Page 8 of Snatching Jackie (Wintermoon Shorts #5)

JACKIE

I roll over in bed, my eyes fluttering open to the darkness of my cabin room. The gentle rocking of the ship and the distant hum of engines are the only sounds until a deep voice startles me upright.

“I was wondering if I should wake you to make sure you eat.”

My heart jumps as I spot Jabari sitting in a chair by the window, his massive frame making the furniture look like it belongs in a dollhouse. I wipe the sleep from my eyes, disoriented.

“How did you get in here?” I demand, certain I’d left him outside when I retreated to my cabin earlier.

“Kade gave me the master code to your room so I didn’t have to break the door down,” he says with complete seriousness, as if breaking down my door would have been the logical alternative.

I stare at him in shock, memories of the bar scene flooding back—the confrontation between him and that Wintermoon Sheriff woman.

“That woman—the sheriff, she was a vampire?” I ask, still trying to piece everything together.

He smiles, his broad shoulders nearly touching both sides of the chair he’s squeezed into. “Her name is Kade. She’s a witch too. A hybrid.”

“Oh.” The simple fact lands like a pebble in a vast ocean of things I don’t understand. “Now get out of my room,” I say with as much authority as I can muster.

He doesn’t move. There’s no malice in his eyes, just relief—like he’s finally found something precious he’d lost.

“No,” he says softly. “I waited a long time for you, Jackie.”

“Long time? How long?” I challenge, pulling the covers around me.

“A thousand years,” he answers without hesitation.

My mind reels. “I can’t even mentally process that amount of time.”

“I’m very happy you did not have to suffer as long as I have,” he says, his voice tender with a sincerity that’s almost painful to hear.

I study him, taking in his handsome features—the strong jawline softened by gentle eyes, the massive frame that somehow manages to project both power and gentleness. There’s an innocence to him that melts something inside me.

“Well, what now?” I ask, gesturing around the room. “It’s obvious that you’re going to hover, so...”

“Kade’s already directed the captain to dock first at the tourist island,” he explains. “We’ll deboard with the tourists and get you registered at the sheriff’s station.”

I hold up my hand. “Wait, what?”

“Your home is with me now,” he states, his tone calm and matter-of-fact.

I slide out of bed, and Jabari stands immediately, his head nearly brushing the ceiling. The ship clearly wasn’t built for men of his size.

“Hold on, killer,” I say, moving around the bed toward him. “How about we get to know each other better before we start settling down and having children?”

I sigh, closing the distance between us. His presence is magnetic, drawing me closer despite my reservations.

“Let me take a shower and change clothes. Then we can talk more.”

He sits back down, seemingly prepared to wait right there.

I place my hands on my hips, frowning at him. “That means you need to leave.”

He clears his throat and stands, finally understanding. As he starts to move past me, I grab his hand. The contact sends a strange warmth up my arm, a connection I can’t explain but can’t deny either.

“I’m going to come out, okay?” I assure him. “Just let me clean myself up.”

He looks down at me and smiles—a simple expression that transforms his entire face. I can tell it doesn’t take much to please this big shifter. Releasing my hand, he lifts his fingers to my face, running them from my forehead, down my nose, and finally brushing over my lips.

Then he leans down and plants a gentle kiss against my forehead. The warmth and tenderness of the gesture feels like something from a dream.

He walks around me, his body deliberately brushing against mine as he moves past. At the door, he ducks his head and steps out, closing it softly behind him.

I sink onto the bed, my mind spinning. I’m fated to a bear shifter—a genuine sweetheart of a bear shifter. My eyes catch my reflection in the mirror. What does this mean? Do I have to give up my life in Detroit? What about my business?

Then again, my boutique was on the verge of failing anyway. Without a retail space, I was quickly heading back to square one, starting over again. Perhaps this is Fate’s twisted way of offering me a fresh start.

I stand up and grab my suitcase, digging through it for something nice to wear. I pull out a flowing sundress, then search for underwear and makeup. It’s too hot for a full face beat, so I’ll keep it simple. I grab a towel and head into the bathroom.

An hour later, I pull the door to my cabin open, only to find him standing right across from it, his back against the wall. I glare at him and step out, closing the door behind me.

“Don’t tell me you just stood out here all this time waiting for me to come out.”

He just shrugs, clearly unbothered by what any normal person would consider bizarre behavior.

My mouth falls open. “Seriously?”

His eyes travel over me, taking in my sundress, light jewelry, and flip-flops. My hair is brushed back into a high ponytail, keeping it off my neck.

“You look beautiful,” he says, his eyes never leaving mine.

I blush despite myself. Then I reach out and pull at his wrinkled t-shirt. “I wish I could say the same about you,” I tease, but quickly stand on my toes to stroke his cheek. “You’re handsome, but you’re messy.”

He smiles down at me, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “I will clean up for you.”

He takes my hand and leads me away from my room, down the hall and out to the deck. The night air is cool against my skin. I walk over to the railing and lean against it, watching the dark waters stretch out toward the horizon.

The night sky above us is magnificent—countless stars reflecting on the black surface of Lake Huron. The ship cuts through the water with a gentle rhythm, creating a soothing white noise. Though I’m admiring the view, I can feel Jabari’s eyes on me instead of the scenery.

“So you cook?” I ask, looking over at him.

“I’ve been practicing for you,” he says. “So I can make sure you’re properly fed.”

I laugh softly, still looking out at the waters. The sincerity in his voice is both touching and amusing.

“That doesn’t impress you?” he asks, a hint of disappointment in his tone.

“It does,” I assure him, turning to meet his gaze. “It’s just... funny. Men don’t behave like you where I’m from. Well, not most men.”

“My clan... we are lumberjacks,” he explains. “We handle all the tree cutting and trimming for Wintermoon and transport. We’ve started working closely with House of Zorah, a wolf shifter pack who are the lead architects of most of the structures on the land.”

“That’s a stark difference from what you’re doing now,” I observe, thinking of his role as a chef on the cruise.

“I could feel something pulling me from my clan,” he says, his voice thoughtful. “I wasn’t going to find my fated mate the way my clan members had.”

I turn from the railing to face him fully, intrigued by his story.

“My brother, Silas, also my alpha, found his fated mate in the mountains where our kind has lived for centuries. We moved to Wintermoon when he realized he couldn’t raise a family there.

” His eyes grow distant with memory. “When we settled in Wintermoon, it was like fate had already brought everyone’s fated mates together.

The women were already waiting on the community lands. But not mine.”

He looks at me. “I realized I had to go looking for you. I couldn’t just sit around and wait for you to find me.”

“Well...” I trail off, uncertain how to respond. “I had a totally different life.”

“I want to know you,” he says eagerly. “All of you.”

“I own a small fashion boutique,” I begin, warming to his interest. “But it’s unique. For bigger women like myself.” I gesture up and down at my curves, and his eyes follow the movement with unmistakable appreciation.

“The world doesn’t embrace bigger women—we don’t fit westernized beauty standards. So they limit what clothes they put in stores for people like me.”

“People like you?” he questions, his brow furrowing.

“Fat people,” I say plainly. “Don’t get me wrong, I love my curves. I’m just pointing out what I get from people sometimes.”

“I love your curves too,” he says with such heartfelt sincerity that I giggle.

“I’m getting that.”

“I think it’s nice that you help others,” he says, moving closer to me.

I sigh and look away, shrugging. “Not for long.”

“What do you mean?”

“I got priced out of my retail space,” I admit. “They want double the rent if I’m going to renew, and I can’t afford that.”

He moves even closer, his eyes intent on mine, radiating concern.

“Doesn’t matter now, right?” I say with forced lightness. “I’m about to become some homemaking wife of a lumberjack with a bunch of little bear shifter kids.”

“No, Jackie,” he says. “You don’t have to give up your identity for me. That’s not what the mate bond is.”

I look at him, surprised by his response. “Okay, then what is it?”

“It’s getting to know you, understanding you, so you can be who you are,” he explains, his deep voice vibrating with conviction. “And I get the privilege of standing beside you while you live in your greatness.”

He pauses, his expression growing sheepish. “I can’t live amongst humans. I have a bit of a temper.”

I giggle at that. “Well, judging by the way that sheriff freaked out in the bar, I’m going to say I believe you.”

“I want to keep showing women my size how beautiful they are,” I tell him, my own passion rising to match his. “They don’t have to feel like a lesser human because they have a bigger body.”

Jabari moves closer, his fingers brushing against mine, sending electricity up my arm. “Could we figure it out together? If I could find a way for you to keep your dreams, would you stay and give me a chance?”

I look up at him, feeling a wave of warmth. How on earth am I supposed to say no to that? He’s so sweet, adorable, and charming—but also a bit messy and clueless about social interaction. Why not? What’s waiting for me back in Detroit? A failing business? The horrible dating market?

“Alright,” I hear myself saying, “if I’m not going to lose myself being fated to you, then I would like to try.”

I barely finish the sentence before I’m suddenly lifted off my feet and twirled around in his arms. He bounces around the deck with me, his face lit up with pure joy.

“Thank you, thank you, Mother Fate!” he exclaims, spinning me like I weigh nothing.

“Will you please put me down?” I laugh, pressing against his chest.

Just as my feet gently touch the deck, I jump at the sound of Kade’s voice from behind us.

“Well, that’s a relief,” she says dryly. “Now, all we have to do is make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid while we wait for the ship to dock, which should be in a few more hours.”

Jabari groans, but I grab his hand, amazed at how his entire demeanor softens instantly at my touch.

“Well, I’m hungry,” I announce. “Why don’t you show me your best cuisine since you’ve been practicing?” I suggest to him.

His face lights up with a smile that could outshine the stars above us. He leans down and plants a kiss on my cheek, then starts pulling me across the deck.

“I know how to make many meals, but my favorite to make is pasta,” he says eagerly.

“Oh...” I glance back at Kade, who’s slowly walking behind us, her eyes fixed on Jabari with clear concern. She’s clearly worried he might do something impulsive on the cruise ship.

Jabari warned he had a temper. I make a mental note to dig deeper into that during dinner.

Hopefully it’s something I can handle. But the way my heart quickens when he looks at me, the way his touch sends warmth through my body—there’s something between us that feels right, despite all the uncertainty.

Maybe this wild turn of events is exactly what I needed.