Chapter 3
brENNA
I’m walking through the forest holding a Sasquatch’s hand.
I couldn’t stop stealing glances at Karm, and to my continued shock, I couldn’t stop admiring his impressive physique.
Broad-shouldered and hugely muscled, he was covered in thick silver-white fur.
His face was remarkably human-like, however, and not entirely covered in hair.
He had thick bushy eyebrows, and hair shielded the lower half of his face.
His skin was a darker shade than mine, but honestly, if I saw a picture of him from the neck up, I’d probably think he was a rugged mountain man.
A gentlemanly mountain man, I amended. Just before we’d set off, he’d insisted on carrying my backpack. It was a relief not to have the heavy bag weighing my steps down.
I glanced at his huge hand that engulfed mine, and a spasm of warmth afflicted my core. Everything about him was so big, yet he’d treated me with gentleness thus far. Kindness. He wasn’t jerking me around and forcing me to walk faster, nor was he dragging me off behind a tree to maul me.
He wore no clothing, which meant I could easily glimpse his package, and oh what a package it was. His shaft was a massive thing that swung slightly with his movements. He wasn’t erect and I couldn’t help but wonder just how big he would become when aroused.
He kept looking at me with warmth in his pale blue gaze, and sometimes I swore his eyes glowed.
Was he attracted to me? I almost laughed aloud at this thought.
How ridiculous. I was wearing a bulky snowsuit and a ski mask.
He would have no idea what I looked like, so there was no logical way he could be attracted to me.
Perhaps I was just reading into the aura of kindness that seemed to surround him.
But I couldn’t deny that I felt safe in his presence, and the higher up the mountain we traveled, the less I worried about being tracked down by the authorities or the mob.
I reminded myself that hundreds of convicts had escaped during the prison riot, and the authorities probably had their hands full.
Maybe I would be forgotten. Maybe they would assume I was dead—killed by the very gangsters I’d turned on when I was desperate to knock two decades off my prison sentence.
“I’m not a murderer,” I blurted, suddenly worried about Karm’s opinion of me. “I’m not a violent person, I promise. I-I don’t want you to fear I might cause problems in your tribe or hurt any of your people.”
Karm peered down at me with another look of affection that tugged at my heart. I couldn’t remember the last time anyone had gazed at me with that much gentleness, and I soon found myself blinking back tears.
“I didn’t think you were a murderer,” he replied in a deep resonating voice. “I wouldn’t be taking you back to my tribe if I thought you would pose a danger to my people. I sense the goodness in you, Brenna.”
I sense the goodness in you. Damn. What a sweet thing to say.
I blinked faster, overcome by emotion. For too long, I’d felt like a complete fuck up.
The girl who dropped out of college and disappointed her parents just before they died in a hovercraft accident.
The girl who dated the wrong kind of guys and ended up in trouble with the law.
But for whatever reason, Karm believed there was goodness in me. I hoped I never proved him wrong.
“It was illegal firearms smuggling, if you’re wondering,” I said.
“That’s why I was in prison. Well, I didn’t actually do any of the smuggling, but I served as a lookout for my former boyfriend and his associates.
” I thought about explaining how madly in love I’d been with Gerry, my now ex-boyfriend, at the time, and how that blind love had led to severe naivety on my part, but I kept my lips pressed together, unsure of whether a Montikaan like Karm would comprehend the complexities of human relationships or human society.
He thought I was a good person. Maybe we ought to leave it at that.
If I shared some of the uglier details, Karm might think less of me, and I didn’t want him to regard me with suspicion or perhaps stop gazing at me with warmth in his eyes. For a reason I couldn’t fathom, I craved the regard of this handsome otherworldly stranger I’d just met.
“I am sorry you found yourself in a difficult situation, sweet Brenna, and I vow that I will keep you safe.” He paused in a clearing, withdrew his hand from mine, and gently clasped my shoulders.
“I don’t believe it’s chance that our paths crossed in the forest today.
I don’t believe it’s chance that caused me to be the first Montikaan male to greet you. ”
All the air whooshed from my lungs. His eyes were now glowing, and I felt something very solid nudging at my stomach.
I gulped hard and glanced down to find him fully erect.
And yet, I didn’t feel threatened by him at this moment.
I didn’t fear he was about to claim me against my will.
The feeling of safety remained, and I found myself stepping closer to him.
Heated pangs surged between my thighs, and I found myself increasingly breathless as I held the huge Sasquatch’s otherworldly gaze.
Handsome. He truly was handsome. And there was something familiar about him too.
I felt as though I’d been waiting my entire life to meet him.
Perhaps he was right—perhaps it wasn’t just simple chance that had caused our paths to cross today.
I reached for my ski mask and pulled it off, overcome with the desire to reveal myself to Karm. His eyes widened and a growl of pleasure emanated from his muscular chest.
“I already knew what you looked like, Brenna,” he said, a bit mysteriously. “Beautiful. So beautiful. I saw a clear image of your face in my mind not long after I first met you. A vision of your loveliness, no doubt sent to me by the Great Spirit.”
“Are you saying…” My voice trailed off, my mouth going so dry I couldn’t finish the question.
“I am saying that I believe we’re fated mates, sweet Brenna. I am saying that I intend to carry you to my private alcove in the cavern and claim you. I am saying that I intend to make you mine.”
Though I’d just met him, and it didn’t make any logical sense, a thrill rushed through me at his declaration.
“I will be very gentle with you,” Karm said, stroking his hands along my upper arms. “I will also provide for you and any children we might have.”
Children. Wow. Dude was already thinking about us having kids together. Talk about moving fast. But I didn’t experience a glimmer of panic as we stood close in the clearing, his hardness pressing against my stomach as he continued painting a happy picture of the life he wanted us to share.
“I will treasure you always, sweet Brenna, and provide you with any comforts from the human world that you miss. Knowing that I would likely claim a human female one day, since there are so few Montikaan females left in my tribe, I’ve already begun preparing my alcove for your arrival.
But if there’s anything you ever need, all you must do is ask and I will do my best to provide it.
I will fish for you every day and cook for you, and I will make sure you and our children never go hungry.
I will keep you warm during the winter season, and I will slaughter anyone who threatens you.
I will strive to make you happy for every day that we are mated, and I pray to the Great Spirit that we will share in a long, joyous mating union. ”
Though his eyes remained glowing with affection, I noticed a hint of uncertainty clouding his pale blue depths, and it took me a few seconds to realize he was nervous, perhaps worried that I would reject him.
We were strangers, yet there was an intense attraction between us that rivaled anything I’d ever felt for another man, even during the initial love-drunk phase of an early relationship.
He was staring at me with an expectant look, and I knew he wanted my answer. He wanted to know whether I was willing to become his mate.
Should I accept?
Each time I imagined choosing another Montikaan male or leaving the mountain entirely to go find another hiding spot, my chest tightened and my heart splintered with grief.
I’d never given much thought to the idea of fated mates, but the longer I stared at Karm and savored the warmth of his gaze, the more I started to believe it might be true.
“The sooner you allow me to claim you, sweet Brenna, the safer you will be. Once we share a heart-bond, I’ll be able to sense if you’re in danger. I’ll be able to track your location.”
“What’s a heart-bond?”
He stroked a hand through my hair, and I basked in his gentle touch.
“It’s the unbreakable bond that every mating pair eventually shares,” he explained.
“It’s eternal love. Though I’ve never experienced it myself, I have heard it’s an overwhelming feeling of affection that never burns out, and it usually develops soon after the first mating occurs, though I’ve heard of a few cases where it developed before a couple became lifemates. ”
“Oh. I see.” I swallowed past the dryness in my throat.
A heart-bond sounded like a dream come true.
Lifemates. Karm wanted us to become lifemates.
I never in a million years thought I would find myself on a snowy mountainside with a handsome Sasquatch who wanted to mate with me, but here I was—an escaped outlaw on the run with very few options.
“Say you’ll be mine,” Karm said, tightening his grip on my shoulders, but only slightly. Given the size of him, I knew he could hurt me if he really wanted to, but his grip wasn’t bruising. I still felt very safe in his presence. “Say it, sweet Brenna. Say you’ll become my lifemate.”
I drew in a deep breath.
Here goes nothing…
No big deal—only the rest of my life.
“Okay,” I blurted before my courage had a chance to falter. “I agree. I-I’ll become your lifemate, Karm.”
Another growl of pleasure escaped his throat, and his eyes glowed brighter.
To my shock, he swept me into his arms and started carrying me up the mountain.
The wind ruffled my hair a little, but I wasn’t cold because he held me close to his chest, and as I nuzzled my face in the warmth of his fur, a sense of belonging resonated in the depths of my soul.
Lifemates. I’d just agreed to become lifemates with a huge Sasquatch named Karm. My heart fluttered and I snuggled deeper into his arms.