Chapter 4

As the days passed, Max found it difficult to ignore that Alexa was his fated mate and yet, he could not seem to find a way to tell her. There was a myriad of problems that came with that knowledge. Max waited until Alexa had turned in for the night and then headed down to the lake. For the past several nights he'd found it preferable to go down to the lake, shed his clothes, shift, go for a dip in the frigid water and then go for a run. It didn't help with his growing need to claim Alexa, but it helped him keep his wolf in check.

Tonight, instead of the cold lake and a hard run, he lit a small fire in the fire pit, pulled out his cell phone and called Asher Wells. Asher was a park ranger here on Kodiak and was only loosely tied to the pack at Wolf Run up in Mystic River. They weren't close friends, but they did share a bond: neither was a member of the pack up at Mystic River and had become lone wolves. It had suited Max well enough for the most part. He enjoyed his own company and the solitude. It allowed him to focus on his art. He smiled. It was only since Alexa repeatedly told him that the things he created were art that he'd begun to believe it.

Besides, he had friends and when he needed another wolf to talk to, he could call Asher. Even if he hadn't liked and respected Asher, he knew his advice would be spot on. It wasn't all that long ago that Asher had been in a very similar position. Hopefully, it wouldn't be necessary to turn Alexa without her consent to save her life—although in some ways, Max wondered if that might not have made it easier.

Sitting down, Max picked up the phone and called Asher.

"Max? Hi, it's Nicole, Asher's just bringing in the last of the groceries. Babe? It's Max. Is everything okay?"

He liked Nicole. "It's fine. It's just one of those times it would be nice to have a pack."

"Oooh," she laughed, knowingly. "I heard you picked up the travel writer who was supposed to stay with Joe. We were in town to do our grocery shopping and take Joe some meals he can just heat up. You know if you want to talk about her, it might not be the worst thing to talk to a woman."

In the background Max could hear Asher coming to save him. "If he wanted to talk to a matchmaking she-wolf, he'd have called you direct," said Asher, taking the phone. "Max? What's up?"

Asher might have thought he was scolding his mate, but Nicole wasn't easily intimidated, and Asher was crazy about her.

"Has she always been psychic?" Max asked.

"Not really. She's just an incurable romantic and wants to see everybody happily involved. So, is there a problem with the travel writer? What's her name? It seems rude to refer to her only by her profession."

"Alexa Carrington, and no, there's no problem. It's probably best that she's out here with me. I'm not sure I'd have been able to tolerate her staying at Joe's place."

Asher groaned. "Fated mate?"

"Yeah. I felt her presence before she even stepped off the plane. I figured since Nicole was also human and from the lower forty-eight, you might have some words of wisdom for me."

"Honestly? I got lucky. Nicole almost died, and I had no choice but to turn her. Let's hope you don't find yourself in the same situation."

"I don't think I will," Max chuckled. "For one thing Alexa is an experienced mountain climber and outdoors person. She's been all over the world writing about all kinds of remote and wonderful places."

"And she has no idea about our kind, right?"

"Doubtful. Although she's probably more susceptible to accepting it than most. She talks about the various legends she's heard and understands how ancient people were trying to make sense of their world."

"Only we're real. We exist. We can shift from human to wolf and back again."

"Tell him to lead with being wolf means a healthier metabolism, being able to eat what you want, and an increased libido," laughed Nicole.

"It also means better hearing so you can eavesdrop on conversations that weren't meant to include you," chided Asher.

"You do know she has absolutely no fear of you, right?" teased Max, feeling the tension in his chest lightening for the first time since Alexa had entered his world. It was as if he was getting a glimpse into what his future could be.

"I am well aware my fated mate has me wrapped around her little finger. Once I knew Nicole was my mate, I had this plan to take it slow and introduce her to the idea of who we are and what it means to be wolf. Unfortunately, she decided to ramp up the timetable and almost got herself killed so I had no choice but to claim her. All that aside, if you know, tell her. If you're unsure of how she'll react, make sure you can control the environment, but whatever you do, don't lie to her. Fated mates get cranky when they think you've lied to them, don't you baby?"

"I'm going to assume that last question was directed to your mate."

"That would be correct. My beautiful fated mate who I am now holding captive and thinking of all the sensual ways I can subdue her. So, unless you need something more from me…"

Max laughed. "No. Take care of your lady."

"When you turn Alexa…"

"I didn't say I was thinking about that, and she sure as hell hasn't agreed," Max said, running his hand through his hair.

"Maybe not in so many words, but we wouldn't be having this conversation if that wasn't your plan. Nicole has made me come to believe that fated mates are destined to be together. If they weren't, they wouldn't be fated. Oh, god, I think the incurable romantic thing has rubbed off on me. If she's it, Max, make her yours. Find your path forward with her by your side."

"Thanks, Asher."

"Let us know what happens, and if Nic or I can be of help, let us know."

"I may well take you up on that."

Max ended the call, feeling more relaxed and focused than he had since Alexa had come to Kodiak. He thought about doing his moonlight dip in the lake followed by a hard run, but instead decided to head back to the cabin… back to her.

In the days that followed, Alexa and Max fell into a comfortable routine. Alexa liked to just ‘poke around,' as she called it, by herself in the morning, leaving Max to work on a special order he had from a repeat customer in Italy, who was taking a trip to the Italian side of the Alps and wanted a new set of gear. The guy was made of money, so Max was more than happy to comply.

They would have lunch together—mostly because Alexa had taken him at his word, made herself at home and usually cooked something, bringing it down to him in his workshop. The first time she'd done so, she'd knocked on the door lightly. When he invited her in, she'd been fascinated, not just by his works in progress, but by the tools—some of them antiques—he used to create various pieces.

In the afternoon, they spent their time exploring the wilderness, which gave Max a chance to share this beautiful land with her, including various cave paintings and rock carvings. He loved how Alexa explored the world not just with her eyes, but with her fingers, running them over surfaces as if to commit them to memory. In the evenings, she worked on her notes while Max made dinner, and then they took the beverage of their choice down to the fire pit. They seemed to find both inspiration and solace in one another's company.

* * *

Alexa watched Max surreptitiously from beneath her lashes while he moved around the kitchen, making them dinner. They'd fallen into a comfortable routine, and Alexa found herself waking each day with an enchanting sense of anticipation for what the day might bring. Each evening as they sat down by the lake, they shared bits and pieces of their past. She found herself telling Max things she'd never told anyone.

Despite the deepening bond between them, Alexa could feel that Max was holding back. There was something just beneath the surface that she sensed he wanted to share, but he would pull back at the last moment. There were moments when he seemed lost in thought, his gaze distant and troubled. Then he would turn back to her, his eyes would clear, and he would smile, filling her with a kind of quiet joy she'd never known. She felt a magnetic pull to Max, one that she was quickly losing the ability to resist. Alexa wanted to ask him about the shadows that lingered in his eyes, but she didn"t want to push him too hard too soon. Wherever it was they were going, it was worth waiting for.

One evening, as they sat by the fire after a long day of hiking, Alexa decided to take a chance. "Max, can I ask you something personal?"

Max looked at her, his expression guarded for only a moment before relaxing. "Sure."

"Your sculptures—even the carvings on your tools—they have such a strong emotional pull. I can"t help but feel like they"re telling a story. Is there something in your past that inspires them?"

Max"s jaw tightened, and for a moment, Alexa feared she had overstepped. But then he sighed, shrugging his shoulders before shaking them to relax them. "You"re not wrong. My past... it"s complicated. My present is a lot more clear cut. There are things about me you may find hard to understand—harder yet to accept. I"ve tried to live just in the present but my past always seems to find its way back into my work."

Alexa waited, quietly taking his hand, sensing that he was on the verge of opening up.

"I used to be a different person," Max continued, his voice low. "I had a life that was very different from this. But I found myself in conflict with my family—people with whom I'd spent my whole life."

"Can I ask what?"

"Sure, but it comes back to that complicated past. Let's just say I found out that the people I'd always thought of as open and loving had lied to me and had turned their back on someone—frozen her out completely and left her to make her way in this world without their support." Max chuckled as he shook his head. "That sounds pretty melodramatic, doesn't it? My great aunt disappeared when I was a very small child. It wasn't until I was an adult I found out she didn't leave, she was pushed out."

"Did you come here looking for her?"

He nodded. "I came up here to see if I could find out what happened to her, to escape from my family and what I believed to be their tainted legacy, and to find peace. But some wounds never fully heal and some you don't want to." He chuckled. "I don't think I'm making any sense at all, am I?"

"Not really. You don"t have to tell me everything if you"re not ready. But just know that I"m here for you, no matter what."

"Even if what I have to say is so fantastical that it borders on lunacy?"

"Even if," she said with a quiet certainty. "I don't know why, and I can only speak for myself, but I feel as though we're standing on the brink of something I never imagined. You should know that if you ever take my hand and say ‘jump,' I will."

The look of relief that flooded his face was almost painful to see. Someone had hurt her heroic artist, and she realized that somehow and at some point, she'd begun to think of him as hers. Max looked at her, his eyes filled with gratitude and something more. "Thanks, Alexa. I may just have to hold you to that."

They sat in silence for a while; Max pulled her closer and settled his arm around her shoulders. It felt good—better than anything in a long, long while. The crackling of the fire provided a kind of quiet music that was punctuated by the howling of wolves in the distance. Alexa could feel the weight of his words, the pain and disillusionment that he carried with him. She wanted to help him, to be there for him in whatever way she could.

As the fire burned down to embers, Max stood and helped her to her feet. As they walked back to the cabin, Alexa made a silent promise to herself to be patient, but to uncover the truth as well. She knew the answers were there, she just had to find them.