by Zoe Chant
“Poor Cody,” she muttered as she stroked his graying muzzle. “Uncle George is gone. I know how you feel. I’m still sad myself. But don’t you think you can give Logan a chance? He’s a good guy.”
She couldn’t even say how she knew, but somehow, from the first moment they met, she’dfelt that she was in no danger. It was as if a part of her had always known Logan. She didn’t know what his favorite song was or how he liked his eggs―but for some strange reason, she knew without a doubt that he was the sort of man who’d sacrifice his own life for others, who was fiercely loyal, who’d never abandon those he cared for.
Then, baffled, she shook her head. Where did all those weird ideas come from? Logan was a complete stranger. She knew nothing about him.
And Cody hates him. That’s never a good sign. He hated the neighbor's nephew who later turned out to be stealing from their retirement account.
Behind her, she could now feel Logan take a cautious step forward.
“Hey, old boy,” he said softly as he sank to his knees. “I’m sorry I took over your old owner’s house. But I can’t bring him back. Can you give me a chance?”
Cody’s lips drew back to reveal his teeth, and he growled at Logan. Then, when Logan didn’t budge, the rough barking began anew, and the dog threw himself forward against the bars in mindless anger.
With a sigh, Logan stood. “That’s why I have to keep him in the kennel. All that excitement can’t be healthy for the old boy. At least he settles down once I leave the barn.”
Slowly, Lily rose as well, still watching Cody, who in turn was completely focused on Logan.
“I think you’re right,” she finally said. “He thinks of you as an intruder. Maybe all he needs is time.”
“I really hope so, for his sake,” Logan quietly replied. Then he gestured towards the back of the barn.
A door was open there, and sunlight fell in. Dust was dancing in the rays of light, and the scent of hay and horse caused a new wave of memories to rise up in Lily’s mind.
Summer on uncle George’s farm… Learning how to ride, weeding in the garden, feeding the chickens, climbing apple trees…
Suddenly, she found herself blinking back tears. All of that was lost to her now. It had been a dream she never knew might come true one day―but now that dream had been taken from her. And who was she without this dream to cling to? Even with the money she’d won, nothing would really change.
She could pay off her loans and make it stretch to buy a tiny condo near work. It wouldn’t be a glamorous life, but she’d get rid of most of her worries.
But she’d still be the same old vet tech who spent her life in the city surrounded by the pets of strangers, without a real home of her own. Without a blue sky and a garden. Most importantly, without a family of her own…
“Do you want to see your uncle’s horse too? A beautiful animal,” Logan said with obvious admiration in his voice. “Of course, he doesn’t like me either. He’d probably be glad for a visit from a familiar person.”
Lily found herself laughing out loud, the sudden melancholy vanishing as suddenly as it had appeared.
“No wonder. He’s a tetchy old beast,” she said with fondness. “He hated everyone―but he liked little girls. Let’s see if he still remembers me.”
Chapter Two: Logan
Logan Anders couldn’t help staring at the woman who was currently walking through his barn. He’d bought the farm to hide from the world―and not even a week in, that resolve was thoroughly shaken when the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on had stepped onto his porch.
Her name’s Lily. And she’s my mate.
The thought made his bear rumble happily. Logan was still stunned by the realization. He’d known as soon as their eyes met―but he’d never expected it would happen now, here.
So many years of loneliness and pain, and just when he’d decided that what he needed was a quiet spot where his bear could lick his wounds in peace, in she walked.
Lily.
Even her name was beautiful.
As she stepped out of the barn, sunlight gleamed on her hair. It was a gorgeous auburn that grew past her shoulders, and the sun made it sparkle with highlights of red and gold. She was sensibly dressed in a shirt and a light jacket that clung to her sexy curves. She had the sort of hips that made his bear growl with possessive desire and think of cubs, and the generous breasts and softly curving belly that made Logan’s cock stiffen as his mind filled with images of trailing kisses all over those expanses of smooth skin.
And right now, she was radiant, shining with the sort of joy Logan hadn’t felt for a long, long time. As soon as they’d made it out into the meadow that stretched behind the barn, she whooped and raced forward to the fence that surrounded the paddock.
There, a black stallion stood waiting. His ears were suspiciously turned back as he watched Logan, but then he seemed to recognize Lily, and his expression changed immediately. His ears curiously flicking forward, he began to dance on the spot, his tail rising as he pranced. From his chest, a happy little whinny escaped, and then Lily had reached the paddock.
Breathlessly laughing, she wrapped her arms around the horse’s neck while the stallion nuzzled at her hair.
“Lucky!” she exclaimed. “So you still know me!”
The horse snorted, and Logan dared to slowly walk up behind her.
Immediately, Lucky stiffened. The powerful body tightened, and Lucky’s ears pinned back, his eyes rolling as he stomped a foot in warning.
With a sigh, Logan raised his hands. “Easy, boy. See? Nothing to fear from me.”
Lily gave him a thoughtful look when she turned away from Lucky at last. “You don’t seem very popular around here.”
Logan grimaced. “I know. Sorry. Your uncle must have been a good man, to be rewarded with such loyalty.”
“He was,” Lily said quietly. “And you shouldn’t take it personally. Years ago, Lucky was one of those racehorses that just couldn’t bring results. He ran his first race when he was two. Never won a single one, no matter how much they beat him. He hated them all, the jockeys, the track, the entire business. Wouldn’t let anyone ride him after those experiences, so they just sold him off for slaughter. And that’s when my uncle found him. In his youth, uncle George had also worked at the race track. He came to loathe the business, how they’d use the animals. He rescued Lucky from the knacker’s. Said it was a sin to treat a noble animal that way. And ever since then, Lucky has lived here.”
“He’s gorgeous,” Logan said as he allowed his eyes to travel over the nervous stallion in admiration.
Logan didn’t know much about horses, but even he could see that the old horse was something special. Even in his age, he carried himself with grace. The powerful body was built for running, with a deep chest and long legs. There was something noble about him, and Logan remembered that he had once read that these racing thoroughbreds had come from the hardy, graceful horses crossing the deserts of Arabia with their riders.
“You don’t need to like me,” he softly addressed the stallion. “I know I’m not your old master. But maybe, in time, you’ll realize that I want the same thing as you do. A home. This could be it―for both of us.”
Suspiciously, the stallion tossed his head. Clearly, if it was going to happen, it would take some time. And then, of course, there was Logan’s secret. The animals could smell it on him.
Logan was a bear shifter. And horses and dogs were not meant to befriend bears, but born to run from them―or to hunt them.
“I’m glad you’re planning on keeping them around,” Lily finally murmured, reaching out to stroke Lucky’s nose until the stallion calmed.
“It would be difficult to find a new home for them. Most people don’t want an old dog, or an old horse.” Logan shrugged, falling silent for a moment, instead of muttering just what exactly he thought of people who’d get rid of an animal just because of its age. “In any case, they’ll always have a home with me. They wer
e here before me, after all. They’ve got every reason to be suspicious. I just hope Cody will eventually calm down. All that excitement can’t be good for his heart.”
“I’m sure he will,” Lily replied, her smile encouraging. “If there’s something I’ve learned in my job, it’s that animals always know what’s in your heart. And you seem to be a good person, Logan.”
Her words hit him like the stab of a knife. Deep in his chest, an old wound ached. What would she say if she knew?
I’m not a good man. I’m not. If she knew who I’ve been, she’d run, and I couldn’t blame her.
But just then, a sudden gust of wind tousled her hair so that she had to brush strands of auburn out of her eyes, while behind her, Lucky snorted and pranced.
Logan couldn’t breathe as he stared at the vision of her. Her hair shone in the sunlight, and the motion made her generous breasts press against her shirt. She was breathtaking. Her cheeks flushed as she tried to keep her long hair under control, and Logan’s cock pulsed with sudden, new need.
He wanted her breathless beneath him. He wanted her flushed all over her gorgeous body as he spread her legs to worship her. He wanted her to call out his name when he finally claimed her, mating with her to cement this unbreakable bond between them once and for all.
This is already her home, his bear rumbled. She’ll want to fill it with cubs, just as you do.
But she doesn’t know me, Logan thought back, and then swallowed.
He didn’t know what to do. If he was honest with himself, he’d been running from his past. He hated the man he’d been. He wanted what his brothers had found: loving mates, a real home with people who supported each other, and cubs on the way who’d soon play in the fields and meadows of Linden Creek.
But he couldn’t have stayed in his brothers’ town. His brothers didn’t know him. They couldn’t possibly understand who he’d been.
Their lives were filled with happiness and light, whereas Logan had been forced to live in darkness for so long. How could he bring that darkness into their lives?
I’m not the man I used to be. But who am I? I need to figure that out on my own. I can’t drag anyone else into my problems.
She’s your mate, his bear pointed out. She’ll understand you.
Maybe, Logan thought after some hesitation. Maybe she’ll understand about shifters, if I tell her. But how could a woman like Lily settle for someone like Blood Claw?
Blood Claw had been his name in his old clan. It had been a dangerous life. He’d served a cruel alpha called Iron Fang who’d forbidden all contact with the outside world―unless it was for thealpha’s often illegal business endeavors. There were scars on Logan’s body from the many fights with a rivaling werewolf clan. And even in their own clan, Logan had been forced to fight again and again to make his way to the top, until he had become his alpha’s Second.
Lily doesn’t deserve a bitter, scarred warrior. She deserves someone who can love her completely, without burdening her with his past.
Bah, his bear snorted. She’s your mate, and that’s that. Nature will have its way. Just you see.
There was no arguing with his bear. And of course, his bear’s instincts had so often saved his life that Logan had learned long ago to trust his advice. But what did a bear know of matters of the heart?
Heart, his bear scoffed. I know about mating. I know about cubs. I know about protecting and caring for your family. That’s what I know.
Again Logan felt a pang of yearning deep in his chest. A sudden image of Lily rose in his mind, her auburn hair catching the rays of the setting sun as she ran after two laughing children. The girl had her gorgeous, red-brown locks, the boy his own, darker hair. And when they turned, he could see in both of their eyes the golden fire of their inner bear…
“Would you mind visiting the goats as well?” Lily asked softly.
Jarred from his thoughts, Logan couldn’t help but stare at her again. She’d turned towards him, and she was so close now that all he’d have to do was reach out and pull her into his arms to kiss her breathless.
For one moment, the need was almost irresistible. He was hard and aching, his body aware without a single doubt that this was the woman meant for him, the mate he’d had to live without for so long.
Forcing the fevered desire back down, he nodded, hoping desperately that the goats would at least be distraction enough that he could keep this raging need for her under control.
“They’re back where they’ve always been, on the other side of the barn,” he said and led her away from the paddock around the building’s corner. “I’ve inspected their stable; it’s holding up well. I might do something about the roof for the winter, but from the looks of it, your uncle always made sure that his animals were safe, no matter the conditions.”
Lily gave him a blinding smile. “You’ve already found out, from the look of those tools I saw, but he didn’t do the same for his own house.”
Logan couldn’t hold back his chuckle. “First time I stepped on that porch, my foot went right through the moldy wood,” he admitted. “So that was one of my first projects. It’s a lovely house, though. I don’t want to change too much, just keep everything in good repair.”
“You’re planning on staying out here all alone?” Lily asked.
Was she wondering whether he had a girlfriend? Logan couldn’t help but feel a rush of elation at the thought.
“It would make a perfect home for a family,” he admitted. “But I’m all alone. I’m… not very close to my family. I have two brothers. We’ve reconnected recently, but they’ve got their own families and their own troubles. It wouldn’t have felt right, barging in ontheir lives and burdening them with―” He made a helpless gesture. “Me,” he then finished.
Lily laughed. “You are not the man to be a burden to anyone,” she said with the utmost confidence. “From all I’ve seen of you, I mean. Still, I’m glad you decided to settle out here. If it had to be sold, at least it went to someone who appreciates this place.”
“I’m sorry,” Logan said again
Should he offer to sell it back to her? Give it to her as a present?
Being forced to spend most of his life in a criminal bear clan hadn’t been an easy life―but at least, when he cut off all ties to his old clan, he’d been left with a solid cushion of money. He could have afforded five farms like this, if he’d wanted.
Of course, what that money couldn’t buy him was the happiness and the normal, carefree life his brothers had found with their mates.
And what he really wanted was to press Lily down into the grass and slide inside her, claiming her with his scent and with his body until she cried out in pleasure. What he wanted was to live here on this farm with her and fill it with adorable cubs to run among the goats and the apple trees.
“Not your fault.” Lily’s hand lightly touched his arm.
Her fingers were warm against his skin. Heat surged through him like lightning, his erection chafing against the fabric of his jeans. At least he’d worn an old shirt for the repairs he’d been doing before she arrived. It was stained with paint, but long enough to hide what her closeness did to him―or so he hoped.
Before them, the small stable sprawled against the side of the barn. It was really little more than a large shed, but it was sturdy, and roomy enough for the group of eight tiny miniature goats that milled around in the fenced paddock in front of it.
“Shall we let them out into the garden?” Logan asked. “They love the grass, and they always come back into the stable when it’s time to be fed.”
“My uncle used Cody to keep them in check when they were running free,” Lily said, her eyes filling with warmth once more as she watched the goats mingling eagerly at the gate of their little paddock. “Of course, knowing how greedy the little devils are, Cody had an easy time with his job.”
When Logan opened the gate, the goats came jumping out with happy bleats. Most of them immediately rushed off for the long, sweet gra
ss that grew beneath the apple trees, but two of them stayed to curiously sniff at Lily’s pants.
“Sorry. No treats for you,” she said in apology.
For a while, the two tiny animals kept dancing around them, sniffing at their hands and their pockets and trying to nibble on anything they could reach. Finally, in disappointment, they raced off to join their friends searching for treats in the apple orchard instead.
Slowly, Logan and Lily followed behind. Logan couldn’t help sneaking glances at Lily every now and then.
Her face was alight with happiness. It was truly as if she’d come home. Having her next to him felt so right; she seemed completely familiar, even though he’d only known her for such a short time.
Could she feel this connection between them? She was no shifter, but she was his mate. Did she feel the same for him? Or was this only because this place had been her family’s home long before Logan had shown up?
“Why, you little beast!” Lily laughed with delight when one of the tiny goats headbutted her.
“I think I know what he wants.” Logan stretched easily, reaching up into the boughs of the apple tree before them until he could break off one of the small apples. “Is this what you’re after?”
He held out the apple, and a second later, the little goat had greedily torn it out of his hand, racing off with his treat while the other goats followed behind.
“Uh oh. They’re going to be back, you know,” Lily said without bothering to hide her laughter.
“There’s enough apples here for all of us.” Logan reached up again and easily pulled down one of the branches heavy with apples. “They’re still a little sour, but the goats don’t mind.”
Lily quickly began to gather apples until she had an armful. When Logan finally released the branch, she shared her spoils with him. Then they followed the goats, who had stopped next to a small pond. The first apple had long since been crunched by the victorious goat.
As soon as Logan and Lily stepped toward them, the herd of tiny goats stiffened.
Heads raised. Little black eyes began to gleam with fierce greed.