Bears of Burden: WYATT

by Candace Ayers

  I read the first line. It came out sounding flat and stilted. The girl reading with me didn't help. She had no personality (or maybe she was just bored) and read everything in a monotone. I tried my best to deliver the lines the way I knew they should be, but nothing helped. By the time I was done, I'd already decided to leave and go back to the bus stop. No good could come for me in Los Angeles.

  "Alright, Ms. McGrath. Thank you," the casting director said. I moved toward the exit but froze when a strong voice reached out of the shadows from the back of the room.

  "Let's try it again," the voice said. "I'll read with you this time. If you don't mind, that is, Ms. McGrath." Brett stepped from the shadows, his face luminous. He looked almost like a whole new person. The haggard lines were gone from his face. The pain that had been permanently etched there since I'd met him was gone. He actually looked happy. My throat dried up.

  "Hi," I said, then noticed the casting director watching me a little too closely. "I mean, um, sure. Whatever you say." Brett stepped to the front of the room with me and took the script from the girl I'd just read with.

  "Whenever you're ready," Brett said. I started again. This time, the words came alive. I didn't have to fake the emotions; they were there waiting for me. I moved in the body of the character, feeling everything she felt and more. By the time we had finished, the casting director was on his feet, moving towards me.

  "Wonderful!" he shouted. "Perfect! Exactly right!" He began making notes and talking to another man about calling my agent. Brett pulled me aside.

  "I'm sorry," he whispered.

  "For what?" I squeaked.

  "For not realizing that without you, I am nothing. For letting you walk away, when I am so madly in love with you." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "You said once that you wanted to help me find my treasure." I nodded, breathless. "Well, please. Please do help me, but we don’t need to look, I’ve found her, you just need to stay." he said.

  Tears welled in my eyes. I threw my arms around his neck and he held me so tightly I could barely breathe.

  He leaned his head down and whispered against the soft flesh of my neck, “Kaitlyn. The heart of the dragon.”

  I could tell by the way he held me that he'd never again let me go.

  Epilogue

  Someone was nudging me. I opened one eye and saw Brett staring at me, a coffee in his hand.

  "Ugh," I said, covering my head with the pillow. "You said I could sleep in today."

  "You did," he smiled, setting the coffee on my nightstand. "It's almost noon."

  I threw the pillow back and stared at him, unbelieving. "It is?" He nodded. "I can't remember the last time I slept so late."

  "Well, you deserve it."

  I beamed at him and held out my hands.

  "Where is it? Give it to me."

  He laughed. "Are you gonna start sleeping with it now?"

  "No," I pouted. "But I just got it last night. It's gonna take at least another month before the thrill is gone."

  "From what I hear," Brett said, handing me a golden statue with my name scrolled across the bottom, "the thrill never goes away."

  I smiled and clung to my Oscar like it was a new teddy bear. Brett handed me something else.

  "Check out the paper," he said. "And I think your mom sent you like fifty text messages." I rolled my eyes and opened the paper. The headline screamed at me:

  POWER COUPLE SWEEPS OSCARS, KAITLYN ELLIOT WINS BEST ACTRESS

  I laughed and threw the paper in the air like a rocket. "Feels good, doesn't it?" he asked. "I've still got about eight more Oscars than you, you know," he said, kissing my forehead.

  "Yeah, but I'll catch up. Just you wait." I smacked his cheek lightly and he jumped into bed with me, his hands reaching out and tickling me in all the right places.

  "Wait, wait!" I squealed. There was a quick knock on the door and Jeremy poked his head in. His cheeks flushed when he saw us in bed.

  "Sorry," he said. "Just checking," then he winked at me and shut the door again.

  Brett rolled his eyes. "It's been eight months. You'd think he'd lighten up by now."

  "I don't think Jeremy is capable of lightning anything," I said. "Hey, let’s read my mom's stuff. I bet she shit a brick when I won."

  Brett laughed. "So crass... so cute."

  I picked my phone up, ignoring the hundred other messages I had and searching for my mother's.

  "Oh my God," I mumbled.

  "What? Is she still convinced I'm using you for your body?" At our wedding, my mother had tried to talk Brett out of marrying me. She was convinced that he was using me for my body and that he'd get tired of it fast and go looking for a real woman. One who wasn't so fat.

  "No," I said, covering my mouth with my hands, fighting back tears rising from my giggles. "She says..." I could barely get the words out; I was choking on the laughter. "She says that... that..."

  "Oh just give it to me," Brett said, swiping the phone from my hand and reading. "Darling," he looked at me. "Darling? Has she ever called you that?"

  I shook my head. "First time in my life."

  He continued. "Darling, I've always known you were special. I've always believed in you. You were too good for Colin. By the way, the roof in my house is leaking."

  Brett tossed the phone aside and pulled me into his arms, laughing. "Tell you what," he said. "We'll invite her over next month. Really show her what she's missing out on there in Idaho."

  I kissed him and felt my body tense. The passion between us hadn't slipped one bit in the last eight months, and I didn't think it ever would. "You invite my mom out if you want, only give me plenty of notice so I can make sure to book myself a weekend at Lake Tahoe."

  Brett wrapped his arms around me and drew me close. His sweet scent filled my lungs, and I reveled in how lucky I was that his treasure and my dreams were one and the same.

  THE END

  SNOWBOUND WITH THE ALPHA

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  MIRA

  Curvy Mira Jenkins has sworn off men. After suffering a traumatic experience at the hands of an ex-boyfriend, she just can’t get to that trusting place- not with any man. On the outside, she is a confident, together woman. Inside, she carries a residual fear and anxiety from her trauma that threatens to envelop her if she doesn’t manage to get the upper hand over it.

  Following her therapist’s advice, Mira plans a much needed escape from Denver’s city life in the form of a hiking excursion through the mountain trails. So what if her friend backed out at the last minute? Mira needs her getaway to keep her sanity in check and that means she’s going with or without a hiking buddy.

  CADE

  Cade Donovan has seen war first hand—different battles, different countries, same senseless slaughter of humans by humans. He now spends his days holed up in his secluded estate deep in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. He no longer has any use for the human race and leaves his home only on rare occasions like when the wolf inside of him needs to run wild.

  When Cade finds an endangered hiker on an isolated trail, he is enraged at having his paradise invaded. He really has no choice. His sense of honor demands he help her, and soon she is lying in his bed while he offers his home as a sanctuary to recover from her injuries.

  How did that happen?

  No worries, it’s temporary. A day or two, max and then she’s gone.

  There’s only one problem. This woman stirs feelings in Cade that he hasn’t felt for a very long time. The way she tames his hot temper and soothes his beast is making it very difficult for Cade to say goodbye. Not to mention the fact that his wolf wants to keep her and claim her as his mate!

  Chapter 1

  “Honestly, Amanda, there's nothing wrong with getting out of the city every now and then, letting yourself enjoy the wonders of nature!”

  Mira Jenkins pouted into her iPhone. Her brow was furrowed in annoyance as she paced the room. Even so, she knew her pleading was in vain, she was pretty sure she was g
oing to lose the argument, but she had to at least give it a fair shot.

  “Besides, you've been cooped up indoors so long, at work and at home, you'll go crazy without some fresh air!”

  She placed a hand on her thick waist, drumming her index finger and waiting for a comment back from her best friend.

  “I'm sorry, Mira, I just... Look, me and Randy haven't had much time together. Dealing with work and other obligations, we haven't had any couples time! C'mon, you've got to understand. Next time? I promise I'll go with you the next time you are ready to go hiking, okay?” Her friend's voice begged on the line.

  Mira paced a bit more along the floor and let out an overly dramatic sigh. She tugged at the neck of her warm, black turtleneck that rested a little too snugly against her throat.

  “Alright, Amanda, I'll stop bugging you. But, when we get ready to go next time, you bring the hot chocolate, 'kay? I'll be taking the Pear Lake Trail.”

  Mira smiled as she heard her girlfriend’s squeal of delight at being let off the hook, her eyes lingering briefly on the second pack on her floor.

  “Okay, I promise, Mira. Thanks for understanding, hon, it's reeeeeeally important for us tonight!” Mira laughed at her friend’s voice. She sounded like a joyous puppy able to jump in the snow for the first time.

  “Promise to use protection,” Mira said in a light, singsong tone, then, she heard the line go dead silent, a grin spreading along her lips.

  She knew Amanda was as red as an apple at her comment. A short laugh slipped out before she disconnected the call, shaking her head. She did love to torture her friend. Shy as heck, adorably so, and so naively innocent. So different from herself.

  Mira stretched her arms above her head and wandered over to the window, letting out a calm, slow breath as she eyed the view of the Rocky Mountains looming ahead in the distance. She had been hiking many times before, and loved the quiet, the invigorating exercise and the refreshing bite of chilled mountain air. The best thing about it though, was how well it served to clear her head of traumatic memories. She had tried so many different things. Not too long ago, she was afraid she was going to permanently lose her mind. It was her therapist who suggested finding solace in nature. Sure enough, once she began taking regular hikes, she found them to be like a magic elixir. When she felt anxiety building, a long hike in the mountains was like hitting a reset button.

  It had been a little over a year since the constant emotional and physical abuse from her ex-boyfriend Jeremy had escalated to a peak resulting in him holding a gun to her temple, and an hours-long police stand-off. She still struggled with the memories, and there were occasional panic attacks and night terrors. But her twice-monthly excursions into the mountains were her best defense against her anxiety. They kept the crazies at bay.

  She didn’t exactly have a hiker’s body. Her thick, hourglass shape stood at 5’4”, but she still made commitments to herself. Each and every time she hiked those trails, she would find the marker she had set the time before, taking it further up the mountainside. It had become her chosen way of redirecting her anger and fear and, so far, it worked.

  She tugged on her jacket and gloves, shouldered her pack, and straightened to look in the mirror. Bright blue eyes stared back, like pools of water, checking absently to see how she looked. She looked tired, that’s how she looked. Tired as usual, but prepared. She was prepared to face the day ahead of her, climb that trail, and cast her worries aside.

  Mira checked her pack once more, mentally ticking off each item on the checklist she kept in her head. Flares, ice picks, a small shovel, some supplies of food and water, and a medical kit. Her fingers ran along the rope she brought, checking to be sure there were no frays in the material. The rope was perfect—like new. Of course, she always packed extra clothes too, just in case. She was always cautious, and that included taking a buddy with her. Unfortunately, Amanda had been her last resort, and now that she had bailed, it was either cancel the trip altogether or risk it alone.

  The week at work had been rough, and she’d had more than a few nightmares. She totally needed to find her Zen. Cancelling, Mira felt, would be detrimental to her mental health right now. This time, just this time, she’d have to take the risk of a solo hike for the sake of putting her head back in order. It was worth it.

  “That's everything, I think. Oof, this thing doesn't get any lighter.”

  She let out a slight wince before straightening, and adjusting the pack onto her shoulders. With a partner, she could distribute some of the gear between the two of them. Alone, her pack was bordering on way too heavy. She absentmindedly grabbed her phone before realizing what she was doing. The phone was of no use out there. The towers didn't extend that far. That was another relief. Setting her voicemail message to explain she was out hiking and wouldn't be back for a day or two, she turned her phone off and dropped it on her bed.

  Mira paused before the door, smiling as she looked at a picture frame hanging on the adjacent wall. A lovely woman, looking like a far more mature version of herself was sitting in a rocking chair, holding a child in her arms.

  “Take care of the place, Mom. I'll be back soon, okay?” she whispered.

  It was a half-hour drive to the foot of the mountains and the sun was rising. She would have to hurry to get to the checkpoint by nightfall.

  As she slid into her car, starting it and giving the engine a rev, she gripped the wheel tightly. Her jaw set, and she glared out of the windshield, her heart racing. There was a man walking on the side of the road. Was it…? He looked like…. It can’t be Jeremy. She held her breath and grasped the steering wheel until her knuckles were white just to keep her hands from trembling. She was almost on top of the guy before she realized that while there was a slight resemblance, the man was definitely not Jeremy. He’s in prison, you idiot, she chastised herself. She really needed to stop seeing apparitions of him all over the city. Just one more confirmation of how badly she needed to get out of here today and spend some time in the mountains.

  The six months she had suffered gradually escalating mental and physical torment at the hands of Jeremy Mathers was bad enough to leave deep emotional scars, but that horrible afternoon that stretched into evening left her with bouts of fear and anxiety that slammed her at completely unexpected moments. PTSD was the diagnosis, but the label didn’t explain the bone deep horror that Mira experienced at times.

  She didn’t like to remember that particular event, but her therapist had insisted that she go over what she could remember again and again. She remembered his face contorted with rage. She remembered being bound to a chair, a rag stuffed in her mouth. She remembered being struck repeatedly in the head with the butt of his gun. She remembered fading in and out of consciousness, and her own warm, sticky blood pouring down her face and dripping onto her lap.

  She also remembered the trial and the day that Jeremy was led away in handcuffs after the final verdict of guilty. She had sworn that day that never again would she allow herself to be used like that. No way in hell.

  Chapter 2

  The wind howled along the wooded area. The sky above was bright blue without a cloud in sight. Purple flowers peeked out from the snow, eager to take in the sunlight and push through the cold from the recent snowfall.

  A figure slowly stalked along a trail, careful to be silent in approach, a bow and arrow in hand. A primitive tool fashioned by hand, though in the hands of its owner, a deadly weapon that would not miss its mark. A semi-long bow, the tension was tight at the moment, a feathered arrow drawn back against the man's cheek.

  His hazel eyes peered down the shaft of the arrow. His form was thickly muscled and yet moved easily and swiftly as a fox hunting a mouse. His body crouched to avoid detection. Cade Donovan focused on the hunt in front of him, so in tune with his efforts that everything seemed to move in slow motion. His inner beast struggled to be free of the mental and physical restraints he had put in place to do his hunting. His wolf longed to feel the blood and f
lesh under its claws and teeth, but he refused it. He needed his human side to be in control for this kill. It was an important exercise in maintaining his sanity.

  Releasing his arrow with a steady breath, it let out a sharp, resounding thwack as it hit its target. An elderly doe collapsed without so much as a cry of pain. Lowering his bow and breathing out a sigh of relief, he approached the doe and found the arrow embedded within its heart. An instant kill. His food reserves were running low at home and he preferred to hunt his own fresh meat rather than worrying about going into town and being gawked at and gossiped about.

  No, he wasn't too fond of humans. Not at all. Not after seeing what they had done to this land, to the animals, and even to their own kind. Cade was a wolf shifter, his reclusiveness honed over many years. When he did go into town, he seemed to attract more female attention than he cared to. He couldn’t help the fact that women were drawn to him. His broad shoulders, muscular physique, curt but polite mannerisms, and the unmistakable dominance he held over other males were like an aphrodisiac to the female population.

  As a member of an elite military special forces squadron, Cade had seen too much war and devastation wrought by humans against humans. He spent years hardening himself against the atrocities that he was regularly exposed to, or at least he thought he was hardening himself. Apparently, though, the effects of the horrors he witnessed had been simply building, one by one. Then came the final straw—an attack on a small village that he and his team were just moments too late to stop. Villagers had been raped, tortured, beaten and slaughtered, leaving none behind.

  Seeing the bodies, particularly those of women and children mangled senselessly, was too much for him to bear. It was then that he’d felt something inside himself crack. It had taken several days to dig all those graves. He could still feel the weight of the lifeless bodies on his shoulders. He retired from the military shortly thereafter, and began his slow but steady journey into seclusion and isolation.