Chapter One
Summer in the Mammoth area of Yellowstone exuded energy and life. Between the endless parade of cars and the tourists who packed into the park, it was always a tightrope act for Lars and the other alphas. A long agreement between the park superintendent and the shifters kept the park safe for the most part. Shifters agreed to be present in animal form so humans would see what they came so far for. In exchange, the shifters were given human jobs in the park. The elk studied animal size and migrations, bears were on fire detail, wolves, security, and bison specialized in scientific research. No one questioned their stay in the park off-season.
The only complaints his herd had were the speeding cars through and around the open areas of Mammoth Springs and the humans who never believed elk were as dangerous as bears. The young calves loved to play in the grassy area next to the inn. The hotel’s nearness to the road and its careless drivers had the mothers living in a constant state of panic, but the open space allowed for both the young to frolic and the tourists to get their fill. A nightmare for Lars.
Lars Elkson, alpha of the four elk shifting herds of Yellowstone National Park.
“You need some serious crowd control up here, Lars,” the deep voice of one of his closest friends rumbled from behind him.
“It would be helpful if the grizzlies would stop mating with our rangers,” Lars responded, turning to greet Bruno, the grizzly alpha. “Didn’t flannel go out of style in the nineties?”
“Technically, we only stole away one of your rangers. Morgan doesn’t count as she is a scientist. And flannel is always in style in my book.” Brutus, all six foot nine of him, stepped in front of an oncoming car. He stared the driver down while a calf crossed the street to get to its mother. When he returned, he grumbled, “Remind me to keep Grant out of this area for the summer. He will blow his top.”
Grant, one of Brutus’ betas and top sentinels, made his opinion about tourists known to anyone who would listen. “What brings you up to Mammoth?” The grizzlies’ land lay to the south around the Yellowstone Lake area.
“Brush fire over near the campground. Lucky for us, it’s been a wet year. Otherwise, it would have been worse. Where is Jenny?” He referred to the elk’s favorite ranger. “I have a message to pass along to her.”
“You can’t have her,” Lars bit out before he could stop himself. Fuck, now the damned bear would know of his attraction to the human.
“Whoa.” The grizzly eyed him then threw his head back to let out a bellow of laughter. “Oh, she holds no interest for the bears. Not enough meat on her bones for us. But I understand she holds a place of honor with you.”
“She’s human,” he dismissed, hoping the bear would leave it alone.
“Remember who you speak to.” Though Brutus’ voice remained light, it held a degree of warning.
Lars rubbed the back of his neck. For over a year, he had held his desire for Ranger Jenny Roth down deep. Unlike the bears, who often waited decades for their mates to show up, elk tended to find their mates young in life. The fates granted all elk-shifters two mates, sometimes as the same time. Yet he, their alpha, had been waiting six decades for his second to come, and she arrived in the form of a ranger whose sexy-as-hell ass filled out the green uniform shorts delectably.
His people so loved Jenny, they broke protocol and allowed her close to the herd. The calves would run up and give her a playful bump. She protected the elk, she cared for them, and they, in turn, made her job easier by staying in safe zones when tourists came to ooh and aah. Open to much, they had expressed great joy at Brutus mating with Ranger Quinn, but for all their love of Jenny, to welcome a human into their own herd would be a stretch.
When Jenny had left to do her winter months at the Everglades, he’d believed she would go to another park next year, and their paths would never cross again. He had been unprepared for her reappearance this spring. She’d searched out his herd as they made their trek back to the Mammoth area.
He’d sensed her long before her form standing on the ridge could be seen. “I mean no disrespect, as you know, my friend. We have never welcomed a human into our herd.”
“Quinn was the first for our sleuth. It starts somewhere.”
“We don’t have the cave system you do. Where would a human live when we move through the park in winter? Do you think I just let my mate walk away without any thought? But I have to think of her and my people. The fates blessed me with one mate. It will have to be enough.”
“So where is Jenny?” The bear would not let this go. “She would never allow the tourists so close.”
He debated lying, but it went against every cell in his body to do so. “It’s her day off. She is up in Gardiner with some friends.”
“And you happen to know that how? Have you had lunch yet?”
“Excuse me?” Sometimes following Brutus’ train of thought made his head hurt.
“I have a craving for pizza. There is a great pizza place in Gardiner.” Brutus already headed for his jeep. “Come on. I’ll even make it extra cheese, no meat.”
He should argue, but he would love to see his mate through human eyes. It was so rare he got to see her up close. He hadn’t dared to do more than watch her from afar the previous year. For fear he would carry her off and seduce her. Of all the alphas in the park, he was the one people went to when looking for a logical solution to a problem. You went to the bears when you needed brute strength, the wolves for stealth, and the bison for scientific inquiries. No one really went to the rams for anything, and the smaller shifters kept to themselves.
The two men used the driving time to discuss park business. Having Brutus on the same page made dealing with Chintok, the bison alpha, at their upcoming meeting with the other alphas and the park superintendent a bit more palatable. “The wolves are doing a great job keeping the coyotes in check,” Lars said. “But the bison are still concerned about giving them more freedom within the park.”
Brutus humphed. “Chintok will take a decade to think over any changes in the park, and you know it. If he found a human mate, she would die of old age while he pondered what to do about the situation. I agree he needs to open himself up to a private chat with the wolf alpha.”
“Darius is a wise leader and Chintok ignoring him is only causing rifts where there are none.” Lars glanced at the window at the rams up on the hilltop, banging their heads together. He would never understand the rams.
“Does Darius really want to spend hours on end on the phone, listening to the bison’s theories of life in the park?”
“Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to split that torture by three?”
“Hell yes.” Brutus chuckled as they made their way out of the park and under the Roosevelt arch. Both men’s cell phones began to ping as they moved into range of a cell tower. “So, where to?”
“I thought you wanted pizza?”
“Yes, well, if she is at the pizzeria.”
They were driving up the small touristy street when Lars said, “Stop.”
Brutus did without hesitation. “The Grill?”
“Yes.” Not his first choice.
“Okay, then the Grill it is. You wanted to see her, right?”
“They serve elk in there.”
“Well I’m not about to order elk, now am I? They also serve bison burgers, but I won’t order either.” Brutus pulled the jeep into an empty spot and threw the car into park.
He rarely ate with any shifters other than bison. He couldn’t hold eating only meat against the carnivores, but it didn’t mean he had to like it.
Jenny sat at a round table in the corner with three friends. He soaked in every inch of her in the brief glance he allowed himself. From the tight braid, to her makeup-free heart-shaped face speckled with freckles over the nose, to the open vee of her green T-shirt. “You need to trust your heart will want the best for you. You have spent decades taking care of others. It’s time, my friend, to take care of you again.”
Deep in Jenny’s stomach, a sizzle formed when her blond Adonis walked in. She had seen him in the park a few times. Last year, she hadn’t been able to work up the courage to approach him, but the perfect reason now fell into her lap. He came in with her bestie’s baby daddy.
“I hate Quinn couldn’t make it today.” Casey bit into her burger. “I don’t think she is going to return to work this season.”
Amy shook her head. “She has her hands full with her son.”
“And her man.” Lauren raised a glass in mock salute.
“Speaking of, isn’t that Quinn’s guy?” Casey asked.
Amy glanced over her shoulder. “I think so, but has anyone else noticed all the fire patrol men look remarkably alike?”
“Sure do. Excuse me. I’m just going to say hi to Brutus.” She placed her white napkin on her plate, silently thrilled Casey’s mention of their arrival gave her an excuse to greet them. As she weaved through the tables, the draw to her blond god strengthened. “Brutus?”
“Jenny, what a surprise.” The large man stood, his presence shrinking the room. He pulled her into a bear hug. “Quinn is so excited you are back in the park. Are you still coming down to the lake next week to meet your godson?”
The pride behind those words made her smile. “Wouldn’t miss meeting little Hagan.”
“He is not so little.” He turned to his friend. “You should come, too. Where are my manners? Lars Elkson, have you met Jenny Roth, one of the rangers?”
“Not until now. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Roth.” Lars stood and outstretched a hand in greeting.
She took it, but the shock from the touch left her speechless.
“She covers your area of Yellowstone. Jenny, Lars has his office up at Mammoth. I can’t believe you two haven’t met yet,” Brutus marveled.
“Won’t you join us?” Lars indicated the empty seat.
“For a minute. I don’t want to delay my friends.”
Brutus made a show of looking at his cell phone, “Excuse me. I want to answer a message before I forget.”
They sat in silence for a minute before Lars commented, “Brutus has never been known for his subtlety.”
“No I guess not.” Hoping to extend the meeting, she asked, “Have you known him long?”
“Years, and you?”
“Met him last summer when he and Quinn started dating. I guess it was love at first sight since she moved in with the man pretty much right away.”
Just as another lengthening silence had her about to make her excuses and scurry back to her table, he spoke again. “I’m thankful for his introduction and immediate absence.”
“I used greeting Brutus as an excuse to meet you.” Heat burned her skin. “I saw you a few times last summer but never worked up the nerve to say something to you.”
“I wish you had.”
“So you work only in Yellowstone?”
“I do, for wildlife management services. My main responsibilities are the six or seven elk herds, and in particular, documenting their populations. I work with the bison in the spring when they return to the park and before the elk births.”
“Oh, I’m a ranger much of the time in Mammoth.” She groaned. Brutus had already said that.
“I haven’t seen you on the common this year.”
She nodded. “I recently returned. I didn’t think I’d be able to this year, family issues, so I turned down the chance to come back, but my replacement had something come up as well, and my situation cleared up. When the position opened, I jumped.”
“Jenny, are you ready?” Casey sauntered up to the table, offering a view of her ample cleavage and the flick of an auburn braid over her shoulder. “Sorry. We have to get back.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry to keep you waiting.” She smiled at Lars. “Nice meeting you.”
“You, too.” Lars’ grin churned the butterflies in her stomach. “Would you like to drive down together to see Brutus and Quinn next week?”
“I would love to.”
“Great. I’ll come find you.” He stood and leaned in. “My office overlooks the commons. I have spent a great deal of time watching you herd the tourists.”
“Oh.”
Brutus took his seat again and laughed. “Lars, from her stunned expression, you either just made her day or came off as a crazy stalker.”
Jenny bit her lip. “The first option.”
She caught Brutus’ grin before she ran outside where her friends waited, her heart beating far faster than usual. After climbing into the back of Lauren’s electric car, she stared out the window as they drove under Roosevelt Arch back into the park.
“So, you and Lars?” Casey asked.
She ignored the implication. “Do you know him?”
“I wouldn’t say know him. He isn’t the chatty type. Not rude, but quiet. He tends to keep to himself. Though he hangs out with Brutus a lot, and a man from park security named Darius. A strange group. Brutus is more brawn than brains while Lars is very much into his study of the animals, a bit of a deep thinker. Darius is, as we all know, a bit of a hothead. Quick to temper and just too hawt to look at.”
She didn’t know what to say. Brutus and his firefighters came off as burly goofballs, but Quinn said he was intelligent. Her friends would claim Quinn’s judgment was hampered by love. “Perhaps it’s a case of opposites attracting.”
“Either way, Lars is quite something.” Casey turned to wink at her friend in the backseat.
“The fire brigade is more my type,” Amy said, “They are all like The Rock on steroids.”
Lauren rolled her tongue in a rawr sound. “Give me bad-boy Darius any day.”
“I prefer tall, svelte, and quiet myself. I would love to run my fingers through Lars’ long blond hair,” Casey countered.
A surge of unreasonable jealousy ran through her. She remained silent until they reached the commons. “Where are the other rangers?”
Tourists mobbed the area, and the elk cows pawed the ground when the foolish visitors moved too close to their calves. She didn’t want anyone injured.
“Budget cuts or an emergency somewhere else, take your pick. You know damn well when the bears show up it’s all hands on deck,” Lauren said, pulling into a parking space.
“I’ll go out there.” She didn’t have anything else to do. Ten minutes later she emerged from the ranger dorm wearing the best uniform in the world and clutching a roll of yellow caution tape. As soon as she set up a barrier, the cows settled down.
“Are there any boy deer?” a small child asked, pulling on her pocket.
Getting down to the boy’s level, she flashed him a big smile. “Not out here. The bulls have antlers. These are mommies and their babies.”
“Are they nice? Can I pet one?”
A simple no never deterred an inquisitive child. “What would your mommy do if a stranger tried to hold your hand?”
“She would be very mad.”
“That is how they feel. So it’s best to stay on this side of the tape and give them their space.”
“Are we safe here?” the woman with him asked.
“Yes, ma’am. The cows here are used to people being around. Even so, it’s wise to stay the recommended twenty-five yards away from elk. If a mother feels her calf’s in danger, she will charge. Bulls can be dangerous, but there aren’t any in the area at the moment. All wild animals can be hazardous. No matter how cuddly they appear.”
She spent the next few hours answering questions. Finally, the elk made their way and the visitors dispersed. As she turned from the common, she saw Lars leaning against a pillar on the portico. She approached with anticipation. “What are you doing?”
“Watching you. I thought you had the day off.”
She removed her hat. “The tourists were closing in on the elk again. I can’t ignore that.”
“You have an affinity for elk?”
“Yes, always have.”
“Me, too. Can I interest you in joining me for an ice cream cone?”
Mammoth had few places to hang out, but ice cream at the inn dining room would hit the spot. “I would love a scoop of huckleberry.”
“So, tell me, why elk?”
“When I was five or six years old, my father brought me here for a vacation and I saw this magnificent bull up on the hill behind the inn. So beautiful and majestic. I begged my father for a plush elk from the gift shop. Do you know they don’t sell them? They carry bears, bison, and moose. Wolves. But where’s the love for the elk?”
He offered a smile, but she sensed no teasing. “You’re very passionate about it.”
“Perhaps too much. Sorry.”
“Never apologize for your passion.” Holding the door to the Terrace Grill open, he rested a hand on her lower back as she passed. The simple touch, even through her shirt, brought every nerve ending to life, all of them focused on him.
“Huckleberry?”
She fought through the fog of lust clouding her brain. “What, huh, oh yeah.” No way the jolt wouldn’t have zapped him, too, but he seemed so calm and cool. “One scoop, please.”
When his hands left her body, relief turned to an immediate sense of loss. You are losing your mind, Ranger. She grabbed a handful of napkins and located a table for two—where he’d have to sit across from her.
“It’s beautiful out. Do you want to stroll around?” He handed her a cone.
“Do you mind if we sit? I have been on my feet for the last few hours.” She let out a sigh as she sat down.
He took the other seat. “Forgive me. Of course you have.”
She licked the creamy delight and groaned. “So good. Didn’t you get any?”
“No. I needed an excuse to get to know you better.”
“You don’t need an excuse, you know.”
“I’ll keep it in mind. You mentioned your father bringing you here, just the two of you?”
“Yes, me and dad against the world.” She licked a drip from the side of the cone. “He passed away my junior year in college. For all his great qualities, he chain-smoked.”
“And your mother?”
She tried not to think of the woman who gave birth to her, but she couldn’t fault him for asking. “She wasn’t keen on the title. She didn’t like ‘wife’ too much, either. When I was seven, she sat me down and gave me a closing statement on why she left us. Mom’s a high-powered attorney who felt family took time away from the office. But, oddly, she also left me a note saying she never felt like a part of society. As if she never fit in.” Like me.
“Did you see her after that?”
“I see her when her career warrants me being brought out for display. She did pay for college and enough child support and alimony so my father could stay home and rear me. She covered his medical expenses in the end, as well. She gave us what she could, I guess.”
“But not the mother you would have wanted.”
“No, but you can’t force someone to be a mother if they don’t want to be.” For years, she’d hated the woman. Now she only wished for space from her.
“Do you want to be a mother one day?”
“More than anything, but I would want a couple of children. Being an only child can be lonely.”
“And you are you lonely now?”
He read her like a book. Yet, she found peace in being able to open up to someone about her disappointments. “Not with you, right this minute. If I hadn’t walked over to your table today, would you have approached me?”
“Yes.” He reached over and wiped her lip. “Your ice cream dripped.”
She brushed the area he’d touched, cheeks heating. “Oh.”
“My strength to stay away from you is at an all-time low.”
“Strength?” Good lord, she had thought him shy or perhaps nervous. Perhaps, like Brutus, this man concealed his real self in front of visitors. “I don’t understand.”
“Every time I saw you from my office window, I fought the desire to cross the grassy lawn to sweep you off your feet.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“You mean besides coming off as a crazy stalker?” He raised an eyebrow before chuckling.
“Besides that.”
“You’re young and full of life. I didn’t want you tied to me, to this park, when there are so many places you could experience.”
Tied? How would a couple of dates have tied her to anything? “This park is a ranger’s dream. We all long for the full-time position here.”
“So you are saying you would be happy up here in Mammoth for the next twenty years?”
“What ranger wouldn’t be?” She couldn’t imagine not being here, and the whole time she had been in the Everglades, she’d longed for the mountains of Wyoming. But she was young and there were so many parks for her to explore. “You know, a simple date doesn’t mean together forever.”
Her lungs seized as soon as the words passed her lips. They were lies. Something about this man drew her where others had failed. His presence screamed acceptance.
“Perhaps you are right.” His eyes bored into her soul. She wanted to run yet couldn’t think of a reason to go. “Would you go to dinner with me?”
“Tonight?”
“Do you have other plans?”
“No.”
“Good. I’ll pick you up in an hour, then. Dress casually.” He planted a kiss on her cheek.
Before she could reply, he left. How had she gone from being the one who had made the first approach to wondering what door she had opened? At lunch, she’d decided to be brave and use the opening to meet a man she had lusted after all last summer. But she’d never had the upper hand, after all.
Getting to her feet, she thanked the people behind the counter and took the few steps to the street. An unnerving sense of being watched washed over her. Turning to the hills, she spied a mature bull with a full six-point rack. Magnificent.
They stared at one another until her attention shifted to a honking car. When she returned her focus to the hill, the beast had disappeared.