by Vivian Arend
The sunshine pouring in the windows of the cabin was calling, and the few moments of stepping into the crisp cool December day while he was grabbing the boxes had been enough to briefly break through the mating fever.
Cooper liked being outside. Even with his desk job, he usually spent a couple of hours daily wandering in his fur, and while Amber had been a fine distraction, they both could use some fresh air.
Stretch your legs? he offered his inner bear.
Cautious interest bounced back. This wouldn’t be me breaking my promise?
Definitely not. We’re shifting to be with Amber, not to avoid her.
His bear shrugged. You’re the one with the rules.
Cooper glanced at Amber. She had her back to him, standing in front of the mirror beside the door as she adjusted the toque on her head. She was already dressed in her boots and coat, with warm mittens sticking out of her pocket.
Perfect timing. He tossed aside his robe and shifted, stretching lazily to work out the kinks.
Amber rotated. Then she flailed backward and screamed loud enough the windows rattled.
10
Cooper sat back on his heels in utter shock.
It took a second, but Amber found her balance, back pressed to the door, hand over her chest as if she were trying to stop her heart from escaping. “Dammit, Cooper. Next time, warn a girl.”
He tilted his head to the side and debated shifting back. She was still trembling. Her heart pounded loud enough he could hear it across the distance separating them, and the sharp scent of fear sliced through the air like an emergency beacon.
Inside, his bear let out a massive sigh.
Amber took a deep breath then lifted her gaze skyward. “Freaking shifters.” She opened the door and gestured him out. “Come on, Cooper. Let’s get that fresh air.”
He moved slowly so as not to startle her again, and once they were outside, things seemed to improve immensely. Cooper stomped through the snow to create a path, and Amber followed behind. Close enough the mating fever didn’t make him twitch from lack of contact but far enough that she wasn’t tripping over his heels.
But he didn’t follow through on his original idea, which was to make a game for them to play outside. Instead they took a simple walk together. It still felt good, but something small and tight irritated him inside—and then the mating fever flared, and he was no longer thinking about anything except the woman he wanted.
Cooper shifted on the spot.
Amber gasped in surprise, then gasped again as he reached down to catch hold of her pants in his big fists. “Cooper?”
“Is that a yes?”
She nodded immediately, thank God, because his next move was to rip her clothing apart just enough to be able to pick her up and take her on the spot, her arms and legs wrapped around him.
The winter air snapped against his naked skin, but the heat of her sex countered it perfectly, and before too long she was screaming his name, oblivious to where they were.
The next four days passed quickly, yet Cooper never felt as if they were rushed. They took long showers, followed by leisurely times where he’d dry her off with great attention to detail until her skin was glowing. Amber was a drug that called him back again and again.
It was eight days after the fever begun when Cooper knew they had reached the end. They’d curled up together on the porch swing for a final cuddle before checking out of the cabin, a heavy blanket wrapped around Amber as she leaned against his side. Her head rested on his chest as they looked over the snowy clearing they’d walked in every day.
“Cooper?”
He nuzzled his chin against the top of her hair as an answer.
She adjusted position until she could look up at him. “What’s happening with the mating fever? I mean, you’re coming off the actual fever part, but has anything changed?”
He’d been dreading her asking, because something was definitely wrong. Or more specifically, nothing seemed to be right. “I have loved every minute I’ve spent with you, and this isn’t the end, but I don’t feel any different than when I started.”
She responded decisively. “We knew there were no guarantees. Maybe I’m not meant to be your mate.”
A sudden flash of anger hit. “Screw that. I don’t give a damn what the mating fever says, you’re the one I want to be with. Period.”
“Cooper. You can’t organize a mating like that.”
He straightened, dragging her fully into his lap so he could cup her chin and stare her straight in the eye. “Watch me.”
Amber shook her head. “I know how important it is to have a mate. Lara and Kaylee have told me exactly what it means, and there’s no way I want you to miss out on that.”
“I’m not going to miss out on anything because you are my mate. We obviously missed a few details along the way.” He bumped his nose into hers. “Let me go talk with my bear. Maybe he has some ideas.”
When Cooper nudged his inner animal, he got back an instant response.
She’s got no room for me.
The statement made no sense, but it was said with such clarity Cooper figured it wasn’t some off-the-cuff comment.
You got any more details to share? I want her as my mate. She says she wants the same thing, so neither of us are holding up the mating bond from kicking into place. Which means it’s you…
She likes you, his bear agreed. He spoke slowly as if reluctant to explain, but it was a necessary evil. Likes me in safe settings, but bear is wild. She needs to love me that way too.
Dawning comprehension arrived. There had been too many times over the years for him to not notice exactly how Amber reacted when she was around his shifted form. You can’t make someone not be afraid of you, Cooper pointed out. You are a big dangerous beast.
His bear sniffed delicately. I know that, and that’s the side issue. The big issue is she has no room for me. Not yet.
You don’t make any sense, you know. After spending all that energy teasing me to get together with her, and all the possessive growling this week every time another man was mentioned, it makes no sense that you’re not claiming her this instant.
I’m a bear. I don’t have to be logical.
Cooper wanted to shake the beast, but Amber was looking at him with tears in her eyes, and he didn’t want to prolong her agony. All he knew for sure was that he wanted to wipe away her sadness and find a solution.
But being honest was necessary. “My bear is the holdout.”
Surprise danced across her face. “Oh. He doesn’t like me?”
Cooper hesitated. Honesty sucked. “He’s got a couple concerns. One is that you seem to be just a wee bit afraid of him.”
Amber cursed softly. “I don’t think he’s going to hurt me, but most rational people are scared of creatures that outweigh them by over a thousand pounds. I don’t think the fact that I may be a teeny bit cautious around a massive creature with fangs and claws is unreasonable.”
“I totally agree,” Cooper said. “We’ll work it out.”
She paused. “What’s the other concern?”
“It’s complicated. I need more details.”
Amber wrapped her hands around his shoulders and leaned in close. “Then get details. I’m not going anywhere.”
He kissed her first because he had to. He needed to, and for a few minutes their worries vanished as they connected perfectly. As he took her lips and gave her 100 percent acknowledgement that she was perfect for him.
That she was who he chose.
Her lips were swollen and she was smiling faintly when he pulled back. “We’ll find a way. This is just a glitch in the system. A bug. A temporary hiccup,” he assured her.
“Of epic proportions,” she said, but she blinked, her gaze clearing to meet his straight on. “I trust you.”
The thrill that went through him was bigger than their problem. “That means everything to me.”
Amber wiped at her eyes before a steely determination firmed her exp
ression. “Okay, bucko. We need to make a list. You talk to that stubborn bear of yours and find out the details, and then we’ll make this happen.”
11
Amber stared around Cooper’s living room at the supplies gathered in heaps. “I don’t know how I’m going to repay you for getting all of this together so quickly,” she said to Lara.
Her friend waved it off. “You know we’d do anything to help, so stop with the grateful bullshit, and let’s figure out the rest of the details.”
In the far corner of the room, Cooper and his brothers were poring over a set of maps, a lively discussion between them.
Kaylee slipped her arm around Amber and squeezed. “What Lara said. The sooner Cooper’s bear is satisfied, the sooner you officially become family. And while I like being best friends, I’m going to be very happy to have you as a sister-in-law.”
“Ditto.” Lara lifted her gaze to the person who stood in the doorway, knocking on the frame. “Dixon. Did you find more information?”
The lanky wolf shifter sauntered into the room. He gave his Alpha a polite acknowledgement before offering Amber a wink. “My contact says it was definitely Mason he saw. I’ve got the coordinates.”
Thank goodness. Amber pointed him toward the corner where the guys were. “Show them. They’re figuring out the travel logistics.”
She took a deep breath and worked to calm herself.
After a week of sexual bliss, it had been rough to have her dreams dashed so suddenly. But they weren’t without hope—when Cooper’s bear had finally spilled the beans in a way that they could all understand, it had turned out his cryptic she’s got no room for me complaint centered around the fact Amber was still looking for her missing brother.
A stab slid through her heart. As wonderful as the possibilities before her were, sadness lingered. For years she’d alternated between sorrow and fear at having lost track of her brother. At not knowing what had happened to her foster parents.
Yet every time she doubted she’d ever discover what had happened to them, hope had crept in. Maybe she was silly to feel so certain that they were all okay, especially after so long, but the sensation remained. That sense deep down that she knew they were out there, somewhere, and that everything was fine.
She needed to sell shares in Optimists “R” Us.
“I need to find Mason. That part has always been true, but now so much more is tangled up in achieving that goal,” Amber said to Kaylee before confessing, “I’m scared. Just a little.”
Kaylee offered an encouraging hug. “I get it. Really, I do. Because this is something that’s important to you, and Cooper, and to your future. It’s important because of your past. But you will make it happen. None of us is going to stop until you get your happily ever after.”
Curses burst out from the corner where the guys were, and Amber and her friends turned to face them, concern rising.
“What?” Amber demanded.
Cooper’s expression was grim. “According to this, we’re looking at a shifter settlement north of Ghost Lake.”
“That’s good.” Amber paused because no one else seemed excited by the news. “That’s bad?”
“I can’t fly you there,” James told her bluntly. “The hills and the wind off the lake mix in a way that’s not great for aircraft. No one goes in or out of there by flying.”
“It would take a miracle to get a plane in,” Alex agreed. “The only way to get there is to run.”
“Or be pulled by runners,” James suggested.
Confusion. Amber turned to Kaylee. “What are they talking about?”
Her friend looked concerned as well. “There are a lot of shifter villages that aren’t accessible by air. Which is a bit of a problem for you unless you’re okay with not arriving until next spring.”
Lara tugged on Kaylee’s sleeve to get her attention. “What about if she used a dogsled?”
Kaylee nodded thoughtfully. “That could work. If Amber knew how to drive one. Oh, and if she could find a spare sled and some dogs.”
A sudden rush of having this under control struck. “Dogsled would be fine, and I know exactly where to find some sleds. Borealis Gems is storing extras for one of the teams we sponsored for the Iditarod.”
“And sled dogs?”
In the corner of the room, Dixon perked up, his hand shooting into the air. “Oh, oh. Pick me, pick me!”
Alex looked confused for a second before obviously communicating silently with Lara to figure out what Dixon was talking about.
Then Cooper’s brother rolled his eyes and muttered, “Damn wolf hearing,” before folding his arms across his chest and turning toward the overeager wolf. “Dixon Mallory, we’ve talked about this. The Orion pack has got to stop acting like animals. Pulling dogsleds is beneath the dignity of a shifter.”
“Screw dignity, it would be a hell of a good time,” Dixon said with a grin.
“Lara,” Alex said, looking to her for backup.
His mate shrugged. “No help here, sweetie. I agree. I’m totally willing to dogsled it for Amber, not only because I think she’s awesome, but it would be a hell of a good time.”
Even as Alex fought to keep a stern expression, Dixon rolled with the idea and slapped a hand on Cooper’s shoulder. “I can get a team of volunteers together for you, stat, no problem, man.”
He backed off instantly, hands raised in a protective fashion as Cooper bared his teeth.
Quickly, though, the snarl turned into a smile, and Cooper offered Dixon his hand. “We would appreciate it very much. Find enough for two sleds, and Amber and I will make it worth your while.”
“Like I said, the adventure’s the reason to do it.” Dixon pulled out his phone, tapping rapidly at the screen. “Let me talk to my guys.”
Amber joined Cooper on the other side of the room.
The entire conversation had taken place in a whirlwind but left one point of confusion. “What do you mean two sleds? Are you coming with me?”
Cooper went absolutely still. “Of course I’m going with you. You didn’t really think I was going to leave you to track down your brother by yourself?”
“I didn’t think your bear wanted to be with me,” she admitted.
Instantly his eyes changed as the wild side of him came to the forefront. The bear nature was there no matter what form he took, but now even more blatantly—that was not human intelligence staring back. “You’re still mine. You’re not going anywhere without me.”
Amber fought to keep from grinning. Cooper’s complaints about how illogical his bear could be shone clearly at that moment.
And then she figured, screw it. She was amused, and thankful, and both sides of him needed to know that. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tight. Hugging the bear as much as the man. “I’m glad I’m yours, and we will figure this out so that we can all be happy together.”
Was it irrational to talk to one part of Cooper while holding on to another? Getting involved with the shifter world meant suspending a lot of expectations.
It took until the next day to track down the sleds, move all of the supplies, and meet with the group of wolf shifters Dixon had assembled.
Alex still looked a little disgruntled but waved it off when Amber asked why he was pouting. “I need to get over myself. Last night the damn wolf pack set up a lottery to decide who won the privilege of being your escorts.”
Amber wrapped him up in a big tight hug. “I promise not to call them good doggies or anything like that.”
She only stayed in his arms for an instant before Cooper silently caught her by the wrist and pulled her free, possessively wrapping her in his embrace and glaring at his brother.
It was Lara who answered with a snicker. “Oh, you go right ahead and call them anything you want. You could get away with murder right now. Someone suggested we should erect an altar to you in the pack house. Amber—goddess of fun winter activities.”
The other surprise as they headed outside to the loa
ded sleds—Kaylee and James were there as well. They stood in the snow in robes, obviously waiting to shift and join the group.
“What’re you doing?” Amber asked. “I thought you were taking care of my job while I go gallivanting.”
A familiar voice sounded from behind them. “I used to act as the CEO’s secretary, back in the day. I’m perfectly capable of keeping the difficult man in charge under control while you track down your family.”
Amber turned to discover Cooper’s grandparents standing together, Giles’s arm wrapped around Laureen. “Mrs. Borealis?”
“Isn’t that a little formal, my dear? When Kaylee told me what was going on, Giles and I offered to step in for the duration.” She slipped forward, lifting Amber’s hood around her face and tucking her hair in. A very caring and grandmotherly gesture that nearly took Amber’s feet out from under her. “You need your friends with you as you start this journey. Don’t worry about us. We’ll take care of things.”
Grandfather Giles stepped forward as well, his eyes twinkling like always. “No use arguing when she gets an idea in her head. Heaven knows I don’t try.” He leaned forward and gave Amber a kiss on the cheek, then glared at Cooper, who had marched forward instinctively. “Don’t you growl at your grandfather.”
Cooper grinned, all teeth and rumbling noises. “Thank you for your help.”
Amber turned to Kaylee. Her friend smiled and stepped forward to embrace her. “What Grandma said. You need your friends with you.” She lowered her voice. “And an adventure running across the tundra? Dixon was right. It’s going to be a hell of a good time.”
They both laughed, the sound welling up around the group.
As if summoned by speaking his name, Dixon appeared beside them with a happy sigh. “This is so awesome. Although, you know, the one thing we’re missing is theme music. Something to get the blood pumping before a good hard run.”
Others of the pack gathered closer, drawn like flies to honey by Dixon’s enthusiasm.