The Complete Series

by Elena Aitken

  Thankfully, she was distracted from the lie she couldn’t seem to convince herself of by the appearance of a man who looked a lot like her rescuer, but darker, and much more groomed and put together. He opened the door; the cold air from outside immediately blasted her.

  “Hi,” the man said. “I’m sorry about my brother.” He waved in the general direction that the other man had taken off in. “He’s not entirely housebroken.” He turned his concerned gaze back to Gabriella. “I’m Axel and this is my mate, Harper.” He moved aside to reveal a beautiful blonde woman who, despite her winter coat, was clearly swollen with pregnancy.

  Gabriella noticed the use of the word “mate” and the distinct scent of the men and nodded, confirming her suspicions. She was among bears and although she was pretty sure that would be the case, knowing it for certain put her at ease.

  “Axel, we spoke on the phone.” She extended her good arm and let Axel help her down from the truck. “I’m Ella Rodriguez. Your new cook.” She used her childhood nickname and her mother’s maiden name, the way she had on the phone when she accepted her job. It wasn’t the best alias, but she hoped it would be enough. Especially considering she was so far from home.

  “Ella!” It was the woman, Harper, who called her name and pushed forward to embrace her in a surprisingly strong hug. “Oh, I’m sorry,” Harper added, when Ella winced at the flash of pain in her arm. “Of course, you might be hurt. How stupid of me. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” She smiled to prove it was true. “My arm is healing quickly. It hardly hurts.”

  Harper took a step back and glanced over at her mate. “So, you’re a…”

  “Bear,” Gabriella finished for her. She looked to Axel for explanation. Surely Harper must have been able to scent her, the way she had with them. But, come to think of it, she hadn’t been able to scent Harper.

  “Harper’s half bear.” Axel put his arm around his mate and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “And Ella here is a bear from…”

  “Peru.” The lie came easily. Too easily.

  “I didn’t realize there were bears in Peru.” Harper tipped her head.

  “Bespectacled bears. There’s not many clans left. Not like the bears up North here.” Gabriella turned slowly in a circle, taking in her surroundings for the first time. “And it’s gorgeous here. And cold. It’s also very cold here.”

  “Of course.” Harper smacked Axel’s arm lightly. “How silly of us,” she said. “We should get you inside to warm up. Being from Peru, this weather must be a total shock. You poor thing. Let’s get a fire going.”

  The next thing Gabriella knew, she was bundled up between them and shuffled up the steps of a giant log cabin. Inside, the warmth hit her immediately as well as an innate sense of comfort and hominess. A large rock fireplace and chimney dominated the room, with overstuffed couches clustered around it. There was a smattering of bookshelves and small tables close to some of the walls and windows. But it was the cozy chair that drew Gabriella, and not just because it was closest to the roaring fire; something about it promised sanctuary. Even if it was just from the cold.

  “Welcome.” Another woman greeted them, coming from the swinging door that obviously led to the kitchen. She held an overflowing tray full of hot chocolate and snacks. “I’m Chloe.” She was slightly smaller, with jet-black hair tied in a neat braid down her back. Curvy and gorgeous with a similar glow that Harper had. Gabriella could tell right away she was a bear as well, but different from the others.

  “It’s nice to meet you.” She accepted a mug of hot chocolate and sat. “Are you a sister…or…”

  “Oh no.” Chloe shook her head. “I’m Luke’s mate. He’s the middle brother. I travel a lot for work, but Grizzly Ridge has become home quickly. And I hope you think so, too.”

  “I’m so glad to be here,” Gabriella said with full sincerity.

  “Oh, you have no idea,” Harper said from the couch where she’d settled herself. “I can’t even begin to tell you how much we’ve been looking forward to having you here. We’ve been desperate to have some help in the kitchen.”

  They may not have any guests that she could see at the moment, but from what Axel had told her over the phone, they were a guest lodge that only opened the summer before. “Have you been without a cook since you opened?”

  Axel answered. “Oh no, we’ve had—”

  “Me.”

  The voice sent a strong and immediate reaction through her. Gabriella turned toward the door and the sound of the voice. There she saw a large, darker version of Axel and another man. Her rescuer.

  “They’ve had me,” he said. Even from across the room, his eyes held her with their intensity. “And you’re here to take my job.”

  Chapter Three

  How could he not have seen it? Despite all his objections, his brothers had brought someone in to be a cook. And not just anyone, but a female and a female bear who happened to have a very dangerous effect on him.

  Kade wanted to roar and storm out and he probably would have if Luke hadn’t sensed his need to flee and had positioned himself directly in the middle of the doorframe.

  “Simmer down, big guy.” Luke grinned. “She’s not going anywhere—you might as well get to know her. And something tells me that even if you won’t admit it, that’s exactly what you want to do.”

  That was it. Kade spun, ready to punch his older brother to shut him up for good, but Luke anticipated his move and sidestepped neatly into the room with a chuckle.

  “There you are!” Chloe crossed the room, sidestepped his brother and went directly to Kade. She looped her arm through his and with a quick wink in Luke’s direction, led Kade into the middle of the living room. “I don’t think you’ve been properly introduced to Ella yet.”

  Ella.

  That was her name. He’d rescued her, sat next to her, felt his bear damn near erupt in her presence. But he hadn’t bothered to ask her name.

  “It’s nice to officially meet you.” She extended her hand but Kade couldn’t take it. If he touched her, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to let her go. Her scent, stronger now that they were indoors, filled him. She was spicy, like a chili pepper, but there was something sweet underlying the heat. Exotic. Everything about the woman was exotic: Wavy, dark hair that fell over her shoulders. Warm skin that reminded him of those creamy coffee drinks Harper always drank. Curves that begged him to put his hands on them. But it was her eyes that caught him. They were golden, with dark flecks. Mesmerizing. And unlike anything he’d ever seen. She was unlike anything or anyone he’d ever seen. His entire body was electrified. He couldn’t focus. He couldn’t think.

  “Kade.” Axel delivered an elbow to his ribs, jostling him out of his trance. “Are you going to introduce yourself to Ella or just stare at her all day?”

  He blinked; a hard blush crept up his neck. He rubbed his hand over the spot, trying to pull himself together. To her credit, Ella still had her hand extended and didn’t look the slightest bit offended. In fact, unless he was reading more into the situation than there was, there was a flush to her skin as well.

  “I’m Kade.” His voice came out gruff and thick. Before he could talk himself out of it again, he took her hand and instantly knew he’d never want to let her go. She made a noise that sounded like something between a squeak and a groan. His cock thickened in his pants in response. “It’s nice to meet you.” He managed to get the words out in what he thought sounded like a normal voice.

  Ella yanked her hand away and quickly sat in the chair, tucking her hands underneath her. Kade immediately felt the loss of her touch. His instincts roared at him, filling his head with a thunder that made it hard to think of anything but throwing her over his shoulder, marching her up the hill to his cabin and claiming her as his own.

  The thought was so completely unexpected that he stumbled backward and would have fallen if he hadn’t backed up against the couch, where he sat hard next to Harper, who looked more than a little amuse
d at the situation. She put her hand on his shoulder. “It’ll be okay,” she whispered in his ear. “I promise.”

  He should be livid: with all of them for bringing in a cook, with her for being his replacement, and with himself for acting like an idiot in front of her. But Kade couldn’t think. He couldn’t focus. He could barely breathe. All he could do was sit and stare at her while she answered questions from the others and chatted easily with them, as if they’d all known one another for decades instead of hours.

  The time passed quickly; people came and went, brought in food, changed places on the couch, and discussed the details about the Ridge. But Kade barely heard the conversations going on around him. All he could focus on was the woman sitting a few feet away from him and how she went against everything he’d ever believed.

  His family—his clan—had been pulled apart not once but twice because of mating and the idea that fated mates were worth risking everything else. First his mother chose a mate that her father, the clan leader, didn’t approve of. They’d run off to raise their cubs alone, but when Kade and his twin sister were barely babies, their mother returned them to the Jackson clan and their grandfather. They hadn’t seen or heard from her since. The only one who knew where she was, and why she’d left them, was their grandfather, the alpha.

  But he wasn’t talking. Not to Kade and his brothers anyway. As far as their grandfather was concerned, they were dead to him too. All because Kira, Kade’s twin, had chosen a mate he didn’t approve of and the brothers had decided not to force her to return the way their grandfather had requested.

  Mating did nothing but destroy families. He’d always believed it. He’d held firmly to that belief, especially since Kira left. Even when Axel found Harper and then Luke found Chloe, Kade still vowed he wouldn’t let it happen to him. He would never put himself in any situation that would make him vulnerable to hurt. Not again.

  But that was before.

  Before he’d looked through the window of that crashed car in the snowbank and set eyes on…her.

  All at once, everything was different. He was on unstable ground and he had no idea how to keep from falling.

  He’d done little more than stare at her all day, and Gabriella was more than aware of him. She could feel his eyes watch her every move. His gaze warmed her.

  No.

  It heated her to the core. Her body was on fire for him and he hadn’t even touched her. Well, not if you didn’t count the handshake and sure, that simple contact had caused a storm inside her, but that was definitely not the kind of touch she was craving. Not from him.

  She wanted his strong, confident hands on her body. She wanted his touch on her bare skin, exploring every inch of her in a way she’d never craved from anyone else before.

  Gabriella did her best not to react or respond to Kade’s attentions; at least, she thought she was doing a good job, but she didn’t miss the little smiles and knowing glances between the others. Especially the women. But it didn’t bother her. The only thing that bothered her was the turmoil roiling through her body. Her bear clambered to get out. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d given in to her animal. Not since she was a teenager and was busy rebelling against her father, running alone in the hills.

  Females in her clan were taught to suppress their animal and to do what they were told. What their men told them to do. It was a culture Gabriella had never fit in to. Particularly once she got to know the man whom her father had arranged a union with. At first she’d just thought Carlos was a sleazy, weasel of a man. But as time went on, not only was her first impression of Carlos accurate, he also proved to be an abusive bully, too.

  She was too strong for him. Too strong-willed. And he’d made it his mission to get her in line and teach her what her place was. When she told him what Carlos was doing to her, her father was no help. Not only did he not care that she was being abused, he blamed her.

  “Be a good girl, Gabriella,” he’d tell her. “You’re to be his mate. If he feels he needs to teach you his ways, that’s his right as your mate.”

  It wasn’t.

  It would never be any man’s right to lay another hand on her.

  Never again.

  So she’d run.

  Because nothing could be done simply, not when it could be extravagant, her father had arranged an elaborate mating ceremony for everyone to watch while she became Carlos Murez’s mate. A match, he told her, that would benefit both of their clans, a solid bloodline match that would ensure the survival of their species. Something to be celebrated.

  Whatever. She’d planned it perfectly and when the timing was right, the day before the ceremony when everyone was too busy with the last-minute arrangements, she’d run.

  Now she was free and she was more than ready to explore that freedom. Not only that, her bear seemed to know it, too. And so much of that was a foreign feeling to her.

  “Excuse me,” Gabriella cut Harper off as she was explaining something about some upcoming guests they had scheduled in. She probably should have been listening, but she just couldn’t sit any longer. Not for one more second. She jumped up from the chair. “I just need to…” She trailed off when she realized everyone stared at her. “Lo siento,” she added quickly. “Sorry. I just…could you maybe…”

  “Why don’t you come with me to see the kitchen?” Chloe appeared at her side and took her arm. “I can’t believe you’ve been here as long as you have and we haven’t even shown you where you’ll be working.”

  Gabriella could have hugged the woman for giving her an out. “Thank you,” she settled on. “That’s exactly what I’d like to do.”

  Especially if it took her away from Kade so she could try to formulate a thought. She let the women lead her through a swinging door into the nicest kitchen she’d ever seen. It was both ready for commercial cooking but at the same time, warm and welcoming for guests. The glistening, commercial-grade stainless-steel appliances were a large presence in the prep area, with big slabs of polished concrete countertops. Gabriella’s eyes were instantly drawn to the cooking area.

  It would be a dream to prepare food there. Her chimichurri and empanadas, as well as all the American dishes her abuela back home had taught her how to make. As a girl, she’d spent a lot of time in the kitchen with her grandmother instead of with the other young girls. It was easier to immerse herself in the smells and tastes of good food than it was to pretend she fit in with the rest of the girls in the clan. As Miguel’s daughter, she would never be like the others. She’d been different from the day she was born. Promised into a marriage, and considered more of a bargaining chip than a child, she’d never been completely accepted. Being in the kitchen was definitely easier.

  “This is beautiful.” She ran her hands along the countertops, and walked through the stools that sat at the counters, ready for guests to come down and drink their coffee and eat the fresh muffins she planned to prepare for them. And scones with her famous dulche de leche topping. Gabriella planned to bring a taste of her world into this world, but only a taste. She’d moved away from Argentina for a reason. Well, for a lot of reasons. As much as her culture was a part of her, she wasn’t tied to it. She was ready for a change. In every way.

  Kade.

  A man hadn’t been part of the plan. Definitely not been part of the plan. But she couldn’t ignore the way he made her feel. And even if she could, she didn’t want to.

  “Kade designed it,” Harper said.

  Gabriella startled. She’d been so lost in her own thoughts, she’d forgotten the other women were there, and more importantly, that they’d also been in the other room and had witnessed the interactions between her and Kade.

  “He did a great job,” she mumbled and didn’t meet their eyes.

  “He does a great job on a lot of things,” Chloe chimed in. “And he’s a whiz in the kitchen. I think you two will work really well together. You’ll be a perfect complement to each other.”

  “In more ways than one.”


  She couldn’t help it. Gabriella turned to look at Harper, who smiled mischievously. “What does that mean?”

  “Don’t pretend you don’t know,” Harper said. “We all see it.”

  “Even Kade sees it.” Chloe nodded. “And he doesn’t seem to be rejecting it.”

  “Rejecting it?” The idea that Kade would reject her hadn’t occurred to Gabriella. To be fair, she hadn’t really thought beyond her own feelings for him. Feelings that she was more than willing to act on. And that alone both scared and thrilled her. “Why would he reject it?” she asked. “I don’t want to be too forward, but...he seems to feel something, too. No?”

  The women laughed.

  “Oh, I think it’s safe to say Kade feels something.”

  “We’ve never seen him like this,” Chloe added. “I mean, not that I’ve known him as long as Harper, but...”

  “This is different,” Harper added. “Very different. We should have tea.”

  Gabriella wanted to scream. No. She didn’t want tea. She wanted to know more about Kade and why it was different now. Why she was different. But she swallowed her impatience and let Harper show her where the tea was and where the mugs were kept. She was patient while it brewed and even while the cups were poured. And then she’d had enough. She couldn’t wait any longer.

  “Why is it different?”

  Chloe answered. “Kade doesn’t believe in mates or mating.”

  “And he definitely doesn’t believe in fated mates.”

  “Nope.” Chloe took a sip of her tea. “Definitely not.”

  Fated mates. That’s what they were. Without a doubt in her mind, Kade was her fated mate. She believed. She very much believed. Even if she hadn’t even one day ago. She did now.

  “But now?” She directed the question to both of the women, but neither of them answered. Instead, they looked at each other, exchanging a glance. “Well? Do you think he believes now?” Even as she asked the question, she already knew the answer. She knew just by looking at him.