Chapter 2 #2
I didn’t have much choice. The bed and breakfast had belonged to Rex, the former alpha. The place didn’t get much use since Bear Cove rarely entertained visitors.
“I don’t mind it,” I said. “Bear Cove doesn’t offer much in the way of job opportunities.”
“Do you ever think of moving?”
I stood and carried my plate to the sink. “Can’t say that I do.”
Silence stretched as I ran the tap. Wood scraped. Footsteps echoed, and Charlotte appeared behind me with her plate in her hand. “I can help—”
“I’ve got the dishes,” I said, taking the plate from her. “I’m sure you’ve got work to do.”
Her smile faltered, and I kicked myself for sounding gruff. Before I could apologize, she stepped back. “Thank you for breakfast. I should get going.”
I bit my tongue so I didn’t tell her she really shouldn’t. “Be careful, Ms. Mills. Alaska isn’t Colorado.”
Her smile returned, but now it was cool. “I’m tougher than I look, Mr. Antonovich.”
“Beck,” I said before I could think better of it. “We’re not formal here.”
Some of the ice in her expression thawed. “Beck,” she said softly. “And, please, call me Charlotte.”
“All right, Charlotte.”
She held my stare a beat longer. Then, with another nod, she turned and left the kitchen.
A few minutes later, the front door opened and shut.
I watched from the window as she crossed the parking lot, a military-grade backpack on her shoulders and a pair of hiking poles in her hands.
Morning sunlight set her hair on fire. She didn’t look back as she disappeared into the trees.
My phone buzzed. When I dug it from my pocket, the screen showed an incoming call from Everett.
“Hey,” I said, putting the phone to my ear.
“Talked to Cal,” Everett said. “He’s catching a flight to Seattle this afternoon.”
Satisfaction spread through my chest. “Good.”
Everett lowered his voice. “I saw your scientist leave.”
“She’s not—” I cut myself off before I could say Charlotte wasn’t mine. “She’s got sophisticated equipment. And she’s smart.” And curious. And beautiful. And a serious problem.
“What’s your plan?” Everett asked.
I stifled a sigh. “I need to redirect her. Make her think there’s nothing here worth investigating.”
“How?”
“Offer to guide her. If she accepts, I’ll show her the wrong areas. Hopefully, she’ll get bored and leave.”
“And if she doesn’t get bored?”
Tension gathered in my neck. I rubbed at it, my gaze on the window. “I’ll handle it,” I said. “You just tell the rest of the clan to keep their distance while she’s here.”
“You got it,” Everett said. “And Beck?”
“Yeah?”
“Be careful.”
A smile tugged at my lips. I was the biggest shifter in the clan. In human or beast form, I towered over my brothers. Age hadn’t sapped my strength…yet. “You think I need a babysitter?”
His huff crackled over the line. “No. But you’re the alpha. You’re kind of important around here. People care about you.”
The smile tugged harder. In the glass, my reflection showed pink touching my cheekbones. God, I was blushing.
“I’ll be careful,” I said, the gruff tone I’d used with Charlotte returning.
“Glad to hear it,” Everett said. “And good luck.” He ended the call, his unspoken you’ll need it hovering in the air.
I looked out the window. Somewhere in the forest, Charlotte was setting up equipment that could expose the clan.
My bear rumbled, uneasy beneath my skin. But as I headed upstairs to change, the little voice in my head whispered louder. Because my bear was restless, but not because it wanted Charlotte Mills to leave.
An hour later, I stood at the edge of the forest, my gaze on Charlotte.
She’d been easy to find. Although, everyone was easy for me to find. Now that I had her scent, I could probably find her anywhere in Alaska. As far as gifts went, tracking was common. But my magic was stronger than most. My father’s had been the same, and his father before him.
Charlotte’s scent drifted around me, the honey-laced florals layered with fresh earth, evergreen, and a metallic scent that came from her instruments.
She stood before a tree stump that rose to her waist, a little frown between her brows as she stared at a laptop she’d propped on the wood.
Sunlight streamed through the canopy, the rays picking up garnet highlights in her bright hair.
Her hiking pants molded to her legs and ass, and her top emphasized the curve of her spine as she leaned forward, studying the screen.
My bear rumbled approval. I shoved it down as I stepped from the trees. “How’s the research going?”
Charlotte jerked her head up, her eyes round and huge. “Beck,” she gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. “You startled me. I didn’t hear you at all.”
Because I hadn’t wanted her to.
“Sorry,” I said, meaning it as I approached.
More equipment sat on camp tables around her, the monitors lit up with what looked like satellite images and maps.
One displayed what was clearly a weather model.
“I didn’t mean to sneak up on you,” I added, stopping beside her.
I angled my body away so I didn’t loom over her.
The furrow between her brows deepened. Tiny golden freckles dusted the bridge of her nose. “How did you find me?”
I nodded toward her boots, then pointed at the damp soil around us. “Nobody else in Bear Cove has boots like those. It snowed last week, and the ground is still soft in places.” I gestured toward the laptop on the stump. “Find anything interesting?”
She hesitated, then turned the computer so I could see.
“Preliminary readings are unusual, but I expected that.” She clicked something, and a grid with greens, yellows, reds, and oranges appeared.
Charlotte traced one of the red bars with her fingertip.
“The magnetic field variance is off the charts in some places.”
I leaned closer, pretending to study the bar she indicated while I memorized the longitude and latitude displayed in fine print at the bottom of the chart. Other coordinates appeared under the red boxes—all zones where the clan lived and hunted.
Shit.
“Hmm,” I said, feigning polite interest. “Do you think there’s an explanation?”
Charlotte shook her head. “Not a geological one.” She looked at the screen.
“There’s no volcanic activity in this area, and no significant mineral deposits that would produce readings like this.
” She looked up at me, a mix of curiosity and excitement in her eyes.
“But something has to be generating this magnetic signature.”
Yeah. Sixty bear shifters.
I straightened. “The terrain around here can be dangerous, especially this time of year.” I pointed toward the mountains soaring over the clearing. “Weather changes fast, and it’s easy to get turned around when the snow starts. Avalanches are common.”
Charlotte squared her shoulders, the defensive posture instantly recognizable. She was probably accustomed to being underestimated and dismissed by men twice her age with half her intelligence.
“I appreciate your concern,” she said, “but I’m an experienced wilderness camper. I’ve done field work in Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming.”
“Alaska is different,” I said gently. “I’ve lived here my whole life.
I know these woods, and I know the weather and what to look for.
Things that don’t show up in forecasts.” I held her stare, willing her to understand I wasn’t dismissing her abilities.
“If you’re serious about your research, you need someone who can keep you safe while you focus on your work.
I did search and rescue before I became—” I stopped before I could say alpha.
“Before I took over the bed and breakfast,” I finished.
She studied me for a long moment, her big brown eyes searching my face. “Are you offering to guide me?”
“If you’ll have me.” I shuffled backward, taking my shadow with me, and I rubbed a hand over my nape. “You might have noticed my business isn’t exactly booming right now. Maybe it’s bad to admit that I’m bored, but…” Lowering my hand, I shrugged.
Something shifted in her expression. Her lips curved, a mischievous light dancing in her eyes. “And you think I’m not boring?”
Heat flared under my skin. My groin tightened. Not a damn thing about you is boring.
I waved a hand toward her equipment. “That gear is heavy. I found out the hard way when I carried it upstairs.” I kept my tone light. “I’m happy to help you move it around. And I make good coffee. I’ll throw it in for free.”
She laughed, the sound musical in the crisp air. “All right, Mr. Antonovich. You’ve got yourself a deal.”
“Beck,” I said, my heart thumping faster. “Remember?”
Her smile faded, but it stayed in her eyes. “Sorry. I won’t forget again, Beck.” She extended her hand.
I stared at it a second too long. Then I took it. Electricity shot up my arm, the spark like a rubber band snapping against my skin.
Charlotte yelped as she jerked her hand away. “Ow!” She gave a startled laugh. “Did you feel that, too?”
My heart raced. “Static electricity,” I said, hearing the rasp in my voice. “It’s common in the winter.”
“Yes,” she said, shaking her hand like she meant to banish the sting.
“You said that before.” The vein in her neck fluttered under her skin, which was a creamy contrast to her black, fitted shirt.
Faint pink stained her cheeks as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
The little golden studs caught the sunlight.
My bear shoved against its bonds. Mine. The beast’s declaration wasn’t anything I could hear, but I didn’t need to. It wanted Charlotte Mills, and it didn’t give a damn that she was way too young to even contemplate pursuing.
Turning away, I stalked toward the trees.
“You’re leaving?” Charlotte called, uncertainty in her tone. Probably because I’d spun and fled like my ass was on fire.
“We’ll start tomorrow,” I called without slowing. “Dress in layers.”
“What time?” she asked, raising her voice.
“Six.” The trees loomed. I risked a look over my shoulder. “I’ll have breakfast ready.”
Charlotte stood by the stump, her hands on her slim hips and a confused look on her face. That damn ponytail curled over her shoulder, the tip following the curve of one firm-looking breast.
“Okay,” she said. “See you then.”
I grunted as I turned and headed into the trees. My bear shifted restlessly, threatening to break its bonds. Damn, this was going to be harder than I thought. Keeping Charlotte away from the heart of clan territory was one thing.
Keeping her out of my thoughts was entirely another.