Chapter 21
Chapter
Twenty-One
Brie stood at her kitchen counter Sunday morning, mechanically sorting through Winter Festival invoices while Hunter loaded a cooler with food from her refrigerator. She’d been up since three AM despite it being her day off, her body refusing to break its baker’s rhythm.
“You’re exhausted,” Hunter said, not a question but a statement. His dark eyes tracked the shadows under hers, the slight tremor in her hands from too much caffeine and not enough sleep.
“I’m fine. I need to finalize the sugar sculpture design and confirm the booth assignments.” She reached for another folder, but his hand covered hers.
“The festival is in two weeks. I want to take you away for the weekend.”
“Hunter... I can’t.”
“The pack has a cabin at Crystal Lake. It’s a secondary safe house, but it’s fully stocked and comfortable. Forty minutes from here. No cell service, no bakery emergencies, no festival prep. Just us.”
Her bear perked up at the suggestion while her human brain immediately started listing obligations. “I can’t just leave… What if Sophie needs something?”
His thumb stroked across her knuckles. “When’s the last time you did something just for pleasure? Not for the bakery, not for the festival, not for anyone else?”
She couldn’t remember. Even before witnessing the murder, her life had been an endless cycle of pre-dawn baking and late-night preparation. Since her parents left on their world tour, she’d done nothing but work.
“One day,” he said. “Let me take you away for one day.”
The drive up the mountain felt like ascending into another world. Hunter’s truck handled the winding roads easily, snow beginning to dust the asphalt as they climbed higher. She found herself relaxing incrementally with each mile they put between themselves and town.
“Dom secured the place a few months after we first arrived,” Hunter explained, one hand on the wheel, the other holding hers.
“Every operation needs fallback positions. But this safe house mostly sits empty. Dom opened it for recreational use last month. Figured we all need somewhere to decompress.”
“Have you been here before?”
“A few times to stock the place and check security. But never for... fun.”
They pulled off onto a narrow side road marked only by a wooden sign reading “Private Property.” The truck bounced over ruts, trees scraping both sides until suddenly they emerged into a clearing.
The cabin sat perfectly positioned above a small lake, logs dark with age but well-maintained.
Inside, there was a comfortable living space with a stone fireplace, a leather couch, large windows overlooking the lake, and a full kitchen.
They made sandwiches for lunch, turkey and Swiss with mustard, and ate them on the couch beside a fire that Hunter quickly stoked.
Brie glanced out the window at the light snow dusting the ground around the lake.
“My bear is dying to play in that.” Hunter followed her gaze, a small smile tugging at his lips.
“I’ve been working my ass off in the bakery all season.
” She finished her sandwich. “When’s the last time you shifted just for fun? ”
He was quiet for a moment. “I have no idea.”
“Me either.” She stood, brushing crumbs from her lap. “Come on. Let’s go play.”
“Play?”
“Yes, play. We’re here to have fun, right?” They stripped quickly, leaving their clothes in piles on the couch, and stepped out into the cold.
Brie took a deep breath of the crisp air, stepped down the porch steps, and shifted.
Her bones reformed, white fur sprouted through her skin, and suddenly a polar bear stood in the snow.
Hunter’s wolf emerged seconds later in a fluid transformation.
He had dark gray fur that was nearly black along his spine, and the same intense eyes he had as a human.
She butted her head against his shoulder playfully, then took off running toward the lake.
The cold felt glorious against her thick fur, and her bear reveled in it. She rolled in the fresh powder, all four paws in the air, wiggling back and forth. Pure joy bubbled up through her chest. Hunter’s wolf watched her antics with what looked like amusement, his tail wagging.
She made a huffing sound that was almost laughter and took off running toward the lake.
He chased her, his long legs closing the distance quickly.
She hit the edge of the lake and plunged straight in.
The cold water barely registered against her thick fur.
She dove under, the world going quiet and blue-green, then surfaced with a satisfied huff.
Hunter’s wolf paced the shoreline, ears perked forward, clearly working up the nerve.
Brie paddled in a circle, then climbed out, shaking herself violently.
Water flew everywhere, spattering his dark fur.
He jumped back, then lunged forward to bump her shoulder with his head, the gesture so playful it made her bear rumble with happiness.
She took off running along the shoreline.
He chased her, keeping pace. They wove between the pine trees, their paws kicking up pine needles.
She spotted a fallen log and scrambled up onto it, balancing on the narrow surface.
She walked its length carefully, then launched herself off the end into a pile of leaves below.
His wolf peered over the edge. She burst out of the leaves and tackled him sideways. They rolled down a small slope, a tangle of wet fur, leaves, and snow. Hunter made a sound that might have been a wolf’s version of laughter.
He recovered first and took off through the trees. She lumbered after him, her bulk making her slower but powerful as she crashed through the underbrush. He circled back and darted between her legs, nearly tripping her. She caught the playfulness in his movements. He was having fun too.
She found a pine tree with low branches and reared up against it, her full weight shaking snow loose from the canopy above. It cascaded down on both of them. His wolf shook it off and sneezed, and the sound made her huff with amusement.
The light had shifted, afternoon sun slanting through the trees at a lower angle. They’d been out longer than she’d realized. Her sides ached from exertion, her body warm despite the cold, feeling more relaxed than she had in months.
Hunter’s wolf nudged her shoulder with his nose, then started walking back toward the cabin. She fell into step beside him, both of them moving slower now, tired and content. Their tracks wound back through the forest, two sets of prints side by side in the snow.
Back at the cabin, they both shifted back to humans, and walked inside naked and covered in mud and leaves.
“Shower?” Hunter said, already heading down the hall.
The shower was small, forcing them close under the spray. Brie tipped her head back, letting the hot water wash away the cold and dirt. Hunter’s hands found her shoulders, working out the tension from their run.
“Don’t start something we can’t finish,” she murmured. “I’m starving.”
“Just warming you up.” But his hands moved to her hair, working shampoo through the wet strands.
They washed quickly, stealing kisses between rinsing soap. When they stepped out, Brie wrapped herself in a towel and headed for her bag in the bedroom. She pulled on leggings and a soft sweater and ran a comb through her wet hair. Hunter dressed in jeans and a thermal shirt.
“I’ll start dinner,” she said, heading to the kitchen.
They worked together. She chopped vegetables while he boiled water for pasta. The kitchen was small enough that they constantly touched, hip to hip at the stove, reaching around each other for ingredients.
The smell of garlic, onions, and tomatoes filled the cabin. Hunter found a bottle of wine in the pantry. “Dom’s emergency stash. Cabernet from a Willamette Valley shifter vineyard.”
They ate at the small dining table. The pasta was simple but perfect, the wine rich and full-bodied. She found herself laughing at Hunter’s story about Ryder accidentally shooting himself with a tranquilizer dart during training.
“He was out for six hours. Dom made him write a report on proper weapon handling while still groggy.”
“Harsh but fair.”
“That’s Dom.” Hunter refilled her wine glass. “Never thought I’d follow another alpha after the military, but he earned it.”
Brie traced the rim of her glass with one finger, studying him in the firelight. “You’re lucky to have found your pack.”
“Yeah.” His voice went soft. “I am.”
The weight of his gaze made her pulse quicken. She stood, wine glass in hand. Hunter followed as she settled onto the couch, drawn by the warmth of the fire.
She kissed him then, pouring everything into the contact. He responded immediately, wine glasses abandoned as he pulled her onto his lap. The kiss deepened, hands tangling in hair, bodies pressing closer.
When they broke apart, both breathing hard, his eyes were dark with want.
In the bedroom, they undressed each other slowly, Hunter’s hands reverent as he unbuttoned her shirt.
When the fabric fell away, he traced the curve of her shoulder with his fingers, then followed with his mouth.
Each kiss left a warm trail on her skin.
She tugged his shirt over his head, revealing the map of scars and tattoos across his chest. Her hands explored each mark, tracing a line that ran from his collarbone to his ribs.
His mouth found a sensitive spot behind her ear that made her gasp. “You’ve been driving me crazy all week,” he murmured against her throat, teeth grazing her pulse point. “Watching you work, flour in your hair, that little frown when you concentrate.”
His admission sent heat pooling low in her belly, and she pulled him down onto the bed with her.
Their mouths met in a deep, urgent kiss.
When they parted, his pupils were blown wide.
She reached for his belt buckle, her fingers fumbling slightly with the leather.
He helped her, and when his jeans hit the floor, she could see his cock straining against his boxers.
Her leggings came off next, then her bra. When his mouth found her nipple, her back arched off the bed. He circled it with his tongue, then used his teeth. The dual sensation made her moan. Her fingers tangled in his hair, holding him there.
He took his time with her breasts, moving from one to the other, using his mouth and hands until she was writhing beneath him. Every nerve ending felt alive.
His hand skimmed down her stomach. When he reached her panties, he slid the fabric down her legs. Then he touched her soaking wet pussy and groaned. “You’re so ready for me.”
He kissed down her body, taking his time despite her impatiently pushing at his shoulders. When he settled between her thighs, the first stroke of his tongue made her whole body jolt.
“Oh god, yes!” she gasped.
He worked her with focused intensity, two fingers sliding inside, making her spine bow off the bed. The dual sensation was overwhelming. Every time she got close to the edge, he’d shift the pressure just enough to keep her hanging there, desperate and shaking.
He relentlessly built her desire until she thought she might actually die from the tension. When he finally let her come, sucking her clit while his fingers curled inside her, she screamed his name as waves of pleasure crashed through her.
He kissed back up her body while she was still shaking, and she could taste herself on his mouth when he met her lips. The intimacy of it made her pussy clench.
“I need you inside me,” she demanded, wrapping her legs around his waist.
He groaned and pulled back just enough to reach for the nightstand drawer.
She heard the crinkle of foil, watched his hands shake slightly as he rolled on the condom.
When his cock pushed into her, they both groaned.
Her body gripped him like they were made for each other.
She was swollen and sensitive from her orgasm, and the stretch of accommodating him sent aftershocks through her core.
He started with slow, deep thrusts that hit places inside her that made her gasp. Her nails raked down his back, urging him faster, harder. The controlled soldier finally snapped. His pace turned punishing, exactly what she needed.
“Touch yourself,” he commanded, and the authority in his voice made her even wetter.
Her fingers found her clit, circling in time with his thrusts. The combination was devastating. She could feel another orgasm building.
“That’s it,” he growled when her pussy started fluttering. “Come on my cock, baby.”
Three more thrusts and she was coming again, her whole body locking tight as pleasure ripped through her. The rhythmic squeeze of her pussy around him triggered his own release. He buried himself deep, her name breaking from his throat as he came.
They collapsed together, bodies slick with sweat, breathing hard. He stayed inside her for a moment, neither wanting to separate, but eventually he had to pull out. She made a soft sound of protest at the loss.
Brie watched through heavy lids as he dealt with the condom, appreciating the view of his body in the dim lamp light. When he returned to bed, he pulled her against his chest, and she sprawled across him with a contented sigh, skin still humming from their lovemaking.