Cale heard a muffled, “Hang on!” a few moments before the door opened. It nearly slammed right back in his face as the rush of wind and snow swirled into Jaden.

“Whoa! Christ!” Jaden gasped, staggering back from the snow. He shielded his face with one arm and blinked into the blinding white. He backed away to give Cale room, gesturing for the alpha to enter.

The moment Cale was inside, Jaden slammed the door behind him. Obviously stunned, he stared at the alpha, waiting for him to speak.

One look at him took Cale’s breath away. He wanted to reach up and run his fingers through the sleep-tousled hair to smooth it. Jaden was shirtless; wearing nothing but flannel pajama pants. He had clearly just woken up.

“There’s a blizzard.” The second the words left his mouth, Cale wanted to hit himself. “We were watching the weather, but weren’t prepared for how fast the storm got here when it changed course,” he quickly added, trying to salvage the fact the first thing he ever said to his true mate was a blatantly obvious statement. “The pack is evacuating to the lodge and we’re out of time before the snowmobile won’t run. Get dressed and grab anything you need. And hurry.”

Jaden nodded and whirled. Cale watched in surprise as the omega flew to a suitcase and started yanking on clothes. Omegas typically needed some sort of guidance. They weren’t helpless or anything like that and certainly could take care of themselves in a crisis, but Cale found that the presence of an alpha usually triggered some sort of instinctive need to ask for direction, even if they already knew the answers. He expected Jaden to hesitate and request some kind of clarification. Like how many layers to wear or which clothes to leave behind.

Instead, Jaden dressed in a flash, fussed over his suitcase for all of ten seconds, and then returned to Cale.

“I’m ready,” he said.

Cale blinked in surprise. “Do you need to bring anything?”

“Is there enough food and water in the lodge?”

“Yes.”

Jaden shrugged. “Then, no. It’ll be here after the storm.” He paused and grabbed a blanket off of the bed. “Although, I’ll probably need this. Okay. Let’s go.”

Cale felt an involuntary smile cross his face. His mate was on top of things, especially for an omega. As he berated himself for already thinking of the man as his mate, he was glad that he had kept his scarf pulled up over his face, hiding his grin. “Come on.”

He quickly led the omega out in the snow. Cale swore it felt like the temperature had dropped in the few short minutes he was inside. There was already a layer of snow built up on the snowmobile. He quickly brushed off the seat and climbed aboard.

Jaden settled behind him and wrapped his arms around Cale’s waist. Cale knew he couldn’t actually feel Jaden’s body heat or much of him at all through their thick clothes, but suddenly the omega felt way too close and intimate. He couldn’t count the number of times he had ridden with someone else on a snowmobile and none of them had made his breath hitch the way Jaden’s presence did.

“Hang on,” Cale grunted, eager to get back to the lodge and as far from the omega as possible.

The snowmobile roared to life and flew forward. A foot. The men jolted as the machine came to an abrupt halt. Cale felt Jaden’s arms tighten around him in surprise.

“Shit.” Cale reversed and tried to go forward again. The snowmobile lodged itself right back into the snow bank. The alpha tired again and again, even though he knew it was already too late. The thick, wet snow was too deep, especially considering the snowmobile had barely made it with one passenger. Jaden’s added weight made it impossible.

Nevertheless, Cale gave several more token attempts. A little voice in the back of his head was screaming that he was supposed to protect his true mate and he was failing miserably. In spite of the fact he didn’t want a true mate at all, he couldn’t stop the voice from causing his stomach to twist. He stood up and leaned forward, as If shifting his weight would help force the machine forward. The instinct to protect the omega with him drove a growl from his throat.

At last, with a defeated sigh, he sagged back and muttered, “I’m sorry.”

Jaden didn’t answer. Cale wondered for a moment if Jaden was disappointed in the alpha’s failure to protect him. He quickly realized it was more likely that even Jaden’s keen wolf ears hadn’t heard him, considering the roaring wind, engine, and the scarf muffling his mouth.

He shut off the machine with a sigh of defeat. “I’m sorry,” he repeated, turning around in his seat. “The snow’s too heavy and deep; the snowmobile’s stuck. I hardly made it up here alone; I should have considered your weight too. I’m sorry.”

Jaden stood and dismounted. His exposed face was already bright red from the cold. Cale winced; the poor man would’ve gotten some serious wind-burn, if not frostbite on the trip to the lodge, courtesy of Cale’s carelessness. Maybe this had worked out for the better.

“It’s okay.” The omega shivered. “If this isn’t going to work we should get inside.”

Cale nodded and the two hurried back. In just the few short minutes they had been outside their footprints were already filled with snow. It was coming down so hard they could barely see the cabin, mere feet in front of them.

Once inside, they stomped off the snow and Jaden made a break for the radiator to warm himself. Cale was about to strip off his snow caked outer layers, when it occurred to him that it was stupid to leave the snowmobile in the middle of the yard like it was. He pulled his scarf down a little to breathe in some warm air. Instead his nose filled with the delicious scent of cinnamon and vanilla, and the even more intoxicating aroma of Jaden. He snorted. Great, the cabin reeked of true mate musk.

“I’m going to move the snowmobile closer to the cabin,” he said quickly. And clear my head.

“Do you need help?” Jaden asked.

Cale shook his head and hurried back outside, pulling up his scarf as he did.

* * *

Jaden rubbed his hands together and held them over the radiator again as he watched the alpha leave. What a clusterfuck. Suddenly, his peaceful solitude was shattered. As far as he was concerned the alpha had blown in with as much chaos as the unexpected storm raging outside.

And now the cozy-seeming cabin was way too small for comfort. He straightened and looked around at the single room. Conner had explained it was a place for the ski patrol to hang out and take breaks and that was clearly all it was good for. The door to the outside was centered against one short wall. A mostly empty coat and ski rack took up the entire wall on one side of it. The other held a stack of tray tables, a couple of folded chairs, and the radiator. The cabin’s lone window hung above them. Jaden studied it as he gave his hands another rub. Faint gray sunlight was just barely working its way in through the thick layer of snow building up on the glass. No wonder he had slept in; the sunlight certainly wouldn’t have woken him.

The next wall held the couch, if it could be called a couch. It was so small Jaden didn’t think two people could fit comfortably on it. Then, the wall bumped into the cabin – making it even smaller – to frame in the bathroom. The door to the bathroom was half the size of a normal door and there was nothing inside but a toilet with a little shelf above it.

The back wall held a counter with cabinets above and below. A tiny sink was laid into the counter on one side and a two-burner stove was on the other. Next to that was a little pot-bellied pellet stove. The final wall had been empty when Jaden arrived. Now it was occupied by the still-unfolded camp cot, courtesy of Conner. The narrow bed hadn’t seemed too uncomfortable, but now it was taking up way too much space.

Jaden’s eyes went to the cot, then flew around in a panic. Well crap. What would they do about sleeping arrangements?! Would the alpha expect him to defer and give up the cot? Probably.

He glanced warily at the door. Christ, he didn’t even know who he was. Between the thick clothes, coat of snow, and the scent of the mulling spices he had been boiling, he could hardly smell the other man at all. He hadn’t recognized the mouth for the brief moment the alpha had pulled down his scarf, and the face masked by the ski goggles was unfamiliar. All he knew was it certainly wasn’t his brother, Niles, and probably not Conner, who surely would have announced himself. And he was about to be trapped in the tiny room with the alpha for who-knew how long.

A nervous knot started forming in his stomach. What else would the alpha expect? Would he spend the next few days catering to his every whim? What if he wanted sex? Jaden shuddered. He had never been forced by an alpha, but he’d come close in some of the packs he and his dad had stayed with. Even in the so-called omega-friendly packs, like Maple Ridge professed to be, he’d heard whispers of which alphas to avoid. Jaden had always been careful to mind his surroundings and have an escape. Now he was trapped with an unknown alpha, with nowhere to go. The shoddy door to the bathroom didn’t even lock.

Jaden rolled his shoulders and flexed. He could defend himself well enough, but even though he thought he stood a good chance at fighting off an unwanted alpha, what would be the consequences? Would there be punishment? Sure, he wouldn’t exactly mind if he were kicked out of the pack, but would that be it? What about his family? Would they exile his dad because of him? What about Niles? Some packs punished the entire family for the transgressions of one. If he dared to fight against an alpha, would Niles, Tanner, and little Maddie be packless too?

He shuddered at the thought. How had he gotten into this mess?

The thought of his family made him realize he wasn’t even sure if they were safe from the storm. The alpha had said the pack was evacuating, right? Jaden was tempted to run right out and ask, but decided against it. There was nothing he could do either way. With a sigh, he turned his attention to the cupboards. At least he could take a quick account of their food supply and take his mind off of his predicament while he was at it. He took a moment to crank up the heat on his pot of mulling spices for the day, before cataloging the contents of the kitchen.

Jaden already had a fairly good idea of what he had, so it was quick work. When he was done, he leaned over the mulling spices and inhaled the soothing scent. The spices almost seared his nostrils he was so close, but he didn’t mind.

The door opened with a bang as a blast of icy wind and snow followed the alpha in. He quickly slammed the door behind him. At last, he pulled off his scarf, followed by his goggles and hat.

“Storm’s getting even worse. And fast,” he said, sounding slightly out of breath.

For an instant, Jaden though it was Conner after all. But he quickly realized he was mistaken. Based on the resemblance, however, he was confident it was Conner’s brother. What was his name? Cale, that was it. Jaden was glad he had a knack for names, it would have been embarrassing to ask the Lead Alpha’s son who he was.

Nonetheless… “Cale?” he ventured.

The alpha glanced up from removing his boots, looking slightly caught off guard. “Uh… yeah?”

Well, at least Jaden had identified him. “Is my family okay?” he asked. “Do you know?”

Cale straightened, giving Jaden a good look at him. He was tall, roughly Conner’s height it seemed, but even with his hair matted and sweaty from the hat and his cheeks red from the cold he was undeniably handsome.

“They’re all safe at the lodge, I saw them myself before I came up here after you,” Cale said. “My cell phone battery died; otherwise we could at least call to check in.” He hated to admit he had not only let the battery die, but had forgotten it altogether. “I don’t suppose you have yours?”

“I don’t have one at all,” Jaden admitted. Nonetheless, he allowed himself a sigh of relief. At least his family was safe; one less thing to worry about. But now he had a new problem. It was one thing to resist the advances of any old alpha in the pack. But if Alpha Diana’s son tried anything… Jaden chewed nervously on his lower lip and wondered if he should just start mentally preparing himself. “How bad is the storm?” he asked, trying to gauge just how long they were going to be trapped together.

“Pretty bad,” the alpha answered. He succeeded in pulling off his boots and tossed them into the corner by the coat rack, before shrugging out of his jacket. “I didn’t get a good look at the weather report, but a few years ago we were stuck in the lodge for a week. And this storm looks a lot worse. Don’t worry though,” he added quickly, seeing the look of dismay on Jaden’s face. “The lodge is prepared for this. It can hold everyone safe and warm for quite some time. Your family couldn’t be safer. And we…” Cale looked around the cabin and shrugged. “Well, we’re out of the storm at least. I figure once the storm stops and the snow settles a bit we can try the snowmobile again. Shouldn’t be up here more than a day or two. And they know we’re here, so they’ll be trying to get to us.” Cale paused. “I wonder… if we could just change and get back to the lodge that way. Granted, I’m no Arctic Wolf, but my fur is thick enough and I’m in good shape. What about you?”

Jaden considered it. Risking the storm as wolves to get back to the lodge seemed like a great alternative to being trapped with the alpha. But it also struck him as maybe too risky. “Even a wild Arctic Wolf wouldn’t be out in this. I think either way we’re stuck until the snow stops.”

“Fair point,” Cale conceded. He thought, for a moment, the omega looked surprised that he was agreeing with him. Jaden was right, of course. It would be stupid to go out in this weather, human or wolf. And if something were to happen to one of them and they fell unconscious… he shuddered. They’d turn right back into a naked human in the middle of a blizzard. “Could you even find your way to the lodge from here? If we were separated?”

“Not in this,” Jaden admitted. “Probably not without the snow either, to be honest.”

Cale nodded. He was trying not to breathe deeply so he could avoid the omega’s scent. Thankfully, there was some sort of spice mixture in the air. His stomach growled and he remembered his usual large breakfast had been replaced by a single muffin.

“What are you cooking?” he asked, spying the steam coming off of a pot on the stove.

“Nothing.” The omega looked embarrassed. “It’s just…” Jaden quickly turned off the burner and put the lid back on the pot.

“What was it?” Cale asked, sensing the omega’s unease. He resisted the urge to go closer and comfort him.

“Mulling spices.” The answer sounded almost too casual. “It’s stupid.”

“I thought it smelled good. Why is it stupid?”

Jaden looked at the alpha for a moment. The expression his face was sincere; genuinely curious even. For some reason, Jaden wanted to give him an honest answer.

“I’ve spent my life moving around a lot. A lot. Never really had a home. But, no matter where we were or how tight money was, Dad always made sure we had some mulling spices and he’d find a way to get them going. So, everywhere always smelled the same. Homey, I guess.” He shrugged. “Told you it was stupid.”

Cale was surprised by the confession, and the embarrassment. “I think it’s nice,” he protested. “Your dad knew it was a tough situation and tried to make it easier on you. It’s hard for a wolf to not have a home.”

“I did just fine without a pack,” Jaden snapped.

“I said home,” Cale corrected gently. “It’s one thing to be without a pack if you have a place to call home. Having neither is even harder.” The omega still looked uncomfortable, so Cale changed the subject. “We should take stock of what we’ve got food-wise. We could be here a while.”

“We have more than enough for two weeks, easily,” Jaden answered. “Longer if we ration it. Unless you think we’ll be stuck here for a week or more, I honestly wouldn’t even worry about how much we eat for the next three or four days.”

“Oh…” Cale looked at the man in surprise.

“I already checked,” Jaden explained. “Not that I really needed to; part of that whole moving around and money being tight thing. I always have a good idea of what I have and how long I can stretch it.”

“That’s… handy,” Cale said. He was impressed. “Good skill to have.”

Jaden nodded. His stomach growled. “Speaking of food, I didn’t get a chance to eat yet. Have you?”

“I had a muffin. I could wait until lunch if need be.”

The omega pulled out a box of pancake mix. “This is brand new and makes twenty-four batches. We could survive off of just this for a week. All we add is water.”

“When you put it that way, I can hardly refuse.”

It wasn’t until he was flipping the first pancake that Jaden realized he had just automatically settled into the housewife omega role and was cooking for an alpha. He snorted in annoyance. It wasn’t that he minded cooking, but he had no desire to end up at the beck and call of an alpha, blizzard or not. He vowed not to end up making lunch as well.

Once about half of the batter was cooked and turned into a big stack of pancakes, he set it down on a tray table by the couch, along with a stick of butter and jug of syrup.

“Here,” he said, hurrying back to the stove.

“Aren’t you eating?” Cale asked in surprise.

“I’m making mine.”

“You didn’t have to make mine first,” Cale protested. “Do you want half or something?”

Jaden stared at him for a moment, caught off guard by the offer. “They’d be cold by the time I’m done with these, but… thanks.” He turned back to his batter, frowning at what he considered a rather out-of-character act of generosity from an alpha.

When his own pancakes were done he looked around for a place to eat. The alpha surprised him once again by standing and offering the tray table. Knowing it would be rude, and probably seem weird, if he went to get another tray table; he smiled in thanks and headed for the couch.

As he sat down the alpha’s scent wafted into his nose. For a moment, he thought nothing of it. And then it overpowered the smell of pancakes and the lingering scent of his mulling spices. The alpha’s scent flooded him, enveloped him. Jaden nearly dropped his fork at the overpowering, incredible smell.

Even as Cale backed away from the couch to avoid the scent of his mate, he realized his mistake. The pancakes and mulling spices had obviously masked his scent, but letting the omega get close to him and sit where he had been sitting had been too much. He cursed inwardly as Jaden stiffened, nostrils flaring. The jig was up. Jaden knew now.

Jaden’s thoughts were racing. He’d heard of the true-mate scent; everyone had. But this couldn’t be it. No, no, no. Shaking, he took another cautious breath. The smell rolled over him, quickening his breath and, sure enough, tightening his groin. There was no denying that the alpha he was trapped in a one-room shack with was his true mate.

He looked up from his pancakes and his eyes locked with Cale’s. For the first time he really looked at the man. From his grey-blue eyes to his brown hair, still tousled from his hat. The muscular looking body under the too-tight thermal shirt he had stripped down to. The devastatingly handsome face; currently set in an almost unreadable expression as he watched Jaden.

Cale knew. Not that Jaden was surprised. He wondered when the alpha had caught his scent. Cale shifted his weight awkwardly. Jaden swallowed nervously.

“I guess… we should probably talk,” Cale said softly. “The thing is… I’m not looking for a true mate.”

“I don’t want a true mate,” Jaden blurted before the alpha could finish.

“You… what?”

“Wait what?!”

“Did you just say you don’t want a true mate?!”

“Did you?!”

The two stared at each other incredulously, thoughts whirling.

Eyeing Jaden as if he had sprouted a second head, Cale slowly sat down on the unfolded cot. He was technically across the room, but the shack was so small it hardly mattered.

“Now, we really need to talk,” he said. “So, you don’t want a true mate?”

Jaden wasn’t sure how he managed, but he squared his shoulders, held the alpha’s gaze, and confidently replied, “No.”

Cale leaned back a bit. In all of the times he had imagined how this conversation would go, he had never once considered that his true mate would be just as opposed to the idea as he was. But why? He had his reasons, what with starting his own pack and all. But what could possibly be going on in an omega’s head?

“Is there someone else?” Cale asked.

“It wouldn’t matter. There can’t be. Not once you’ve met your true mate,” said Jaden. “But no. There isn’t.”

He was still puzzled, but Cale relaxed slightly. In spite of not wanting a true mate, the idea of someone else with Jaden bothered him and he couldn’t deny he was relieved to hear that wasn’t the case. He laughed.

“What’s funny?” Jaden asked warily.

“Just…” Cale shrugged. “I guess maybe that stuff about true mates being perfect for each other is true after all.”

“Why is that?”

“Cause neither of us wants one. I’ve… to be honest, I’ve sort of been dreading having this conversation, because I assumed I was the only one crazy enough to not want a true mate. I thought I’d be sitting here apologizing and justifying myself. Instead, I think you’re probably as relieved as I am. So, you know, neither of us wants the other and it’s perfect.”

“Yeah,” Jaden said, “I guess it is.” In truth, he had been afraid of the day he had to reject his true mate as well. Although, he had been more worried about an alpha not giving him the option of saying no. “You really don’t want a true mate?”

Cale shook his head. “Nope. And you don’t either?”

“No.” The omega hesitated and then added, “And I’d rather not have to justify it either.”

“I can respect that.”

“You can?” Jaden asked in surprise.

“Of course. I’ve gone blue in the face defending my choice over the years. I’m sick of explaining it. I’m sure you are too. I’m just… too busy for a true mate.”

The words struck a chord in Jaden and he remembered Conner saying the same thing. “Your brother told me yesterday that you don’t want a true mate,” he murmured. He had almost forgotten the brief tidbit that had seemed so unimportant the day before. A little voice in the back of his head had been whispering that maybe the alpha was lying to lull him into a false sense of security. But no, it seemed like he really didn’t want a true mate either. Maybe they really were perfect for each other, in a strange, roundabout way.

Cale nodded.

They sat in silence for a while, coming to terms with the idea that the true mate conversation was finally over, and with a better outcome than they had ever hoped for.

“What now?” Jaden asked softly, seeming uncertain for the first time.

“I guess now… we wait out the storm,” answered Cale. “Then, we go back to our lives and pretend this didn’t happen. Go our separate ways.”

“We’re in the same pack,” Jaden pointed out. “It’ll be a bit challenging to go our separate ways. Maybe I was right about leaving…” he said, mostly to himself.

“You don’t need to make yourself lone because of me,” Cale said quickly. Whether or not he intended to claim the man, didn’t mean he didn’t already care – perhaps too much – about his fate. He wasn’t going to let the poor omega wander alone on his account. “Besides, I won’t be around much.”

“You won’t?”

“I’m starting our splinter pack soon. I spend half of my time in my own territory anyway, now.

They fell into silence once more. It wasn’t until Jaden’s stomach rumbled that he remembered his pancakes. They were already cold, but he ate them anyway. He took his time, worried that when he was done the alpha would try to initiate conversation again. It seemed they were, at least, on the same page regarding mating, but Jaden was still wrapping his head around finally meeting his mate and wasn’t in the mood to keep getting to know each other. 

To his relief, Cale stayed silent as he collected the dishes, aside from a soft, “thanks,” as he grabbed the alpha's plate. Jaden usually just let dishes pile up, but busied himself washing them as an excuse to keep his distance. Since he was by the stove anyway, he turned the mulling spices back on. With any luck they would help block Cale's scent. Not that it mattered anymore; Jaden knew he’d likely never forget how the alpha smelled. 

At last, he had run out of excuses. With the snow coating the window it was impossible to tell what time it was. In fact, he wasn’t even sure what time he had woken up. 

Grateful he brought a couple of books with him, Jaden snagged one and sat back down on the couch.

“Help yourself,” he offered, nodding to the little stack of books. Without giving the alpha a chance to answer, he flipped around until he found his page, and then started reading.

He honestly hadn’t expected Cale to read as well, but the other man scanned the backs of a couple of the books, before taking one and returning to the cot. As the scent of the mulling spices filled the shack, dulling the scent of his mate, Jaden somehow managed to lose himself in the book after only a few pages.