Kodiak's Claim (4 page)

When Travis moved to get around the towering moose, Boris shifted to block him again. As the ululations of the fleeing wolves faded, Travis swapped to his human form and yelled, “What the fuck? Why aren’t we chasing these bastards?”

Taking his human shape in the cold was something even a big ol’ bear like Reid never quite got used to. Human skin, even that of a shifter, wasn’t meant for the harsh winter climate, not without a few thermal layers. He didn’t reply to Travis’ tirade but directed his question to Boris. “The human female, where is she?”

Boris, who’d also shifted and stretched his massive shape, marked in knotted scars, replied, “Sleeping. I tranquilized her before the fight began. She didn’t see anything.”

At least Boris showed good sense. All of Reid’s trucks had tranquilizer darts, a just-in-case that served them better than guns and bullets, especially when they needed to capture someone and question them, or if a shifter got drunk in town and needed some sedating. Alcohol didn’t just loosen inhibitions and tongues. It sometimes gave rise to the beast within.

The cold did its best to steal his heat as he strode back to his snowmobile and his pile of clothes. Making sure he’d wiped most of the blood off his skin first, he then calmly dressed while Travis, still yelling, finally gave in to the climate and put back on his own garments.

Straddling his sled, Reid gave it a bit of gas and brought it alongside the truck. He let it idle as he regarded his cousin, who huffed and puffed, still irritated but quiet at last.

“Are you done having a temper tantrum?” Reid asked in a low tone.

Travis opened his mouth—must have seen something on Reid’s face—and shut it in favor of nodding his head.

“Good. First off. If you ever disobey a direct order from me again, family or not, I’m going to beat your ass until you can’t fucking sit for a week. I told you to get in the goddamned truck and wait for me.”

“We were under attack.”

“And you jumped in, without waiting for backup and without thinking. What if there’d been guys with guns in the woods? Or more shifters?”

“There wasn’t, and I had Boris with me.”

“Not the point, there could have been. And what about the human?”

“She’s sleeping.”

“Did you know that before you stripped down and went grizzly?”

His sheepish expression and hanging head said it all.

“Stupid. Unbelievably stupid.”

The boy didn’t know when to quit while he was still in one piece. His sullen expression took on an angry edge as he retorted, “So what was I supposed to do? Lock the doors and pretend they weren’t there?”

“Yes. That would have worked. Maybe screamed and freaked out a little with the human girl. It’s what a normal person does. Instead, you were stupid, and we had to take desperate measures.” Well, not so much desperate as difficult to explain. Now Reid would have to think of a lie to feed the woman when she woke up.

“As stupid as letting them get away? Why the hell didn’t you let me chase them down?” Travis still wouldn’t admit he was wrong. Young fool.

Reid’s brows arched. “Do you really have to ask why? Let me see. Waddle off in the dark after a werewolf and his pack, who, for all you know, was part of a larger group. Leave the truck, the trailer, not to mention a human unguarded, again without knowing if there was another larger group waiting in the shadows. And, oh, the most obvious reason, because you wouldn’t have caught them. You might be fast on four feet, cousin, but you’re not that fast.”

With each verbal strike from Reid, Travis’ mutinous expression sobered, and it was a very meek grizzly who said, “Sorry, Reid. I didn’t think of any of that.”

“Of course you didn’t,” Boris announced with a slap on the boy’s back that almost sent him flying. “That’s why Reid here’s the leader of our clan and not any of us pea-brained minions.”

Reid snorted. “Minion? Really?”

“Should I have gone with henchmen instead?” asked the normally taciturn man, surprising him with his question. Someone was in a good mood, probably because he’d gotten to fight. Boris’ sly grin almost drew one from Reid.

“How about we don’t call the folk I’m trying to lead anything.” Except pains in his ass when they wouldn’t listen.

“I’m going to get the tools to change the tire.”

“I’ll help,” Travis volunteered.

“I guess I should check on the human,” Reid added with a grimace. At least Boris had the good sense to put her to sleep, although how he’d explain away her sudden slumber he didn’t have a clue.

The passenger side door wasn’t locked and when Reid opened it, he managed to get his arms up just in time to catch the woman who tumbled out. At least he assumed there was a woman somewhere within the thick red parka. Hard to tell with all the padding in the way.

A vanilla scent tickled his nose, a womanly smell that perked his inner bear’s interest. It gave a happy rumble, but Reid didn’t pay him much mind, given he also made the same sound when his grandmother made her famous pot roast with thick, pan gravy. Still … he’d never had his bear think a human smelled delicious before.
No eating people.
The first rule a shifter learned, right after don’t lick the electrical outlet.

As Reid held her limp frame with one arm, curiosity had him pushing back the curly hair covering her face with his gloved fingers. Human or not, she was cute, just not what the media would call gorgeous. She did, however, appeal to him with her faint freckles splashed across the bridge of her nose. He even liked her snub nose, rounded cheeks, and tiny rosebud of a mouth. She possessed smooth skin and thick lashes, which brushed her pale cheeks as she slept, making him wonder what color her eyes were.

Hefting her into his arms, he noted she was a woman with a bit of weight to her, some meat on her bones—which the bear in him heartily approved of. A man his size didn’t find scrawny waifs appealing. A full handful and something to bury himself into was more to his taste.

But speaking of appealing, why the hell was he appraising her this way? The human was here to investigate him and his company. She was not dating material. Not even close, even if his bear liked the smell of her.

Carrying her around the side of the truck, he caught Travis and Boris spreading out the needed tools to get the vehicle moving again. In the distance, he could hear the hum of approaching snowmobiles. Reinforcements arrived, and no, he wasn’t guessing. He’d recognized the distinct “Yahoo!” Brody hollered as a greeting.

“The boys are arriving, which means I’m leaving.”

“You taking her with you?” Boris asked.

Peering down into her face, Reid couldn’t have said what prompted him to say, “Yes. The sooner I get her to Kodiak Point, the safer she’ll be.”

If Boris and Travis saw the illogic in his statement, they didn’t voice it aloud. A good thing too because Reid would have been hard-pressed to explain how he, alone on a snowmobile, toting an unconscious human, just over two hours out from town, with who knew what in his way, was safer than having her finish the ride in the truck with a crew of his men.

His decision didn’t make sense on the surface, but that didn’t stop him from grabbing a bungee cord from the tool kit, strapping her to his chest, face tucked into him, legs straddling his, and heading for home on his sled.

And once there, he really couldn’t have explained why instead of bringing her to the mini motel in town, he brought her to his house. Not his bed, mind you, but given he gave her the room right across the hall, not far.

He did draw the line at stripping her out of her clothes. More because his grandmother, who lived with him, shooed him from the room, stating, “Get out, you mangy furball, while I make her comfortable.”

“Why can’t I help you?”

Lips set in a tight line, his grandmother huffed, “Because it’s not proper.”

Given his thoughts when he saw her peeled from her bulky jacket to reveal a very womanly shape, Reid could only agree. Despite her humanity and general unsuitableness, the ideas running through his head weren’t decent at all.

But really, did his grandmother have to shove him out the door and then slam it shut?

Waking in a strange bed, Tammy stretched and didn’t panic until she remembered her last moments before sleep.

Wolves!

Panic infused, she scrambled to a sitting position. The fog in her mind cleared fast, and she quickly noted that not only were there no wolves in sight, but that she seemed whole of body—although her mind remained debatable. One odd thing though was she wore only her T-shirt and long johns.

Someone stripped her!

Someone brought her here, although where here was she didn’t have a clue.

And someone drugged her.

Um, yeah, that last part kind of trumped all the rest.

Placing her bare feet on a rug beside the bed, she took a better look around.
I am in a bedroom.
A brilliant observation given the double bed with brass head rail, wooden night stand, straight-back chair draped with her missing clothes, and a tall wooden dresser, which had a kerosene lantern sitting atop it and a carved figurine of a bear standing on its hind paws, snarling. The walls were timber, not plaster, smooth wood logs with the cracks in between filled. If she were to guess, she was in someone’s home, but whose?

The first door she opened led to a closet with only empty hangars. The next door she tried to a washroom. Locking it behind her, she made use of the toilet and then the sink to splash water on her face. Only as she patted her skin dry did she take a peek at her reflection. Freckles, messy hair, and perky nose; check. No sign of attack.

She took stock of her other body parts, running hands over her frame, noting that she was still wearing the same bra, panties, and sexy long johns she’d picked up in the men’s section at Walmart. It relieved her to note no evidence of soreness in any of her girly places.

It didn’t seem she’d suffered any kind of assault. So what happened? She knew her sleep wasn’t a natural one, but why exactly had Boris—had to be since she distinctly remembered Travis outside the truck stripping, which was a whole other weirdness—drugged her? Was he part of the truck sabotage, trailer-stealing ring?

A ton of questions, and yet none would get answered while she stared at her reflection. Exiting the bathroom, she ensured the door to the bedroom was locked before she stripped out of her long johns and other garments to put on fresh ones.

Then, sucking in a deep breath to calm her frazzled nerves, she went looking for answers—and her phone, which wasn’t in any of the piles in the room. Then again, neither was her coat, boots, or purse.

Once again, she really wished she’d spent a day arming herself.
That’s the last time I leave home without a gun.

The door opened soundlessly, the hinges not making the slightest squeak, and she eased out into a shadowy hall lit only by the glow of light coming up some stairs. Her feet, clad in socks, didn’t make a sound on the carpeted floor as she inched along, practically holding her breath, her ears straining to hear.

So when a low voice from behind her, said, “Going somewhere?” was it any wonder she screamed and did what any self-respecting city girl would do? She spun and swung.

Her closed fist hit a brick wall.

Ouch!

With a yelp, she drew her hand back and then stared at the chest she’d tried to smoke, less chest and more like impenetrable barrier. And a wide one at that.

Glancing upward, then up, up, and holy fuck, up some more, she caught the less-than-amused expression on the giant’s face.

Way to go. Piss off the big, scary dude.
“Um, hi?” she offered tentatively.

“If that’s how you say hello to strangers, I’d hate to see how you say goodbye. Is it a city thing to hit your hosts?” he asked, his sarcasm evident.

“Only when the hosts have a nasty habit of sneaking up on women and scaring the pants off them,” she retorted.

“Seeing as how you’re still wearing your pants, and I was hardly sneaking, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

His size, not to mention his attitude—bristly with a side of arrogant—threw her off kilter. Not enjoying the lack of control, and heart still pounding from fright, she went on the attack. “Who are you, and where am I?” she asked.

“I’m Reid Carver, and you’re in my house.”

The name rang a bell—a warning one. “You’re the owner of Beark Enterprises, aren’t you?”

He nodded.

“I’m here to investigate you.” Nothing like putting it out there bluntly to see if she could catch him off guard.

It didn’t work. His lips, which she now couldn’t help but note were full and tempting, curled into an amused grin that went well with his square jaw and rugged features. Not exactly a cover-model man, but handsome, too handsome if you liked a man with a rough, slightly untamed look—who also happened to tower over her.

It wasn’t often Tammy met a man who made her feel petite. Or who could heat her cheeks just by perusing her from the tips of her wooly socks to the top of her mop of curls.

“Do you mind not staring at me?” she asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Why not? You’ve already stated your intent to investigate. It seems only fair I get to do the same.”

“But I’m not the one possibly concealing something.” Other than a penchant for chocolate bars and ice cream.

He held out his hands and spun for her. “By all means, inspect me. I’ve got nothing to hide.”

Nothing except what she judged to be an excess of muscle. His plaid shirt stretched across ungodly wide shoulders while well-worn jeans hugged thick, corded thighs. If her mission involved finding a hot body, she’d succeeded, but she wasn’t here on pleasure.

“What happened to the truck I was traveling in? Where’s Travis and Boris? Why was I drugged? What happened to me while I was asleep? Why am I here? Where is here, and don’t tell me your house again. Where’s my phone? What—”

Under her barrage of questions, he held up a hand. “Slow down, woman.”

“Woman?” A single brow of hers arched. “My name is Tamara Roberts, and I’m here on behalf of—”