Chapter Two

The plane was almost the size of a toy. Callie gripped the arms of her seat during the entire flight. Beside her, Aimee snored peacefully.

The world below them wasn’t all that different from the one they’d left. Trees covered the mountainside, stretching like moss along a rock. It was beautiful, even though there was a large spot on the mountain devoid of trees. It was a blemish on a perfect landscape, she thought.

From the blemish, she caught sight of figures waving up at them. Her stomach twisted, and an instinct warned her that she was looking at Morgan. He was part of a clearing crew, paid to remove trees and level the ground for building projects. She shouldn’t have been surprised to find him so easily.

It wasn’t until the wheels touched the ground that her friend jerked awake. She watched Aimee wipe the drool from her chin and glance out the window.

Aimee rolled her shoulders. “I need to get off this plane.”

“You and me both,” Callie muttered. She stood, using her tall and athletic frame to claim a spot in the aisle.

A man behind her grumbled about pushy women, even after Callie glared down at him. She was taller than most women and even towered over a few men. Back at the Den, the only people shorter than her were the old bear mothers, Callie’s own mom, and Aimee. On the plane, Callie’s height was painfully obvious.

Aimee didn’t hesitate to take advantage of her friend’s height and squeeze in front of her. While Callie was all dark skin and black hair, Aimee was a ray of color. Her skin was soft and pale, making her colored hair and rainbow earrings even brighter. Aimee was the burst of color and sound that Callie needed in her life.

When the small otter shifter washed ashore in the Den, Callie’s father had urged her to put the otter back. Defiantly, Callie had helped nurse Aimee back to health and found her best friend. Callie’s father didn’t completely approve of Aimee, but Aimee didn’t care much about approval.

When the line finally started to move, the door led straight to the tarmac. Her feet hit pavement, surprising her. Across the lot, a familiar face waved to them. Callie’s stomach did a nervous dance, but she managed to get control of herself. It wasn’t Morgan.

The dark-skinned bear smiled softly, reaching for their bags when they were within arm’s reach. Callie didn’t relinquish her bag, but Aimee gladly gave hers up. It was almost laughable, watching Dominic pull the Minnie Mouse suitcase behind him.

Dom glanced over his shoulder, somber eyes taking them in. For a second, they caught on Aimee before flicking toward Callie. “I didn’t think they’d send you, though I am glad to see you again.”

Callie wished they hadn’t sent her. She would have preferred to stay home and watch old re-runs rather than be within ten miles of Morgan.

“How was your flight?” Dom tried.

Callie shrugged. She didn’t have any words she wanted to share. Aimee looked to her friend with worried eyes but said nothing. The drive was quiet. She’d thought she could handle this, but every mile closer to Morgan and his crew left her unsettled. No matter what she did, she couldn’t shake him from her thoughts.

She tried to focus on the task at hand but couldn’t make herself ask any questions. She should have prodded Dom for answers. How had the two women been changed? Why hadn’t they contacted the Den before changing them? What else were they hiding?

Instead, Morgan invaded her thoughts. The man she remembered was tall and lean, a shock of mahogany and gold hair atop his head. His eyes had been honey-brown with flecks of green, like forest leaves. Would he be the same?

Dom hadn’t changed much, only grown a bit taller and a lot wider.

***

Morgan was a bundle of nerves. How long had it been since he’d last seen her? Eight years? Ten? Time had moved differently around him, stretched thin by the distance between him and his mate. Now that she was in the same state, on her way toward him, it changed again.

Time sped up and before he knew it, Dom was pulling into the driveway before Morgan had figured out what he was going to say. The night before, he’d planned some long declaration of love, demanding to know why she’d spurned him.

It all went out the window when he saw her jump out of Dom’s truck. Her hair was longer, limbs toned with muscle. When she turned toward him, her eyes glazed over him as if he weren’t even there. Cold flooded his system. His feet stuck to the ground and his tongue to the roof of his mouth.

His beast thrashed, trying to push him toward her. There she was, his mate. All he needed to do was run up to her and pull her into his arms. Then, she would remember why they were meant to be. Then, everything would be alright again.

Instead, she stormed past him.

The smell of earth after the rain filled the air and caressed him like an old lover. His gut clenched. His beast roared. Yet, his body remained completely still.

A smaller woman watched him with narrowed eyes, sizing him up and noting the complete lack of interaction. “You must be Morgan.”

“Is it that obvious?” He breathed.

The woman licked her lips, watching Callie’s back. He worried, for a moment, that Callie had replaced him with a woman. He didn’t want to fight this shifter for his mate.

“I don’t know the whole story of what happened between the two of you, but if you hurt my friend I will deep fry your balls and call them Rocky Mountain Oysters.”

Morgan blinked. “So, the two of you are just friends?”

She laughed. When she did, Dom’s head spun toward the sound. “Yes. Just friends. Though, don’t think that means you still have a chance. Our lady bear would watch me deep-fry your nuts before she’d kiss you.”

He pressed his lips together and nodded. That didn’t mean he could give up. This was his chance to understand where everything went wrong. If he could apologize or make up for whatever happened, then there might be a chance that things could change. There was a chance he could make things work.

Dom clapped him on the back and spun him toward the cabin. Dom’s place was cleaner and more modern than the rest. It cost them a bit more, but the angled windows that looked out over the mountains were worth it.

“You lovely ladies get the loft to yourselves. Feel free to fight over who gets the bed and who gets the cot.” Dom smiled softly, completely unfazed by what was about to happen.

Morgan watched it in slow-mode. Callie took three steps past the threshold and stopped dead in her tracks. He heard her sniff the air. Her shoulders went tight, bunching together as her bag hit the floor.

“No one told me Morgan lived here.” Callie’s voice was low, almost menacing.

“Dom wanted a view and a kitchen. I needed a place to sleep. So, we met in the middle and split the rent.”

As far as they knew, they were the only two who could stand the company of other shifters for more than a few moments. To be fair, Morgan spent more time in his room than out of it, and group dynamics were quickly shifting with the presence of Emmy and Addison. He spared a moment to imagine Callie among them.

As soon as the vision appeared, her growl of frustration smashed it to bits. His mate stormed away, heading for the stairs to the loft. As much as he wanted to, he wouldn’t follow her. Not after the other, smaller shifter bounded up the stairs after her.

“Well, that went about as well as expected. Maybe a bit better,” Dom said before retreating to the open kitchen.

“I hate you,” Morgan grumbled.

He could have locked himself in his room and lost himself in a video game, but he didn’t think fantasy snow-covered mountains would be able to distract him from the woman above him. Sleeping under the same roof as Callie was going to be actual torment.