Satia awoke again from a fitful night and did the only thing she could think of, cook. Cleaning and cooking had always been her go to back on Aurora when she needed to clear her head. It had been difficult at the lodge with a staff to clean everything and cook for them.

By eight Stix moseyed down the stairs scratching his head. He glanced around the kitchen in disbelief.

"Not sleeping well again?"

"No." She set a huge stack of pancakes on the table.

"Is it the room or being on Earth?"

"I don't know what it is." She walked to the fridge pulled out the orange juice and sat it next to the plate of bacon and sausage. "Come, eat before it gets cold."

Stix crossed to the table and sat. "So, Deacon said he'd watch the restaurants if we want to head up to the cabin today."

"Do I need to bring anything special?"

"Some comfortable, warm clothes."

"The stuff I bought, would that work?"

"Perfect. Why don't we work our way through this stack of pancakes and then we can pack light. Maybe one outfit to wear and one to throw in my backpack."

"Backpack? I can't take my bag?"

Stix smiled. "Not with how we're traveling."

Satia walked with Stix out the back door and down the steps to the backyard. Behind the house, a small garage with a rocky trail led to an alley. He seemed impossibly larger in his leather jacket with his backpack slung over one shoulder. She followed him to the garage where he handed her the backpack and then rolled up the door. Inside the place was packed with tools and old torn apart electrical items. She waited as he walked to something covered in a sheet and pulled the sheet away. He backed a motorbike toward her. She swallowed hard at the thought of riding it. She'd never been on a vehicle like that before.

He pulled a helmet from the bike and set it on her head. She tilted her chin up as he buckled the strap underneath. He then proceeded to put a helmet on himself.

"Do you, perhaps have a car?" she asked.

Stix threw her a smile and winked. "Don't worry. I said I wouldn't let you get hurt."

He closed the garage and locked it.

Satia swallowed hard and secured the backpack over her shoulders. The bike roared to life and she jumped back. Stix smiled at her and motioned her to hop on. She slid behind him and tried to find a place to put her hands. He grabbed her arm and wrapped it around his waist. Lightning flashed through her at the connection. She sat forward pressing her body into his back and linked her arms around his waist as he turned the bike around and headed slowly to the alley.

Satia squeezed her eyes shut tight as he took off toward the street.

"Keep your body close to mine and lean the way I lean," he said.

She pulled her thighs tight around his and pushed herself into his back. He rounded the corner and sped down the street. The wind whipped her long hair and she breathed in deep. Every smell went by so fast she couldn't register them all before another scent replaced it.

Minutes passed and she rested her head against his spine and let go of her fear and tension. She allowed herself to relax and her body settled into his. The smell of his leather coat eased her concern as they made their way out of the city and onto more rural roads. The feel of the bike and rushing past the world was like running full out as a saber and then some. Her saber sat up and basked in the power underneath her as well as the wind whipping through her.

They rode northwest for little over an hour toward a heavily wooded area. As the scents of the city cleared from her nostrils, Satia felt more alive than she had before. Holding Stix and moving fast, was the best of both worlds.

Soon they turned off the highway onto smaller streets until they were on a bumpy dirt road that wound through the trees and stopped at a medium-sized log cabin.

Several dogs barked and ran toward them. Stix turned off the bike and put the kickstand down as the dogs jumped on him, vying for his attention.

"Okay, okay. Give me a sec, will ya?"

He hopped from the bike and helped her off as well. She removed her helmet as he reached down petting each dog in turn as they jumped on him, licking his face and ears and any exposed part.

He laughed and stood again. "Where's mom?" he asked. "Go find mom."

The dogs took off toward the cabin barking as loud as possible.

"That's a lot of dogs." She handed him the helmet and he put it on the back of the bike.

"Most of them were strays that found their way up here, so mom and dad kept 'em."

"I never had a pet before."

"Well, maybe you can now." He took the backpack from her and they headed to the cabin together.

The door opened and out walked a tall woman with her dark hair cut short and a beautiful deep complexion. The sight of her punched Satia in the gut. Though the woman's appearance was nothing like her mother's, something inside Satia made her suddenly long to see her mother once more.

"Mom, this is Satia." Stix walked forward and hugged his mother. She kissed his cheek and then turned to Satia.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Marris."

Satia curtsied and bowed her head the way her mother had taught her.

Marris chuckled. "Oh my dear, you don't need to do that. A hug would suffice."

Without warning, Marris hugged Satia tight. For a moment Satia couldn't breathe but then she returned Marris' hug and a wash of peace flooded her.

Marris pushed her to arm's length. "You are quite lovely, my child." She linked her arm in Satia's and ushered her toward the cabin. "We are so glad you came with Stix. He never brings anyone to see us."

Overwhelmed, Satia walked up the steps of the cabin. Inside, the warm and cozy rustic cabin was decorated in many of the same patterns that the lodge had been decorated in. Deep woods, dark colors, earthy and natural.

"Would you like something to drink?" asked Marris.

"Water, please." Satia sat in a tall barstool at the counter in the kitchen.

"Where's dad?" asked Stix.

"Fishing for dinner. He'll be back soon." She handed Satia a glass of water from the tap and Satia smiled.

"You have your own well?" she asked.

Marris nodded. "Stix and his father Relean put it in."

"Spent all summer digging out that thing," said Stix.

His mother patted him on the back. "Yes, and it made you better for the hard work."

Satia sipped her water and Marris smiled at her. "So, how did you two meet? Through Gerri I presume." She turned her gaze to Stix. "So my little meeting worked then."

Stix choked on his water and coughed several times as Marris whacked him on the back.

"Yeah, uh, we did meet through Gerri," he said. "But not like that. Satia recently arrived from Aurora and needed a job. Gerri thought I might be able to help."

A sly smile crept across Marris' face. "Uh-huh. Okay."

Satia looked between them. She had no idea what Marris was implying.

"Come on," said Stix. "Let me show you to the guest room so you can rest and wash up before dinner."

Satia finished off her water and stood. She waved to Marris who stared at her with a knowing expression on her face that Satia didn't understand and then followed Stix out of the kitchen and down a small hallway to a back bedroom.

"Why was your mom looking at me like that?" she asked.

"Like what?"

"Like... there is something going on that I'm not aware of."

"I... uh... have no idea." Stix opened the door to a cozy bedroom.

"When can we go for a run?"

"After dinner, when it's dark is safest," said Stix.

She nodded and studied him for a minute. "Why did your mom say she had a meeting with Gerri?"

"Uh..." Stix scratched his head. "Well..."

"Is your mom trying to find you a mate?"

His shoulders slumped and he shook his head. "She dragged me to Gerri's a few weeks ago, but I told Gerri I wasn't interested."

Satia's heart pounded. "Do... do you think that's why Gerri picked you of all people for me to work with? Do you think she was trying to match us up?"

He stared at her for a long minute. "Do you?"

At that moment her answer was most emphatically, yes. With how she felt for Stix... maybe Gerri had been planning this all along. She was after all the best matchmaker in the universe. Was it possible that she'd seen in Satia what she'd needed before even Satia knew?

"Absolutely," said Satia. "I just didn't realize it until now."

Stix smiled. "Me neither."

The heat of the moment passed between them, and Stix reached out and took her hand in his. Her heartbeat quickened as their fingers entwined. He took a step closer to her, his body powerful and protective.

For a second she thought he might kiss her again. He raised his hand and stroked her cheek with his fingers.

"I know it hasn't been long but I am certain of how I feel about you. How my ursa feels about you. I won't pressure you. I want you to take as long as you need to but I need you to know, my decision was made the moment I opened my office door and found you standing in front of me."

She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. Her mind and heart collided. She wanted him as well, but there were things about her that he didn't know. Hadn't seen. The fear of it tore at her like a barbed whip.

She opened her eyes and stared back at him. "I feel the same but... I need for you to see something before you make that decision."

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. The decision has been made. Anything you show me or tell me won't change how I feel."

Satia swallowed hard. "Tonight," she whispered. "When we run."

Stix swooped in and kissed her softly on the lips, making her saber roll over and purr.

"Tonight." He squeezed her hand and walked back down the hallway toward the kitchen.

Satia fought the urge to panic. She had to do this. It was soon into their relationship to do it, but she had to. She couldn't go on with him declaring she was the one he wanted to be with only to have him not understand. If he changed his mind, she'd rather he did it now when they were still getting to know each other, instead of later when it might shatter her into a million pieces.

Satia slowly closed the door, curled up on the bed and shut her eyes.

* * *

"She's perfect," Marris said, as Stix walked to the fridge and pulled out a beer.

"She's pretty amazing," he agreed, unsure of how much he wanted to share so soon with his mom.

His mom chuckled and swatted him with a towel.

"What?"

"Don't play coy with me, boy. You think I don't know that look?"

"What look?" He sipped his beer.

She shook her head and pushed him out of the way as she grabbed several items from the refrigerator. "You can play it that way if you want to but remember that if she is meant to be with you for the rest of your life, you better start respecting her now and remember she is going to be the mother of your cubs someday."

"Mom, seriously? We haven't even known each other a week."

His mom sniffed. "Please, I saw it written all over those big brown moon eyes of yours the moment you introduced her. And whether you want to admit it or not, I was right in going to Gerri."

Stix would never admit it. If he'd learned anything about his mom in the last twenty-five years, it was that when she thought she was right about something, she never let you forget it.

"I'm gonna take a walk." He finished his beer and went to throw it in the trash can.

"Oh no, you don't. You put that in the recycle where it belongs young man." His mom pointed to the back door with the paring knife in her hand.

Stix chuckled and shook his head. Some things never changed, no matter how old he got.

Stix went for a walk in the woods taking in the peace and serenity of the place in hopes that it would calm his nerves, but it didn't. He couldn't believe how much his life had changed in the last week. From single to practically engaged. From running a restaurant to thinking about going back to school and changing the restaurants to nightclubs. From feeling entirely alone to suddenly feeling quite complete. It was as if he'd hit the jackpot. The problem was, Stix couldn't help but wonder if there was another shoe that would drop and shatter his newfound happiness.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. Again it was that familiar number he couldn't place.

"Hello?"

"Stix?" asked a female voice.

"Yeah, who is this?"

"Stix, it's..." The phone fuzzed out.

"Sorry, who?"

"It's..." Again he couldn't hear it.

"Yeah, sorry, I can't hear you. It's a bad connection."

"Stix! It's-" The line went dead.

He stared at the phone for a minute and tried to place the number and the voice, there was something familiar about it but he couldn't put his finger on who it might be.

Shoving the phone back into his pocket he turned and headed for the cabin. His ursa had enjoyed being outside, but he couldn't wait to run that night with Satia. And truth be told, neither could Stix. It would be the first time he'd ever run with anyone besides his family.