Chapter 12
Chapter
Twelve
BECK
Iled Charlotte down the trail that wound through the heart of clan territory.
Cabins were tucked deep in the woods, the structures hidden from casual hikers and prying eyes. The bed and breakfast and the rest of main street were just window dressing. This was the real Bear Cove.
Charlotte radiated curiosity as we moved through the forest. She kept pace with me easily, the snow posing no obstacle as she drank in the scenery.
I’d insisted on loaning her one of my thickest coats.
She’d rolled the sleeves four times, and the hem hung well past her knees.
Even bundled up, she was gorgeous, the sun putting specks of garnet in her hair.
“I haven’t seen anyone,” she said, pitching her voice low. Disappointment laced her tone.
Amusement stirred in my chest. I’d worried she might react poorly to learning magic was real. I should have known she’d immediately demand to learn everything there was to know about the supernatural.
“My brothers know we’re here,” I said. “I told them to keep their distance. I didn’t want you to feel overwhelmed.”
She gave me an assessing look. “Do they always do what you tell them?”
“More or less.”
“Because you’re the alpha.”
I took her elbow as we approached a fallen log. “It’s not as authoritarian as it sounds. I don’t just issue orders and expect everyone to fall in line.” I pointed. “Watch that root.”
She let me help her over the log. And she offered a smile that went straight to my groin. “I have to admit, it’s hard to imagine a man who makes perfect waffles acting like a dictator.”
I snorted. But my amusement quickly faded, memories of Rex stirring. “Historically, alphas who adopt less democratic forms of leadership end their tenure in violence. When I have to make a major decision that affects the whole clan, I call a meet. Everyone gets a voice, and then we vote.”
Charlotte’s smile softened, and admiration touched her gaze. “It sounds peaceful.”
“I wouldn’t want to lead any other way. I value my brothers’ opinions. They trust me to guide them, and I trust them to tell me when I’m wrong.”
“Does that happen often?”
My amusement returned. “All the time. Cal never hesitates to call me out for being an idiot.”
Charlotte laughed. “From what I know of him, that sounds very in character.”
We walked in companionable silence for a few more minutes, passing cabins of various sizes.
Some were small. Others were larger, with sprawling porches and second stories designed with the hope that, someday, families would fill the rooms. That hope had been fading for years.
Lately, however, a few sparks had rekindled it.
We rounded a bend, and a wooden jewel box of a cabin came into view.
Several of its windows sported stained glass.
Smoke curled from the chimney, and gingerbread trim decorated the eaves.
A man with a thick head of gray hair sat whittling in a rocking chair on the porch.
Sunlight flashed on the blade as he worked, turning a piece of wood in his hands.
“Who is that?” Charlotte whispered, slowing.
“Dmitri Galkin,” I said, not bothering to lower my voice. Dmitri had probably heard our approach half a mile ago. “He’s one of our elders.”
“Can we say hello?”
Charlotte had no way of knowing Dmitri had already invited her onto his property by showing himself.
“Of course,” I said. “I’m sure he’d love to meet you.”
Dmitri looked up as we neared the porch, his weathered face creasing in a smile. He was nearing ninety, but his shoulders were still broad, his body maintained by the shifter healing that kept us healthier longer than humans.
“Alpha,” he said, pausing his knife. He looked at Charlotte. “And you must be Ms. Mills, the scientist.”
Charlotte returned his smile. “Please, call me Charlotte.” She gestured to the block of wood he’d carved into a detailed bear. “That’s beautiful.”
“It keeps my old hands busy,” Dmitri said. He waved Charlotte toward a second rocking chair. “Please, have a seat.”
Charlotte settled in the chair, and I leaned against the porch railing.
“Your home is lovely,” Charlotte said, eyeing one of the intricately carved spindles, which bore the same chisel marks as the bear Dmitri held. “Did you build it?”
Dmitri beamed at her. “Every plank. Bear Cove has been my home for eighty-nine years.”
Charlotte glanced at me. “Beck was just explaining how the community works. It sounds like a good place to live.”
“It is,” Dmitri said. “Quiet and safe.” He returned to his whittling, scraping the edge of his blade against the wood. “You’re Beck’s mate.”
I suppressed a groan. Dmitri always spoke his mind. There was no telling what the old bear would say.
Charlotte shot me another quick look, a little frown between her brows. “Dr. Laskin says we’re compatible.”
Dmitri continued carving, a curl of wood descending from the bear. “I had a wife once. Not a mate. She wasn’t a match, but we didn’t know it when we married. No blood tests back then. Just time and luck.”
Sympathy filled Charlotte’s eyes. “Did she know you were a bear shifter?”
“Oh, yes.” Dmitri pushed against the ground, setting his chair rocking a little. “My Lori knew all my secrets.” He smiled without lifting his gaze. “You couldn’t keep anything from that woman. We tried for children, but it never happened. She told me it didn’t matter, but time changed her mind.”
I gripped the railing. Knowing the story didn’t make it any easier to hear.
“We were in our late thirties when she left,” Dmitri said.
“She had a sister down in Oregon. Lori told me she couldn’t read another letter about all the things her niece and nephew were doing.
” Dmitri looked up, his knife stilling on the carving.
“She couldn’t watch another woman have what she wanted.
So she left to find someone who could give her a family. ”
Charlotte had gone still. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Dmitri said. “It was a very long time ago now. Lori passed on years ago, but her grandkids still send me Christmas cards.” He huffed a soft laugh. “Knowing Lori, she wrote that into her will.”
“Do they know what you are?” Charlotte asked.
He shook his head. “They think I’m an old friend.” He held up the bear, turning it in the sunlight as he examined it. “Love is risk. You never know what it’ll bring. Joy. Pain. Sometimes both. But I don’t regret loving Lori.”
Wind rustled nearby leaves. The breeze tugged at Charlotte’s hair, toying with the bright strands.
Dmitri went back to whittling. “This is never going to be perfect,” he muttered, frowning at the piece.
“We should go,” I said, straightening from the railing.
Charlotte kept her gaze on Dmitri. “Did you ever want to try again? Find a woman who was compatible?”
Dmitri looked up. His eyes crinkled at the corners, wisdom and melancholy in his gaze. “No. I had my chance at love. Some people get more than one. Others none at all. But when fate offers something precious, only fools refuse to take it.”
A loud beep sounded from somewhere inside the house. Dmitri’s face lit up as he stood. “That’s my TV show.” He gave Charlotte a conspiratorial look. “If they cancel Love Island, I’m starting a letter campaign.”
Charlotte released a startled-sounding laugh. “I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a renewal.”
He winked at her before disappearing inside the cabin.
As Charlotte and I walked away, she tucked her hands into the oversized pockets of my coat. “He was very kind.”
“I think you mean very direct.”
She bit her lip against an obvious smile. “He seems to think refusing you would be the height of stupidity.”
I stopped, and I took her hands in mine. “Dmitri’s story is heartbreaking, but his circumstances aren’t yours. Don’t let him sway you.” My bear raged at me for encouraging Charlotte to consider her choices, but I ignored it.
She stared up at me, her big eyes soft behind her glasses. “How many bears here are too old to look for their mate?”
“Dmitri is the oldest. There are twenty others over the age of fifty.” I paused. “Including me.”
“Fifty isn’t old, Beck.”
“Maybe not, sweetheart, but most people my age are planning retirement, not planning a future."
Her eyes went softer, and her voice was just as quiet as she said, “Maybe you’re not planning alone anymore.”
My heart slammed against my ribs. “Charlotte...”
She put a hand on my chest, her palm warm even through my coat. “I don’t know if I’m quite ready to decide yet. But I think I’m getting there.”
Hope surged so hard and fast that I had to lock my knees to stay upright. I cupped her cheek. “You don’t have to make any decisions right now, sweetheart. Take all the time you need.”
“I know,” she murmured. “But I want you.”
My bear stirred, a low rumble of satisfaction vibrating through my chest. Instinct screamed at me to back her against the nearest tree and claim her mouth. To strip away her layers and bury myself inside her until she screamed my name.
Ours, my bear growled. Take her. Claim her.
Not here. Not in the open where my brothers might see.
I closed my eyes and drew a shaky breath, fighting for control. When I opened them, Charlotte watched me with a heated gaze.
“I need to get you home,” I rasped.
“Yes,” she agreed, but she didn’t move. She just stared at me with parted lips, her breaths coming faster.
I tangled my fingers with hers and started walking fast. Charlotte matched my pace, her hand tight in mine.
Her arousal was a cloud around us, the intoxicating scent making my bear pace in my mind.
The beast hovered close to the surface, threatening to burst from my skin.
By the time we reached the bed and breakfast, I was wound so tight I thought I might snap.
I pulled Charlotte inside and backed her against the wall.
“Beck…” she gasped.
“Tell me to stop,” I said, bracketing her head with my hands. “Tell me you don’t want this, and I’ll stop.”
“Don’t stop,” she said, arching against me.
I didn’t hesitate. Just tossed her over my shoulder and stormed up the stairs.