin.”

“I’m making a mess of my cabin, and I’ll clean it up once I defrost.”

She shuddered again, and guilt replaced his anger. “You need to shower. It’s the only way to get warm.” He wrapped his hand around her wrist and led her to the bathroom. “Get undressed.” Brody’s words were sharper than intended. What did he know about having company? He’d never had anyone over but Eli, who dropped off the honey for his honey mead.

“I’m not undressing in front of you.” She folded her hands across her chest.

The taps squeaked when he turned them full on. Upgraded plumbing was on the list of things to do. “Fawn?” He let his eyes skim her body. A heated blush rose to her cheeks. “I’ve seen just about everything you have to offer.” He pulled a towel from the cabinet and set it on the counter. “Get in the shower and get warm. Of course, there are other ways I could warm you. Interested?” Brody knew she’d move like lightning from a cloud the minute he offered to help. She pushed him from the room. The bolt locked in place and he laughed all the way back to the living room.

Keen hearing could be a curse. Every piece of clothing that hit the floor was like a stroke to his cock. He knew the exact minute she was naked. The exact second her bare skin hit the water. Brody listened to it flow over her body. She was big breasted and wide hipped, but that’s all he knew. The rest he had to imagine because he’d never find out for real. His animal wanted her bad, but the human side of him knew it would never work out. She’d disappeared from his life once. He decided then that he wasn’t the fated to be mated type. Sure, it happened for some, but he liked to spread himself around. Hard. Fast. Often. A motto he’d lived by for years.

When she emerged from the bathroom, she was wrapped in a towel. “Turn around.” She swirled her finger in the air and made a fast, straight line to her suitcase. In seconds, she was running back to the bathroom with fresh clothes clasped to her breast.

Several minutes later she was in the kitchen. Her lush body criminally covered by baggy jeans and a sweatshirt. Back off bear. Brody silently admonished the beast living inside him.

“What are you making?” She inched toward the stovetop and peeked into the bubbling pot. “Smells good.”

“It would have been good had you not come by and destroyed the afternoon.” He pulled the pot from the stove and put it on the trivet in the center of the table. “It was supposed to be soup, but now it’s something else. I think it’s still edible if you’re hungry.”

Once the bowls were on the table, she grabbed the ladle and filled his bowl. “What’s in it?” She turned the ladle over and let the ingredients slowly drain out. Her eyes squinted as if trying to take in everything that plopped back into the pot.

“Now’s not the time to be picky. Eat it or not. I don’t care.” He placed a spoonful into his mouth, pleased that the flavor was still there.

“I’m not being picky. I don’t eat meat. It makes me sick. I’m a pescatarian. A fish eater.” She hung her head like she was ashamed.

“Me too. Wow, imagine that. When you pack up and leave, we can at least say we shared a meal and a love of fish.”

Her face flamed red. “I’m not leaving. You are.” Her eyes roamed the cabin. “Who do we need to call to get this settled? County clerk? The law?” She ladled her bowl full and dug in.

“I’m calling Ty, he’s the sheriff and my It—I mean he’s in charge of the town.” Brody almost called him the Itan, which he was, but an outsider wouldn’t understand Itans and clans. No, the less said, the better.

She spooned the soup into her mouth like she’d been starved. Pride expanded his chest at having provided for her. Where in the hell did that come from? He needed to get this settled and get her on her way before she turned his life upside down. Again.

He tapped in Ty’s number and waited. His Itan answered on the third ring. “Hey, Brody. What’s wrong?”

“Why does something have to be wrong?”

“You don’t call … ever. What’s wrong? Is it the storm?”

“It’s a storm all right, but not the one you mean. A different kind of storm blew into my house this afternoon. She says her name is Fawn Blackly, and she has a deed to this cabin.”

Ty laughed hard. Brody could almost feel the rumble of his chest through the phone. “Fawn Blackly is back. What does she know?”

“This isn’t fucking funny. I have rights to this cabin. Squatter’s rights. Fifteen fucking years of hard labor and love went into this place.”

“I can’t argue with that, but what does she know. Does she remember anything?”

He watched her nearly lick the bowl clean. She didn’t appear to know anything. If she were a shifter, she would have known it was him in the front yard. She’d been angry enough herself to shift if she could. She either didn’t know anything or she was a good actor. Hell, it broke his heart that she didn’t remember him.

“Nothing. Clueless.”

“Put me on speaker phone.”

As his Itan or clan leader, Brody never questioned what Ty demanded. He simply followed orders. “The sheriff wants to talk to both of us.” He pressed the speaker button and said, “Your loud and clear.”

“Hi Fawn, I’m Sheriff Abrams, and it seems we have a bit of a problem.”

Fawn sat up straight. “We sure do. I have a legal deed, and this man is living in my cabin. He won’t leave. When can you come and escort him off the property?”

Ty cleared his throat. “Here is the problem as I see it. You both have a right to the property. You have a deed, but he does have squatter’s rights. You can’t kick him out without legal notice. In Grayslake, that would be a thirty-day written notification.”

“What?” She rose from the table and paced the room.

“It’s true. You can let him stay and charge him rent, but you can’t kick him out.”

“No,” she called from across the room. “You don’t understand. This is where I plan to live.”

“I understand, and what I’m telling you is there isn’t anything I can do right now. The road to the cabin is one of many that have washed out from the storm, so even if I could remove Brody, I wouldn’t be able to do it now. It will be days before the repairs can be done.”

“I’m not leaving my cabin, Ty, it’s mine. I’ve put every dime I have into it. I love this place. My life is here. My business is here.” Brody swiped the bowls from the table and threw them into the sink. One shattered to pieces from the force.

“Both of you listen. This isn’t getting settled tonight. In the interim, I suggest you figure out a way to share the space. You’re stuck for a few days—maybe longer.”

“Ty, she’s not safe here. You know how unpredictable the wildlife can be. Don’t forget I also have that problem with the hyenas.” The unpredictable wildlife Brody was referring to was himself. The hyenas he was talking about were a group of shifters that the clan had run out of Boyne Falls months ago. They’d been targeting Brody ever since.

“Keep your trousers on and learn how to deal with it. I gotta go. My Itana is calling.” Without another word, the Itan hung up. He’d have to deal with her the best he could. It wouldn’t be easy, but it was what Ty demanded.

“What the heck just happened, and who is Itana?”

“She’s his wife, and we’ve been directed to get along.”

“Well, that’s not very likely.”

Chapter 3

Stuck. She was stuck in a cabin in the middle of nowhere Georgia with a hulking, infuriating stranger. Across the room, Brody looked as unhappy as she felt. He stomped around the kitchen, and every step made the cabin floor vibrate.

Little Emily from Miller Grocery could get gooey over the man, but he held no appeal for Fawn. Brody was all muscle—including his brain. The best thing that could be said about him was he was easy on the eyes, and he could cook.

She lugged the foam cooler to the kitchen counter.

“What are you doing?” He was forearm deep in the dishwater picking out broken bowl pieces.

“I’m putting my groceries in my refrigerator. If you’re nice, I might even share them with you.”

A low growl rose from his chest. “It’s my refrigerator, and I’ll allow you to use it because the It—Ty said to get along.”

It was obvious it was taking every bit of self-control for him to be nice. He pulled his fisted hands from the water. Crimson red dripped from his palm and pinked the suds below.

“You’re bleeding.” Fawn rushed to him and pried open his hand. A jagged piece of the white porcelain was imbedded deep into his flesh. “Holy hell, you’re really bleeding.” She searched the counter for something to stop the flow.

He reached over with his free hand and plucked the piece from his skin like it was nothing. After rinsing the wound off, it didn’t seem nearly as bad as she had originally thought. He disappeared into the bathroom. Moments later he returned with a frown and a Band-Aid.

“Are you okay?” She pulled his hand into hers and caressed the white taped gauze.

“I’m fine. It’s a scratch.” He yanked his hand away and stomped to the front door. “Stay inside. It’s not safe out there for you.”

Fawn stared through the big window until the fog completely enveloped his form. She wanted to run after him and tell him to stop bossing her around, but the memory of that bear kept her inside. Instead, she took a tour of her cabin. It was cozy and already felt like home. One large bedroom sat at the end of the hallway. It was dark but smelled like pine needles and fresh air. That could have been because the window by the bed was opened wide. She pulled it shut and sat on the massive four-poster bed. For an oaf of a man, he had good taste in furnishings. Hell for all she knew, this was the same bed her parents slept in. She laid her head on the pillow, closed her eyes, and pulled her knees up to her chest. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t summon a vision of her father. She desperately wanted to know him. This cabin was his last gift to her, and there was no way she’d ever give it up.

Even though he was just a man, who was mentioned in passing. Mom never stopped loving him until the day the letter came, and she knew he was gone for good. Fawn would never forget that day. Her mother had kissed the envelope and tucked it in a drawer. She said, “May your soul be welcomed with loving arms.” Years of tension disappeared from her mother’s face. When Fawn asked her if she was sad, she said, “I’m devastated, there’s no chance he’ll ever return, but he loved you enough to stay away. He never wanted to hurt you again. His love for you was stronger than his need for me. What more could a mother ask for?”

Fawn pulled the pillow to her face and cried. Her mother had pined for him for twenty-five years. She never talked badly about him. She never talked about him at all. It was all a mystery for Fawn, but she vowed to uncover her truth, and she knew it was buried somewhere here in Grayslake.

The ten-cent tour couldn’t end with her in Brody’s bed, so she slid from its comfortable mattress and walked out the door. The cabin was small. There was a bedroom, a bathroom, a large pantry, and the main living area. It was obvious the place had been cared for. No matter how well a cabin was built, after twenty-five years, it would have shown real wear and tear.

She should have been grateful that Brody had stepped in to take care of the place, but she didn’t feel grateful. She felt cheated out of a past.

Once she drained the sink and cleaned up the mess, she unpacked the groceries and curled up on the couch with her phone.

It took two rings for her mom to answer. “Are you there? Are you safe? Did anyone see you come into town?” She snapped out questions faster than Fawn could process them.

“Mom. I’m here. I’m safe. The weather is awful. Pouring rain. Flooding. Fog as thick as marshmallow cream.” She wasn’t sure if she should tell her mom about Brody. Mom would worry about him being a serial killer or rapist. Hell, she had the same thoughts. She wasn’t even sure she’d spoken to the real sheriff. Brody could have called anyone.

“Oh, I loved those days. I’d sit in the house in front of the fire and look out the big window. I could watch the rain for hours.”

“I’m doing that now. It is really pretty once you get over the wild bears and stuff.”

“So they know you’re there.” Silence filled the space. “I warned you not to go. Now it’s too late.”

“God, Mom, you sound like the crazy woman from a Stephen King novel.”

“I’m not crazy, I’m just a mom. Who have you met on your way?”

Fawn told her about Miller Grocery, and her mom asked her to say hi when she saw the older Millers. Fawn asked her about Sheriff Abrams and mom said she remembered Ty when he was a young boy. She said his family was important, and Fawn should trust him.

“I met a man named Brody Byron.”

“Oh, your father and I loved Brody, he’s a fine young man. You and he were inseparable as kids.”

“I played with him? When?” Fawn nearly fell off the couch.

“Oh, you were less than two, and he’d come over to the cabin because we had the best fishing near our place. Your father would lift you to Brody’s back, and he’d carry you all over. He was really sweet on you then.” Caught between anger and awe, her skin started to prickle. She’d made it to twenty-seven without a slip of information about her past, and in one phone call, she’d found out she’d had a life and friends in Grayslake.

“He can’t stand me now. He’s living in my cabin, and I want him gone.” Anger was taking over, and she hated when that happened. Fawn called what occurred to her the furry of fury. She’d have to shave again because as soon as her temper sprouted so did the hairs on her legs. It pissed her off.

“Be nice to him. He always had a hard time coming to terms with what he was.”

“You mean who is?”

Mom cleared her throat. “Yes honey, that’s exactly what I meant. I have to go. I have a date tonight.”

“You what? With who? Where?” Fawn’s questions flowed like raindrops. Quick and steady.

“I would have never dishonored your father while he was alive. He was my mate, but after twenty-five years of being alone, I’m going to have dinner with a man. He’s one of the new accountants at the firm. His life is simple, and simple sounds good.”

“Mom, I’m so happy for you.” The right words were there, but Fawn’s tone belied anything but joy. Her mom deserved happiness but why start over again now?

“Fawn, you don’t sound happy, what’s really bothering you?”

“Everything is changing so fast.”

“That means it’s time. Be careful honey, and about those bears … most of them are harmless, but they can be unpredictable, and you need to stay alert. I love you.” She hung up before Fawn could respond.

Chapter 4

Brody lumbered around the woods for hours trying to calm his human side. He swam in the lake and chased off another stinking hyena. They’d been marking the trees around his cabin with regularity, and it pissed him off.

Pissed off was how he felt about everything. She was back and even though he knew it wasn’t her fault they left, the fact was that they had left. He was just a cub, but losing her and her family had been like having his claws ripped from his paws. He’d spent years searching for her until he gave up and came back to Grayslake. To this cabin—his cabin.

He’d never allow himself to experience that kind of pain again. She might be his fated mate, but he had free will, and he’d be damned if he would expose his heart again. No, he needed to make sure she left and soon.

Irony is a funny thing. Here she was afraid of bears even though fifty percent of her DNA was from a black bear shifter. That was how he’d get her to go. He’d show her his ugly side. He'd scare her away.

On hind legs, he stood in front of the big window making himself as tall and wide as possible. At over four hundred pounds in his bear form that wasn’t difficult.

Brody growled and leaned into the window. She was on the couch, fast asleep. He tapped his claws on the glass hoping to wake her, but she didn’t so much as twitch. He let out a roar that would shake the foundation. Nothing. She was curled up in front of the fire. Hibernating.

He shifted back to his human form and gave up, deciding to spend the next two hours in the distillery. Making a living fishing was okay, but making honey mead was what he loved. His was made with raw honey he got from Eli Silver, the clans beekeeper. Everything was pure and natural the way he liked it. The orders were coming in faster than he could fill them. People liked quality, and a good mead was hard to find until Brody started making his five years ago.

This year he was starting a limited edition release, and the first was going to be blackberry. He’d grown and harvested the berries himself. People always asked how he found the time, but when you lived alone, time was just a concept.

When his stomach growled, he knew it was well past dinner. Maybe she’d still be sound asleep on the couch, and he wouldn’t have to deal with her.

* * *

The smell of something divine filled the air. His house smelled of trout and Fawn. She always smelled sweet like honey. It’s probably why he surrounded himself with the stuff.

She wasn’t sleeping as he’d hoped. Instead, she stood at the stove, rocking back and forth to a song only she could hear in her head. Brody leaned against the wall and imagined his life with her here every day. Their cubs would be running around the house. Her soft, warm curves would sidle up next to him every night. Get a grip.

The groan came from deep within. A mixture of pain, and longing, and anger.

She spun around brandishing the spatula like a weapon. “Shit, Brody, make some damn noise when you approach.”

“Open your ears. You need to pay attention to your surroundings.” He walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of his homebrew. He held it in the air. “You want one?”

She eyed the label free bottle with suspicion. “What is it?

“Honey mead. Homebrew.”

“You make your own? Is that legal?”

“I’m not a bootlegger. I’m a brewmaster, and it’s all legit.” He twisted the top and handed her the drink before he got another from the refrigerator.

She took a tentative sip and then another until she was nearly guzzling the drink down.

“Whoa, slow down. This is sixteen percent alcohol by volume. I imagine two of these, and you’ll be lit.” Brody pulled the bottle from her hand and placed it on the counter.

“Oh, but it’s so good, and it’s sweet.” Her tongue flicked out to lick her lips. The action had Brody twitching in his jeans.

“What are you cooking?” A change of subject might help. He loved any talk about fish and it rarely gave him a hard on.

“I picked up some trout from Miller Grocery on the way here. Since you shared your lunch, I thought I’d share my dinner.”

Brody laughed. “Looks like those fish have made a full circle. I caught them, sold them, you bought them, and now their back home.”

Fawn also found the humor in that. “Next time we’ll have to cut out the middle man.”

“Next time?”

“Brody, I know you want me gone, but I’m not leaving.”

“You’ll leave.” His tone tolerated no argument. She had to go, or he’d never survive.

“I won’t.” She flopped a large trout in the center of a plate and topped it with steamed spinach.

“How much do you want for the cabin?”

“It’s not for sale. Besides, the sheriff said all I needed to do was give you thirty-day notice to vacate in writing. I’d hoped you would see reason and go on your own.” She ran to the living room to grab a pen and paper. When she returned, she dated the top and scribbled you have been served your thirty day notice. She picked up the plate of trout and slammed it on the table before she pressed the note into his chest.

“You want me out.” His voice rose with each word. “You can’t afford for me to leave.”

She huffed to the table and took a seat. Brody noticed her neck turning red. The hairs stood straight up. Her blue eyes turned stormy gray. He looked on in fascination, waiting for her to shift, but she didn’t. She bent over and scratched her legs like they were crawling with fire ants.

“You can’t afford to stay here. Sheriff Abrams told me I could charge you rent. You owe me fifteen years of back rent.” She tore into her trout like a wild animal.

“I don’t owe you anything.” Brody collapsed into the chair across from her. “In fact, it’s you who owes me.”

“Send me a bill,” she screamed.

“Oh, I will, and it will be a doozy.”

“And to think my mom said we had been friends. She must have dementia.” Fawn picked up her empty plate and tossed it into the sink. “I cooked—you clean,” she said and then walked out the front door.

Brody stood in shock. Fawn didn’t remember him and that hurt, but her mother never forgot him, and that soothed the wound a bit. He looked toward the door. How long would it take her to remember the bear? Thirty seconds later, she ran inside and bolted the door shut.

She gathered her things, including the pen and paper and walked toward the hallway. “I’m going to bed. Hope you enjoy your couch.”

The bedroom door slammed and locked. She had already stolen his heart once. Now she had stolen his bed. This was war.

Chapter 5

Fawn tossed and turned all night. Anger raged within her, but the look in Brody’s eyes when she told him about them being friends made her heart ache. He’d looked wounded. She didn’t remember him. A blurry recollection of a big furry dog came to mind, but nothing about a small boy with green eyes.

They were eventually going to have to talk because she needed answers. But, would he want to talk to her after she handed him a bill for ninety thousand dollars? Five hundred dollars a month seemed more than fair.

She never expected him to pay, but she hoped it would motivate him to leave. Living with Brody was going to be impossible, and she prayed that the sheriff would make clearing the access road a priority.

She pulled the thin comforter up around her neck and tried to get warm. How did Brody sleep in this cold? The cabin’s only heating came from the fireplace. Maybe it wasn’t such a wise move to commandeer the coldest room in the house.

The smell of coffee sifted under the door. Fawn followed it like a wasp followed water. In the kitchen stood Brody, naked as the day he was born.

“You’re naked?”

He looked down at his morning wood and smiled. “I never wear clothes. It’s part of the reason I love it out here. No unexpected visitors to disrupt my life. Coffee?” He pulled a cup from the cupboard. Fawn tried to focus on the coffee, but it was tough with him standing bare in front of her. His entire body was a work of art. She’d photographed lots of naked men. It was a requirement when you were a photographer at Sizzle; the hottest all male review in Las Vegas, but there was something about Brody’s body that drew her in. She shook her head and turned around.

“Sugar?”

“Wh…what?” She stammered. She didn’t want to look at him for fear of not being able to look away.

“Do you want sugar or cream?” His voice came out in a long, lazy drawl. It was the kind of voice that turned a girl’s insides to goo. Then she remembered Emily and how she melted just talking about “Mr. Byron”.

Fawn didn’t like the idea of Brody with Emily. She didn’t like the idea of Brody with anyone, and that unsettled her. How in tarnation could she justify the jealousy that brewed in her gut, when she wanted the man to leave?

“I don’t have all day.”

She turned around and forced her eyes to stare straight ahead. That didn’t help either because he had a chiseled chest that screamed for her fingers. “Umm, I take both. One sugar. A dash of cream. Her head lowered. She had failed in her attempt not to look. “Don’t stir it with that stick.” What the hell was she thinking? Sometimes her mouth got in front of her brain.

He stepped in front of her, stick and all, and placed the coffee in her hand. He leaned in close, his hardness pressing against her flannel pajamas and whispered, “When I want to sink myself into something warm and wet, it won’t be your coffee.”

She felt stripped bare by his words. Heat emanated from him. This was the first time she’d been warm in a day, hot even, and yet she backed away. She needed to create space and knew how to erect the perfect wall.

“Wait here.” Fawn dashed to the bedroom to grab the invoice she’d created the night before. When she returned, Brody was still naked but seated on the couch. She picked up the throw pillow and pressed it into his lap. “This is what I figured you owe me in back rent. Do you want to write a check or pay cash?” She handed him the ninety thousand dollar invoice.

Brody looked at the page and raked his hand through his long hair. The dark strands fell from his fingers to frame his face.

“Is this all you came up with? Damn, and I thought you’d hit me with something unreasonable.” He sat back and sipped at his coffee unfazed.

“Check or cash?” Fawn slid into the corner of the sofa and pulled her knees to her chest.

Brody leaned forward and pulled a piece of paper from beneath a fishing magazine. He ran his finger down the page as if checking something and then handed it to her.

“I’d prefer cash, please. Checks are risky.” He stood up, let the pillow fall to the floor, and then walked toward the bathroom.

Fawn stared at the invoice, which itemized every repair on the cabin. When she reached the bottom, a total of two hundred and thirty-seven thousand dollars was circled twice in red.

In small letters at the bottom of the page were the words: Receipts for all work can be found in the top left-hand drawer of the kitchen.

She didn’t need to look; she knew they would be there. There was one thing she knew in her bones about Brody, and that was he was a man of his word. What you saw was what you got with him, from his long hair to his long … Damn it. I’m so screwed.

When Brody came out of the bathroom, he was dressed in worn jeans and a T-shirt. The fabric hugged and moved with his body. Long legs glided with confidence to the kitchen where Fawn was sitting, staring at the invoice.

“You have a few options here.” Brody flipped the chair around and straddled it. “I’m happy to call it even if you pack up and leave. From this point forward, I’ll send you five hundred dollars a month to whatever address you choose.” He pulled the invoice forward and penciled in seven thousand dollars near the bottom. “The cabin needs new plumbing. As my landlord, I would expect you to pay for that upgrade. Of course, we can barter.” His sensuous smile spoke of sleepless nights and wild sex.

She went rigid hearing his words. “How dare you.” Fawn stood so fast the chair toppled over. “I’m nobody’s whore.” Her entire body was vibrating to the thump of her heart.

Brody laughed without reserve. A full belly laugh that doubled him over. “I’m not looking for a whore, I’ve never paid for sex, and I don’t intend to start now. All I was suggesting was you could cook. Unless, of course, you’ve decided to take option one and leave.”

Panic spread through her. She leaned against the table and struggled to breathe. She couldn’t afford the repairs, and she refused to leave. Stuck between a rock and a hard place was not how she pictured this going down.

“I’m not leaving. This is my cabin.”

“Okay then, I’ll be expecting dinner by six.” He turned and walked toward the door. “There’s salmon in the freezer.”

“Where are you going?”

“A long walk in the woods.”

“You’re leaving me alone, again?” Her heart gave a nervous jolt. “What if that bear comes back?”

“There’s no what if.” A big smile covered his face. “What you need to ask is when?” The door clicked behind him, and she’d never felt so alone.

Chapter 6

Brody had to get away. Every minute spent with Fawn was like hanging off a cliff by one claw. One second he wanted to throw her on the floor and claim her. The next he wanted to sink his teeth into her neck and rip out her throat.

He stripped in the distillery and took off for the forest. The road might be closed, but the woods were open and free. It was time he talked face to face with his Itan.

On the other side of the lake sat the clan den. With the storm still raging, Ty would be there for sure. Brody surrounded the lake and walked up to the property. It was large and imposing just like the Itan.

Twenty feet from the door, he stood up on his hind legs and roared, signaling his presence. Someone tossed a large towel to the porch. It was probably Mia, Ty’s Itana. Brody couldn’t imagine her wanting his naked body parading around her home, especially since they’d recently had a young cub.

Once shifted, he wrapped the towel around his midsection and entered the den. A few clan members milled about, but the minute Ty entered the room, everyone disappeared.

“Took you long enough to get here.” Ty walked across the common area with two beers hanging from his fingers like bats in cave. “Take a seat.”

Brody took the offered beer and plopped on the nearest sofa. “You could have come to the cabin.”

Ty slid into the leather chair next to the sofa. “Imagine me showing up at your door naked. Or what if Mia tied a bindle stick to my back?”

The image of his Itan with a hobo stick strapped to his back made Brody laugh. “No, I can see that wouldn’t work.”

“Fawn Blackly is back. That should make you happy.”

“Why the heck would it make me happy?” I wanted to swear, but the Itana didn’t allow swearing, and this was her home.

“You searched for her every summer for 10 years. You spent your entire youth hunting her down. Now she’s here. Why wouldn’t you be happy?” A flicker of irritation and impatience shone in his eyes.

“She left me.”

“Damn it, Brody, she was two. Her father had nearly killed her, and her mother took her to protect her.”

“Language,” Mia called from the other room.

Ty looked to the ceiling and shook his head. “Sorry, my love.”

Brody began peeling the label off the bottle. “She doesn’t know me. She doesn’t feel how I used to feel.” He tore the label halfway through and gave up trying to get it off in one piece. Nothing in his life was ever simple.

“Used to feel?” Ty stood and towered over Brody. “You can lie to yourself, but I won’t allow you to lie to me.” Ty’s voice was sharp-edged, and it cut deep.

Brody sank to his knees in front of his Itan. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do. What if …?

Ty pulled Brody up and pushed him back onto the couch before he took his chair again. “What if what?”

“I could hurt her just like her father did. My bear has ruled my life. He controls me, not the other way around.”

Ty sipped at his beer and sat in contemplative silence. “Does she know anything?”

“No. She knows her father hurt her. She knows we were friends, but only because her mother told her.” His heart tore each time he thought about her forgetting him. “I’m telling you she remembers nothing.”

“You need to keep it that way unless you plan to claim her.”

“I’m not claiming her.” Brody’s voice verged on insolence. He dropped his head and lowered his voice. “What if I was wrong? I was just a kid.” He whispered the last sentence. “What if she wasn’t my fated mate?”

“Then you wouldn’t still be so torn about it.”

The pair sat in silence for several minutes, planning Brody’s next move. Finally, Ty’s eyes lit up, and a smile spread across his face. “Brody, I forbid you to shift. You will control your bear. I don’t care how angry you get at her, you can’t shift unless your life is being threatened or she knows what she is.”

“That’s impossible. I can’t control it. I could swipe at her, and she’d be gone.”

“Don’t, because, Brody, if she sees you shift. You’ll have to kill her.”

“You know I could never do that.”

“If you couldn’t, someone else would to protect the clan. That’s why you will spend every minute you have with her. Let her know you again. Let her meet the Brody she loved as a little girl.”

“That Brody got to shift.” He pouted like a small boy. “She rode me all the time.”

Ty broke out in a raucous laugh. “I guarantee you that if she rode you now, you’d have a lot more fun. She’s yours. Claim her. Now, let’s talk about these hyenas.”

They discussed the ever-present micro pack of two or three hyenas that were targeting Brody. He was the easy target since he lived so far away from the others. The clan would take them out on the next run. Until then, Brody needed to stay vigilant, especially now that Fawn was there.

After another beer, Ty walked him out the front door.

“Are you really going to make me walk home in a towel?”

“No, Mia would never forgive me if I gave you her towel.” Ty yanked it from his waist.

Brody kept to the woods all the way home. He passed way too many bears for it to be a coincidence. Whatever was happening at the cabin had piqued the interest of everyone.

When he entered the clearing in front of the cabin. Lana Jacobs and her two cubs were walking across the yard.

He had felt Fawn’s presence before he saw her. With her face pressed into a small opening she held in the door, she wore an expression of terror. She opened the door and yelled, “Run,” but Brody stood still several feet from the bears.

Under his breath, he said, “Lana you need to leave. She’s an outsider. Go.” The big she-bear turned and headed for the woods. Her cubs, on the other hand, dashed toward Brody and tackled him. They didn’t understand what they were doing. They were just babies, not even two. They couldn’t control anything. They just wanted to play. Brody’s heart lurched forward at the thought. They were the same age as Fawn had been when she left. He fluffed their heads and pushed them in the direction of their mother. “Go now you’re mom is waiting.”

When he turned around, Fawn was in the window, and the shutter of her camera was heating up. Knowing her eyes were on him, he cupped his growing erection and walked toward the door. He thought he would have trouble controlling his bear. Now he was concerned more about his dick.

* * *

Once he was showered and dressed, he went to face the inquisition. He had no idea how he would explain the bears.

“I was so scared for you. The big bear walked off, but when the two smaller ones ran at you, I nearly fainted.”

“Oh yeah, I could see how concerned you were. How many frames did you get in your terror?” Brody walked into the kitchen and pulled two bottles of mead from the refrigerator, handing one to Fawn.

She followed him to the couch. “It wasn’t like that. If they were going to maul you to death, I wanted to make sure I had pictures so the sheriff didn’t think I killed you and buried the body.” She sipped the mead and hummed. Her sound of satisfaction made his jeans tight. “I’d be the number one suspect.”

“So now you have naked pictures of me frolicking with bears. What do you plan to do with them?” He twisted his body and turned toward her. Their knees touched, and a tingle crawled up his spine. Small hairs began to sprout on his forearms. He internally chastised his bear and watched them disappear.

She took a long drink and smiled. “Private collection.” Heat rose to pink her cheeks.

“You like seeing me naked?”

“It’s not like I have a choice, you’re never in clothes.” She looked down at his jeans and appeared disappointed. “What’s with the bears, Grizzly Adams? You looked like you were talking to them.”

Shit. Shit. Shit “I pulled one of the cubs from the water a few months ago.” That much was true. Danny had swum out too far and couldn’t make it back. Lana wasn’t a strong swimmer and panicked. He’d been there fishing and jumped in to help. “They come by every once in a while. They know I don’t mean them harm.”

“That was scary and yet so exciting to watch. It was like one of those nature shows. Remember the guy that lived with the lions?” She fidgeted in her seat.

“Yes, but if I recall he was eaten by one of them.”

“Oh my God, you’re right.”

They sat in silence and stared at the glowing embers of the dying fire. When Fawn shuddered, Brody turned to her and saw a tear slip down her cheek.

“Why the tears?” Instinct had him wiping it away. He’d never liked to see her cry.

“I’m so sorry. You really could have been eaten alive, and I was scared that I couldn’t help.” The tears poured from her eyes. “What in the hell was I thinking? There’s no way I could live here. I can’t defend myself.”

“You could learn.” Brody couldn’t believe he was cajoling her into staying. Wasn’t this what he wanted? She would leave and he would be alone again. But was that what he wanted? She’d been here for a day and a half and even though she drove him batshit crazy, she made his house feel like home.

“I came here seeking the freedom to explore who I am. My life has been missing something for as long as I can remember. I thought I’d find it here.”

Brody searched her eyes for a glimmer of recognition. He wanted her to know that she was home, that he was her home. Without thought, he pulled her into his lap and held her tight. She stiffened at first and then relaxed against his chest. She cried for a time and then fell fast asleep in his arms. He didn’t dare move. This was the best moment of his life in the last quarter of a century. He thought he could drive her away. He thought he could force his hand. He thought like a dumb bear. He obviously wasn’t thinking. She wasn’t someone he would ever get over. She was his mate. He would claim her, but not until she remembered what they were to each other. She said she’d been searching for something. God, he hoped it was him.

Chapter 7

Fawn woke up to a roaring fire, and Brody sitting in the big leather chair next to her. His expression was soft and settled. Everything about this moment felt perfect. Perfect except for the fact that Brody was fully clothed. She’d kind of liked the confidence he had when it came to his body. She liked that he got aroused around her. Not many men looked at her with passion. Once they saw her scars, their desire turned to something else. Sometimes it was disgust. Sometimes it was pity.

The fall she took as a child shredded her from shoulder to chest. Her mom always reminded her that there was one man out there who would see her perfectly. She told her he was waiting.

“What are you thinking about?” He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees.

Fawn stared toward the window and watched the lightning spring from the ominous black clouds. “Did I fall out of that window?”

Brody tilted his head in question. “Fall?”

“Yes, my mom said my dad was watching me, and he was careless.” She pulled the sleeve of her shirt up her arm to expose the smallest part of her scarring. “This had to be caused by glass. Nothing else could slice me with such precision.”

Brody rose from his chair and walked to the window. A large crack of thunder shook the house, and the lights went out.

He strode to the coffee table to light the candle that sat at its center.

“I wasn’t here. If I had been, you wouldn’t have been hurt, and you never would have left.” He sat next to Fawn and slid his hand up to trace the scars under her sleeve. His touch was warm and comforting.

“Were we close?” Fawn turned to watch Brody’s expression go from pained to poignant.

“Like two halves of a whole.” His voice drifted as if he were somewhere but next to her. “I was just five, and you were only two. The cutest most determined two-year-old I ever met.”

“Was it really my dad’s fault?” Do you know the story?”

Brody pulled his hand from her sleeve and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She leaned her head against his chest.

“I can’t really say what happened, I wasn’t here. I only know that your mother took you to the hospital, and you both disappeared from there. Your father moved to Alaska and was never heard from again.” His fingers slid up and down her arm. The storm inside her was rivaling the one outside.

“Do you know how your father died?” Brody asked.

Fawn knew it wasn’t morbid curiosity that spurred his question. She got the feeling that her family meant something significant to Brody.

“The letter said it was a hunting accident. The bullet severed his spine. No chance of recovery.”

He nodded like it all made sense, and yet to Fawn, nothing made sense. Accidents happened, people got over them. Families and lives went on. That was unless you were a Blackly.

“Do you know that I’ve never seen a picture of my father? My mother said she didn’t have any.” Fawn tucked up against Brody loving the heat and feel of his arm around her. “Was my father abusive?” She traced the two B’s of the logo on his shirt. “Maybe that’s why she’s been so secretive all these years.”

Brody sat her up and lifted her chin so she had no place to stare but into his pine green eyes. “Your father was never abusive. He was the kindest, most considerate man I’ve ever met. He treated me like a son.”

“It sounds like he was a good man, but my mom’s silence caused me to think the worst.”

“Wait here.” Brody leaped from the couch and disappeared down the hallway. After a few crashes and a few cuss words, he returned with a small wooden box.

He squeezed up next to Fawn, their bodies touching from hip to knee, and opened the lid. Two or three faded Polaroid pictures lay in the bottom, along with a pink rabbits foot and a wooden slingshot.

Brody lifted the bottom photo. The man in it looked like a young Sam Elliot. He was handsome, big, and imposing, but his eyes were filled with kindness.

“This is …” Tears spilled from Fawn’s eyes.

“Your father. He loved you more than anything.” Brody pulled the next picture from the pile, and there she was clinging to her father’s leg, her little brown pigtails sticking up in different directions. Her smile lit up the picture. In the background, a small brown bear stood on his hind legs.

“There’s a bear.”

“Yes, your dad had a way with wildlife.” His tone was matter of fact.

“He was like you are.” She thought of Brody rolling in the rain with the two bears this morning. It looked like they were wrestling for fun.

“No, Fawn, I’m like he was.” He closed the box and put it on the table. “You keep those pictures. Every girl needs her daddy.”

She wanted to open it back up and inspect the contents. However, Brody had given her more than she deserved. She’d come into his house and demanded he left.

The rain slowed outside, and all that remained was the drip, drip, drip of the water falling from the pine trees to the roof. Fawn clutched the pictures to her chest while Brody clutched her to his. Guilt sat like bad fish in her stomach. She’d been so mean to him. She’d never considered that he would have an attachment to this cabin, to her family.

“Do you think the storm has ended?”

“There’s always a storm, Fawn. This one might have ended, but there’s always another one down the road.”

Fawn soaked in his words. She knew they were laced with meaning she didn’t yet understand.

“Brody, I’m so sorry I tried to kick you out of your house.”

“It was never my house. Maybe I was just taking care of it until you returned.”

Reluctantly she pushed off his chest. “No, Brody, I’m not meant for this life. I’m afraid to go outside. That’s no life. I’ll be going back to Las Vegas once the road is clear. I’ll sign the cabin over to you. Maybe I can visit sometime?”

“No.” Brody’s face turned red, and his green eyes turned the color of the lake in the storm. They were almost black.

“No, I can’t visit?” Fawn felt hollow in the pit of her stomach. If she left, would that be it? She didn’t want to leave, but she knew she couldn’t stay. Her vision of her future didn’t include cowering in the corner every time an animal appeared.

“I’ll be back.” Brody stood so fast he nearly knocked her to the floor. He was out the front door before she could say another word.

* * *

The power had popped back on around five. Fawn prepared the salmon for dinner. Brody said he wanted to eat at six and when six-thirty approached, and he hadn’t shown up she worried. He was out there with whatever on earth roamed the woods.

She felt a knot of nerves in the pit of her stomach. He could be trapped or hurt. Maybe that mother bear had decided she didn’t like Brody touching her cubs, and had come back to let him know it.

Fawn slipped on her shoes. She was done fearing what was outside. Brody was outside, and he was worth fighting for. She didn’t understand her connection to him, but she knew that she’d do anything to protect him, even if it meant her demise.

She picked up the poker that was leaning against the fireplace and marched outside wielding it like a sword. Swish, swish, she cut through the air swinging at anything and everything. Off to the side, she noticed the light on in what she now knew to be the distillery.

She approached with care. Inside, Brody sat on the floor in the corner. An empty glass growler tucked between his legs. His head hung loosely to the side. He was fast asleep.

“Brody.” Fawn tapped his shoulder, but he didn’t budge. She watched his lips part with each breath. What would it be like to kiss him? Would he taste like his honey mead? Would his lips touch hers softly, or would they possess her mouth completely? Did he give and take in equal measure?

She let her mouth get ahead of her brain again. In front of him, she kneeled and positioned herself for a kiss. She pressed forward and pulled back. Fear was a factor, but it wasn’t about the kiss, it was the fear of never being kissed by him.

When her lips touched his, he came to life. He was fire and passion. Hot like a match, his lips burned against hers. His tongue danced along her lips until it slid into her mouth. He growled deep in his throat, and she answered with a moan.

Then there was stillness and silence.

“Fawn, whaaaas happening?”

She jumped to her feet embarrassed by her lack of control. “Nothing, I came out here to get you. Dinner was ready an hour ago. Let’s go.”

It was nearly impossible to help him stand. He was a big man. Well over six feet tall and definitely over two hundred pounds. Once she had him vertical, she grabbed the fireplace poker and guided him outside.

Across the yard, two copper eyes glowed in the darkness. She lunged like a pirate and prayed that the animal would leave. It tossed its head and disappeared into the trees. With a quickness she didn’t know she possessed, she kicked the distillery door shut and pushed the very drunk Brody toward the cabin.

The breath she’d been holding, released with a whoosh the minute they were inside, and the door was bolted shut. She’d done it. She’d faced her fears, and all it took was a kiss from Brody and a fireplace tool.

He stumbled down the hallway to his room and collapsed on the bed. It was an enormous bed but looked dwarfed with his body sprawled across it. Fawn shook her head, she had been right, he was a big oaf.

If she were lucky, he wouldn’t remember the kiss. If she were really lucky, she’d be able to forget it. Something told her that wasn’t going to happen though.

An hour later, supper was put away, and the kitchen was cleaned. She’d banked the fire and went down the hallway to check on Brody. He had stripped himself bare. He lay on top of the thin blue comforter looking like a model at a shoot. Fawn itched to grab her camera and capture the moment. A moment where Brody was relaxed, his tension was gone, and all that was left was a beautiful man in his big beautiful bed.

Instead, she approached him and tugged at the comforter beneath him. Once it was loose, she pulled it over his body. It seemed like a sin to cover him up, but this was a cold room, and it was the right thing to do.

When she stretched the fabric to his chest, he shifted and pulled her on top of him. “Please don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me. Again.” He rolled them both over and curled himself around her body. Brody had fallen to sleep and Fawn had fallen in love.

Chapter 8

Brody woke with a headache and a hard on. He snuggled up next to the soft body in front of him and sighed. Then it all came rushing back. She’d told him she was leaving, but now she was in his bed. What had happened between “I’m going back to Vegas” and the bottle of mead he’d consumed?

He knew he should slip out of bed and leave her alone. It was the right thing to do. The only thing to do, but he just couldn’t do it. She felt too good. His body melted into hers—two halves of a whole. Her wide hips were made for his hands. His palms slid from her waist to her thighs. To say he craved her was an understatement. His hunger for her was animalistic. It took every bit of control to tamp down the bear inside of him who had waited for twenty-five years to claim her. She was his. She deserved more than a base taking. When Brody claimed her, she would want him as much as he wanted her. He would sink his length in her heat, and his teeth into her neck, and that would seal their fate forever.

His hardness pressed against her bottom. Sweet agony gripped his balls and twisted. He wanted her, needed her. He would have her, but not today. Inside, his bear roared. A new mission was required. Fawn Blackly was going to realize she had found everything she would ever want or need in Grayslake. There was no try. It was do or die.

Thankfully, Fawn slept like a bear. When he pressed his lips to hers, she didn’t move. Sweet and soft they felt familiar and tasted like blackberries and honey. Had they kissed? No, that was impossible. He’d have remembered their first kiss.

As painful as it was to leave her, he couldn’t stay next to her. She’d be naked and under him in seconds. What he had planned for her would take hours.

Brody felt like he was back on that cliff, hanging by a cracked, damaged nail. Instead, he built a fire and brewed the coffee. He sat down and outlined a plan. Several things had to happen for her to stay.

She needed to feel safe, and in order to do that, she couldn’t be afraid to exit the house. He would teach her how to defend herself. He never liked guns, but with the hyenas around, she needed something to give her courage.

A link to her past was imperative. It crushed Brody to know that he might not be enough to keep her in Grayslake. He was willing to share her with the clan if that meant she’d stay.

Their bond would get stronger with intimacy. He was beyond bringing her pink rabbits feet, but maybe a romantic outing would help.

Her scars bothered her. He had scars as jagged and deep, only his surrounded his heart, and couldn’t be seen with the naked eye. He’d make sure she knew she was perfect.

She shuffled down the hallway toward him.

“Coffee?” Brody walked to the coffee pot and poured her a cup.

“How are you feeling?” She stretched her arms to the sky and yawned.

“I’ve had better days. Thanks for taking care of me.”

She took the chair across from his and hid behind the big mug. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Somehow I don’t believe you.” Brody was referring to how he got from the distillery back to the cabin. He focused intently on her face. He wondered what had brought a cherry-red flush to her cheeks. “Did something happen last night?”

The way she rocked in her seat was telling. Something had happened, and Brody had missed it. “Of course not. It’s a wonder you found your way to bed, you were so drunk.”

He nodded but kept his eyes trained on her. “Tell me this, how did you find your way to my bed?”

“That’s easy to explain. I came in to cover you, and you asked me not to leave you.”

“I did?”

She peeked over the edge of her cup. “Yes.” The steam curled her bangs.

“And you stayed?”

“That’s what friends do for friends.” Her lashes fell to her cheeks.

“So, we’re friends now?” Brody felt his heart skip a beat.

“We called a truce last night. Or I thought so until you bolted out the door.”

“I’m sorry about that. Everything is changing so fast.”

“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could go back twenty-five years and see where our friendship would have taken us.” Fawn closed her eyes and smiled. Brody wondered what she saw behind her lids. Was it the same thing he saw? An addition on the cabin? Her pictures hanging on the walls? Did she see their children?

“We can’t explore anything if you’re still leaving for Vegas.” Hope danced in his heart. His future depended on her answer.

“I’m playing it day by day. I’m still unsure of this place. You’re the best thing here. I could do without the hyenas, and the bears.”

“Sweetheart, without the bears, there’s nothing left.”

* * *

Brody pulled out the salmon and some berries from the refrigerator. “Today is survival 101. Eat up because we’re going outside.” Her excitement was contagious. “The sun is out.”

“Nature walk?” She energized the air around him.

“Target practice first, and then a walk around the lake. Bring your camera and your bathing suit.”

“Target practice? Bathing suit?” Her nose scrunched at her first question. Her lip curled for the second.

“If you’re going to own a cabin and live in the woods, you need to be able to defend yourself.” Brody stood and walked to the refrigerator. He opened a cabinet above it and pulled out a gun case. He pulled the revolver from the case. With a flick of his finger, he spun the barrel.

“Oh, Brody, I can’t shoot. I’d never be able to kill anything.” She lowered her head and picked at her fish. “As much as I thought I’d fight for this cabin,” she looked around the room, “it belongs to you.”

Brody put the empty gun on the table and knelt before her. When his hands settled on her knees, the shiver that ran up her body settled in his chest. “Never let anyone take what belongs to you. This cabin is yours, Fawn, fight for it.”

Little did she know he’d be doing the same. She belonged to him, and he would make sure the world knew it.

“The rain stopped, but it’s muggy out. After our walk, you’ll be ready for a swim.”

She reached her hand toward his face. He closed his eyes and waited for her touch, but it never came. When he looked again, she was gnawing at her nail.

“I don’t swim.”

“You don’t swim, or you don’t want to swim? There’s a difference.” Her answer confused him. As a toddler, she loved the water. They’d spent hours playing at the lake. Palms now flat on her thighs, he caressed her from knee to hip. His predator instinct was rising. He felt her heat, smelled her arousal, and heard her heartbeat quicken. His bear was fighting to be freed. With a squeeze to her luscious thighs, he rose with reluctance.

“I know how to swim. I like the water. I don’t like bathing suits.” She rubbed at the cotton across her chest. “My injuries were significant. When people see them …”

“Get dressed and bring your suit. I’m not people. I’m Brody, and here your self-conscious bullshit doesn’t matter.”

“You don’t get it. People are cruel. Especially men.”

“I get it. It’s tough to be different.”

Fawn rose from the chair. “You don’t get anything,” she yelled. “Look at you, you’re perfect. You could never understand.”

Brody stood tall and cast a shadow over his mate. “Fawn, get your ass in the bedroom and change. Bring your damn suit, and meet me out front. Target practice first.” He turned her around, and swatted her bottom.

With a squeak, Fawn ran to the bedroom.

* * *

Brody was setting up targets when she emerged from the cabin dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. He now understood why she kept herself covered. People had been cruel to her. He wanted to hunt down each one and make them pay for her pain.

“You can show me how to shoot that gun, but I’ll never use it.”

“I hope you won’t need to use it, but if you have to, I want you prepared.” Brody picked up the gun and showed her how to load it. He placed it in her hand and stood behind her. When she wiggled her bottom against him, he almost pulled the trigger. “Safety first,” he said, more for his benefit than hers.

“Is this really necessary?”

He positioned the gun in her hand. “This gun belonged to your mother. Your father bought it for her. He’d want you to have it. He’d want you to carry it, and use it if you were in danger.”

Fawn pulled the trigger and the can popped off the log. “Tell me more about my dad.”

Brody helped her position the gun again and watched with pride as she picked off another can, even though she missed the first four of that round.

“I have the memories of a five-year-old, but I idolized your father. He was kind and loving. He cared more about you than anyone else in the world.”

“Then why did he leave me? It was just cuts.”

“It’s more complicated than that.”

“Brody, you know something you’re not telling me. Why won’t you tell me?” She laid the gun on the wooden stump and looked up to him. Her eyes darkened with pain.

“There’s nothing I can tell you.” That was the truth. Brody couldn’t tell her what the entire clan knew. She had poked her father’s sleeping bear, and he attacked her with brutal force.

“You can’t tell or you won’t tell. There’s a difference.”

Chapter 9

Fawn was certain Brody was keeping secrets, and the only way to unearth the truth was to keep at him. She grabbed her camera and waited out front while he stored the gun.

If the truth were told, she liked shooting it. Not because of the power of life and death it gave her, but because it brought her closer to her father.

Brody locked the door and whipped the backpack he carried over his shoulder. “You did well today. We’ll shoot again tomorrow.” He hopped down the porch steps, and Fawn fell into step beside him.

“Where are we going?” She took the lens cap off her camera and clicked a few shots of the lake. The water was high and lapped at the rocky shore.

“I thought I’d show you your front yard.” He ducked under a branch and stepped onto a well-worn path. “What do you like to photograph other than me—naked?”

Amusement glinted in her eyes. She did like him naked, but she wasn’t going to talk about it. “I always dreamed of being a wildlife photographer. Instead, I clicked pictures of fans and their favorite strippers.”

“So you became a wild life photographer. You only missed the mark by a bit.” He held back branches so she could navigate the path.

“It’s a silly dream since I’m obviously terrified of the local wildlife.” She let her camera hang from her neck.

“We’re all afraid of something.” Brody lifted her over a small stream. He walked through the woods like they were his second home.

“You have no fear.” She turned her camera on him and snapped his picture. His face was full of surprise.

“We’re all afraid of something.” He repeated. They’d walked about ten minutes before Brody stopped fast and forced her behind him.

Not more than ten feet away stood an enormous bear. Fawn’s heart flipped over and over until it crashed into the pit of her stomach.

“This is the perfect shot for you.” Brody moved her to his side. “He’s not going to attack. He’s just curious.” Brody gripped her waist and pulled her to his side.

“How can you be certain?” She whispered. “He looks hungry.”

“Most of the bears around here are like family.”

Fawn snapped several frames. In the worst case, they might find what was left of her body, but she hoped the shot would be worth it. “Let’s go.” She tried to step back, but Brody held her tight.

“Go on Thomas, there’s nothing else to see here.” The big bear turned and walked slowly away.

“You named them?” Her voice muted by confusion.

“Everything has a name.”

“I’m not sure if I should consider you quirky or crazy.” She linked her fingers with his.

He pulled her through the forest to an open space filled with flowers and the greenest grass around. “What do you think?”

“It’s beautiful.” Fawn let go of his hand and focused on her camera. She snapped photos for the next hour. Spent from excitement, she lay on the grass and captured perfect pictures of birds in flight. This was exactly how she’d imagined Grayslake. She had to remind herself that everything was more beautiful after a storm. The problem was, she wasn’t sure if the true storm had passed. Somewhere deep inside she had a feeling that Brody lay at the epicenter of the biggest storm she’d ever encounter.

While she flitted around the meadow taking pictures of everything, Brody had unpacked his backpack. Somehow, he’d fit a picnic in that bag. He patted the ground beside him, and Fawn dropped to her knees. In front of her was a small feast. He’d brought fresh fruit, and cheese, and a bottle of wine.

The sun burned hot above them. Sweat dripped from her forehead, but things really heated up when Brody pulled his shirt over his head. Fawn tried to keep her eyes on something else, but his chest was too tempting.

“You can touch me, Fawn.” He lay back with his arms behind his head.

“What?” She reached for the bottle of wine. “Why would I want to do that?” She pulled the bottle to her lips and gulped. It was exactly what she wanted to do. He looked so tempting, like ice cream on a hot day.

“I could be wrong, but I think you might like me.”

She pfft at him. “Hardly. When I look at you, I see the brother I never knew I had.” That was so far from the truth. She thought for sure she’d be struck down right there and then. Her eyes looked to the clear blue sky waiting for lightning to appear from nowhere.

Brody rolled on his side. His big hand settled on her knee. “When I look at you. I see nothing but heat and passion. I don’t see the pigtailed girl I played with as a child. I see the beautiful woman I want to play with now.”

Fawn’s insides coiled. Her knee shook under his hand. She debated whether to confess to him that she wanted to play as well. She thought about the kiss she’d stolen the night before. The way his body felt against hers in his bed. She was about to give in to her passion when Brody jumped up and started packing.

“If we’re going to swim, we better get moving. The minute the sun sets it’s going to be cold.”

Brody unnerved her. He said things that made her want, and then he moved in another direction. Whiplash. She stood on wobbly knees. She had no intention of swimming before the trek, but now the cool water seemed like the only cure for her hot-blooded passion.

Chapter 10

This was more fun than Brody could have imagined. He loved the effect he had on her, and he had no intention of letting up until she relented. Keeping her off her guard allowed him to get close. Mine was the word that played like a broken record in his head.

Mine.

Mine.

Mine.

They arrived at the dock and to his surprise, Fawn was kicking off her pants without a fight. He waited for her to peel her shirt off but she didn’t. She glanced at him then jumped into the water clothed from the waist up.

She emerged like a seal breaching the surface. “Holy hogwash, that’s cold!” She shook the water from her face and swam several feet out. “Are you coming in?”

She didn’t need to ask twice. He was stripped in seconds and swimming toward her. “I’m coming for you.” Brody was a natural in the water. It was instinctual. His long arms stretched forward while his legs kicked behind. He was at her side in seconds.

“So, you do like to swim. You’re a natural.”

She tread water beside him. Her eyes never left his chest.

“I bet you’re like rock.” She blushed as if the words had escaped without her permission. If she only saw what was beneath the water, she’d have no question where his rock lay. His dick was stone hard every time he saw her.

Brody reached for her and pulled her to his body. With one hand cupping hers, he guided it to his chest. “Touch me, Fawn.” He’d died and gone to heaven the minute her fingers brushed over his chest. He needed to feel her close. He wanted nothing to come between them. He wanted to see every inch of her, and her damn shirt was in the way.

“Take it off.” He didn’t recognize the pleading in his voice. He demanded things, not asked for them, but for Fawn, he was willing to make a concession. He pulled at the hem of her shirt, but she held it fast.

“No, Brody. I don’t want you to see me—to look at me with pity.” She turned and swam toward the dock, but she couldn’t escape him. He was in front of her in seconds.

“Trust me. I’m more than you think I am. Give me some credit.” He pulled her forward and placed his lips on her forehead. He let his kiss skim her face down to her neck. She stopped treading water and wrapped herself around his body. There was no doubt she felt his rock now. “Trust me.” His voice was velveteen. “Please believe me.” He’d never take from her. He wanted her to offer this freely. If she allowed him to touch her scars, maybe she’d let him touch her heart.

Her nod was almost imperceptible, but he saw it. With care and consideration, he pulled the shirt from her body. He reveled in every inch of skin she showed him. Her milky white skin marred with gashes from her shoulder to her navel didn’t disgust him. He felt nothing but awe and admiration. She was a warrior.

He adjusted her body higher on his waist and laid her back to float on the water. With her eyelids pinched tight and her body tense he traced the now white lines first with his fingers and then with his lips.

“Open your eyes, Fawn.” Brody slid one hand under her neck to support her body. The other continued to roam her chest. So what if he got off course a bit and “accidently” grazed her breast.

Pools of blue as bright as the sky stared back at him. She was waiting for him to react. “You have the nicest breasts I’ve ever seen.”

Her jaw nearly hit her chest. “I’ve exposed the most hideous scars to you, and all you can say is nice rack?”

“I never said rack, but your breasts are perfection.” He pulled her up and touched his lips to hers. They felt familiar. They tasted familiar. They felt like home. “Are you sure we didn’t kiss last night?”

The blush that covered her skin told him she’d fibbed. “Can I plead the fifth?”

“I can’t believe you’d keep that from me,” he said in an amused voice.

She pressed her lips to his and drank in a long slow kiss. “It would appear we both have secrets. You now know mine. When will you tell me yours?”

Brody was weak when it came to her. He wanted to blurt out everything, but once he did, she’d have to join the clan or die. Her dying wasn’t an option. So he’d remain quiet until she became his completely. He’d made a vow to himself that he’d wait until she asked him to claim her. Once he did, she’d be his forever.

Brody had smelled him before he saw him. The damn hyena smelled like piss and dead porcupines. He caught site of the fetid animal just as it raised its leg to piss on Fawn’s clothes. That son of a bitch had just marked his territory.

He’d marked what belonged to Brody.

This was war.

* * *

Brody hurried her from the water. “Get in the cabin and lock the door!” He marched toward the woods, the water cascading down his bare back. If he caught that damn hyena, he promised to rip its head off with his teeth. Lucky for the beast, it was gone before Brody could catch it.

When he returned, Fawn was still standing on the dock as if mesmerized by the sight of him. He loved the way she looked at him, but this wasn’t the time for it. This situation was dangerous. That damn animal threatened her. He picked her clothes to mark. It sent a signal that she’d be a target. In the distance, the cackling of the mangy animal floated through the air.

Brody scooped up their clothes and herded her into the cabin. “I told you to get in the cabin. You need to listen to me.” His voice was tinged with a mix of anger and fear.

She stood in the center of the living room, her wet bathing suit dripping on the hardwood floor. Brody tossed her a towel then wrapped another one around his waist to hide his arousal. God, she was beautiful. All he wanted was to pull her into his arms. To carry her to his bed and make love to her.

“I’m not a child, Brody. Stop being so dramatic.” She toweled herself off while she spoke. “It was a wild dog. Dogs lift their legs on everything. Why are you so upset?” Her voice raised an octave from start to finish.

He leaned forward and braced his arms on the back of the couch. Every muscle twitched with the need to shift and hunt down that bastard. “What he did was intentional. He didn’t mark my clothes. He marked yours. He’s sending me a message.”

Fawn shook her head. “First, it was my mom, but now it’s you who sounds like the crazy person from a Stephen King novel. It was a stupid wild dog. That’s all.” She wrapped the towel around her body. “What’s wrong with people around here?” She looked down at her legs. “Now look what you’ve done. I have to shave.” After an impressive growl, she disappeared down the hall to the bathroom.

Brody was stumped by her last declaration. He gave up trying to figure it out. He gathered their clothes and dumped them in the washer after setting the temperature to hot. Then he called Ty.

“Hey Brody. What’s up?” The noise in the background was fading, indicating Ty was walking away from whoever surrounded him.

“Man, I’ve got problems.”

“Claim her. Problem solved.”

“No it’s not that. I mean, it is, but this is more pressing. The hyenas have marked her. They flagrantly pissed on her clothes in front of me.”

“Her clothes?”

“We were swimming, and she’d left her jean’s on the dock.” Brody explained how the animal had isolated her clothes, drawn his attention and then marked them.

“That’s a big problem. That means they will come after her as a way to get to you and us.” Silence filled the air.

“It pissed me off, but more than that, it scares the hell out of me. I lost her once. I’m not going to lose her again.”

“You came to your senses fast. I’m proud of you. You need to tell her and claim her.” There was no room for argument in Ty’s voice.

Brody looked down the hallway to make sure Fawn wasn’t within hearing distance. “I can’t tell her just yet. She’s scared to death of wildlife, bears in particular. I need her to fall in love with me before she finds out what I really am.”

“She has a reasonable explanation for her fear. Her father nearly killed her when she was tiny. Somewhere inside she knows it was a bear. You have to tell her or she has to go.”

“I can’t let her go. It would be like ripping my soul in two.”

“Then you have to tell her and soon. I’ll have the road cleared by noon tomorrow. Bring her to the den at two. She can meet everyone. We’ll decide then what to do about the hyena problem.”

“Do you think that’s wise?”

“Are you questioning my decision?” He spoke with the tone only an Itan could. He was direct and authoritative.

“No Itan, I would never be disrespectful.” He knew he’d been ill-mannered, but it was done out of love for his mate. Would bringing her to the den be the wisest choice?

“Let her get to know her people. She’s a member of this clan already simply by her blood connection. The minute you mark and claim her she becomes family again.”

Brody swallowed hard. “We’ll be there.”

“Brody, I’m giving you forty-eight hours to clear this up. When we go after the hyenas, she needs to be prepared for what she might see.”

Brody’s chest constricted enough to stop his breath. What if she didn’t want him? What if she couldn’t handle who or what he was? “I hear you. I’ll figure it out.” He disconnected the call in time to watch Fawn walk into the room.

“Figure what out?”

Chapter 11

Brody looked troubled, like the weight of the world sat squarely on his shoulders. He looked like he needed a hug.

She approached him and he guided her to the couch. “Ty is clearing the road tomorrow.” He sat first and then pulled her onto his lap.

“Oh, that’s great. We’re almost out of fish.”

“You know I can take care of you, right?” His hand snaked up her sleeve and ran across her scars. His touch was gentle, but the friction between his fingers and her skin made her body sizzle with warmth.

He was the first man who didn’t flinch or pull away from her the minute he saw her imperfections. She leaned into him and curled up on his lap.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier. I know you were defending me, but it’s just a stupid wild animal.” She inhaled his scent. She had no idea how, but the man always smelled of pine needles and fresh air. “I told you I’m not good with wildlife. I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to seeing bears, or hyenas. What else is in those woods?”

He leaned her back to look at her face. “You’re better with wildlife than you think, and the woods are full of wonders.”

His lips descended on hers like an unchecked storm. He was a torrential flood of desire and want, and she’d never felt so alive in her life. He rained kisses from her mouth to her neck. His teeth nibbled on the soft flesh, and for an instant she thought he’d bite her. Something inside her wanted him to, and she didn’t understand why.

His hardness pressed against her bottom. She giggled when she remembered that she’d referred to it as a stick. She couldn’t have been more wrong. She’d seen this man naked more than clothed, and he was always carrying a pole.

“What are you laughing about?” Brody nibbled on her lip.

“I’ve been wrong about you in so many ways.” She returned his passion with equal measure. “I feel like I know you deep in my soul, Brody. “She bit and pulled at his lower lip until he growled from deep in his throat.

“You don’t know enough, but soon you will.” He lifted her from the couch and took her to the bedroom.

Nerves flared hot with anticipation and desire. They’d been together for days, and yet she felt like they’d been together for years. She hadn’t decided if she would stay, but something told her she’d never be able to leave.

When he laid her on the bed, panic set in. Could she make love to him and leave? Shit, she was in love. The notion floored her. He’d said they were two halves of a whole. That’s exactly how it felt. With him, she was more. Without him, she was nothing.

“Are we going to have sex?” She gripped his chest. His towel had already slid to the floor exposing his arousal.

“There is nothing I want more than to sink myself between your thighs and claim you, but I won’t. Not tonight.”

Fawn was confused, she was wet, and hot, and needy. She reached for his length, but he pulled the comforter around his waist creating a barrier between their bodies. “No, little cub. Not tonight.”

Fawn had no idea what to make of his nickname. It sounded strange, but comforting, as if she’d heard it before.

“Why? Don’t you want me?” She clawed at his back trying to pull him to her body. “I need you. I need to feel like I belong somewhere—if only it’s in your arms for one night.”

Brody pulled her shirt over her head and ran his tongue along her scars. I’ll give you whatever you want except for that. When I take you as mine, everything will change.”

What he didn’t know was that everything had already changed. No man had ever made her feel as angry, happy, or loved, as he did. Her mom’s words echoed in her head. There is one man out there who will see you perfectly. Fawn prayed it was Brody.

All thoughts left when he pulled her nipple into his mouth. Her eyes rolled back, and her body became Play-doh. He kneaded and molded her flesh until she was a hot mess of tangled nerves.

He’d lost the blanket, but as he slid his body across hers, it was obvious he was intent on her pleasure. Not once did he seek relief for his own growing desire.

The heat of his lips trailed from her pert nipple to her hip where he nipped at her stomach and moved lower. She wiggled under the tickle of his tongue. Shifting down he moved to her ankle and kissed her all the way to her knees. Sharp teeth bit the soft underside then slid up her inner thigh until he crouched before her.

“Open for me.” He nudged her legs apart and inhaled her scent like she was a spring flower. “God, you’re perfect.”

When his mouth covered her sex, she came off the bed. He was a hot ember. She was the dry kindling. It didn’t take long for her to ignite. He licked her like she was coated in sugar. He savored each taste like it could be his last. When he pulled the swollen bundle of nerves into his mouth and suckled her, she came undone. Her nails dug into his shoulders while her body shook. He never relented. He forced every last quiver from her before he let her loose.

When it was over, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her full and deep. Her taste was on his tongue. His imprint was on her heart.

* * *

They lay on the bed with her body spread across his. No blanket was needed when Brody was present. He emanated heat from every pour. Her limbs were like noodles. Her thighs ached from power of her climax. She’d never experienced anything like it. No man had made her entire body shudder like Brody did just then. He was special, but it was more than the fact that he had a skilled tongue. An invisible thread that twenty-five years of separation couldn’t break kept them connected.

She broke the silence that wrapped around them. “Can I ask you something? My mom said that the sheriff’s family was important. I want to know what she meant by that.”

“They have a long history in Grayslake. The sheriff is more than a sheriff here.” Brody talked in riddles that Fawn didn’t understand.

She lifted her head from his chest and looked into his green eyes. While he was pleasuring her body, they were near black, but now they’d softened to the emerald green she’d come to love. “What does that mean?”

“Didn’t your mother ever tell you about where you were born?” He pawed her head so it lay on his chest.

“No, when I asked she said she couldn’t talk about it. I always assumed it was too tough for her, but recently she told me the people around here aren’t like us.”

“She’s wrong. They are exactly like us. They weren’t like your mother. She was an outsider, but your father was deeply in love with her, so he brought her in.”

“You make it sound so ominous.” Fawn felt her skin prickle with fear. “Oh my, God.” She bolted from his chest and pulled the comforter over her breasts. “Is this a cult? Did my mom leave because she figured it out?”

Brody shook with laughter, which pissed Fawn off. She was serious and he was laughing at her expense. “This isn’t a cult. Your mother met your father at college. They fell in love, they moved here where your father’s people were.”

“My father’s people? Are you saying I have family here?”

“I’m saying that there are a lot of people here who want to see you again. When you live in a tight-knit community, everyone is family.”

Fawn relaxed. All that she wanted was family. Her mother had been wonderful, but she simply hadn’t been enough. That missing link had been her yearning to belong to something bigger.

“Tell me about your family.” Fawn leaned against the headboard and smiled when Brody, laid his head in her lap. She ran her fingers through his thick brown hair and waited to discover something knew about the man she loved.

“My father was a bit of an elitist. He was hard to love and harder to like. He didn’t care for outsiders, he didn’t want to be around people that weren’t exactly like him.”

“That seems small minded. Where is he now?” Her fingers played with the scruff on his face; the same scruff that had a left a delicious burn between her thighs. She clenched her core at the memory of how wonderful it felt falling over the edge in Brody’s care.

“Both of my parent’s passed away years ago.”

“Oh, Brody, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be, we weren’t close. Their deaths were nothing compared to the pain of losing you.” He rolled over and hoisted Fawn into his lap. “You were my everything, Fawn. I was only five, but I knew that the … friendship … we shared would last forever.”

When Brody hesitated, Fawn thought for sure that he was going to say love, but he didn’t. Maybe it was just a friendship. Fawn silently chastised herself for hoping it was more.

They both soaked in the silence. Moments later her stomach voiced its unhappiness. Fruit and cheese weren’t going to satisfy her for the rest of the day. Another round with Brody could be considered an appetizer, but since he was dead set on not having sex, she couldn’t consider it completely satisfying.

She extricated herself from his lap. “I’m starving. What should I make for dinner?”

* * *

They moved around the house like a choreographed dance. He put the clothes in the dryer. She put the Halibut on the stove to fry. He poured them a beer. She steamed some broccoli she’d found in the freezer. He pulled her chair out. She sat and served him. It was perfect. Until … the laugh of the hyena reached the cabin.

“Son of a bitch.” Brody stood up so quickly he knocked over the chair. He pulled the gun case from the cabinet and slammed it on the table in front of Fawn. “Do not go anywhere without this gun cocked and ready. If that copper-eyed bastard comes near you, you shoot to kill.” He rolled up his sleeves and headed for the door. “Do you understand?” His body shook like he was trying to keep himself contained. Black had clouded the green in his eyes.

“Where are you going?” She ran toward the door and reached for him. He clenched his fists and tucked them into his pockets. Rage warred across his face.

“I’m going to kill a hyena.”

Chapter 12

The minute he hit the line of trees, he saw the sneaky little bastard. It wasn’t the same animal from the lake. This one carried a scar from his snout to his ear, and he smelled like he’d spent his day eating beached trout and cabbage. Why they smelled so bad, Brody would never understand.

He followed the animal deep into the forest and then he realized how stupid he was. It wasn’t leading him into the forest. It was leading him away from Fawn. Fear crawled up his spine and settled in his chest.

He spun around and raced toward the cabin. He wasn’t as strong in his human form, but he was fast. When he rounded the corner, a second hyena, the one from the lake, was up on his hind legs looking through the window at what belonged to Brody.

“Mine,” he roared. The mangy animal turned around and attacked. At two hundred and twenty pounds, Brody outweighed the four-legged beast five times over, but he was no match for the hyena’s claws and fangs. Ty said he could shift if he were defending himself, and this tussle in the dirt couldn’t be considered anything but an attack. However, he didn’t want Fawn to meet his bear in this manner, so he stayed in his human form and fought with all his might.

When the gun flashed and the boom from its discharge filled the air, the animal ran. Brody lay on the ground bleeding from puncture wounds guaranteed to bring infection. Hygiene wasn’t a strong point of hyenas.

“Damn it, Brody. Sometimes you’re so smart, and sometimes you’re so stupid. Why would you go out there alone without the damn gun?”

She wore shorts and one of his shirts. She waved the gun around as she reprimanded him. Each time she pointed it at him, he ducked. In his human form, a bullet was deadly, in his bear form, he stood a better chance of survival.

“Stop waving that thing around. You could shoot me.”

She looked at the gun and lowered it. Her face blushed red. “I’m sorry. You scared the hell out of me.” She set the gun on the porch step and flung herself in his direction. “Don’t do that again.” She poked him in the chest, and he loved it. That meant she cared, and if she cared, that meant there was a chance for them after all. Maybe she wouldn’t turn and run the minute she knew the truth.

He rolled from his back to his knees and gingerly stood up. He had several wounds on his shoulder and a few on his hands. He thought about getting her into the house, and then going to the distillery for a quick shift. He’d heal much faster if shifted, but he’d follow the rules. Ty said no shifting and he was no longer in danger. Or so he thought. One look at Fawn’s face, and he knew she was angrier than a bear caught in a trap.

His eyes skated over her with love, and when they reached her legs and saw the hairs sprouting with fervor, he smiled. Her bear was forcing itself out one hair at a time.

“Wipe that smile off your face. I could have shot you.” She picked up the gun and set the safety in place. “I want to shoot you right now for scaring the hell out of me.”

Brody played on her emotions by grimacing and groaning. He had no injuries to his legs, but he limped up the steps as if he did. “I’m hurt, Fawn. Don’t yell at me.”

She shook her head and pulled his arm toward the door. He winced for her benefit, then happily followed her inside.

After forcing him to take a seat on the couch, she pulled a first aid kit from under the kitchen sink and went about cleaning the puncture wounds on his shoulder. Even in his human form, they were already beginning to heal, and he wondered if she noticed.

“You big baby, he barely punctured your skin. Sometimes I wonder if men aren’t really the fairer sex?” She wadded up the tissues and tossed them into the fireplace. “How are we ever going to work out our cabin dilemma if you’re dead?”

“If I’m dead, there’s no dilemma.”

“Don’t die on me Brody, I like a challenge.”

God he loved her. She was silly, and funny, and fierce. He looked into her eyes and saw the future. His cubs would grow inside her. They’d spend their nights making love and their days making mead. He’d teach her how to fish, and she’d teach him how to love her perfectly.

“I aim to please.” He picked her up and carried her to bed. She begged him to make love to her, but he refused. When she became truly his, she’d come to him knowing the truth and wanting him anyway.

He loved her lush body from head to toe for hours. When her body couldn’t take another quake or quiver, he held her to his chest until she slept, and he prayed everything would be okay.

Chapter 13

Brody had her up and in the front yard shooting targets at the crack of dawn.

“You need to take this seriously, Fawn. Last night the coward ran, but they are aggressive by nature and the next time you might have to shoot it.”

“I don’t know if I can shoot an animal.” She pressed her hips against his and smiled when he moaned.

“Rubbing yourself against me isn’t going to get you out of target practice. Now line up and shoot the damn can.” He swatted her bottom and stepped aside.

Boom. The gun discharged and the can danced in the air. “I got it.” She jumped up and down. “I hit it.”

“I’m proud of you. I know you don’t want to shoot anything but you might have to. The bears around her are generally harmless, and I wouldn’t shoot one unless it were lunging at you ready to attack. The wolves are similar, but the hyenas … you shoot first and ask questions later.”

“Do you have any idea how crazy you sound? Don’t shoot the bears or wolves,” she said in a condescending tone, “but shoot the scraggly hound.” She took aim and killed another unsuspecting can.

“Mark my words, you’ll be grateful I showed you how to shoot.” He pulled the gun from her hand and tucked it in the waist of his jeans.

“What do you want to do now?” She lifted her eyes in question, but there was no doubt in her mind what she wanted to do. Brody was holding back, and she wanted all of him. “Come inside and make love to me.” She hadn’t meant to use the word love, but nothing else felt right.

“I can’t.”

His words hurt her more than she wanted to admit. “I get it, Brody.”

“What do you get?” His voice rose causing her to back away.

“Forget it. It’s been too nice a day to ruin it with something stupid.” She turned to leave, but he gripped her arms and held her there.

“Making love to you will be the greatest joy of my life, but I have to take care of a few things before that happens. Tonight, Fawn. Everything will change tonight.” He covered her lips with his and silenced any questions or doubts she had. His words filled her with hope. His kiss filled her with need.

* * *

At one-thirty, Brody pulled his truck out of the garage and helped her inside. She was a mess. She didn’t know why she was nervous about meeting the people of Grayslake, but she felt almost sick with worry that they wouldn’t like her.

“Come here.” Brody reached across the seat and pulled her toward him. “They will love you.”

“How do you know I was worried?” She knotted her hands in her lap. If they didn’t like her would Brody see her differently?

“I can feel you like you were a part of me. It’s always been like that, Fawn. The last twenty-five years have been a living hell for me.” He pried her hands apart and pulled one to his lips. A soft kiss caressed her knuckles. “They will love you because I love you.”

His words floated around her like a shield of protection. How many years had she waited for a man to tell her she was loved? She wanted to return the words, but she couldn’t. There were too many unanswered questions, too many things he wasn’t telling her.

“Brody, I—”

He put his finger to her lips. “Don’t say anything yet. Tonight. Let’s wait until tonight.”

* * *

As promised the road had been cleared of the debris from the storm. Fawn turned and watched the cabin disappear from view. Her memory flashed back to another time.

She was just a little girl wrapped in bandages from her neck to her hips. A man stood on the porch weeping. Her mother’s words came out between her wails. “We named you Fawn so he’d always remember how fragile you were.” The man and house faded into the distance along with the memory.

“Oh my, God, I remember something.”

Brody slammed on the brakes. “What? What do you remember?” Hope lit up his face.

“My father, I remember the day we left. He was on the porch crying. My mom was telling me why they’d named me Fawn.”

“It was a reminder to everyone that you were prey amongst predators.”

“What?”

“What I mean is that you were tiny. Only five pounds when you were born.” He held out the palm of his hand as if I’d have fit in it.

“You were there?” Fawn was stunned that this man had been there since the beginning. It was oddly creepy and yet comforting.

“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

“I wish I could remember you, Brody.” Deep inside she knew it hurt him and that she didn’t remember him. Her mind might not have any memories, but somewhere inside she felt he’d always been with her.

They stopped at Miller Grocery to pick up some picnic supplies. They brought seafood salad, chips, and soda. When Emily cooed over Brody, Fawn wanted to poke her eyes out. She wanted to roar the word mine every time the girl reached out to touch him.

Brody was getting a kick out of her jealousy. He even played into Emily’s infatuation by asking her senseless questions that kept her engaged in conversation for longer than Fawn liked. Eventually, Fawn kicked Brody in the shin to get him moving.

He pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her hair next to her ear. “Jealous?”

“Extremely.” Fawn threw a few twenties on the counter and walked out the door.

She wasn’t sure she liked the smirk on Brody’s face. She even considered smacking it off of him. Then again, any look on Brody’s face was sexy and turned her insides to goo. It was when he pulled her into his lap for a kiss that she forgave him. The minute his tongue touched hers, all transgressions were forgotten. He broke the kiss with one word. “Tonight.”

Fawn watched the scenery float by. Brody’s kiss had left her in a dreamy state. She felt like she’d downed a bottle of mead.

Up ahead a large estate came into view. A huge home with old world charm sat front and center. In the distance, smaller homes dotted the landscape.

People milled about until they saw the truck approach. All eyes were on them. Fawn tugged at the skirt of her dress and pulled at the collar of her sweater.

“You look beautiful. You have nothing to worry about. These people are your family.” Brody’s words, although meant to comfort her, made her feel worse. If her father could abandon her after he gave her life, how could these people be trusted to embrace her?

Her worries were unfounded. The minute her shoes hit the ground, Mia embraced her and welcomed her to the family. Brody squeezed her hand before the women stole her away.

“They have business to take care of.” Mia walked her toward the big house. “I hear you have a critter problem.”

After she explained the hyena situation, the women that surrounded her shook their heads. Fawn wasn’t certain if it was a show of solidarity or something else. She felt the same sense she had when she was with Brody—like there was more unsaid than said.

Once the introductions were complete, they set up the tables for the picnic. A woman named Lana helped her remove covers from the bowls.

“Brody must love you all very much.”

“Oh yeah, why’s that?” Two little boys ran up to her and wrapped their hands around her legs.

“He names the bears that hang around his cabin after you all. He called one Thomas.”

“Is that so?” Lana whispered something into her son’s ears that sent them running toward the door. A few seconds later the men appeared. Lana pointed to a man walking with Brody. “That big man there is Thomas.”

Mia approached from behind. I hope he doesn’t call the hyena’s Ty, or Mia.” She wiped her hands on the white apron she’d tied around her middle.

“Oh no,” Fawn said. “He has much more colorful names for those creatures.”

The girls were still laughing when several men came Fawn’s way to introduce themselves. Brody grumbled each time someone touched her or got too close. He appeared to be as possessive about her as she felt about him. It gave her great joy to watch his discomfort. She swore she even heard him growl the word mine a few times during the afternoon.

All in all, the day turned out to be a blessing. Fawn had made a few friends, and they exchanged numbers. She’d met the sheriff and could see why the people looked to him for guidance. He and his wife were good, and they obviously cared about the people around them.

It was nearing nightfall when Brody and Fawn left the gathering. Brody was quiet the entire trip home.

“You okay?” Fawn slid into the space next to him and buckled herself there. She wrapped her hand around his thick arm and laid her head on his shoulder.

“Yep.”

“You don’t sound okay.” Fawn’s heart raced. Was it the apprehension she felt in Brody or the promise of tonight?”

“I’m nervous, Fawn. I have to expose myself to you tonight. What if you don’t like what you see?”

Fawn turned in her seat to look at the man beside her. Deep furrows etched his brow. “Really? You’ve been exposing yourself since the minute I got here. I can guarantee you that I like what I see.”

A tiny smile lifted his lips. “That’s not what I’m talking about. That’s the least of my worries.”

Fawn ran her palm over his thigh to the bulge in his jeans. “Brody, when I see you fully erect and ready, the word least has never entered my mind.”

He pulled her hand off his growing erection. “You’re playing with fire.”

She giggled. “I like your heat.”

Chapter 14

Brody pulled down the long drive to their cabin. Their cabin. After parking the truck, he scanned the surroundings before helping her out. Needing her to be safe, he rushed her inside and started a fire.

He did anything he could do to stall the inevitable conversation they needed to have. He wasn’t ready to risk everything, but his Itan had given him a deadline, and he’d promised her a night to remember. He prayed to the creator that this night would be their beginning and not their end.

“Talk to me, Brody.” She was curled up in the corner of the couch watching him. Her face was etched with confusion.

Brody paced in front of the building fire. “That’s exactly what I’m going to do. I’m going to talk to you. It’s time you knew everything.”

“Everything?” Brody could hear her heart thump against her ribs. He could see her pulse rise and her breath hitch. He wanted to grab her and tell her everything would be okay, but he wasn’t certain it would. How did you tell the woman you loved that she was half bear and that you were fully capable of becoming one with a thought?

“What don’t I know?” Her eyes flew open wide. “Oh shit, are you married?” She jumped from the couch and walked straight to the refrigerator. “Is that why you won’t make love to me?” She shoved things around not finding what she was looking for.

“No, I’m not married.” Brody pulled the refrigerator open to see what she was rooting for. “What are you looking for in there?”

“Mead. Something tells me I’m going to need alcohol for whatever you’re going to say.”

He helped her up and pushed the refrigerator door closed. His lips grazed hers. “It’s going to be okay.”

“You’re scaring me, Brody. Just tell me what’s going on in your head.” She laid her cheek on his chest.

“Let me get us a drink, and then I’ll tell you. After that, I’m taking you to bed where I will make love to you for hours and prove to you that no other woman will ever satisfy my need for you.”

Her baby blue eyes pleaded with him. “Can’t we skip the talk and go straight to the hours of making love?”

He kissed the top of her head. “I wish it were that easy.” He turned and walked toward the door.

“Brody Byron,” she shouted after him. “Nothing you do or say will stop me from loving you.”

Her words stopped him. She said she’d loved him. He turned to see the glow of the firelight behind her. She was beautiful and his.

“I pray your right, little cub.” He ran down the cabin stairs and headed to the distillery. He needed a drink to bolster his courage. If she left him again, he’d be destroyed.

Chapter 15

Fawn paced the room several times waiting for Brody to return. How long did it take to get a bottle of mead? He better not have drunk himself into a half stupor.

Her legs were starting to itch and her cheeks were starting to flame. If she found him lying on the floor with another glass bottle between his legs, he wouldn’t have to worry about animal attacks. She’d kill him herself.

After another few minutes had passed, and her patience had worn thin. She didn’t want to go outside to find him. Who knew what could be lurking in the shadows? Then the thought occurred to her that something could have happened to Brody. Fear seized her lungs. She couldn’t breathe without him. She knew that for a fact. He was the piece she’d been missing. He filled the emptiness in her life.

The cackle of a hyena sent her scurrying for the gun. She was definitely afraid of the creatures that lived in the forest, but that fear paled in comparison to the fear she felt at losing Brody. Nothing would take what was hers.

She opened the door and inched down the steps, her eyes adjusting to the darkness, her hand gripped the handle of the revolver. Every sound stirred the angst in her. Her skin prickled with fear. Something shifted to her right. The branches moved and copper eyes glowed in the blackness of the night. First a snarl, then a growl, and then it was as if the animal had laughed. She pointed the gun in its direction.

“Shoot it,” Brody yelled from behind her.

She turned in time to see another hyena jump from the darkness and run in Brody’s direction. Confused, Fawn didn’t know where to shoot. She raised the pistol to the sky and let the first shot go, hoping to scare the animals away, but their cackling continued as if they were enjoying some kind of game. The first hyena charged toward her, her finger gripped the trigger, and then she heard a roar so close her hair stood on end. When she turned she was caught between a bear and a hyena, both poised for attack. She took aim and pulled the trigger. She couldn’t hit them both with one bullet so she chose to shoot the biggest threat. The animal towered over her. He was frightening and ferocious. The fury in his growl, the hate in his eyes, she knew she’d be dead if he got a hold of her.

In fear, she crouched to the ground and waited for the teeth to tear her to shreds. Instead, the bleeding bear lunged over her and went after the hyena. The second hyena stalked toward her. Knowing she wouldn’t get another chance, she ran into the house and bolted the door shut. Where in the hell was Brody?

She raced to the bedroom window. It was the closest room to the distillery. When she searched the area, all that was left of Brody were his shredded clothes lying on the ground. She gasped and fell to the bed in tears.

Outside, the battle continued. Fawn covered her ears so she couldn’t hear the screech of the hyena as the bear ripped it to pieces. She wondered how long it would take for the bear to bleed out. She knew she’d hit him. It wasn’t a clean shot to his heart, but a good shot to his shoulder. She needed to get outside and see if Brody had somehow escaped. What if he were alive but injured. If he were lying somewhere bleeding to death, she’d never forgive herself.

When silence blanketed the forest. She crept to the window. On the porch were the carcasses of both mangy beasts. All life had left their bodies. The blood soaked ground glistened under the moonlight.

Fawn didn’t know what to do. She wanted to collapse and cry, but instead she picked up her phone and called Mia.

“Fawn, are you okay?” Mia’s voice was full of sleep.

“No, Brody’s gone.” With each word, hysteria took over. “There was a bear, and two hyenas, and I shot the bear, and it killed the hyena’s, and Brody is gone. I can’t find him. His clothes … his clothes are all that’s left.” Fawn’s sobs drowned out anything Mia was saying. The only thing she heard was, “We’ll be right there.”

* * *

The knock at the door had Fawn jumping off the couch with the gun in her hand. When she answered, it was Ty, Mia, and a man they called Jericho.

Ty immediately removed the gun from her death grip. On the porch, townsfolk she’d met earlier that day were removing the Hyena’s limp bodies.

“Has he shown up?” Ty held her shoulders steady. His voice was calm but stern.

“Who?”

“Brody.” He shook her a bit until Mia took her from his grip. “Has Brody shown up?”

At the mention of Brody, Fawn began to cry. “No, he’s gone.”

Ty addressed Mia first. “Get her a drink. I’m sure Brody has something in the distillery.” When Mia, left he walked Fawn to the couch. “Listen to me.” His gruff voice drew her attention. “Brody is not gone. He’s injured, and we have to find him before he’s truly gone. Did you see where the bear went?”

She shook her head and sank into a pit of despair. Moments later, Mia was making her sip Brody’s new blackberry mead. An hour and a glass of mead were gone by the time Fawn took her eyes off the dying fire. A commotion was stirring on the porch.

“Stay here.” Mia rose from the couch and opened the door. In Ty’s arms was a limp and lifeless Brody. He was bleeding and broken.

Fawn leaped off the couch and followed Ty and Jericho into the bedroom. When they laid him on the bed, Brody groaned and her heart soared with joy. “Don’t you die on me! You promised me a night to remember, and this better have not been it, or I’ll kill you myself.” She planted kisses over his face.

Brody pried one eye open. “You shot me.” Those were the only words he said before he passed out again.

Fawn looked at Ty and shook her head. “No. I swear I shot the bear. I swear.”

Ty and Jericho shuffled her out of the room. Thankfully, Ty had the presence of mind to bring the doctor. Mia called him a healer, but what was the difference as long as he was able to save Brody.

Mia had brewed tea while Fawn gained her composure. “You love him, don’t you?” She sipped the steaming liquid and stared at Fawn over the mug.

“Yes. He’s a piece of me. Half of me.”

Mia gave her a knowing smile. “He’s your fated mate. Ty is mine.”

“Fated?”

“It happens that way sometimes. Ty told me that Brody searched for you for ten summers.”

“What?” Fawn sat up. “Why would he do that? We were only children.”

“He knew then. You know now.”

Mia placed her mug on the table the minute she saw Ty and Jericho walk out of the bedroom.

“I take it he’s going to be okay?” Mia fell into her husband’s arms. They looked perfect together.

“He’ll live, but not for very long if she keeps that gun.” Ty pointed to the pistol on the counter. “I’ll be taking that with me.”

Fawn packed the gun into its case and handed it to the sheriff.

“Are you sure you didn’t shoot him to end the battle over the cabin?”

Her eyes went side with shock. “No. I love him. I’d never—”

The sheriff laughed. “I know. He says you were very brave. He’s waiting for you.”

* * *

Fawn didn’t waste another second. She barely heard the front door close when she entered the bedroom. Brody was propped up on several pillows. His shoulder was angry looking and red around the bandage.

“Oh Brody, I can’t believe I shot you.” Fawn touched the red skin around the dressing. His skin was on fire. “Maybe you should go to the hospital. You’re burning up.”

He shifted his body and pulled her to his side. “I just need a few hours. Now that the bullet is out, I’ll heal fine.”

“Oh, God. I thought I’d lost you.”

Brody reached across her to get the box from the nightstand. It was the same box he had shown her before. Ty or Jericho must have placed it there.

“Fawn, you could never lose me. It took twenty-five years for fate to reunite us. Do you think I’d let a little bullet separate us now?” He pulled the box to his lap and gripped the lid.

After a long inhale he opened the lid to show his treasures.

First, he pulled the slingshot from the box. “It would appear we’re even now. I shot you first.” He chuckled, and then he winced. “Your parent’s had just brought you home, and I wanted to be with you every minute of every day. Your dad told me to go home, and in anger I aimed my slingshot at him, but I hit you instead. That was the worst tongue lashing I’d ever received. I think your father would have killed me if it had been anything other than a berry.”

“You shot me with a berry?”

“You shot me with a gun. I’d say you one-upped me.” He played with the wooden slingshot before he set it aside.

The next item he pulled from the box was a pink rabbits foot. An area of its paw was stained dark. “Was this mine?” Fawn took it from his hand and let her fingers travel over the soft fur.

“Do you recognize it?”

She closed her eyes and concentrated on the furry foot in her palm. It felt familiar. “Did it have a chain or something?”

“No, it had a ribbon, but it fell apart years ago. Do you remember it?” The hope in his eyes twisted her heart.

She did remember it. “Yes, I wore it around my neck. I never took it off. It hung all the way to my belly button.” Fawn closed her eyes. The pink fur hit the floor. Her shirt was shredded and blood covered everything. The rabbit’s foot sat in a pool of her blood. Her father screamed in anguish. Fawn snapped her eyes open, not willing to see her father in such pain.

“What else do you remember?” He pulled a picture from the bottom of the box and held it to his chest.

Fawn closed her eyes and searched her memories. Her mother and father were happy and in love. A large fluffy dog bounded around her, she loved to pull his ears and ride on his back. She loved that dog. Digging deeper, she saw her father sleeping and then a large paw shot out, and everything turned red.

“It all turns dark and scary.”

“Like the bears?” He rubbed the Polaroid in his hand.

“The bears.” She said the words softly. “I thought you were a bear. I’m so sorry. My imagination played the worst trick, and I almost killed you.”

“Fawn, I was the bear.” He turned the photo over and handed it to her.

She stared at him and then back at the picture. Her fingers traced over the little girl riding the cub. A big smile took up half the toddlers face. Her eyes were filled with the look of love. Little hands gripped his fur, but he seemed unfazed. If pride could show on an animals face, this bear was full of it.

Her mom’s words repeated in her mind. Your father would lift you to Brody’s back, and he’d carry you all over. He was really sweet on you then.

“You. This was you … and me.” She felt weak.

Brody lifted her chin and forced her to look at him. “Yes, I’m a shifter.”

“A what?” She sucked in her breath.

“Let’s start at the beginning.” He moved and pulled her to his uninjured side. “Your father was like me. Your mother is fully human.”

She stiffened at the word human. “What does that make me?”

“The elitists or a speciest like my father called you a half-skin. I called you mine.”

“I’m a bear?” She tried to wrap her head around what he was saying. On any other day, she’d call him crazy, but she knew deep in her DNA that what he said was the truth. She’d always known she was different, but she didn’t know why. Now she did.

“Yes, half of your DNA is fully human. Half is shifter.”

“Can I shift?” She lifted and looked at him.

“Have you ever shifted?”

“No. I would have known, right?” She couldn’t remember being anything but what she was now.

“Not all hybrids shift.” She must have had a look of disappointment on her face. Brody grabbed his wounded shoulder and laughed. “I just told you that you were a non-shifting hybrid, and the only emotion you show is disappointment. God, I love you.” He moved their bodies so she straddled his lap. “After everything you know, could you love me, Fawn?”

Tears pulled in her eyes. “After everything I know, how could I not love you?”

She covered his mouth with hers and drank in his love. His arousal grew beneath her. She rocked against it and moaned.

He steadied her hips. “Not tonight, little cub. I want to be in prime shape when I claim you.”

“You promised me a night to remember.”

He chuckled. “And I delivered.” His thumbs rubbed her hips, making her want him that much more. “You don’t think you’ll remember this night?”

“I had something entirely different in mind when you made that promise.” Fawn eyed his shoulder and noticed the red on his skin had turned into healthy pink flesh.

He followed her widened eyes. “I heal fast. I’ll make good on my promise tomorrow when I’m in prime condition. “You need to understand that once we mate, it will be forever.”

Her smile was all he needed, but her voice was even sweeter. “I’ll never let you go, Brody.”

“I’m counting on it. Now go to sleep, you’re going to need your energy. Hours I tell you. What I need from you will take hours.”

Brody thought she’d fallen asleep, but then she started rattling off names.

“Mia?”

“Like you.”

“Ty?”

“Like me.”

“Oh my God, Lana and the boys?”

“Yes.”

“Thomas?”

“Go to sleep, Fawn. You will need your rest.”

She snuggled up against his body and fell into a peaceful sleep.

Chapter 16

Brody lay beside her and watched her sleep. She was beautiful in every way, but what he fell in love with was the beauty of her soul. He knew it the minute she was born. She was born for him, and today he would claim her forever.

He stretched his body, gauging his recovery. His shoulder was stiff and sore, but it was mostly healed. He slipped out of bed and planned their day.

He had the coffee ready when she padded into the kitchen barefoot and sleepy-eyed.

“I don’t like waking up alone.” She rubbed at her eyes and walked to him.

“I’ll remember that.” He pulled out her chair and placed her coffee on the table.

“I like you naked.” She sipped at her coffee and cracked a grin.

“I like me naked too.” Brody unbuttoned his jeans and let them fall to the floor. “Is your coffee stirred enough, or do you need my stick.”

“You’re selling yourself short.” She raked her eyes over his body. Lots of time was spent analyzing his stick before she shifted her eyes to his shoulder.

“All healed up.” He rubbed over the puckered scar. “I promise you a day you’ll never forget.”

She held up her hand. “How about we experience a day we want to remember.”

“Deal.” He lifted her from her chair, shifted her toward the bathroom, and sent her on her way. “Go get ready. The less you wear, the better. Hurry.”

His bear was getting impatient. It took all the control he had to not shift then and there. His bear wanted to be seen. He wanted to be acknowledged. He wanted to claim what was his.

Fawn emerged fifteen minutes later dressed in a short-sleeved sundress the color of honey. She didn’t cover her scars. She wore them proudly. His bear growled in appreciation. Fawn laughed.

“Where are we going?”

“Grab you camera and the backpack and meet me outside.”

The minute Brody stepped outside he shifted. His bear roared loud enough for the entire town of Grayslake to hear him. Today was the day he’d claim his mate. They’d become a whole again.

Fawn approached slowly. With a look of awe in her eyes, she reached out and raked her fingers through his thick brown fur. His spine tingled at her touch. He tossed his head and time traveled back twenty-five years. He was that little cub, and she was climbing on his back. Once she was settled, he lumbered toward the meadow. It was the perfect place to make her his.

* * *

“Again,” she squealed.

Brody had shifted no less than five times since they arrived at the meadow.

“Woman, you’re wearing me out.” He collapsed next to her body to catch his breath. One look at her, and he knew he didn’t need a reprieve.

In the tall grass, he removed her clothes one piece at a time. He ran his tongue along her scars and promised to cherish her for the rest of their lives. He kissed her mouth and pledged to love her forever. Poised above her, his bear growled. He would have loved to take his time and coax her body to release a thousand times, but he’d waited twenty-five years for this moment. He promised to make it up to her.

“Brody, claim me. Make me yours forever.”

He looked into her eyes like he was looking into the face of love. His hard length rocked against her. He sank his cock inside her heat, and his teeth into her shoulder. He claimed what he always knew was his. He claimed his future.

They spent hours in the meadow making love. Brody lived up to his promise of providing her a day to remember, and she cataloged it with hundreds of photos. Many of which were destined to stay in her private collection.

Chapter 17

Seven Months Later

Brody hung the picture of himself on the wall of the new addition. It was the first photograph that earned Fawn a paycheck as a wildlife photographer. She’d taken the picture of him in the meadow after he’d claimed her. He’d shifted and roared to tell the world that she was his.

He looked around the room and smiled at his handiwork. The nursery was done in just in the knick of time.

His mother-in-law called from the bedroom. “It’s time Brody, she’s crowning.” Fawn’s mother had arrived weeks ago without her new husband. He was an outsider, and there was no way to bring him into the fold.

Brody wiped the sweat from his wife’s forehead. “Are you okay?” He watched her legs shake and saw the hairs begin to sprout. People said that wives got pissed at husbands just before they gave birth. By the looks of it, Fawn was furious.

“Damn it, Brody. Did you have to stir your stick so much?” She panted and sucked in a deep breath.

He brushed his lips against hers, and whispered, “you never complained before.”

She let out a fierce growl and bore down. Within minutes, two perfect cubs were born.

Fawn and Brody looked at their children with as much pride as any parent could. They were perfect, and he knew that his son and daughter would grow up to love like their parents did—deeply.

Once the cubs were safely in the arms of their grandmother, Brody knelt in front of his wife.

“Fawn, I promise you a life you’ll never forget.”

Her tired eyes smiled up at him. “Brody, you’ve given me a life I want to remember,” she stretched her arms and yawned, “but if you don’t let me get some sleep, I’m going to get a new gun.”

He backed out the room laughing and went in search of his family. Their grandmother had put them in the crib he’d made. They were burrowed close together like two peas in a pod. They hadn’t expected twins. His son was born first, but he was elated when his daughter entered the world with as much sass as her mother. Tomorrow he’d start on the next addition. Hell, he’d need a mansion before too long. Brody had no desire to retire his stick.