Bearly Living: Foxhollow Den #1 (Alaskan Den Men) (5 page)

“Are you kidding? All I hear are bells ringing.”

Tilting his head, he sniffed the air. His eyebrows drew together with what appeared to be true concern. His eyes turned the deepest shade of gold. “Let’s move this to my cabin. I don’t think we’re alone out here.”

Bobbie wrapped herself in a flannel sheet from Grant’s queen-sized bed and met him in the kitchen, the sharp aroma of brewing coffee dragging her into the room. After a long night of making love, she needed the caffeine more than she wanted to admit. Rough sex equaled tiring sex. While he poured the black brew into two sturdy glass mugs, she studied the small one-story split log cabin. “Quaint.”

“Each of the grown siblings in my family has a house on the four corners of the property, and then we have a special cabin in the middle for visitors. Mom, Dad, and the youngest two live in town.”

There was a map tacked to the wall over a neat desk. The property lines were outlined in black. “A bear reserve so to speak?”

“You could call it that. Sometimes we allow other shifters who want a safe place to bring their cubs to teach them the ways of their pack. Things they want to happen in private.”

“Bears don’t do packs.”

“True, but we are still loyal to our families. And our mates if we decide to take one.”

“Ah, yes. The soulmate theory.”

“You think it’s just a theory?”

She re-tucked the blanket firmly around her nakedness. “Finding that one special person and mating for life? I don’t think so. The best we can hope for is moderately good sex and someone who doesn’t make us want to jump off a balcony head first.”

He handed her a mug. “Cynical.”

Bobbie shrugged her shoulders, not wanting to continue with the conversation of fated mates. She stopped in front of a shelf lined with framed photographs. “Wow. Your family really is humongous. How did your mom do all this?”

“Bear mating with bear usually results in multiples. Poor Mom hit the jackpot with three sets of fraternal twins. That’s my older brother Ray and his twin Carter. Carter should be back from a rig job next week. That’s my twin Caroline. And you know the boys.” He wrapped an arm around her middle and pulled her firmly against his body. The comfort worked out any tension left from the earlier topic. “Tell me about your family.”

“Just me and Mom before she passed away. She left my dad when I was little. She didn’t like the bear life. I don’t blame her.”

“Where’s your dad?”

“Down in the Appalachians somewhere. Probably with soulmate number two and more cubs than he knows what to do with.”

“Doesn’t anyone up here have any information?”

“Probably, but I don’t ask, and they don’t offer.”

“How do you know you wouldn’t like the bear life if you’ve never really experienced it?”

“Wow, look at the time. I probably need to be going. Those donuts don’t bake themselves.”

Grant held her tightly and placed a kiss on her neck. “I was thinking we could have some fun before you go this morning.”

Bobbie nestled her butt against his groin and wiggled. “I’m up for more fun.”

“Good. I have the best fishing hole on the property.”

It unnerved her that sometimes they had two different conversations at once. “What now?”

“Time for another lesson.”

“Another test while we’re in the middle of all this
real
fun?”

“Don’t you like what happens when you pass a test?” He slid his rough hand into her blanket and found her sex. He teased her clit until his finger and her sex were wet.

She dropped her head back against his chest. She used her own hand to guide his finger deep inside her. “Yes.”

He withdrew his finger and stepped away, leaving her aching.

“Good. Go put your boots on. Since I tore your tank, you can borrow one of my shirts.”

Bobbie stared into the depths of her coffee, and something stirred in her gut. Not the ball of anger that had been her constant companion for years, yet it was more than the hunger for his touch. This new feeling was a hunger for his approval of her bear abilities. The true reason she couldn’t tell him no. And that was not what she’d signed up for.

∞∞∞

Not willing to explore any deeper meaning to their relationship, Bobbie threaded her fingers through Grants as they trekked through the woods to a peaceful looking pond. Since they hadn’t brought any fishing poles or bait, she assumed they’d be whittling sticks and throwing them at the fish cavewoman style.

After Grant pulled away from her hand and walked into the water up to his waist, she realized it was much, much worse. “I’m not getting in the water with these boots on. I just bought them.”

“Take them off then, but you will be getting into the water for this lesson.”

The bushes shook to her left, and she expected any number of critters to jump out at her feet. “It looks cold. And we’re probably disturbing the local wildlife. They might be thirsty.”

“Sweetheart, we are the local wildlife.” He splashed water in her direction. “If you focus on your bear, then your body will adjust to the temperature. Don’t think human, think bear.”

“I think I’ll watch from here.” Aggressive suited her style, but she could muster an amazing amount of stubborn if the situation called for it. This one did. She dropped down to sit criss-crossed on the bank.

“Okay, fine. Watch me first, and once you see how fun it is, you’ll be begging to come in.” Grant moved forward and stood thigh deep.

When his arms began to change into a weird half-human, half-bear shape, Bobbie’s instincts told her to get the hell out of there.

“Shhh.” The warmth in Grant’s eyes let her know he was in control of his half-shift. His focus went back to the water beneath him and with a quick jab of his bear claw he tossed a fish onto the bank near her.

The fish flopped, and she gasped at the size. “What is it? Holy crap, it has teeth, Grant.”

“That’s a Northern Pike. Not the friendliest or tastiest of fish. Toss it back in.”

“I hope it bites you,” she murmured, mostly to herself. Before she tossed the fish back in, she mumbled an apology for his out-of-water experience.

After she wiped her hands over Grant’s flannel shirt, she paused to inhale deeply. A strange odor filled the air around them. Grant must have smelled it too as he lifted his nose in the air.

“What is that?” she asked.

“People.” The tone of his voice suggested they weren’t welcomed people.

Quick pops echoed through the trees almost like firecrackers, but followed with little clicks. “Is that gunfire?”

Grant rushed forward out of the water. “It shouldn’t be. Firearms are off-limits up here, and right now we don’t have any visitors on the land. Could be the twins messing around, but we’d have heard their four-wheelers.” He shook off the water like a dog after a bath. “Do you want to check it out with me?”

“Not really.”

“We won’t get too close. I need to be able to warn the rest of the family if it’s someone who shouldn’t be here. It’s my job to keep an eye on all of this for them.”

She nodded in agreement. Apprehension filled her, and tension seeped into her body making it difficult to walk. She followed along directly behind Grant, mimicking his careful steps. They’d only gone a few hundred yards when he motioned for her to stop.

He inhaled deeply and tilted his head. “It’s the same group from before. I don’t need to see them to know what they are doing.”

“What
are
they doing?”

“Trapping on private property.”

A guttural and pain-infused growlish moan filled the air. She could be sure it was a bear of some type. “Oh no. What if that’s a shifter?”

Grant intertwined his fingers through hers and pulled her in the direction of his cabin. “Definitely a bear, but usually if a shifter gets wounded, they go back to human. We’d be hearing screams instead. But it doesn’t matter. Our land is a safe haven for all animals. Those men don’t have any right to be here.”

“What are you going to do? They have guns.”

Grant pulled her into a trot. “They aren’t leaving here with that bear. I’m going to drop you off at the cabin and then come back for them.”

“Don’t you have someone you can call? Please don’t do this by yourself. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I’ll text Ray and see if he can head out here.” Grant slowed enough to text, and then they returned to their fast pace.

After about thirty minutes, Ray pulled into the drive. As he walked to the front porch, his face twisted in what could only be called disdain. “What’s she doing here?”

Grant met him at the bottom steps. “Now isn’t the time to worry about it.”

Ray cut his suspicious gaze to her, and she shivered at the metaphorical ice he threw her way.

“Not very loyal to Caroline,” he finally said.

Grant rubbed a hand over his face. “We can’t hate an entire family over something that happened six months ago.”

Ray held his ground. “You tell mom that. They are still paying off a wedding that didn’t take place. She’s part of that family, and she needs to leave.”

Bobbie stomped off the steps and stood in front of Grant. “He’s right. I should go. I don’t want to get tangled up in any of this bear business or this stupid family feud.”

Grant blew out a hard breath. “It’s probably best you go back to town. Take my truck, and I’ll get the keys from you later.”

Bobbie didn’t want any more trouble. She didn’t want to cause problems. Unshed tears blurred her vision as she held out her hand. The onslaught of emotion confused her even more. She wasn’t supposed to care if he agreed with her leaving. “I’ll place them under the mat in front of the hardware store. There’s no reason to stop by.”

“If that’s what you want, fine,” he said.

“Fine,” she repeated.

Grant motioned to Ray. “Let’s go.”

Bobbie could hear them trot off into the woods, but she didn’t watch them go. This wasn’t her life.

“Whoa, sour face. Are you okay? I thought things were going well when you didn’t come home last night.” Samantha occupied a chair at one of the café tables digging through the stack of paperwork in front of her.

Bobbie rubbed her hands over her tired eyes. All she’d wanted was to escape the bear, and all Grant’s actions made it clear the bear was his life. She couldn’t see herself in that life. Could she? Add the problem of the family feud, and there was no way to make it work. “I made a mistake. It’s not going to work out with Grant.”

“How’s the anger issue?” she asked.

“Fine, I guess.” Bobbie paced in front of the plate glass window, peering up and down the street. Did she expect to see Grant coming through the front door? Of course not. He’d only ever snuck up to the back. That small interaction spoke volumes about their relationship. If it could even be called a relationship. She kicked a chair leg and blew out a heavy sigh. He was pro-bear, and she was anti-bear. Their families didn’t get along. The best time to call it quits would be before their affair morphed into something deeper. Something she wouldn’t be able to let go of at the end of summer.

Who was she kidding? Things had pushed past the point of no return when they’d made love on the blanket out in the woods that first night. Otherwise she wouldn’t be pacing at a window wishing with every breath to catch a glimpse of him. She should’ve stood up to Ray at the cabin, and she should’ve had Grant’s back when he went out to confront the poachers. The anger ball growing in the pit of her stomach calmed with her admission. Bear or no bear, she needed Grant.

“Want to do some more test batches? Dad came in this morning and ate the last three dozen.”

Bobbie couldn’t think about donuts right now. “Did you notice the hardware store is still closed this afternoon? Isn’t that unusual?”

“Maybe. I’ve heard through the grapevine that mom and pop Wright are down in Juneau, and I guess Ray usually runs the store when they aren’t there. Are you concerned something happened?”

“Grant and Ray were going to confront poachers who had guns this morning, and it was a stupid idea,” she blurted without taking a pause.

Samantha stood and joined Bobbie at the front of the café. “Jesus, Bobbie. Why didn’t you start the conversation with that information? Confronting poachers is always a stupid idea. When was this?”

She shook her hands rapidly, trying to shake out any fear for Grant’s safety. “A couple of hours ago. I’d thought they’d be back by now.”

A woman with a double stroller stopped in front of the hardware store and pulled on the locked doors. She knocked insistently, only pausing to put a pacifier back in one of the babies’ mouths. “Is that Ray’s wife?”

Samantha had paced away but now joined her again at the window. “Yes, and Kristin looks pissed.”

Fear gnawed at Bobbie’s limbs and wouldn’t stop. She’d been the last to see Ray, and now it was possible he and Grant were in trouble. “Should we tell her what we know?”

Samantha’s golden curls bounced around her as she shook her head. “I don’t think we should worry her without good reason.” Her serious gaze locked on Bobbie’s. “What do you want to do?”

Find Grant and wring his neck for making me feel this way
. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t even know where to begin to look for them if they are off in the woods. I do know how to get down to Grant’s pond, and I might be able to find the spot from there.”

Samantha made sure the bolt was set on the front door. “We can start with the last place you guys saw the poachers. I’ve had enough Grant smell off of you lately, I can probably track them. Let’s go.”

Bobbie rushed behind Samantha. “Really? You’d help sworn family enemies?”

Samantha grabbed her keys from the counter, and they walked out the kitchen back door. “Personal drama aside, we shifters have to stick together.”

Having her cousin back her up eased her anxiety. “What’s the plan?”

“We assess and determine if we need to call for back up. Nothing crazy or risky.”

“Got it.”
Nothing crazy or risky
.