Page 9 of Savage Giant

It was as though I’d always known I would one day meet the savage giant below.

As though I’d dreamed of him, despite harboring no clear memories of him, and all at once my dreams had come to life. The feeling was oddly similar to déjà vu, though a hundred times more intense.

The beast was hugely muscled, and he was so incredibly handsome that my heart fluttered in my chest. My face heated as disbelief swirled through me.

Without a doubt, I knew this creature was responsible for the strange happenings on the mountainside. He’d twisted the branches, left the baskets on my doorstep, and was responsible for the deepest howls I’d heard echoing through the forest.

He'd been watching me ever since I’d arrived at the cabin. Of that I was certain. But why?

He spun around and I gasped anew when I spotted two more hairy beasts approaching. They were male as well and about the same size as my dark beast stalker, though their fur was silvery brown rather than near-black.

Growls emanated from the dark beast’s throat, while the other two creatures shot him playful smiles.

And then it hit me.

I knew what these beasts were.

When I was a child, my grandfather had told me stories about the furry creatures. While I’d believed him at first, as I’d gotten older, I’d thought he was making the whole thing up.

Sasquatches.

There were actual Sasquatches living in the forest.

Holy freaking crap.

Suddenly my problems with the mob back in Portland seemed a little less daunting.

I watched as they had a conversation—I could see their lips moving, though from inside the cabin I couldn’t discern their words—and I was filled with awe at realizing they could indeed talk to one another. Just like my grandfather had once claimed.

After a brief moment, all three disappeared into the trees. I stood at the window for a few minutes, waiting to see if they returned, particularly the dark beast who’d evoked such strange but familiar feelings in me. Emotions that almost felt… affectionate.

But that was crazy.

Yep, maybe I’d been alone for too long. Sure, I’d only been here for a little over two months, but maybe I needed regular human contact more than I’d realized.

Change of plans: I needed to get the hell off this mountain.

Chapter 5

GORRAN

“Why have you come here?I know you heard my warning howls. You fools answered me back.” I growled at my brothers. We’d walked far enough away from the cabin that the golden-haired female would no longer be able to see or hear us. I was brimming with fury that my brothers had shown up at the exact moment I’d decided to reveal myself to my future mate.

Mastorr appeared slightly apologetic, though Brutus’s expression held nothing but amusement. I wanted to break both their noses.

“A heavy snowfall is expected,” Brutus said. “Tonight. Vasoon claims he can sense it in his bones, and when it comes to the weather, he is rarely wrong.”

I growled. During heavy snowfalls, our entire tribe usually hunkered down in the massive cavern where most of us lived year-round. Even the members of our tribe who preferred to sleep outdoors joined the rest of us inside, and we spent the days feasting, telling stories, and sleeping. Mating, too. An impendingheavy snowfall meant I needed to return to the cavern as well, but I was hesitant to leave the golden-haired female unprotected.

“I will not leave my female. Go back to the cavern without me. I will build a warm nest in the trees near the cabin and wait out the storm.”

“Vasoon also claimed the snow won’t melt for some time,” Mastorr said. “Please, you must return with us to the cavern.”

“And leave my female alone? I could not fathom it. She is mine to protect.” I growled again. “The two of you shouldn’t have ventured past my markers. If any other males had done so, I would’ve challenged them to a fight.” Even though I trusted neither of my brothers would attempt to steal my mate, especially Brutus who already had a lifemate, their trespassing still angered me on an ancient, primal level that I supposed harkened back to ages past when our people hadn’t yet developed a spoken language and were ruled by animal instinct alone.

“Instead of leaving her,” Brutus said in a cautious tone, “perhaps you should finally make your move. Bring her back to the cavern.”

“What if she doesn’t wish to come?” My heart sank as I thought of how she routinely discarded my offerings. “She has yet to accept any of the presents I’ve brought her. Even the fat trout, pokklam berries, and unusually large slugs I left for her yesterday. I watched as she stood on her porch and tossed them into the trees.”

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