“What are you?” The honey color is back in his eyes, pushing all that dark brown away.

“A shifter.”

“I know that.” I put my hand on my hips. I’m used to having to look up at my brothers, but this is just crazy. I’m going to get a crick in my neck.

His eyes narrow on me.

“Yes, I know all about shifters,” I inform him. There’s no beating around the bush or pretending I don’t know. Besides, it’s more than obvious he is with all this grunting and growling he’s doing.

“A bear. How do you know about my kind?”

I just shrug, not feeling scared of him anymore. Shifters don’t hurt their mates. Most even die if the other does. But those are true love cases. It’s clear my big bear isn’t happy with his choice of mate. “I grew up with shifters, you could say. In fact, they’ll be looking for me.”

“They can look all they want. They won’t come on my land,” he says with utter certainty. It makes me wonder what they will do. The Alpha doesn’t even know about me.

“They will when they track my scent,” I retort.

“Snow will cover it. It’s coming down hard now.” I know he’s right. They won’t even be home for hours. My shoulders drop, and I’m not real sure what to do. Glancing around the wooded cabin, I see it has an open floor plan and is somewhat decorated. Like someone came in and spent the time to put the cabin together—new-looking leather couches, a dining room table that looks like it could fit a whole bear family.

Everything looks new, but the place is a mess. Dishes litter the counter. Clothes are strewn all around, random crap piled on the table. It looks a little sad. Like a home was built but wasn’t loved. And all the windows are locked up. Shutters closed over them, blocking any light from outside.

“So you’re just going to keep me here? Against my will?”

“Your kind did the same to me. At least I will take care of you, not lock you in a cage.” His words don’t sound angry, just matter-of-fact. Each one hits me hard, making my stomach cramp. Please no. Could he have been one of the shifters I’d left behind?

“Okay.” I pull my hood off and toss my cape on the couch next to me. He growls, making me look back up at him. His eyes roam over my body, making my blood heat. It’s the same feeling that coursed through me when I opened my eyes to see him looming over me. I’d wanted him to kiss me so bad. I’ve never been kissed. Never even been close to being kissed.

He’s handsome. Maybe a little overgrown and rough around the edges, but that doesn’t take away from his handsomeness at all. In fact, I kind of like that he looks a bit scary. He could protect me.

“Just ‘okay’? You’re not going to fight me?” I can hear the uncertainty in his voice.

No, I’m not going to fight him. He’s right. If what I’m thinking is true, then my people did do worse than what he’d do to me here. I’d seen glimpses of how my father treated the shifters he’d kept caged away. The ones I’d left behind because I was too scared to stay. Selfish.

This, I could do. I could be his mate. I glance around the room, taking in the mess and chaos. If I know how to do anything, it’s make a home. It’s what I love to do. I owe him this. Maybe I can make him see not all humans are terrible.

I can see the sadness in his eyes. I see it when I look in the mirror.

“No, I won’t fight you, but I need to tell my brothers.”

“No!” he growls. “They can’t have you.” He snaps the last part, making me jump. A frown forms on his brow. It shows me he doesn’t like scaring me. I like that. It’s an oddly cute look on his hard face. Not that I would inform him of that.

I widen my eyes and pouting. “I just need to let them know I’m okay.” I do the same face that seems to work on my brothers. His eyes go wide as if in panic.

“Don’t cry,” he growls, like that will make me stop.

“They’ll worry. Then I’ll worry that they are worrying, then I’ll worry myself sick with all the worry,” I push on.

“That’s a whole lot of worry. You should only worry about your mate. Me.” He points at himself like I forgot who my mate was.

“Well, I can just worry about you if I can undo all this other worrying...” I let my words trail off.

“Fine.” He stomps past me towards the kitchen and starts digging through drawers. I grab my cape, sliding it back over my head.

He comes back and hands me a notepad and pen. I take it from him, not sure what he wants me to do with it.

“Address,” he says, nodding down at the paper. I scribble it down and hand the pad back to him.

“I can just show you the way.” I glance at the closed window. I can’t see out of it as it’s been boarded up. “Or maybe not. I don’t remember the way here.”

“Good.” He looks down at the note. “Then you can’t try to leave because you won’t know where to go.”

My mouth drops open. “What are you going to do? Blindfold me to my brothers’ and back?” I snap.

“No, that’s ridiculous.” He folds the paper and tucks it into his jeans pocket “I know where the Denali brothers live. I also know they are wolf shifters, making them not your actual brothers.” He growls the last part, and it spikes my temper.

“Maybe not by birth, but they raised me like one of their own.” I narrow my eyes on him, not liking him saying they aren’t my brothers. Maybe not by blood, but they are family.