They rode northwest toward a heavily wooded area. Satia felt more alive than she had before. Holding Stix and moving fast, was the best of both worlds.
Soon they turned off the highway onto smaller streets until they were on a bumpy dirt road that wound through the trees and stopped at a medium-sized log cabin.
Several dogs barked and ran toward them. Stix turned off the bike and put the kickstand down as the dogs jumped on him, vying for his attention.
"Okay, okay. Give me a sec, will ya?"
He hopped from the bike and helped her off as well. She removed her helmet as he reached down petting each dog in turn as they jumped on him, licking his face and ears and any exposed part.
He laughed and stood again. "Where's mom?" he asked. "Go find mom."
The dogs took off toward the cabin barking as loud as possible.
"That's a lot of dogs." She handed him the helmet and he put it on the back of the bike.
"Most of them were strays that found their way up here, so mom and dad kept 'em."
"I never had a pet before."
"Well, maybe you can now." He took the backpack from her and they headed to the cabin together.
The door opened and out walked a tall woman with her dark hair cut short and a beautiful deep complexion. The sight of her punched Satia in the gut. Though the woman's appearance was nothing like her mother's, something inside Satia made her suddenly long to see her mother once more.
"Mom, this is Satia." Stix walked forward and hugged his mother. She kissed his cheek and then turned to Satia.
"It's nice to meet you, I'm Joyce."
Satia curtsied and bowed her head the way her mother had taught her.
Joyce chuckled. "Oh my dear, you don't need to do that. A hug would suffice."
Without warning, Joyce hugged Satia tight. For a moment Satia couldn't breathe but then she returned Joyce' hug and a wash of peace flooded her.
Joyce pushed her to arm's length. "You are quite lovely, my child." She linked her arm in Satia's and ushered her toward the cabin. "We are so glad you came with Stix. He never brings anyone to see us."
Overwhelmed, Satia walked up the steps of the cabin. Inside, the warm and cozy rustic home was decorated in many of the same patterns that the lodge had been decorated in. Deep woods, dark colors, earthy and natural.
"Would you like something to drink?" asked Joyce.
"Water, please." Satia sat in a tall barstool at the counter in the kitchen.
"Where's dad?" asked Stix.
"Fishing for dinner. He'll be back soon." She handed Satia a glass of water from the tap and Satia smiled.
"You have your own well?" she asked.
Joyce nodded. "Stix and his father Relean put it in."
"Spent all summer digging out that thing," said Stix.
His mother patted him on the back. "Yes, and it made you better for the hard work."
Satia sipped her water and Joyce smiled at her. "So, how did you two meet? Through Mary?" She turned her gaze to Stix. "So my little meeting worked then."
Stix choked on his water and coughed several times as Joyce whacked him on the back.
"Yeah, uh, we met through Jeremiah," he said. "But not like that. Satia recently arrived and needed a job. Jeremiah thought I might be able to help."
A sly smile crept across Joyce' face. "Uh-huh. Okay."
Satia looked between them. She had no idea what Joyce was implying.
"Come on," said Stix. "Let me show you to the guest room so you can rest and wash up before dinner."
Satia finished off her water and stood. She waved to Joyce who stared at her with a knowing expression on her face that Satia didn't understand and then followed Stix out of the kitchen and down a small hallway to a back bedroom.
"Why was your mom looking at me like that?" she asked.
"Like what?"
"Like... there is something going on that I'm not aware of."
"I... uh... have no idea." Stix opened the door to a cozy bedroom.
"When can we go for a run?"
"After dinner, when it's dark is safest," said Stix.
She nodded and studied him for a minute. "Why did your mom say she had a meeting with a woman named Mary?"
"Uh..." Stix scratched his head. "Well... Mary is Jeremiah's mate."
Satia thought for a moment. "Is your mom trying to find you a mate?"
His shoulders slumped and he shook his head. "She dragged me to Mary's a few weeks ago, but I told Mary I wasn't interested in being set up."
Satia's heart pounded. "Do... do you think that's why Jeremiah picked you for me to work with? Do you think he was trying to match us up?"
He stared at her for a long minute. "Do you?"
"Possibly," said Satia. "I just didn't realize it until now."
Stix smiled. "Me neither."
The heat of the moment passed between them, and Stix reached out and took her hand in his. Her heartbeat quickened as their fingers entwined. He took a step closer to her, his body powerful and protective.
For a second she thought he might kiss her again. He raised his hand and stroked her cheek with his fingers.
"I know it hasn't been long but I am certain of how my ursa feels about you. I won't pressure you. I want you to take as long as you need to but I need you to know, my decision was made the moment I opened my office door and found you standing in front of me."
She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. Her mind and heart collided. She wanted him as well, but there were things about her that he didn't know. Hadn't seen. The fear of it tore at her like a barbed whip.
She opened her eyes and stared back at him. "I feel the same but... I need for you to see something before you make that decision."
He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. The decision has been made. Anything you show me or tell me won't change how I feel."
Satia swallowed hard. "Tonight," she whispered. "When we run."
Stix swooped in and kissed her softly on the lips, making her saber roll over and purr.
"Tonight." He squeezed her hand and walked back down the hallway toward the kitchen.
Satia fought the urge to panic. She had to do this. It was soon into their relationship to do it, but she had to. She couldn't go on with him declaring she was the one he wanted to be with only to have him not understand. If he changed his mind, she'd rather he did it now when they were still getting to know each other, instead of later when it might shatter her into a million pieces.
Satia slowly closed the door, curled up on the bed and shut her eyes.
* * *
"She's perfect," Joyce said, as Stix walked to the fridge and pulled out a beer.
"She's pretty amazing," he agreed, unsure of how much he wanted to share so soon with his mom.
His mom chuckled and swatted him with a towel.
"What?"
"Don't play coy with me, boy. You think I don't know that look?"
"What look?" He sipped his beer.
She shook her head and pushed him out of the way as she grabbed several items from the refrigerator. "You can play it that way if you want to but remember that if she is meant to be with you for the rest of your life, you better start respecting her now and remember she is going to be the mother of your cubs someday."
"Mom, seriously? We haven't even known each other a week."
His mom sniffed. "Please, I saw it written all over those big brown moon eyes of yours the moment you introduced her. And whether you want to admit it or not, I was right in going to Mary."
Stix would never admit it. If he'd learned anything about his mom in the last twenty-five years, it was that when she thought she was right about something, she never let you forget it.
"I'm gonna take a walk." He finished his beer and went to throw it in the trash can.
"Oh no, you don't. You put that in the recycle where it belongs young man." His mom pointed to the back door with the paring knife in her hand.
Stix chuckled and shook h
is head. Some things never changed, no matter how old he got.
Stix went for a walk in the woods taking in the peace and serenity of the place in hopes that it would calm his nerves, but it didn't. He couldn't believe how much his life had changed in the last week. From single to practically engaged. From running a bar to thinking about going back to school and changing the bar to a nightclub. From feeling entirely alone to suddenly feeling quite complete. It was as if he'd hit the jackpot. The problem was, Stix couldn't help but wonder if there was another shoe that would drop and shatter his newfound happiness.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. Again it was that familiar number he couldn't place.
"Hello?"
"Stix?" asked a female voice.
"Yeah, who is this?"
"Stix, it's..." The phone fuzzed out.
"Sorry, who?"
"It's..." Again he couldn't hear it.
"Yeah, sorry, I can't hear you. It's a bad connection."
"Stix! It's-" The line went dead.
He stared at the phone for a minute and tried to place the number and the voice, there was something familiar about it but he couldn't put his finger on who it might be.
Shoving the phone back into his pocket he turned and headed for the cabin. His ursa had enjoyed being outside, but he couldn't wait to run that night with Satia. And truth be told, neither could Stix. It would be the first time he'd ever run with anyone besides his family.
Chapter Ten
Stix was barely able to keep in his seat through dinner. Both he and his ursa were so anxious to be alone in the woods with Satia that he hardly touched the trout his father had caught.
"Don't like the fish?" his father asked.
Stix set his fork down and sipped his beer. "It's tasty dad, I'm not that hungry though."
He caught the twinkle in his mother's eye but refused to acknowledge it.
"So tell me, Satia," said his mother. "What do you plan on doing now that you're here?"
"Oh." Satia's gaze flicked his direction and then back at his parents. "I hadn't decided yet. Stix suggested I might want to enroll in some college courses maybe, but I wouldn't even begin to know how to go about getting the paperwork for something like that."
"If that's what you'd like to do you don't need to worry about the paperwork," said his father. "The Night Shift helps with stuff like that. I can send you their information tomorrow."
Satia smiled. "Thank you. I would be most appreciative."
"I think the first thing we need to do is get her accustomed Wolf River," said Stix. "I'll take her around and show her the neighborhood-"
"Neighborhood?" His mother looked between them. "Are you two living together?"
"I-"
"Well-"
Stix and Satia glanced at each other.
"It's not like that, mom," he finally said. "Satia didn't have a place to stay. She's in Deacon's old room until she finds a place of her own. She doesn't have any family or anything here."
"I asked if I could stay on the cot in the backroom at the restaurant," Satia offered.
"Certainly not," said his dad. "You are most welcome in the family home. Though I am sure, Deacon's room needs a thorough airing out."
Stix chuckled.
"Amongst other things," replied his mother.
"Satia has done amazing in the last few days helping me organize the house. You'd be surprised at what she's done with the furniture and everything."
"Is that an invitation?" asked his mom. "Last time I said I might come for a visit you all but pushed me off the deck out back to keep me from coming."
"That's not true," Stix protested. "It just...wasn't a good week."
"But now is a better time?" His mother's eyebrow cocked upward and Stix knew there was no getting out of it.
He swallowed hard. "It's your house. You can come anytime you want."
His mother nodded. "Good to know."
His father gathered up his plate and headed toward the sink. "It's been too long since we've visited. We should probably plan a trip to come down and make sure everything is going well at the bar anyway."
"You don't trust me?" Stix asked.
His mother scoffed. "Don't be ignorant. If that were the case, we never would have left you in charge. But your father is right. We haven't been into the city in almost a year. It's about time we came for a visit. Perhaps it would give Satia and I a chance to go to lunch and get to know each other better."
"I'd like that." Satia smiled. "My mother died when I was a teen. It would be nice to spend time with someone... like her again."
"It's settled then," said his mother. "We'll pick a few days and come down."
The women both smiled at Stix. Oh boy. Stix fought the urge to shake his head. He had a feeling this was not going to be the last time he would have two women telling him what to do. He had a pretty good feeling that this was how it was going to be from now on.
Stix and Satia excused themselves after several hands of cards with his parents and said they were going to go for a run. His parents snuggled together on the couch and flipped on a chick flick movie while waving goodbye to them.
Together they walked in silence through the trees deeper into the woods. Nervous energy bounced between them at the prospect of what running together might mean for them.
When they reached a significant distance from the cabin, Stix stopped.
"We can strip down here if you like. The lake isn't too far so if you want to swim after we run we can do that too."
Satia's eyes widened. "All right." Her voice came out so soft he almost missed hearing her.
They stared at each other for a long moment and then Stix began to lift off his t-shirt.
"Do... do you mind if I undress over there?" She pointed to a large nearby tree.
"Of course not. You do whatever makes you comfortable."
She nodded and continued standing for another minute and then turned and headed behind the tree.
Stix couldn't take his clothes off quick enough as his ursa pushed against the bond between them knowing what was to come. Unable to hold his bear back, Stix let the shift ripple through his body. His body lengthened and expanded as his muscles groaned and doubled in size. Bones snapped and reshaped, sending tidal waves of pain crashing over him. Waves he had learned to fight through but never stopped dreading. His body molded and changed but his eyes stayed completely fixated on the tree several yards away. The one that at any moment he knew Satia would emerge from.
The shift finished, and his bear opened his enormous mouth and roared into the night. A serene sense of peace poured over him, and he chuffed several times before rolling on the ground and taking in the enhanced smells of the forest. His ursa never felt more at home as he did in the woods.
He relaxed and sprawled out on the ground for a minute until a tree shaking roar split the peace. He rolled to his feet as a pale white tiger almost as tall as he was slunk out from behind the tree. Stix's breath caught at the sight of her. They both stood frozen taking each other in. Her body's sleek lines accentuated her lithe shape. Large paws with claws almost as big as his own sprung from her feet. Her long razor-sharp fangs dipped toward her chin.
Slowly, the two walked towards each other. Stix struggled to keep his ursa from standing on his back legs and hugging her. Instead, he rolled up beside her and ran his head along the length of her body. Satia held utterly still as he rubbed against her soft fur and took in her musky scent. Nothing like the scent of her skin this new scent of her saber was different. Wild and fragrant she smelled like power. Satia turned in a circle and Stix waited for her to make a move. She sauntered up to him in a sexually charged predatory manner. Her head low, ears flat against her skull, tail swishing from side to side. His ursa lumbered from foot to foot waiting for what may come. Several seconds passed and then she pushed against him and rubbed her face against his face.
His ursa warbled in delight as she ran her body down the length of his, turned and rubbed him the o
ther direction. His ursa acquiesced and rolled batted at her playfully. She nipped his paw and batted back at him. Before he knew it, they'd begun a game of tag. She was faster and more nimble, but he was heavier and pinned her easily.
After half an hour of tag, they ran. Side by side they dodged through trees, bounded off of rocks and let their animals go. Even when his ursa protested and wanted to stop Stix urged him onward to follow where she ran. Just the sight of her was enough to keep him going long after he too wished to stop. But in his heart, he knew he would never stop. Not until she wanted him to. He belonged to her now and forever. Whatever she wished of him. He would give to her. Until the day he died.
* * *
They'd run for two hours, and Satia could have gone for another two, but she felt Stix's energy waning and made her saber slow to give him a rest. Being in the woods with him was like nothing she'd ever experienced before. Initially wary it hadn't taken more than a minute to convince her saber that he was no threat. From the moment her cat had rubbed against his coarse dark fur she was done for.
All of those thoughts that had swirled in her mind as she'd drifted off to sleep for her nap were too little too late. It didn't matter that they'd only known each other for days, if he rejected her tonight, it would sting just as much as if he denied her in a month or a year. But there was no turning back. The bond had been made. All that was left was to seal the mating and they would be complete.
She followed Stix and he lumbered down a slight incline toward the crystalline lake below. The moon shone off the water like a giant spotlight and the slight breeze brought with it the fragrance of life.
As they approached the water's edge a deer across the way perked up her ears, spotted them and then darted away. Stix stuck his head in the water and lapped at it greedily. Satia joined him at his side and gulped down the refreshing water. When they finished, Stix sat on the damp grass and gazed up at the moon. She scooted closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder feeling the heat of his skin burn against hers.
Minutes ticked by and they sat in perfect harmony. Finally, Stix stood and turned to her. His body shook and trembled as the shift took over him. Rolling across his shoulders and down his spine, his body shortened and his muscles tightened once more as his deep earthy skin appeared. Embarrassment told her to look away from his naked form, but she couldn't tear her eyes from him. His muscles taut and lean, sculpted down to a firm round rear and long powerful legs. Every fiber in her ached to run her hands over his skin and feel his power beneath her fingertips.
Unleashed With The Moon (Wolf River, ID. Book 5) Page 7