by Zoe Chant
Better save the rest, she thought, not without a little regret. But she didn’t want to gobble up all her supplies before she knew how long she’d be here. Whatever had made Colfax stop dead in his tracks, she didn’t especially want to find out that it didn’t count once she left this area. But the more she thought about it, the more it seemed likely. He and the rest of the Blackwood Pack shifters had stopped at the very border of this land. It had to be something to do with that.
Shaking her head, Sasha pushed it from her mind. It didn’t matter what had stopped him. It only mattered that it had. She didn’t want to think about it right now.
She knew she couldn’t sleep until she was sure slipping further into hypothermia wasn’t a risk, so she simply yanked a folded blanket from the foot of the bed, wrapped it around her shoulders, and sat by the fire, letting the gentle waves of heat warm and soothe her.
A sound outside made her start, but straining her hearing told her nothing. It had probably just been some woodland animal, or a falling branch.
Swallowing, Sasha pulled her knees up to her chin.
You’re safe now, she tried to tell herself, even though she knew very well that that was far from true. Unable to help herself, she smiled wryly. I guess I can only hope that whoever owns this cabin turns out to be friendly.
Chapter Two
Joe
Crouching down, Joe Whittaker took a closer look at the tracks in the snow. The snowfall last night hadn’t been as deep as had been forecast, and the prints leading up to the fence stood out clearly.
Standing, Joe followed the tracks with his eyes where they’d marred the otherwise pristine snow, leading all the way from the trees on the ridge across the field to the fence. They were wolf tracks, but – and this was what bothered Joe – they weren’t the usual kind. There were deer tracks mixed in with them too, but the wolves clearly hadn’t been hunting it, unless they were the stupidest wolves in history, and hadn’t figured out how to surround and take down a deer. They’d all been running together, in a straight line. Hardly normal behavior.
Narrowing his eyes, Joe let his lion come forward, sharpening his senses of smell and hearing. The lion whisked its tail, nose twitching, before it recoiled, a low growl in its throat.
Yep, Joe thought to himself. It was just as he’d suspected: these weren’t regular animals. They were shifters. Which made the sudden way they’d come to a halt right at the fence make a lot more sense, too. The fence wasn’t just the boundary of the ranch he’d worked on all his life – it was also the boundary of his pride’s lands. A border that no other shifter could cross without first getting the permission of the pride’s alpha. At the moment, the alpha of the Cedar Hill Ranch pride was Joe’s father, Lincoln. But one day, when his father felt the time was right, it would be Joe himself.
At least these shifters, whoever they were, had respected the boundary of the pride’s territory. Maybe because they’d known there’d be hell to pay if they crossed it. So Joe had to believe they didn’t want to cause trouble – at least, not for now.
Something did trouble him, though. Turning, he looked out at the other set of prints in the snow. Just because those wolves and deer hadn’t been chasing each other didn’t mean they hadn’t been chasing anything at all.
The tracks that continued on past the fence – they were a different story. Just to be sure, Joe let his lion take a scent of them, but it only confirmed what he already knew. They were no shifter tracks – these ones were purely human. It wasn’t just the fact that they looked human, and no shifter would stay in their human shape if they were being chased. They just smelled human. And the fact they crossed into the pride’s lands meant whoever had made them wouldn’t have been able to sense they were trespassing.
Joe narrowed his eyes. Shifters chasing humans.
He didn’t like it.
No shifter had any business chasing a human through the dead of night like this. Not in their animal forms, anyway. It was part of unwritten shifter law. Shifters fighting other shifters was the way of things, sometimes. But no shifter was supposed to use their superior strength and abilities against a human. At least, not unless the human had committed one of a few very serious crimes, and somehow, Joe doubted that was the case here.
He wasn’t sure how he knew, but he did.
Nope, he thought to himself. He didn’t like it at all.
Shouldering his rifle, Joe started following the human tracks up the ridge toward the trees. He didn’t often bring the gun with him, but his cousin’s mate, Charity, had asked if he might bring her a few snowshoe hares for the pot, and a lion’s hulking bulk just wasn’t suitable for hunting relatively small and quick prey like hares. Plus, his jaws made a mess of the meat.
And then there was the fact that when he did catch them in his lion form, Joe always felt a little pang of regret, even through the lion’s exhilaration of the hunt. It just didn’t seem fair – he was so huge, and the hare was so small. Maybe it didn’t make sense, but it just didn’t seem right. With a bullet, the hare never saw it coming, never had time to feel fear. It was a quick, clean death.
He didn’t mind going out to hunt up some rabbits for Charity. His cousin, Mason, the county sheriff, sure had gotten lucky with his mate. Aside from being an amazing woman, Charity was an incredible cook, and Joe knew whatever she did with the hares would be amazing. They all got the benefits when Charity was trying out new recipes.
Thinking of how lucky Mason was made Joe’s heart twinge in his chest. Mason had his mate, and earlier this month, his other cousin, Heath, had found his own special woman too. Joe was happy for them – no one could have loved his cousins more than he did, and it made him gladder than he could say to see them so settled and happy. But it did remind him that even though he was older than both of them, he still didn’t have a mate of his own.
Maybe it was for the best right now. He’d be the alpha of the pride one day – and that was a lot of responsibility. It might be better if he put off finding his mate until he was settled in his role. Being alpha of the pride was no joke.
Joe couldn’t help but feel, however, that it would be much easier to shoulder that burden with his mate by his side: a strong, supportive woman, someone to complete him. Just like a mate should.
Sighing, Joe shook his head. At the moment, finding his mate was all just a dream. He had so much work to do on the ranch that he hardly ever got an opportunity to head out. So unless his mate just somehow fell in his lap, it’d be a while yet until he found her.
Glancing up at the sky as he began trudging his way through the snow, Joe noticed the thick, heavy clouds gathering on the horizon. It seemed like they hadn’t escaped the big dump after all – it was just taking a little longer to get here. The air smelled like snow. Well – snow, and the faintest hint of smoke.
The smell was encouraging. It meant that whoever the shifters had been chasing might have found their way to the cabin he kept here, for days when he didn’t feel like making the long trek back to the main house of the ranch. Or when he was out hunting, and needed to be up early and out in the woods.
Whatever the case, he thought he’d better hurry and find whoever was here as fast as possible. Despite the lack of snow, it had been a freezing cold night, and humans just weren’t as equipped to deal with the weather as shifters were. They’d probably need his help. And they might need medical attention, despite the fact he hadn’t seen or smelled any blood around.
And they’d definitely be hungry. He didn’t keep much food in the cabin. When he was there, he usually shifted and hunted himself down some dinner. Concerned, Joe stepped up his pace. Whoever this person was, he hoped they’d managed to make themselves comfortable overnight. The idea of a frightened human, alone and on the run from a group of shifters – for whatever reason – didn’t sit well with him. If the shifters had some grievance with them, well, that could be sorted out later. But right now, they were on his pride’s land, and they were his responsibility. No matter w
hat.
The smell of smoke became stronger the closer Joe got to the cabin, hidden just inside the trees that bordered the field. It made Joe hopeful that the human had helped themselves to its shelter, and whatever meager food supplies might have been inside. Charity had packed him a substantial lunch before he’d set off this morning, full of everything that made people come from miles around to visit her diner. If whoever was in the cabin needed feeding, they wouldn’t find a better meal than this.
Sure enough, there were snowy footprints leading up the steps to the door. Smoke still puffed up lazily from the stone chimney, but it was clear the fire was almost out. Pausing a moment, Joe knocked gently on the door. He didn’t want to startle whoever was inside – especially if they’d had a frightening evening the night before.
“Hello? Anyone home?” he called gently through the door.
There was no answer. Turning the handle, Joe slowly opened the door and went inside.
The glowing embers of the fire were dying in the stove, and the hurricane lamp he kept hanging by the door sat in front of it, along with a small pile of empty tuna fish cans. Joe couldn’t stop a small smile creeping across his lips. Obviously, whoever they were had been very hungry.
Turning his head, Joe looked over to his right, to where the bed was situated – and paused.
There was a shape on the bed, wrapped up in a blanket. Long, brown hair spilled across the pillow like a dark river. A small pink ear peeked out of its shining waves, but that was all Joe could see of his guest. The rest was concealed beneath the bedclothes, but with them pulled tight around her – and Joe was now very definitely sure it was a her – he could clearly see the outline of her lush, gorgeous curves.
As if sensing something, the woman stirred in her sleep, shifting a little and rolling over so she was facing Joe.
Wow.
The woman, whoever she was, was a beauty. Thick dark lashes rested against her cheeks; her lips, slightly parted, were a pink Cupid’s bow against her pale skin. Her thick, dark hair fell in waves over the pillow, framing her heart-shaped face. Just looking at her, Joe felt his heart rate speed up. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen in his life.
But it wasn’t just that.
Inside his chest, his lion sat up, its tail whisking from side to side, ears twitching. Something about this woman had caught its attention. Maybe it was the sight of a damsel in distress, or maybe it was just that Joe didn’t get the chance to meet many women, and it was intrigued. But something certainly had gotten its dander up, that was for sure…
Joe didn’t get a chance to think about it for longer than that, because at that moment the woman’s eyelids fluttered, before opening to reveal the most gorgeous pair of eyes he’d ever seen – so dark they looked almost black and staring straight at him, as if they could see into his soul.
For a long moment, there was complete silence as they simply looked at each other, but then the spell was broken. The woman sat bolt upright on the bed, scrambling out from beneath the blankets and pressing her back against the wall.
“Don’t come near me,” she said, her voice low and firm, though Joe could hear the slight undercurrent of fear in it.
For a moment, Joe simply blinked, his mind racing to catch up with what was happening. He’d been so lost in her beauty and his lion’s strange response to her that it took him a second to remember that she had no idea who he was – or what he wanted.
Glancing down at himself, he realized too that he must look a sight: a dirty flannel shirt rolled up to his elbows, snowy boots, a rifle in his hand and a dead hare slung over his shoulder. Not exactly what he supposed most people would find comforting to see first thing in the morning.
Slowly, so as not to startle her any further, Joe raised his free hand. “There’s no need to be frightened. I’m not going to hurt you.”
The woman’s eyes flicked down to the rifle in his other hand.
“I’m just out getting some hares for dinner,” Joe explained. “I’ll put it down by the door, okay?”
Still moving slowly, Joe turned and leaned the rifle against the wall. After a moment’s thought, he put the hare down on the floor next to it.
“This is my cabin,” he explained once he’d stood and turned back to face her again. “You’re more than welcome to stay here, though. Especially with this snow coming on. But if you want something more comfortable, you’d also be welcome to stay with my family at the main house, if you don’t have anywhere else to go.”
The woman said nothing, but Joe could see her breathing had slowed, and she’d unclenched her fists. There wasn’t quite such a look of naked terror on her face. She swallowed. “Who are you?”
“My name’s Joe Whittaker,” he told her. “You’re on my family’s land. Which isn’t a problem – I just saw someone was using the cabin and my curiosity got the better of me. I’m sorry if I startled you.”
He smiled a little, hoping it might help her to relax, and see he meant her no harm. He wasn’t like his cousins, Mason and Heath, who’d already found their mates. They were both charmers, jokers – men who could make women laugh. They’d both had their share of fun before they’d settled down with their mates, but Joe had never been like that. Mason, who’d grown up with him, had always teased him, saying he was too quiet and serious. Maybe he was right. It’d never bothered Joe before – but now, he found himself wishing for some of his cousin’s charm. It might’ve helped.
The woman was looking at him now as if she was still sizing him up, eyes moving up and down his body, trying to figure him out.
“I didn’t want to intrude,” she said finally. “I just… I had nowhere else to go. And night was coming on.”
Joe nodded. “Like I said, it’s no problem. And you can stay here as long as you like.” He gestured to the empty tins of tuna fish on the floor. “But if you’d rather a good feed and maybe a more comfortable bed, you’re welcome to stay with the family.”
“The… family?” she asked, her voice wary.
“My dad and my brother, plus my cousin and his m… his wife. They’ve got a baby on the way. My cousin’s the county sheriff, if that makes any difference.”
He watched her reaction carefully. He didn’t want to specify which way Mason being the sheriff of Coldstream County might make a difference. Belatedly, he realized he still couldn’t rule out that she might be a fugitive, from shifter or from human law – no matter how beautiful she was, or how much she intrigued his lion.
“The… sheriff?” she asked, swallowing, her eyes going wide.
“Is that a problem?”
She seemed to take a moment to consider. “No… no,” she said, shakily the first time, the second with more conviction. “I just… I don’t think it would help, in my situation. Though I kind of wish it would.”
Joe cocked his head. Now he really was intrigued. But he had a reputation for never speaking until he was sure of his words, and, after his impulsive offer of letting her stay with the pride at the ranch house earlier, he was keen to remember it.
“Are you in some kind of trouble?” he asked, voice low and soft. He didn’t want her thinking he’d judge her. People got into all kinds of jams, and it wasn’t always their fault.
The woman looked at him searchingly for a long moment, as if trying to figure out what he wanted, or whether he was trying to lead her into a trap. But then her shoulders sagged, and all the fight went out of her. She simply looked exhausted.
“Why don’t you rest up,” Joe said. “And maybe tell me your name.”
The woman nodded wearily, before lowering herself to the bed. Joe hadn’t noticed it before, but she was clearly favoring her left leg. A quick glance at her – cute, shapely – ankles revealed that the right one was slightly swollen. Maybe she’d hurt it during her dash through the snow.
“Sasha,” she said, her voice small. “My name’s Sasha Stevenson, and yeah, I guess you could say I’m in some trouble.” She laughed bitte
rly. “But… I just don’t think I’m ready to talk about it right now. You’d probably think I’m crazy. Hell, I think I’m crazy half the time, when I go back over it in my head.”
Joe nodded. “Okay then,” he said. There was no sense in pushing things. That wouldn’t get either of them anywhere. “You don’t have to tell me anything. The cabin’s still yours, regardless.”
“Thank you,” she said softly. She looked up, her eyes focusing on his, and Joe sucked in a quick, startled breath. God, she was gorgeous. “I really mean it. This is… well, let’s just say this is the first nice thing anyone’s done for me for a while.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Joe murmured. Inside his chest, his lion’s teeth were bared in an angry snarl. How dare people be unkind to her, it seemed to be insisting. She deserves to be treated like royalty. Track these people down and teach them some manners!
Down, boy, Joe scolded it gently. He didn’t really need his lion interjecting with its opinion right now.
“Have you had much to eat besides tuna fish?” he asked her.
Sasha shook her head. “No, to be honest. And I meant to save some in case I was here a few days, but I was just so hungry…” A rueful smile crossed her face. “Dumb of me, I know. Especially with a scratched up ankle. I can’t even go out to catch something.”
Joe blinked. Two questions were fighting with each other to come out first: You hunt? and Is your ankle hurt? But her immediate welfare took precedence.
“Your ankle got scratched?” he asked.
Sasha nodded. “It’s not so bad. I just cut it open – must’ve been on the wire of the fence. It’s all right for now, but it was bleeding a little last night.”
“You want me to take a look at it for you?” The words had come out of his mouth before he’d really had a chance to think them through. Joe was surprised to hear himself say them, in fact – it just wasn’t like him to say anything so impulsive. And certainly not to ask to examine the ankles of women he’d just met.