Chapter One: Clint

Chapter One – Clint

Clint’s heart raced as he struggled to catch his breath. His palms were clammy and slick with sweat, and his thoughts galloped through his mind like a herd of wild horses. He couldn’t shake off the feeling of anticipation that had been building up within him like a bright spark that was ready to ignite into a flame.

A flame of desire. His forehead creased as he tried to figure out what the hell was happening to him.

Suddenly, a hand rested on his shoulder, anchoring him to the present moment. The touch felt like a lifeline, grounding him in reality. Clint’s eyes flicked open, and he met Jesse’s concerned gaze.

“Clint,” Jesse’s voice was soft and steady, like a soothing balm. “Are you all right?”

Jesse stared down at him with concern. And Clint stared right back.

Was he all right?

Clint closed his eyes as his vision blurred. He tried to focus on his breathing, but a sharp pain lanced his chest and stole it from him once more. Terror gripped him and he forced the breath into his lungs.

Jesse’s gaze remained fixed on him, a solid, reassuring presence as Clint struggled to regain control.

Don’t worry, Clint’s bear said. We’re not having a heart attack.

Clint took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, even as his heart pounded in his chest as if it were trying to escape. He placed his hand over it, hoping to ease the sensation.

“Maybe you should sit down.” Jesse’s gentle voice and steady hand guided Clint to a chair, supporting his friend as he slumped down. “I’m just going to give you a quick check-over.”

“I’m fine,” Clint protested weakly, even though he wasn’t sure if he was.

“Humor me.” Jesse, the skilled doctor that he was, quickly examined Clint. As Jesse’s warm and gentle hands explored Clint’s body, a sense of ease washed over him, and his heart regained its steady beat.

But he could still feel it. Whatever was out there.

Whoever is out there, his bear said confidently.

“Here.” Ryan appeared by Clint’s side and handed him a glass of cold water.

“Thanks,” he said softly. As Clint’s trembling hands raised the glass to his lips, he took a long, deep sip of the mountain spring water. The water was pure and refreshing, with a hint of minerals that reminded him of the rocky terrain from which the water had emerged.

As Clint drank more, he felt a sense of rejuvenation and energy coursing through his body. Much to the relief of his bear.

“Would you be able to stand up for me?” Jesse spoke lightly, with a doctoral tone as if Clint were one of his patients at the hospital.

Clint replied, “I just sat down.”

“I want to make sure you’re okay.” Jesse had always been around when Clint needed him, both as a friend and as a doctor.

But we don’t need a doctor. Clint’s bear was right.

Their need was beyond medical attention. He could sense that someone was out there and that someone was responsible for the physical reaction he was experiencing.

“I am okay.” Clint sucked in a shuddering breath. He felt an undeniable presence, something that filled him with a strange mixture of anxiety and longing that he couldn’t quite explain.

“You don’t look it,” Ryan told him, his face etched with concern.

Jody stood a few feet away, her gaze alternating between Jesse and Ryan. Her eyes narrowed as she studied their faces. “You two don’t get it, do you?”

Ryan glanced sideways at Jesse, his brow creased in confusion, before turning to Jody with a helpless shrug. His eyes seemed to plead for an explanation. “Get what?”

Jody laughed and shook his head. “You two are bear shifters, right?”

“Last time I looked,” Jesse still didn’t understand what Jody was talking about, but then with a sharp gasp, his expression suddenly shifted to one of surprise. His eyes widened and his lips parted in astonishment. “You mean...”

“Clint?” Jody gave Clint a questioning look and gently touched his shoulder. “Does this mean what I think it means?”

“I still don’t get it.” Ryan’s forehead wrinkled with concern.

“Clint’s mate is out there.” Jody went to the cabin door and opened it up, shivering against the cold as she stared into the distance.

“His mate.” Ryan joined her in the doorway and threaded an arm around her shoulders as a car drew into the parking lot. “Is that...”

“My grandma,” Jody whispered in disbelief. “She’d gone to town with Carter. Perhaps...”

Clint shook his head, trying to get rid of the fuzzy feeling in his brain as if someone had stuffed it full of cotton balls. Was that who he could sense? Jody’s grandma.

No,his bear said. Our mate is close, but not that close.

Clint rose to his feet, propelled by some unseen force as he made his way to the cabin door.

The mating bond,his bear told Clint. That’s the invisible force.

“Clint.” Ryan stepped aside, and Clint brushed past him.

Clint crossed the porch and stood outside the cabin, taking in the tranquil scenery around him. But the sensations inside his body were in no way tranquil.

She was out there somewhere. At last. And he needed to find her. Now.

As a bear shifter, he had always felt at home in the woods and enjoyed the solitude the mountain provided. However, the nagging need to find his mate was always there, leaving him restless like something was missing from his life no matter how hard he tried to fill his days with work and helping others with their problems.

Because something was missing from his life. There always had been. His mate, the other half of his whole.

Now she was here. He could sense her.

Clint closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. He had waited his whole life for this moment and could hardly contain his excitement.

As he opened his eyes, he turned his head toward the road. He could hear another car approaching.

“She’s close.” Clint’s nostrils flared as he eagerly waited for his mate to arrive.

Clint’s stomach twisted in knots as a feeling of dread crept over him. What if his mate didn’t arrive? What if her destination wasn’t Bear Creek Lodge? What if he had missed her somehow? He tried to push these thoughts aside and focus on the present moment.

This was it. He could feel it in his bones. As the car came into view, he knew his mate was here at last.

The car reached Bear Creek Lodge, slowing to a stop in the small parking lot. Clint held his breath as the car door opened and a woman stepped out of the driver’s seat.

She was a breathtaking vision. Her long woolen coat clung to her curves, accentuating her figure as she stood tall and proud, her eyes scanning the wintry forest that surrounded them before they rested on him.

Clint felt a sudden electrical charge in the air, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. In that moment, with his mate standing right in front of him, he knew with certainty that they were connected on a deeper level than he could have ever imagined.

“Hello there.” She raised a gloved hand and waved at him.

Clint stared back at her, unable to move or speak. It was as if she’d cast a spell over him.

“Clint.” Jesse hurried forward, his concerned tone rousing Clint from his daydream.

This was real. It was happening.

“Hello there.” Clint’s voice trembled as he lifted his hand and waved back. Although, his hand kind of flopped like a limp fish.

Not a great first impression. His bear rolled his eyes at Clint’s human form.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” She smiled brightly, her eyes scanning the small group of people staring at her. Clint had completely ignored the arrival of Carter and Jody’s grandma.

“No!” Clint stepped forward to greet her. “I’m Clint, the owner of Bear Creek Lodge.”

“Martha.” She came closer, and he inhaled her scent, tasting her on his tongue. “I was hoping to rent a cabin.”

As she approached him, Clint’s heart pounded in his chest once more. Only this time, he wasn’t afraid. He knew for sure the reason his body was reacting this way.

Martha.He took a deep breath and smiled, feeling like his life had finally found its missing piece.

“Sure.” Clint nodded.

“Great.” Martha’s eyes shifted to the spot where the others were standing, subtly attempting not to appear like they were watching Clint and Martha. Even though it was obvious that they were. An amused smile crossed her lips. “It’s good to see so many friendly faces.”

“We’re a friendly bunch,” Clint assured her and cast a warning look toward the others.

“Oh!” Jody hooked her arm through her grandma’s. “Is that the kettle boiling?”

“I don’t hear it,” Ryan answered. Jody grabbed hold of her mate’s sleeve and dragged him back toward her cabin.

Carter and Jesse followed along behind them, but Carter’s eyes were filled with quizzical uncertainty. He still did not know what was going on as he mounted the porch and cast one last confused glance at Martha before he went inside, and Jesse shut the door behind them.

They’ll explain it all to Carter,Clint’s bear assured him. We just have to focus on our mate.

That they could do.

“This way.” Clint held out his arm, guiding her across the icy parking lot toward the main building where the reception area was situated.

As Martha followed him, she took in the stunning scenery and the peacefulness of the surrounding forest. “It sure is beautiful.”

So are you.His bear sighed in wonder.

“Have you been to these parts before?” Clint asked, trying to keep the conversation light and casual.

“No, this is my first time in this area,” Martha replied, a hint of excitement in her voice. “I needed a change and Bear Creek ticked all the boxes. And so far, I’m not disappointed.”

Clint nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He couldn’t agree more.

“Well, I hope you enjoy your stay here,” he said warmly. “If you need anything at all, just let me know.”

“Thanks, Clint.” Martha glanced over her shoulder at the forest before she followed him up the steps and onto the porch.

“You are welcome.” He held the door open for her and she walked past him into the reception area.

“This is cozy.” His mate headed toward the welcoming fire that burned brightly in the reception area. Clint lit it every morning during the colder seasons, not just as a source of comfort and warmth for whoever was working reception duty, but also to make a positive first impression on his guests.

We seem to have made a positive first impression on our mate,his bear said, ecstatic. He was desperate to be free to meet Martha himself, but this was not the time or the place.

We have made a good first impression, Clint replied. But if we reveal what we are too soon, we could scare her off and lose her forever. We need to know if she knows about shifters before she meets you for the first time.

His bear accepted this, although he was still pushing at the edges of Clint’s mind as if he was trying to escape. Clint went around the desk and tapped the keyboard to wake the computer. “How long are you planning to stay in Bear Creek?” Clint asked, hoping the answer was forever.

Martha turned her back to the fire for a moment, her face a mixture of confusion, then it cleared as if she was masking her true feelings. “I’m not sure,” she answered.

“Is everything okay?” Clint asked. If anything was troubling his mate, if she was in any kind of danger, he would be there by her side. From now on, now that they had met, her problems were his problems, no matter the cost.

“Everything is fine,” she smiled at him and took a step closer to the reception desk. “I really do just need a change in my life.”

“And you think that new life is here in Bear Creek?” Clint asked hopefully.

“I hope so,” Martha shrugged. “So far, I like what I see.”

“It’s a good place to live. The people here are the best people I have ever met,” Clint chuckled. “Not that I’ve really been anywhere else. I have spent my life here in Bear Creek.”

Martha tilted her head to one side. “Well, if that isn’t a good advertisement for this town, then I don’t know what is.”

Clint met Martha’s gaze and held it. As he looked into her eyes, he read something there that he couldn’t decipher. However, he was left with a sense that there was something more going on for Martha than a simple move to a new town.

Maybe she was running away from something, or maybe she was running toward something. Whatever it was, Clint aimed to figure it out and help her find whatever it was she was searching for.