After two and a half days in Scotty’s company, I wasn’t nearly ready to let him go. But dammit, we needed to get to town so he could take that pill. I’d known from the get-go that I couldn’t keep this addicting omega, but damned if I didn’t want to make him mine.

His foot had healed to the point that he was only favoring it a little as he walked, and I knew that today was the day that I’d need to take him back. It had been pouring rain since we woke up this morning. The sound of the water hitting the roof had been the first thing to greet me when I’d opened my eyes. But there was no choice, he needed that pill.

“I’m gonna go start the car so that it can warm up a little. I’ll come give you a hand out when we’re ready to go, I don’t want you to slip in the mud and hurt your foot again.”

Scotty gave a resigned nod and headed into the bathroom while I went outside. I pulled my sweater up to block my neck as I turtled my head against my shoulders and rushed forward toward my Jeep.

I’d only made it halfway across the yard when I saw that a tree had fallen behind my Jeep and was blocking the road—our only way in or out.

“What’s going on?” I heard Scott call out his question and groaned when I turned to see that he’d limped outside and was standing in the pouring rain looking around.

“The storm knocked a tree down and it’s got us blocked in here—we might be screwed unless I can find a way to cut this up. Even then, we’ll be cutting it close to get back to town before the shops close.”

Scotty wandered around me look at the tree, shaking his head as he pointed to the base. “If the storm knocked it down, why does the base of the trunk look like it’s been chewed on?”

Raising a brow, I walked closer and leaned around and bent down the trunk. Damned if it didn’t look like something had taken it down with its teeth. I stood back up with a light sigh and wrapped my arm around Scotty’s shoulder, pulling his shivering body against mine to share body heat.

“Let’s go back inside and regroup. The roads probably aren’t safe anyway; it’s most likely a mudslide going down the mountain right now.”

Scotty looked like he was about to argue with me when a loud clap of thunder sounded right overhead, and a lightning bolt appeared in the sky not too far away. He shivered and shook his head.

“Yeah, let’s go back inside where it’s safe—we’re getting soaked out here anyway.” Scotty turned and began walking back to the cabin with me right on his heels. I bumped right into him when he stopped short and turned to peer nervously into some bushes across the yard.

“What’s wrong, Scotty?” I asked hesitantly, wondering what had him spooked. “Is your foot bothering you or do storms spook you?”

Scott paled as he shook his head quickly and held up a hand to point at a clump of bushes across the yard.

“I just saw it! The albino beaver was watching us from over in those bushes there. Come on, I’ll show you if you don’t believe me—I’ll bet there’s tracks!”

Fighting the urge to roll my eyes at his gullibility in believing the old tale, I waved his concern aside.

“There may be an albino beaver, and you may have even seen it. But the albino beaver is just a story they tell kids at campouts, Scotty. Trust me.”

Scott jutted his chin out stubbornly and looked like he wanted to argue, but didn’t. Instead, he started walking purposefully toward the bushes and I had no choice but to follow.

I’ll admit, my brows raised when I saw the obvious beaver tracks that led from the bush and off into the surrounding woods, but I shrugged it off.

“We’re in the woods near a river. I’d be more surprised if there weren’t any wildlife tracks around here. Come on, let’s get out of the rain.”

Scotty didn’t say a word as he turned and headed back to the cabin. After we’d change into dry clothes, I hung our wet stuff around the cabin to dry while Scott pulled out a jigsaw puzzle he’d found yesterday but we hadn’t had time to work on. He shook it at me with an expectant smile on his face.

“Sure, it’s not like we have anything else to do right now. Why don’t you set it up on the table while I get us something to drink?” I asked as I headed toward the kitchen area to put on a kettle for tea.

The rest of the afternoon went by as we worked the puzzle and got to know each other better. I found myself even more charmed than I’d already been by the flirtatious, free-spirited omega. After dinner, we stripped down and made our way to the bed to cuddle before bedtime and wound up kissing some more.

“How can this feel so right when we barely know each other?” Scott murmured in my ear as I sucked a hickey into his neck.

“I don’t know. I have to admit that I’m slightly alarmed by how we’ve connected.” I wasn’t lying either, I was pretty nervous about how quickly I was falling for him. Sex was one thing—emotions were something completely different.

“Why is that?” Scotty asked slightly as he nipped at my earlobe.

“Because you are an American and I’m sworn to protect the people of Canada, remember? In a few days time, you’ll be headed south while I’ll be left here watching you leave,” I answered honestly as I pulled away and rolled over onto my back. My words had only served to remind me that I needed to guard my heart—because he would be leaving me behind all too soon.

Scotty straddled my hips and gripped my biceps as he leaned over to kiss me softly before lifting up to speak.

“How about we let tomorrow worry about itself? Yesterday’s gone, and tomorrow isn’t here yet. Today is a gift, that’s why they call it the present—so I vote we rip the ribbons off this bitch and enjoy every second of the gift that today has brought us.”

He punctuated his thoughts with a slow roll of his hips and a lascivious wink as he licked his lips and smiled at me.

“That broken condom was the only one I had,” I admitted quietly.

Scott threw his head back with a quick laugh. “Listen, we’re just going to have to cross our fingers on the whole maybe-baby thing and not worry about it. I’m not in my fertile period right now anyway, so fuck it—let’s have some fun, eh?”

I grinned as he mocked me with that flirty little eh and thrust my hips up to tease him right back.

“All right, but you’re staying right there. I think I like you in this position,” I said, wrapping my hand around his dick as I began to slowly stroke it.

“Ooh, yeah. I’m on board with that decision,” Scott groaned as he leaned down for another kiss.