Ski Bear Read online

  SKI BEAR

  RESCUE BEARS

  SCARLETT GROVE

  Contents

  Copyright

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  About the Author

  Also by Scarlett Grove

  Copyright © 2016 by Scarlett Grove

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  1

  “Ski Bear to Alpha Station. Continuing along the ridge where the target was last spotted,” Zach Rayner said into his walkie-talkie.

  “Copy that, Ski Bear.”

  Zach pushed his ski poles into the snow. A blanket of fresh powder had covered the area that morning in a sudden snowstorm. Two experienced skiers had been stranded somewhere on the mountain during the storm. They’d been missing for several hours, and their families back at Fate Mountain Lodge were worried.

  Zach had diverged from Brew Bear fifteen minutes before. According to Geek Bear’s data analysis, the skiers had most likely gone in this direction.

  Taking in the terrain, Zach had to agree. This was the most likely path off the mountain. The skiers hadn’t made it back to the lodge, so something had to be wrong. Zach came to the edge of the ridge where the mountain sloped on three sides.

  “Ski Bear to Alpha Station. Approaching the southern edge of the ridge. No visible tracks. Advise on which direction to continue.”

  “Alpha Station to Ski Bear. Geek Bear advises taking the southern slope toward the lodge.”

  “Copy that Chief Bear. Taking the southern slope.”

  “Wild Bear and Big Bear will meet you at the bottom of the slope.”

  Zach continued down the steep mountainside, snaking back and forth with expert skill through the snow. Zach, codename Ski Bear, had been skiing since he was a cub. Of all the Rescue Bears, Zach had the most tremendous acrobatic and athletic skill. He was known among the crew for his high flying stunts and impulsive good nature.

  Lately, Zach had been trying to overcome the image he had with the rest of the Rescue Bears. He didn’t want to be known as an immature screw up or someone who had to be watched like a hawk for the rest of his life. Zach was ready for a mate. That meant it was time for him to grow up and make something of himself.

  Zach looked in each direction through his goggles, seeing no signs of the missing skiers as he made his way downhill. He trusted Geek Bear’s data analysis. The skiers had to be around here somewhere.

  The passing snowstorm had swept the sky clean of clouds, and a swath of crystal blue stretched out above the blanket of fresh white snow on the mountain. Zach took a deep breath of the crisp winter air, filling his lungs with its sweetness.

  When he came to an area that intersected with another trail, he spotted Wild Bear and Big Bear to the east. He stopped and brought his walkie-talkie to his lips.

  “Ski Bear has eyes on the Big Bear and Wild Bear.”

  Zach hurried across the lower ridge to where Shane and Angus had stopped in the snow.

  “I’m picking up a strong human scent here,” Shane said.

  Shane was known as Wild Bear among the crew because his animal senses were stronger than the rest. He’d also had a reputation as being a little unhinged until he finally got together with his fated mate not long ago.

  Knowing what Lily did for Shane made Zach want to find his mate even more. He loved having a good time, but he also knew that he would never accomplish anything truly great if he couldn’t get himself on the right track. When the rest of the Rescue Bears had signed up for Mate.com, a human/shifter dating website that Geek Bear had created, Zach signed up too.

  Unlike the rest of the crew who’d already found their mates, Zach still hadn’t found anyone. After Brew Bear’s mate Quinn came back to Fate Mountain and they had their baby, Zach knew it was time to start making some changes in his life.

  “What direction was the scent coming from?” Zach asked, sniffing the air.

  He could smell the very slight scent of humans, but he couldn’t make out anything specific.

  “It’s further down the mountain from here,” Shane said.

  “The slope is too steep for us to ski,” Angus said.

  “It might be too steep for you, Big Bear,” Zach said. “But it isn’t too steep for me.”

  “If you say so,” Angus said, looking down skeptically.

  The slope below them was at a seventy-five-degree angle, but Zach had skied steeper. He still had plenty of tricks up his sleeve, even if he had made the decision to become a more mature bear.

  “Ski Bear to Alpha Station. Taking the southern slope below the second ridge.”

  “Be advised, Alpha Station, the slope is approximately seventy-five to eighty degrees.”

  “Ski Bear, don’t take any unnecessary risks,” his alpha Levi said through the walkie-talkie.

  “There’s nothing to worry about. I can ski this in my sleep.”

  “Copy that, Ski Bear.”

  Zach backed up on the ridge and got ready to propel himself down the slope. Both Corey and Shane had confirmed that the skiers would be in this area. Now it was up to Zach to find them. Zach’s skis tipped over the edge, and he started down the slope. He made quick side-to-side motions as he launched downward. The slope was tough, but he was tougher.

  Even with his quick switchbacks, he was going superfast. He angled his skis to the side to slow himself as he came to the next flat elevation. Once he stopped, he sniffed the air. There were snow-covered evergreens down here, and Zach could see movement in the distance along the tree line. That’s when two humans jumped up from below the trees and started waving their arms frantically.

  “Help!” one of them yelled.

  “Ski Bear to Alpha Station. I have eyes on both targets.”

  He skied across the flat elevation to where the two humans had been hunkered down in a makeshift igloo. One of them remained sitting and looked as if he had hurt his ankle. Zach didn’t have a rescue sled. Big Bear had one, but he wasn’t able to get down the slope.

  “Alpha Station, targets appear healthy but injured. Requesting air extraction.”

  “Helicopter in route to your location, Ski Bear. Good job.”

  It felt good to have his alpha tell him he had done a good job. Zach had been working as a ski and climbing instructor at his alpha’s lodge for the past three years and he didn’t want to change that. But he’d been living in a cabin at the lodge all that time too. Part of Zach’s mission of self-improvement was to become a home owner in preparation for his mate. In three months of looking, he still hadn’t found the right home.

  In the distance, Zach could see the helicopter heading towards his location. A moment later, the loud spinning of the blades sliced through the air.

  The helicopter sent down the emergency gurney, unable to land on the fresh snow. Zach helped the injured skier into the lift. The gurney was pulled into the helicopter. Then he and the second skier were lifted up with harnesses and rope. When everyone was inside the helicopter, the pilot turned around and headed out.<
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  They flew fast over the white-tipped peaks of Fate Mountain. The rocky outcroppings looked blue as they sped past. Zach wasn’t from Fate Mountain, but it had definitely become his home.

  When the helicopter landed at the hangar, there was an ambulance waiting to take the skiers to the hospital.

  “Where are we celebrating tonight?” Zach asked into his walkie-talkie.

  “Come back to the lodge, Ski Bear,” Levi said.

  Zach sighed, feeling like he was still being treated like an immature kid. Just like the rest of the Rescue Bears, Zach had served as a Navy SEAL for four years. He was just as much a hero as anyone else. But because Zach was the kind of bear who didn’t like to take life too seriously, too many of his crewmates didn’t take him very seriously either.

  Zach was getting tired of having that kind of reputation among his friends. He wanted to be respected, if for no other reason than for his mate to feel more secure when he finally found her.

  Zach got a ride from one of the helicopter pilots, who dropped him off at the lodge. By the time he got there, the rest of the rescue crew was already sitting around their normal table in the main dining room, enjoying nice juicy steaks and pints of Fate Mountain Lager.

  He took his seat among the crew, and a waiter brought him his own dinner. Since Levi owned the lodge, it definitely came with plenty of perks. Where else could you have a steak delivered to you within ten minutes of entering a restaurant?

  That was the kind of thing that usually got Zach excited. He had a positive attitude and liked to express his gratitude for the good things in life. Instead of jumping up on the table and doing a happy dance, Zach just shoved his steak in his mouth and chewed. This whole maturity thing was more difficult than he had expected it to be.

  “How are Quinn and the baby?” Levi asked Drew.

  A week after Drew’s mate Quinn had arrived on the mountain three months ago, she had given birth to a baby boy they’d named Max. Everyone in the clan was ecstatic for them, including Zach.

  Zach took a sip of beer and pulled out his smartphone. He’d been a member of Mate.com for almost a year and still hadn’t been matched with anyone. He was starting to get a little depressed. That was an emotion Zach had rarely felt, and it made him uncomfortable.

  There still weren’t any one hundred percent matches on his profile. He frowned and put the phone away.

  “Quinn and Max are thriving,” Drew said. “I couldn’t be happier.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Levi said. “Juliet is due any day now.”

  “Have you settled on a name yet?” Drew asked.

  “I still think you should name her Sunshine,” Zach said.

  Everyone turned and looked at him with shocked and annoyed expressions on their faces.

  “What?” Zach asked. “Sunshine is a beautiful name. Who doesn’t like sunshine?”

  “I’m not sure that name is appropriate for our alpha’s daughter,” Angus said thoughtfully.

  “Why not?” Zach asked.

  Everyone was always so serious. Every single one of them. Zach wished they would loosen up once in a while so that he wouldn’t have to go so far out of his way to fit in with the rest of the bears. It was no secret that Zach was the only polar bear on the crew. But that wasn’t the only thing that separated him from the rest of the bunch.

  Zach wasn’t the kind of bear who liked to spend his life worrying or getting himself worked up into some kind of emotional turmoil. There were plenty of bears on the crew who were no stranger to emotional mayhem. Zach never lived his life that way.

  He was a bear who enjoyed being happy and having a good time. He just wished he had his own mate to share it with. If that meant he had to be serious like the rest of the bears, he supposed it was a small price to pay to find his one and only.

  Zach finished his steak and beer and ordered another pint. Just as the waiter brought him his second beer, most of the other bears were getting ready to go.

  “Where are you going?” Zach asked. “We just got started.”

  “I need to get back to Quinn and the baby,” Drew said.

  “I need to get back to Juliet. She’s due any day now,” said Levi.

  Everyone else, except Corey, agreed that they needed to get back to their mates. When the rest of the bears left, Corey frowned over his beer and stared at the bear across the table. Corey hadn’t been mated with anyone either, but that was because Corey refused to join Mate.com.

  “I guess it’s just us,” Zach said. “Are you having another beer?”

  “No. I have some exciting developments happening with my programming. I need to get back to my cabin to continue my work.”

  “Everyone’s leaving? Just like that? What happened to us?”

  “Well, the rest of the bears have mates, and I have work to do. You are the only one who doesn’t,” Corey said, picking up his coat off the back of his chair and pulling it on over his shoulders.

  “Thanks, Corey. You’re a real pal,” Zach said sarcastically.

  It took a lot to upset Zach. But being ditched during a rescue celebration and told off by Corey was almost enough to make that happen.

  “How are things going with your house hunt?” Corey asked.

  “Nothing feels quite right. I want it to be the perfect place for me and my mate and our cubs.”

  “I’m sure you’ll find it soon.”

  “I want to be ready for my mate, but I haven’t found her yet either. Why isn’t your dating app working for me?” Zach asked Corey.

  Corey zipped up his poncho and stared at Zach.

  “It has nothing to do with my dating app. Your girl simply hasn’t signed up yet. She may never sign up. That’s something you’re just going to have to live with. Good night,” Corey said, turning away.

  Zach rolled his eyes at Corey’s back. Geek Bear could really lack empathy for other people sometimes. That was something that did annoy Zach. Zach cared about everyone, and he wanted everybody to be happy.

  He had grown up in Southern California after the Great Shifter Council had made the announcement to the world that shifters existed. The shifters of San Diego had not experienced a violent backlash from humans like they had in most other places.

  While the rest of the shifters in the country were dealing with riots and police brutality, the shifters in San Diego were surfing and singing Kumbaya on the beach. It wasn’t that San Diego was that much different, but there were a lot of top ranking officials and business people in San Diego who were able to influence the culture enough to keep the rest of the shifters there safe.

  Zach and his family had been among them. He’d spent his childhood surfing, skateboarding and taking trips to the mountains to ski in the winter time. Before the war broke out six years ago, Zach had been a professional athlete in the X-Games. He’d participated in everything from skateboarding to snowboarding, all the while being completely out as a polar bear shifter.

  Unlike most of the other crew, Zach had never really experienced any kind of racism. It helped him keep the sunny outlook he had on life. When the shifter draft started six years ago, he had voluntarily joined up. Zach wasn’t the kind of guy who was naturally inclined to become a soldier, but he was excited about the opportunity to defend his country and experience whatever fun he could while being in the military.

  Because Zach had such a good attitude, most of his time during the war had been unbelievably pleasant. He met the rest of his crew while he was a Navy SEAL, and loved going on missions with the rest of the men over the course of the war. Sure, there was a lot of death and brutality, but Zach had let it roll off him like water off a duck’s back. At this point, he could barely remember anything negative about the entire experience; although, he wasn’t deluding himself into believing it had been all good.

  That was part of what made Zach such a happy bear. He knew how to let the bad stuff go and to not let it get him down. Unfortunately, not being able to find a mate had been one of the first things in
his life that started to drag him under.

  At first, he loved watching his fellow bears find their fated mates. But after everyone else, including Drew, who’d thought he would be alone for the rest of his life, had found their happily ever after, Zach was becoming a lot less happy. Every passing day made him feel like his mate would never arrive and he would always be a lone polar bear.

  As carefree as Zach tended to be, he was ready to settle down with his mate and start a family. He wanted to feel the same connection and love that the rest of the bears experienced with their mates. If she didn’t show up soon, Zach was afraid that he would never be the same. Instead of being a happy bear, Zach would become a grumpy one.

  2

  Maisie Green stepped out of her car in front of the building she’d rented on Main Street in Fate Mountain Village. She’d come all the way from Paris to open her own bakery. She hadn’t been back in a long time, and it was strange to be home again.

  She walked across the sidewalk and put her key into the lock on the front door. Pushing the door open, she walked into the cold little storefront. Her equipment would all be arriving any minute, but Maisie had just arrived herself. She hurried through the building she’d only seen in pictures and noticed the dust covering the counters and floors.

  The whole place would need a scrub down before she would be ready to start cooking in here. After six years of baking in the best bakeries in Paris, coming back to Fate Mountain Village was a little bit of a culture shock. She couldn’t even wear her usual pumps and dresses in this weather. She looked down at her feet, taking in the sight of the snow boots she’d bought on the way here. They still made her groan a little bit when she looked at them.

  It couldn’t be helped now. She came home to be with her mother. Her mom, Kelly Green, had lived on Fate Mountain all her life. She’d worked out at Fate Mountain Lodge for years and continued working there for the new shifter owner. From everything her mom had told her, she absolutely adored her new boss. Ever since Maisie’s father had died a few years ago, Maisie’s mom had been pestering her to come home.

  Life in Paris had suited Maisie in many ways. She really hadn’t wanted to leave. But after she won an award for excellence in baking that included a substantial monetary reward, Maisie had finally decided to come home and open her own bakery.