by Elena Aitken
“I never had a mate to protect before.”
“A mate?” Nina looked at them strangely.
“I mean, a girlfriend.” He emphasized the word and Harper laughed.
Sitting there, snuggled in with the man she loved and her friends, new and old, Harper had never felt such happiness.
“So, now that you’re going to be cleared,” Nina said, “I suppose you can go home and get back to work.”
Axel tensed behind her and pulled Harper closer to him, but he had nothing to worry about. Harper laughed a little. “I’m not going anywhere,” she said. “Because I’m already home.”
Just low enough so only she could hear, Axel growled in appreciation and nuzzled her neck, tracing his tongue along the spot that marked her as his.
Yes, she was definitely home.
Epilogue
It had only been two weeks since Harper had decided to stay with him on Grizzly Ridge, but it felt like a lifetime. A lifetime of joy because Axel had never been so happy or felt so complete as he had now that Harper was by his side. She’d fit right into life at the Ridge, as though she’d always been meant to be there. With her knowledge in public relations, Harper had already proved to be invaluable with marketing efforts, and combined with Nina’s article, Grizzly Ridge was booked solid for the next six months. Business was booming, and their relationship was thriving. Even his brothers had admitted that having Harper around was a good thing.
Now if he could only convince them that maybe they should look for mates of their own, they could all be as happy as Axel was. But he couldn’t focus on that now. His focus was entirely on his own mate and the night he’d promised her.
She didn’t say anything as they left the Den after enjoying dinner with Luke, Kade, and their guests. In fact, she didn’t say anything until they stood on the porch of their cabin. She turned and pressed up against his chest.
“It’s a beautiful night.”
He kissed her long and slow until she made that sweet little moan that made his cock throb. “Not as beautiful as you are, babe.”
She grinned with the compliment, but she was not to be swayed. Not that he wanted her to be. “Are you still going to keep your promise?”
“Absolutely. Are you ready?”
Harper nodded, so he took her hand and led her back down the steps. Instead of following the path, he turned and led her into the woods. With the full moon, it was a bright night, but in the thick of the trees, it was dark and the shadows danced all around them. She squeezed his hand tighter, but he knew she wasn’t scared.
If anything, he was more nervous than she was, but there was no way he was going to let her know that. They walked in silence until they reached the small clearing that he knew was far enough from the main lodge and any prying eyes—not that any of their guests would be wandering around in the middle of the night, particularly so far out. Still. It was better to be safe.
Axel turned to her and pulled his mate tight to him. “Ready?”
She nodded against his chest. “I am.”
“Are you nervous?”
They’d spoken a few times about the idea that maybe Harper might be able to shift. He never would have thought it possible considering she wasn’t a full-blooded shifter, but the more they were together, the more her own bear rose to the surface. And she was strong. When she asked him about it, he was more than willing to test the theory.
“I’m not,” she said. “Should I be?”
He shook his head and his lips curled into a smile. “Not at all. Remember what we talked about?”
She nodded.
“When do you feel your bear the most?” He already knew the answer, but he liked to hear her say it.
“When we’re making love.”
His cock twitched. He’d never get enough of her. But that would have to wait. Harper’s bear approached the surface when they were together, but it wasn’t ideal for shifting. So he had a different plan. He reached for her, drawing her back to him again, and kissed her. It was mere seconds before he felt her melt into his arms. She was always so ready for him, so giving of herself.
Without breaking their kiss, he slowly and carefully stripped her of her clothes, pulling away only long enough to pull her sweater over her head. When she was naked, he let his hands travel the length of her, caressing and stroking all her luscious curves.
Then she had her hands on him, tugging at his clothes. He complied by helping her relieve himself of his jeans and t-shirt, but he wouldn’t give her what she wanted. Not totally. Her neck where he’d bit her was mostly healed, but the silver scars that would remain as his mark gleamed in the moonlight.
His.
“I need you, Axel.” She rubbed closer to him, pressing herself enticingly into him. It took all his self-control not to give her exactly what she wanted. What he wanted himself.
Instead, he moved one hand down her side, cupped her ass briefly before sliding between her legs. His fingers nudged her thighs apart and found their goal. He slipped through her wetness and pressed against her nub before sliding easily inside her.
Just the way he knew she would, Harper threw her head back and was immediately and completely consumed by the sensations he gave her. She was so unbelievably receptive to him and his touch. There was nothing hotter than watching her come so completely undone. Except for maybe one thing…
Axel increased the pace of his fingers, driving them home again and again until Harper screamed out her pleasure. Her nails dug sharply into his back, and he knew her bear was close. “That’s it, babe. Let it out. Give in to it.”
And then she did. So easily and beautifully, just like everything else about her. Axel took a small step back to give her the space she needed to shift, and there in front of him was easily the most beautiful brown bear he’d ever seen. Her light, almost golden, fur shimmered in the moonlight. He hadn’t been sure about what type of bear she was until that moment. She was perfect.
An instant later, Axel shifted into his bear and nuzzled into her thick fur.
“You’re beautiful,” he communicated.
“You can—I can—”
“We’re mates.” A simple explanation, but it was all that was needed.
Being that it was her first time, and she was only a half-blooded shifter, Axel didn’t know how long she’d be able to keep her bear, so he planned to take full advantage of it.
“Ready?”
She nodded her beautiful golden head, knowing exactly what he was asking. Taking the lead, Harper turned and as if she’d been doing it her whole life, let her bear run.
Axel matched his mate, running side by side with her along the ridge. The cool night air flowed through their fur as their bears ran free and later, when she couldn’t sustain it any longer, and they collapsed on the forest floor together, looking up at the stars, Axel held his mate and stroked her hair while she fell asleep on his chest. Right where she belonged. Perfectly content and protected in his arms.
THE END
I hope you enjoyed His to Protect! Axel’s ‘little’ brother, Luke is intense and brooding, but has he met his match when Chloe, an environmental investigator visits the ranch? And will they be able to get to the bottom of what’s going on up at Grizzly Ridge? Or is it sabotage?
Find out in His to Seduce. You can read a sneak peak of that story right after this…
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About the Author
Elena Aitken is a USA Today Bestselling Author of more than thirty five romance and women’s fiction novels. Living a stone’s throw from the Rocky Mountains with her teenager twins, their two cats and a goofy rescue dog, Elena escapes into the mountains whenever life allows. She can often be found with her toes in the lake and a glass of wine in her hand, dreaming up her next book and working on her ow
n happily ever after with her very own mountain man.
To learn more about Elena:
www.elenaaitken.com
[email protected]
Also by Elena Aitken
Bears of Grizzly Ridge
His to Protect
His to Seduce
His to Claim
Hers to Take
Bears of Grizzly Ridge: The Complete Set
The McCormicks
Love in the Moment
Going for the Moment
Only for a Moment
One more Moment
In this Moment
From this Moment
Castle Mountain Lodge
Unexpected Gifts
Hidden Gifts
Unexpected Endings - Short Story
Secret Gifts
Mistaken Gifts
Goodbye Gifts
Tempting Gifts
Holiday Gifts
A Castle Lodge Collection (Books 1-5)
Acknowledgments
The first and most important thank you is always to you—the reader. Words cannot express how thankful I am that you choose to read my books and share in my stories with me. Every single one of you make it possible for me to live my dream every day. Thank you.
Although writing is a solitary activity, I never feel alone because I have the best group of ladies in my corner that are always only a text message away. Steena Holmes, Dara Lee Snow and Trish Loye, you are all amazing and what we have is so special. Thank you for believing in me, especially when I don’t.
And extra thank you to Trish for being my book doctor and being my early set of eyes. Your feedback, as always, was invaluable.
HUGE thank you to Jennifer Wood for being the best assistant and an awesome friend. Your ability to catch all the balls I drop is amazing.
A huge thank you to my number one fans (even though they don’t read my books) and the most important people in my life—my amazing kids. Taking on the task of cooking dinners so mom can work, believing in my bears and fuelling me with hugs and coffee. Thank you. You are truly the best kids EVER!
And finally, to my very own mountain man, Ike Edwards. For listening to all the (sometimes) boring details of this business, understanding when I have to work on weekends, giving me such valuable assistance with cover images and potential plot points (ha ha), providing inspiration for my alpha male heroes and believing in me.
His to Seduce—Excerpt
Please enjoy this sneak peek of Luke’s story in His to Seduce!
For Chloe Karrington, there was nothing better than walking through the forest: The way the sun danced and played in the branches of the pines as she walked. The cushion of the needles beneath her feet. The fresh, crisp air she inhaled deeply into her lungs.
No. There was nothing better than a walk through the forest.
Unless it was a run.
She glanced around. She was alone.
She could shift into her bear. The need to release her animal bristled just below the surface, but she pushed it down. There were certain things she could do, and certain things she couldn’t. And letting her bear loose in an unknown forest was most definitely in the couldn’t category.
But maybe…
She let her mind drift as she checked out her surroundings.
No one was around. And she already knew there were bears on Grizzly Ridge. Besides the obviousness of the name, it was well known in the bear community that the Jackson brothers had been exiled from their clan and had settled on the ridge instead. Besides, no one would see her if she was careful.
“No.” She stamped her foot to make her point. “Pull it together, Chloe. You’re working.”
She straightened her shoulders, and flipped her dark braid over her shoulder. If there was one thing Chloe prided herself on, it was her professionalism. As an environmental impact researcher, she took her job extremely seriously. Especially considering the very thing she always seemed to find herself researching was the very habitat she craved the most. That, and if she did screw up, the effects could be very serious. Maybe even life-threatening. Chloe flipped open her leather-bound notebook and stared at the newspaper clipping she’d taped into the cover as a constant reminder.
Her fingers traced the faded photo of little Jordan Adams.
Only five years old.
Yes, she reminded herself. There were consequences to making mistakes. Mistakes she’d never make again.
She liked to be reminded of the past, but only to the extent that it kept her on her toes. Mostly, Chloe was happy to put the past behind her. Way behind her. She tucked the book back into the canvas cross body bag she always wore and continued to walk.
More than just a recreational hike, this was more of a reconnaissance mission as she made her first journey out onto Grizzly Ridge. Later that afternoon, Chloe would drive up the road, park in front of the buildings and formally introduce herself to the Jackson brothers, who ran the adventure tourism lodge on the ridge. But for the moment, she enjoyed the peace and allowed herself to form her own opinion of the operation. It was a technique she liked to use whenever she had the opportunity. Besides, there was a chance that as soon as she made it known that she was there to investigate complaints of environmental disruption, she might not be Grizzly Ridge’s most popular guest. And the opportunity to investigate the area on her own would definitely be gone.
She walked for a few more minutes, letting her mind clear. It didn’t take long for Chloe’s bear to sneak up toward the surface of her consciousness again. How long had it been since she’d run?
Weeks? Months?
Too long. Way too long.
Ironically, she’d originally taken the job because of the ability to be outdoors. It had seemed like a good way to satisfy the animal inside her. What she hadn’t anticipated was that despite the time outdoors, there was less time to let her bear out than she’d thought. But, as it turned out, there were other benefits to the job. Like being alone. Her family would like nothing more than to see her settle down and have her own cubs. Chloe was lucky her parents weren’t traditional in their thinking. They were more than happy for her to pick her own mate.
As long as she picked one.
She shook her head.
The last thing she needed was someone tying her down, telling her what to do and keeping her barefoot and pregnant.
No thanks.
Ever since she was little, Chloe had been fiercely independent. She could handle herself, and that’s exactly what she did. She saw the way her older cousins and sisters changed themselves for the males in their life. Becoming giggly and stupid, pretending they couldn’t open jars of pickles. What was that all about? She could open her own jar of pickles, thank you very much.
No male needed.
Not that her parents understood that. Which was why her career was perfect. She moved around so much from one job to the next that she’d effectively made herself a very undesirable partner. After all, not many strong, alpha males liked a woman with a serious career. At least none she’d found.
It was the perfect explanation for her mom and dad. For the most part, they seemed to understand, even if they couldn’t totally wrap their heads around the idea that Chloe was choosing to be alone.
The thing was, as much as she didn’t want to admit it, even to herself…Chloe didn’t want to be alone. Not really.
She was so wrapped up in her thoughts as she walked, Chloe hardly noticed that the thick pines were thinning. Not until she stepped out onto the ridge. The blue of the sky stretched out before her; the view of the mountain range took her breath away.
“Wow,” was all she could manage to say. It was woefully understated, but there was no word to describe the incredible beauty Mother Nature had laid out before her.
Stunned into silencing her mind, Chloe stood frozen on the ridge and took it all in.
After a few moments of admiring the view, she made a split-second decision. It wasn’t the most responsible thing to do, but…sc
rew responsible. She needed to experience this amazing place in all the glory it really had to offer. And there was only one way she knew to do that.
She was careful to fold her clothes and tuck her bag next to a tree. Then, naked, Chloe took a step and stretched her arms up overhead. The moments before she shifted into her bear had always been the only time Chloe was comfortable in her curvy human body. Her thick thighs and ample chest were nothing but a hindrance in her daily life, but in those moments, they felt almost sensuous. And then, a second later, Chloe exhaled and started to run. As she moved, her body morphed seamlessly into a strong, beautiful black bear.
Chloe pushed every thought from her mind and let her lean muscles stretch with the exertion of the run. The cool wind on the ridge whipped through her fur and the feeling of freedom that flowed through every fiber in her body made her feel alive in a way that nothing else had in months.
Soon, she veered from the ridge and into the cover of the trees, where she scratched her back against the trunk of a tall pine before rolling in the fragrant forest floor. She was so caught up in herself, she didn’t hear the animal approach until it was too late.
Luke Jackson stared directly into the bluest eyes he’d ever seen on a black bear. Not that he saw many black bears on his ridge. Or any at all.
But the moment she had heard him approach, she’d flipped over from where she was rolling in the pine needles like a cub and stared him down, baring her teeth to him with a snarl. The fact that there was a strange female black bear who was maybe half the size of his own massive grizzly, and that female stood her ground against him, intrigued Luke. A lot.