“Did you feel attraction right away? Did you know you were true mates?”

I don’t think this was the question she expected by the look on her face, but she nods and starts to explain.

“I felt attraction, yes, but from what I’ve heard, it’s different for us than for other shifters. I didn’t have the pull that some shifters experience, and that may be because I’m a bear. It was something that grew over time with me, and now I think I feel the same as others. I get separation anxiety when we are apart for too long, and I have an uncontrollable need to have his scent on me. I didn’t have that before.”

I nod, listening to her answers and thinking of what else I need to ask her.

“Dom and Ruby are mated. But she’s human.”

I help the Gray Ridge sheriff a few days a week so that he can spend more time at home since his mate had triplets. I help the shifters with what they need, being muscle when they need it and do odds and ends around the office. Dom and I have never had a serious conversation about his human mate, and I didn’t have a reason to before.

“Yes. Apparently, it’s not unheard of. It’s just rare. From what little I know, she felt the pull after their first coupling during the mating moon.” Her cheeks splash pink again, and I am just as uncomfortable talking about this as she is. “The mating moon is designed to bring shifters together to propagate the species. And from what I could gather from Ruby, that’s when Dominic was able to claim her for the first time. She felt the pull at its greatest then, and that’s when they, um, bonded.”

I nod my head, glad that at least one of us knows how this is supposed to work.

“So Dominic didn’t claim her until the first mating moon?”

She nods. “From what they said, he could have before then, but the transition would be easier if he waited. So he did.”

She lets out a little laugh and rubs her belly. “The mating moon gets all shifters though, not just the ones mated to humans. I guess this storm has good timing.”

“What do you mean?” I ask in confusion.

“I guess you wouldn’t know. Unless you’re mated, you don’t really pay attention to it as closely. But when the mating moon approaches, you want to make sure your house is stocked and you don’t have plans for a few days. I’m already pregnant, so the pull won’t be as strong. But all the other couples will notice a change.”

“But what does this have to do with the storm?”

She waves her hand like I should understand her meaning. “The mating moon is tonight, Koda. Shifters are going to be holed up in their cabins in a snowstorm, with Mother Nature telling them to breed.” She lets out a laugh. “Just be glad you’re not a newly mated shifter. I hear it’s pretty rough.”

A sinking feeling hits my stomach, and I feel like the earth shifts under me.

“Koda, are you okay? You look a little pale.”

I shake my head, trying to push away the thoughts running through my mind. “I’m fine.”

“Why all the sudden questions about mating?”

I shrug my shoulders and look away. “I’ve just been feeling lonely lately. It’s hard to be around couples and cubs and not want one of my own.”

Winnie reaches out, rubbing my knee. I put my hand on top of hers and look into her honey-brown eyes, the same color as mine.

“You’ll find her one day, Koda. And when you do, you’ll turn your world upside down for her.”

I nod, unable to tell her the whole story. I don’t know why, but I want to make sure that everything is perfect between Snow and me before I tell anyone. I feel as if our mating is something special, and I don’t want to tell anyone for fear it will all disappear. Like waking up from a dream that’s too good to be true.

“Kiss Micah for me when he wakes up. And take care of this little cub, too.” I reach down and rub her belly before giving her a hug goodbye.

“Be sure to stock up on food if you’re going to be stuck in your cabin for a while.”

I pause at the door, my hand on the knob. For a second I wonder if Winnie knows about my mate, but there’s no way.

Looking over my shoulder, I smile at her and head out. I grab Snow’s suitcase from behind the tree and make my way into town for a few supplies. The storm is getting almost impossible to navigate, so I don’t have much time.

Chapter 5 Koda

I unlock the bolts and enter my cabin, shutting the door behind me and locking it again. I place the packages of food on the kitchen counter, thinking I may have gotten too much, but I want to make sure my mate is well provided for.

Once I’ve got the bags out of my arms, I notice the pot on the stove, a mouthwatering smell coming from it. Walking over, I see that it’s a pot of stew, and my stomach growls loudly. The smell is wonderful and makes me think of a good home-cooked meal, something I usually have to go to someone else's house to get. It doesn’t happen that often.

Looking around the cabin, I see everything is tidy, like it’s been cleaned top to bottom. I feel a pang of guilt knowing that my mate did this. I should be caring for her, not the other way around. I should have cleaned up before I brought her here, but I had no idea I was going to meet her while I was out for a walk.

I inhale, smelling her scent, and I love it. Knowing she is here and in our home makes the bear inside me lie down happily. After I quickly put away the groceries, I pick up Snow’s bag and go in search of her.