by Anna Lowe
The valet lit up like it was Christmas and slid into the passenger seat, spinning his head around.
“Wow. I mean, this is a great car. I mean… Wow. A real Rolls Royce.”
Hunter drove slowly down the lane. “Big event, huh?”
The valet bounced in his seat. “Bigger than big. I saw her today.”
“Saw who?”
“Her. Regina Vanderpelt.”
The name rang a bell, but Hunter couldn’t figure out why.
“The Regina Vanderpelt. You know her, right? She’s totally famous.”
Hunter rubbed his freshly trimmed beard. “Famous for what?”
“Um…well… She’s famous for being famous, I guess. Rich and famous. She’s always in all the magazines. It’s the wedding of the century, and it’s happening here.”
Hunter made a mental note to stay clear of the place for the next week. Was Regina Vanderpelt the bratty heiress who featured regularly on the covers of tabloids? A sex scandal here, a high-profile breakup there.
Yeah, he’d definitely keep clear of the place. He parked, locked up, and triple-checked the doors.
The valet laughed. “The car is safe, man. Besides, it’s insured, right?”
Of course, the car was insured. But Hunter had put enough time into keeping that V12 engine safe from the harsh elements of the tropics to care about a lot more than replacement value.
Before handing the key over, he gave the kid a long, withering look. “No one touches this car but the chauffeur. Got it?”
“Got it. Got it,” the guy gulped.
Hunter hung on to the key when the kid reached for it, reinforcing the unspoken warning before finally letting go.
“Want a ride back to the gate?” the valet offered, waving to a golf cart.
Hunter scowled. He would barely fit in that ridiculous contraption, for one thing, and he was still relishing the smooth ride of the Rolls, for another. But he didn’t want to spend a minute longer than he had to in the ritzy, overpriced resort, so he nodded and folded himself into the front seat.
“They’ve invited more than five hundred guests,” the valet shouted as they drove past the ice sculptor. The chainsaw was going full blast, spewing bits of ice as far as the road. “Every penthouse on this side of the island is booked. I swear, the flower bill alone would pay my entire student loan.”
Hunter snorted. He’d never had much money, and he probably never would. But what he did have, he wouldn’t spend on flowers. Well, not on flowers that would never grow in the wild and sway with a breeze.
A memory zipped through his mind — one of the few he had that went way back. Back to when he’d been a tiny cub, when his mother seemed huge and the world seemed even bigger. He remembered the two of them walking in bear form through a meadow of wildflowers that tickled his belly and nose until he sneezed. One of those perfect spring days in Alaska made all the more beautiful by a long, hard winter and by his mother’s lighthearted chuckles. An innocent day when life had seemed so sweet and serene.
“Some people have it all, huh?” the valet murmured, waving toward an oncoming truck from Maui’s most exclusive catering company.
Hunter blinked a few times and took a long, deep breath. Yeah, some people had it all. He’d had everything a bear could wish for until it had all been ripped away. Over the past few months, he’d even been entertaining fantasies that he could live that great a life again by winning over his mate. If he had Dawn, he wouldn’t need much else. He would have his mate and a lot of love. He could wake every morning by her side and spend every night holding her close. He could—
He bit his lip, cutting the fantasies off there. He would never have that. He’d blown his chance the day he had exposed his bear side to Dawn in the worst possible way.
What was I supposed to do? That rogue wolf was going to kill her, his bear cried.
“Well, I guess we’ll see you next week,” the valet said, dropping him by the front gate.
Hunter pried himself out of the golf cart, murmuring his thanks as those words bounced around his mind. Next week would be just as miserable as this week and the week after that. Somehow, he had to reconcile himself to the idea of a life without his mate.
A beep sounded, making everyone look up, and Hunter caught a flash of red racing in from the main road.
“Him again,” the guard muttered at the sight of Boone zipping up in the Ferrari.
The wolf shifter flashed one of his winning grins as he pulled up. “Hop in.”
“Hop?” Hunter sighed as he squeezed into the low-slung car. “Couldn’t you have driven the Land Rover?”
“No time to waste,” Boone said as he raced back to the main road and made the left turn for home. “It took forever to take Kai to the airport. I need to get back to my mate and—” He cut himself off there. “Oh. I mean…”
Hunter looked at his feet as an awkward silence fell over the car — silence broken a few minutes later when a helicopter buzzed overhead.
Boone beeped and waved through the open roof of the Ferrari. “There’s Kai with the new chopper.”
“Keep your eyes on the road,” Hunter muttered as the car’s speed inched up.
“No problem.” Boone jerked the wheel to straighten out.
“You need to slow down, too.”
“Nah. Like I said, no time to waste.”
Hunter braced his arms on the dashboard as the scenery flashed by. “Boone…”
“I got this, man. We’re nearly there.”
They were nearly to the curve staked out by Officer Dawn Meli of the Maui police, too. If she was on duty, she was bound to pull Boone over, and Hunter wasn’t ready to face her yet.
“Boone…”
“Live a little, man,” Boone said, racing around the corner.
Hunter peeked right, and his heart pounded at the sight of Dawn’s white-and-blue cruiser.
She’s back! His bear practically leaped for joy. She’s back! Maybe she’ll pull us over.
The Ferrari raced on, and Hunter kept his eyes glued to the side mirror, waiting for the flash of police lights.
“Hey,” Boone murmured, slowing down. “She’s not pulling me over?”
The joy that had burst into Hunter’s soul slowly seeped out. Dawn wasn’t pulling them over. She was avoiding him, just as he’d been avoiding her.
Boone slowed even more, then signaled a left turn onto a private drive.
Hunter made a face. “Wait. What are you doing? This isn’t the driveway to Koa Point.”
Boone put the Ferrari into reverse, scattering dirt as he headed back the way they’d come. “I’m going back.”
Hunter dug his nails into the dashboard. “What?”
“I have a right to be pulled over, damn it,” Boone said with a sly look on his face.
“I thought you were in a rush to get back to your mate.”
“I am, but this is as important.”
“Boone,” Hunter growled, to no avail. He sank as low in his seat as he could when Boone drove past the squad car again. “Don’t do this, Boone.”
“Time to man up, bear.” Boone chuckled as he turned the car yet again. He drove directly to the pullout and parked next to the squad car, putting Hunter window-to-window with a wide-eyed Officer Meli.
His breath caught, and his blood warmed.
Mate, his bear hummed. My perfect mate.
She was perfect in every possible way. Her fine features, her glossy black hair. Her dark, searching eyes. Back in school, everyone had predicted that Dawn would win modeling contracts and hit it big thanks to her gorgeous blend of Polynesian, Asian, and Caucasian features, but she’d shunned the suggestion and gone to law school instead. And after law school, she’d surprised everyone again by going into law enforcement.
My mate always does the unexpected, his bear said with a dreamy sigh.
“Officer Meli!” Boone called cheerily.
Hunter closed his eyes, savoring a whiff of her flowery scent.
“Mr. Hawthorne,” she said in an icy voice that warmed and wavered when she looked at Hunter. “Mr. Bjornvald.”
Hunter snapped his eyes open again. “Dawn,” he whispered.
“You didn’t pull me over,” Boone said.
“No, I didn’t.” Her dark eyes were hard and unamused, but when they strayed toward Hunter, they flickered — and not in fear. More like…recognition. Maybe even warmth.
I told you! his bear cried. I told you she loves us.
But why would she? Humans didn’t know about destined mates.
Deep inside, our mate knows, his bear insisted. Destiny told her, too.
“I was speeding,” Boone said.
Officer Meli’s brow furrowed. “I decided to let it go this once.”
“But speeding is unlawful. I really think you ought to give me a ticket.”
She pushed open the door of her squad car and stood with her hands on her hips. “Mr. Hawthorne, I decide when I issue a ticket. Is that clear?”
How she managed to look beautiful and menacing at the same time, Hunter didn’t know.
She’d make a great bear, his inner beast sighed.
“Yes, ma’am,” Boone said, putting on his best chagrined schoolboy look as he swung the car door open.
Officer Meli went into a defensive stance, one arm hovering over the weapon at her hip. “Hold it right there.”
Boone stood and stretched. “Sorry. An old army injury is suddenly flaring up. I need to walk it off.”
“Old army what?” Hunter murmured, stepping out of the car. Boone had his share of war wounds, as did every member of their Special Forces unit, but as a quick-healing shifter, Boone didn’t suffer any long-term effects. What was he up to?
Dawn spun. “Whoa. You hold it, too.”
Hunter threw his hands up as Boone faked a grimace and limped up the dirt track that led from the pullout toward the West Maui mountains. “I’ll be fine in a few minutes. Don’t worry.”
“Worry?” Dawn didn’t sound the least bit concerned. Her eyes darted from Boone’s back to Hunter’s face.
Hunter pushed the car door closed and leaned against it, keeping his hands in plain view. Christ, what was he thinking, hopping out of the car like that?
I was thinking, get closer to my mate, his bear murmured inside.
We’ll scare her, he hissed back.
Boone’s footsteps crunched over gravel then faded into the distance, leaving Hunter and Dawn alone. He scrubbed a hand over his jaw, wondering what to do.
Time to man up, bear. Boone’s words echoed through his mind, and a few awkward seconds later, he finally spoke. “Look—”
“Look,” Dawn said at exactly the same time.
They both stopped cold, staring at each other.
Hunter scuffed the dirt with his boot. “Ladies first.”
“No, you first,” she insisted, crossing her arms.
Right. If only he knew what to say other than, Look.
Say, I love you, his bear tried.
Hunter shook his head. No way was he opening with that line.
Say, you can trust me.
Hunter shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. Damn it, why was it that a bear who didn’t fear anything had to be so scared of uttering a few words?
Then kiss her.
He gritted his teeth. Much as he’d like to, that wouldn’t work either.
She sighed. “Tongue-tied as ever, I see.”
Hunter looked up. Another woman might have laced the words with scorn, but not Dawn. If anything, there was a hint of fondness in her voice. Or was he imagining things?
They stood facing each other for a full minute, speechless. Any second, Hunter figured, his brief stint in heaven would be over — just being close to Dawn was heaven — so he imprinted the moment onto his mind. A wisp of hair had strayed out of her single braid, and the sea breeze twirled it exactly the way he fantasized about doing himself. The sun shone from high overhead, casting her face into smooth fields of shadow and light. When her gaze wandered to his chest then snapped back to his eyes, her throat bobbed with a tiny swallow.
Hunter gulped, too, because it was happening again. That magical aura that overwhelmed him every time he came close to his mate. The sensation that rose out of nowhere and wound around the two of them, locking the outside world away. The hum of passing cars, the scratch of insects in the surrounding scrub — all sound faded until the only thing Hunter heard was the beat of his heart. All he saw was the faint rise and fall of Dawn’s shoulders with each deep breath. Her face was bright and clear, but everything else grew blurry, as if the sun was slowly turning a lens and focusing all its light on her.
This is your mate. A whisper came from somewhere deep in the earth. This is your destiny.
Dawn’s eyes shone brighter, and she leaned forward slightly.
She needs you as much as you need her, the voice said, coaxing him along.
A yellow butterfly fluttered between them, but even that was a blur. Nothing mattered but Dawn.
His lips moved with words he couldn’t form, and when his hand brushed hers, she didn’t jerk away.
“Hunter,” she whispered.
The stern police officer was gone, as was the woman who had been shocked by the grizzly she’d seen a few weeks ago. All that remained was the girl he’d once known, fresh and eager and leaning so close, his body burned with need.
Hunter leaned down — without thinking, because instinct had taken over, and he was powerless to do anything but react — and hovered an inch away from her lips. His eyelids drooped, and his focus narrowed on the fine line of her lips. Dawn tilted her head slightly, and she rolled forward on her toes, closing the tiny space between them.
Then, zoom! A truck rushed by, buffeting them both with its wake, whipping reality back in.
Chapter Three
Dawn snapped her eyes open and blinked a few times. Holy cow. What was she doing? If she had to write up an incident report later, she would have no idea where to start.
One second, I was getting ready to tell him to back off, and the next, we were nearly kissing.
She could practically hear the snickers of her fellow officers. A good thing there were no witnesses there on the side of the road this glorious day in West Maui.
Not that it had been a glorious day when it started. She’d been grumpy and off-kilter all morning, as she had been for the past few weeks. No matter how much tai chi or yoga she tried, she couldn’t settle down. Every morning, she set off on a punishing run, and every evening, she spent ages tidying her perfectly clean bungalow, adjusting the bookshelves so the spines lined up just right and fidgeting with picture frames that weren’t actually askew, compulsively seeking the order and control her soul craved.
Control that always went out the window whenever Hunter was concerned. She’d never been so frustrated or confused.
But when he got close — as close as just then — all her doubts and fears fled, and she was immersed in a radiant world of comfort and bliss. Every nerve in her body took flight like the butterfly that had just flitted past, and her whole body tingled with glee.
All the man had to do was blink those impossibly long eyelashes, and she was a goner. Her, the don’t-mess-with-me police officer who’d booked dozens of men twice her size, from heinous criminals to big, rowdy drunks and everything in between. Yet somehow, she got all dreamy-eyed and off-focus when it came to Hunter.
Hunter, the man she’d secretly loved for years.
Part of her had already fast-forwarded into the kiss, and it actually hurt to imagine what she had just missed. She could have relived the one kiss she and Hunter had once shared, years ago — the only kiss she’d ever given freely to a man. She could have felt the soft pillow of his lips over hers and wrapped her arms slowly around his bulk. She could have felt Hunter pull her in gently, as he had that one perfect moment more than a decade ago under their secret waterfall. They had been teenagers, but even then, she had felt so sure that Hunte
r was the one.
Except, of course, that he’d abruptly stopped seeing her after that, and he’d shipped out with the army as soon as he graduated from high school. But ever since Hunter had returned to Maui after so many years away, she’d dreamed of kissing him again. Yes, she, Dawn Meli, had actually dreamed of kissing a man instead of harboring nightmares of desperately fighting one off.
Forget that ever happened, she reminded herself. I can trust Hunter.
Can’t trust any man, a dark voice grumbled from the recesses of her mind.
The man part wasn’t what made her step back at that point, because Hunter wasn’t just a man. He had a secret, animal side capable of the most brutal acts. She’d seen the body count too recently to forget.
It all happened down at a secluded seaside property a few miles from Kihei. She’d responded to a report of strange noises and a fight — only to find Hunter and his friends standing amidst carnage like she’d never seen. There were bodies everywhere, and Dawn was about to demand an explanation when a huge wolf had barreled out of nowhere and leaped for her throat. She’d seen murder in the red shine of its eyes and the white flecks of foam on its huge fangs. She’d gotten one shot off, but the beast had barreled on. She thought she was a goner until another feral growl split the air. A bear — a huge grizzly with fur the exact shade of Hunter’s hair — caught the wolf and tore it to bits. Moments later, the bear hunched, moaned, and slowly transformed into a man. Hunter.
Hunter was a bear.
She’d almost called the incident in to police headquarters, but the beseeching look in Hunter’s eyes convinced her to hear him out. Well, she heard his friend Boone out because Hunter, as usual, had been at a loss for words.
Shifters, Boone had explained. We’re all shifters. The dead men are shifters, too, like that wolf that attacked you.
She might have dismissed his crazy claims had it not been for the dead wolf transforming to human form in front of her eyes.
I’m a wolf. Cruz is a tiger, Boone explained. And Hunter is a grizzly.
These aren’t the bad guys, Officer, the sole woman on the scene had said. Nina was her name. Please, let’s hear them out.