Grizzly Mountain (Arcadian Bears Book 1) Page 17

  “Then I intend to make good use of every second of that time.” He lifted off her. “Let’s get a shower and get out of here. We should stop by my parents’ home. They’re worried about you.”

  “I guess it’s the right thing to do since I kind of told your leaders I would commit to being a member of your family in order to learn your ways in a safe environment. And probably as a means of proving I’m not a risk to the future of your species.”

  He climbed over her supple body, kissing her lips on the way.

  As he reached for her hand to haul her out of bed, she spoke again. “Hey, you failed to mention that your head Alpha is a woman.”

  He laughed. Of course, of all the things she learned yesterday, that one would stand out the most. “We have strong females in our line.” As soon as he had her on her feet, he pulled her body close to his and wrapped an arm around her back. With his other hand, he tipped her chin up. “I don’t want you to think that just because I’m rather dominant in bed it extends to your entire life. I’m a modern guy. Don’t let me steamroll you. If you have something to say, say it. Never hold back.”

  She smiled broadly. “You just keep getting better.”

  He wiggled his eyebrows. “That’s my goal.”

  An hour later, they had showered and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast from room service. When it was time to go he sensed her unease, but took her hand and led her from the hotel into the light of day. “Don’t freak out on me. It’s perfectly normal.”

  “What are we going to do?” she whispered. “Walk around back, strip off our clothes, and switch to bear form?”

  “Sort of. Although it pains me to say this, as much as I would enjoy seeing your naked body again this morning, we don’t need to strip. Our clothes will travel with us in the transition. Anything you’re holding will go along.”

  “And yet you insist it’s not magic,” she muttered.

  He pulled her to his side and kissed her forehead. “Okay, I guess from your viewpoint, it seems sort of mystical, but after a while it will seem normal.”

  The hotel was situated on the edge of town in a relatively remote area. It was easy to wander down the street one direction and then switch course a few times until they entered part of the national forest. From there, they hiked a short distance into the trees before Isaiah stopped.

  Heather’s nerves were palpable. She wrung her fingers in front of her over and over. “I’m uncomfortable with this plan.”

  “I know. But you’ll be fine, and it will get better every time until it’s second nature.”

  “What if I can’t do it?”

  “You will. Everyone can. All you have to do is imagine yourself in your other form, concentrate on how it felt. Your body will take care of the rest.” He rubbed her arms and then trailed his fingers down to grasp her hands, pulling them apart. He drew them up to his face and kissed her knuckles. “I’m right here with you, baby.”

  She nodded, her face flushed with uncertainty. She glanced around. “What if someone sees us?”

  “They won’t. We would feel their presence. No one’s anywhere near us right now.”

  “The humans? You can sense them too?”

  “Yes. Or perhaps smell is a better way of describing it. Close your eyes and inhale slowly. You’ll see.”

  She did as he said, taking a deep breath before facing him again. “Okay. I get it.”

  “Close your eyes again. Visualize your body taking its other shape. It will just happen. We aren’t in a hurry. We’ll travel at whatever speed you want. Whatever you do, don’t panic and shift back without making sure of your surroundings.”

  Her eyes widened. “Holy shit. What if a hunter mistakes us and shoots us?”

  He rubbed her biceps again. “This is not hunting season for any type of bear. We shift sparingly during those months, babe. In addition, it’s illegal to shoot a grizzly bear in this area of the country. There are still a few locations to the west of here, but not within these mountains. No grizzly has been shot in this area in many years, shifter or otherwise.”

  Her eyes grew wider, and she cringed. “Shit. I forgot about other real bears. Do they not bother you?”

  “Nope. Full bears are often solitary creatures. The males live alone. The females live with their cubs. They spend their time scavenging for food. It is rare for two bears to fight, and usually over a dead carcass or a female. So unless you plan to sink your teeth into a wild animal carcass or flirt with a feisty male, you’re safe.”

  She narrowed her gaze. “Don’t tease.”

  He sobered, feeling bad. He needed to consider that not only did she not know a damn thing about shifters, she would also know very little about actual grizzly bears. She was a geologist, not a wildlife biologist. Rocks and glaciers were her thing. “Sorry.”

  She sighed. “Okay, let’s do this.”

  He stepped back, releasing her. “Relax your body. Go into your mind. Think of your other form.”

  It took her nearly half a minute to stop her brain from shooting random thoughts of insanity into her consciousness. Finally, she blew out a long breath and leaned forward.

  Watching her shift forms was an amazing, gorgeous experience he would never forget. He’d been with her for both shifts so far. He owned that piece of her. No one else could claim something similar.

  A few seconds later, a beautiful bear stood before him. Her fur was a dark shade of brown, and he had forgotten how small she was. People would definitely mistake her for a cub. Not that it mattered. He never intended for any humans to see her if he could help it. And furthermore, bear cubs were even more protected than full-grown adults.

  With a quick shake of his head, he joined her on four paws. He nodded toward the thick part of the trees and took off. “See? Easy. Just stay by my side. You’ll get the hang of it in no time.”

  “I don’t know what’s weirder—shifting form into a giant bear or communicating with another bear telepathically.”

  “I hate to break it to you, baby, but you’re far from giant. You’re a tiny little bear. Everyone in my family will stare at you when they first see you shifted. We only see bears as small as you when they’re cubs.”

  She growled, making him laugh in his head. “Let’s go,” he stated, picking up the pace.

  She was a natural, running at his side, jumping over things, and twisting her head in every direction to take in the scenery. “It’s gorgeous out here. So pristine. Untouched.”

  “Yes, it is,” he responded, not taking his gaze off her.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Heather felt every welcoming vibe coming from Isaiah’s family as she entered their home for the second time. Even though she’d been there before, so many things she’d believed to be truths two days ago had been torn to shreds since the last time she was in their home.

  She remembered the variety of strange cryptic comments they made when she first arrived, and most of them now made perfect sense. The odd reaction of Rosanne concerning the unnecessary treatment of Heather’s wounds. The way his brother and his father stood back, holding their tongues, when they realized Isaiah meant to take this unknowing human as his mate.

  This time she entered the house armed with far more information.

  Joselyn wrapped her in a tight hug. “Welcome to the family.”

  Rosanne did the same, holding her a moment longer and then smiling broadly into her eyes.

  They weren’t simply happy to help her though this difficult time. They were also excited to know she would be Isaiah’s mate someday. No one spoke those words, but it was obviously understood.

  Isaiah wrapped a protective arm around her middle from behind and set his chin on top of her head. “No need to bombard her. She’s gonna be overwhelmed.”

  “I’m fine, Isaiah.” She gripped his wrist around her waist with her fingers.

  “Let’s sit.” Rosanne nodded toward the living room, and they all headed that way. “Tell us about yourself,” she said as she took a seat ne
xt to her husband on the love seat.

  Joselyn sat in the armchair, and Wyatt perched on the side of it.

  Isaiah led Heather to the couch and crowded her against the end so she was touching him all along her thigh and her torso. She fought the urge to roll her eyes and laugh. She did give him a slight shove. “You’re the one that said I needed space.”

  He ignored her and set his arm around her shoulders.

  “I’m originally from Portland, Oregon. My parents still live there. And my sister, Clara. I graduated from Portland State University with a degree in geology. My emphasis is glaciology.”

  “Ah, that explains the move to Alberta. You must be studying the Athabasca Glacier.” Bernard leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, rubbing his hands together. The subject interested him.

  “Yes. Looking forward to it. I was hoping to hike all over this area and get a good lay of the land before I start my job in about twelve days. Of course, I twisted my ankle the first day out, and you know the rest.”

  Wyatt spoke next. “Well, the good news is, you can cover a lot of territory and explore everything you want before you start work. Most of it you can do in bear form. But even when you’re in your human skin, you’ll have the ability to reach out for help.”

  Isaiah’s chest rumbled with a low growl. “Not exactly.”

  She knew he was referring to the fact that they weren’t bound to each other yet, which limited her ability to communicate.

  He squeezed her shoulder. “That and the fact that no way in hell are you going to traipse around the mountains by yourself.”

  She lifted a brow. “I’ll have you know I’ve hiked all over the continent by myself. I’m very experienced. I always carry what I’ll need.”

  “You sprained your ankle, babe.” His voice rose.

  “I did. True. But I didn’t die, did I? I had enough food, water, and warm gear to survive the night until you found me.”

  He scrunched up his face. “Yeah, well, not going to happen again. If you want to hike, someone goes with you. Especially now. We can’t know who in our community might not feel as welcoming as my immediate family. I don’t trust anyone. And I won’t for a long time.”

  She understood that. She wasn’t inclined to trust anyone, either. Obviously a group of people from all over Canada converged on Isaiah’s property like a lynch mob.

  She wasn’t certain how she felt about his overbearing commandment. Was it annoying or hot as hell that he was so protective?

  Bernard cleared his throat and changed the subject. “The glacier has been a part of our livelihood for decades. Our business depends on the natural spring water that runs off it each spring. In recent years we’ve experienced growing drought as the ice recedes.”

  Heather nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m here to study. Not going to lie and tell you I can make it stop. It’s inevitable that you’ll lose the Athabasca Glacier within a century. But scientists are doing everything we can to figure out what’s causing the climate change and slow it down or save other glaciers.”

  “Eventually, our entire pack will have to relocate or change the motto of our brewery,” added Wyatt. “We pride ourselves on the fact that our beer uses natural spring water. So do the Tarbens.”

  “The Tarbens are the other family of bear shifters in the area, right?”

  “Yes. We’ve been in a land dispute with them since we settled here over a century ago,” Rosanne said. “It’s sad since there’s no reason for it, at least not one that anyone can remember. Friendships are often destroyed over the feud as well as relationships.”

  “Of course humans are no better,” Heather added.

  “Indeed.” Bernard shook his head.

  “I can’t wait to see your brewery,” Heather stated. “Who’s running it right now? None of you are there.”

  “We have about fifty employees that work various shifts. Most of them are family members.” Bernard looked animated as he spoke of what was obviously his pride and joy. “My brother Marlin and his entire family work there. He has a wife, three sons, and three daughters.”

  “Wow. Six kids.” Heather wondered what was typical for shifter families.

  Rosanne smiled. “More than I could have handled. And they were all born within seven years.”

  “Yikes.” Heather could not see herself in that position.

  “We do practice some form of family planning, babe. I told you that. Don’t panic. Every family chooses when to have kids and how many. We don’t have any sort of religious mandates about birth control or even abortion for that matter.”

  Heather was glad Isaiah communicated all that into her head. They didn’t need to discuss every single thing with the whole world, and it made her relax to know he got that.

  He squeezed her shoulder. “While we’re on the subject of the brewery, I need to go in for a few hours and do payroll. It was due yesterday, so I’m already late. People are understanding of the situation, but I can’t expect them to wait forever. Now’s your chance to check it out.”

  Joselyn groaned. “Do you hear yourself, Isaiah? No one in their right mind would want to hang around the brewery while you do accounting. Let her stay here. I’ll spend some time with her.” She sat up straighter, excited by the prospect.

  Isaiah hesitated.

  Heather could sense his reluctance. She turned to face him. “You didn’t tell me you handled the accounting.”

  “There are a lot of things I haven’t told you yet.” He smirked. “I have a business degree.”

  Heather scrunched up her nose. “I’m gonna have to agree with Joselyn. That sounds worse than watching paint dry. How about you leave me here and come back when you’re done?”

  “Hmm.” He closed the distance between them and kissed her forehead possessively. “How about you and Joselyn come with me. She can show you around, and I won’t spend the entire time worrying and making mistakes. The employees will thank you.”

  “Deal.”

  Joselyn was rolling her eyes when Heather looked back at her. She had to admit two things to herself. She wasn’t super eager to be separated from Isaiah for any reason, even though she was reluctant to say it out loud. And two, the ball of desire constantly present in her stomach tightened a little more that he didn’t want to leave her, either.

  His smiled broadened. She didn’t need to look to know he was pleased with her thoughts.

  “Joselyn, can you teach me how to block?”

  Isaiah slapped his forehead with his free hand. “That’s the first thing you want to learn?”

  “Yep.” She poked him in the side, even though he didn’t flinch. “It’s on the top of my list.”

  “I like knowing all your thoughts,” he communicated.

  “I know. But I’d prefer keeping some of them to myself. Besides, it’s not fair. You’re blocking everything from me. I’m blocking nothing.”

  “Not everything.” He gently tugged her chin so she faced him full on. “You know how I feel about you. You know this is it for me. You’re mine. I’d do anything for you. I can’t block that. It’s written on my face. It’s leaking out my fingers. It’s rubbing against my jeans currently too.”

  She giggled and then sobered when she realized everyone was staring at them with no idea what the private joke was.

  Bernard stood. “Don’t worry, Heather, it’s the nature of our species. The entire family is always having side conversations no one is privy to. Sometimes at dinner there are ten conversations going on in a silent room. If anyone walked in, they would think we were robots.”

  Heather smiled. “Thank you so much for your hospitality. It means a lot to me.”

  Bernard hesitated before leaving the room. “You’re one of us now. Anything you need, ask. It’s yours.” He was serious, his expression hard.

  She nodded. “Thank you.”

  »»•««

  Heather sat on a bar stool, staring out the floor-to-ceiling observation window above the brewery floor. At least a d
ozen people were moving around one story below, making sure every aspect of the process ran smoothly.

  Joselyn sat next to her. “It’s like a circuit. If any one part breaks down, the entire system is off. Beer gets destroyed. It has to keep moving.” She pointed across the room to the far corner. “That giant vat holds the beer that’s being bottled today. Once the bottles are filled, they keep moving along the assembly line to the crowner, the labeler, and then the boxes.”

  Heather nodded, overwhelmed. How did anyone know what to do and when? “Crowner?” she asked.

  “The machine that puts the caps on the bottles. I’m over-simplifying it, but that’s the basics.” Joselyn picked up the beer she was nursing and took another sip. “You sure you don’t want a bottle?”

  “No. Thanks. Not that I don’t like beer. I do. I can’t wait to experience all of your products, but for at least a few weeks it seems prudent to keep all my brain cells focused on not getting myself killed.”

  “Good point. Though I don’t think you’re in danger of being killed. Hopefully Jack was the only asshole in the area who felt the need to attack you. And, we don’t know he wanted to kill you. I’m betting he wanted to bind you to him so he would have company since he’d had a falling out with his family.”

  “You okay, babe?” Isaiah said into her head. He was two doors down in his office at the computer.

  “Yep.”

  Joselyn was grinning when Heather turned her attention back to Isaiah’s sister.

  “Sorry.”

  “It’s adorable. He won’t leave you alone for a moment. Never thought I’d see the day when my brother took a leap like this.”

  “He hasn’t had other girlfriends?”

  She shrugged. “Some, but none that mattered enough for him to touch them constantly, worry about their every movement, and stare at them like they hung the moon.”

  Heather felt her face heat. “Thanks. It means a lot to me.” Obviously Joselyn approved of her and was happy for her brother.

  “So about the blocking…”

  Heather laughed. “Talk to me.”

  ∙•∙

  Isaiah absentmindedly picked up the ringing phone on his desk without taking his eyes off the computer screen. “Arthur here.”