Love at First Mate - Badlands Territory

She nods and raises her hand to touch my jaw, and down deep in my bones I know I would die to protect her.

“You won’t run away from me either. No matter what.”Chapter 6WynterRagnar’s fingers entwine with mine as we walk toward the back of his grandmother’s property, to where he says the cabin she mentioned is to be found, and my insides feel like they are rearranging themselves as we go.

Despite the lateness of the season, the air here is warm and I’ve already stripped off my sweatshirt, tying it around my waist and catching Ragnar’s eyes lingering on the curve of my breasts, pushing out against the fabric of my t-shirt.

I knew he was big. Huge.

But being next to him, his massive hand holding mine, it’s hard to stifle the hint of fear that tugs at me. The guy I dated before I came here, part of the reason I came here, was big too. Not as big as Ragnar, but big enough.

Orwell had a lot of similarities to Ragnar, actually. Sullen, a little grouchy, bad boy vibe, and for the month or so we were together, I knew something felt off.

Maybe I was lonely. Maybe I was lost. Why I slipped so easily into his dark charm now seems so unclear, but at the time I think he was in the right place at the right time and I needed a distraction.

Unfortunately, the dark part was far bigger than the charm part, and before I could pull myself from the muck of grief over losing my mom, I was in too deep and it was my own life hanging in the balance.

When I drove away in the middle of the night, my trust in my own ability to make decisions was all but destroyed. Now, only a month later, I’m walking into the woods with a half-man, half-bear, holding hands.

It would seem my decision-making ability hasn’t completely recovered.

The tangle of emotions has my cheeks red and my mind racing.

“Is something wrong?” Ragnar seems to sense my inner conflict.

“No,” I answer quickly, and then wonder why people do that. Lie, when someone is sincerely asking you if something is wrong. So, I swallow hard and change my tack. “Well, a little.”

“What is it? I want to know anything that bothers you.” Ragnar stops just as the little white cabin comes into view through the pine trees.

“It’s just. See…I’m still a little wary of starting something new because of a relationship I had. It left me a little shell shocked.”

His body tenses and he drops my hand. “What relationship?”

“A guy I dated. Not really a relationship. He just, he started out okay, but then when he found out something, he changed. It got scary. He got scary. So, this whole shifter deal. That’s some big changes there and you can be a little scary to be honest. I just am not sure I trust my own instincts right now.”

“What’s his name? Where is he?” He gives me a stern look but behind his eyes I see rage.

“It doesn’t matter. He’s far away and he can’t find me. I just… I just wanted you to know. This is not what I wanted to happen when I moved here. To find someone. Let alone mate to a shifter.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “It’s a little overwhelming.”

“You should never be afraid of me, because I will never hurt you.” He grabs my hand again, harder this time, almost like he’s trying to convince himself of the truth of his words. “I will only protect you.”

“I want to believe you.” I clear my throat, looking up through the trees to see the bits of blue sky above the towering pines. “And, for some dumb reason, I do.”

“Not dumb.” His voice thickens, turning lower into caveman grunts. “This is everything that’s right. And nothing wrong. Trust this…”

His thick finger presses into my sternum and my scalp tingles as heat gathers between my legs.

“I’m trying.”

“Good. Sometimes the best we can do is try.” Ragnar runs his finger up my neck until it presses under my chin, forcing my eyes to his. We breathe together for a few moments, the birds chirping in the breeze, and I wonder who could possibly have any problems on a day like today?

His scent covers me like a comforting blanket and I follow again as he leads us forward.

The small cabin comes into view. It’s so cute and the front door is painted sunflower yellow, and I start to relax again. Ragnar has the bad boy thing, but it’s different. When he says he will protect me, never hurt me, I feel the truth of his words down deep in my bones.

Inside the cabin, my sense of ease multiplies.

The small space is all open, it’s sparsely decorated, with a shabby-chic mix of painted furniture and worn quilts. As I look around, I feel his eyes on me. I pick up a picture frame with what looks to be his Grandmother, and a young boy around fifteen or so with a grimace on his face.