Page 2 of His Stubborn Mate

Tonight, though, he was just out for a run, stretching his muscles and allowing the horrors of his time in Reykjavik to fade away. There was something different in the air, something that stirred the animal inside him. A scent, faint yet unmistakable, teased his senses. It wasn't prey, nor was it another predator—at least, not in the traditional sense.

It was her.

He skidded to a halt, shaking his head to dispel the wave of dizziness that swept over him, his massive form sending a spray of snow into the air. His nostrils flared as he took in the scent more deeply, his senses sharpening with a focus that was both primal and intense. It was faint, barely there, but unmistakable. Pine and spruce, undercut with something softer, something uniquely hers. His mate. She wasn’t here, but she had been.

A deep growl rumbled in his chest, vibrating through his entire being as the beast within him recognized the presence that had haunted him for weeks. She was close—closer than she had ever been before—and the realization sent a surge of possessiveness through him, a primal need to find her, to claim her as his.

But he held back, his muscles tense with the effort it took to resist the urge to charge forward. This was not the first time he’d picked up her scent. He could feel within the aura she left behind that she was stubborn, this one. She was strong, a fighter, and he respected that about her. But it also meant she wouldn’t come to him easily.

Rance lifted his head, sniffing the air again. The scent was stronger now, carried on the cold breeze that whispered through the trees. It tugged at him, urging him to follow, to find her in the maze of snow-laden trees and rocky outcrops. But something else held him back, a voice of reason that tempered the wild urges roaring inside him.

She wasn’t ready. Not yet. She wouldn’t be easy to win, but then little in life worth having was.

He could feel it in the way her scent lingered, teasing him, beckoning him, yet always just out of reach. She was near, but she wasn’t seeking him out. She was hiding, or perhaps testing him, seeing how far she could push before he snapped. The thought made him grin, a flash of white teeth in the dark. His mate was as fierce as she was elusive, and he couldn’t deny that it only made him want her more.

The cold bit through his thick fur into his bare skin, but he hardly noticed. His senses were sharper in this form, more attuned to the subtle nuances of the world around him. He could feel the earth beneath the pads of his paws, the pulse of the land matching the steady beat of his heart, and he could still smell her—faint but persistent.

She was nearby, so close he could almost hear the rustle of her movements, the whisper of her breath as it mingled with the wind. But she was keeping her distance, and that knowledge gnawed at him, filling him with a restless energy that had no outlet.

Rance's gaze swept the surrounding trees, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the shadows. His heart pounded in his chest, a steady drumbeat that echoed in the stillness of the night. He was close, so close he could almost feel her presence, like a warm touch against his skin. But the forest remained silent, the only sound was the wind as it sighed through the branches overhead.

For a long moment, he simply stood there, his breath fogging in the cold air, his senses straining to catch any sign of her. But there was nothing—no movement, no sound, just the lingering scent that clung to the air like a memory. It was as if she was a ghost, something intangible and fleeting, always just beyond his reach.

And yet, he knew she was real. His mate was out there, somewhere on this island. Was she watching him? Testing him? The idea that she was sent a thrill of anticipation through him. The chase was far from over, and Rance was nothing if not ready. He would wait, bide his time, and when the moment was right, he would find and claim her. Rance couldn’t help but enjoy the challenge, the thrill of the hunt.

He turned slowly, his eyes sweeping the forest one last time before he began to walk away, his footsteps silent in the snow. He could still feel her presence, a faint pulse on the edge of his awareness, but he didn’t pursue it. Instead, he allowed the distance to grow, the bond between them stretching but never breaking.

She’ll come to me; he murmured in his mind. Soon.

The beast within him growled in approval, eager to continue the hunt, but Rance reined it in, content to let the night pass without further pursuit. When the time was right, they would meet. But until then, he would run, keeping the wildness alive within him, always knowing that she was out there, waiting.

He returned to his truck, shifting and quickly pulling on his clothes before heading back to his lone post at the Frostbark Ranger Station. When he left Iceland, he’d meant to fade into the desolate landscape, but Colby Reynolds and Asher Wells had convinced him to accept a position as a park ranger on Kodiak Island. He had been reluctant at first, but he had finally given in and was now grateful to both. He had the solitude he craved but still felt he was contributing something.

When the mating season had begun to make his blood run hot, he had thought to ignore it until he’d felt her presence. Now, all he had to do was find her and claim her. The hunt was on.

Chapter Two

Amanda

Amanda Adams gripped the steering wheel of her SUV with one hand, her other hand cradling the receiver of her radio. Her heart ached as the dispatcher’s voice crackled through the static, delivering the news she had dreaded since early morning.

“Last sighting was near the old logging road,” the dispatcher repeated. “The hunter who reported it didn’t stick around. Said it was too far gone and too hard to get to it.”

“So, he just left it to die a slow, agonizing death?”

“Yeah. He said he wasn’t the one who wounded it.”

Amanda rolled her eyes and sighed. “I guess we should be glad he at least called it in. I’ll let you know if and when I find it. If you get any other reports, let me know.”

Amanda clenched her jaw, suppressing a wave of frustration. The thought of a wounded elk, abandoned to suffer alone in the cold wilderness of Kodiak Island, filled her with a deep sense of urgency. The island’s untamed beauty often lured hunters, but it was also a place of unforgiving terrain and harsh weather, where even the slightest misstep could mean death for man or beast.

She pushed the thought aside and focused on the task at hand. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the snow-covered landscape. Amanda had spent her entire life in Alaska, and she knew the terrain like the back of her hand. But tonight, the familiar roads felt more treacherous, the shadows more menacing.

As she drove along the narrow, icy road, her headlights cut through the darkness, illuminating the dense forest on either side. The trees loomed like silent sentinels; their branches heavy with snow. The radio in her lap buzzed again, but this time Amanda ignored it. Most likely it was the dispatcher telling her to abandon the search as nighttime in the wilderness added a whole degree of difficulty and danger he wouldn’t want her to take on.

Ray, the dispatcher, had become a friend, which was good as he threw business her way when he could, which was nice as making a living as a vet in Kodiak could be tough. But she had all the information she needed. The elk was out there, somewhere in the vast wilderness, and she had to find it before it was too late.

Amanda’s breath fogged the windshield as she concentrated on the road, her thoughts focused on the task ahead. She knew this was more than just a job for her—it was a mission. The lives of Kodiak’s animals mattered to her, not just because she was a veterinarian, but because she felt a deep connection to the land and its creatures. It was what had driven her to move to this remote island, leaving behind the hustle and bustle of urban life for the solitude and serenity of the Alaskan wilderness.

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