by Vivian Arend
The two years of admiring him had been a lead-up to now. These past days getting to spend time with him—with Cooper and his bear— had been the missing piece.
Cooper the man was everything she desired. He was smart and sexy and caring. Cooper the bear was equally awesome—his animal side had a wicked sense of humour and a stubborn determination to do what was right.
She’d been upset at first, she could admit it now, that his bear had stopped the mating from happening. But the inner beast was right. Amber had a part inside her that was distracted from forever, needing to know what had happened to Mason and her parents.
Discovering answers was important. But even more, getting to find out the truth with Cooper at her side—
She rolled with him, her clothing miraculously vanishing before they touched skin to skin. Cooper nibbled the sweet spot under her ear that sent goose bumps flaring in spite of the heat.
Sweet caresses. Touches that scorched her from within and brought need flaring to the surface.
And when Cooper slipped his hips between her legs and lined them up intimately, Amber held his face in her palms and stared into his eyes. Seeing not just the man, and not just the bear, but the whole person. This unique shifter who was hers.
Cooper slid home.
He paused, then took her to the pinnacle in long, languid strokes. Each movement concentrated and intense, repeated over and over until he’d pushed them both into blinding pleasure.
The fact that the roof of their snow cave fell in just after they came was somehow the perfect finish. At least once they’d both finished shouting in surprise.
They both found their clothing and dressed rapidly, crawling out of the cave and into the bright but windy day.
Amber made a face as she glanced around. “What a mess. I assume these bumps are the gear I lost when I crashed.”
Cooper was already digging equipment free. “It’ll take a while to gather it, but we should be okay. As long as the sled starts.”
Famous last words.
An hour later they were surrounded by everything they could find, tarps flapping in the strong wind. Amber poked the hunk of metal that was their now-uncooperative sled with her toe. “There goes that plan.”
“I guess we have to go to Plan B.” There was teasing in his voice.
Stranded in the middle of the wilderness, an icy wind blowing, and Amber couldn’t remember being happier. She grinned at him. “How far away from town are we?”
Cooper checked the GPS he’d managed to dig out of the snow. “Couple of hours, if the weather holds. The wind is actually helping us because it will keep our gear from being covered up again.”
Amber nodded briskly. “Then we need to get to town.”
He hesitated. “It’s a long way to walk. How about if I go first—”
She didn’t bother glaring, she just looked. “You are not leaving me behind.” Besides, if she remembered correctly, his couple of hours to their destination might not be an impossible distance for her.
Cooper didn’t argue. “You’re right. Sticking together is better. I’ll grab us backpacks.”
“Wait. I have an idea.” She headed to the skid they’d pulled behind the sled and started rummaging through its contents.
“The skidoo is a goner,” Cooper said, “Unless you’re also a secret mechanic and can MacGyver it back into working order.”
“I’m pretty sure I spotted something when we did the transfer…” A sense of satisfaction raced through her as she pulled out a set of skis and the fabric bundle that had been tucked to one side. She held them in the air triumphantly. “Ta-da!”
Cooper sat back on his heels and nodded slowly. “Cross-country skis are better than walking.”
She shook the fabric at him. “This is for kite-boarding. Put together one backpack, and I’ll wear it. Your bear can run with me.”
Delight shone on his face. There was approval in his every move as he came over and wrapped her up in a huge hug. “Every time I find out something new about you, it makes me even happier.”
The words I love you hovered on her lips, but she held back. Just kissed him quickly then hurried to get her gear in place.
It had been a couple of years since she’d donned the equipment, but she’d trust that muscle memory would kick back in. Cooper carefully took off his clothing and tied the bundle onto her pack before helping her into the harness for the kite. “Take a break when you need to,” he told her. “Plus you have to keep an eye on the GPS, because my bear’s not too good with technology.”
She strapped the device on her wrist and checked to make sure she could read it before giving him the go-ahead. “Stay out of my way if I really get trucking,” she warned. “It’ll take me a while to get warmed up, but I’m sure it’s kind of like falling off a bicycle.”
Cooper was still chuckling as he shifted, his big bear-self stretching lazily before giving a huge shake. He lifted his gaze.
Amber was weighed down with the backpack, tied into the ropes of her harness. That was the only reason why she didn’t slip over to his side to give Cooper the bear a hug.
She truly felt no fear.
Of course, there were no guarantees if he snuck up on her and stuck his big cold nose against her neck. No one should be expected to keep their cool under those circumstances.
She smiled at him, though. “Definitely cute.”
He rolled his eyes.
Amber laughed, got her skis lined up properly, and then removed the extra supplies she’d used to pin the parachute fabric of the kite to the ground.
A gust caught the edge of the fabric, lifting it briefly. Amber tugged carefully, and the air currents swooshed in and filled the large rectangle. It angled upward, higher and higher, until the full force of the strong wind took control.
She leaned back in a counterbalance and let herself be pulled forward over the broad field of tundra before her.
For the first five minutes, Amber concentrated on remembering how to work the controls. How to brace her knees as she leaned against the kite’s pressure for maximum effect with minimal effort.
When she finally hit that sweet spot—the place where it was as close to flying as she could imagine—she felt comfortable enough to look around.
Cooper was to her right, bounding across the snow with his powerful muscles eating up the distance. For a large animal he moved gracefully, a predator in his home environment.
She could’ve watched him all day.
Her skis rattled on the ice-crusted snow. The wind pushing her was obviously a familiar part of the terrain, and she set the metal edges of her skis at an angle to aim at the GPS coordinates.
They travelled for nearly an hour before the landscape changed. A series of low hills rose and fell in front of her, and for a moment Cooper vanished from sight.
Amber glanced back to discover he’d slid into position behind her and was now in chase mode. Hot on her heels, Cooper’s mouth hung open in an enthusiastic grin. She laughed, turning to check where she was going. The kite tugging on her arms made her shake with effort, but every bit of her felt so alive.
A strange low thumping started in her ears. She glanced to the right as they approached the top of another hill.
Out of nowhere, a helicopter rose into sight. It spun toward them, angling in a high-speed course correction.
Amber tugged the cables controlling her kite to stay out of the helicopter’s flight path. It seemed strange that there would be tourists this far north, but perhaps—
The side doors slid open. To her horror, someone braced in the doorway, a long, wicked rifle pointed toward Cooper.
16
Everything changed so rapidly, Cooper barely had time to react.
One moment he was having the time of his life, running to the full extent of his bear’s strength after Amber. The next moment there was a helicopter, and a flash of light shone down on him that struck him as Not A Good Thing.
Amber’s in danger.
He didn’t expect her to hit the emergency release on her parachute, coming to an abrupt stop on her skis as the kite fabric fluttered away in the distance like an escaped balloon at a fair.
Amber hit the ground, smacking at her feet as if they were on fire. He’d continued to close the distance between them, attention wavering between the helicopter and her. He wanted to snarl at the intruders. He wanted to rip them apart and keep her safe, but before he could do anything like get in front of her and raise his claws, she popped up and raced across the snow toward him.
She flung her arms around his furry neck, and when she finished swinging, she’d landed as if he were her own personal pony. She grasped his shoulders and spread out, covering as much of his back as her petite body could manage.
“Don’t do it,” Amber shouted. “Don’t you do anything to my bear.”
What?
What did she say? Cooper’s bear asked in shock.
Busy.
The helicopter landed far enough away to be safe, but close enough that Cooper wanted to curl around Amber to protect her, but she forced his head down and covered his eyes with her hand to protect him from the ice crystals driven by the propeller’s wind.
As the noise slowly faded, Amber adjusted position and Cooper peeked out from under one paw to discover a couple in drab green uniforms approaching cautiously.
Tranquilizer guns at the ready.
Oh shit.
Cooper didn’t move. He’d dealt with this before, and it wasn’t much fun.
“Don’t shoot. Don’t you dare shoot,” Amber shouted, waving her arms even as she stayed pressed up against him. “This is my bear, so don’t you dare shoot him.”
The tips of the guns dipped slightly lower, away from Amber but still possibly targeting Cooper’s backside.
“Ma’am?” One of the rangers. The male looked wild-eyed and a lot more unsteady than his female counterpart.
“You point those guns away right now,” Amber ordered. “This is my bear, and I do not want you hurting him.”
The rangers exchanged glances before the woman turned back to Amber. “Are you sure?”
“Of course, I’m sure. This is my sweet Santa bear. You startled us. We were just out for some exercise.”
Something wonderful slid along Cooper’s spine, and he rumbled involuntarily with happiness. Amber had dug her fingernails into the itchy space behind his ears, and if she kept it up much longer, he was going to roll on his back and give her his belly, it felt so damn good.
The rangers both made faces, but the woman nodded before turning to her partner. “Go back to the chopper and get it ready. I’ll be right there.”
“Yes, Caitlin.” He marched off, gun still held so he could lift it at a moment’s notice if required, glancing over his shoulder again and again to make sure he wasn’t going to get pounced on from behind.
Caitlin folded her arms over her uniformed chest and glared at Cooper as Amber got to her feet. “Sweet Santa bear? Good grief. I’m amazed my partner fell for it.”
Amber hesitated for a moment before shrugging. “He isn’t going to hurt me, and that’s what it comes down to.”
“I’ll take your word for that.” The ranger eyed Amber. “A polar bear shifter and a human, way out here? You’re headed to Bathurst Inlet Settlement, aren’t you?”
They were found out.
“How do you know that?” Amber asked.
“It’s the only town in the area, and despite your claim you’re just out for casual walk, I know you’re not local. Besides, I think I know why you’ve come.” Caitlin inclined her head toward the helicopter. “I have to get back. My partner’s a human, so I don’t mention shifter business around him. The settlement is just over the rise.”
She eyed Cooper again.
He stayed very still, the instincts of the predator warning him this was not a moment to act rashly.
Amber stepped forward half a pace, clearly comfortable acting as his protector as she put herself between him and Caitlin. “Thank you for being reasonable.”
Caitlin grinned. “Lady, you get points for sheer chutzpah. Safe travels. I’ll see you later today.”
She turned and walked away, the helicopter propellers beginning their rotation once again.
Amber hid her face against Cooper’s neck, staying still until the wind had died down and they were once again alone in the wilderness.
She lifted her head and tugged at his neck. “Well, that was interesting. Let me grab your clothes. It might be safer for both of us to finish the journey on two feet.”
Cooper had no objections. He shifted then quickly pulled on his clothes.
“Thank you for the quick thinking,” Cooper told her when they were once again headed out, following the GPS beacon. “I was not looking forward to getting tranquilized again.”
Amber snorted. “Is this something you do often?”
“Dear God, no.” The path was smooth and hard enough to walk on, so Cooper took Amber’s gloved hand in his as they paced forward, slow but steady. “Way back when, my brothers and I were playing hide-and-go-seek. Alex and I were a little old for it, but James still loved to play, so we were humouring him. Only, Alex got distracted and took off to investigate some scent trail, and James couldn’t find him. Then I got too smart for my own britches and decided to backtrack to keep an eye on James. Make sure he was safe, and all that.”
“Of course, you did. He was your little brother,” Amber said with a laugh. “I take it you were in bear form?”
“Naturally. I was far enough back I didn’t realize he was beginning to panic, and he called nine-one-one because he thought he was lost and so were we.”
Amber put her free hand over her mouth, laughter dancing in her eyes.
Cooper sighed dramatically. “The next thing I knew, there was this sharp zap on my butt, then it was like five shots of whiskey flashed through my brain. I woke up in the zoo.”
“Oh my God. Really?”
“With my parents staring at me through the glass, shaking their heads.”
She was still laughing as they crested the low hill. Below them a pretty little village spread nestled against an arm of the Arctic Ocean. Her fingers squeezed tight around his.
Amber took a deep breath, staring up into his eyes. “I have a good feeling about this.”
The scent in the air told Cooper there were still adventures to be had. More concerning, though, that electric tingle was back. The one that made it feel as if his skin was getting loose and didn’t fit him correctly anymore.
How are you feeling, buddy? he asked his inner bear.
The animal didn’t answer for a moment, and when he did, it was slowly, as if deep concentration was involved. Thinking. Also, this village is full of— Well, this could get uncomfortable. Just a heads-up.
Cooper had caught the potential trouble. He offered the beast the equivalent of a bro hug then turned his attention back on Amber.
Her gaze met his straight on. “No matter what happens, I’m with you.”
In spite of her positive words, worry filled her eyes, but she stood upright and marched with him down the path leading into town.
Ahead of them, a tall young man stepped out from between two buildings, and a small gasp escaped her.
Cooper tensed, ready to defend her, but Amber was rushing forward with outstretched arms.
“Mason.”
The dark-skinned man smiled as he reached for her, twisting slightly to tuck Amber against the side of his body, and held her there with one arm. “It is you. Oh, Amber, thank goodness.”
Cooper stepped forward, cautious in case his bear riled up at the sight of another man holding her.
Use your brain, the beast drawled. That’s obviously her brother, and considering he’s
the whole reason we made this trek, I think I can be reasonable.
Shocking, Cooper teased.
And then he had no more time to taunt his bear because there was too much else going on.
The sound of a child’s squall rang out, and Cooper’s gaze dropped to the oddly shaped backpack attached to Mason’s chest. The reason why he’d hugged Amber to his side.
“Oh. Mason?” Amber stepped back and stared at her brother in shock.
That’s when a dark-haired woman with deeply-tanned skin and snapping brown eyes stepped out from the nearest building, and every warning buzzer Cooper had ever received from his shifter side went off.
Damn.
Cooper carefully lowered his gaze, leaning forward so his head was a good foot lower than usual.
The newcomer stepped forward, cocked back a fist and let it fly.
17
Amber moved in a rush toward Cooper, shock racing through her between the unexpected discovery of her brother and someone out of the blue clocking her bear smack in the face. “Stop that. What do you think you’re doing?”
It was Cooper who held up a hand toward Amber, stepping away from the woman who’d assaulted him. “It’s okay. This is standing protocol when our species meet on their turf.”
Amber stumbled to a stop, but she nevertheless put herself partially in front of him just in case.
“What does that mean?” She glanced at Mason, who was rocking and bouncing, the sounds of the child going from upset to peaceful once again. “And Mason. It’s so good to see you, but a baby?”
The first nations woman who’d hit Cooper was now at Mason’s side, undoing the ties so she could pull the baby from its carrier.
“Our baby,” she said, tucking the child against her chest.
Mason’s dark eyes shone with love as he wrapped an arm around the woman’s shoulders, embracing the baby as well. He lifted his gaze to Amber’s. “It’s been a while, and there’s a lot to tell, but yes. This is Marianne, and our son is Bram.”