Chapter One
ADELE JACKS
Meeting by wolverine
“What the…?” I sputtered, lifting a hand to shield my eyes from the bright sunshine. “Are you a wolverine?” I asked aloud.
The actual wolverine in question eyed me with not even an iota of concern in its penetrating gaze. I glanced behind me to see a snowshoe hare frozen in place.
“Oh, I’m between you and your dinner. I don’t think so.” Facing the wolverine again, I rested my hands on my hips and straightened, as if I could somehow intimidate one of the least-intimidatable animals alive.
But let’s be for real—how long was I going to have a standoff with a wolverine?
I let out a startled yelp and almost jumped out of my skin at the sound of a man’s voice from behind me. “Do you normally talk to wolverines?”
I spun around, slipping a little in the slushy snow. Turning more fully, I narrowed my eyes at the man who had appeared along the edge of the trees.
“Do you normally sneak up on women who are alone in the woods?” I countered sharply.
When the man approached, stopping a few feet away, my body felt as if I’d collided with an electric fence. The jolt ofenergy was so unexpected, I almost stumbled again. Piercing blue eyes met mine under shaggy dark hair falling across his forehead. His cheeks angled sharply, his skin ruddy from the cold. Of course, he had to have a sharp-edged jaw. The shadow of stubble only emphasized that edge.
He moved with easy, rangy grace, and his inky brows rose as he held my gaze. He wore battered hiking boots and jeans, not exactly good winter gear. A long-sleeved T-shirt peeked out from his unzipped windbreaker.
“I don’t normally sneak up on anyone,” he said, “but then I don’t usually find strangers on my family’s property.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What do you mean? This is a public trail.”
He shook his head slightly, and heat rose in my cheeks. “The woman at the coffee shop told me it was,” I clarified, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the town over a half an hour away.
“Luna?” At my nod, he continued, “Ah, she probably did. It’s sort of public. Luna’s a friend.”
“Oh.” I didn’t usually get flustered. I was used to doing things on my own. Ilikeddoing things on my own. I was an Alaskan girl through and through—born and raised. This just happened to be one of the few areas in the massive state I hadn’t explored yet.
My lifelong goal was to hike in every park in Alaska. This area was close to Katmai National Park, so I planned to spend some time exploring here, then fly over to Katmai.
I met his gaze and took a quick breath, feeling sheepish. “I wouldn’t have come if I knew it was private property. I’ll, uh…”
He shrugged. “It’s no bother. Really, it’s not. Luna comes here a lot with her dog.”
A soft sound had us both glancing over to see the wolverine start moving toward us. The poor snowshoe hare, its white fur mingling with brown now that spring was on the way, remained frozen.
“Itisa wolverine,” he said, lips quirking. “They’re stubborn.”
“But I’m more stubborn. I’m not moving.”
He let out a bark of a laugh, the sound sending tiny bursts of heat scattering through me.
“Well, I guess that’s good to know. So what should we do?”
I eyed the hare, contemplating our options. “Nature’s going to run its course.”
He shrugged again, tipping his head slightly. “I have a shotgun,” he said, tapping his hip. “We could have some wolverine for dinner.”
I eyed the wolverine. “No.”
Another chuckle from him sent more heat spiraling through me. “I was just pointing out the obvious. Are you a vegetarian?”
“No!” I exclaimed. “I even know how to hunt,” I offered pointedly.
