Free Kodiak Moment: Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance by Zoe Chant Page A

fall into bed and sleep.
    She fished the cabin key out of her jeans, taking a look around. The cabin was a well-weathered wooden building, set a stones throw away from the edge of a lake. It hugged the ground, looking almost natural. There was another cabin not far away, which looked rather better tended than her own.
    The snow flurried around her as the wind gusted, and that decided her. The porch creaked under her steps, and the key was tight in the lock, but with the application of a bit of strength and a shoulder, she was soon inside.
    Inside it was cold, dusty, but in good order. Someone had obviously been in to take off the worst of the dust, and to leave some supplies. She was grateful for their thoughtfulness, since it would save her the trip into town.
    She stepped back outside to the car, popped the trunk, and lifted out her two suitcases. She set them on the ground and took a moment to simply just be. When she had first heard of the assignment, she hadn’t been so keen on the idea. She was a city girl, and what could the wilds of the countryside hold for her?
    But the more that she had thought about it, the more appealing the idea had seemed. Lying in bed, listening to the sound of sirens in the night, and the bustle of traffic, she had wondered what it would be like to hear none of that. To be perfectly quiet, and perfectly alone. Surrounded by the hustle and bustle of city life, her mind had always been focused on her work. Even when out on assignment, work was all that she had. Perhaps, while she was here, she might give relaxing a try.
    Although, it looked like she wouldn’t be alone. As she lifted the suitcases again and took them inside, she would almost swear that someone was watching her. Far from being the disconcerting sensation it usually was, this was almost comforting, caring. She felt warm inside, compared to the freezing air on her face.
    As she turned back to head into the cabin, she caught a flicker of movement in the window of the other cabin. All she saw was a shape moving away, no details.
    “Must go and introduce myself,” she said aloud, hoping that it would stick in her memory.
    It almost seemed like the shape hesitated, as if they had heard her, but that was impossible, wasn’t it? Pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind, Nessa began the arduous process known as moving in.
    She was halfway through unpacking when the insistent beeping of a horn got her attention. She took a glance through the net curtains of the den and saw a police cruiser just pulling up outside the other cabin. The officer stepped out, waving cheerily as the door to the other cabin opened. Hidden by the net and obscured by the distance, Nessa got her first look at the man who would be her neighbor.
    He was tall, broad shouldered, a true bear of a man. His hair was brown and cut long and shaggy. He didn’t seem to have a beard, a fact that surprised her. As best she could tell over the distance, his face was stern, unyielding. Although her first job was to photograph the local wildlife, her fingers itched to pose him against the setting sun, perhaps shirtless so the light would gild all those lovely muscles that she was sure he was hiding.
    Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice that her neighbor had turned, almost as if he knew she was there.
     
    ***
     
    James closed the door firmly, with more than necessary force. His inner bear howled in frustration. The glimpses that he had been able to get were not enough to satiate his other half. But they would have to do. He would not allow his bear to rule him. She might be the only one for him, but it didn’t work the same way with her. He had been happy without her, he could continue.
    Sheriff Dan Winters was a pleasant-looking man, with an honest and open face. His eyes were a warm chocolate brown and his hair a sandy blond. He sprawled loosely in an armchair, and studied James.
    “Coffee?” James asked.
    “Please,” Dan replied.
    As James gathered the