Mated to the Wilde Bear

Xavier rubbed his eyes and shuffled through the stack of applications once more. But pawing through them again didn’t change facts. Not a damn one of them was more qualified than the resume he’d already set aside.

He picked it up just as Jake and Nash entered his office.

“Hey, boss.” Jake fell into the cushioned chair opposite Xavier’s desk.

“Hey.” Nash followed suit and between the three of them, they filled the empty space inside the small corner office.

Xavier grunted back at them. He hadn’t been in the mood to shoot the shit since dinner. Or, more specifically, since that earth-shattering kiss he’d had with the DOT chic. After that horrific night senior year, Xavier had spent the last ten years steering clear of women. Somehow, after a perfect record of avoidance, Laurel Adams had gotten under his skin with almost no effort on her part, and he had no clue what to do about it.

“It’s not even ski season, and you’re burning the midnight oil?” Nash asked.

“Yeah, boss. I thought August was vacation month,” Jake said.

Both men watched him carefully. He knew that look too. They were worried about him but knew better than to ask. “I want to get it right with this new hire,” he said.

And because he knew he had to start somewhere, Xavier waved the resume at them. Jake snatched it first. He read the first few lines and then looked back at Xavier with wide eyes. “No fucking way.”

the paper hard enough to

“Kyra Gold,” Jake said.

up at Xavier in disbelief.

he’d already known this argument was coming. “She’s clearly the most qualified out of all the

a girl,” Jake broke in. As if that

We can’t bring a girl into the crew. You know how women mess up the dynamic. Think about that crew in Montana we heard about last year. They broke up over it. Broke up,

We only know stories, but nothing firsthand. We’re a strong crew, and a

urge to smash through it instead, and headed for the exit. He didn’t need to be ragged, not again. God,

into the woods. The night was clear, the moon bright and full, and Xavier gave into his animal the moment he was

tossing them into a pile at the base of a tree, and shifted fast. The moment his bear’s paws hit the ground, he ran. It felt good to move. To give in to

that new hire situation was going to

that kiss. He told himself it was just because he hadn’t been with anyone else in so long. But deep down, he knew it was more. He wanted her. His bear wanted her. No, scratch that. His bear needed her. And that scared the shit out of him. He’d been on his own way too long.

thinking about her too hard. But then the wind shifted, and he knew it was really there. He came to a stop and sniffed harder. It was definitely Laurel, without all that mind-numbing

hell was she doing in the woods late at