Page 1 of Beared at Christmas
Chapter One
Ulrik
I couldn’t believe my sister bought me a week away from our parents. Especially over the Christmas holidays. I wasn’t complaining. They’d been after me for some time to find a new mate and finally give them grandbabies. But I didn’t know how to get over the loss of Raine in order to start looking. I loved him. Still did. We were meant to be together. I just wished cancer hadn’t taken him from me so soon after he moved in with me. I’d thought we had many more years together. And I doubted Fate had another mate lined up in a pretty package the way my parents expected. So, I drove my 4x4 truck over the partially snow-covered roads on the final leg of my trip to the Winter Wonderland Wilderness Lodge in Pinevale, Oregon. It was a mouthful and a good two days of driving from Iowa. The perfect getaway for the holidays while my sister broke the news to Dad and Pops that she was the one expecting.
Living in the city amongst humans, I didn’t get a chance to shift into my polar bear form very often. Being at an all-shifter lodge would give me a chance to stretch out, and to run and roll in the snow with my thick white fur to keep me warm. I couldn’t wait.
The village of Pinevale radiated a festive feeling as I slowly drove through on my way to the lodge. They had red-ribboned boughs on every streetlight, and red and green strings of light wrapped around all the trees. I saw carolers, people skating on outdoor rinks, and others at temporary wooden booths handing out warm drinks to passersby. The lightly falling snow made the scene almost perfect.
My heart ached. Raine would have loved to visit with me.
With a heavy sigh, I focused on the road ahead. This vacation was for me. Maybe it would give me the time and space I needed to heal without the constant family pressure to move on like my mate had never existed. I needed to do it alone and on my own timeline.
The lodge was just beyond the village, down a long, winding road lined with fir trees at the base of the Cascade mountains. When I reached the main building with its log walls and red metal roof, I parked my truck in the front lot then crunched through the snow to head inside. Because I was checking in later in the afternoon, I didn’t know whether the front desk would be busy, yet there was only one guest ahead of me.
When he left with his key, I stepped forward. The name tag of the clerk readBranson, and he used a cloth to wipe the perspiration off his forehead. I hoped he wasn’t sick with anything. The last thing I wanted was to spend my vacation dealing with a cold virus. Or maybe it was the fact that I was a shifter, and I could smell that he was obviously human.
With a wide smile that seemed a little forced, he said, “Welcome! Are you here to check in?”
I nodded. “Yes. My name is Ulrik Jessen. My sister booked a week’s stay for me on the Simply Fated site?” I scoffed, thinking he probably only needed my name.
After he typed into the computer, he grabbed a key card. “Yes, you’re in cabin 77.” He printed out some papers and put them in front of me with a pen. “Please sign here and here.”
I wrote my signature on the appropriate lines without fully reading the document. I didn’t plan on wrecking the cabin or inviting anyone inside. It would be just me and my bear, and we both knew how to behave.
More papers were printed and, after taking the signed forms, he handed me the receipt for my stay, along with my key card. “Everything looks good. Your cabin is on the left side of theproperty. When there’s a fork in the road, just keep heading left until you reach number 77. Enjoy your stay.”
With a nod, I took the items. “Sounds good. Thank you. I’m sure I will.”
Back in my truck, after wiping the fresh snow from my windshield and hood, I drove along the narrowly plowed roads behind the main building, staying left as Branson had instructed. With barely any clearance on either side of my vehicle, I was thankful I didn’t encounter anyone driving toward me, with all the cabins I passed having at least one vehicle parked nearby. When I reached number 77, I pulled into the plowed-out space to the side, turned off my truck, and took a deep breath. It would be the first time I’d ever spent the holidays by myself, but it was what I’d wanted. What I needed.
Getting out of my vehicle, I opened the back driver’s side door to grab my luggage. Only one bag with the few toiletries I needed and a couple of changes of clothes. It wasn’t as if I were required to impress anyone. I also had some winter gear for the times I planned to get out and enjoy the snow. My human body couldn’t withstand the cold temperatures the way my bear could.
With everything I needed, I locked my truck and headed toward the log cabin. As I fished in my pocket for the key card, I noticed footprints on the way to the front door. Perhaps housekeeping had been there earlier to get the place ready for me. I swiped my card, and, when the faint red light turned green, I opened the door, kicking the snow off my boots before I stepped inside.
Immediately, the place felt comfortable with a kind of welcome I didn’t know I yearned for. Living in the city was convenient and where the rest of my family lived, but something about the cabin caused a sudden longing in my bear. Probably because he knew he could soon roam freely. Or perhaps it wasthe scent of apples and cinnamon, which always reminded me of Raine.
I set down my belongings to remove my boots and take in the layout of where I’d be staying for the next week. The cabin had a kitchenette to the left with a fridge and stove, and a wooden table that sat four. To the right, behind the entryway cabinet, was the sitting area, with a wood-framed couch with red-and-green plaid cushions, probably custom-made for the holidays. Plus, there was a large stone hearth in front of the fireplace. I couldn’t wait to get it started. There were a few logs in a basket on the hearth, and I was sure I had spotted a pile of wood to the side of the cabin. Though it would have to dry first before it could be used. Behind the sitting area was the bedroom with a queen-sized bed with clothing draped over the sheets. Was it some kind of special promotion from a local vendor? I doubted the clothes would be large enough to fit me.
Making my way over, the scent of apples and cinnamon became stronger. I paused and closed my eyes, trying to focus on the incoming information to my senses. The scent kept triggering past memories, until the sound of running water caught my attention.
Was the housekeeper still there? Had they not finished cleaning?
The only room I couldn’t see was the bathroom in the back-left corner. I knocked lightly on the door, so as not to scare the person, before making my way inside. “Hello?”
No one answered as I glanced around the steam-filled room. I really hoped someone hadn’t left the shower running. That would truly be a waste of water.
Then I heard the water turn off. Feet splashed in a puddle before the steam-covered door of the shower stall opened and a man stood before me. A human by his scent. A very naked human man.
Chapter Two
Brody
“Yes, Mom.” I tuned her out, knowing how disappointed she and my dad were with me. First, it was because I was gay. Or rather, everything about me that seemed different from other boys my age. I hadn’t told them why until I’d graduated high school and was getting ready to leave for college. Recently, it was because I had to work over the holidays, just like last year and the year before that. I didn’t have to work. Not this year. In fact, I planned to have a nice, relaxing Christmas break away from family and work. Neither needed to know that. I had become an expert at lying to both. I’d fooled my parents into believing I was straight for many years. Until I didn’t want to pretend anymore. They still had me feign being hetero while my homophobic relatives were over. Hence why I did everything possible to avoid being around them.
“I know, Mom. I will miss them, too.” Not at all, especially Aunt Jannie and her Yorkies that barked at everyone and were not house trained. She always complained I shouldn’t have been allowed to play video games as a kid and should have been forced onto the football field instead. The same games that got me interested in coding and led to my job as a senior programmer for a gaming company, which I was paid well for and had better benefits than anyone in my family.
“It’s too bad you won’t experience a real Christmas in that warm state that doesn’t get any snow.”
