There's Snow Escape: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Paranormal Dating Agency Book 7) (4 page)

NINE

Charlotte carried an overnight shoulder bag with clothes and a lightweight coat. She was used to low temperatures and a few days of snow wouldn’t kill her. She was supposed to meet her transport and was late. Stupid room made it harder to wake up making the bed and everything in it so inviting.

She arrived at the garden out of breath to find Eros standing there with a wide smile. Her heart did a flip and she grinned. He was such a cutie with those soulful eyes. “Hi! Sorry I’m late.”

He reached out to take her bag and shook his head. “You’re not late. How are you doing today?”

“Good. I can’t get over how amazing the rooms are in this castle. They keep changing based on my mood.” The previous night had ended with a headache. Her bedroom had toned down the lights and darkened things to give her eyes a break. If it hadn’t been so peaceful, she would have been freaked out over it.

She wondered what it would do if she had sex in there. Her gaze went to Eros. He was so good looking. The smile and caring personality really pulled her in. She could totally envision him making love to her slowly, seductively.

Then, to make things weird, her brain decided to think of Brecc. The jerk. How would he fuck her? Rough. Hard. He’d probably kill her in the process. Her skin grew warm thinking about it. Christ. She had problems.

“Our technology is more advanced than earth from what we understand.”

He guided her down a path that looked familiar from when she’d arrived with Gerri. “You haven’t ever been to earth, right?”

He shook his head. “Brecc and I, we’d stand out.”

Stand out was an understatement. If they went to earth it would be like putting two delicious Doberge cakes in the center of a bunch of pudding cups. No way to ignore their pale sexiness. Not with that white hair and those baby blues that made her heart skip a beat.

“Where…um…where is Brecc?” she asked, curious when she didn’t see the other giant wolf. It wasn’t that she wanted to see him. She’d decided he needed to learn to stop frowning at her before they had another conversation.

“He’s waiting at the site where we will transport.” Eros stopped walking and faced Charlotte. “Brecc is an Alpha. He isn’t very in touch with emotions. He’s a fighter.”

She stared deeply into Eros’s worried gaze. “Why are you telling me this?”

“I think you should know. We will be spending time together. He doesn’t realize that you might not think like our females.”

She raised her brows. Something about the way he spoke had her stomach turning into knots. “I don’t understand. How do you mean?”

“Females in the pack enjoy their mate to make decisions for them.”

The word mate sent a cold shudder racing down her spine. “A what? A what? Where did you get anything with mate?”

She knew all too well that people mated meant forever. Charlotte barely liked Brecc; for Eros to say the word mate… That was some scary shit right there and she didn’t have any wine to soften the impact.

“I’m sorry.” He frowned and ran a hand through his short white hair. “I misspoke. What I mean to say is that females encourage males in the pack to speak for them. It is our way.”

She shook her head and marched next to him. “Sorry, buddy. For too long I didn’t allow my voice to be heard. There’s no way I’m going to tolerate others making my decisions for me. I am not a child. Brecc is not my mate, and he’s not my parent, and even then I wouldn’t let them tell me what to do. He doesn’t have to speak for me. I have a mouth. I can do it for myself.”

They continued down a path of trees and bushes with flowers in every color of the rainbow. There was a hint of lavender in the air or something like it. She couldn’t tell if it was the flowers or something else. Eros had a calming effect on her. She’d been worried about visiting the mountains, but now loosened up as she walked with him.

“How are you liking my world so far, Charlotte?” he asked. He walked a little faster than she was used to and she found herself falling a few steps behind. She used the distance to check out his ass. Because, why the hell not? But she swore he had a perfect ass under his suede-looking pants.

He turned to glance over his shoulder at her. The twinkle of humor in his eyes said he knew exactly what she’d been doing. He slowed his steps, waiting for her to catch up.

“It’s beautiful. It’s just…gorgeous.” She sighed. “I bet the rest is just as pretty.”

“If you stayed too long, wouldn’t your family worry about you?” he asked.

She shrugged. “Not really. My parents haven’t ever really cared much about me and my sister.” She gasped, almost tripping on a rock. “What am I saying? Rebecca would have kittens if I stayed here. She’d have to be able to visit or things could get crazy back on earth.”

“What do you mean crazy?”

She pushed the thick strands of hair over her shoulder. “My sister works for a magazine. She’d totally write an article. Contact the government, Pentagon, and every news agency if she thought something happened to me.”

He was quiet for a moment. “That doesn’t sound good.”

She laughed. “Don’t worry. As things stand, she knows I’ll be a while without communicating. Your world is safe from her wrath.”

TEN

Brecc stood by a giant trunk, taming the animal inside. He’d spent half the night up, angry and frustrated with himself for speaking out of turn where Charlotte was concerned. Eros had told him he would need to tone down his possessiveness. Good fucking luck with that one.

Aside from Alyx who was more like a friend than anything, nobody told Brecc to tone anything down. He was an Alpha. He didn’t do soft and sweet. Fucking hell! Why did things have to change now? Females from his pack knew the score. They knew how he was and respected him based on his position. Why did his animal want a female who clearly didn’t understand the pack rules or Brecc?

He paced around the tree where they would transport. Charlotte, with her generous curves and piercing brown eyes, had pulled the dominant wolf out of him the moment Vikter had shown up. He’d felt immediately protective of her and didn’t want his drama with Vikter to spill over to involve her.

The last person he’d thought to see at the wedding had been him. Not that Brecc should have been surprised. Vikter was one of Alyx’s friends as well. He’d want to meet Bella in person, if he hadn’t already.

Shuffling sounds in the distance indicated Eros and Charlotte were near. He picked up their bags and waited for them to appear in his line of sight.

Charlotte’s smile slipped from her face when she saw him. A spark of anger lit her gaze and if possible she turned him on even more than the previous night.

“Hello,” she said, her voice curt.

“How are you?” he asked, ignoring her tone and glancing down her beautiful curves to ensure she was ready for travel. That and to check her out. She was fucking gorgeous.

“Good, thank you.” She glanced around, looking for something. “So where are we going?”

“You’ll need to put on warmer clothing first,” Brecc replied. Her clothes appeared warm, but he would feel better if she wore the thicker jacket she had in her hands.

Once she’d slid into it and zipped it up to her chin, he nodded in approval. She rolled her eyes, but said nothing. Next, she yanked out gloves from her pockets and a fluffy hat she shoved on top of her head.

He lifted his hand and pressed a button on his transporter and a wide circle opened to allow them to cross thousands of miles in a few steps.

Charlotte gaped at the giant circle. Excitement sparkled in her eyes when she saw the snow falling on the other side of the transport.

“Wow. That’s just amazing,” she mumbled.

“Are you ready?” Eros asked. The smile on his face told of the desire to finally have their mate in their land.

She nodded and offered him her hand for the crossover. Brecc didn’t begrudge Eros the ability to get her to connect with him so soon. Brecc already knew it wouldn’t be easy for him. Women, especially earth women, wanted an emotional man. Someone who took time to question his feelings and things Brecc normally didn’t have time for.

They crossed to the base of the Ice Mountains where a blizzard appeared to have started. The wind howled and whirled loudly around them.

“Oh my god!” she squealed. “Your snow is blue! Is it always like this?” she asked no one in particular. The excitement in her voice was palpable. She opened her gloved hand and caught snowflakes, peering down at the tiny bits of frozen blue water. “They’re not like home. These are like small pale-blue leaves in miniature shape.”

“Yes. Things here are not like earth,” Brecc said. Her intense gazing of the snowflakes dissolving in her hands coupled with the smile on her face encouraged him and Eros. He hoped she liked the mountains.

“It’s still so beautiful,” she muttered. “So very different and beautiful.” She glanced up and met Brecc’s gaze. For a moment, she wasn’t guarded like before. Instead, he saw the genuine child-like curiosity in her eyes.

“We have a bit of a hike,” Eros said, his gaze roaming her face. “Are you sure you feel like walking up this mountain?”

She squinted towards the sky. “I have no idea. I can’t even tell how high this is. I can hike some, but the truth is in this weather I won’t be very good.”

Eros nodded. “We’ll carry you.”

“What?” she gasped, taking a quick step back.

Brecc moved closer, not stopping until she was safely in his arms.

“You’re insane!” she shouted over the howling wind, her voice getting shrilly from cold and shock. “I’m going to break your back. I’m a big, big girl. Put me down.”

He glanced at her face, loving the ribbons of crimson on her cheeks. She was beautiful anyway, but when she blushed she looked so innocent. “Relax. I can hike this mountain with someone three times your size on my shoulder. You’re tiny and barely weigh a thing.”

ELEVEN

Barely weighed a thing? She questioned his sanity more and more each time he spoke. She glanced at Eros who shook his head with a stern expression on his face. “Let us carry you, Charlotte.”

With her arms around his neck, she held on to him. She wore a pair of sweat pants that on earth would allow her to stay warm while comfortable. Here, it was like she was standing outside naked. She was glad when he started taking long strides to get her to the top of the mountain.

“It’s freaking cold, isn’t it?” she muttered, hugging Brecc tighter. The guy gave off body heat like a furnace. She wanted to shove her face in the curve of his neck and hide from the growing winds.

“Lean your head in so you’re not so cold,” he ordered.

She opened her mouth to argue with him over his tone, but decided against it. She’d traveled all over earth and had never felt this cold in her life.

The trek up the mountain didn’t bother her so much once his body heat warmed her. After an hour of hiking faster than she’d ever been able to, they reached a flat area where she saw what appeared to be a town. Cabin after cabin set far enough from each other to have privacy but still close to be in neat little rows.

“This is so cute!” The cabins all had chimneys and snow covering their rooftops. As they walked along the main road, she saw faces gazing out the windows.

They got to the end of one road and took a lone path. After about five minutes of intense walking, they rounded a bend and a big two story cabin came into view. The door opened and a woman stood waiting.

She turned to Brecc, meeting his blue-eyed gaze dead-on. Geez, the man had eyes on him. She could see the desire in his gaze, but she also saw the wall. As far as she was concerned, she wasn’t looking to fix a man. She didn’t have time or patience for that shit. She needed someone who knew what he wanted and worked just as hard to get it.

“You can put me down now.”

He stopped a few yards from the front of the cabin and put her on her feet. Her snow boots did little to keep her feet warm. Even though they were the best for climbing back on earth. This planet had seriously cold weather.

She turned to the cabin and smiled at the woman. “Hi, I’m Charlotte. You must be Alessandra.”

“I am.” Alessandra smiled and gave her a welcoming hug. “Let’s get you inside and warmed up.”

They rushed into the cabin where the air was nice and warm. Like Alyx’s castle, it was decorated with simplicity but everything made Earth’s antiques look like something out of a catalog. The wood furniture looked hand carved with images one normally found in a museum. 

“Are you okay?” Alessandra asked. “You’re staring around like you’re scared.”

Charlotte laughed, walked closer to the fire, and took the one seat she didn’t mind wetting with the snow off her coat. “Your home is gorgeous, but everything looks so valuable and priceless. I’m afraid to touch anything.”

Alessandra glanced at Brecc and Eros and broke into giggles. “Trust me when I tell you our furniture can withstand anything. My little one is crawling and nothing has broken or fallen over. You’re fine.”

That made her feel better. She unzipped her coat and handed it to Alessandra who had her hand out for it. “Thank you.”

“I’ll get you something warm to drink,” Eros said, leaving through an open doorway where she could make out the kitchen.

“That would be really nice,” Charlotte said, clearing her throat.

Brecc marched up to Charlotte and squatted in front of her, taking her hands between his and blowing on them to warm them. Her body temperature shot out of orbit. He rubbed each hand between his until they didn’t feel like ice cubes. She met his gaze, her body heated with arousal.

“That’s, uh, much better, thank you,” she said to Brecc.

Brecc stayed without answering for a moment then nodded. He stood and turned to Alessandra. “I’ll take her bag to her room.”

Once he was gone and she was alone with Alessandra, she got a chance to really look at the other woman. With long white curls and pale skin, she could pass for a family member of either man. But from what she’d been told about the Ice Mountain pack, all the members had pale skin and white hair.

“Thank you for allowing me to stay in your home,” Charlotte said. Too curious to look around, she stood and stretched, glancing at the lovely carvings in the furniture. “These are truly magnificent.”

There were scenes of wolves howling by the moonlight depicted in the furniture and carvings.

“They belonged to my parents. They handed it down to me as their sole female child. When my brother mates, he will get some things I am supposed to pass down to his mate.”

She rubbed a hand over the wood. It was smooth to the touch. “You have a brother. Does he live here with you?”

“No. He lives higher on the mountain peak next to this one. Brecc likes to be on his own.”

Charlotte whipped her head around so fast she almost got whiplash. “I’m sorry, did you say Brecc is your brother?”

Alessandra nodded, her smile grew wider. “Yes. He is the Alpha.”

That much she knew. “How in the world is he your brother? You’re so…so…” Shit she didn’t want to sound like a bitch, but the fact was he was so anti-social and Alessandra had been a sweetheart so far. She couldn’t figure out why Brecc was so serious.

“Ah, yes. Different. Like I said, he’s Alpha,” she said like that explained everything.