Chapter Three
Axel
Axel greets the family of four at the front desk.
A husband, wife, and two young kids. The family seems excited about the lodge, which makes Axel happy.
They have already booked horseback rides and want to hike to the lake to go canoeing.
It’s people like this that make him want to keep the lodge going.
To see the delight on the kids' faces when they look out of the big glass windows at the trees. To know they enjoyed themselves and would want to come back. It makes his heart warm. He longs for a family. To have cubs of his own and have them run around like he did when he was young. He doesn’t care if they end up shifters like him, humans or bears; he will love them the same.
Another couple is checking in later, and then two people that Levi, who works at the lodge, will be collecting from the bus station in town.
Most people preferred to rent a car in the nearest city and drive down, but others took the bus, and then one of the brothers or Levi would run up and collect them from the bus station. Today it’s Levi.
Axel was given access to the trust fund for himself and his brothers.
It was supposed to be for emergencies. Like when the lodge needed a roof repair, or when one of the water heaters burst and flooded the area.
But he was dipping into it every month to keep them afloat.
He figures they have one more season before they have to shut down completely.
The lodge his great-grandparents had built, his family’s legacy. Makes his heart hurt to think about it.
But he has to have faith. Faith that more people will come to the lodge, that their advertising will work, and they will be at capacity once again. That he won’t have failed.
His bear grumbles underneath his skin at the thought of failure.
He should provide. For his brothers, for his family, for his mate.
How can he provide for a mate if he can’t even make his business successful?
Things had changed after his father died.
People heard about the horrible hunting accident, his father being shot and killed by a guest, but they didn’t know the whole story.
That his father was shifted into his bear form, out running as he always did.
And that a guest brought illegal weapons to the lodge and snuck out to go hunting.
His father had been caught unaware by the man and shot.
Charlie Henderson ran off as far as he could before bleeding out on the ground.
The hunter couldn’t find him, and when he went back to the lodge boasting of his kill, Axel’s mother knew something had happened.
They traipsed into the woods, Axel at the lead at twenty-seven and the next head of the family.
He found his father dead, shifted back to human.
They had dressed his father in clothes and called 911, but it was too late.
His mother, having lost her mate, the other half of her soul, became withdrawn.
She could no longer run the lodge, and Axel and his brothers had to step up.
Axel planned on running the lodge after his parents retired, but he had to take over much sooner.
His mother moved to Florida. Her heart was broken, and it’s said that a person, even a human, never really recovers from the loss of their mate.
She lives there now and seems happy enough.
Her eyes are just a little dimmer than they were before, like she never fully recovered.
Axel hears Levi's truck down the driveway and goes out to meet him. He can hear the chatter of a female voice over the rumbling of the truck. When it parks in front of the lodge, he smells the most delicious scent in the air. The passenger door opens, and a tall, thin blonde woman steps out. She’s looking around at all the trees and the lodge in wonder.
His bear perks up at this woman. She’s dressed in khaki shorts and a lightweight outdoor shirt.
Her hiking boots look worn in, the perfect attire for the Montana wilderness.
He smiles and steps forward towards her.
The back passenger door is effectively kicked open, and out tumbles a short redhead.
She’s got curves upon curves, and her crimson hair flows around her shoulders in waves.
But what catches his attention the most is that she’s wearing high heels and a knee-length skirt, her sleeveless blouse is half untucked, and he can see she’s shivering.
It throws him off guard to see a person so out of place in the wilderness. Didn’t she know they were off-road in the forest here?
The blonde steps forward, and he returns the smile that had slipped from his face.
“Hello and welcome to Silver Lake Lodge. I’m Axel, and I run this place with my brothers.” He extends his hand, and the tall woman shakes it firmly.
“I’m Danielle, and this is Chloe,” she motions to the other woman behind her. “We’re so excited to be here.”
Chloe steps forward with her hand extended, but before Axel can warn her, she steps right into a muddy puddle, heel and foot sinking in the mud.
“Damn it,” she swears. She’s looking down at her foot, trying to pull it from the mud, and he can see her tears.
He steps forward to help her when he’s hit with the most amazing scent.
Honeysuckle. It’s said that when a bear shifter finds their mate, they will recognize them by scent.
The scent will be one that is particular to that bear and will feel like home and love wrapped up in one.
It’s her, the redhead, not the blonde, that smells like sunshine and warmth and everything good in the world. The beautiful woman with hair like fire and wide, dark, questioning eyes. His breath hitches in his throat as he remains frozen in the spot. His mate is here.