Home > Cabin Fever(9)

Cabin Fever(9)
Author: Pandora Pine

I was only disappointed at his turning around for a minute. What he didn’t realize was that he gave me a front-row seat to that juicy ass.

“Oh, I realize it all right,” Kodi’s voice was barely above a whisper.

If I weren’t careful, this guy was going to eat me alive. What a way to go. I got gingerly to my feet. My left ankle ached, but I didn’t think it was broken. “Think I sprained my ankle.” I shrugged into the robe and knotted it around my waist. It dipped down toward my ankles. I had a feeling it was knee length for Kodi.

“I was thinking the same thing about your ankle. Do you need help getting to the table?”

To be honest, I think I could make it, but why risk further injuring myself. “Yeah.”

Kodi stalked toward me, looking like the hungry bear I thought he was. Without batting an eye, he scooped me into his arms. I was instantly warmed by his body heat. Jesus, he was close enough to kiss. Just one little taste was all I needed.

“One taste won’t be enough. I guarantee it.” Kodi set me gently into the chair closest to the fireplace, while he sat across from me. At least we were on the same wavelength. He took a huge bite from his sandwich. “What memory came back to you a little earlier?”

I snorted. It all seemed so ridiculous now. “I had this hazy memory of a bear. A real one with fur and claws. It set me down and let me pat its face. Crazy, huh? Must have been the bump to the head I took.” I shrugged and popped a chip into my mouth,

“Yeah, totally crazy,” Kodi agreed easily. Although, there was something in his eyes that didn’t look easy at all. Unless I missed my guess, he was alarmed.

Why the hell would Kodi be alarmed? Did this guy have a pet bear he was hiding in another room? I took a bite of my sandwich to keep from laughing out loud. God I sounded crazy, even to myself.

I might be crazy, but at least I was safe for the night.

 

 

6

Kodi

Two hours after Tanner mentioned seeing a bear, my heart was still pounding like I’d run the Boston Marathon. Jesus Christ. It had been years since a human had seen me in bear form. Thankfully, I was in Alaska when it happened, and a loud roar was all it took to send the man running for his life.

I’d managed to blow Tanner off, but what if the memory persisted? I supposed I would just have to lie to him and tell him it was a result of knocking his head during the fall. After dinner I’d done a concussion protocol exam and he’d passed with flying colors, which of course would make him think seeing a bear was all the more real.

Once Tanner dropped off to sleep, I headed outside. The sharp, icy air helped clear my head. My attraction to the young man was nearly overwhelming. Not making it any easier was the way he spent the evening looking at me.

I’d had a few casual hookups with tourists in the years I’d been with Fish and Game. I never wanted to muddy the waters where I lived and worked. I still wasn’t out to my co-workers. New Hampshire was a conservative state, especially this far north of the Massachusetts border. I wasn’t exactly sure how my coworkers would take the news. To be honest, I didn’t want to find out over a one-night stand holding a grudge.

Would I be willing to risk it with my forever? Maybe? Yes, I would. For the right man, I would. Hell, I was thirty-five years old. When was he going to show up?

Maybe he’s sleeping on your couch, my mind suggested.

“Yeah, right,” I said aloud. My breath crystallized in the frigid night air.

Even though I’d shifted earlier, I still felt restless. Maybe it was the buzzing sexual attraction zinging through my body. I hadn’t felt like this about another man in a long time. I wanted to get to know Tanner better, but how could that possibly be in the cards with him injured and on vacation?

It wasn’t like Massachusetts was at the ends of the earth. It was about a two-hour drive from here to Tanner’s house. I assumed it was one of the reasons for this being the spot for the frat brothers’ reunion.

I’d made fun of Tanner at first, but it was pretty amazing that he was close with his best friends from college. When I’d left Alaska, I hadn’t left any friends behind. I’d always been a loner. I’d managed to change things for the better here in Bretton Woods. Bill and I had a great friendship, and I was close with the other guys stationed at our field office.

All I was missing was that special someone.

Thinking about perfect little Tanner asleep on my couch got me moving. I stripped out of my clothes and shifted. Everything made sense as a bear. I was pure instinct in bear form. Taking off down the driveway, I let the frigid air energize me. As soon as I hit the tree line, I was free. The crunch of my paws on the newly fallen snow was riveting.

I made my way to the Ammonoosuc River, taking time to drink my fill of the frigid water. Come morning there would be tiny pools of water coated with ice. This was my favorite spot in all of New Hampshire. Not too many people knew this place existed, which made it all the more special to me.

What the hell was I going to do about Tanner? I’d never felt this kind of connection before. All I wanted to do was rush back to the cabin and watch him sleep. Or wake him up and… And what?

Christ, the man had fallen down a mountain, and all I could think about was mounting him. My bear agreed. I could feel his hunger for Tanner. Maybe that was the reason for me feeling so out of sorts.

I took one last drink from the cold river and turned to walk home. The night was still. I could hear the crunch of my paws on the newly fallen snow. To my left, an owl softly hooted.

How would I ever tell Tanner about my bear? Most people were only familiar with shapeshifters thanks to Hollywood. Movies like Twilight and shows like True Blood introduced the idea of my kind in a way that made us seem like a normal part of society. Being a fan of hunky actors playing wolf shifters for a living was one thing. Telling someone I was a real bear shifter would be another thing entirely.

My claim was easy enough to prove after all. One minute I’d be a naked human man and the next, a fifteen-hundred-pound bear. I could only imagine Tanner laughing at my claim to be a bear only to be scared to death a minute later when I shifted. I didn’t know what would be worse, being laughed at, or seeing fear in Tanner’s green eyes.

My worries could all be for naught. All I knew about Tanner at the moment was that he was some kind of rocket scientist and seemed to be interested in me. He could have a boyfriend back home and be looking for a little strange, or maybe a one-night stand like his friend Cabot.

What the hell kind of a name was Cabot? It was a sharp Vermont cheddar cheese or the town in Murder, She Wrote, not something you named your kid. I shook my massive head. What I thought about Tanner’s friend’s first name didn’t matter either.

The warm glow of the cabin came into view. Everything looked as it had before I’d gone out. I couldn’t wait to shift and warm up by the fire. I’d check on Tanner and then head up to bed. I was exhausted. Shifting took a lot out of me, and this was the third time I’d done it over the last thirty hours or so. My muscles were going to ache something fierce.

I’d deal with that later. Right now, I needed to get inside and make sure Tanner was okay. I loped toward the back door, anxious to shift, when a dark shadow caught my eye. I assumed it was due to the height of the fire in the hearth. I’d added more wood before I’d gone out. The last thing I wanted was to come back and find Tanner freezing in the cold, dark cabin.

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