James wore a goofy grin on his face for the entire drive back to his cabin. He had never imagined when he met Alexis out on the tundra several weeks ago that he would end up falling in love with her. But he had.
And he had fallen hard and fast. Working near her all day, every day, had driven him wild. He had been attracted to women before, but never like this. Alexis had become all he could think about, and the bear inside of him went crazy whenever she was around. He had tried to push away the feelings at first, worried that things would be too complicated since she knew he was a shifter. Then, one day, a light bulb went off in his head and he realized that her knowing he was a shifter actually made things easier. He wouldn’t have to break the news to her gently—she already knew. And despite knowing, she still treated him like a normal human, for the most part. Sure, she made snarky comments about his shifting abilities being supernatural, which annoyed him somewhat. But, overall, she seemed to just accept him for who he was.
James pulled up in front of his cabin and parked, then saw that Neal was sitting on his front porch a few doors down, soaking in the bright, 10 p.m. sunshine. James hopped out of his truck and decided to go spend a few minutes talking to his alpha. Neal always offered good advice, and James was hoping he could get a few pointers on how to navigate through a new relationship.
“Hey,” Neal said as James approached the porch. “How’s it going? Feel free to grab a beer from the fridge if you want.”
“Thanks,” James said, and went inside for a moment to choose a pale ale from Neal’s fridge. He popped the top off and then came back to the porch, where he settled into one of the sturdy wooden chairs next to Neal.
“How’s Christine doing?” James asked before taking a long sip from his beer.
“Pretty good overall. She’s had a relatively uneventful pregnancy so far. She just gets more and more exhausted as the weeks go by, though. And she still has a few months to go.”
James nodded. “I don’t know much about pregnancy, but it seems like it takes a lot out of you.”
Neal chuckled. “Yeah. Christine has informed me that it’s best if I just assume I don’t understand at all what it’s like to be pregnant, which is fair enough, I guess. I’m so excited to be a dad, though. Watching the clan grow with all the new cubs has been a great feeling, but even that pales in comparison to the anticipation of having your own cub.”
“Hopefully I’ll get to experience that someday,” James said.
“You will,” Neal said confidently. “You’re smart, kind, and good-looking. I know there’s an amazing woman out there waiting for you.”
“Yeah, about that,” James said. “How did you know Christine was the one?”
Neal raised an eyebrow in James’ direction. “Uh-oh, does someone have his eye on a prospective lifemate?”
James blushed. “Maybe. I met a girl at work, and I’m really starting to fall for her. Her name’s Alexis, and I’m pretty sure she likes me, too. And she knows I’m a shifter,” James said with an apologetic shrug, and then rushed to explain. “I didn’t tell her. She figured it out on her own. Somehow she seems to have some weird sense about these things.”
To James’ relief, Neal didn’t seem upset that Alexis knew he was a shifter. James had heard stories about Neal flying off the handle at his clan members in the past at the smallest possibility that they had outed the clan to humans. But James had never seen Neal get irrationally upset about things like that. Ryker told James that Neal had mellowed quite a bit since the other bears had taken human mates, and especially since Neal met Christine. Now, Neal just stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“Is she native Alaskan?”
James raised his eyebrows in surprise. “She is, actually. How did you know that?”
“I’ve heard that native Alaskans are often able to recognize shifters. They’ve lived among shifters for so long that they’ve learned to recognize things like the difference in gait between a normal bear and a shifter bear. And they can see the animal essence in a shifter’s eyes, too. They’re generally accepting of shifters, although they’re superstitious. They think shifting is a deep, supernatural thing, although we know it’s just a genetic mutation.”
James nodded his head forcefully. “That sounds like Alexis, exactly. She keeps trying to convince me that I have some kind of spiritual ability because I can shift. We’ve basically just agreed to disagree on that point.”
Neal smiled. “Agree to disagree,” he repeated. “Sounds like you’re already an old pro at this relationship thing.”
“Hardly,” James said with a laugh. “That’s actually why I came over here to talk to you. I was hoping you might have some insights on how to know whether a woman is worth pursuing. I really like Alexis, but I’ve already had so much heartache in my life. I don’t want to invest a bunch of emotional energy in a relationship if it’s not going to pan out.”
“I don’t know that I have any grand insights to offer,” Neal said as he leaned back in his chair and took a swig of beer. “People have been trying for centuries to figure love out, and I don’t think anyone has succeeded yet. All I can tell you is what I’ve learned myself, which is that you have to be willing to take chances, and you have to understand that things often won’t work out the way you think they will. Christine and I got off to a really rough start. At one point she even called me a monster.”
James eyes widened. “She did? But you guys seem so happy together, and so perfect for each other.”
“Well, we’re very happy together now. But my point is, sometimes it takes a while to get to that point. I think the best thing to do if you’re interested in someone is to just take a chance and go for it. Spend a ton of time with Alexis. Get to know her better, and don’t worry if there are some big bumps in the road initially. If it’s meant to be, your heart will tell you so. And the feeling will only grow stronger the more you spend time with her.”
James nodded slowly, mulling over Neal’s words. He already felt connected to Alexis on a deeper level. Maybe it was time to take more action instead of spending so much time thinking about things. James took a long, last sip from his beer and determined right then to stop fretting about how to know whether this was meant to be. He had already kissed Alexis, and she had been receptive to that. Obviously, she was interested in him, too. He would go to work tomorrow and just straight up tell her that he thought they had a future together and he’d like to explore the possibility further.
He hadn’t planned on finding love at his new job, but now that the opportunity had presented itself, he was going to take his alpha’s advice and take a chance.
James stood and clapped Neal on the shoulder as he made his way to the porch steps. “Thanks, Neal. It helps to hear encouraging words from someone who’s been there.”
“Anytime, buddy,” Neal said. “Good luck. Let me know how things are going, and feel free to bring Alexis by to meet the clan, if you think she’s trustworthy. I trust your judgment.”
James nodded his thanks, and then took off in the direction of his own cabin. He resisted the urge to skip like a little girl at the excitement that filled him when he thought of seeing Alexis the next day.
* * *
But James didn’t see Alexis the next day. Or the day after that. Alexis had called in sick, and, try as he might, James couldn’t get much information from their supervisor on whether she had said anything about how she was doing or what the illness was. He kicked himself for not bothering to get her phone number. He hadn’t asked because he hadn’t wanted to seem too eager. In Glacier Point, most people only had a home phone. Since there were no cell towers, the only mobile phones available were satellite phones, which were prohibitively expensive for most people. Since phones weren’t a major form of communication in the area, James had felt that asking Alexis for her number would seem too forward.
James tried to focus on his work and not read too much into Alexis’ absence. He couldn’t keep himself from worrying that she wasn’t showin
g up to work because she regretted their kiss. She wouldn’t pretend to be sick to avoid him, right? James spent the whole day arguing with himself over whether he was being too paranoid about the whole thing.
When Alexis called in again for the third day in a row, James was genuinely worried. He tried to get the manager to give him Alexis’ number, but the manager wouldn’t, citing privacy laws. The manager did feel free to rant at great length about how he thought Alexis was faking being sick so that she could get out of having to work. James decided at that point that he needed to go check on Alexis. He felt a little strange showing up at her house unannounced, but he thought it might be nice to take her some chicken soup and check on her to let her know she had a friend who cared about her. He also thought it might be nice to warn her that their manager was questioning her dedication to her job. If she had to miss more days, it might be a good idea for her to get a doctor’s note.
After work that day, James went by the local superstore where Ryker worked. He picked up a few cans of chicken noodle soup, and a bouquet that consisted entirely of carnations. James wasn’t an expert on buying women flowers, but he knew enough to know that the bouquet wasn’t the fanciest or most romantic arrangement of flowers. It was all the superstore had available, though, so it would have to do for now. James drove to Alexis’ house and parked in front, glancing at his watch and frowning. It was ten p.m., which was way too late to show up at someone’s house without warning. But the hours James was working right now didn’t give him much of a choice. Tomorrow night he would be getting off just as late. There were still lights on in the townhome, so James held his breath as he approached, hoping that Alexis was still up and would forgive him for coming over at this hour.
Before he could talk himself out of it, James reached up and rang the doorbell. He nervously shifted his weight back and forth between his feet while balancing the flowers and brown paper sack of soup cans in his hands. He heard voices from somewhere behind the door, and the sound of chair legs scraping against hardwood. For several long, agonizing moments, he waited. The voices grew louder and more urgent, although he couldn’t make out the words. It sounded like one of them was male.
James’ heart sank. Did Alexis have another man in her life? Had he been a fool, thinking that he actually had a chance to woo her and win her heart? James didn’t have much time to think about these questions, though, because the door suddenly flew open and Alexis was standing right in front of him. She was wearing plaid, fleece pajama pants and a loose gray t-shirt, and her hair was pulled up into a messy, haphazard bun. Her skin looked pale, and James noticed the bags under her eyes as she looked up at him. Despite the complete lack of effort put into her appearance at that moment, James still thought she looked beautiful.
“James? What are you doing here?” she asked. Her voice didn’t exactly sound upset, but she didn’t seem thrilled to see him, either.
James held up the soup and flowers. “I was worried about you when you called in sick to work several days in a row. I brought you something to help you feel better.”
Alexis’ eyes softened for a moment, but then she shook her head in a vigorous “no” motion. “You shouldn’t have come,” she said, although she sounded more scared than angry.
“Why not? I wanted to make sure you were okay. I care about you,” James said, resisting the urge to say “I love you.” It was way too soon for that.
Before Alexis could reply, the town doctor appeared in the hallway, toting his large, black medical bag. James felt relief flooding over him when he realized that the male voice he’d heard had belonged to the doctor.
“Well, Alexis, I’ve done everything I can. Just try to keep her comfortable. I’ll come back by in the morning to check on her. Try to get some rest, for her sake and yours,” the doctor said. He nodded a brief acknowledgment at James, and then headed out to his car.
James watched him leaving, and suddenly understanding dawned on him. “You’re not the one who’s sick, are you?” he asked Alexis. “It’s your grandma. She’s not doing well, is she?”
Alexis sighed and put her face in her hands. “You should go,” she said, her voice muffled by her palms. She sounded almost frightened.
“Let me stay and help you,” James said. “You look exhausted, and I’m sure you could use some rest.”
“I’m fine,” Alexis said, pleading. “Please just go.”
Before James could say anything else, he heard a frail voice calling from somewhere down the hallway.
“Alexis? Who’s there? Is it that guy you’ve been pining over? Bring him in here so I can meet him.”
“You have to leave, now,” Alexis said. Then she gave James a small shove backwards to push him away from the door, sending the soup cans flying from his hands and bouncing down the stairs. James looked up with a hurt, confused expression, and saw Alexis’ eyes widening in horror as the frail voice grew stronger and more insistent.
“Now, Alexis. I want to meet him.”
Chapter Six
Alexis felt her heart sinking as her grandmother called again for her to bring James into the townhome. This situation was not going to end well. If she denied James entry, her grandmother was going to be angry and suspicious. And she could already see the hurt in James’ face at her hesitation to invite him in. He thought she was ashamed of him. But she wasn’t ashamed of him. In fact, she wanted nothing more than to parade through the streets of Glacier Point, shouting that she had found the best man in the world and that his name was James Tanner.
Except that he wasn’t a man. He was shifter, a step above men. And her ever-perceptive grandmother would know the minute James walked into the room that James hid a bear within him. Her grandmother would lecture her about the dangers of getting mixed up with the supernatural, and probably forbid her to date him. Then what was she supposed to do? Defy her dying grandmother? Alexis would never be able to live with herself if she did that. Her grandmother had no one else left. She didn’t want to make her last days miserable.
What had she been thinking, getting tangled up with James? Sure, he was a lot of fun, and he was one of the kindest and most gorgeous men she had ever met. But she had known from the beginning that he was a shifter. She had known from the beginning that things between them would hit this wall sooner or later. She would have to choose between following her heart or following centuries of the wisdom of her people. As much as Alexis wanted to follow her heart, the roots of her upbringing ran deep. She couldn’t just walk away from everything she had been taught as a child. And she definitely couldn’t date a shifter in front of her grandmother.
Alexis heard her grandmother calling out again, and saw James questioning, hurt eyes looking over at her as he picked up the soup cans. She started to panic. Quick, she told herself. Think of an excuse that sounds somewhat valid for why he can’t come in.
“She’s really not doing well,” Alexis said. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for her to have visitors right now.”
“All the more reason for me to come in,” James said. “I can help you, Alexis. Let me be there for you.”
Alexis stammered out a few words, trying to explain why that wouldn’t be a good idea, and then saw to her shock her grandmother’s small frame rounding the corner of the hallway. Her grandmother had been almost too weak to her lift her hand when the doctor was here earlier, but now she had somehow managed to drag herself out of bed and to the hallway.
A woman who wants to see her granddaughter find love has no limitations, Alexis thought with a mixture of admiration and resignation.
Just as Alexis had predicted, her grandmother knew the moment she saw James that he was a shifter.
“I see,” Grams said, as she looked James up and down. Then she started hobbling back toward the bedroom, calling over her shoulder, “Bring him in.”
James gave Alexia another questioning look, and Alexis sighed and nodded, then opened the front door wider.
“Come on in,” she said. “I’m just
warning you that my grandmother is not going to be a fan of my dating a shifter. She doesn’t hate shifters, but she clings very strongly to the belief that shifting is a supernatural power. She thinks a full human dating a shifter is a bad idea. Something about the natural and supernatural not mixing well.”
James set the soup and flowers down on a small table in the entryway, then reached over and squeezed Alexis’ hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll do my best to put your grandmother at ease. If she’s adamant that we not be in a relationship, then maybe she’ll at least let us be friends. I think if she gets to know me a little better, she’ll see that there’s nothing about my special abilities that prevents me from being a good boyfriend.”
Alexis felt a surge of warmth go through her at James’ touch. She smiled weakly at his words. “Thanks,” she said, barely above a whisper. “I just don’t want to upset her right now, you know? She’s already so frail.”
James squeezed her hand again. “Don’t worry,” he repeated. “Everything is going to be fine.”
Alexis led James to her grandmother’s bedroom, where the old woman was back in bed, but sitting up against the headboard with an expectant look in her eye. Alexis couldn’t believe that her grandmother had found the energy to get out of bed and now was sitting up. Where had this sudden burst of strength come from? James sat on a chair next to the bed and Alexis sat on the foot of the bed, and they both waited patiently for the old woman to speak.
“He’s a handsome one,” Grams said, looking James up and down.
“Grams!” Alexis said, her cheeks turning pink with embarrassment.
The old woman shrugged. “I just call it like I see it,” she said, and then extended her hand to James. “I’m Alexis’ grandmother. You can call me Grams.”
“I’m James,” he said, and gently shook her hand. Alexis sat on her hands and waited with bated breath, wondering what her grandmother was going to say to him about shifting. She knew there was no way Grams would just act like she didn’t know. She was far too direct for that.
Bearing the Frostbite (Ice Bear Shifters Book 6) Page 4