"Not happening." His voice drops to that rumbly bass that seems to vibrate through me. "Bedroom's yours. I insist."
There's something almost protective in his stance, like the idea of me being uncomfortable is personally offensive to him. It's strange coming from someone I just met, but also oddly comforting.
"I'll show you where it is," he says, picking up my suitcase again. "You should get some rest."
I follow him across the hall to a cozy bedroom with a queen-sized bed and simple furnishings. Like everything else in the cabin, the furniture appears handcrafted.
"Bathroom's stocked with towels and whatever else you might need," he says, setting my suitcase by the dresser. "Kitchen's open if you get hungry."
"Thank you." I stand awkwardly in the doorway of this stranger's room, suddenly very aware that I'm alone in a remote cabin with a man who could probably bench press my car. A man who keeps looking at me with an intensity that makes my skin tingle.
But instead of making me nervous, something about Cole Blackwood makes me feel... safe. It doesn't make sense. Nothing about this situation should feel comfortable, yet somehow it does.
He backs away, giving me space. "I'll be in the living room if you need anything."
"Goodnight, Cole."
He pauses, his green eyes meeting mine one more time. "Goodnight, Ruby."
After he leaves, I sit on the edge of the bed, listening to the sound of the rain against the windows and his heavy footsteps retreating down the hall.
Tomorrow, I'll tackle the financial mess. Tonight, I need to make sense of this strange feeling that's been building since I first looked into Cole Blackwood's eyes like I've stumbled into something much bigger than a simple accounting emergency.
But that's ridiculous. I'm here to do a job, not to get caught up in whatever intensity this man naturally projects. Two days, then I'm back to Atlanta and my normal life.
I change into pajamas and slide under the covers, inhaling deeply. The sheets smell like cedar and something wild—like the forest after rain. It's oddly comforting, and despite the unfamiliar surroundings, I drift off almost immediately.
Chapter 3 - Cole
I pace the living room, my footsteps silent despite my size—a predator's habit. My bear is restless, prowling beneath my skin, demanding I return to her. To Ruby. My mate.
The recognition was instant, primal. When our eyes met, something clicked into place that I've waited forty years to feel. The beast recognized what the man couldn't comprehend.
This woman is mine. The other half of my soul.
And she has no idea.
I pour myself a whiskey, knowing it won't dull my senses but needing the ritual. The amber liquid burns down my throat as I stare into the dying fire. Two days before the full moon is the worst possible time to discover my mate—when my control is at its weakest and my bear is strongest.
"Relax," I mutter, running a hand over my face.
Her scent still lingers. My bear draws it in greedily. I can hear her heartbeat from across the cabin, already slowing as she drifts toward sleep.
I add another log to the fire, trying to focus on practical matters. The audit. The paperwork. The fact that this woman is here to save my business, not to have a stranger tell her she's his destined mate. That shifters exist. That I turn into a 900-pound black bear under the full moon.
Yeah, that would go over well.
I stretch out on the couch, too long for it by at least a foot, and stare at the ceiling. The storm continues to rage outside, rain pelting against the windows like it's trying to get in. Like nature itself reflects the turmoil inside me.
What am I going to do? I can't send her away. Not with the audit looming and the roads unsafe. But keeping her here, in my territory, with my bear so close to the surface... it's asking for trouble.
Dad's voice echoes in my head: "When you find her, you'll know. And then all the rules change."
He never told me what to do after that.
I close my eyes, focusing on my breathing, trying to soothe my bear. He's impatient, wanting to claim what's his. But Ruby isn't just my mate. She's a human woman who came here to do a job. A woman who knows nothing about shifters or mates or the beast that lives inside me.
Her heartbeat has steadied now, deep in sleep. The sound is hypnotic, drawing me toward unconsciousness despite my racing thoughts. For the first time in years, my bear settles, content just to be near her.
