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“I’ve seen pictures. It looks beautiful.”
“It is. We live outside a place called Otter Cove. It’s a unique community. Everyone there is a shifter.”
“I didn’t know it would be dangerous.”
Mischa chuckled. “Alaska is plenty dangerous but the people in Otter Cove banded together a long, long time ago and have made a place where all can be safe.”
“That sounds very reassuring.”
Before he could say anything else, she bent over to pick up Kitty’s cage. “Wait, Simone, let me carry that back to the bedroom for you.”
“I can carry her.”
“I’m sure you can, but I’m unaccustomed to allowing someone smaller than I am to do the heavy lifting when I’m around.” He took the crate from her, but she hung back. He smiled. “I won’t bother you. I’ll just take Kitty back and put the crate on the floor. You can lock the door if it will make you feel better.”
“Don’t you have a key?”
“Never doubt for a minute, mate, that should I want to get to you, no lock on any door would prevent me from doing so.”
Mischa walked down the aisle and set Kitty’s crate in the plane’s bedroom. He noticed Simone didn’t join him. She waited out by the galley until he left. She entered the room, and he heard the lock click into place. He shook his head and then laughed when he heard her unlock it a moment later.
After what felt like the longest flight ever in the history of aviation, he had Pyotr call back on the intercom to let Simone know they were landing. She started to bring Kitty’s crate out.
“Leave it, Simone. I will have one of our people bring her up to your room.”
“You’re not making me sleep with you?”
He shook his head. “I will wait until we are bonded as I promised your father. I would like to think in the next two weeks you will see you have nothing to fear and will begin to trust that we can make a good life together.”
“And they’ll bring Kitty?”
He smiled. “No one at Tangled Vines will harm her in any way or they will answer to me.”
“Why? You didn’t seem thrilled that I brought her.”
“I wasn’t and for a myriad of reasons, none of which are important. She means something to you and makes you happy. Therefore, I will ensure she is safe here with you.”
When Pyotr let the staircase down, Mischa stepped out and held his hand out to her. Simone took it and they descended the staircase together. The look of shock on Valentin’s face was almost worth what it had cost him to bring Simone home with him.
“I thought we’d walk down to the house, but if you like I can have them bring up a vehicle.”
“No, I love to walk. In fact, I love to be out in nature. It’s so beautiful here—wild and untamed. Nothing like this exists anywhere in Europe that I’ve visited.” She turned as she heard Kitty yowl. “I have a leash and collar for her. Can I let her walk with us?”
He nodded. “If it makes you happy.”
“Your home is beautiful,” she exclaimed softly as she put on Kitty’s leash and collar. Mischa wasn’t sure if it would really hold the wildcat, but the lynx seemed devoted to Simone.
“It does not have the grandeur of your father’s vineyard, but it is older than the town of Otter Cove. All of the rock and the timber to build it came from the land itself. As of now, Valentin and I share the main house. It is large enough for both of us to have our mates and our children. You can see the other buildings scattered around. Most of the materials we used came from our own land.”
“Do you just have grapes?”
“No. We are capable of being completely self-sustainable. As it is now, it is easier and more convenient to buy some of the things we need, but we have livestock…”
“Do you have horses?”
“As a matter of fact, we do. Do you like to ride?”
“Very much.” The lynx spotted something and tugged on the leash. Simone waited for him to nod, and then bounded after her.
