Chapter 1

Six months later

I stared out the window at the freshly fallen snow as we made our way up the mountain. It was such a beautiful sight. The sun was high in the sky, but with the clouds, you could barely tell. “I am so glad that you came with us, Kendra. You needed to get away for a week.” I turned to look at Bree, my loving, carefree sister, and smiled.

“I am glad you talked me into it.” Audrey and Paxton were in the front seats of the car laughing at something that Paxton had said. I was glad that I gave in to them and went on this vacation. I needed this and I was ready to stop living in fear that Ryker would find me.

As we approached the top of the mountain, the beautiful ski resort came into sight. We had booked one of the small cabins on the outside of the Aspen resort. We pulled up in front of the resort and Paxton ran in to check us in and get the keys. When he came back out we drove over to the cabins. Ours was the last one and very private. Some stairs lead down to the cabin’s front door. It was an amazing place. We all grabbed our luggage and headed down the stairs and into the cabin. The inside was so cozy and comfy looking. It was a four-bedroom, two and a half bath so all of us had our rooms and we would make the bathrooms work.

I laughed as everyone else fought for the master bedroom and just chose one of the other bedrooms. The room I chose had an amazing view of the Colorado Rockies and had a sliding glass door that opened out to a balcony. I unpacked my bags and then walked out onto the balcony. I looked out at the tree line in front of me and saw something moving. I couldn’t make it out because it was too far away, but I swear it looked like a wolf. I must be seeing things, I thought to myself. I was so focused that I didn’t hear Paxton as he walked up behind me. He touched my shoulder and made me jump. “Jesus Christ Paxton, are you trying to give me a heart attack?” He was now laughing uncontrollably with his hands up.

“I’m sorry Kendra, but there is no reason to be so jumpy. Ryker will never find you way out here and besides, he is in jail.” He was right, I needed to loosen up. “We are all starving so we want to go grab a bite to eat at the restaurant in the resort. You coming ?” Paxton said as he flashed me a smile. I laughed at him and nodded.

“I’ll be ready in twenty,” I said to him. He nodded and headed out.

Paxton was a great guy and friend. I had known him since we were in middle school. He was just a little dorky kid back then, but he had grown into a very good looking guy. In high school, he had joined the football team and quickly became a popular guy, but he never let it go to his head. Then in our senior year, I meet Ryker and slowly I pushed Paxton away. I had never meant for it to happen, but I thought I was in love and since Ryker didn’t like Paxton I shut him out. Now I know it was because Ryker was a controlling asshole, but then I was naïve. However, Audrey had made sure that Paxton stayed in my life. She would always have him over when we would hang out and slowly our relationship grew close again.

I smiled as I remembered the day that I finally got away from Ryker and how Paxton was by my side from then on. He was a very good friend and I loved him for that. I got dressed and went into the bathroom to fix my hair. Before our trip, Bree and Audrey had dragged me to the salon to get our hair done. I had always just kept my natural hair color, which was a dark brown, but I was a free woman and wanted to do something different. So I went with a hombre color. It started with a blue color and faded into pink at the ends. I loved it. Then I had got a hair up my ass and took the girls with me to the tattoo and piercing shop. At first, I thought I was going to get a tattoo, but I decided on something less painful and got my nose pierced. It was my way of making a statement and everyone loved it including me. I finished my hair and ran down the stairs to meet up with everyone.

The restaurant was amazing. We had ordered so much food, I thought we would all end up getting sick. We sat for two hours eating and talking and laughing. I was starting to loosen up and have a good time, as we walked out of the restaurant. I was talking with Audrey not watching what I was doing when I ran into someone. I fell to the ground. I was about to say something when I looked up and saw him. He was gorgeous. His long black hair was pulled back into a ponytail and his dark eyes were staring down at me. He smiled as he held his hand out for me. I took his hand and he pulled me up a little hard, which made me fly into his solid chest. This gave me a better look at him, as he held me in his arms for a minute. He was about six foot two with smooth brown skin and a muscular build. His hair was dark and flowed down his back. He had tribal tattoos on his arms which made me believe he was a local Native American.

I realized that I was staring at him, so I quickly pulled away. “I am so sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.” He smiled at me and his dark brown eyes stared into mine.

“It’s no problem. My name is Matto.” I soon realized that Audrey was staring at us, so I quickly took my leave.

“My name is Kendra. I’m sorry again, but I have to go. My friends are waiting.” I turned quickly and practically ran to Audrey as she smiled at me. “Don’t you start,” I said to her, as I took her arm and walked away with her to catch up with Paxton and Bree. I could still feel his eyes on me, as I walked away. I didn’t dare turn back around. If I did I probably would have gone back and kissed him. I don’t know why, but I just had a very strong attraction to him. I shook it off and just kept walking until he was out of sight.

Matto’s POV

Her intoxicating smell lingered, as she walked away and I couldn’t help but watch her until she was completely out of sight. There was something intriguing about her that made me curious. “Matto, we have to go. There is a skier stuck on the mountain.” Koda said breaking my concentration. I nodded at him and we took off grabbing our ski patrol jackets on our way. The brisk cool air hit my face as we ran out to the snowmobile, but it didn’t bother me since I always ran hotter than most. I could still smell Kendra, as Koda and I flew up the mountain towards our first rescue of the season.

My instinct was to go to her, but I had a job to do and besides, I didn’t even know her. We closed in on the top of the mountain and a new scent took over, the scent of fear. We came to a stop right at the edge of the mountain where Jace was already waiting for us. “What is the situation, Jace?” I asked as Koda and I approached.

“The skier is a twenty-one your old male named Kyle. He lost his footing and fell about twenty feet down. He can’t move his right leg, but he is alert and staying calm.” I looked down at the man and saw that he wasn’t going to last long. He was somehow hanging on to the edge of a cliff twenty feet below us. 

“Kyle, my name is Matto. I am with the ski rescue. I need you to remain as still as possible and we are coming to get you.” I heard the faint acknowledgment of what I said, so I turned back to my men.

“Alright, guys you know what to do. Jace tie me off, Koda be ready for immediate extraction.” They both nodded and set off to get ready as I hooked myself up into a harness. I pulled my hair up in a tight ponytail and waited for the signal. I heard the low whistle from Koda signaling that he was ready, then the whistle from Jace came and I threw myself over the edge of the mountain. The rope tightened as my body swung back into the side of the mountain above Kyle. I could feel the adrenaline kick in as I worked my way down to him. The rocks he was standing on were very unstable and it wouldn’t take much for them to give out. Once I was above him I flipped my body and felt like Spider-Man as I looked at him. I handed him the other harness. “Put this around your arms like a jacket and fasten it.” He slowly put it on. Once it was on I reached down and tried to fasten the other rope to him, but he started to slip.

I reached my hand out and grabbed his arm. The ledge below him gave way and we hung there with me holding him. I had to act quickly or I would lose him. My instincts kicked in and I pulled him closer to me. I was close enough to attach the other rope to his harness. I then heard the noise of my rope slipping and about to break from our weight. I moved quicker and attached the other rope to his harness. Once it clicked into place I hollered out to Koda and Kyle whisked past me at lightning speed. I watched as Jace pulled him back over the edge and secured him in the gurney. Then I heard the snap of my rope and I felt myself start to turn. The beast took over. It was just instinct, my claws dug into the side of the mountain as I leaped up to safety. I immediately looked around and saw Jace pushing the gurney into the truck, so Kyle didn’t see me. I quickly dashed into the woods and calmed myself so I could shift back.

Once I was back into normal form I grabbed the spare clothes I had nearby and came back out into the open, only to see Koda standing there waiting for me. “You good bro?” I nodded at him. “Good. Let’s get back to the house and change we are going out tonight. The resorts night club is amazing and I think we might run into your mystery woman.” I smiled back at him. There was something about her that made me want to see her again. We hopped back on the snowmobiles and headed to our cabin. The cabin wasn’t far from the resort but hidden enough so we weren’t bothered. Tenaya was already waiting for us when we walked in. The house smelled wonderful and I realized I was starving, then again I was always hungry.

“Eat up boys. There is plenty.” She smiled as we came to the kitchen and Koda walked over to kiss her. Koda and she had been together since they were kids and they were always together, except when we worked. 

“Tenaya are you coming with us tonight to the club?” I asked. She shook her head. 

“No, I think you guys deserve a night out. Go have fun. Just not too much fun.” She smiled over at Koda, who laughed. 

“Don’t worry babe. We are going to. Matto has a mystery woman to track down.”

I gave him a warning glare and a low growl escaped my lips, which made him smile. “Alright, bro no need to get testy.” I snickered then got up from the table and headed to my room. Once I was dressed and ready I walked back out to find Jace and Koda already waiting for me. 

“Let’s go,” I said as I walked out into the crisp night air. The temperature had dropped significantly but it didn’t bother me. I was always warm and hardly ever needed a jacket, but I wore one to look the part. We arrived at the club and of course were allowed right in, one of the perks of working for the resort. I walked over to the bar and ordered a drink. I turned to face the crowd and almost instantly my eyes fell onto her. Her multicolored hair gleaming in the light on the dance floor as she danced with the blonde I saw her with earlier. She was all I could see and I knew that I needed to go talk to her.