Danielle turns to her and narrows her eyes. “This vacation is for me to forget about that horrible piece of crap I was married to, and for you to take a break from work. Silver Lake Lodge is the perfect place for that.”
“And why’s that?”
“Fresh air, mountains, hot mountain men.”
Chloe rolls her eyes. It’s always about the men with Danielle. Since her divorce two months ago, she has been on a war path of self-exploration, and that includes dragging Chloe out on the weekends to bars and clubs that they are way too old for. Danielle got laid, though. She’s beautiful, tall, and thin with thick, long blonde hair and doesn’t look a day over twenty-five, even though she’s thirty-two. Chloe, however, hasn’t been with a man in over two years. Before then, it was a quick fling with another associate at her accounting firm before he left the company. She has work to focus on.
It isn’t like Chloe doesn’t know how to have fun. She can be just as fun as the next person. But more often than not, she is tired from working twelve-hour days, and by the time she gets home, she just wants to sleep. Even doing laundry grates on her nerves lately, so she opts to have most everything dry cleaned. But she can dance, she can get drunk, and let herself go. It just isn’t that often anymore.
She tries to be enthusiastic when Danielle drags her out. Tries to play wing-woman for Danielle, but Danielle never really needs any help. She can entertain three men at a time, and all of them will be enamored with her. And she works long days too, but they never seem to take the same toll as they do on Chloe. Chloe is a mess. In truth, she probably needs this vacation more than Danielle does. She hasn’t taken off a day in three years, and the last day she did take off was when she had food poisoning and literally couldn’t leave the bathroom.
Danielle had married a hedge fund manager who worked too much, and they fought like crazy. It was the least happy Chloe had ever seen Danielle in all the years she knew her. So when Danielle’s husband had her served at work with divorce papers, Danielle took it in stride. She’d hired the best divorce attorney in the city and took Harold for over half his earnings. Danielle herself makes a significant income, and with the divorce, she was able to buy herself an apartment overlooking Central Park, every New York girl's dream. Or so the stories tell you.
But Chloe is satisfied with her small brownstone. She rents, not owns, from an elderly lady who is now in a nursing home. She doesn't know how much longer she’ll be able to live there before the ladypasses on and her grubby son gets his hands on the property and kicks Chloe to the curb so he can sell it for millions of dollars. But she likes it. It’s quiet, has a large bookcase that’s overflowing with her favorite books, and smells faintly of tobacco from all the years the owner smoked inside.
It’s nice of Danielle to bring her along. To pay for the entirety of her trip. Chloe makes good money as an accountant in a New York City firm. Chloe had gone to NYU for her bachelor's and master's and came out with good grades and a great job offer. But she should have made partner by now at the accounting firm. She has worked there for ten years. Put in countless hours, always with good reviews and feedback, yet not a partner. She can leave, she knows she can. But it would be like failing for her, like giving up and having to start all over at another firm. Just to what, work another ten years and not get partner there too? It’s a lot.
But the board had a meeting last week about bringing on another partner. She has worked there the longest out of all the other associates. And between her and another associate, Martha, Chloe thinks she has it in the bag. It will be like winning, finally. She may not have a man in her life, but she can finally become partner, and it will be the icing on the fucking cake. It will be her dream come true.
The realization that her biggest dream is a job is a little disheartening, but worse than that, she thinks of what it will be like if shedoesn’tget partner. If they make someone else a partner instead. Then what will she do? Put in five, ten, or fifteen more years before the opportunity comes up again. No, she will get partner at the accounting firm. She’s earned it. Her firstvacation in ten years since starting at the company. Her twelve-hour days, her perfect track record. They will pick her, definitely.
Chapter Three
Axel
Axel greets the family of four at the front desk. A husband, wife, and two young kids. The family seems excited about the lodge, which makes Axel happy. They have already booked horseback rides and want to hike to the lake to go canoeing. It’s people like this that make him want to keep the lodge going. To see the delight on the kids' faces when they look out of the big glass windows at the trees. To know they enjoyed themselves and would want to come back. It makes his heart warm. He longs for a family. To have cubs of his own and have them run around like he did when he was young. He doesn’t care if they end up shifters like him, humans or bears; he will love them the same.
Another couple is checking in later, and then two people that Levi, who works at the lodge, will be collecting from the bus station in town. Most people preferred to rent a car in the nearest city and drive down, but others took the bus, and then one of thebrothers or Levi would run up and collect them from the bus station. Today it’s Levi.
Axel was given access to the trust fund for himself and his brothers. It was supposed to be for emergencies. Like when the lodge needed a roof repair, or when one of the water heaters burst and flooded the area. But he was dipping into it every month to keep them afloat. He figures they have one more season before they have to shut down completely. The lodge his great-grandparents had built, his family’s legacy. Makes his heart hurt to think about it.
But he has to have faith. Faith that more people will come to the lodge, that their advertising will work, and they will be at capacity once again. That he won’t have failed.
His bear grumbles underneath his skin at the thought of failure. He should provide. For his brothers, for his family, for his mate. How can he provide for a mate if he can’t even make his business successful? Things had changed after his father died. People heard about the horrible hunting accident, his father being shot and killed by a guest, but they didn’t know the whole story. That his father was shifted into his bear form, out running as he always did. And that a guest brought illegal weapons to the lodge and snuck out to go hunting.
His father had been caught unaware by the man and shot. Charlie Henderson ran off as far as he could before bleeding out on the ground. The hunter couldn’t find him, and when he went back to the lodge boasting of his kill, Axel’s mother knew something had happened. They traipsed into the woods, Axel at the lead at twenty-seven and the next head of the family. He found his father dead, shifted backto human. They had dressed his father in clothes and called 911, but it was too late.
His mother, having lost her mate, the other half of her soul, became withdrawn. She could no longer run the lodge, and Axel and his brothers had to step up. Axel planned on running the lodge after his parents retired, but he had to take over much sooner. His mother moved to Florida. Her heart was broken, and it’s said that a person, even a human, never really recovers from the loss of their mate. She lives there now and seems happy enough. Her eyes are just a little dimmer than they were before, like she never fully recovered.
Axel hears Levi's truck down the driveway and goes out to meet him. He can hear the chatter of a female voice over the rumbling of the truck. When it parks in front of the lodge, he smells the most delicious scent in the air. The passenger door opens, and a tall, thin blonde woman steps out. She’s looking around at all the trees and the lodge in wonder. His bear perks up at this woman. She’s dressed in khaki shorts and a lightweight outdoor shirt. Her hiking boots look worn in, the perfect attire for the Montana wilderness. He smiles and steps forward towards her. The back passenger door is effectively kicked open, and out tumbles a short redhead. She’s got curves upon curves, and her crimson hair flows around her shoulders in waves. But what catches his attention the most is that she’s wearing high heels and a knee-length skirt, her sleeveless blouse is half untucked, and he can see she’s shivering.
It throws him off guard to see a person so out of place in the wilderness. Didn’t she know they were off-road in the forest here?
The blonde steps forward, and he returns the smile that had slipped from his face.
“Hello and welcome to Silver Lake Lodge. I’m Axel, and I run this place with my brothers.” He extends his hand, and the tall woman shakes it firmly.
“I’m Danielle, and this is Chloe,” she motions to the other woman behind her. “We’re so excited to be here.”
Chloe steps forward with her hand extended, but before Axel can warn her, she steps right into a muddy puddle, heel and foot sinking in the mud.
“Damn it,” she swears. She’s looking down at her foot, trying to pull it from the mud, and he can see her tears. He steps forward to help her when he’s hit with the most amazing scent. Honeysuckle. It’s said that when a bear shifter finds their mate, they will recognize them by scent. The scent will be one that is particular to that bear and will feel like home and love wrapped up in one.
It’s her, the redhead, not the blonde, that smells like sunshine and warmth and everything good in the world. The beautiful woman with hair like fire and wide, dark, questioning eyes. His breath hitches in his throat as he remains frozen in the spot. His mate is here.
Chapter Four
Chloe
