Page 7 of His Stubborn Mate

Standing under the steamy water, she closed her eyes and brought her hands up to cup her breasts. It was easy to imagine they were his hands, his thumbs strumming her nipples, taking them between his fingers, rolling and pinching them. Even easier, with the hot water dripping off her pebbled points, to imagine him sucking them into his mouth.

She let her other hand slide down her torso, gliding down her wet skin like an ice skater on perfect, freshly polished ice. She tickled her fingers as her hand moved down to her mound, slipping between her legs to play with her clit. She moaned, envisioning it was Rance’s hand running circles around her clit before moving down to her pussy.

She stayed under the water for longer than usual, letting the steam fill the room while she brought herself to climax. When she finally shut off the water and stepped out, she felt a little more like herself, more grounded in reality.

Wrapping herself in a towel, Amanda walked over to the sink and wiped away the steam from the mirror with the palm of her hand. She froze, her breath catching in her throat as she stared at her reflection.

For a fraction of a second, she thought she saw the image of a bear staring back at her—large, dark eyes, a powerful muzzle, and thick, dark fur. A quick scream escaped her lips. But the image was gone as quickly as it had appeared, leaving only her own startled reflection in the glass.

Amanda’s heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing. It had to be the dream, the stress of everything that had happened. There was no way she had actually seen a bear in the mirror. It wasn’t possible.

She let out a shaky breath, trying to steady herself. But before she could fully collect her thoughts, she heard footsteps hurrying down the hall, followed by the door to the bathroom swinging open.

Eva and a nurse rushed in; their faces filled with concern. “Amanda, are you okay?” Eva asked, her voice laced with worry.

Amanda forced herself to nod, though her hands were still trembling. “I’m fine,” she said, her voice steadier than she felt. “I just… I thought I saw something, but it was nothing. I’m just ready to go home.”

Eva exchanged a worried glance with the nurse, who nodded and stepped back out of the bathroom, giving them some privacy. Eva turned back to Amanda, her eyes searching her friend’s face for any sign of what might be wrong.

“Amanda, if there’s something going on, you can tell me,” Eva said gently. “You’ve been through a lot, and it’s okay to feel shaken up. But if you’re seeing things?—”

“I’m not seeing things,” Amanda interrupted, her tone more defensive than she intended. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “I’m just… tired. I need to get home, get back to work. I’ll be fine once I’m back in my own space.”

Eva studied her for a long moment, her expression softening. “Okay, if you say so. But promise me you’ll take it easy, all right? You’ve been through enough for one lifetime.”

Amanda forced a small smile and nodded. “I promise.”

By the time Amanda was discharged from the hospital and settled back in her home, the strange incident in the bathroom had been pushed to the back of her mind. She chalked it up to the stress and trauma of everything she had been through. After all, it wasn’t uncommon for the mind to play tricks after a near-death experience.

But as the days went by, Amanda couldn’t shake the feeling that something inside her was changing. It started with small things—her senses seemed sharper, more acute. She could hear the faintest rustle of leaves outside her window, the distant call of a bird that she would have never noticed before. The smell of the forest was more vibrant, the scent of pine and earth more distinct.

And then there were the emotions. Amanda had always prided herself on being level-headed, and able to keep her feelings in check even in the most stressful situations. But now, her emotions felt like they were constantly bubbling just beneath the surface, threatening to spill over at the slightest provocation.

It was as if her body and mind were on high alert, constantly attuned to everything around her. And the dreams—those strange, vivid dreams of bears and the wild, untamed forests—continued to haunt her every night.

Determined to get some answers, Amanda decided it was time to find Rance Manville. She needed to thank him for saving her life. She didn’t care what anyone said, she knew he had been there and that without his intervention, she’d be dead. But it was more than that, she needed to know if he was experiencing anything similar. She knew it sounded crazy, but in the same way she knew he had been there, she knew they were connected somehow. She needed to understand what was happening to her.

She spent a few days recuperating at home, regaining her strength, and trying to prepare herself for what she might find. On the morning of the third day, she baked a batch of cookies—oatmeal scotchies—a small token of gratitude, something to break the ice when she found him.

It took some digging to find out where Rance might be. The locals were tight-lipped about him, but eventually, she learned that he worked as a ranger at the Frostbark Park Ranger Station. No one seemed to know where he lived… or at least they weren’t willing to share the information with her. Armed with her cookies and a renewed sense of determination, Amanda set out to find him.

The drive to the Frostbark Park Ranger Station was peaceful. Her new SUV—the old one had been totaled—handled the snow-draped landscape like a champ, passing through it in a blur of white and green. But as she drew closer to the park, Amanda felt that familiar sense of unease creeping in, the same feeling she’d had since the accident. It was as if the air itself was charged with electricity, humming with a power she couldn’t quite grasp.

When she finally arrived at the ranger station, Amanda hesitated for a moment before getting out of the car. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves, and then made her way to the front door. The station was quiet, a rustic cabin nestled among the trees, with smoke curling from the chimney. Off the back was a tall lookout platform, accessed by an imposing ladder.

She knocked on the door, her heart pounding in her chest. A moment later, the door swung open, and there he was—Rance Manville, the man who had saved her life. She must really have been close to death to not have noticed how gorgeous he was. Tall and brawny with broad shoulders barely contained within his ranger uniform. She couldn’t see much, but a small amount of chest hair showed above the buttoned-up shirt.

Rance’s expression was unreadable as he looked down at her, his gaze flicking to the plate of cookies in her hands. “Dr. Adams,” he said, his voice low and even.

“How do you know my name?”

“You’re the local vet who helps us out with wounded animals—for which we’re grateful.”

“Right. I guess you would know me.”

Rance nodded. “What are you doing here?”

Amanda offered him a small smile, trying to ignore the way her heart fluttered at the sound of his voice. “I came to thank you,” she said, holding out the plate, her gaze not leaving his eyes. “For saving my life.”

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