BEARly Mated to the Grizzly (Bear Clan 2)

And I hoped she was ready for me, for everything I had for her. Because a lifetime of pent-up arousal was one wild fucking thing.

Chapter Three

Allison

The SUV I’d rented for the week was packed full of supplies: food and water, batteries and flashlights. I had no clue what the hell people up in the mountains needed, so I’d brought pretty much my entire apartment.

I was ready for my week away from everything, just to regroup and re-coop, and hopefully figure out what I was going to do with my life. My savings, coupled with helping instruct some of the younger dancers, had been floating me this whole time, but was this really what I wanted to do with my life? Did I really want to be surrounded by up-and-coming dancers, knowing they had a bright future ahead of them, and realizing that this was the end of the road for me?

God, I’m so damn bitter and I hate that about myself.

I pulled to the side of the road and grabbed my phone. The GPS had led me the majority of the way here, but the mountains that surrounded me had stripped the signal. No Wi-Fi, no incoming or outgoing calls. Nothing.

This was exactly what I needed.

I reached in my purse and pulled out a map, an actual legit paper trifold map. This day and age it seemed these were almost vintage. Opening it up, I found where I was, and reached for a marker in my purse to mark where I needed to go still. I was closer than I’d thought. Maybe another ten minutes tops until I’d reach the little one-room cabin where I would be spending the rest of the week.

Setting the map on the passenger side seat, I pulled back onto the road and started driving. Before too long I entered the small mountain town. I went well below the speed limit as I looked at everything passing by. It reminded me of an old Western town, with cobblestone sidewalks on either side of me, little, quaint shops lining the road, and people who knew everything about everyone.

A few people stopped what they were doing to look at me, the obvious stranger in their little, intimate village.

I’d never felt more like an outsider than I did right now.

I faced forward and released the breath I hadn’t known I’d been holding once I finally got out of the square of town. I glanced at the map a couple more times, finally finding the right dirt road that would lead me to my little cabin.

The place I’d rented wasn’t deep in the woods or anything, instead close enough to town that if I needed supplies, I could easily get them. Besides, I wasn’t a mountain girl, and the very idea of wild animals right at the back door scared the shit out of me.

Another five minutes on the bumpy, uneven dirt road, and I finally saw the cabin. I’d found it on one of those rental websites, and although I’d never done anything like this before, I was looking forward to being out here by myself and clearing my head.

I pulled the SUV to a stop in front of the cabin and cut the engine. I climbed out, stretching my back from the several hours of driving, and left the supplies in the car as I headed up the front porch to the door. I could see a lockbox hanging from the handle, and after entering the code the owner had given me, I pulled the key out and unlocked the door.

The scent of artificial pine instantly slammed into me, as if they had one of those plug-in things somewhere in this place. The curtains were drawn, a red and plaid design that went with the whole exposed wood and wilderness decor going on.

Although I’d seen pictures of the interior on the website, I knew well enough not to totally go off of those given the fact people tended to post the best images in the post positions. But I was pleasantly surprised that it was just as cute and quaint as I’d hoped it would be.

One large room made up the entire cabin. There was a small loft that held the bed, but aside from that everything was on the lower level. A small kitchen to my left, the dining room and living room combined into one to my right. And then across the room, looking through the open doorway, I saw the tiniest bathroom I’d ever seen.

I took the next five minutes to just walk around, familiarize myself with everything, and already felt some of the stress from the city melting away. I stepped back out on the porch and started walking the perimeter of it, loving that it went around the entire cabin. I leaned against the railing, staring at the thick trees that surrounded me. I heard the sound of birds chirping, of little critters running in the forest. I could get used to this, and I had only been here a few moments.

Perfection.

I could only imagine how I’d feel after a week. Because right now my mind felt clearer, my body more relaxed.

I heard something far larger moving around in the forest, and straightened from the banister, peering through the thick shadows, trying to look farther than where the sun penetrated the branches. Whatever was out there was running now, the sound of branches snapping, of brush being pushed around, echoing loud, and it seemed a hell of a lot closer.

But even though I didn’t know what was out there, lurking, waiting, I didn’t feel fear. In fact, as strange as it was, despite the fact I’d only been here for a few moments, this felt like home.

This felt like exactly where I was supposed to be.

Chapter Four

Maddix

I was close to the site where I’d set up camp, my body working up a sweat the higher I ascended the mountain. Already I felt some of the tension leave me, although I’d never fully g

et rid of it, not until she came into my life.

I loved my family, was happy that Zakari had found his mate. But jealousy ate at me, and I hated that about myself. That wasn’t who I was, wasn’t who I wanted to be. And so, getting away was the only thing I could do to try and tame the wildness inside of me.