She was dancing around in the dress, holding the full skirt out with one hand, pretending to be at an old timey party when the door of Cyrus’s cabin burst open.
An excited bark from the door had her turn to see Cyrus standing there, naked as the day he was born, holding Fifi. The look of shock on Cyrus’s face matched her own. Fifi was filthy!
“What the hell have you done to this place?” he growled. “Why did you go through my mother’s things?”
“Your mother’s things?”
“That’s what all this is,” he said shoving a sopping wet Fifi into her arms. “You’re wearing her dress.”
“Why do you have a trunk of your mother’s things?” she asked, trying to turn the conversation back to him. But he didn’t bite.
“None of your business,” he growled. “Take it all down and put it away.”
“Why?”
“Because I said so.”
“You aren’t even going to tell me why you keep your mother’s dress with you in your cabin, alone on a mountain? Because I’m getting a real Norman Bates vibe right now.”
“Don’t,” he said flatly.
“Fine, but I’m not taking it off until you tell me why you have it.”
“I can make you take that off,” he said, crossing the room to stand in front of her.
He was still naked and growing noticeably hard. She’d never even seen a man’s butt before, let alone his dick. She gasped and covered her mouth, taking a step back, not sure if she should laugh or scream.
“You wouldn’t dare,” she challenged.
He reached out, gripping her hips. He pulled her to him and she felt the heat of his body and the hardness of his manhood. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath of his scent. It filled her nostrils and wafted in her brain. Dang, he smelled good. Fifi barked from the ground and jumped onto the bed, rubbing herself off in the furs.
“I’m not going to take your clothes off until you want me to,” he growled.
Chapter 6
“Just tell me why you have it?” she whined.
“Fine, I’ll tell you over dinner.”
“Is it already dinner time?”
“You slept until afternoon. I was out looking for your drowned rat for five hours.”
“Well, you see. I have an excuse for prying. I was going stir crazy in here.”
“Not an excuse,” he growled, still angry that she’d touched his mom’s things.
She sighed and put her hands on her hips, stepping back to look down at his still-firm erection.
“So, what’s for dinner? More gamy meat or fat-fried mushrooms?”
“What do you expect? We’re on top of a mountain in the middle of a snow storm!” This woman was as exasperating as she was sexy. He wasn’t sure he could handle much more of either.
“Don’t be so ornery. I just asked a question.”
“A silly question from a…”
“Silly girl,” she finished for him.
Cyrus’s mouth dropped open. That was exactly what he was about to say.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you think of me, Mountain Bear. And all I have to say is that you don’t look any less silly from where I’m standing.”
She pointedly looked at his nakedness and he turned away.
“I’m not used to guests,” he grumbled, going to pull on the clothes he’d carried in with Fifi.
“You see, you’ve been out here so long, you don’t even know how to act like a person anymore. That’s why you should leave my decorating alone. It will get you in touch with your human side.” Part of him knew she was right and it hit him right in the gut.
“I don’t want to be in touch with my human side. It ruins everything.”
“I’m not commenting on that one,” she said, walking toward the fireplace.
She’d kept the fire burning while he’d been gone and had even polished off the mushrooms he’d fried hours ago.
“If you hate my food so much, why did you eat all the mushrooms?” he asked, pointing at the empty pan.
“I was hungry. I had to eat something. So, you know now that I’m speaking from experience.”
He turned away and walked outside into the cold air. It was still snowing hard outside, piling up against the cabin. He pulled open the door on his cold storage and stepped down into the cellar.
He’d caught three rabbits yesterday morning before Daisy had arrived and would feed her that for dinner. He grabbed a handful of potatoes, onions and garlic squash, from his last harvest and carried it all inside.
He put it on his work bench where he prepared his meals and did his carving. He quickly dressed the rabbits, covering them in salt and deer fat before skewering them on the spit. He placed the rabbits over the fire, sliced the potatoes, onions, and garlic. He dropped it all in a broth he’d made from last night’s leftover roast.
“That smells good,” she said, sitting at the table behind him. “I’m sorry for giving you a hard time. I’m still tired, I guess.”
He looked her in the eye and she smiled. His heart melted.
“It’ll be ready in a minute and then we’ll talk.”
He ladled the rabbit stew into bowls and sat them on either side of the table. When he was done dishing up the food, he grabbed a bottle of moonshine from the shelf above his workbench.
“Have some of this. It’s homemade liquor.”
“Really?” she asked, smelling the cup.
Her nose wrinkled and she shook her head.
“It’ll grow on you,” he said. “Cheers.”
They clinked glasses. Daisy took a sip and made the same disgusted expression. Cyrus laughed and took a long draw himself, feeling the burn slide down his throat. It warmed his stomach and made him smile. Daisy took a drink of water and dipped her spoon into her stew. Cyrus waited for her to take a bite. She blew on the spoonful of stew and took a tentative bite of squash. Her eye widened and she took another.
“This is good,” she said, scooping up a potato.
“Try the rabbit.”
She took a nibble of the lean, dark meat and nodded.
“That’s good too.”
“Glad you like it.”
This little princess was growing on him and his inner grizzly agreed. He looked over at Fifi, lying on the bed. He made a kissing sound and the dog hopped up and ran over to him. He gave her a few small bits of stew too, and the little thing wagged her tiny cropped tail. Even her dog was growing on him.
“You’re so sweet to Fifi,” Daisy said.
“We made friends while we were in the woods.” He smiled down at the tiny creature.
“Oh really? How so?”
“I tracked her down in grizzly form, and then I spoke to her.”
“You spoke to Fifi?”
“During my time in the woods, I’ve been perfecting my animal intuition. It’s much deeper than most shifters realize. I’m on the brink of breaking through while in human form.”
“Animal intuition?”
“It’s something like the psychic bond that mates share. But it’s a bond with the entire world. It’s like shifter senses on hyper drive until it’s extrasensory. I was able to have a kind of extrasensory communication with Fifi. I let her know I was there to help her. That there were things in the woods who would not be her friends, but that I was. Finally, she stopped barking and relented. She let me carry her all the way home in human form.”
“I’m so glad you guys made friends,” Daisy said, gazing down her little dog. “That means a lot to me. Now, will you tell me why you have your mother’s things?” she said, palms open.
He let out a long sigh. She was his fated mate, no matter how wrong they seemed to be for each other. He had to tell her. They’d made a deal.
“My mom died a long time ago. When I was ten. My brother Jessie was eight. There was a pretty bad accident. It took Jessie a long time to get over it. When we all got back from serving in the war, the ranch was a mess. My dad was in bad shape, fallen
into gambling debt. Everyone was fighting. That’s when I decided to take to the woods. But I wanted to take some of my mother’s family heirlooms. I didn’t want my stepdad to pawn them.”
“What about the fabric and dress?” she asked. “Those aren’t heirlooms, are they?”
“Not really. They just reminded me of her. She kept the family together. Dad had to raise us alone after she died, and he was a hard man. Not used to giving his heart to his children. But we got what we needed in the end. He never recovered from her death. It hit him worse than anyone, even Jessie.”
“That’s so sad,” Daisy said, a tear forming in her eye. “I guess that’s something we have in common. I lost my mom when I was a kid too, about the same age as you. My stepdad, you know what he’s like. But I don’t think he suffered a single day from my mom’s death.”
“That must have been really hard on you,” he said, sympathetically.
He didn’t realize she’d lost her mom so young. It made him feel connected to her in a whole new way.
“It was, but my stepdad let me lose myself in my pastimes. Shopping, horseback riding, hanging out with my friends. He didn’t make a big deal of her death to me and kind of just expected me to get over it. I don’t know if I have yet, but I’m much stronger now than I was when I was twelve.”
“You are a strong woman, Daisy,” Cyrus said, truly seeing it for the first time.
The more he thought about it, the more he began to believe that maybe he could make her happy. He was committed to his work on the mountain, but Daisy made him believe that maybe there could be another way.
“I’ve never had anyone call me strong before,” she said with a giggle, taking another swig of liquor from her cup.
“Well, you are.”
“Thanks. Same to you,” she said, winking and standing in the velvet dress.
She swished around in the skirt, twirling to make it fan out around her. He’d never seen such a lovely sight. It made his cock stiffen and his inner grizzly rear on his hind legs.
Cyrus stood from his chair and crossed the room to Daisy. Gathered her in his arms and pulled her to him. She looked up at him, her eyes wide, her mouth open.
"Cyrus," she said softly.
Cyrus’s inner grizzly growled, filled with burning need. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so hot. Daisy was bringing this side out of him.
“Daisy," he growled. "I need you."
"Cyrus," she breathed. "I never."
He pulled her tighter, feeling his hands slide over the velvet of her dress.
"It's been a long time for me," he purred.
His cock was rock hard and pressed against her soft round stomach. He threaded his fingers through the hair at the back of her head and tilted her face up to him, cupping her cheek in his hand.
"I'm going to kiss you now, Daisy," he said, his grizzly burning through his eyes.
"Yes," she said in a small whisper.
He cut her off before the last letter, pressing his lips against hers. He'd never wanted anything so badly. His work in the woods, his time away from civilization, all these things seemed small compared to the gaping need he felt for Daisy.
She was a powerful woman under the trappings of a spoiled rich girl. Daisy was unlike any woman he'd ever met. Sassy, sweet and determined enough to act when she needed to. She had taken a chance by fleeing her stepfather, a choice she’d never be able to take back.
As he kissed her more deeply, thoughts of her stepfather bled from his mind. All he wanted was to possess her, to know her, and to taste her sweet kiss forever. He would do anything to keep her with him, to put a cub in her belly.
His tongue slid through her lips, tasting her mouth. She was so innocent. Daisy took a deep breath through her nose and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He knew that she wanted him as much he wanted her.
He wrapped one arm around her waist and grasped her hand as he stepped with her into an impromptu dance.
“We don’t have any music,” she giggled as she stepped with him across the wooden floor of the cabin with the firelight glowing in her eyes.
“All we need is the rhythm of our hearts.”
Chapter 7
Daisy was confused when Cyrus left the cabin at bedtime, leaving her alone in the big feather bed by herself.
She had been positive that they would take their relationship to the next level tonight, but after several passionate kisses, Cyrus had backed away. Daisy couldn't understand why he was reluctant to move forward. She knew she was his mate and she was ready to assume that role.
He didn't come back to the cabin before she fell asleep. She found him cooking over the stove the next morning. A makeshift bed roll spread on the floor near the fire.
"I'm reheating our dinner from last night for breakfast," he said. "Any objections?"
"That's fine," Daisy said, confused.
She didn't understand why he was being this way. She thought that they had connected the night before. The last thing Daisy had expected to find out on this cold mountain was her mate, but now that she had Cyrus, her life had taken on new meaning. She didn't want to lose that.
"I'm going to go hunting again today," he said, as he stirred the stew on the pot over the stove.
"Okay," she said. "What should I do all day?"
"You can do whatever you'd like. But we should be getting you down the mountain soon. The snow from yesterday is melting off. It should be easier to get you back down tomorrow. It doesn't look like any more snow is coming."
"You want me to leave?" she asked.
"Daisy, you need to go back to civilization. You need to live like a normal girl your age."
"Fine, Cyrus," she sighed.
Cyrus dished up two bowls and sat them on the table. Daisy joined him and ate her meal, worried what would happen next. Daisy had no idea how she could possibly convince him to leave and return to civilization with her. Cyrus was a stubborn man and Daisy didn't feel like she had the power to convince him of anything.
"I'll be back in a few hours," he said, standing from the table when he was done. He took the empty bowls and placed them on the counter, saying he'd wash them when he returned.
Daisy watched Cyrus leave the cabin and gazed out the window as he removed his clothes in the snowy front yard. The site of his bare back sent a thrill of desire through her and she wished he would come back to the cabin and finish with they’d started the night before. Instead, he jumped into his grizzly form and barreled off into the forest. Daisy groaned and rolled her eyes, feeling like she had a problem without any solutions.
She stood from the table and walked around the small cabin. Across from the cooking stove and work bench was a bookshelf lined with books.
Shifted –A treatise on the effects of ‘coming out’ on shifter society
The Great Council Deception
Human Fraud– The great war and the shifter draft
Daisy bit her lip, not sure what to think of any of these books. She hoped to find a romance or at least a thriller like you might buy at the airport. Anything to help pass the time while she waited for Cyrus to come back to his cabin. These books were boring and political. She ran her finger over the spines. She pulled the book out of the bookshelf and opened it. It was the one called The Great Council Deception. The Great Council was the shifter leadership that had decided to come out to humans.
She started to read, growing more bored with each word. Finally, she rolled her eyes and slammed the book closed. She couldn't take anymore. Cyrus needed to get his act together and stop making excuses for his behavior. If you wanted something out of life, you had to go out and get it. She learned that lesson recently. She vowed to herself that when she got back to town, she would finally start college and get her own life on track.
She hooked on Fifi’s leash and walked outside to take her little dog to use the bathroom. She walked Fifi around the snowy front yard of Cyrus’s cabin. Fifi finally did her business even though the snow was cold on
her tiny paws.
"Is that better?" she asked the dog when they returned inside.
Fifi’s tongue lolled and licked Daisy’s face as she held her close. Daisy put the dog on the floor and went outside to inspect something she has seen before. Under the eaves of Cyrus's cabin, she found a rather large aluminum bucket that could be used for a bathtub.
Daisy hadn't had a bath since the morning she'd been kidnapped. She would have given anything to wash the dirt and grime from her hair. She pulled the empty bucket into the cabin and began to wipe it out. She would need to boil the water on the stove to get it hot enough for a decent bath, but she was willing to do that just to feel the warm liquid on her skin.
She filled as many pots as she could find with water and placed them on top of Cyrus's cook stove and fireplace. Then she stoked up the fires and waited for the water to boil. It took over an hour to get the tub filled with hot water.
When it was finally done, she stripped out of her clothes. She stepped into the bathtub with a sigh. She scrubbed her skin with soap and used it on her hair before rinsing it off. It felt so good to be clean that she didn't notice the door creak open behind her. Cyrus stepped above her and cleared his throat, holding a rabbit in each hand.
"You're back," she said, feeling self-conscious as he gazed down at her in the water.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm taking a bath. What does it look like I'm doing?" she was annoyed he’d let the cold air in.
"You're naked," he growled.
"I know you've been on the mountain a long time Cyrus, but you must remember that people take their clothes off to bathe.”
All he did was grunt.
"What happened last night, Cyrus?" she asked, stepping out of the bath. "I thought we were connecting."
"We were. That's why I put a stop to it.”
She stood naked beside the tub, staring at him with her eyes wide and her body all a flutter.
"Do you have a towel I could use?" she asked, shivering.
"Yes," he said grabbing a towel from a trunk under his workbench.