Pam crawled nearer, resting her head on his chest. There was something very comfortable about the position. “I know, it’s a bit of a surprise, but I’m not sure why you think it’s such an odd job. It’s been a great way to be involved in the RCMP and still be able to enjoy working with animals. I debated training as a vet, but with one thing and another, it didn’t work out.”
TJ rolled her, leaning close to nuzzle her neck, and the rising anticipation she was coming to expect around him seized her again. He spoke quietly, the brush of air from his lips teasing her ear. “I think it’s a fabulous job, and I bet you are completely awesome. All the dogs must have contests to figure out who gets you as their partner.”
“Goof.”
“Just saying…”
She chuckled then broke into a huge yawn. What an amazing day. TJ tangled his fingers in her hair to stroke and pet her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck to encourage him closer.
He took the hint and kissed her. Slow and thorough. Damn, he tasted good. It was like he knew exactly what kind of mood she was in. Tired from their busy day, she felt dreamy and soft, and that’s how he kissed her. He pulled back and his eyes sparkled, the dark centers mesmerizing. “As pleasurable as this is, I need to make sure I tied the canoe properly. I have a sneaky suspicion I forgot, and I don’t want to have to go for a swim tomorrow to find it.”
“You want me to come with you?”
“You can, or you can stay here. I’ll only be a minute.”
She waved him off as another yawn escaped. She lay back on the blanket. Oh yeah, she was totally into this holiday. Six more days? They should think about getting an extension.
She covered her eyes with her arm and breathed in deeply. The clean air filled her lungs with a fresh energy. She wondered what new tricks they could get up to tonight. Maybe make love in front of the fire.
Something inside paused. Since when did she call it making love? Sex was sex. You took care of your partner, had some fun then moved on.
A rustling in the nearby trees made her sit up, and she watched carefully for signs of what made the noise. They hadn’t spotted any wildlife yet, and that was one thing she hoped to change before heading home.
She stood to have a better view. The lower limbs of a bush wiggled. Something small. The sound of sniffing reached her ears and she hesitated.
That didn’t sound like a deer or a caribou or some other four-legged vegetarian. The head that popped out from the forest was brown washed with streaks of grey. One plate-sized paw followed another and Pam froze in terror.
Bear.
Oh my God, what was she supposed to do? She racked her brain for the training session she’d taken on bear encounters, but it had been a long time ago. Stay still. It can’t see me if I don’t move.
No, wait—that’s what you’re supposed to do for a T-Rex.
There was still a fair distance between her and the bear, so she took a cautious step backward. The animal’s head pivoted in her direction and it sniffed harder.
Pam clenched her teeth together to stop them from chattering.
The animal reared on its hind legs, scenting the air. It snorted at her, twice.
She took another step backward and spoke softly. “Go away. I’m human. I’m not interesting at all. Oh damn, damn, damn, TJ, this is a rotten time to be out strolling.” Sneaking a peek over her shoulder to see if there was any action by the lake tempted her, but that would have required taking her eyes off the bear and that was physically impossible.
The beast wavered, its upper body rocking from side to side for a second before it suddenly dropped to all fours, and with a nerve-racking grumble, it rushed her. She shouted, adrenaline flashing through her veins. She looked around frantically for a stick or a rock or anything to defend herself, but there was nothing at hand, and besides, her limbs were frozen in terror.
A blur of silver fur flew past her from behind. She stumbled back and swore as she identified a canine-like body darting at the bear. Her attacker jerked to a stop, and snarled, its teeth gnashing together before spinning around. It disappeared into the bush with a crash, the wolf hard on its heels. A loud howl rang out as her protector paused at the tree line before pacing over to sit a short distance from her feet.
Pam wrapped her arms around herself to stop the shaking from taking over even as she stared at the animal.
How in the world?
“Wolfie?”
Chapter Seven
Keil
Granite Lake is empty. There’s no sign of him at any of the pack’s summer retreats. We even checked the old-timer’s trapline cabins and came up blank. As for Shaun, he did a supply run up north to Old Crow then parked the chopper and said he was taking a week-long vacation. The locals saw him head into the bush with a backpack. Looks like he’s the only one who knows where Pam and TJ are, and he’s making sure no Alpha can contact him and order him to spill the beans.