by Ally Summers
I grabbed my head. It was as if everything came in flashes. Images blurred past me. Gabi. The girl. My bear. They spun around me. I saw Gabi in my bed. My tongue lashing at her ripe nipples. I heard her scream my name under my sheets. And I heard the low roar of my bear as he claimed her over and over.
I growled louder this time, silencing the images. This had to stop. I had to control it. I had to regain power over my bear.
Gabi spun. “Oh my God. You’re-you’re one of the….”
I turned to face her. Her eyes widened.
I couldn’t hide it. The struggle I faced on the inside had surfaced in front of her. I nodded. “Yeah. One of the bear shifters in this town.” Letting the growl out had felt good. It was a small release, but maybe enough to get things back in check. Maybe that was the key. I had to stop suppressing every animal instinct I had.
She bit her lip. “It’s just… I don’t know that I believed what people said until now. They told me, but it seemed like a ghost story for the festival.”
If she was just coming to terms with the reality of shifters, I wasn’t about to tell her the truth about us. About who she was to me. That she had walked up the hill to the pinnacle for one reason and one reason only.
That after one look. After the first gaze. The second my bear set eyes on her, I knew without a doubt, without hesitation, that Gabi Aprils was meant to be my mate.
Four
Gabi
Boone McScott might as well have been labeled sex-on-a-stick. I hadn’t stopped starting at him since he appeared. Why hadn’t anyone warned me he looked like that? He was the exact definition of tall, dark, and handsome. Except I couldn’t leave out there was something mysterious and brooding about him too. Maybe it was the thick beard, or the secrets he carried in his coal black eyes. This man made me shiver. And it was involuntary in every way.
I didn’t know what to think about his admission. I couldn’t process that this town had a shifter population. And right now, the only thing that really mattered was that there was a two-year-old child missing her parents. Her mother had to be freaking out.
I had to ignore that I had probably met the most gorgeous, sexiest man I’d ever laid eyes on. And that he’d just revealed himself as one of the Twilight Hollow bear shifters.
My head spun. My knees were shaky. The girl whimpered, bringing me back to reality. I tucked her under my arm. The baby came first. My insta-crush and lust needed to take a backseat.
Boone stepped closer. I felt my heart race despite my inner lecture. “There’s no one looking for her at the farm. And after spending a few minutes with her, I’m certain she’s been out here a while.”
“Then we should get her to the medical center and call the police,” I suggested. “Someone needs to take a look at her. She could be dehydrated.”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so. That’s not going to happen.”
I froze. “You can’t be serious. She needs her family.” I patted her head. “And she needs a bath. And I’m sure she’s hungry.”
“I gave her an apple,” he grunted.
“An apple? That won’t fill her up. She’s practically a baby.” I pulled her tighter to me, ignoring the smell from her skin. He was right. This wasn’t a child who had recently wondered away. She had been hiding in the orchard for a while.
“She can stay at my cabin until we figure something out,” he stated as if it was already a determined fact.
“We?” I gawked. “You’re dragging me into this? I met you two minutes ago.” I could list a thousand reasons why his idea was crazy.
“She likes you. Come on. We’ll take her there.”
He started to walk away, and I stared in disbelief. He clearly thought the discussion was over. I huffed. He left me with no choice but to carry the little girl with me. His truck was parked at the bottom of the hill beyond where I had left the golf cart. Boone started the engine and I didn’t have a chance to argue with his plan. We should be headed to the police station. I’d feel even better if we could take her somewhere to get a check-up.
I climbed into the cab, holding her close. Boone put the truck in reverse and backed onto the road. We drove toward the thick forest bordering the last row of apple trees. There was a dirt trail, wide enough for his truck, but nothing else.
As we traveled deeper into the woods, I realized we had left the light and colors of the orchard behind us.
After a bouncy winding journey, we stopped when the road ended in a small clearing. There was a cabin, but it looked more like an expensive mansion built from logs. I eyed the three stories as I carefully hopped to the ground. Houses like this didn’t just exist in the middle of the woods.
“I’d carry her for you, but I think she’s afraid of me,” he explained, meeting me on the other side of the sidewalk. “I don’t want to scare her.”
“It’s all right. I don’t mind.”
Boone led me inside the house. He turned on the lights as he walked from room to room.
“There’s a guestroom with a full bath down the hall. Why don’t you put her in the tub and I’ll make her something to eat? I’ll skip the apples this time.”
I nodded, although I wasn’t sure why I had agreed to any of this. There was something about the tone of his voice and the way he looked at me that told me I shouldn’t disagree. It was starting to make sense why I needed to get his help with the festival. There was no doubt he had a commanding presence. I could see why people in Twilight Hollow would listen to him. Look what I had already done. But dealing with a missing child was never supposed to be a part of my job duties.
I carried her along the hall, peeking my head in the different rooms. There was a study, a workout room, and then a guestroom. There was an oval tub under a skylight. I turned on the warm water and let it run. The girl clung to my neck.
“Shh. It’s just a bubble bath. You’ll feel better.”
After a few minutes of struggling with her tattered clothes, she finally let me lower her into the tub. I washed her hair, lathering it with several rounds of shampoo and conditioner. I worked silently, not sure how to get her to say more than she had. I wondered what her name was. I tried a few different ways to get her to tell me, but she just babbled.
I wrapped her in a big fluffy towel and searched the guestroom for something I could dress her in. I wasn’t putting her back in smelly old clothes.
I found a stack of T-shirts in the closet. I held one up. They were from last year’s Twilight Hollow Fall Festival. It was too big for her, but it was better than what she had.
“Perfect.” I smiled, showing it to her. “You can wear one of these.”
I combed out her hair. The knots and tangles were gone. “There. Much better.” I showed her her reflection in the mirror. “Let’s see what’s for lunch,” I suggested. “I know you’re hungry.”
I took her by the hand and we walked to the kitchen to find Boone.
His broad shoulders spanned the width of the stove. I watched his arms flex every time he gripped the spatula. Did he work out every day, or was that just how shifters looked? Cut and ripped like cover models. Who was this man?
He turned around just as we walked into the gourmet kitchen.
“Grilled cheese ok?” he asked.
I nodded, trying not to stare too hard. It was difficult. Everything about this situation was out of the ordinary.
I waited for the toddler to take a few bites of her sandwich before I pressed Boone for more answers. I cornered him by the stove, keeping my voice quiet.
“Why exactly aren’t we calling the police? We need to report that we have a missing child. I understand things are different here, but they can’t be that different.”
His eyes hardened. Dark stormy eyes that made my knees wobble.
“You’re not from here, Ms. Aprils. I don’t think you need to stick your nose in Twilight Hollow business.”
My hands landed on my hips. “But, you brought me into it,” I sputtered. “I don’t und
erstand what’s going on. We can’t keep her here. Or at least you can’t.”
He grabbed me by the arm and dragged me into the next room. I looked around at the posh laundry room. Everything about this place was a surprise. Then my eyes landed on his. He was staring at me with more than just a persuasive argument gaze.
He dropped his grip as if I had burned his palm.
He grumbled. “Look, I think I know who she is. And you are definitely not taking this to the police.”
I refrained from stomping my foot. “Then why don’t you tell me,” I pleaded. “Tell me what’s going on. Explain why you’re even thinking about keeping her.”
He hung his head. “You aren’t going to like it.” He stepped back, leaning into the washer.
“And you think I’m happy about the current situation?” I tilted my head. “This isn’t right. Her parents deserve to know where she is.”
He folded his arms across his bulging chest. “All right. But you have to agree to stop fighting me on this.”
I chewed the inside of my lip. “I don’t know if I can do that. There is a child at your kitchen table eating a grilled cheese. We don’t know where her parents are. And in three days your farm is supposed to turn into one of the hot spots of the festival. Are you planning to hide her somehow? Because I can’t go along with that.”
“You either agree to go along with everything I have to say, or you can leave. Now.” The growl emanated between us.
It sent chills along my spine. Something in me started to shake, but it was a deep quiver in my core. A place I should definitely not be feeling this way. Not with so much on the line.
As much as I wanted to cling to my principles and standards. As much as I wanted to tell him he could shove his secrecy, I couldn’t. I was too curious about the little girl. She had already found a way into my heart. I didn’t want to admit it, but part of me was drawn to the mysteries of the bear shifter man towering over me. I couldn’t leave.
Shit. I wasn’t going to do anything he didn’t want me to do. I was falling way too fast.
“Fine.” I pretended to be defiant. To have a choice. “But you have to tell me everything.”
Five
Boone
Gabi was close. Too close. I could smell her – sweat mixed with the scent of clean rain and honey. Why did she have to smell like fucking honey? The laundry room walls were closing in on me. I wanted to lift her on the washer and claim her. God, my bear was desperate for her. I had to get out of here before I gave in to my instincts.
“Let’s see if she’ll sleep.” I pointed to the kitchen and brushed past Gabi, groaning at the impact. “I don’t want her to hear us talking about her. I don’t know what she’s been through.”
Gabi ran after me. “But you said…”
I turned. “After she’s asleep.”
Gabi sighed. “Can I at least have one of those grilled cheeses while I wait?”
I grinned accidentally. “Sure.” I moved back to the stove and added another sandwich to the griddle, slathered in butter. The pan sizzled as I flipped it over.
It was going to be a while before the cub napped. I had a few questions of my own.
“How did you get the Fall Festival job?” I asked. “It’s the first time an out-of-towner has taken it on.”
Gabi watched while I made lunch. “I’m in marketing and I’m an event coordinator.”
“So you do this kind of thing for a living?”
She laughed. “Yes. My firm in Atlanta handles events like these all over the country. I love it. Depends on the job, but I can do most of the planning remotely up until the event. Like this one,” she explained. “I just flew in and rented a car for the week.”
“And what do you think about our little town?” It seemed important that she liked it. That she found something here worthwhile. It felt as if my bear demanded it. I tried to lock him away again, so I could at least talk to Gabi without thinking about her in my bed.
I flipped the grilled cheese on a plate and slid it across the counter in front of her. I started another sandwich for myself.
“It’s not like any other place I’ve visited. I can say that with complete confidence.” She smiled slowly. There was something insanely seductive about everything she did. “It’s beautiful,” she added.
“First shifter town?” I asked.
I saw the way she lowered her eyes. She didn’t have to speak to tell me her answer. Most people were surprised when they traveled to Twilight Hollow. We didn’t advertise, but humans knew we were here. It was accepted, just not discussed. It wasn’t what we wanted to be known for. We’d stick to the orchards, vineyards, and the festival for town notoriety.
“Don’t worry. I won’t bite, Gabi.” I winked and saw the blush rise from her neck to her cheeks. Damn, she was pretty. There was an innocence about her. If this was her first shifter town, then that meant I was going to be her first shifter. My cock twitched with an ache.
I knew there were a lot of steps that had to come first. I had to slow my bear down. All he could think about was the prize.
My palm flattened into the counter.
“Everything all right?” she asked.
She didn’t know what she was doing to me. She didn’t know how she had awakened the most primal instinct inside my bear. The part that was supposed to be buried deeper than my heart.
“Yes.” I cleared my throat. I flipped the sandwich on a plate and turned to face her.
Gabi looked over her shoulder at the cub. “She ate everything on her plate.”
I nodded. “She was starving. Guess the apple didn’t really fill her up,” I teased.
“I can’t believe you found her in the orchard.” Her voice cracked in her throat. “She’s so small. So helpless.”
I knew Gabi wanted me to focus on the child, but all I could think about was the other thing I’d found in the orchard this morning—her.
I gathered wood and hauled it inside. I stacked the logs in the massive stone fireplace while Gabi tried to settle the girl to bed. She closed the door and listened to make sure she was asleep before joining me in the living room.
The fire crackled and popped behind me. I stood in front of the flames in a wide stance.
Gabi walked toward me.
“She’s asleep. I had to tell her a story, but I think she’s finally out.”
“What story?” I asked.
“Hmm?”
“What did you tell her?”
She cocked her head. “Something I made up.”
“Not Goldilocks?”
She sank into the couch. “No. Thought I should skip that one. I’m afraid I might not know all the facts on that story any longer.” She smirked. “I’m not the bear expert around here.”
“I think it’s safe to tell little cubs anything you want. They tend to be less imaginative than human children.”
Her green eyes glittered. “Wait. You’re telling me she’s a shifter too? A cub. Is that what you called her?”
I took a long stride from the hearth and sat next to her. The couch bowed under my weight.
“Yes. She’s a bear cub.”
Gabi exhaled. “I-I don’t know what to say. I don’t know how to process any of this.”
It was impulse, but I reached an arm around her, gripping her shoulder. “I’ll explain the best I can.”
She nodded. “Please.”
Six
Gabi
This morning I was determined to prove to my boss I was ready to take on the next level of events. I wanted the exciting clients that came with big city venues. But now I was listening to the most unbelievable small town story. Not to mention, I was ignoring everything on today’s to-do list. But I couldn’t leave. I couldn’t walk out of this cabin until I knew more about the child and what Boone McScott thought we could do to help her. That and the fact that this sexy man had his arm around me.
“I think she’s a gypsy cub,” he stated.
I tried to ignore how
close he was. How his wide body could canvas mine easily. And God, he smelled good. Like hints of mint and juniper mixed together. With his arm around my shoulder it was hard to concentrate.
“Gypsy cub? I don’t know what that is.”
“She’s not from my clan. That much I know. But someone left her here for me to find. Probably her mother.”
“Her mother abandoned her?” The shock soared through me. “Who would do something like that to their own child?”
Boone’s eyes narrowed. “Not by choice. It’s probably the only way she could save her.”
“Save her from what?”
“Gypsy cubs are love cubs, Gabi.”
I shook my head. He might as well have been speaking Portuguese. I had no idea what any of this meant.
“That means her mother slept with someone other than her husband. The baby is a love cub, or as humans call it, a bastard.”
I covered my mouth. “But she’s just a tiny thing. It’s not her fault how she came into this world. Not that I’m judging. Because I’m not.”
“Yeah. I know. But my guess is the husband figured it out. The only way to protect the cub was to put her somewhere he wouldn’t look. On another clan’s lands.”
“But why? What would he have done to her?” The fear gripped my stomach in twisted sickening knots. I didn’t want to know, yet I had to have an answer.
Boone shook his head. “They would have shunned her from the clan. Given her to humans and denounced her mother in front of the clan. A gypsy cub would never have a place there. She would never see her family or be allowed to see her ancestors. It would be complete humiliation to the mother and a life sentence for the girl she’d never outgrow if it became public.”
“And this option? A mother leaving her child in an orchard?” I tried to think of how desperate she must have been to drop her there and walk away. My heart broke.