The scent of steak and vegetables wafted from various containers. King was in the middle of taking them out of a large insulated bag, but he paused when she opened the door and looked up. She thought she read approval…and maybe even desire…in his sparkling brown eyes as he looked at her, but he didn’t act on it. His smile was warm though, and it gave her hope.

  “The hawks brought us dinner,” he explained needlessly as she moved closer. She dumped her bag by the couch as she passed it. King’s saddlebags were there, as well.

  “That was nice of them,” she replied, just to have something to say. “Steak?”

  “Yeah, and mashed potatoes. Green beans. Some kind of carrot or maybe sweet potato thing. It’s sort of orange,” he said skeptically, peering into one of the containers as he placed it on the table. “And there’s dessert, too.”

  “Anything to drink?” she asked, feeling suddenly parched, watching him move around in just his T-shirt and cargo pants. Was it getting hot?

  “Yeah, there are soft drinks and beer in the mini fridge in the corner. Wine, too, if that’s your thing. I’m going to leave them a wad of cash for all this when we go tomorrow, so don’t be shy about using anything you see. Clive said they keep this place stocked specifically for guests.”

  “They seemed very organized,” was her comment as she went to the little cube-shaped refrigerator and retrieved a cola for herself. She’d noticed a nearly-full, open bottle of beer already on the table that King must’ve gotten for himself earlier.

  “I’ve known a few hawk shifters over the years,” King commented. “Some of them are really good at logistics. Maybe it’s a trait of the species.”

  “Could be,” she agreed easily, reaching for the container with the green beans in it.

  King had already set the table with plates and silverware he must have found in the cupboards along the far wall by the sink. There was a kitchenette sort of thing—not a full kitchen—but a cube-shaped fridge, sink, cabinets and small countertop area. There wasn’t a stove, but she noticed a hook over the fireplace and a metal grill off to one side that looked like it would fit inside the firebox.

  It was a combination of rustic and contemporary. The bathroom, for example, was completely modern, with all the usual conveniences. The kitchen facility was basic, but the design of the cabin itself made it flexible. You could cook over the fire, in a pinch.

  There was another room set off from the main room. It had to be a bedroom, but Marilee hadn’t looked inside that door, yet. She had opted for the bathroom first, and let sleeping dogs lie as far as the bedroom accommodations were concerned. She had no idea what King might think if she jumped his bones, and there were complicating factors she had to consider.

  For one thing, King was Ace’s brother. With Sabrina being her best friend, Marilee was bound to run into Ace’s brothers from time to time, now and into the future. If she messed around with King, would that make things awkward later?

  And what if she had sex with him—as her inner hussy of a wolf was urging her desperately to do—and then discovered she felt more for him than he did for her? She could easily fixate on him and then be broken-hearted when she realized he didn’t feel the same. She was already halfway convinced he might be her true mate, but that was probably just pure fantasy on her part.

  She had serious doubts about whether or not her inner wolf was right, in this case. Her instincts were clamoring for her to claim him and make a declaration—preferably physically—but her human side knew the odds of this feeling being real were a billion to one. With the way her life had gone to this point, it seemed impossible that, all of a sudden, things would start going her way.

  It was highly unlikely that she would be more than just a passing fancy for King, if she did give in to the unruly need coursing through her and take him into her bed. Of course, even if it turned out to be a one-night stand, she would always have the memory. Her inner wolf liked that idea a little too much. It thought only about the here and now. The future wasn’t something the beast side of her brain took into account. It just wanted what it wanted. Right now.

  She tried hard to focus on the sumptuous meal the hawk Clan had provided in an effort to distract her inner animal’s attention away from sex, and onto food. That could work. At least for the moment.

  That thought firmly in mind, she dug into the meal. King ate silently, seated across from her.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Weighty thoughts raced through King’s mind as they ate. He should probably make some attempt at small talk, but he’d never been good at it, and this thing with Marilee was too important to screw up with hasty words. What he wanted to do was tell her how much he cared for her. Tell her how much seeing her in danger had hurt him. Tell her how he wanted to protect her from everything he possibly could…for the rest of their lives.

  But, of course, he couldn’t say any of that, just yet. It was way too soon. Even among regular shifters, there was usually some kind of courtship before anybody started making declarations. Of course, with her being so different from any shifter he’d ever known, plus this crazy situation, he wasn’t sure how it would all work for them.

  That’s why, when his phone rang about halfway through the meal, he was glad of the distraction. He reached over to where he’d left his phone plugged into a wall outlet for a recharge and picked it up with an apologetic look in Marilee’s direction.

  “Ace,” he answered when he saw his brother’s name on the screen and punched through to pick up the call.

  “How are the hawks treating you?”

  “Like my namesake,” King told his older brother. “They sent us a really good steak dinner.”

  “That’s good. Sorry to interrupt, but I’ve got a route update for you. I’ll send it through to your phone after we get off this call. And Big John wanted me to tell you that his mate wants to get a look at what’s on that trailer before you attempt to cross the town’s protective ward. So, they’re going to meet us in a secure location to the south, on the reservation.”

  “You’ve got connections on the res?” King asked, knowing they wouldn’t just breach Native American territory without permission. The ties between the Native tribes and shifter society were subtle, but definitely there.

  “Not me, but the town shaman—a fellow named Gus—set this up,” Ace told him.

  “Understood,” King replied. He was impressed that Grizzly Cove had its own shaman.

  There weren’t all that many shifters who also had magical gifts. Bears, of course, were more magical than most, and it was a bit more likely to find bear shifters in the role of shaman than other species. Though it wasn’t unheard of for the occasional wolf or cat to follow the shaman’s path. It was a spiritual calling that involved the use of magic.

  Most shifters had some natural protections against magic being used on them, but few shifters had magic they could use to affect the world around them, other than the basic magic that allowed them to shapeshift in the first place. So, when a shifter found they could actually use magic, they often felt a call to use it in service of the Mother of All. That’s how shaman came about.

  When a non-shifter felt a similar call, they often became holy men and women. Priests and priestesses, though the gift skewed almost completely female, so it worked out that there were mostly priestesses who served in shifter communities or among other magical folk. They did the work of the Goddess and used their gifts in service to Her Light.

  “You said they’d meet us. Are you planning on joining me earlier?” King asked his brother, going back to something he’d said earlier.

  “Yeah. After this business today, I figured I’d head out sometime tonight and try to meet you halfway or something. Provide a little escort for the rest of your journey.” Ace paused. “It doesn’t sit right that you’re out there on your own, in danger.”

  King understood. “Now you know how I felt when I heard what you and Sabrina faced while I was goofing off with the wolf Pack in Iowa. I should’ve been there for you, bro, and I’m sorry I wasn’t.”

  “No. Don’t feel like that. I’ve come to believe that this is all working out the way it was supposed to happen. Fate or something, you know? Sabrina and I needed to bond, and we both know, from our time in the military, that sharing danger forms bonds fast, that are really hard to break.” Ace’s voice dropped. “You’ll understand when you find your mate.”

  King looked over at Marilee. She’d risen from the table and was busy at the small sink, cleaning her plate off and tidying up. King was beginning to understand, but he couldn’t tell his brother that at the moment. Instead, he kept silent and just watched her move. She was enchanting him, just swaying by the sink, doing dishes.

  Damn. He had it bad.

  Marilee cleaned her plate and utensils, leaving King to his phone call. It sounded like plans had changed, but probably for the better. She could just about hear what Ace was saying on the other end of the phone, even though the volume on the earpiece was set for shifter senses. Still, as a wolf, she had really good hearing.

  She wasn’t too keen on the magical whatever they’d been towing behind her SUV all day, so stopping to look at it before entering the domain of the bear shifters sounded like a good idea to her. She didn’t want to be held responsible—rightfully or not—for bringing something truly dangerous into Grizzly Cove. Better to sort out what, exactly, they had, before exposing everyone in town to possible danger.

  She heard King say goodbye to his brother and go back to his dinner. He spoke to her in between bites while she remained a few yards away, in the kitchen area of the cabin.

  “We’re going to meet up with Ace tomorrow. He’s riding out to meet us a bit earlier than originally planned,” King told her.

  She hadn’t heard that part of the conversation because she must have moved to the sink by then, but it didn’t surprise her. She’d understood the brothers were unusually close. Sabrina had told her all about the trio of bear shifters who usually went through life together but had separated to go on walkabout, as she’d called it. Marilee had only ever heard that term used in relation to Australian aboriginal people, but she understood the concept. The brothers had split up, traveling in different directions for some time, away from each other and everything they had known before.

  It had really worked out well for Ace, at least. He’d crossed paths with Sabrina—his true mate. It was almost as if the Mother of All had sent him on his quest into Canada to find her. Marilee wasn’t one hundred percent positive she believed that the Goddess would take such direct action in the lives of Her followers, but it was possible, she supposed.

  She didn’t dare hope that the Mother of All would ever take such a close interest in her own life. After all, she was just a runt. A white weirdo, as the other wolves had tagged her back when they were kids. She’d never really gotten over that nickname, and over the years, she’d sort of grown into it, despite her best efforts.

  Whatever. Those jerks were gone, now. She’d left them behind back in Canada, and she hoped to never see any of them, again. The only person worth knowing from her old life was the one she was trying to get to—Sabrina. Marilee’s new life started, now. Or, maybe, this was some interim place between old and new, and the new part would truly start once she got to Grizzly Cove and reunited with her best friend. She wasn’t sure.

  Either way, the old part was over. She shouldn’t even entertain thoughts of the things they used to call her, or the way they used to treat her. That was over and done with. Thank the Goddess.

  “Ace will escort us to a meeting place just outside the permanent ward of Grizzly Cove,” King went on a minute later, after he’d chewed and swallowed another bite of his cooling steak. “Apparently, they have some pull with the local Indian tribe. There’s a reservation to the south of the cove, and we’ll meet there.”

  “I heard that part,” she told him as she finished fussing with the dishes and turned to face him.

  “You heard that?” King seemed impressed.

  Marilee shrugged. “I’ve always had pretty good hearing, even for a wolf.”

  “It would have to be to hear my phone. I’ve got it set so low, even my brothers—or, should I say, especially my brothers—can’t hear the other side of the conversation.” He chuckled. “I mean, we’re close and all, but a guy has to have some privacy, right?” He finished his last sip of beer and stood from the table, carrying his empty plate toward her and the small sink she was standing in front of. “If it isn’t Ace being overprotective, it’s Jack being nosy. Both drive me nuts, from time to time.”

  She smiled. “I guess it’s not easy being the middle child. Although, I always wished I’d had siblings. Being part of a close family must be nice.”

  King dropped his plate in the sink and then scooped her unexpectedly into his arms. He stood there, holding her and rocking gently from side to side. She thought she even felt him kiss the top of her head, and her heart raced, but also melted a little.

  “I’m sorry, honey,” he said softly, still holding her tight. As far as she was concerned, he could hold her forever. “I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful. I know you’ve had a rough time of it. I would change that, if I could.”

  “My childhood wasn’t your fault,” she told him, enjoying the closeness, the feel of his warmth against her.

  She had received so little comfort in her life. So few hugs like this. Given freely. Given because someone cared enough to express concern and compassion. She was quickly coming to understand why Sabrina had claimed over and over that bear hugs were the best.

  He drew back after a moment more, but didn’t go far. He stood, looking down at her, holding her gaze with his. It was almost hypnotic, looking into his deep brown eyes, but she was powerless to look away and break the contact. It was as if she was starved for this kind of embrace, this kind of intimacy.

  “The thought of you hurting, hurts me,” he told her, his voice low and rumbly, the way she liked it. But his words gave her pause.

  “Why?” she whispered.

  He shook his head slowly from side to side. “I’m not really sure, but it does. You…matter, Marilee. I want you to be happy. The thought of you being sad makes my bear want to claw something.”

  “That doesn’t sound good,” she quipped, trying to make light of something that sounded way too serious for such short acquaintance.

  “But it is good. My bear…cares for you. I care for you, Marilee. I know this is sudden, and we’ve only known each other a few hours, but there’s something… I can’t really explain it. Maybe it’s because I know what happened with my brother and Sabrina. And I know, from talking to Sabrina, about you, and how you were treated up to now. Somehow, I want to change all that. I want you to be happy and well treated from now on, and I’ll bleed anyone who messes that up.”

  “That’s…” She didn’t have words. She was very confused by what he was saying, but her inner wolf basked in his possessive stance.

  “Too serious, right?” He smiled, just one corner of his mouth lifting with self-aimed humor. “I know. Sorry.” He moved his hold on her so that his hands were on her waist, like a lover’s. The embrace went from comforting to combustible, just that easily. “Okay. I get it. I can tamp it down a bit,” he told her.

  No need to hold back on my account. She wanted to laugh with him and admit her own crazy feelings, but he’d already taken a step back emotionally. She couldn’t come forward now. She’d sound like an idiot.

  “How about we take this one step at a time?” he asked, firming his grip on her waist and tugging her incrementally closer. She liked the feel of his hard thighs—and other things—against her.

  Mutely, she nodded. She was all for moving forward with him at any pace. Somewhere along the line, she had decided to damn the consequences. She wanted to know him in the most intimate sense. She wanted to feel him inside her and hold that memory forevermore.

  She decided not to think about tomorrow. That would take care of itself. Tonight was really all she had, and she was going to make the most of it.

  “You liked my kiss, didn’t you?” His voice dropped to a low, sexy timbre that sent shivers down her spine.

  “I did,” she managed to whisper.

  “Would you like me to kiss you again?”

  She found herself nodding in agreement as his head dipped lower, his lips trailing across hers in a tantalizing game. Then, he pounced. His lips claimed hers, conquering, coaxing, cajoling until she responded in kind. She went a little wild, her hands wrapping around his neck, her legs parting, pressing against his.

  When he insinuated one of his thighs between both of hers, she gasped into their kiss. This was getting hot and primal. A flash fire that went from zero to inferno in sixty seconds. Or less. It was as if she was starved for him and couldn’t get enough of the feel of him. Her wolf whined in need and delight—a mix that confused her as much as it spurred her onward.

  He lifted his thigh, rubbing against her, and she groaned. She didn’t have time, or energy, to feel self-conscious. He kept pushing her higher. Making her dare more. Want more. Want him.

  All with just a kiss and some strategic touches. The man was a master, but she refused to think about how he’d gained his skills. Jealousy had no place in the middle of this. In the middle of them. There was no room for pettiness or regrets. There was only space for King and Marilee. Two strangers brought together by circumstance and danger. Two souls traveling together for a time. She couldn’t count on more, but she was resolved to ignore tomorrow and just focus on tonight. The here. The now. The man.

  When he began tugging at the fastenings of her clothing, she didn’t resist. In fact, she helped him. And then, she began pushing at his clothes, wanting them gone. There was too much fabric. Too much distance between her skin and his.

  His shirt disappeared, and then hers. He bent, trailing kisses down her jaw and over her collar bone. His hands cupped her breasts and held them up, one at a time, to his mouth, where he sucked and licked, driving her passion right through the roof.