Bear His Mark: Wylde Den One (Alaskan Den Men Book 1)

by Talina Perkins

  Steel fingers wrapped around her upper arm and dragged her close with a yank.

  “Look, whoever you are,” she threw a hand up between them. “Go find a back alley grizzly girl to play hanky-panky with—I’m definitely not your type.”

  Beady blue eyes peered down at her as if calculating how far he could push her before the claws came out. His stare bored into her and caused her to slink back.

  “How would you know? I happen to be everybody’s type, sweetheart. Wait till you get a good long taste.”

  “Keep dreaming, pal!”. God, the man needed a Tic-Tac and a shower. All in that order. She dug her heel into the cement. Raised her opposite arm and shoved her palm into the bridge of his nose before he could make good on his promise with his puckered lips inching closer.

  “Surprise! Next time, take a hint.”

  His grip loosened and she pulled free. “You stupid little bitch.” She backtracked, her target the double glass doors of the convenience store and as much space between her and the angered shifter as possible. He could be anything from a fox to a bear, but half of her suspected he would turn into a snake any second.

  He raised his hand and she flinched as her boot caught on the raised platform for the gas tanks. But the fated backhand across the cheek never came.

  “Unless you want to find yourself answering to the Elder I suggest you get your sorry ass out of my face, Brax. I don’t think I need to remind you what happens when you get another strike on your record.” Her eyebrows shot up so far they had to be touching her hairline. Her gaze danced between both men and the arrogant smile her new admirer wore swiftly faded to a deep scowl.

  Whatever it was had to be bad.

  Fear filled the creases outlining his lips and eyes. It was plain to see as was the fake bravado he wore like a shield against an alpha werebear. Cold-hearted hatred chilled the air between the men beyond anything Mother Nature could do to an Alaskan winter.

  So he was a grizzly?

  Brax growled but didn’t make a move other than to toss a nasty look filled with cold fury over his shoulder at her. Like she’d planned this all to get him in trouble.

  “Keep your woman outta my way.” The way he slung out the warning made her spine go rigid. Several seconds slipped by as they watched the hulking man slink back around the corner.

  “Are you okay?” Slightly dazed, she momentarily missed the outstretched hand her mirage offered. He couldn’t be real. Could he? Oh get a grip. You knew running into your past lover would happen. But nothing actually prepared her for the chance encounter.

  “I, uh, yeah, I think.” Adam fuuurrreeaaking Wylde loomed over her, his thick thighs covered in some sort of bright orange snow gear and the upper half unzipped to hang freely around the waist to reveal his chest wrapped in what had to the tightest shirt ever made in the history of mankind. God, what a chest! Even in the form-fitting, long-sleeved pull over he sported not a detail slipped past her raking gaze. She made sure of it!

  Until her gaze landed on his. In that instant, the sunshine, the snow capped mountains and all the heartbreak weighing on her melted away.

  Heat rushed into her cheeks and she took his outstretched hand. “What was that guy’s problem?”

  Adam shook his head and a soft scent of pine lingered between them. As if he spent the dawn hours in the woods and nature clung to him. “The ice bear is a puzzle even to me.”

  So he was not a grizzly.

  Whiskey eyes, warm and inviting, lured her in. She heard him say something, but didn’t pay too much attention to it. Two dimples on either side of his cheeks sent a lightning bolt of lust to strike her square in the girly parts.

  How crazy. She couldn’t help but feel safe. Drawn to the man she hadn’t laid eyes on in forever and a day.

  She nodded. More than one thing hadn’t changed since she’d left the snowy picturesque landscape five years ago.

  Gently he took her hand and hauled her up with a little too much force. She lost her balance and stumbled forward. Hands out, she clutched the nearest thing within reach. Wouldn’t you know it. Two well-formed pecs were right where her hands landed. She groaned and his eyes turned from whiskey to molten gold in a flash. The throaty growl made her want to taste his lips. All she had to do was lean a little closer...

  Had his eyes always been so sexy? So bright?

  “Aurora,” Adam gruffly whispered in the small space between their lips.

  “Sorry.” Her breath caught. Did her fingers just flex? Oh God. She yanked her betraying hands back and forced them to stay at her side. Why did she have to pack the one pair of pants that had no pockets!

  “I hit my head.” She cringed inwardly. Let him know you’re off your rocker. Smooth.

  She’d lost her damned mind.

  Was it too unrealistic to ask for someone to light a match and blow the gas station? A squeaky groan slipped and she took a couple of steps toward her car. Mirth brightened his irises and the firm straight-faced man that played her guardian angel melted into the warm, smiling Adam Wylde she fell in love with when she was the sweet, innocent seventeen-year-old.

  Adam Wylde, the grizzly shifter.

  “Did your old man make it back with you?” Adam scanned their surroundings looking for a threat of some sort to pop out at him.

  Her mind briefly drifted back to the boy barely older than her. In his awkward teenage years he’d been handsome, but never in a thousand years did she think he’d turn out to be so... gorgeous. Not that he knew it from the way he wore the same bright smile and easygoing manner.

  “Uh, no. You don’t need to worry. It’s just me.” From one foot to the other she shifted her weight and hoped he didn’t dig deeper. Even as a teenager, or youngling as their elder called shifter cubs, Adam had been bigger than the rest of his cousins. Now he towered over her a good half a foot, making her five-five stature feel petite.

  Her knees trembled in time with her racing heart. Small lines creased the space between his eyes and her gaze roved over her very impressive mirage. Adam wasn’t the boy she remembered. He’d gained weight in all the right places. Once lanky arms and legs now robust with heavily defined muscles.

  Finger-length sable hair brushed the collar of his shirt. It was longer than she remembered, but he still rocked out the mussed don’t-give-a-damn look, but in a sexy way. Longer strands swept down to brush either side of his face. Not too long, but enough to make her fingers twitch with the urge to touch. She had to admit the man oozed sex appeal without even trying.

  Adam looked over her shoulder for the man who’d once cursed him and his people with every fiber of his being. “Sorry to hear that.”

  She smiled politely, twisting her fingers into a knot to keep them to herself. She doubted it, but she appreciated the sentiment for her sake anyway. “I have to be going. I have a flight to catch. But it was really great seeing you.” Aurora bit the inside of her cheek at the lie. If she let him in on her real plans he’d try to stop her.

  “Is that so, Aurora Starr?” Adam closed the distance between them. Heat swallowed her up the closer he came and she loved it. Wanted more of him. Was it possible to fall in love at first sight for a second time?

  He said her name in a slow drawl with just a hint of gravely inflection that coaxed memories from the deep well she hoped to have drowned them in. Apparently they’d found a life raft and clung on like little pesky nuisances to come back and bite her in the ass when she least expected it. Because what else explained the way her veins flooded with an unsolicited amount of adrenaline as Adam tangled her fingers with his?

  Breathe in. Breathe out.

  Her face warmed as his eyes came alive with an otherworldly glow. Tingles brushed along her skin as if she didn’t have a stitch of clothing on. Steel bands wrapped around her and pulled her deeper until her body flushed against his. One muscle at a time relaxed into his hold. He knotted the length of her ponytail around his hand and angled her lips upward. As that one action held her spellbound, the ner
ves between her legs throbbed in anticipation. His nostrils flared and the gold specks in his eyes grew danced with energy.

  “Carebear, is that you?”

  Adam froze as the magick binding them together snapped at the intrusion.

  He looked down at her. “This isn’t over.” Voice thick with emotion, he took a half a pace back and with him the delicious heat he emitted. Unable to break the connection any more than she was, he tightened his fingers around hers.

  The look in his gaze connected as if invisible magic twined them together. Her nipples pebbled in the soft confines of her bra at the sinful promise. She pressed her lips together and swallowed.

  “It is you! Damn, Adam why didn’t you tell me guests were coming?”

  Oh God, she couldn’t handle two Wylde boys at once. A big diesel rig pulled up behind her. So tied up in the moment she failed to hear the arrival of Adam’s brother.

  “Everett. She pulled out her handy insta-smile and flashed her pearly whites as she turned on her heel. Braced for impact, in two seconds the middle boy of the Wylde den men had her pinned against him, feet off the ground and squeezing her into a giant bear hug. Whatever they fed these Alaskans made their men iron solid and drool-worthy down to the double dimples. That last one was probably genetic, but damn she’d never seen red plaid look so good on a man.

  “She can’t breathe, for God’s sake. Let the poor girl go.”

  Everett planted her back on the ground, but didn’t let her go. This made his brother scowl deeper.

  “I think you may have irritated your brother quite thoroughly.” Feeling bold from the big welcome, Aurora tossed a wink at Adam that scored her the classic Adam stare. Hands crossed over his chest and straight line for a mouth. But the golden flecks of his irises still swirled with the same energy as before.

  “Damn girl, you’re looking fine. New York has been better than just good for you.” Everett pulled back from her and placed both hands on her shoulders. Letting out a low whistle, he twirled her around. Shucking the designer shoes for the more practical gear of Alaska, she couldn’t help but feel self-conscious over her several layers of sweaters and jeans tucked into her ankle-high boots. It had been a long time since her last winter here.

  If Adam frowned any deeper his face would crack.

  “Yeah, who knew I had city-girl blood in my veins?” Aurora shared a laugh and another hug from Everett who couldn’t seem to believe she was real.

  Despite hating the nickname he Christened her with after he and Adam had taken down a bully who’d made fun of her freckles in eighth grade, Aurora smiled. This time for real.

  “I see you’re still a big flirt, how are you? Have you made any lucky girl Mrs. Wylde yet?”

  “I don’t know about that, but I’ve made a few go wild if you know what I mean?” Everett waggled his brows and made her laugh. Adam groaned beside her. Aurora tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and dipped her head to hide a giggle.

  In a matter of seconds one of her oldest childhood friends brushed away some of the dark gloom from her aching heart.

  “Ahem... Playboy here was just leaving.”

  Everett reached over and tousled her loose hair as if they were still those young kids without a care in the world.

  “Not so fast bro.” Adam growled, but that didn’t seem to slow Everett’s roll any. “Listen, Carebear, come on by the house later on. Mom is pulling together a nice meal to celebrate Mira’s baby.”

  Baby? The younger Wylde sister had a baby? “I don’t think that’s a great idea.” Adam shuffled beside her and she caught the stiff look that passed between him and Everett.

  “Nonsense. You’ve been missed in these parts. Dad would love to see you and Mom too. Hell the whole den would love to give you a big hug and see what you’ve been up to since leaving us.”

  Adam nailed Everett with a glare at his poor choice of words. Sometimes the filter between his brain and mouth malfunctioned growing up and landed him in some hot water on a few occasions. Apparently it still did.

  She placed a hand over Everett’s. “It’s fine, really.”

  “No pressure okay, but it would be nice to have you come over.” As if stepping right back in without missing a beat, Everett welcomed her back just like that. With Adam, she still walked on thin ice. The instant heat kindled right back up, but walking back into their lives as if nothing happened? That she couldn’t do.

  A small part of her envied their large, easygoing family. The bond they shared went beyond anything her family ever had for one another.

  Beneath heavy lashes she risked a glance at Adam who’d taken a step back from her and crossed his arms like a man that didn’t have time for little brothers and old girlfriends. For a moment it looked as if he wanted to push his brother back in the cab of his truck and be rid of him too.

  He was right. She’d come here for one purpose.

  She flicked away the distraction of the allure Everett painted for her and worked her mouth open to decline.

  As if sensing her mental shift, he spoke up.

  “Besides, Mom is gearing up for summer solstice too. I think you still know what that means.” How could she forget? That had her eyebrows climbing. Mama Wylde’s barbecue made the worst of enemies momentarily set aside differences. “If you’re going to be around for a while, meet us back at the lodge up on Rum Run Road and we’ll head home together.”

  She smiled at the mention of the town’s best unkept secret. Rum Run Road is where the town held their annual knicker run fest. After drinking down a pint of rum all the contestants stripped down to their knickers and raced to the end of the main drag that cut through the heart of downtown. One of the best ways to pass the cold winter and introduce the tourist to the local flavor of crazy.

  Home. Neither brother seemed to notice, but that single word made her heart swell. After everything her father said and did to these wonderful people, how could they welcome her with open arms? Everett couldn’t know his family would welcome her so graciously.

  He bent to place a chaste kiss to her cheek before pegging Adam with a pair of gloves he pulled from his back pocket. “Saddle up man, we’ve had an avalanche on the backside of Base One. Rangers are already scouting the area and have called in the additional support. You and me are playing air taxi too.”

  Base One. “How bad?” She let the question slip out as if she was only asking out of fear for the possibly injured people. She cared for them, hoped they were all okay and could make it down in one piece and breathing, but if the back passage was closed, she’d be trapped here with Adam until she could do what she came here to do. That was beyond dangerous.

  “Don’t know. It wasn’t anyone we took up. People fool enough to be back there alone, sorry to say it, has it coming.”

  Adam rubbed a hand over the back of his neck and nodded as Everett pulled back to the truck to give them some space.

  Adam turned to her. “Wait for me. Don’t go anywhere. We need to talk. Wait for me. Please?”

  Damn. His eyes pleaded with her and it cut her deeper than she thought possible. She swallowed and bit at her inner lip. Pine invaded her senses and whiskey eyes filled her vision. He stood so close. Warm fingers cupped her face, and he held her attention the second his fiery gaze locked on hers with enough heat to ignite something so deep within her that no one had touched in forever. Since him.

  “I’ll pick you up from the lodge.” Of course he knew where she would be with only one place open to tourists.

  No question in his tone, no plea for obedience. Simply stated, Adam expected her to obey. She braced herself. Air caught in her lungs, refusing to budge. He lowered his head just as Everett honked his horn. She clenched her hands at her side to keep from holding him where he stood. “Wait for me.” His words brushed against her ears and reached deep inside to stir up more than emotions. He conjured up something else she didn’t quite understand. There was no stopping the warm flush that consumed her from head to toe.

  Damn hi
m.

  Aurora watched the tail lights of their truck disappear around the corner of the gas station. Adam Wylde knew better than to turn his alpha werebear loose on her.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Climb the damn mountain.

  Spread her father’s ashes.

  Find what her father sent her for.

  Be gone before anyone can come looking for her.

  Namely Adam.

  Aurora mentally ticked off the four points. Six hours ago in the shower of her tiny lodge room it had sounded like a perfectly solid plan.

  Now her heart did a little jig just thinking about his warm touch and kissable lips. The way his hand felt holding hers. Gentle yet strong. Instead of stiff and damn near frozen solid like hers.

  Every second that passed the once blue skies turned a mucky gray.

  Snow. And, by the looks of it, a lot.

  Nailing one out of three on her to-do list was pathetic. She held several self-titled degrees in how to escape assigned bodyguards yet couldn’t manage to keep a low profile for more than two hours? In her defense, she still had time to make her great escape. She only needed to spread her father’s ashes and haul ass back to Fairbanks and the nearest airport before any of the six Wylde brothers caught on to her plan. If one thing they did well it was work together when they had a plan and if one wanted something they all teamed up. And one thing she did not want was to be the center of their attention when they had a plan.

  “Why did it have to be him? Why Adam?”

  She groaned, not that anyone would hear her halfway up the backside of a mountain.

  Cold fingers of regret ran the length of her spine.

  He smelled so good. Like Ivory soap with a mixture of pine and snow. She loved the freshness of snow.

  Echoes of the past jolted her out of the black funk that had dogged her for the past few days—going on what felt like forever—in the time it took to say hello. Talk about bad timing.