Ski Bear

  They started off together, but Zach soon diverged from Shane, checking the ski trails that went off in different directions. The first trail switched back quickly and joined the slope going downhill. There was still no sign of Maisie, and he was beginning to get really worried.

  “Ski Bear to Alpha Station. No sign of target.”

  “Alpha Station to Ski Bear. Geek Bear says to continue checking divergent paths.”

  “Ski Bear to Delta Team. Any signs of target?”

  “No sign of target yet,” he heard Angus say.

  Zach continued checking the divergent ski trails, and each time he came up empty-handed. But it wasn’t until he got a message from Levi that he really started to worry.

  “Alpha Station to all Rescue Bears. Chief Bear is leaving Alpha Station; Mama Bear is in labor.”

  “You can’t leave the rescue, Levi,” Zach said into his walkie-talkie. “We haven’t found her yet.”

  “I’m sorry, Ski Bear. Geek Bear is taking over Alpha Station.”

  He heard lots of whooping and hollering and congratulations to Levi through the walkie-talkie. Levi’s cub was going to be born and Zach was incredibly happy for him. On any other day, Zach would have been the first to tell him to go and be with his lady, wishing him good luck and Godspeed. But not today, not with his own lady lost somewhere in the wild.

  “Geek Bear to Ski Bear. Try further down the slope. My analysis suggests an inexperienced skier would have lost control up the slope and would have been propelled further downhill.”

  “I’m on it,” Zach replied.

  He picked up speed as he hurried downward. Off in the distance he saw an orange plastic barrier that was pressed down to the snow. Usually he wouldn’t think anything of it, but something told him to take a closer look. When he got closer, he could see that there was a ski trail going straight through the barrier.

  He hurried through, following the trail the skis had left behind. He could smell the faint scent of his mate in the air. It had been hours since she’d been there. He picked up the pace, passing a discarded pole. He came to an outcropping that was covered in snow. It had an impression deep in its face. A pair of skis were discarded beside the pile of snow.

  His heart raced as he took in the landscape. He could smell her scent in the air. A deep trail of footprints led away from the outcropping and went toward the forest. He skied on, sniffing the air for her scent. The smell of Maisie was faint but distinct. He could tell she hadn’t been here for quite a while. When he made it to the edge of the forest, he didn’t see any signs of her.

  He brought his walkie-talkie to his lips. “Ski Bear to Alpha Station, tracking target now,” he said.

  “This is Alpha Station, Ski Bear. I have a lock on your location.”

  He could smell her scent. Letting out a deep breath, he focused on her scent. He took a deep sniff of the cold mountain air. Without using his eyes, he skied toward the smell. When he came around the snow-covered undergrowth, he saw her huddled against a tree.

  He hurried toward her. She looked up at him with relieved surprise. Her lips were blue and her face was red. He had to get her back to the lodge and warm her up.

  “Alpha Station to Ski Bear. I have eyes on target. Beginning extraction.”

  “You found me,” she whispered, her voice hoarse. “I knew you would find me.”

  “Quiet now. Save your strength.”

  He pulled the rescue sled off of his back and began opening the straps for her to sit inside.

  “I understand now,” Maisie said. “I understand what it means to be your fated mate.”

  “There’s plenty of time for that later, baby. I need you to get in the sled so I can get you back to the lodge and warm you up.”

  He helped her into the sled and wrapped her in a thermal blanket.

  “I need to tell you now,” she said, beginning to shiver as she warmed up.

  “What do you need to tell me?”

  “I need to tell you that I know we’re meant to be together. There’s a special place inside both of us that is connected to the other. That connection makes us perfect for each other. I’m done doubting. I want it, Zach. I want it all.”

  She was shivering so harshly and her teeth were chattering so much that it was difficult to understand what she was saying. But he knew.

  His heart burst, and all he wanted to do was kiss her until tomorrow. But he couldn’t do that right now. He needed to get her off this mountain and back to safety. He leaned in and kissed her cold forehead.

  “I feel the same,” he said as he stood up.

  He took the reins of the rescue sled and began to ski Maisie out of danger. With Zach’s skill on the slopes, he had her back down to the first landing of the ski lift in no time flat.

  He left his rescue sled beside the lift and helped Maisie into a gondola. She was wrapped in the thermal blanket but still needed to warm up. When they got back down to the lodge, he hurried her inside.

  Kelly gave him a key to one of the suites and he took her straight upstairs. He didn’t wait or ask or tell anyone anything. He needed to get her warmed up as fast as he could.

  He brought her into the suite and started to run a bath while she sat on the edge of the tub, her teeth still chattering. When he had the tub full of warm water, he helped her out of her snowsuit, gloves, and boots.

  She sank into the water, still shivering and shaking like a leaf in the wind. When she finally was covered with warm water up to her shoulders, her body started to relax and her color slowly returned to normal. That’s when he realized he was staring at her naked body as she bathed.

  “I’m gonna let you have your privacy,” he said. “I’ll be right outside the door if you need me.” He walked out of the bathroom. “Ski Bear to Alpha Station. Target is resting comfortably in a bath at the lodge.”

  16

  Maisie soaked in the hot tub for a long time, her mind going over all of the mistakes she’d made since meeting Zach. The first mistake she’d made had been not trusting their connection in the first place. Everything else stemmed from that.

  She’d been avoiding learning about shifters for so long that when she found herself in the middle of a shifter relationship, she had no idea what to do. But Zach had showed her that all of her fears were unfounded.

  Zach had been nothing but a gentleman. He somehow went above and beyond in every way. Not only that, he’d somehow miraculously found her when she’d gone missing.

  She’d been so foolish about skiing. The thought of it made her face heat. Being his fated mate meant that he would want her no matter what. They could feel each other inside.

  She understood that now. She also understood that she and Zach weren’t so different after all. What was between them was special and perfect and real. And that’s what made them right for each other. Everything else was just irrelevant details.

  She loved that he was athletic and carefree. She loved that he was energetic and enthusiastic about his work and his life. Being around him filled her with so much joy if she just let it happen. She’d been too afraid of that feeling to recognize it for what it really was. She thought that she was just sexually attracted to the big, hunky athlete, but in truth, he made her feel fantastic in every way.

  If she had just trusted those feelings, she could have avoided getting lost. She lifted her feet out of the massive soaker tub and wiggled her frozen toes. All of the feeling was coming back and so was her natural pink color.

  She let out a sigh and dunked her red hair into the water. She was beginning to feel so good and so relaxed. Before she passed out from exhaustion, she had to tell Zach everything she was feeling.

  She lifted herself from the bathtub and slid into one of the lodge’s fluffy bathrobes. Padding out into the bedroom, she found Zach sitting on the bed, watching a hockey game on TV. His eyes met hers as she opened the door. She felt a flush of desire and excitement wash over her body.

  He stood and walked toward her, placing his hands ge
ntly on her shoulders.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Much better.”

  “Do you have full functionality and feeling in your fingers and toes?”

  “Everything’s in tip-top shape,” she said sleepily.

  She took a step forward and leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He smelled so good and his body was warm and comfortable against hers. She took a deep breath and let it out in a shuddering sigh.

  “Oh Zach, I should have trusted our bond. I just… I didn’t know.”

  “Is that why you went off the most advanced slope on the mountain?” he said with humor and his voice.

  She looked up at him with a smile. She knew he was teasing her.

  “I wanted to impress you.”

  He led her over to the bed, and they sat together, holding hands.

  “Why did you think you had to impress me with skiing?”

  “Because that’s what you do. That’s what you love. I thought that if I wasn’t athletic enough, you would get bored with me.”

  “I have to confess. I actually didn’t believe I was sophisticated enough for you. I thought you would think I was just a dumb jock.”

  “You’re anything but a dumb jock,” she said, giggling.

  “You thought that I wouldn’t like you because you aren’t athletic, and I thought you wouldn’t like me because I’m not sophisticated enough. See? We are perfect for each other.”

  He put his arm around her and held her close. She basked in the warmth of his body.

  “I agree,” she said with a sleepy laugh.

  “You’re tired. You need your rest.”

  “I could use some sleep.”

  “Let’s get you into bed.”

  “Will you stay with me?”

  “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

  He helped her into the bed and snuggled in beside her after taking off his jeans and T-shirt. He held her close and they spent the night together in the luxurious comfort that only fated mates could share.

  When she opened her eyes the next morning, she could feel him hard against her. A shiver of awakening desire ran up her spine. She turned over in the bed and faced him, planting a kiss on his lips before he opened his eyes. As she drew away, he awakened, blinking in the morning sunlight.

  “Good morning,” he said, giving her a brilliant smile.

  “Good morning, mate,” she said.

  He growled and leaned in closer.

  “You’re calling me mate?” he said, in a voice that was startlingly animalistic.

  “That’s what you are. That’s what I want to be.”

  He kissed her neck and took deep breaths of her scent.

  “Are you sure you know what it means?” he asked her in a low growl.

  “I do. I’m ready for you to mark me. Claim me as your mate, Zach. I want to be yours, now and forever.”

  “I believe you. I want you more than anything,” he said between kisses. “Holding back has taken every ounce of strength I have.”

  “I don’t want you to hold back anymore,” she said, looking into his eyes.

  He kissed her mouth, flicking his tongue between her lips. Zach slid his hand under the lapel of her bathrobe and cupped her breast. Maisie let out a deep moan and arched her back as he rained kisses down on her neck and chest and mouth.

  He untied her bathrobe and threw open the sides, revealing her naked, warm body. His hand ran down her side and over her hip, leaving a trail of desire as it went. He caressed her thigh, and she spread her legs as he cupped her sex in his hand.

  “My mate is wet for me,” he said, the voice of his bear so close she could hear it.

  “Yes,” she breathed.

  He dipped a finger inside her and began to move in and out of her slick channel. He rested his thumb against her swollen bud and began rubbing in tight little circles as he thrust in and out of her. His mouth fell on her breasts, licking and nibbling at her nipples.

  “Oh Zach,” she moaned. “I want you. I want it all.”

  He pulled himself out of his boxers and crawled over her. For the first time she saw his manhood, erect and as stiff as a rod. She ran her fingers up the velvety smooth skin of his long, thick shaft.

  He sank down, kissing her curves as he went. Resting between her legs, he licked and pressed his tongue against her desire. His tongue circled and flicked, focusing on her arousal. She groaned, so close to release she could barely stand it. But she didn’t want to come like this. She wanted him inside her.

  “I need you, Zach,” she moaned.

  “I don’t have any protection,” he said.

  “I don’t care. No, I want this.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She leaned up on her elbows, looking him deep in the eyes.

  “I want everything. I want you, I want our cubs, I want you to mark me. I want you to change me.”

  “Maisie…”

  “Shhh…” she said, pressing her finger to his lips.

  “I’m in my right mind. I have all of my rational faculties. I’m telling you I want to be your mate. I want everything that goes along with that. I want you to put a bear inside me. I want you to put a cub inside me too.”

  “Are you sure?” he said, his eyes wide.

  “While I was up on that mountain, I didn’t know if I would survive. But I told myself if you found me, I would know for sure that it was real. I would give myself to you, body and soul. I want us to be as connected as we can be. I want your baby, and I want to be a shifter like you.”

  “I’ve never changed anyone before. It’s a huge responsibility.”

  “Let me be your first,” she said, cupping his face with her hands.

  She brought him towards her, and he pressed his lips to hers. She opened to him, running her hands down his back. She was ready for this. She wanted him more than anything she could ever remember. It wasn’t just the pheromones. It was everything.

  He was right for her, and she knew how lucky she was to have found him. Being with Zach these last few days had been the most fulfilling days of her life, and she never wanted it to end.

  He pushed inside her. She gasped at the pressure. She’d never been so full, so complete.

  “Zach,” she groaned.

  “I love you, Maisie,” he whispered into her ear as he buried himself inside her.

  “I love you, Zach. So much,” she moaned.

  Zach pulled back and thrust again, making her gasp with desire and longing. She would explode if he increased his rhythm, but he continued to move into her in infuriatingly slow waves. She pulled him toward her and their tongues danced.

  It was only them in that moment, together, perfect. She gazed up into his eyes as he moved slowly inside her. His ice blue irises shone with love and desire. She tilted her head and arched her back as he licked her neck.

  Zach increased his pace, thrusting decisively and firmly as he held her close. His sharp canine teeth descended, pressing hard against the pulse point on her neck.

  “Yes,” she breathed, so close to release.

  His teeth sank deeper, breaking the skin. She screamed, but no sound came out. The pleasure and pain of his bite shot through her.

  Maisie’s body exploded, her orgasm pulsing from head to toe with ecstatic release. Zach bit down hard, his own orgasm shooting deep inside her womb.

  He held her close, their bodies bound together. She could feel the venom from his bite enter her blood. Not only had she been bonded to him as his mate, he was sending out the fluid that would turn her. She would be forever changed into a bear like him.

  Slowly, with a trembling breath, Zach retracted his teeth and licked her wound clean. She would always bear this mark as a symbol of their devotion.

  She ran her fingertips over the bite marks, letting out a quivering breath. Zach rolled over beside her and took her in his arms, holding her close.

  “It’s done,” he said, his voice solemn.

  “Don’t sound so se
rious,” she said, lifting up on an elbow to look him in the eye.

  He cupped her cheek in his hand, his eyes smiling.

  “The connection is growing stronger.”

  “Yes.” She could feel it too.

  “What do you feel, mate?” he asked her.

  “I feel your love. Your desire. Your pride. It’s magnificent.”

  “Yes.”

  “When will I change?” she asked him.

  “When you are ready. The bear will develop inside before she can come out. Can you feel her there?”

  “I feel something. It is growing. Something wild and wise and innocent. It’s like discovering a whole other side of myself.”

  “Your bear might take a few days to be ready to come out. Until then, you should rest.”

  “Speaking of rest, I’m exhausted.”

  She snuggled in close to Zach and they slumbered together under the warm, luxurious comforter in the lodge’s nicest suite.

  In the morning, Maisie felt like a new woman. The day before had been terribly frightening, but today she felt at peace.

  She could feel the fledgling polar bear growling at the back of her mind. The strength of the animal pulsed through her veins.

  17

  Zach happily chewed his bacon and washed it down with freshly squeezed orange juice. Every minute with Maisie was like a little slice of heaven. He wanted her so badly he’d been terrified of screwing things up by moving too fast.

  When she’d asked him if he would mark her and change her while they made love for the first time, it set off all the alarms in his head. But she’d asked so honestly, he couldn’t resist her. He wanted to give her everything she wanted. That didn’t stop him from being just as scared the next morning.

  But with their bond radiating back and forth between their hearts, he knew she wouldn’t leave.

  “I want to show you our house,” he told her, just as his phone rang.

  It was Levi. With everything going on in his own life, Zach had completely forgotten about Levi and Juliet’s baby. He answered the phone.

  “Hi, Levi. How is Juliet?”

  “She’s doing well. And so is the baby. We’re having a quick gathering at the hospital this morning. We want everyone to come see our daughter.”