Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Kodiak

I follow the directions to Callie’s address, hoping the overprotective, possessive temperament of my bear won’t scare her. He’s fucking obsessed, which is a bit worrisome. I don’t know if he’s acting like this because of the fact she’s our mate or because we haven’t claimed her yet. Unfortunately, none of my brothers will know either since she’s the first one to come along for any of us.

As I follow the directions, I realize she lives in one of the club’s rental houses. We have an LLC, which we use for our businesses, and since other shifters are also in Yukon Bluff, we bought quite a few vacant properties, fixed them up, and rented them out.

But Callie’s not a shifter , I think, so how did she manage to get one?

We rent them somewhat ‘under the table’ since some of those moving here want to stay as off the grid as possible. While our businesses are legit, and we pay our taxes, the cash from the rental houses isn’t.

Our mate is in trouble , my bear grumbles, pacing inside of me.

Stupid fucker better not try to take over. Not only would it scare the ever-loving hell out of Callie, but it would definitely cause an uproar with the townspeople. Not that there haven’t been rumors over the years, but one of the reasons we bought so much property was so we could shift without fear of being caught. Our feathered brothers have it much easier since birds are everywhere, and not a lot of people can distinguish between one breed and another. The rest of us? Not so much, especially Spike since he’s a fucking dragon.

I manage to pull into her driveway without him showing his fuzzy ass and shut down my bike. “Let’s get you inside and warmed up,” I say once we’re both off the bike and heading to the front door.

“Oh, um, you don’t have to stick around,” Callie says as she pulls her keys from her pocket and unlocks the door.

“Wanted to get a fire going for you. This weather’s getting worse,” I reply, looking up at the sleet that’s now mixed with heavy, wet snow.

She shivers; whether it’s because she’s cold or because the storm is growing worse is anybody’s guess. Maybe it’s a combination of the two. “Come on in, then,” she says.

I barely manage to hide my grin. My mate has some fire in her, and I can’t wait to find out how hot she’ll burn for me.

For us, my bear grumbles.

Fine, for us, I mentally retort.

“There’s some wood out,” she starts.

“On the back porch,” I finish her sentence, causing her to give me a startled look.

“How… how did you know that?” she asks, slipping out of my cut and laying it across the back of a recliner.

“Because this is one of the rental properties our club owns,” I reply. “Which is something we can discuss more once you’ve gotten some warmer clothes on.”

She mutters something under her breath, but my shifter hearing allows me to hear her loud and clear.

“Bossy man!”

I manage to keep from laughing my ass off because she sounds so disgruntled right now as I head through the house and out to the covered back porch where the firewood is stacked. Grabbing an armful, I go back inside. Within a few minutes, I have a roaring fire going. She’s no longer in sight, so I presume she’s gone to change, which gives me an opportunity to glance around at her space.

She’s neat. Organized. Everything is tidy and in its place. Nothing out of order and I get the impression she controls everything in her life with the same attention to detail. It makes me want to find ways to help her lose that control, giving into her deepest fantasies. I’d like to ruffle those professional organizer feathers.

Her scent, which is everywhere and is driving me absolutely crazy, grows stronger. As I turn, I realize the essence of her is more potent than I realized during our morning collision. Candy cane, brown sugar, and cinnamon dance in the air. The sweet aroma fills my nose and my bear growls inside me. He wants to push her down and burrow his snout in the apex of her thighs.

Callie’s about average height but definitely shorter than me, with curves in all the right places. Her waist dips inward and flares into generous hips that I already envision wrapping my hands around as I plunge into her from behind. She’s got the thickest, sturdiest thighs, and I know she can take the pounding I want to give her. Just the thought of her slick, warm center. . .

And… another hard-on starts pushing against my zipper. At this rate, my dick’s going to have a permanent imprint. Inhaling deeply, I force myself to get under control, so I don’t freak her out. “Do you have any emergency candles?” I question. “Because the way this storm’s going, it won’t be long before the power goes out.”

“Oh, no! What about your motorcycle? Should you bring it into my garage? I can’t let you leave in this weather,” she rambles, her hands now twisting together. Anxiety twists her features.

“Might not be a bad idea,” I drawl, congratulating myself on the thought that I’m sticking around for the foreseeable future. Alone. With my mate. My bear rumbles his agreement. There’s a carport that extends beyond the garage, which is where I parked initially, but if I can put my girl in the garage, that’s even better. “Go find some candles or flashlights, whichever you have, and I’ll get my bike moved.”

“Okay. Um, what should I call you? I mean, your vest thingie says Kodiak. Is that your name?”

“It’s called a cut, Sweetheart, and yeah, I’m Kodiak,” I tell her. “Road name and the one I got at birth are the same. I’ll be right back.”

She must be too cold or distracted. I already said my name when I found her earlier.

Not good, I think. She needs to get warmer. Now.

Callie

“Bossy man!” I grumble as I make my way to my bedroom. I’m equal parts frozen and aggravated, and both are due to the giant biker currently starting a fire in my living room. He’s so large and imposing that it’s hard not to stare at his bulging muscles when he’s in front of me. A distraction I don’t need. But there’s also something charming and sweet about him, even if our run-ins so far have been disastrous. Thinking about how he yanked the door off my car has me snickering a little under my breath. I’m not sure who was more shocked, him or me.

Grabbing some warm sweats and a pair of fuzzy socks, I go into my ensuite bathroom and quickly strip out of my sodden, frozen clothes. Despite the fact that Kodiak had a lot of heat emanating from him, I still feel like I got dipped into the local lake. Multiple times at that. Once I have my warm clothes on, I brush out my hair and braid it, then remove my makeup since I’m home for the rest of the day.

Probably the next few days , I think, remembering the storm. The weather here is so unpredictable, but it is December, so snow and icy precipitation isn’t too far out of the realm of possibility, I guess. I wonder if Spike has mentioned what the club is going to do to help out Mercy Falls Refuge, then I giggle when I think that maybe he meant that Kodiak would be dressing up as Santa. I can’t wait to see that big, burly man wear a red coat and chuckle with a ho-ho-ho. He just doesn’t seem the type, either to do something like that or allow kids with sticky little fingers to sit on his lap.

Grabbing the flashlight that I keep in my nightstand, I wrap my hand around the base and walk down the hallway toward the living room. The smell of the beef vegetable soup I put in the crockpot before leaving this morning permeates the air, and I snicker because it means that Kodiak must’ve lifted the top.

“That smells delicious. What did you make?” he asks as I enter the kitchen.

“Beef vegetable soup. I like making it during the winter because soups are filling, and I can just toss it all in the crockpot and go.” Moving to the cupboard, I pull out two bowls, grab a ladle, and set all of it next to the crockpot. “I have some crusty bread to warm up, and then it’ll be ready.”

I don’t know if I’m a good cook or if he’ll eat anything when he’s hungry enough, but Kodiak gobbles up three massive bowls of soup and most of the bread to my one bowl and a tiny hunk of the loaf. It doesn’t bother me. It’s kinda adorable.

He pats his stomach, giving me a lazy grin. “You’re an amazing cook. Thanks for dinner.”

“Thanks. My pleasure.”

The power flickers before we’re doused in darkness.

“Shit,” Kodiak curses.

I flick on the flashlight. I know I’ve got a few three-wick candles in the living room from my favorite store. It’s not Christmas without the scents of sugar cookies, pine trees, and candy canes. I rise off my seat and head that way, noting that Kodiak silently follows me. Once they’re lit, I pull one of the blankets I keep hidden under the coffee table out and wrap it around me, snuggling on the cushion of the couch.

Kodiak settles beside me, tucking the blanket tighter around me as he frowns. “It’s gonna get cold in here soon.”

He’s right. “I’ve got more blankets in the hall closet.”

“I’ll grab them.”

I feel the loss of his body heat as he heads to the closet and realize that despite the warmth coming from the fire, it’s still going to be colder than anything I’ve previously experienced. When he comes back, his arms laden, I watch him set up a pallet of sorts near the fire. “Do you have any pillows or a warm comforter?” he asks.

“In the spare room and also my bedroom,” I reply, loathe to move from the toasty enclosure I’m now snuggled into. When I start getting up, he motions me back and heads down the hallway again.

I’m so screwed. A fluttering begins low in my belly, and a wave of arousal follows. There’s an ache to push beyond all my barriers and let Kodiak in. He’s the first man who’s ever elicited this kind of response from me. Even my ex didn’t do so, which is one reason he’s an ex.

Not that he was happy with that decision, but I still think it’s because I ‘got away’ before he could get in my pants. I still remember the cruel twist of his lips when I refused him. Shivering as I remember the malevolence in his gaze the last time I saw him, I determinedly push those thoughts to the back of my mind and resolve to enjoy the time I have with the grumpy biker.

After all, it appears we’re snowed in, and it’s an opportunity to learn more about Kodiak.