believing that this wasn’t all some weird dream. She pinched herself, and felt the sharp stab of pain from the pinch, just like she had the dozen other times she had pinched herself in the last ten minutes. She was really here, sitting in the cabin of a man who could change from human to bear and back at will. This was really happening.
Kenzie stood up and walked to the coffeepot, deciding to take advantage of the fact that Ryker had made a full pot. She needed to clear her head, but she wasn’t quite sure how to do that. She had a feeling her head wasn’t going to feel completely clear again for quite some time. She poured herself a mug of coffee and then went to stand at the cabin window, holding the steaming beverage between her hands. She watched Ryker pacing, his expression looking pained. But even tired and worried, he looked like the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. She felt drawn to his body. Even now, when she knew that he had some deep secrets, she felt drawn to him. They had a connection. She had heard people talk about this kind of thing before, where you saw someone and your body instantly responded to the sight. She had always thought that was just something that happened in fairy tales, but, here she was, her body growing hot and filling with desire at the sight of him.
Kenzie turned abruptly away from the window and sat down at the table again. This was crazy. She was crazy. She barely knew him, but she was in love with Ryker. She was in love with a bear.
Kenzie jumped as the front door opened suddenly and Ryker reentered the cabin.
“Bacon and eggs okay?” he asked. She nodded, and he set to work making a huge batch of both. He started a fresh pot of coffee, too. He worked in silence, and Kenzie did not interrupt him. She had so many questions, but she didn’t know where to even start. And Ryker didn’t look like he was exactly in the mood to talk, at the moment.
After about fifteen minutes, he piled a generous portion of food onto a plate and set it in front of her.
“You okay on coffee?” he asked, and she waved him off. She had plenty, still. She ate silently for a few minutes, and then looked up as she heard the sound of approaching snowmobiles.
“My friends,” he said. “They’re going to help me explain everything.”
Kenzie set down her fork and looked out the front window. Four men, all just as large and muscular as Ryker, were dismounting from their snowmobiles and walking toward the cabin. Kenzie recognized one of the men, Neal, as the owner of a tattoo shop in town. She had thought about getting a tattoo when she first moved to Alaska, as some sort of commemoration of her grand new adventure. But she had backed off from the idea, mostly because she couldn’t think of anything that she felt passionate enough about to put on her body permanently. The other three men Kenzie didn’t remember seeing before.
As the four men entered the cabin somberly without bothering to knock, Ryker started piling bacon and eggs onto plates for them. There were only two chairs at the table, and Kenzie was occupying one of them. Neal sat across from her, and the other men leaned against the counter, holding their plates up with one hand and shoving forkfuls of food into their mouth with the other. Neal took a long sip of coffee and then broke the silence. He seemed to be the one in charge of this gang.
“Kenzie, first of all, Ryker told me about how you saved his life last night. We owe you a huge debt of gratitude for your courage and help. Thank you, from the bottoms of our hearts. I know you probably have a lot of questions, and we’re going to do our best to answer them for you.”
Neal paused, but Kenzie said nothing, so he continued. “My name is Neal Ray. I think we may have met before at the tattoo shop I own?”
Kenzie nodded. Neal’s eyes were the same shade of violet as Ryker’s. In fact, all of the men had deep violet eyes.
“Over there is Eric Caldwell, he’s an
Kenzie stood up and walked to the coffeepot, deciding to take advantage of the fact that Ryker had made a full pot. She needed to clear her head, but she wasn’t quite sure how to do that. She had a feeling her head wasn’t going to feel completely clear again for quite some time. She poured herself a mug of coffee and then went to stand at the cabin window, holding the steaming beverage between her hands. She watched Ryker pacing, his expression looking pained. But even tired and worried, he looked like the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. She felt drawn to his body. Even now, when she knew that he had some deep secrets, she felt drawn to him. They had a connection. She had heard people talk about this kind of thing before, where you saw someone and your body instantly responded to the sight. She had always thought that was just something that happened in fairy tales, but, here she was, her body growing hot and filling with desire at the sight of him.
Kenzie turned abruptly away from the window and sat down at the table again. This was crazy. She was crazy. She barely knew him, but she was in love with Ryker. She was in love with a bear.
Kenzie jumped as the front door opened suddenly and Ryker reentered the cabin.
“Bacon and eggs okay?” he asked. She nodded, and he set to work making a huge batch of both. He started a fresh pot of coffee, too. He worked in silence, and Kenzie did not interrupt him. She had so many questions, but she didn’t know where to even start. And Ryker didn’t look like he was exactly in the mood to talk, at the moment.
After about fifteen minutes, he piled a generous portion of food onto a plate and set it in front of her.
“You okay on coffee?” he asked, and she waved him off. She had plenty, still. She ate silently for a few minutes, and then looked up as she heard the sound of approaching snowmobiles.
“My friends,” he said. “They’re going to help me explain everything.”
Kenzie set down her fork and looked out the front window. Four men, all just as large and muscular as Ryker, were dismounting from their snowmobiles and walking toward the cabin. Kenzie recognized one of the men, Neal, as the owner of a tattoo shop in town. She had thought about getting a tattoo when she first moved to Alaska, as some sort of commemoration of her grand new adventure. But she had backed off from the idea, mostly because she couldn’t think of anything that she felt passionate enough about to put on her body permanently. The other three men Kenzie didn’t remember seeing before.
As the four men entered the cabin somberly without bothering to knock, Ryker started piling bacon and eggs onto plates for them. There were only two chairs at the table, and Kenzie was occupying one of them. Neal sat across from her, and the other men leaned against the counter, holding their plates up with one hand and shoving forkfuls of food into their mouth with the other. Neal took a long sip of coffee and then broke the silence. He seemed to be the one in charge of this gang.
“Kenzie, first of all, Ryker told me about how you saved his life last night. We owe you a huge debt of gratitude for your courage and help. Thank you, from the bottoms of our hearts. I know you probably have a lot of questions, and we’re going to do our best to answer them for you.”
Neal paused, but Kenzie said nothing, so he continued. “My name is Neal Ray. I think we may have met before at the tattoo shop I own?”
Kenzie nodded. Neal’s eyes were the same shade of violet as Ryker’s. In fact, all of the men had deep violet eyes.
“Over there is Eric Caldwell, he’s an
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