Kodiak Moment: Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance by Zoe Chant Read Free Book Online Page B

to him.
    As she turned away from the stream to retrace her footsteps, her boot caught on the soft ground. Saturated with water, the soil gave way as the bank crumbled. Nessa felt her ankle turn, and the flash of pain disorientated her. As her balance went, she couldn’t find it again. She fell, and the cold stream water rushed over her. Then her head hit a rock, and blackness engulfed her.
     
    ***
     
    James paced backwards and forwards within his cabin. He walked the same path from his front door to his kitchen, occasionally looking downwards to see if he was wearing a hole in the floor. The salmon was wrapped in foil in the oven, lemon tang heavy in the air, contrasting with the sweet scent of chocolate.
    As he came level with the window again, he twitched aside the curtain. Nothing had changed. Her car was still outside the cabin, and all the lights were off. A strong wind blew the sleet around in blinding eddies, and the chill coming off the glass was enough to make him keep his distance. His inner bear paced in the confines of his mind, prowling and growling, uneasy and unsettled.
    She was just delayed, that was all. Perhaps she had fallen asleep in the bath, or on the couch with a book. There was no need for him to worry, she would be over soon.
    Another ten minutes of pacing, another check on the resting salmon, and another twitch of the curtains. Still nothing. His bear roared a demand, and in his own worry, James was helpless to resist.
    He grabbed his oilskin coat from its peg, slinging it around his shoulders. The cold wind bit into his exposed skin, and he pulled the collar of his coat up tight around his throat. He made his way across the gap between the cabins, and up onto her porch. The door was firmly locked. He knocked, waited a beat, and then knocked again. No reply.
    He made a circuit of the cabin, checking in every window. Quiet, empty, deserted. There was no sign of life. His anxiety was growing, and his skin rippled and twitched as his bear demanded that he find his mate now. He moved round to the back of the cabin, where damage would not be seen. With a silent vow to himself to fix the damage as soon as possible, he planted himself firmly, pivoted, and drove his heel firmly against the catch. Wood splintered and popped, finally giving way on the third blow.
    He entered the house, breathing in deeply, searching for the fragrance that belonged to his mate. It was there, but faint, faded. She was not here, had not been here for a while. Nevertheless, he took the time to stalk from room to room. She was not there.
    He left the cabin at a jog, forcing the door closed again, hopefully it would hold. Beside her car, he found a clear footprint, oriented in the direction of the tree line. He growled under his breath and followed, finding another footprint.
    The wind picked up, keening mournfully through the trees, and James shivered. His inner bear demanded to be set free, to find his mate, and James had had enough of resisting.
    He let himself go and shifted, body burning with heat, burning away the chill of the air. The world sprang into life, and he let the bear take over. His mate needed to be found.
    The forest, this forest was his home, his territory, and he knew it well. He knew every scent, knew what belonged and what didn’t. She did not belong in the forest, and her sweetness, although muted by the rain, was sourness amongst the pines. She was easy to follow.
    The great Kodiak bear made his way through the sodden and arctic night, traveling in a straight line, determined to find the object of his affections. She was his, and his alone. No one and nothing would take her away from him.
    The first visual sign the bear came across was a long, dark gouge taken out of the side of a small channel. Two handprints were nearly eroded on the opposite bank, but they confirmed that she had been there.
    Time passed, although the bear did not notice, or care.
    Finally, though the rain was trying to melt it, the