She widened her stance and planted her fists on her hips, becoming all fiery and indignant.
"I'll have you know I'm not that tiny." She huffed and drew herself to her full height, which meant he was looking down at the top of her head. "Fit into your pocket, ha."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I stand corrected. You're a veritable Amazon."
"Damn, right." Mandy grinned, then took his hand and marched boldly at his side. "And don't you forget it."
"I won't."
Justin stopped them outside their destination, Wolf Brothers Wild Adventures, opening the door and gesturing her in.
He paused before following her. He took a final glance up and down the street, uncertain what had caused him to hesitate, but nothing seemed out of place. A few people wandered on the boardwalk, but everything was quiet, and he stepped slowly into the shop, the sense of foreboding like a lingering cloud of mist. Uncertain and unclear.
Chapter Seven
Joy and frustration whirled in Mandy's gut.
Justin had been nothing but carefully attentive, giving her the space that she'd demanded. She had nothing at all to complain about in his behavior.
So why did she feel all tangled up inside?
Some of her confusion made sense. She hadn't come to any answers regarding her family situation. Her email remained unanswered, and until her family on the island made contact, her hands were tied. And someone out there had broken into her home, and she still didn't know who.
But the good things were good-and as she peeked around the outdoor-equipment shop, a warm thrill of anticipation shoved all her concerns aside.
The wolf shifter who greeted them was a handsome man with dark hair and a layer of scruff on his chin. "Hi. I'm Caden-I've been waiting for you. Everything is laid out. Safety helmet, winter gear. If you need any different sizes we've got them in the back. Come with me."
Justin nodded his approval, grabbing both their piles of supplies off the counter and following her into the back room where a row of lockers stood for them to store their belongings. On the opposite wall they'd opened the shop doors, two huge garage doors letting in the cool air and offering an amazing view of the scenery.
Mandy slipped on the snowsuit, but her gaze kept returning to the horizon. It was impossible to stop smiling. "I take it we're going out on that beautiful snowy ridge."
"There's plenty of time before sunset. Caden here is going to be our guide. He and his brother Cole are a couple of the best backcountry men I know," Justin offered.
"Compliment willingly accepted," Caden teased. "I'm still charging you full price. Your boss can afford it."
Justin made a rude noise. "My boss owns your ass, and you know it."
"Nothing of the kind." The proclamation spouted from an identical face to Caden's as the second wolf entered the room. "Caden's mate owns his ass. The rest of us just borrow it so we can kick it every now and then."
The brothers pounded each other on the shoulders good-naturedly before turning to help Justin and Mandy pull on the rest of their winter gear.
When all four of them were dressed, they marched into the yard behind the shop where row upon row of skidoos were lined up. Three machines had been brought forward for them to use, two large and one smaller. Although using those words to describe the sleds were understatements-ginormous and extra-large were probably more accurate.
Now that they were actually there, Mandy felt a stir of anxiety at what she was about to attempt.
Caden leaned down to look her in the eye. "What's wrong?"
She answered honestly. "I like the idea of sledding, but I'm going to guess these are pretty powerful machines."
It was too hard to admit she wasn't confident she'd be able to control them. Struck too close to Justin's comment about her being tiny.
Only Caden patted her on the shoulder. "You can control big, powerful beasts better than you know."
A snicker escaped in the background, and she glanced to her right to see Justin glaring at Cole. She turned her face away quickly, hiding her smile before Justin could see.
Caden explained where to find the controls, Mandy nodding as she laid her hands on the grips and tried to commit it to memory. "Excuse me if I drive like a two-year-old."
"Nah, you'll do great. We've got a special training method, as long as you and Justin are okay with it." The wolf turned to the bear who had just settled onto one of the oversized sleds. "I know you guys don't do mates and such, but I don't want to get on the wrong side of a pissed-off bear. Are you okay if I ride along with Mandy for the first while to show her the ropes?"
Justin's forehead furled instantly, then his gaze darted back and forth between the wolf and Mandy before he spoke. "Up to Mandy."
A skip of satisfaction warmed her inside. That wasn't what he had wanted to say-she knew that-but it was the right answer.
It was also silly. She turned to face the wolf, raising a brow. "Considering your mate would rip your ears off if you did anything untoward, of course I'm okay with it."
Cole snickered again. Justin looked uncomfortable for a moment as if he'd just realized how foolish his magnanimous gesture was.
With a laugh Caden was behind her, his lithe wolf body tucked against her as he placed his hands on top of hers on the controls. "Well played, my lady," he murmured. "Let's get you comfortable driving, shall we?"
She moved her hands with his as he reminded her of the commands quietly a second before making the motion. Instantly they were out the gate and shooting up the snowy road to a trail behind the shop that led to the outskirts of town and into the wilderness.
At the beginning, Mandy had to concentrate so hard on driving she was barely aware of their surroundings. She was barely aware of anything but the controls, and Caden's continued instruction.
Slowly, though, other sensations broke through. The cool air turned to cold as the sled moved quicker, a rush of current against her cheeks like a winter day's wind. The sunshine on her shoulders fought valiantly to offer a cloak of warmth, but the changing seasons were more advanced here in the north than they'd been in Whitehorse. The brilliant light was pretty but a feeble opponent against the encroaching chill.
She was feeling more confident by the time Caden directed her to bring them to a stop at a lookout point above the town. The neatly laid-out streets were bright-coloured dashes against the white surroundings, the Top of the World Highway stretching like a ribbon from north to south.
Caden stopped the motor. The sudden quiet as the others joined them left her ears echoing for a second before they adjusted to the quieter sounds of nature. In the wilderness there were always living, moving things.
Even the wind was alive as they stood and soaked it all in for a moment.
Suddenly Cole was stripping down. "Sorry, guys, but I need a little time in my fur. You're welcome to join me, or I'll just run alongside the rest of you from here on."
Mandy was tempted, but she wasn't sure what the protocol was. She glanced up to Justin to see what he thought.
He shrugged. "Let's go for it. Two of us, two wolves. Pretty sure we can outrun their asses."
Caden stuck out his tongue while he ditched his clothing into the bag on the back of his sled. "You have some sort of fascination with my ass," he drawled. "I don't think that's healthy."
Mandy hid her amusement. Out of consideration for Justin's possessive instincts, she turned her back on the others so she could quickly get naked and shift to her fur.
The sensation was amazing, as always, as she changed to the one part of her nature that she'd never fought against or argued with. Her bear was her while being something more. More in touch with her surroundings, more willing to take control.
What had been a cool wind a moment earlier was now balmy, and she stretched, catlike, taking a deep breath and lifting her face to the sun.
Justin had shifted as well, an enormous grizzly on the extreme end of the big spectrum as much as she was on the far side of small. He plopped in front of her, resting his chin on his paws and offering a bearish grunt.
"Whoa, you're … you. Wow." Caden paused, bare feet planted in the snow beside her. He seemed to forget he was naked as he remained in human form and stared at Mandy. "I had no idea. Excuse me while I fall all over myself. I've never seen a shifter like you before."
Justin rolled over just far enough to bump Caden in the ankles and send him sprawling to the ground.
The man laughed good-naturedly. "Okay, okay. I'll stop ogling, but that doesn't mean I'm not impressed."
Discomfort slipped in for a moment, and once again she turned her focus to Justin, hoping for a clue of how to deal with Caden's unexpected admiration.
He'd rolled to his back and was scratching on the ground happily, totally uncaring about the dignity of his position.
Perfect. Mandy followed his example, rolling to the ground and giving herself a firm squirm against the hard-packed snow. The sensation was delicious, and she gave an extra wiggle.
She only felt a little guilty that she hadn't timed her roll very well when she knocked into Caden's feet, and the wolf ended up on his back again.