Winter Tails: A Limited Edition Winter Shifters Collection

by Fox, Piper

  After a moment of hesitation, I ask Jared for my purse.

  He returns to the bedroom carrying my black handbag. I pull my phone from my purse, finger hovering over Lisa’s number. She can’t help me from two states away. But if anything happens to me, at least she’ll know.

  The thump of my heartbeat becomes louder as the front door opens. Lance walks in. He definitely didn’t shoot the bear. Neither did the bear attack him. I’m confused about who these people are and why they are friendly with bears.

  Forcing that thought away, I concentrate on calling Lisa. I push her number, and nothing happens.

  “We don’t get the best reception up here so your phone may not work,” Jared belatedly explains.

  I huff out of frustration. I’m stuck in a cabin, with no reception, two strangers, and a wrecked car.

  “Are you hungry?” Jared asks with a smile showing all thirty-two of his teeth. He has the best smile and the best scent. A clean scent of freshness. His uniform pants are ironed crisp with a crease. A white shirt, clean and sharp. Manicured nails. He’s married or a genuine ladies’ man. I didn’t notice a ring on his finger. But that means nothing. He could have a girlfriend or wife.

  I’m not interested in men anyway, they are all full of shit. At least the ones I have come across.

  “I could eat.”

  “Come in the kitchen. There’s soup on the stove.”

  I agree to eat some soup even though I’m frozen with fear. Maybe he is crazy and put something in the food. I didn’t see him cook it, after all. My heart says, Follow him. He won’t hurt you.

  I walk out of the bedroom into the main room, which has a high ceiling and bears everywhere. Bear heads hanging on the walls. Could they see me? They are staring right at me. Walking around the wooden table in the kitchen, I take a seat. The aroma of chicken soup floats through the air. After inhaling the pungency of onions and celery, my belly grumbles.

  “I’m going to the station,” Lance says. He looks over at me. “Don’t worry, you are in excellent hands. He’s the sheriff.”

  Jared comes from the kitchen with two bowls in his hands.

  “Lance, do you want some soup before you leave?”

  “No I’m okay. I'll eat later.”

  Lance leaves and me and Jared are all alone. I don’t know how I will get home, but at least I have shelter for tonight until the storm passes.

  Jared talks; I don’t know what he is talking about, but his voice is soothing. Something I’ve never heard before. Carl only yelled and put me down. Every foster home I’d been to communicated by yelling. But this man was confident, assertive, with a mild tone.

  His green eyes captivate me and won’t let go. I’m mesmerized by this man. What did he put in the Tylenol he gave me? I must have a concussion. That bump to my head from the car accident has me tripping.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Kaitlyn.”

  Jared

  Lance’s departure was welcoming and intimidating. Being left alone with Kaitlyn makes me shiver. She is exceptional and somehow, I know she should be my forever mate. The only problem is she’s all human. The elders don’t like outsiders, especially humans.

  I sit next to Kaitlyn as we eat the soup, no one saying anything. I’m not shy, but Kaitlyn looks uncomfortable. She fidgets and taps her foot.

  “Thanks for getting my camera out of the car. It cost me a ton.” She grabs a spoonful of soup and puts it to her mouth. Steam rolls from the soup and she puckers up and blows. All I see is her lips. I’m trying not to stare but I can’t help it. I see my future, married to her with children. She doesn’t know yet but she will be mine.

  “No problem. It looks expensive. I didn’t want anyone to take it.” I lean back in my chair so I can get a better view of her. The light glints off her glowing skin. She never really makes eye contact, but I keep talking.

  I move my bowl to the middle of the table. I’m not interested in eating anymore. Can’t get her fine ass off my mind.

  “Where were you born?”

  “How do you know I wasn’t born here?” she says with a sarcastic tone and a wrinkled forehead.

  “You have a slight accent. A twang to your voice.”

  She blushes and relaxes the muscles in her face. “I was born in New Orleans, but I went to high school here. I consider this home.”

  She pushes her hair behind her ear. Her nails are a bright red. I didn’t notice it before but she wears a small diamond on her ring finger.

  “How about you, were you born here?” She darts her gaze and I see those big blue eyes of hers. Her eyes sparkle and match the blue shirt she wears that clings to her small frame.

  “Born and raised,” I state.

  She snickers with a hand covering her mouth. She is coming around, starting to warm up to me. Since I got her to come out of her shell and laugh, I’m home free.

  “Do you live here?”

  “No, this is the lodge for my biker club. I live about two miles from the mountains.

  How about you?”

  “I live in the city about two hours from here,” she replies.

  “Do you want to play a board game, watch TV?”

  She glares over at the window. Even if it stopped snowing, she can’t drive her car anywhere. The airbag deployed, and the front driver’s side wheel is hanging on by a thread.

  “The snow will not stop until tomorrow. You might as well get comfortable.”

  “Sure, I’ll play a board game. What do you have?”

  I walk over to the cabinet. “How about Monopoly? Everyone knows how to play Monopoly.” She blushes and her eyes light up. I’m the best player, but I will lose to her if it makes her happy. She gathers her bowl and mine and goes to the kitchen. She is even putting the dishes away.

  We play Monopoly for what seems like hours. Getting to know each other. The smell of her hair the flick of her wrist. I love it all.

  At this moment nothing matters but her. It says a lot about me; usually I have woman falling for me. I have never been with a full-blooded human before. The only women I’ve dated are part of the clan.

  She has a sadness about her. Her shyness tells me she has been hurt before. No human would appreciate her how I do.

  I try hard to look at the game when she glances my way. I don't want her to know I was staring at her. I'm sure she senses it.

  “Do you have a wife, kids?” She shoots a stare my way.

  I’m taken aback. I wasn’t expecting that to come out of her mouth. I see shadowing on her bandage.

  “How is your head?” I hurry and change the subject. Bella is the last thing I want to discuss.

  “Fine,” she says and touches the bandage on her head. “Why do you ask?”

  I shrug my shoulders and shake my head. “No reason.” I take a gulp of my bottled water.

  I roll the dice again and land on her property—Park Place and she has a hotel.

  She puts her hand out. “Pay me.” She scans my pile of money. She busts out in a laugh. “You don’t have enough.”

  “What?” I laugh. “I have at least thirty dollars here.”

  Her cheeks flush and she can't contain her laughter. “I won, I won.”

  “You won.”

  I’ve got her. I'm having the time of my life. She’s so easy to talk to once you break through her hard exterior. I don't think of Bella. Don’t feel like I am betraying her. But I need to tell Kaitlyn about Bella, because I don't want her to think I was betraying Bella.

  “I didn't answer your question you asked me earlier. I'm twenty-six. I don't have kids or a wife.” I extend my hand for hers, and she grabs my hand and stands. I walk her over to the couch. She stares into my eyes as if I'm going to drop a bomb. Her eyes widen.

  “Well, what is it?”

  “I have a girlfriend, and I use that term loosely.” She drops my hand.

  “No. Let me explain.” I give her an intense stare so she’ll know I'm serious. “We’ve been dating on and off for ye
ars since high school. And everyone wants us to get married.” My teeth clench tight. “They will not pressure me into marrying anyone. I love her, but I'm not in love with her. There's a difference.”

  “I understand that. I'm not completely divorced yet.” She repositions herself on the couch.

  Suddenly I'm parched and race to the table to grab my water. It’s like a ton of bricks came crashing down on my chest. She’s married.

  “Married?”

  “My divorce will be final in two weeks.” She sighs and rolls her eyes. “I married the wrong person. I don't know if I ever loved him.” Her face changes. Pain scatters across her frown lines. “When we met, he was Prince Charming, then he turned into the devil.”

  The more she talks about her soon-to-be ex-husband the faster her breathing gets. Her cheeks wrinkle, her hands ball into fists. She escapes to a dark place. I don’t know what he did to her, but whatever it was, she was mad enough to kill.

  The lights flicker before they snap off.

  Her breathing is fast and loud.

  “It’s okay, don’t be afraid. I have a flashlight and batteries.” The light from the fireplace gives the room a dim glow. I grab the batteries from the cabinet and the flashlight.

  “What now?” she says.

  “I have batteries for my radio. Do you want to dance?”

  “I don’t know how to dance.” She shoots a stare my way.

  I flick on the flashlight, and then locate the candles. Lighting seven candles all around the primary room sends shivers through my body. I’m snowed in with a beautiful stranger. My intent is to enjoy every minute.

  I extend my hand. “Dance with me?”

  Kaitlyn

  He thinks he’s slick. A girlfriend. But I can’t resist the attraction I have for him. I understand the agony of a forced relationship. I did that for two years with Carl’s ass.

  The magnetism is crazy. I’ve never met anyone like him, and maybe I’m not worthy of him. This is like a fantasy. I had dreamed of the perfect man, and now he is standing in front of me. I’d have to be a fool to turn away.

  Extending my hand, I get to my feet. He pulls me closer. I don’t dance often, but I will try for him. The music playing is soft. The glare from the flashlight glints off his eyes. They’re gray. I swear his eyes were green earlier. The aroma of his cologne makes me escape into his reality.

  Our bodies press up against each other, dancing in sync like we’re meant to do this. Made for each other. The buzz of electricity throughout my body is astounding. Dancing with him is like nothing I’ve ever known. I've been attracted to other men before. But never like this. I could stay here in this fantasy and dance with him body to body nice and slow for eternity.

  He is hypnotic. There is that pull of whatever he has that draws me into him. I need to turn and run, but I’m stuck. The attraction to him is a magnet. This attraction makes my heart race and my mouth water. I don’t need a man. I just got out of hell. Don’t want to go back.

  The music changes and he flips me around. My back is now pressed up against his chest. He dips his head low to my ear and whispers, “Stop fighting the attraction, I know you sense it too.” His voice is deep and smooth. My cheeks are now warm. This is more than dancing at this point.

  “Beauty, I can sense you thinking about me.”

  Beauty. That’s a name I never heard when referring to me. I can get accustomed to someone calling me beautiful. I’m shocked because I never thought a man, a fine robust man would be interested in me.

  He smooths his hands down my shoulders and my heart flutters. He runs his hand down my arm and to my waist. Now we’re dancing even sexier than before. In a snowstorm with no power. This isn’t just attraction.

  This man has mental power. I can think only of him. Right here and right now, I’m stuck to him. Cleansing my mind of the past few days, few years, my entire life. A girl who was bounced around from foster home to foster home, having no one to love me. Being in an abusive relationship. All the love I had was temporary.

  Being here with Jared makes sense; it’s like he can see me. The real me, not just my body. My inner thoughts, what makes me sad, what makes me happy. Or maybe this is temporary too.

  I’m crazy, I just need some attention. I’m repressing the issues I had with Carl, instead of crying my eyes out about it. This fantasy I created is a fragile bubble that will explode.

  This dancing, the seemingly perfect man for me is a fantasy. I wish it were reality. The vision brought me back to reality and I pull away from his grasp. He catches my arm and pulls me back.

  I lean in closer and stand on my toes and try to talk, but the music is too loud for him to hear. He smiles at me and I’m captivated all over again. The perfect lips, and a nicely shaped mustache. I'm in love.

  He leans in and plants his kissable lips right on mine. I erupt all over, every neuron in my body firing. I feel a tingle in my vagina. I have to escape his captivation.

  I stop the kiss after a few seconds and pull away.

  He turns the radio off. “I’m sorry. I got caught up in the moment,” Jared says.

  I glare his way. “I just need to take things slow. We are moving too fast.”

  He stands within inches of me. He grabs my chin and lifts my head. “We can take it as slow as you want.”

  * * *

  The next morning, I wake in the small twin bed. The tightness of my abdomen with my full bladder aching makes me hunt down the bathroom. There was a tiny bathroom outside of the kitchen, I remember. I race in and plop down on the toilet.

  The bathroom towels and rugs are blue with a very masculine quality. I didn’t expect that the bathroom would be spotless considering they were a bunch of men in the lodge, but the tiled floor was a little dusty, so getting a housekeeper in a couple times a month wouldn’t hurt.

  Trotting back to the bedroom, I see Jared asleep on the worn green sofa. His dark blond hair with a faux appearance. He has no shirt on. Several tattoos grace his broad shoulders. His physique is chiseled with abs. He has biceps and triceps galore. His black slacks hang low on his waist and elongates his athletic legs.

  He has powerful, masculine features. And a body like a god. The type of guy you could pick out in a crowd—hell, I could pick him out in the million-man march.

  “Jared. Jared.”

  He moves his head but doesn’t open his eyes. A snowblower makes loud noises from outside. I glance out the window and see the city snow truck cleaning the streets. My car is nearly buried under the snow and riddled with dents and scratches. Still smashed into Jared’s squad car.

  I go back to the couch and tap Jared on the shoulder. This time he moves his head around and blinks repeatedly, squinting at me. He rubs his eyes and then sits up on the couch. He smiles at the sight of my face and lets out a yawn.

  “What time is it?” Jared says.

  “I'm not sure. My phone is dead.” I shrug, hoping his phone isn’t dead too because we still need to call for a tow truck.

  He trots over to the bathroom. I have a seat on the couch and my gaze follow him as he walks. Damn, he has a nice ass too. I have no one to take me home. The thought of Ginger alone makes my stomach shift. I have to get home to her.

  He opens the bathroom door and a sliver of light bursts through the crack. The power is back on.

  “You can charge your phone. I have a charger plugged up in the kitchen.”

  I gather my phone from my purse. “You have an iPhone, right?”

  He snickers. “Yeah, everyone does. I’ll call a tow truck and get you home.” His phone pings he grabs it from the kitchen table. It pings again.

  Walking into the kitchen, I gather the charger on the counter and plug my phone up. Meanwhile, I overhear Jared mumbling to himself.

  “This girl texted me thirty-six times last night. She’s insane.”

  He must be talking about that girlfriend of his. I hope I didn’t ruin anything for him last night, but it seems as if there is nothing serious betwe
en the two of them. Maybe she doesn’t know that.

  I plop down on the couch and flick the television on. It is nice to have electricity again. I didn’t notice the power was out last night with all the sparks pulsating through my body.

  The sizzle from the kitchen and the smell of applewood-cured bacon make my stomach do flips. Jared comes out of the kitchen carrying a plate. He hands me a bacon sandwich.

  “The tow truck is on his way.

  Why were you traveling in the snow, anyway?” Jared asks.

  I squirm back on the couch, grimacing. It’s suddenly hard to swallow. I feel embarrassed to say I nearly lost my life trying to get some damn pictures.

  Kaitlyn

  A large black and yellow tow truck comes to a halt right in front of my Ford. A jitteriness dances with me. Excitement to get home to Ginger. Hating leaving Jared. I have only known him twenty-four hours, but it feels like I’ve known him my entire life.

  I grab my purse and cell phone. Jared and I put on our coats. We can’t help gazing into each other’s eyes. I hope this isn’t goodbye forever.

  Jared opens the door, and I walk out first. He is such a gentleman. The cold slaps my face and makes my teeth chatter. I reach in my purse for my gloves. Jared grabs the scarf from around his neck and places it around mine. He’s gentle and meticulous, handling me with care like a fragile piece of glass he doesn’t want to break. He is genuine. This man loves me.

  The smell of snow and pine float through the air. It's a winter wonderland. The tow truck driver stands in front of my Ford scratching his head. He’s a larger man with a red-and-black checkered coat.

  Jared walks over to talk with the driver. I stand by the door admiring the scenery. Even when I had a husband, he never helped me with my car. I was in a marriage but still single. Jared shows me something different. When a man cares for you, he should take care of you.