KODHI Page 6

  “I have another side to me that not a lot of people get to see,” he continued. “I know it sounds crazy, but I can tell you feel it too, otherwise, we wouldn’t be sitting here now.”

  She nodded her head for him to continue.

  “I need to show you something,” he said again as he reached for her hand and pulled her to her feet. “Come down to the stream with me…”

  Alyssa nodded her head and let him lead her toward the back doors and into the sunlight.

  They made their way down the rocks and toward the point that Alyssa had been sketching the day before. The light filtered through the ancient trees in the most beautiful way and it made her feel as if she were in a complete fantasy land.

  “Don’t ask me any questions right now,” he whispered to her. “I just need you to stay up here, out of sight, and let me show you what I need you to see.”

  He looked into her eyes and she could already see the change in them. They were darker than they had been only moments before. They looked wide and innocent, and there was something behind them that screamed… animal.

  She could already sense what was coming, but she wasn’t afraid.

  Kodhi left her up on the high rocks, slightly shielded by the trees. She clung to the trunk of the nearest one and peered around it, watching him make his way down to the bottom of the valley, to the edge of the brook and the coolness of the water.

  It was as if she could read his mind. She knew he wanted her to stay there and to run back to the house if it all became too much. He didn’t even need to tell her. She was afraid because he had told her them being outside wasn’t safe, but now, he was about to do something big. She could sense it.

  What if others were watching?

  She held her breath as she watched him kick off his shoes and dip his toes into the water. She shivered at the sight of it, knowing how cold it must be and how that must have sent shockwaves of ice right through him, but he didn’t seem to be phased at all. In fact, he seemed to like it.

  He looked back over his shoulder and then he hooked his fingers into the sides of his t-shirt and pulled it off over his head. Alyssa’s breath caught in her throat as she saw his body properly for the first time. He was huge. So muscular, so masculine, so defined and tanned and perfect. His torso was like something out of a magazine. It was hard to believe that men like him actually existed in the real world, and she couldn’t believe that one of them actually wanted to give her all of his time. Not only that, but they had something deeper. She couldn’t prepare herself for what was coming, but she knew it was going to be something incredible and amazing. Already, she felt so bonded to him it would be impossible to break.

  “Kodhi,” she whispered.

  And even though he was too far away for him to hear her, she knew he had. He flicked her a wicked grin over his shoulder as he reached down to his belt and began to undo the buckle.

  There was a part of her that felt as if she shouldn’t be watching him undress, but at the same time, she couldn’t bear to tear her eyes away, and ultimately, she didn’t want to. She bit her lip and watched as he inched the jeans down over his hips, exposing more incredible muscles and tense, wide thighs.

  She swallowed hard and had to take a breath.

  He was a god amongst men.

  She waited and barely dared move.

  Kodhi’s clothes were in a heap on the ground next to him and he waded out into the stream so the water covered his ankles. Even though he was naked and she could see him, it didn’t feel strange. It was as if this was meant to be, as if their souls were old friends and they were just finally reconnecting.

  She peered around the side of the trunk even more just in time to see his body lurch and his spine creak over so that he was almost bent double.

  “Kodhi…” she said again, but she knew she had to stay in place.

  A blind panic started to shift through her as she watched what was unfolding in front of her. The wonderful man was changing before her very eyes. He was trembling and shaking, his skin was splitting, a rage was building within him and a huge, terrifying roar blared from his lips.

  She clung to the tree and closed her eyes for a moment, willing herself to wake up if this was indeed a dream. But it was all too vivid and real. She could feel and taste and smell everything around her, and she knew it was really happening.

  Kodhi was changing. And she knew she had to see it for herself.

  He buckled and collapsed to his knees and right there in front of her, the splits in his skin became more and more, and dark brown fur sprang up in its place and covered him from head to toe. His frame lengthened and widened, and before she knew it, she was no longer looking at a man.

  She was looking at a bear.

  Her bear.

  The one that had haunted her dreams, and the one she had painted.

  It ran through the water, kicking up huge sprays and growling and roaring as it went.

  She was safe from her vantage point but she was still afraid. Her heart was beating so fast because she still didn’t really know what she was witnessing.

  A man had just turned into a bear in front of her very eyes.

  What the actual fuck?

  Her heart was racing wildly in her chest as she watched the beast thrash and crash its way through the forest and the stream. Running from one side to the next, splashing in the water and rolling on the ground.

  It looked as if he were playing, and Alyssa couldn’t help but smile.

  She took a step backward and began to move slowly back toward the edge of the forest.

  She wanted to watch him some more, but she knew she had to get out of there. She didn’t know if Kodhi was still in any way human, and maybe he could turn on her if he saw her there and thought she was a threat.

  When she could no longer see the bear she turned on her heel and ran. Her mind was a complete mess with confusion and angst, but also with a deep understanding that whatever was happening to her because of him, that everything would be okay.

  It was fate.

  She had been led to Lost Creek and to Kodhi for a reason. And now that she was on the path to discovery, she knew there was no turning back.

  8.

  She paced up and down the kitchen with her hands clenched and her heart racing.

  What had she just seen?

  A man who had been a virtual stranger only the day before was now showing her his intimate secrets, ones that defied all logic and explanation. And the craziest thing about it all was that she didn’t feel the need to truly question it.

  Sure, she wanted to know what the hell was going on, but at the same time, she knew that whatever it was, she would accept it.

  It just felt so natural to her.

  As if this was something she had always been waiting for.

  She didn’t know how long she had been wandering the kitchen, pacing back and forth and just wishing Kodhi would show his familiar face and come and find her, but she knew her nerves were rife the entire time.

  “What if he doesn’t change back…” she thought aloud. “What if he’s some kind of monster…”

  She pulled out one of the high bar stools at the kitchen island in the center of the room and sat down. She kept her gaze fixed past the glass doors and out onto the veranda where she could see the canvas and the painting she had created. Now that she was looking at it again, she knew the dream had been some kind of premonition. When Kodhi had touched her, he had passed a piece of himself over to her.

  And although she had no idea how this was rational or how she could ever explain it, she knew she did.

  It was madness, absolute madness. And yet, to her, it just felt right.

  Suddenly, some movement outside snapped her attention away from the canvas and up toward the forest behind. The loud roars she had been able to hear earlier had subsided and everything had been quiet for some time. She heard a rustling in the trees and she sensed Kodhi was back.

  A smile spread wide across her face and she
longed to jump to her feet and run out onto the terrace, but she knew she had to wait and see that it was the man that was coming for her and not the bear.

  After a few agonizing seconds, Kodhi, the man, appeared.

  His intense green eyes shone brightly through the glass and he rested his palms against it as he looked through at her and smiled.

  She faltered for a moment, unsure of what move to make next. But she could tell he was looking for her approval. If she accepted him, he would go to her. If she didn’t, he would walk away.

  She smiled slowly and nodded her head. And a look of relief washed over Kodhi’s face as he reached for the handle of the bi-fold doors and began to slide them open.

  He stepped inside and waited for her to speak. When she didn’t, he breathed in deep and prepared himself to begin.

  “I have no idea what you must be thinking,” he said. “But I want you to know that this is not something that could change who we are to each other.”

  She shook her head with confusion.

  “What do you mean?” she laughed. “I don’t even know what we are to each other, Kodhi. All I know is that I’ve just witnessed you change into an animal before my very eyes. And I think I’d quite like an explanation.”

  He nodded his head slowly and took another step closer to her.

  “I’m a werebear, Alyssa,” he sighed. “I know it’s a lot to take in. But there are times when I can shift my physical being into that of a bear. It’s the animal that lives inside me, and I needed to show you this today before we go any further. Because, yesterday, something very big happened between us, and I know you felt it too.”

  She nodded her head. That much she was certain of. Something big had happened, and now, she wanted to know why.

  “We were all put on this earth to find our other halves,” he said almost in a whisper. “My kind know when they have found theirs in an instant. It’s deep and life changing, and when we touch that person or feel connected to them mentally, something is forged between us both.”

  “When you touched me…?” she gasped.

  Kodhi nodded.

  “You’re the one I’ve been waiting for, Alyssa. You’re the other part of me. The one I’m meant to be with.”

  Her head was spinning. Could any of this be real?

  “I imprinted on you. I claimed you as mine. I knew it the moment I saw you but I was fighting it. I didn’t want to put you here because I know it’s not safe. Things are going on here in Lost Creek that are dangerous for my kind and anyone close to us. The thought of bringing the one I’ve been waiting for into the mix when everything is so uncertain terrifies me. And yet, who can fight fate?”

  He hung his head and ran his big hands through his hair.

  He looked even better than he ever had. And now that she had seen the other side of him, the animal within, it only made her want him even more.

  “I’ve seen people lose the ones they love,” he said as he looked off into the distance. “And I have always been so self-assured that it wouldn’t happen to me. I would never give in to love. I’ve done my best to avoid it and keep it away from me. I’ve done all I can to make sure that no woman wants me by being as awful to them as I can be. But then I saw you, and all of that changed. My whole attitude changed. The whole way I saw the world. I saw you and I saw a future. I saw somewhere I wanted to be. You made me want to be a better man.”

  Her heart was racing and the tears were welling up behind her eyes. No one had ever spoken to her so beautifully and with so much heart. He was so genuine and kind. He had so many hidden depths. And although he was a brute, a completely terrifying animal, she still wanted him. She still wanted him to rip all her clothes off and ravage her, however rough it may be.

  She breathed in deep and looked up to him. She slid down from the stool and began to walk toward him and her breath caught in her throat. Every part of her was electric with want for him.

  It was a feeling that defied explanation.

  All she knew was that she had to be as close to him as she could. He had to hold her in his arms.

  Kodhi held out his hand and she slipped hers into it and felt his heat and the fire between them ignite even more. Her heart was pounding and her spine was tingling; he was doing things to her, very strange things that she could not control.

  “This is so intense,” she whispered as he wrapped an arm around her waist and held her close to him. “It’s hard to believe it’s real.”

  “But it is,” he said as he kissed the top of her head. “And it’s killing me to push you away.”

  “Why do you need to push me away?” she asked as she stared up into his eyes. “I know we are new to each other, but like you said, this is something that was meant to be. We’ve been waiting for it, and now that we’ve found it, why the hell would either of us turn our backs on this? We need to embrace and explore it, not fear it.”

  She even surprised herself at how passionately she felt about him so soon, but the second he mentioned keeping her at a distance, all she wanted was to pull him closer. She’d had a taste of Kodhi and seen what he could do. Now, she wanted to know more. And she couldn’t shake her feelings or how much they were growing by the second.

  It was madness, but it felt so right.

  “It’s not just bears here,” he said ominously as he looked at her sternly in the eyes. “Lost Creek is a town of two halves, and at the moment, we are at war.”

  “War?” she whispered.

  Kodhi nodded his head and rubbed his cheek with his clenched fist.

  “The Wolves,” he said. “They’re making things so difficult for us and I genuinely fear something big is about to go down. It could destroy the town and anyone in it who isn’t as strong as we are.”

  She exhaled and tried to get her head around all of what he was saying. So, now, it wasn’t just him that was half man, half bear… there were others too?

  “So you’re not the only one?” she asked.

  Kodhi shook his head.

  “Me, my brother, Bodhi, Arlo… we’re all part of The Unbroken Bears. We have run this town for decades, our fathers before us and their fathers before them. We are a brotherhood who take care of the town and each other, but we have our secret. Our big secret. And then there’s our rivals, the wolves, The Lost Alphas. We’ve had tension for generations, but right now, things are at a breaking point.”

  Alyssa rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes.

  “I knew this place was too good to be true,” she said with a half-laugh.

  “It is too good to be true,” he told her. “It’s just, at the moment, you’ve found your way here when we’re in the middle of a shit storm. Fighting over buildings on Main Street, old feuds are resurfacing and there have been a series of wolf attacks. I and the rest of The Unbroken need to keep our town safe. And anyone close to us out of the crossfire…”

  He trailed off and rubbed his eyes. This was clearly getting to him and he felt very passionate about it, but Alyssa could tell there was more to it. She could tell he was hiding something.

  “I’m not afraid,” she said sternly as she reached out and touched him. “I trust you.” She looked into his eyes and their purity and sharp emerald green were hypnotic and enchanting. “I was brought here for a reason,” she said.

  The tension between them was rising. She could tell they both wanted to grab each other, but they were both holding back. Kodhi’s breathing was getting heavier and more intense, and she could tell he was having trouble keeping the beast within him at bay.

  He was so strong and protective, she could sense how he was struggling with not being able to be close to her, and she felt the same. Since he had touched her arm the day before she felt lost without him. She needed his touch, she craved it and wanted it so badly she knew that if he didn’t give it to her, she was going to have to go out and take it for herself.

  The morning light shone through the windows and Kodhi looked back at the painting that was leaning against the rail
ings on the terrace.

  “The painting,” he smiled.

  “I dreamt of you,” she whispered. “Before I knew what you were. I think that’s why I can accept it so easily. None of this feels like a shock to me. None of this is scaring me when I know it should. It’s as if my heart and soul have always known I would end up here, even though my conscious didn’t until today.”

  He looked over his shoulder at her and then turned so they were only inches apart. He smelled so good it was intoxicating. He was a mix of sweat, cologne, and pine. He smelled of the forest, of the river and the trees, of the earth and of all the magic he had running through his veins.

  He smelled like her ultimate fantasy, and she wasn’t ever going to let that go.

  Kodhi could sense the change in her and he reached out and pulled her to him with a deep grunt. His arms were so strong and big that she felt completely encased by him, as if he was enveloping her and swallowing her whole.

  He ran his big, rough hands through her hair and tilted her chin up so they were looking deep into each other’s eyes.

  “I can’t stay away from you,” he breathed as he gripped the back of her neck.

  “I don’t want you to stay away,” she whispered.

  Her heart was raging in her chest and she could barely keep one coherent thought together. The moment she looked into his eyes, she became lost and found at the same time. She knew this was where she was supposed to be, and yet, she was still too nervous of him to reach out and take it.

  He cupped her cheek with his hand and she held her breath as he brought his lips close to hers. The heat rising between them was deep and ferocious, and when their lips met for the first time, it was as if there was an explosion within both their hearts.

  It was the kiss to end all kisses.

  The ultimate.

  Alyssa knew, the second they touched, nothing would ever be able to compare.

  He held her tightly and searched her mouth with his own, slipping his tongue into her mouth and massaging it against hers, working her into a frenzy of lust.

  He grunted again and she could feel the beast. The bear was right there below the surface. It had claimed her and it was never going to let her go, and now that she was there she didn’t want to be let go. She wanted to be his. She was ready to give herself to him in every way imaginable.