by Stella Night
Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Epilogue
Author’s Note and Links
Preview of Bride For the Bear
The Girl
and the Wolf
(Sanctuary Book 2)
by
Stella Night
Copyright 2017 STELLA NIGHT
All Rights Reserved
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or person, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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Enjoy!
Chapter 1
Amanda shouldn’t have worn heels today.
She wobbled over the uneven ground like a baby deer learning to walk. It did little to improve her mood. She felt terribly exposed out here in the Montana countryside.
A part of her acknowledged that the place was beautiful. Surrounded by mountains and lush forests, the Fisher Animal Sanctuary looked like it should be on a postcard. And that’s exactly how Amanda would have preferred seeing it. In pictures, not in person.
But Amanda was a woman on a mission. She’d come out here to ask her friend Sadie for help. When Sadie offered to show her around, Amanda had no choice but to agree. It would have been rude not to.
A fly buzzed around her face, and she swatted it away, sending it flying off in another direction. She rubbed her hand against her jeans, feeling unclean.
“Do you have any bug spray?” she asked, glancing around the rocky field.
Sadie glanced at her friend and laughed. “Don’t be so dramatic. One bug and you lose your shit.”
“I do not,” Amanda protested.
“If you can’t handle a pleasant walk through the countryside, I don’t know how you expect to hack it in the woods for a week.”
“You too?” Amanda asked, planting her hands on her hips. “Why does everyone doubt me?”
“I’m not doubting you, hon’. I just want to make sure you know what you’re getting in to.”
Amanda sighed and smoothed a stray strand of hair that had come loose from her tightly coiled bun. “I know it won’t be a vacation. But you know why I have to go. You’d do the same thing in my position.”
Sadie nodded. “I guess I would.”
“Anyway, you’re supposed to be giving me the tour, not psychoanalyzing me. I have to admit, everything is so different from the last time I was here.”
Sadie beamed as they walked around the grounds, like a proud mother showing off her child. “Yes, things have taken a turn for the better.”
They walked past the newly renovated admitting area. What used to be four metal walls and a roof was now a bona fide building. Which was good, because Sadie had been taking in new animals at a record pace.
Now that she had the money to take care of new, sick and injured animals, she was accepting any and all applicants. Amanda looked at her old friend. She seemed tired but happy. Happier than she’d ever seen her.
“That’s an understatement,” Amanda said. “You and Dimitri seem like a match made in Heaven.”
“Well, I don’t want to brag…” Sadie said, totally wanting to brag.
“If I had a man like that, I’d be shouting it from the rooftops.”
Sadie sighed. “He really is amazing. But you’ll find someone when the time is right. I waited almost thirty years to find Dimitri, and it was worth the wait. You’ll find love, too.”
Amanda shook her head. “Not any time soon. My work has been keeping me so busy. And with this new project, there won’t be any time for a social life.”
Sadie laughed. “Going out into the woods to hunt wolves is probably not the best place to meet a guy, I’ll admit.”
“No. But the work has to be done. Something is ravaging the gray wolf population. I just need to get out there and find out what. There aren’t many of them left.”
Sadie put a hand on her friend’s arm. “I wish I could join you. Getting out in the field again, roughing it in the wild, making a difference. It’s all so exciting.”
“I wish you could join me, too. I’ve never been out in the field before. I could use someone with your experience. But you’ve got your work here. You’re already making a difference in the world. Now, it’s my turn.”
“Even though I can’t go with you, I found someone much better than me to help you.”
“Right, my wilderness guide. Are you sure he’s cut out for the task?”
Sadie nodded. “Dimitri recommended him highly. They were in the military together. Special forces. Apparently he knows his stuff.”
Amanda sniffed. “Sounds kind of like a macho asshole to me.”
“Come on. Give him a chance. Out there in the wilderness, a macho asshole might come in handy.”
“I just don’t want him messing up my work. It’s too important.”
“It’ll be fine. If you don’t trust my opinion, trust Dimitri’s.”
A big man with dark hair and stormy gray eyes strode up to them. “Is this the famous Amanda Cross I’ve been hearing so much about lately?”
Sadie nodded. “In the flesh.”
Sadie’s husband, Dimitri, reached out a giant hand. Amanda shook it, her own hand feeling small and weak in his firm grasp. He wasn’t rough or anything, but she could feel the strength radiating from him.
“Pleasure to meet you,” he said warmly. “Any friend of Sadie’s is a friend of mine.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” she said.
“I’m sure you’re looking forward to meeting your guide,” he said.
Sadie grinned. “She appears to be having some doubts about your choice.”
“What? That’s crazy. Santiago is the best. If I was going out into the woods, he’s the only man I’d want to have at my side.”
“Oh, really?” Sadie asked, shooting him a wry smile.
Dimitri threw his arm around her and pulled her close. “I said ‘man.’ Obviously, you’re the only woman I’d want by my side.”
“Get a room, you two,” Amanda said.
“Oh, we will,” Sadie said, grinning. “But first, let’s meet Santiago. He should be getting back in a few minutes.”
Dimitri nodded. “He’s been riding around the grounds, checking fences, making sure everything is safe and secure. But it’s almost lunch time, and that man likes to eat.”
Amanda turned at the sound of hoof beats. In the distance, she saw a man riding over a slight rise. He was running the horse fast. Its mane flew back in the wind, and its strong haunches rippled with exertion. It was a beautiful creature.
But it was nothing compared to the man riding it.
The guy looked like a cowboy out of an old movie. Black Stetson hat, leather boots, faded blue jeans, and a western shirt. The only things missing were the spurs.
He was long and tall. His shirt clung to his torso like a second skin. She could see the toned muscles working as he
gripped the reins and controlled the speeding horse’s path. She wasn’t sure which looked more powerful, the horse or the man on top of it.
He pulled up to stop about thirty feet away from Amanda and her friends. He sat straight in the saddle, looking at her with his piercing blue eyes. They were the sharp eyes of a hawk, alert and vigilant. Amanda felt like he could see right through her, down to the core.
“There he is,” Dimitri said.
“Yes,” Amanda breathed. “There he is.”
“I’m sure he’ll be excited to work with you,” Sadie said.
***
“Absolutely not,” Santiago said when Dimitri told him about the job.
He stood looking out the window of Dimitri’s office, watching Amanda Cross step daintily through the grass. Her hair was wrapped in a brutally tight bun, so tight he was surprised she could blink. “That woman won’t make it out in the woods for a week.”
Dimitri moved to stand beside his friend. “I’ve never seen this side of you. I had no idea you hated women.”
Santiago shot him an offended look. “Screw you. I don’t hate women. I love women. But that one is trouble. Just look at her. She’s too green.”
“Yeah, that’s why you’re going with her. To make sure she’s safe.”
Santiago shook his head firmly, his longish dark hair rippling with the movement. “The only way to keep her safe is to make her stay home.”
Dimitri chuckled. “I’m sure she’s not that inexperienced. She just needs a little guidance.”
Santiago grunted. “She’s gonna get us both killed out there.”
“This isn’t a military operation. I’m sure you’ll be fine. And you can’t expect everyone to have your skill set. If you give her a chance, I’m sure she’ll surprise you.”
“I doubt it.”
“It’s a simple escort job,” Dimitri continued, moving to sit behind his desk. “Take her where she needs to go, let her do her work, and then bring her home.”
“Sounds more like a babysitting job to me,” Santiago said gruffly.
“Then it should be easy for you.”
“I didn’t sign up with Sanctuary Security to babysit. I thought I would be protecting clients from bad people. Maybe get into a fight every now and again.”
“You will be protecting her. Like you said, she needs it.”
“Send someone else.”
“There is no one else. Garrett is out looking for more of our friends, and you’re the only recruit we’ve gotten so far.”
Santiago stood up and paced around Dimitri’s office. “I can’t teach her how to survive out there in a few days.”
“You don’t have to teach her. You handle the survival stuff, and she’ll do what she’s there to do.”
“And what is that again?”
“It’s a cause that’s near and dear to your heart. She’s trying to save the endangered gray wolf population.”
“Oh, so since I’m a wolf, you think I care? That’s racist.”
“No,” Dimitri said. “Well maybe. But come on, she’s trying to do something good.”
“Does she know about us?”
“Does she know we’re shifters? No. And we should keep it that way.”
“Why even hire shifters for your security business if we can’t shift?”
“Because even in human form, we’re stronger and faster than regular humans. And I need soldiers for these jobs. And all the soldiers I know are shifters.”
“So I can’t shift out there? Not even a little?”
Dimitri shook his head. “Only as a last resort. Only if it’s a matter of life or death.”
Santiago huffed in annoyance and looked out the window. “This job keeps getting better and better.”
“I’m not going to force you to take this job. But as you’ve said, that woman really needs your help out there. She can find someone else to take her, but you and I both know they won’t be as capable as you.”
“Probably not,” Santiago agreed begrudgingly.
“And she’s an old friend of Sadie’s, from back in their college days. It would mean a lot to her, and to me, if you helped out.”
Santiago exhaled heavily and nodded. “I’ll do it for you two. You’ve been good to me. But that doesn’t mean I have to be nice to her.”
***
Amanda eyed the cowboy standing across the room from her. His arms were crossed over his broad chest and he eyed her up and down unabashedly. She couldn’t tell if he was ogling her curves or if he was sizing her up. Either way, she knew she was being judged.
And from the expression on his face, he wasn’t thrilled by what he saw.
Dimitri and Sadie had brought them into a small office, empty except for a table and chairs. Then they’d left them alone to get acquainted.
Neither one of them sat. The tension in the room was thick. Santiago didn’t look very enthusiastic about having her as a client. She wasn’t too excited about it either.
Just as she’d thought, the man was all macho and ultra masculine. He practically dripped with testosterone. Sure, he seemed capable, but she didn’t think he’d be great company for a week.
Being alone in the woods with him wasn’t going to be a vacation.
“So as I was saying, Mr. Diaz, I work with the National Conservation Council. They’ve sent me to check on some mysterious deaths in the gray wolf population in the Elder Forest Valley.”
“And that’s in Oregon?” he asked.
She nodded. “It is.”
“It’s awfully rainy out there. Rainy and cold.”
“I’m aware of that, thank you. Once we’re out there, I need to locate the gray wolf pack, find out what’s killing them, and stop it, if I can.”
“Do you know how to locate this pack?” Santiago asked. “There’s a lot of land to cover out there.”
“Some of the wolves have been tagged with GPS chips. I know their general location.”
He snorted. “You know their location right now. But wolf packs like to move around a lot.”
“Not this wolf pack. They don’t seem to migrate like other wolves. This forest is their home, apparently. It might take a few days, but once we’re out there, we should be able to track them down.”
“If you estimate a few days, we have to assume we’ll be out there for a week. How much experience do you have trekking through the woods, Ms. Cross?”
The man asked the question like he already knew the answer, which pissed her off. “I’ve got enough.”
He raised a skeptical eyebrow at her. “So you’ve done this kind of thing before?”
Her cheeks burned red. “Not exactly. No. But I’ve been camping before.”
He snorted. “Camping? Is that what you think this trip is going to be like?”
“No, of course not.”
“This will be hard going. Difficult terrain. Unfriendly conditions. And wolves move fast so we’re going to have to be faster. Are you sure you’re up to this?”
She drew herself up to her full height, even though Santiago still towered over her. “Don’t question my abilities. I’m more than capable of handling myself.”
“This isn’t a game, little lady. It’s life and death out there. Mother Nature is a real bitch if you don’t know what you’re doing. And that’s before you take into account a pack of hungry wolves.”
“I’m trying to save them,” she said indignantly.
He smiled a grim smile. “They don’t know that. And they don’t care. When they look at you, all they’re gonna see is dinner.”
Her blood ran cold at the suggestion. She honestly hadn’t considered how dangerous the animals could be. But it didn’t diminish her desire to complete her task.
“We’ll find a way to make it work. Without being eaten.”
“You hope.”
“I know it’s dangerous, but that’s where you come in. Unless you don’t think you’re up to the task?”
His eyes narrowed when she threw his own questi
on back at him. “I’m not worried about me. I’ve been through shit you couldn’t imagine. This will be a walk in the park by comparison. But you. You have no idea what’s coming.”
“If you’re trying to scare me away from going on this trip, you can save your breath. I’ve going. With or without you.”
He shook his head. “Then you’re even dumber than I thought.”
“If you’re just going to insult me, I’d be happy to find someone else to take me out there.”
He exhaled heavily. “As much as I’d like that, I can’t let you do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because Sadie and Dimitri asked me. And because I don’t want to see your face on the news in a week. Missing science lady lost in the woods. I’ll take you because I know I can keep you safe.”
Chapter 2
Two days later, Amanda was driving down an Oregon country road, still thinking about the conversation she’d had with Santiago at the Sanctuary.
The man was infuriating. Patronizing her and acting like she was helpless. Probably because she was a woman. She’d seen his type before. Hell, she worked with men like him everyday at the NCC.
It wasn’t that these guys hated women or anything. At least, not consciously. If you asked them what they thought about the female gender, they’d tell you they loved them. But part of their supposed affection for women was based on their belief that women were fragile and needed protection.
And more than that, women’s opinions didn’t hold the same weight as a man’s. These kind of guys thought women were too emotional. Too reactionary. They’d listen to her ideas with a polite smile on their face and then ignore everything she had to say.
That was how she ended up on this project all alone.
None of her colleagues believed her when she said something was destroying the gray wolf population at an unnatural rate. They thought she was overreacting. So she’d taken it upon herself to investigate things.
She was going to prove them wrong. And she was going to prove Santiago wrong. Sure, she’d never been out in the wilderness for any extended period of time. But what she lacked in experience, she made up for in research.