by Moxie North
All in all she was quite pleased with her work. She wouldn’t be earning any Michelin stars, but she wouldn’t be ashamed to show her instructors what she’d managed to whip up in the middle of the woods either.
The men started trickling in around six thirty. Some stopped to clean up or shower before dinner. The latecomers came in dirty and exhausted. But they were all more than ready with a kind word and appreciation for the warm meal.
Wyatt stopped in to pick up another plate for Cage, saying that the boss rarely had time to eat with the men. Sophie started to feel bad for him, he must work very hard for his company. She made sure to cut an extra large piece of cake for him to send along with Wyatt. She got a wink and a cheek kiss for that.
Her evening was more predictable after she cleaned up from dinner. She was exhausted and now her jet lag was catching up with her. Her plan was for porridge with honey and scrambled eggs and bacon in the morning. So she didn’t need to be up too early.
She showered and managed to fall face first into her bed and was asleep in minutes. She dreamed about sandy blonde haired men and hot wet kisses.
Waking up at her alarm ringing, her dreams still clinging to her. She took a moment to remember how delicious her dream was. She saw the man that she assumed was her boss, stepping out of the woods. He wasn’t wearing any clothing, he had dirt and bits of leaves and twigs in his hair. He was walking like didn’t have a care in the world. Behind him coming through the brush was a large brown bear. Sophie wanted to yell out and warn him to look behind him. But she watched as he turned towards the bear lumbering his way and he waved.
Was he crazy? The bear slowed, coming up to him and in a shimmer of light the bear became Wyatt, standing just as naked as Cage. Cage gave Wyatt a cuff on the shoulder and they both walked towards the building marked as the lavatory.
Staring at the ceiling, Sophie first tried to figure out why she was thinking about her boss naked. And secondly why on earth did she think about him as a bear? People weren’t bears, did she miss some kind of memo? Was this just the norm in the rugged rainforest of the Pacific Northwest?
Clearly she’d heard too many Bigfoot stories before she moved and her poor brain mushed them all together with her clearly hot boss, equally hot baby brother and the need for a serious orgasm or two.
Looking at the clock Sophie decided fresh air was much more her priority this morning than an orgasm. Jumping up she managed to throw on some warm clothes and headed outside to take a walk before she had to get busy in the kitchen.
Chapter 8
Stepping out in to the cool crisp air, she took a deep breath. The air was so fragrant and clean here. It made a body feel good, just letting it seep into your lungs.
She took off to walk the tree line outside the edge of the buildings. She didn’t stray far into it, just enough that she could still see the buildings, but far enough to enjoy the brush of the ferns across the forest floor flowing over her legs.
Seeing a small bunny scamper to her right, Sophie kept her slow pace. She realized for the first time she was truly on her own. No family to fall back on, she couldn’t even go home without a huge amount of effort. This was her new start, her own choices and she was going to grab this experience and grow. She wanted to show them just because she didn’t look like them or make the same choices as they did, didn’t mean she couldn’t succeed.
Feeling rather puffed up and ready to take on the world, Sophie headed back through the path she’d made to the empty lot. Except it wasn’t empty, there was a huge semi-truck idling in the middle with a full load of lumber spread between two trailers. The smell of fresh cut timber coated the air.
She saw a man arguing with another man who had a truck parked next to the semi. A man in dirty coveralls was climbing up to the loading arm that was attached to the truck trailer. Some trucks she noticed had them, others were loaded with separate cranes. The man seemed to be pulling a hose up to the crane to work on it.
The driver below was still yelling at him about getting it fixed, that he was late for his run. As Sophie made it up to the repair truck, a loud bang sounded through the courtyard. Sophie barely managed to see the large hose with a metal cuff swinging toward her as she turned. With no time to react she felt the impact of the hose strike her in the chest and then her body flew through the air.
For a moment she didn’t hurt, even though she knew the impact of the hose on her chest had to have hurt. She was weightless for a fraction of a second before she came slamming down to the earth, her head cracking back against the hard dirt of the lot.
There was a buzzing in her ears. Her head hurt, her chest hurt and she felt hands roaming over her body. They went up and down her legs and arms, over her ribs and circled her head.
Those hands came into contact with what she could only assume was a watermelon size lump and she moaned. The moan hurt too.
“Sophie, honey, open your eyes for me, please.”
She heard this from a deep voice that made her shiver. She knew that voice, she just couldn’t remember where she had heard it before. Where was she? Home?
No, it smelled liked trees. Right, she was in Washington, she was a cook. Then why was someone trying to wake her up? Was she late?
“Honey, open those eyes for me, we’ve got help coming, but they’re pretty far out. You need to wake up and show me you’re okay,”
Sophie liked that voice. It was warm and sweet and made her think of spiced milk with honey.
Rough hands cupped her cheeks, she could feel thumbs brushing over her cheekbones.
“Open your eyes for me, honey,” the sweet voice pleaded quietly.
He sounded concerned, worried even. Sophie tried to open her eyes, they fluttered a few times, but the bright sun hurt. She moaned again cringing away from the painful light.
“Show me you’re awake and okay, we’ve got the ambulance on its way but they want to know if you’ve woken up. Let’s give them some good news, open your eyes, Sophie,” the voice ordered. The sound was grumbly and gruff, Sophie tried again to open her eyes. She blinked a few times, squinting to adjust to the aching glare. A shadow moved into the path of the light and gave her a moment to adjust.
Looking up to see who was cupping her face and who talked in such a sweet voice, her eyes locked onto a pair of ice blue eyes, that widened dramatically back at her. It must be Cage, and he was staring at her with so many emotions flicking across his face, Sophie couldn’t keep up.
The ice blue eyes roamed her face in an almost frantic manner. She felt the hands cupping her face tighten slightly. He leaned down and took a long sniff near her neck. Okay, that was weird. He pulled back and still stared at her with a look of wonder and utter possessiveness.
“Mine,” he growled down at her.
Chapter 9
His mate, lying in the dirt, hurt and barely conscious, this was his mate. His body knew it, his mind knew it and more importantly, his bear knew it. His bear was chuffing to get out and rub his fur on her, to lick her skin and mark her with his scent. Luckily, Cage had enough control over his animal to make sure he stayed back no matter how much growling he put up.
She was beautiful, more beautiful that he could have ever wished for. Her hair was the color of mahogany, with bright blue eyes that were blinking up at him under dark sooty lashes. When he checked for injuries, he felt what he liked, she was all flesh and curves.
He wanted to scream to the heavens that he’d finally found his mate! He’d waited years, decades actually, to find her. And she was human. Something he hadn’t even considered until now. He just assumed he’d find a bear mate. But lucky for him the fates always knew best.
The last time he’d dated was twenty years ago. Shifters aged slower, so he knew he had time before he was too old to start a family. And dating was always depressing, hoping for that spark that would mean he’d found The One. No matter how many times his father told him he would know without a doubt the moment it happened, he’d kept searching like it wou
ld be a quiet whisper he could miss.
His father was right, it was a thunderbolt from the heavens. Not a whisper, never something so calm and reserved. His body felt like it was engulfed in flames, his cock hardened the moment he saw the blue of her eyes. He wanted to claim her, right then. Of course he was much more in control with his rational mind than with his horny bear, thank goodness.
The initial shock was fading and now he was mad. His mate had gotten hurt and he wasn’t there to protect her. Yes he didn’t know she was his mate, but that didn’t seem to factor right now.
“Don’t move, honey, help is on the way. What else hurts besides your head?” he asked, trying to keep himself calm and his anger at bay all while reassuring her. He ran his hand over the back of her head and his hand came away sticky, it had started to bleed. He didn’t want to alarm her so he kept her focused other things.
“My…my chest hurts,” she whispered. She was still staring up at him, it was like his gaze was sucking her in. She felt a magnetic pull to him. It was physical, like she needed to curl into him and he would keep her safe. She’d just met him and she was lying hurt, but she knew somehow that he would protect her.
The hulking form leaning over blocking the sun and him calling her honey, was just a bonus in her mind.
“Your heart?” he asked his deep voice laced with panic.
“No, it hit me,” she managed, taking in a sharp painful breath.
“The pipe?” he asked turning to look behind him.
“The end, I think, it hurts to breathe.”
“Take slow shallow breaths, honey. Help is coming, I don’t want you to move.”
“Are you Mr. Rochon?” she wheezed.
“I’m Cage to you darlin’ and you must be my Sophie,” he said giving her a sweet smile.
Sophie didn’t know how to respond to the ‘my Sophie’ statement right now so she ignored it.
“What the fuck happened?” she heard coming from farther away. She saw Wyatt running towards them.
He skidded to a halt when Cage’s head whipped towards his brother and he growled, “Mine,” in a low voice that Sophie could feel in her bones.
Wyatt turned a little ashen, looking down at Sophie then back to his big brother. “No shit?” he whispered.
“Mine,” Cage repeated.
“Mom is going to freak, man,” Wyatt said, then his worried look shot back to Sophie on the ground. “You okay sugar?”
“Don’t call her sugar if you want to keep all your limbs, baby brother,” Cage warned. To Sophie’s eyes he seemed to get even bigger, his body leaning closer to her in an act of protection. Like a dog guarding a juicy bone.
“Sorry man, no disrespect. You know I’d never do that. Take a deep breath, you’re barely holding on, man,” he warned.
Cage took stock and noticed his nails were elongated and his back felt broader. His bear was too close to the surface in his need to protect his Mate.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed his bear back down. His fingernails shortened and he gave a grateful look to his brother.
“Find out what happened, I don’t want to leave Sophie,” Cage ordered to Wyatt.
“I’m on it man. Hey can I tell mom?” he asked stepping out of his brother’s reach just in case.
“Wyatt…” Cage warned.
His brother laughed and turned to speak with the drivers who were still arguing at each other. Cage had been walking towards them to break them up when he saw a glimpse of curly brown hair blowing in the wind. Before he could see who it was he’d heard the pipe burst. The thick hydraulic hose exploded out towards Sophie. Cage took off at a run, but he was too late. He saw Sophie fly through the air and land hard on her back.
When she didn’t move, he thought the worst. She looked tiny to him, but most people did. Now that he knew she was awake he took in the rounded hips and curved belly. She had full pillowy breasts that he wanted to bury his face in. That would come later, he promised his bear.
“Can I sit up, please?” Sophie whispered up to Cage. He’d been staring at her at it was making her hot, as in a not appropriate time or place kind of hot.
“Not until the ambulance gets here. There is a rescue station about twenty miles from here, and they can get here pretty quickly. I’m worried you have a concussion and you could have broken ribs. Here you can use this to stop the bleeding,” he said letting go of her face and stripping off his work shirt. He bundled it up and gently lifted her head, sliding it up to cushion, being careful to avoid the knot forming in the back.
“Blood?” she asked confused until she focused in on the man in front of her.
Sophie was looking at the broad muscled chest straining against the white cotton T-shirt. She didn’t even realize when her hand came up and ran over one hard pec. A low grumble shuddered through Cages frame. She jerked her hand back, ashamed at letting herself do that. Maybe it was the head injury. Yeah that’s it, she could blame a head injury for fondling her boss.
“Don’t stop, do it again,” Cage said quietly, his eyes half closed but still watching her.
His tone had her wanting to do anything he asked. She moved her trembling hand back to his chest, splaying her fingers wide and rubbing back and forth. The funny vibration went through Cage again and Sophie found she liked affecting him that way. Plus she got to touch an amazing chest. She wanted to see it bare, but that might breach some kind of employer, employee etiquette she figured. Not like the rubbing was in any way wrong or inappropriate, she thought.
Looking back to his eyes from his chest, Sophie saw that he was watching her. His eyes never leaving her face. “We have a lot to talk about my Sophie. When you get better, okay?” He sounded so clear and sure that Sophie immediately agreed and tried to nod her head. The movement cause a shock of pain to rip through her head. She whimpered and closed her eyes against the agony.
Soft warm lips grazed her temple and she heard, “Shhh…my Sophie, I’ve got you. Just close your eyes and breathe shallow. We’ll get you feeling better in no time.” A soft kiss against her cheek felt like heaven. It made her feel better somehow. Some of her fear faded and the pain rushed away from where his lips touched her. She moaned a little at the relief and another kiss was placed on her forehead, then down to her other cheek. A scratchy bearded cheek rubbed against hers.
She sighed, it felt good. It felt right somehow. She was thinking she was a terrible employee and deserved to get sacked for laying around on the job and snuggling the boss. But she heard a matching sigh for her sigh. He could hardly fire her for inappropriate behavior when he was acting just as poorly as she was.
He smelled so good too. Like trees, and earth and for some reason honey. It was the perfect combination and Sophie felt herself get sleepy.
Cage notice she was relaxing a bit too much and didn’t want her unconscious again. “Honey, you can’t fall asleep. You need to stay away and talk to me. Tell me about breakfast, what were you going to cook today? More pancakes? I had yours yesterday and they were the best I had ever eaten. I swear, hands down best pancakes in Washington. Just don’t tell my mom,” he teased.
Sophie opened her eyes again and watched Cage smile down at her. If it was possible he was more handsome smiling.
“Porridge and eggs,” she whispered to him.
“Porridge, huh? You know around here we call that oatmeal. You say porridge and people think of Goldilocks and the three little bears,” he said with a laugh.
“I like porridge. I like bears. I like blondes,” she said fighting the warm grey fog trying to steal her consciousness.
“You like bears huh? Ever met one?” he asked, brushing her hair back from her face.
“No…” she muttered, “I dream about them.”
“You dreamt about a bear? When Sophie?” he asked with a hint of urgency.
“Last night, naked bears…” she said before she let the grey fog take her away. She faintly heard far away a panicked “Sophie!” but the darkness was where it didn’t hurt.
Chapter 10
Pacing the hallway at the hospital, Cage was more than a grumpy bear, he was an angry bear. The doctors wouldn’t let him follow her into the emergency triage area. They told him once she was in a room he could visit her. Since he wasn’t family they couldn’t give him any medical information.
Luckily his cousin worked as one of the nurses and had been slipping info that she was able to grab as they worked on Sophie. She had a pretty severe concussion from hitting the ground. She had two cracked ribs close to her sternum which was why it hurt to breathe. They said the bruising and cracks would just have to heal on their own.
The concussion seemed straight forward, but they wanted to keep her overnight for observation.
“Sweetheart! We came as soon as we heard!” a trilling voice called down the hallway. Cage turned and saw his mother, scurrying down the hallway towards him wearing a summer dress and matching white shoes and purse, like she was on her way to a tea party instead of the county hospital. Behind her was his father, looking harassed and indulgent towards his clearly in charge wife.
Connie and Edward Rochon had been married for over sixty years. The humans they knew thought they were closer to their fortieth year together. They were lucky to have found each other young and the fates matched them for eternity. They were still as in love and crazy for each other as the day they met.
“What are you guys doing here?”Cage demanded after giving his mom a brief hug.
“Wyatt called and said there was an accident at the camp and we needed to come to the hospital straight away. We assumed you were hurt, but you look fine to me. Was this just your brother playing some kind of joke? I had pies I was baking,” his mother asked in a huff.