by JC Holly
The Wolves of Shade County 2
Cabin Fever
Trapped together in a snowbound cabin in the hills, shapeshifter Grant Jamison and human Thomas “Tom” Harkins find themselves in very close quarters. Despite never having been with a man before, Tom is strangely attracted to the mysterious stranger, and before long the two find themselves closer still.
It’s only been a few days since Tom broke up with his cheating girlfriend, and the betrayal has left a scar on his heart. He’s not willing to rush into anything, especially not with someone he barely knows.
Grant has a secret he’s been keeping for years. He’s a shapeshifter, able to take on the form of a wolf at will. Given how hard a time Tom is having just with dating a man, though, how will he react when he finds out Grant isn’t completely human?
Will the romance survive the hard times ahead, or will it all come crashing down before they even make it back to the city?
Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Contemporary, Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 31,081 words
CABIN FEVER
The Wolves of Shade County 2
JC Holly
EROTIC ROMANCE
MANLOVE
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove
CABIN FEVER
Copyright © 2013 by JC Holly
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62741-047-2
First E-book Publication: December 2013
Cover design by Harris Channing
All art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
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DEDICATION
For you-know-who.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
About the Author
CABIN FEVER
The Wolves of Shade County 2
JC HOLLY
Copyright © 2013
Chapter One
Despite the urge to head up to the cabin on four paws, Grant Jamison made the trek up the darkening tree-lined hillside on foot. That way he could bring a backpack, even if it was less fun. He consoled his inner-wolf by reminding himself that as soon as he was settled into his rented cabin he could shift and head out to explore.
The winter had hit Shade County hard, and was in full force so far out of town. The snow often reached his knees as he trudged on through. Thankfully his shifter blood meant he felt little of the chill. It also meant he could admire the scenery with more than just his eyes.
He paused by a tree while he adjusted the straps to his pack, and took in a long breath through his nose. A myriad of smells were brought in on the wind, and he took the time to identify them all before continuing his walk. Among the expected scents of wildlife, plants, and trees, a hint of human had him raise an eyebrow. Must be the last person to visit the cabin.
The excursion had been a birthday gift from a packmate, who had told him that the place was as remote as remote could be. The nearest other structure was another cabin owned by the same company, and it was a good hour’s walk away.
Grant had been working too damn hard lately, and the stresses of modern life had been getting to him, so he’d taken the gift with two hands and headed straight home to pack. Five hours later and there he was, leaning against a tree in the middle of nowhere with only a map and a compass to tell him he was headed in the right direction.
Another hour’s walk and the snow began to fall once more, heavily this time. The cabin came into view moments later, and Grant quickened his pace, eager to settle in and grab something to eat. His pack consisted mostly of food, drink, and books, as he doubted he’d need anything else. Despite the amount of wildlife in the area, he didn’t bring a gun, as even bears knew better than to approach a shifter without permission.
As he neared the cabin, a waft of wood smoke slowed his pace. He breathed in deep once more, and this time the scent of a man came strongly. Was it the previous occupant, not quite left yet? Maybe they hadn’t realized that there was another booking right after theirs. The only way to sort it out was face-to-face, anyway, so Grant fixed an amiable smile on his face and trudged to the front door, knocking once.
Whoever was inside, they clearly weren’t expecting visitors, and Grant had to keep himself from chuckling as a yelp of surprise came from inside. Footsteps thumped on wood, and a moment later the door opened to reveal a man with a baffled expression. Grant couldn’t help notice that he was a very good-looking man, if a little nervous.
“Hi, you’re late le
aving.” Grant smiled and stepped inside before the man could speak, then dumped his backpack by the door. “Don’t worry about tidying, if that’s it. I’m not one for neatness. The snow’s starting again now, though, so you might want to make a start soon.”
“What?” The man frowned and stared out the door, then at Grant. “I’m not leaving, this is my cabin.” He shook his head. “I mean, my time with this cabin. I booked it months ago.”
“Ah.” Grant pulled out his map and checked his compass. It was the right place. “In that case it appears we’ve been double booked.”
Despite his calm response, Grant was less than thrilled at the prospect. He’d come for relaxation, not an argument with a booking rep—assuming anyone was still in the office at such a late hour. He pulled out his cellphone and turned it on. No signal.
“Is there a phone here?”
The man nodded toward the far wall. “It’s out of service, though. I, uh, paid extra for them to disconnect it while I was here.”
In the still-open door, the snow began to fall even heavier. It wasn’t a worry to Grant, as the cold would be nothing more than an inconvenience, but the other man seemed more concerned.
“Well,” Grant said, with a sigh. “Guess I’m leaving again.”
The man looked at Grant, then at the weather, then chewed his lip before finally closing the door. “You can’t go out in that. You’d freeze to death.”
Grant shrugged. “I’m sturdier than I look.”
“Even so. I think the best thing to do is wait till the morning, then head out.”
“You sure? I don’t want to intrude.”
As well as the usual senses, Grant was adept at picking up on certain emotions, and the man in front of him was a mix of several. Not least among them were confusion and lust. Grant smiled and shrugged.
“Well, I guess it makes sense. I’m Grant, by the way.” He held out his hand.
“Thomas, uh, Tom. Tom Harkins.” Tom returned the handshake. “Might as well get comfy.”
Grant nodded and headed to the small sofa. It looked like his trip might involve a little more than reading after all.
* * * *
Tom sat at the opposite end of the sofa and half smiled at the stranger who had just invaded his privacy. He seemed a nice enough guy, but it wasn’t what Tom had been hoping for.
Despite being the furthest thing from an outdoor person, he’d come out to the middle of nowhere, as it was the only place he could think of where he could be truly alone with his thoughts. Away from work, away from his friends, and away from his now ex-girlfriend.
And what came through his door but a gorgeous man with a smile on his face. It was as if the universe was tempting him, saying, “Go ahead. There’s nothing wrong with liking men.”
The guy, Grant, was clearly more of an outdoorsman than Tom was. Tom had fought his way up to the cabin several hours earlier and it had nearly finished him off. Grant had come up after another foot of snow had fallen, and wasn’t even out of breath. And he was about to leave and head back down!
The last part was probably out of politeness rather than a desire to do so, though. After all, even the most rugged of woodsman would have caught hypothermia after another hour or two out there. Grant didn’t show it, but he was probably pretty cold right then.
Tom jumped up and headed to the fireplace, throwing more logs onto the crackling fire.
“I have some extra blankets,” he said. “Is the sofa okay with you?”
The bedroom, which was one of only two rooms separate from the main living space—the other being the bathroom—was too small for someone to bed down on the floor. The bed was big enough, but that would bring up a hell of a lot more issues. Even if the guy was cute and friendly, he was still a total stranger. Hell, he could be straight for all Tom knew. His gaydar wasn’t the most accurate, he’d found.
“It’s no problem,” Grant replied, seemingly studying Tom’s face as he rubbed the last few snowflakes from his messy brown hair. “I can sleep pretty much anywhere.”
The words seemed charged to Tom. A hint at things that he’d only dreamt of, or watched on the internet while his girlfriend was out cheating on him. Tom turned back to the fire and poked at the logs until he felt the redness in his cheeks fade.
“So you booked this place, too?” he asked, as he took his seat once more.
“A friend did,” Grant said. “Birthday present.”
“Oh, happy birthday.”
The man chuckled, a rich and deep sound. “Thank you. I thought this would be the perfect place to relax.”
Tom nodded. “It is. I came up here a while back with my girlfriend. Ex-girlfriend, now.”
“Ah. Come to get away from a tough breakup?”
“Something like that, yeah.” He sighed. “Actually it’s exactly that.”
“Been there. Only with guys instead of girls.”
And there was the confirmation. Again, there was something in Grant’s expression when he spoke that made Tom a little hot under the collar.
Grant reached over and slapped him on the shoulder. “Know what this calls for?”
Tom snapped out of his momentary confusion. “What?”
The man grinned and moved to his backpack, then pulled out a bottle of whiskey. “We’ll combine celebrations. My birthday and your newfound freedom.”
Tom eyed the bottle, then took a deep breath and nodded. “Why the hell not?”
Chapter Two
As the evening wore on, the amount of whiskey in Grant’s bottle became lower, and Tom’s nervousness seemed to disappear. He wasn’t drunk, just “loosened up.”
Grant settled into his corner of the sofa and listened intently—alcohol had considerably less effect on shifters—as Tom told him everything about his previous relationship.
“So there I was,” Tom said, “home early from work, standing in my living room listening to the sounds of my girlfriend fucking some other guy.”
Grant winced. “Ouch.”
“That’s not the worst part,” the man replied, before upturning his glass and draining the contents. “The worst part was I was too afraid to go up there, and have it all confirmed, you know? So I stood there, frozen by the front door until they came down and I had no choice but do something.”
“And what did you do?”
Tom sighed and dropped his head, eyeing his empty glass. “Turned around and walked out.”
“That took some real restraint, I bet.”
“Restraint?” Tom snorted. “I wimped out, and took the easy route. By the time I came back the next day, she was at work. I called a locksmith in and left her stuff in garbage bags on the lawn.”
Grant nodded, in what he hoped was a sympathetic way. It was not the way he’d handle the situation. In Tom’s shoes, Grant would have flattened the other man and dumped the girlfriend on her ass on the front doorstep before they even realized he was home.
He wasn’t an angry man by nature, even with the increased aggression that being a shifter brought, but if there was one thing he couldn’t abide, it was cheating.
“I mean, sure, I wasn’t what she wanted,” Tom continued. “I get that. Hell, she’d told me enough times in the last few months. But to do that?” He shook his head. “Anyway. What’s done is done. I don’t want to depress you with this stuff.”
Grant smiled. “It’s fine. It’s clear it’s still a fresh wound.”
“The freshest.” Tom glanced away. “And here I am talking to a total stranger about it.”
Grant shrugged. “Not a total stranger. You know my name and that I’ve got great taste in booze.”
“And that you’re gay.” The moment he’d said it, Tom started to color. “Sorry. I mean, you said something earlier, about boyfriends instead of girlfriends.”
Grant laughed to lighten the moment. “It’s true. I’m not ashamed to admit it. Pretty clear you’re a little less confident, though.”
“What?” The man blushed even harder. “I’m
not…I’m…”
“Oh come on, Tom.” Grant leaned in a little. “I’ve seen you looking at me.”
Tom blushed even harder, and didn’t know where to look. Grant put a hand on his knee and the man froze.
“There’s nothing wrong with liking men. Or in your case, liking men and women.” He grinned. “Hell, you’ve got it made.”
“How do you figure that?” Tom asked, his eyes on Grant’s hand.
“You get the choice!” Grant poured the last of the whiskey into the two glasses. “Whatever you’re in the mood for at the time. How could that be anything other than awesome?”
Grant took his hand from the man’s knee and Tom relaxed a little.
“I guess you’re right.” Tom took up his glass and held it up in a toast. “To having a choice.”
Grant clinked glasses with him. “And if that mood leans toward strange men in cabins who happen to be hung like a horse, you just let me know.”
Tom choked on his whiskey.
* * * *
As the night wore on, another bottle of whiskey appeared, and Tom felt more at ease than he had in a long time. Despite the flirting, Grant was clearly not going to make any moves without permission, and while it took a few more glasses to realize that, by the end of the evening Tom even began to enjoy the attention. It was a new experience, and not as scary as he’d expected.
The snow had continued to fall all night, and by the time the pair decided to call it a night, it lay level with the bottom of the windows. In the back of his head this registered as a niggling worry, but he’d had too much alcohol to really care.