Winter Takes All (Paranormal Dating Agency Book 19) Read online

  He almost laughed at Juliet’s wide eyes and hand-covered mouth. “But I prefer this.” He turned to a wall shelf next to him. His fingers wrapped around the toilet paper roll and lifted it to her. “Biodegradable, of course.”

  She snatched the roll from him and threw it at him.

  “Oh, my god, Tev!” She choked. “You almost gave me a heart attack,” she hollered while laughing. “I thought I’d be wiping my butt with frozen pinecones.” He laughed with her, light filling his chest where self-hatred had existed. “Now, get out,” she said, “I have to go. Get ready to go outside. I’m ready to play.”

  The seductive smile on her face just about made him come standing there in front of her.

  10

  Juliet closed the bathroom door after shoving him out. She saw him clench his jaw as she shut the door. Something kept him away from her, and she was determined to find out what and why.

  Thank god he had toilet paper though, she had really thought he was serious when he mentioned leaves and shit. When she thought about living off the grid and restrooms, the first thing that came to mind were the latrine type of facilities at the national parks she and her family visited when she was young. They stunk to high heaven and were about as gross as a two-week-old corpse.

  That would’ve been a deal breaker. She and Tevrik would’ve had a long talk about getting water pipes and using a different, softer material that still came from a tree. Pinecones. She shivered at the thought.

  But damn, she was so impressed with how well he was set up with the hearth and greenhouse. Not in her wildest dreams could she have figured out all the genius things he’d done. He was incredibly smart and resourceful.

  She thought of Raven’s mates, those two dragons would walk around town naked and not think anything of it while women died of heart attacks as they passed. Tevrik was more modest for sure, or at least he was being that way with her. Maybe the isolation on the mountain had something to do with it. But if she lived here, she would be as free as hell. Who needed clothes in a warm cabin anyway? She chuckled at the thought: Welcome home Tevrik. Dinner is served and she didn’t mean food.

  She needed to find a way to find out why he was avoiding being close to her. Even after the hot kiss, he pulled back. He had to know they were mates. She sensed a playful side of him, but it was buried. This would be a great time to talk to her mother.

  Her parents were very demonstrative when it came to their love. PDA was fine with them—and almost all levels of display were fine. That could’ve been why she was so bold when it came to what she was thinking and wanting.

  God, she remembered how embarrassed she was in school when her parents volunteered to chaperone her junior high dance. Oh my god, they sucked face like teenagers behind the bleachers. Juliet was surprised they had their clothes on when they emerged. She never heard the end of it from her friends and teachers. Needless to say, they weren’t invited to events that happened at night any longer.

  Her mighty wolf was a challenge, and she hadn’t had one for a while

  She bounded into the room after using the facilities. “Here I am. Let’s go outside.”

  He held her coat up for her to slip her arms into. Her gloves were in her pockets. He moved in front of her and buttoned every button from top to bottom, his fingers brushed against her breasts and she sucked in a gasp. He tied the strings below the zipper that tightened the coat around her legs. Pulled the hood up and grabbed the strings for that.

  “Whoa, hold on there a minute, wolf boy,” she said, taking the strings from his hands. “If I’m bundled up much more, I won’t be able to move.” He stepped back, “I’m sorry, I know you said you like the cold but I just wanted to make sure you were going to be warm.”

  She grabbed his T-shirt and pulled him to her. From there, she planted a big one on him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed into him, wanting to feel his hard chest against her. She tickled the seam of his lips with her tongue until he opened giving her access to deepen the kiss.

  A moan. She wasn’t sure if it was her or him. This felt so right. When his arms wrapped around her, pressing her lower back to him, she imagined she could feel his very hard, very long cock against her lower stomach. Her body ignited hotter than the fire in the hearth. He pulled away and walked outside ahead of her. Maybe he just wanted to cool off, or maybe he was avoiding her again.

  She followed him out, walking along the front of the home, she scooped up a handful of snow and shaped it into a ball.

  Standing around the corner, she waited for him to turn to see where she went. He, of course, could hear her footsteps but she hoped he would come to see what she was up to. Yep, that didn’t take long, she thought. Tevrik turned and took one step in her direction.

  Taking aim, she threw the ball of white powder, hitting him dead center of the chest. He was so surprised. “Woman! I can’t believe you did that.”

  She took off running for the back of the house, again, grabbing up a handful of snowflakes. With that move, her ribs shot a streak of pain down her side, reminding her she wasn’t completely healed.

  She flattened her back against the log wall and watched as his shadow on the glistening ground drew closer to the corner. As he came around, she was in her wind-up and let loose the bomb. It exploded on his chest, again, right in the center. Snow splashed up in his face and he fell backward, back around the corner. She laughed and ran for the woods behind the house. Hopefully, he wouldn’t turn the corner quickly and see her.

  Hiding behind a thick tree, she watched as Tevrik sneaked along the side of the cabin. He hadn’t seen her run to the forest. Instead, he thought she’d moved to the next corner of the cabin. He thought he was being stealthy. He gathered snow into a ball and stood right at the corner, arm raised. With a big growl, he sprang around the side, arm up to deliver his retribution. Not seeing her, he dropped his arm.

  “Hey. Where did you go?” He put his nose in the air. No fair, she wanted to shout. Using shifter super-senses was cheating. Tevrik turned, trying to catch the scent. With his back to her, she wadded up another ball. He was a good distance away this time. About the same length as a pitching mound is to home plate in fast-pitch softball, which her team won state her senior year.

  She stepped away from the tree, swung her around, and released the torpedo. Juliet held her breath, waiting to see if she got a strike. The white ball splatted against the back of his head. Yes! Woo-hoo. Juliet jumped with joy until Tevrik turned to her.

  His eyes glowed. He made a stunning image, reigniting the flame she had when inside a short of time ago. Damn, he was so fucking hot. The growl from Tevrik rumbled deep in his chest. She finally got the wolf to come out and play. Lord knew the serious Tevrik needed to chill for a while.

  Up the hill, she ran, ignoring the dull ache in her midsection. It would go away eventually. Pushing off trees, she didn’t make it very far when arms wrapped around her waist. She giggled and laughed when he carefully lifted her petite form into the air.

  “Damn, woman. You are unpredictable,” he said. When her toes touched the pine needles covering the ground, he spun her around and gently backed her against a tree. “Are your ribs okay?” He unzipped her coat and slid his hands inside. “You are so warm.”

  Juliet wrapped her arms around him and pulled him flush with her. His brows flew up at her boldness, she wanted him now and forever. The wolf shifter made for her. It felt so romantic, a tear almost welled up. She was such a sucker for the mushy stuff.

  She tiptoed and kissed him. He grew hard against her lower stomach. Delicious. She wanted a piece of Tevrik pie. To her dismay, Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes stopped rubbing her sides when his thumbs reached the bottom of her breast. He went no higher.

  Goddamn, what kept him from taking her? She was giving him all the go ahead signs and he was not taking the bait.

  Juliet released her hold around him and laid her hand on top of his on her chest. From there, she scooted his hand over her breast, the nipple har
dening from the touch. It had been forever since a man touched her like this. She’d forgotten how great it felt.

  Tevrik pause for a second, then his tongue dove into her mouth as both his hands massaged her breasts. Oh, fuck. She could almost come now.

  He pressed his hips harder, rocking a tad, his dick rubbing against her mound. She thought about taking this back inside but getting there would ruin the mood. But so would snow up her ass.

  Right when she was about to explode, he stepped back. Each panting like they just finished a marathon. His eyes still glowed, hypnotizing. He grabbed her hand.

  “Walk with me. I want to show you something,” he said. He helped her navigate the rugged ground with fallen trees and damn sticker bushes. Whoever created those fucking things should’ve been hog-tied and thrown into one.

  There was no conversation between them. Didn’t need it. Just being in Mother Nature with crisp air was all she needed. Eh, back up a minute. Nature and her wolfman were all she needed.

  They topped the ridge where trees were sparse, making the trek much easier. On the other side, the land dipped into a valley with a dry creek bed winding through it. Oh, yes. She could live here and just stare at the beauty. That included the nicely rounded ass walking in front of her.

  Tevrik abruptly stopped. Juliet didn’t until her nose met his back. She bounced back instinctively. He grunted. “That’s what you get for staring at my ass, woman.” She nearly fell to the ground laughing. Busted. Caught red-handed. How did he know she was staring? Last she knew shifters didn’t have eyes in the back of their heads.

  He took a deep breath. “You smell so damn good.”

  “What?” That caught her off guard. She wasn’t used to people telling her she smelled damn good. Especially when she hadn’t bathed in days and wore the same clothes since the last shower.

  His face flooded red, then paled. “I-I meant your perfume smelled good.” Her brow lifted. “Wait. Maybe it’s your soap or shampoo.”

  She tried to make sense of what he was saying. She knew he could scent all of those items, so. . .

  “Okay, okay,” she said. “Why did we stop?”

  “Because something else I’m smelling shouldn’t be here.”

  11

  Tevrik about shit himself. He let slip a shifter trait telling his mate she smelled good. Whatever she was doing, he loved it. Her arousal was heady, but it was a bit difficult climbing a steep slope with a boner the size of Texas. Hell, he’d walk her around in circles all day just to keep smelling her. Then something else registered.

  He stopped, Juliet bumping into him.

  The beautiful woman was taking him places he’d never been. Shit, he almost lost it when she moved his hand onto her breast. He wanted to rip her clothes off right there and pound into her against the tree. But he shouldn’t have got so wrapped up in her. The snow clearing away, he planned to take her back to town tomorrow.

  He had to step back from her to keep control. He hoped the wolf didn’t show in his eyes. She would want to know what caused that, then he’d have to tell her about shifters, then he’d be alone as she ran, screaming, thinking he was cuckoo. Or worse yet, a monster.

  She probably thought he was nuts, standing there, sniffing. But what he tasted in the back of his throat wasn’t good.

  “Stay here for a moment. I need to check out something.” He picked up a long branch and swept it across the ground as he walked the rocky path they were on. Most of the trail was covered with a thin layer of snow where the rocks were fairly level.

  Suddenly, he heard a loud snapping-clang, the limb jolted in his grasp, and rocks and snow flew everywhere.

  “Goddammit,” he hollered. “If I ever catch this mother fucker, he’s dead.” He lifted the limb for her to see the metal bear trap dangling on the end. The snare was buried under a thin layer of small rocks, pine needles, and snow. Some of the limb was sheared off. Damn, if his mate would’ve stepped on that, it would have broken her leg bone, if not dismembering it altogether.

  Tevrik removed the trap from the stick and grabbed it with both hands. A snarl on his face, he twisted the shark-like teeth until the device was unusable.

  He heard a commotion behind him. When he saw his mate mimicking him with her own branch, his wolf growled to keep their mate safe. Juliet put a fist on her hip.

  “Shut it. You said a moment, and I gave you a moment. Now I’m helping.”

  In the next half hour, they’d raked the trail and several yards down the slope into the woods, finding three more traps.

  “Why would someone plant these things?” she asked. “I mean, they seem sorta antiquated and dangerous as hell.”

  Tevrik threw his stick down. “I’ll show you why. We’re almost there.” He reached out a hand and she held on. Nothing ever felt so natural as this. How was he going to let her go?

  After going off trail, sliding down a couple feet on smooth rock facing, and climbing up another incline, they crested the ridge. He dropped to his knees and dragged Juliet down with him. “Do you see it?”

  “All I see is a hole in the canyon wall,” she answered.

  “Hold on another minute. The sun needs to be higher,” he replied. While they waited, he moved her around the side of the mountain, getting closer to the hole about to come into the sun. As she watched, a brown nose attached to a white-ish muzzle poked out from the hole. Then two white, furry balls with legs rolled out.

  “Oh my god,” Juliet said, “they’re all white. It doesn’t look like a polar bear, though.”

  “They’re not. These are regular brown bears, but their fur is white, they are very rare.” He sighed. “That is why the traps are set. Someone wants what they shouldn’t have.”

  “By god, they better never set another one of those damn things,” Juliet said, anger and determination flowing in her voice. “I’ll find the bastard and take care of it personally.”

  Her courage to protect something so important surprised him. But it shouldn’t have. Her tenacity was boundless. God help anyone who stood in her way when she had her mindset.

  The two cubs were roly-poly with powder-puff bodies. So cute. They tumbled over each other. One falling on its back in the snow, only its four little paws and the bottom of its belly visible. The cubs climbed all over the mother, chewing on her ears, licking her muzzle, but she didn’t seem to mind as she lounged in the sun.

  “How do you know about them?” Juliet asked.

  “I—uh—just stumbled upon them many years ago,” he replied. Shit. He couldn’t tell her that he found them in his youth when he was homeless and angry with the world. That time in his life he’d rather forget. “The mother has raised several little ones. She comes back to this cave each time.”

  “She’s so big.”

  “She’s bulked up for hibernation. It will start pretty soon.”

  “The babies are so adorable. I wish I could hold one,” she said.

  “No, no, no,” he replied. “These are for viewing only. Bears are not a good animal to meet in a dark forest.”

  Her smile turned teasing, she rubbed against him then asked, “What about wolves? Are they dangerous? Especially the arctic wolves?”

  His heart nearly crashed through his rib cage. “Why would you ask about them?” His mind raced thinking back to see if he did something to give himself away. Shit, shit, shit.

  She shrugged, watching the cubs’ antics. “Just thinking about your pet.”

  “Pet? Oh, right.” She took his hand and interlaced their fingers.

  Juliet said, “Do you want children?”

  All the thoughts in his head were blown away. Including how to talk. Where did that come from? What were they discussing? Weren’t they watching bears?

  “I haven’t thought much about it,” he answered.

  “I’d like to have my own baseball team,” she commented. He felt the blood drain from his face.

  “You want nine children?” The last word came out as a squeak.

  S
he laughed. “Maybe not that many. But I want to practice making them every night and every morning.”

  Aww, shit. His dick was harder than the stones they sat on. He had to adjust himself or have his cock die of strangulation. He wiggled around pretending to move a rock under his ass.

  “Tell me about your family,” she said.

  “Not much to tell,” he answered. “I was just like all the other kids in town. Went to school. Got in trouble on a regular basis.” He would never lie to her. “Mom and Dad still live in the same house. I’m guessing, anyway.”

  “What do you mean by that?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “I haven’t seen them in a while, so as far as I know, they still live in the same place.”

  “How long is a while?”

  Dammit. She would ask these questions now. Maybe he could deflect and change the subject. He looked up at the sky.

  “This time of year, sunrise is around 10:30 and sunset is close to 4:30.”

  “Wow,” she said, frowning at him, “only six hours of day. That’ll take a bit to get used to. What time is it now?”

  “We got out here late,” he answered. “I’d say it’s around two.” He scooted down the incline they sat on to watch the bears. “There is something else I’d like to show you.” He held his hand out. Hers fit perfectly inside his.

  “Another surprise?” Getting to her feet, she leaned into him and he kissed her again. Fuck, he loved kissing her. An amazing rush of adrenaline and emotions coursed through him. And a shit load of hormones—horny hormones.

  His dick was on a rollercoaster ride from hell. Soft, hard, semi-hard, hard as hell, standing at attention. Right now, he wanted that coaster to plunge into a dark, warm tunnel with tight walls that would squeeze him till he came.

  His hands slid down her back to cup her ass. Her legs wrapped around his waist, perfectly placed for her to slide down onto his cock. Up and down. In and out. Hot, tight. He fought the urge to press her to a tree and yank down her pants. Fuck, she was wet and wanting him. His wolf wanted to claim their mate and get on with those children he never thought much about.