Black Gold

Chapter One

“Excuse me, ladies.”

Shaun ducked in front of a table of laughing women and caught the flying beer mug in mid-air before it could slam into the center of their party. Unfortunately, there was no time to respond with more than a wink to their admiring feminine responses. He twirled to grab the nearest bear shifter by the scruff of the neck, hauled him away from the innocent bystanders and thumped him face-first into the rustic wood-paneled wall. Another glass shattered inches to Shaun’s right, and he sighed.

Bloody den buddies. Wolves might drive him crazy, but after a few too many drinks bears were even worse. Should have cut them off hours ago and sent them all packing.

“Let me know if you need a hand,” Evan called from behind the bar, amusement tingeing his voice.

“Fuck off,” Shaun tossed back easily. Just what he needed—an Alpha with an attitude. Not.

Evan laughed as he reached over the counter and nabbed the nearest two troublemakers by the hair. He knocked their heads together and grinned with satisfaction as the shifters tumbled to the floor.

Shaun pulled his current object of attention off the wall a foot or so, examined the man’s eyes carefully, then slammed him back harder than the time before. The bear shifter went limp and puddled downward without a sound. Shaun turned to the remaining crew of shaggy-headed rabble-rousers currently making Tuesday afternoon in Whitehorse a little too exciting for the locals.

Of course, at this time of day the only occupants of the Moonshine Pub were shifters, and for the most part, they weren’t as picky about how wild the party got.

“Hey, watch it, buddy. You’re shaking the dartboard.”

Shaun flipped the visiting wolves the finger. Figured they’d sit and observe the chaos instead of offering to help. This wasn’t their territory, so he couldn’t blame them for staying out of it. And with Whitehorse in the strange position of having two packs sharing territory—sometimes not getting mixed up in local werewolf politics was the safest way to keep your fur intact.

He took a swift survey of the bar, noting only four grizzly shifters remained standing. Well, three standing, one swaying violently as he attempted to chug the remaining half pint of beer in his mug and keep an eye on Shaun.

Talk about not taking matters seriously. For some reason the big brute’s lack of concentration pissed Shaun off. He shook his hands at the man like an irate Italian. “Hey, you. Put the glass down and let’s see some effort here. Sheesh, what kind of barroom brawl is this?”

His opponents exchanged glances, and Shaun cracked his knuckles in anticipation. Finally he’d get to inflict a little bodily damage. Not that he had anything against bears personally—it had simply been too long since he’d let off some steam.

One bear rushed him. Shaun sidestepped, turning with his elbow raised high and hard, connecting with a satisfying thunk to the idiot’s head. The second swung at him as the third lunged forward. Shaun seized the ham-sized fist on his right as it approached, pulled the man off balance and into the direct line of the dive-bombing attack of his buddy. The two connected with grunts of pain, tangling together to land in a twisted mess on the floor.

Too damn easy. Shaun shook his head in disgust and stepped over their prone bodies before they could scramble to their feet. A quick one-two kick to each of their stomachs ensured that the only thing they would be concentrating on for the next few minutes was their next breath.

“I don’t know, Evan. Maybe you should reconsider the whole public-bar idea. I mean…” The grizzly shifter sneaking up on Shaun was reflected in the mirror behind the counter. Shaun waited one more second then raised his clenched fist as if he were doing a strongman muscle pose. The back of his hand connected with the man’s face, and the bear teetered on shaky legs, the stars he must be seeing almost visible in the air.

Shit, that one hurt. Shaun shook out his fingers and concentrated. Where was he? Oh, right.

“What if you made the place private? This dealing with tourists is bullshit.”

Evan rinsed a glass. “It’s the tourists passing through who make life interesting. Winter season gets too quiet and cozy with only locals dropping in.”

That was true enough. Watching water freeze was right up there on the list of entertaining things to do during December in the Yukon, and didn’t keep the blood stirring. Still…

“I didn’t think returning to the Takhini pack would involve so much fighting.”

“Are you serious? Shaun, what the hell else do you know that is so universally acceptable amongst every wolf pack? Huh?”

Shaun shrugged. Yeah, pack hierarchy games came with the territory. “Not every pack spends all their time jostling for position.”

Evan paused in the middle of wiping the counter. “It’s not a bad source of entertainment.” He twirled, slamming a fist between the eyes of the grizzly standing behind him with a chair lifted in his hands. The huge man fell like a tree trunk, chair crashing to the floor. Shaun rolled his eyes as Evan did a celebratory dance behind the bar.

His Alpha completed his gyrating and tilted his head toward the unconscious shifter. “You want to clean that up, or should I call the cops?”

Shaun grabbed his beer from where he’d hidden it and snuck a swig. “Nah, don’t bother the RCMP. They’re busy enough with spring fever hitting everyone in town. I’ll pour the bears into a cab and get them dumped in the bush.”

“Shaun…”

“Fine, fine. I’ll send them to their hotel. Damn, you’re no fun at all.” Shaun winked at his Alpha. There was no doubt Evan was the strongest wolf in the area, but the dude was nuttier than a fruitcake at times. Newcomers didn’t seem to understand why the Takhini pack put up with such an oddball for a leader, but even in the short time Shaun had been back in Whitehorse, he’d come to appreciate Evan’s style. The man didn’t give a damn about being the most powerful. He simply was, no gesturing, no chest beating.

Evan’s sense of the ridiculous appealed to Shaun in a thumb-your-nose-at-authority kind of way.

Shaun levered one of the groaning bodies upright off the floor. “Okay, big guy. Time to pay the bills and take your little party elsewhere.”

The shifter made a pathetic attempt to bat away Shaun’s hands. “Piss off.”

“Tsk, tsk, that’s not how to talk to the guy who’s still deciding if you go in a cab or the river.”

By the time Shaun had poured the bears into cabs, he was ready for another drink. Just one last body to deal with. He grabbed the dead weight of the biggest guy by the ankles and tugged, attempting to slide him over the rough wooden boards of the bar toward the door. It was after five, and action around the place had increased in a slow trickle. More of the pack wandered in. Servers rushed in, carrying orders of wings and plates of appetizers. The live band tuned up, the drummer beating out a heavy pulse that throbbed below the murmuring voices. The evening was warm enough Evan had cracked open the windows, and an early June breeze fluttered in carrying the smell of spring and the promise of a great outdoor adventure season.

Yada, yada, yada. Shaun yanked harder on his burden, managing to drag the heavy weight a measly two inches. Only a couple days left before his temporary break in bookings was over and he’d be flying tourists again. This hanging-out-with-the-pack thing wasn’t as bad as he had expected.

It was worse.

“You know, you could ask for help.” Evan motioned toward the pack members crowding the pub.

“When pigs fly.”

Evan laughed out loud, pausing to call a few of the guys from their beers. The nearest three leapt to their feet in response. They grabbed the griz under the arms and manhandled him out the door.

Shaun slid back onto his barstool. “Is there nothing I can say that will piss you off?”

Evan considered for a minute. He shook his head as he reached under the bar and brought up a dusty bottle of liquor, lowering the pale blue decanter to the counter with reverence. “See, I understand where you’re coming from. You want me to get mad and tell you to take a hike. Therefore, the most fun I can have is to force you to stick around until you get your head out of your ass.”

He grabbed two glasses and motioned to one of the pack who took over serving. “Come on, we’re going to my office.”

Fuck. This kind of summons was as bad as getting called to the principal’s. “Ah, gee thanks, Evan, but I should get home. I’ve got a big flight planned in a couple days. I need to get my beauty sleep. There’s this really good movie on APN.”

“You forgot the excuse about needing to wash your hair.” Evan pushed open the solid wood door leading to his office and gestured Shaun in first. “Forget it. I’m not ordering you around, but if you know what’s good for you, you’ll get your butt in there.”

Landing in Whitehorse was unadventurous, just like Gemmita had promised her father at least a dozen times it would be. The place was even smaller than she’d calculated when she’d insisted he had no need to worry, or provide an escort. The teeny airport had one luggage carousel, and the teeming crowd of greeters meeting the plane numbered twenty at the most. So far, her trip had been perfect. A chance for her to spread her wings and prove she had more going for her than the family name.

Two wolves loitered by the coffee shop. Considering how well wolves aged, she figured they must be somewhere between twenty and fifty years old. Black hair and eyes, smoky-coloured skin. Not as dark as hers, but not white either. They waggled their brows in her direction, but Gem pointedly ignored them, at least until they approached, interest gleaming in their eyes.

“Hello, sweets. You need a ride?”

She examined the mural on the wall behind the luggage carousel as if it were a Picasso, figuring silence was the best response.

The second wolf stepped to the right, neatly caging her between them before she could protest. They weren’t crowding her or looming over her, or anything that seemed like an attempt to freak her out. They were just being, well, wolves.

“If you have someone coming to greet you, they’re late. We’ll make sure you get where you want to go.”

Well, shoot. Here she hoped she’d be able to avoid the whole hierarchy and sniffing-for-importance obsession. Guess it didn’t matter if you were in the Deep South or the Far North.

It was a public place with humans near at hand, so she wasn’t afraid. Not really—or not enough for her to order them to stand down. In fact, this was a perfect time for her to test-drive her new “assume control of her own life” skills and get them to listen without playing on her family background.

She lifted her chin resolutely. “Thank you, boys, but I’ll hail a cab and find my own way. Understand?”

Along with her words she let the tiniest touch of her power sneak out—enough to prove she wasn’t a weak wolf. That bit of power was all her own, nothing to do with her name or money. The sensation thrilled her as always, the rare moments she used that other side of herself, and she fully expected both her annoyances to stage a rapid retreat.

Their response was not as respectful as the average wolf back home. In fact, they barely moved, the older of the two raising one brow as if he was more interested than before. A momentary flash of dismay shot through her, and she stomped her reaction into submission before her frustration showed.

Personal pep-talk time.

Press forward, Gem, you can do this. Don’t wait for someone to rescue you.

She reached for her bag, but the wolf on her left snatched it up first. With all the humans around, she didn’t want to make a loud scene, instead stepping forward to block his path. “Do you have a hearing problem?”

He smiled, his teeth flashing white against his skin. “Nah. You said you needed a cab.” The Bobbsey Twins whipped out matching caps and slapped them on their heads. Solid black graphics declared Whitehorse Wolves Transport, accompanied by the imprint of a wolf in hot pursuit of a terrified horse, and she sniffed to refrain from smiling.

Her second suitcase cruised past on the carousel, and she resigned herself to accepting their help. If they stepped out of line, she had more strength she could whammy them with. “Fine. One of you grab that blue bag as well. I’m staying at the Moonshine Inn.”

“Then that’s where we’ll take you.” The younger wolf offered his elbow and Gem adjusted her thinking. Maybe they weren’t all roughnecks and lowbrow here in the north. She got to embrace that charitable thought for a full minute before he helped her into the cab and managed to pinch her butt in the process. He waited until his buddy got behind the wheel, then waved at the retreating cab like a little girl, fingers fluttering innocently as they left him behind in the parking area.

Wolves. She peeked in the mirror and checked her lipstick.

“You in town for long?” The name posted on the cabby’s ID was David.

“Just passing through. I’m heading to the northern part of the territory to do some research, and my pilot is supposed to meet me here.”

He whistled softly. “Research, hey? What’s your specialty? Let me guess—botany. I heard they were doing a study on the microsomes of the aspidiaceae ferns. Sounded fascinating.”

The steep incline of the road as they descended into the river valley was forgotten as she again fine-tuned her attitude. A cabbie wolf who knew botany? Gem’s enthusiasm burst out unchecked. “I’m conducting an environmental assessment on the Porcupine Caribou herd birthing grounds. With the oil and gas development, it’s of vital importance to maintain up-to-date statistics on any changes.”

“Really? That’s fabulous as well.” He grinned at her, the leer fading, replaced with a touch of something else.

Was he…? Was that…? My goodness, he was laughing at her.

Gem stiffened her spine. She wasn’t used to being made fun of to her face. In fact, no one in her pack would dream of doing anything but treat her with respect in public. She stifled a sigh. If only being shown respect meant they actually respected her. That was part of the point of this journey—to prove she could stand on her own without Daddy interfering.

There was no reason for her to be impolite in return. “You’re well educated for a cab driver.”

He shrugged, slowing for a crosswalk. “People come north for many reasons. When a soul gets tired of the big city and the whole rat race, the Yukon offers a different pace of life.”

Gem considered his words as she watched the city drift past her window. A bookstore, tiny eclectic coffee shops, intricate carved wooden signs offering native crafts and moccasins. None of the buildings were over two stories high, and many of them sported false fronts, their doors opening onto an elaborate boardwalk that ran the length of Main Street. The restoration of Whitehorse into a gold rush settlement gave her glimpses of the rough town she’d been warned, repeatedly, would be too much for her to handle. Too primitive and coarse.

Yet, there was more to a place than just its buildings. Maybe a different pace of life was a good thing? She was sure her father hadn’t considered that possibility.

“So you came north—and now you drive a cab for a living?”

David chuckled. “No, I drive a cab because I like to talk to people. I don’t need the money, but our Alpha insists everyone work. Being busy is the only way to keep your average wolf out of trouble.”

Blast, with everything else she had to accomplish before hopping on the plane, that important detail had slipped her agenda. She was in another pack’s territory. “I suppose I should stop in and say hello, shouldn’t I?”

“That’s where I was taking you, to our Alpha, whether you wanted me to or not.” They paused at an intersection before he turned into the hotel entrance. “I get heads-up of all official visitors. If they’re short-termers, Evan lets them pass without a hassle since they’ve gone through the decency of contacting him. You weren’t on the list.”

Fudge. “I’m only in town for a few days…”

He clicked his tongue, and Gem felt about twelve years old at the disapproval clear in his reproachful tone. “There’s no excuse for poor manners, now, is there?”

David pulled up to the front of the hotel. She fidgeted the entire time as she waited for him to come around and open her door. Oh dear, this was not a good start to her Yukon excursion. “I really did intend to make my presence known.”

“I’m sure you did. No harm done. Now let’s get you settled.”

He patted her hand kindly, and a sudden wave of homesickness flooded her system. His patience reminded her of her father, even more so when he waved off her credit card. “Complimentary shuttle service, since you’re staying at the pack hotel.”

The cab ride had only taken ten minutes, airport to hotel, but the freebie was unexpected. “The pack? I didn’t know that.”

David lifted her bags and nodded toward the front doors. “The Takhini pack owns the hotel, and Evan owns the bar.”

“Your Alpha?”

“Yup.” He shook her cases. “We can drop these at the registration desk, then I’ll take you to see him.”

The double doors slid open with a soft sigh, and Gem glanced around with curiosity as they entered. The welcoming foyer was as tidy as any resort she’d visited with her father down south. Swarms of plants filled the perimeter of the reception area, accompanied by the flash of modern chrome and leather.

“No fake boardwalks or gold rush decorating?”

David snorted. “The bar is more rustic, but no. Visitors get enough history walking downtown. We decided to make the place a bit of a refuge from the turn-of-the-century overload you can get otherwise.”

Smart move. She certainly felt more comfortable in this setting than if there had been rough-hewn boards or spittoons on the floor.

Not that she knew up close and in person what a spittoon looked like.

“Caroline, can you get our new arrival fixed up?” David placed her bags by the desk. The very efficient blonde human behind the counter gave him a wink before taking Gem through the check-in process. She seemed unconcerned she was surrounded by werewolves.

Gem watched Caroline with unashamed interest. At home, everyone was a wolf—from her extended family down to the servants in the familial mansion. When it came right down to it, she hadn’t been close to that many humans. Taking another glance at the receptionist, Gem sized her up. Pretty creature. Smelled faintly like a wolf, probably because she was around them so often. Decent clothing, although with her blonde hair and lighter skin—Gem jerked upright. Oh shoot, this train of thought wasn’t acceptable. She was being a snob. Just because Whitehorse was above the sixtieth parallel didn’t mean all the residents were uncultured rednecks.

If she was tired of being unfairly judged, she’d better not do it herself.

“Is Evan working?” David asked, leaning on the counter.

Caroline glanced at a monitor. “He’s not serving, and I see a ‘do not disturb’ notification on his office line. Do you want me to send through a message that you need to see him?”

David put the question to Gem. “You want to wait in the bar for a few minutes?”

“Could I go to my room first?” From traveling all day to heading straight to see an Alpha? One whom she might have inadvertently upset by breaking protocol? No way. She needed to be fresh and dressed for success, not wearing wrinkled and travel-worn clothes.

“Sure. I’ll give you some time. We can have a drink until Evan is free. Caroline, send him a note, and I’ll take it from there.”

The young woman nodded, then handed Gem a key card. “Your room is down the hall. I’ve kept you on the main floor, but put you on the far side of the hotel away from the bar. The rooms should be quieter over there.”

Gem smiled her thanks and turned to grab her bags. David already had them hoisted, waiting for her to lead the way.

The room was bright, clean and much smaller than anything she’d ever stayed in before while traveling with her father. Gem flicked on the light in the bathroom and wrinkled her nose at the missing features. Hmmm, no bidet or heated towel bars.

“How long should I give you?”

She jerked from her observations to spot David standing beside the dresser, next to her suitcase. Gem considered for a moment before responding. “Half an hour?”

He left without another word. She closed the door, wondering at the diversity of people she’d met since leaving home that morning. The whole experience was rather thrilling.

A hotel room, all to herself. Another first in her books. She was determined to make this trip overflow with new adventures.

Gem took one more slow revolution to examine her surroundings. A queen-sized bed, a couch against the wall. Small television, generic curtains and artwork. Surely there was more—there had to be. Her maid’s room was larger than this.

There—across from the bathroom—another wooden door with a deadbolt. Gem twirled the lock and tugged the door inward, waiting with anxious anticipation to see…

Another door. This one with no doorknob. Gem pushed on the wood, but nothing budged. What kind of strange world was the Yukon that they had doors that led nowhere? She closed the door on her side of the room, suddenly aware she was wasting time. She pressed the latch shut and jumped as her cell phone rang.

“Poop.” Daddy’s ring tone. Her cheeks flashed hot at being caught swearing, kind of, as she dug in her purse for her phone. She simultaneously snapped on the answer button and reached for the zipper on her suitcase. She had less than twenty-five minutes before David returned.

“Gemmita? Everything okay, little girl? You were supposed to phone as soon as you arrived.”

She bit back the retort she wanted to voice. My, she must be a lot more tired than she expected. Either that, or there was something in the northern air that had erased all her manners. “I was about to ring. I haven’t been here long. As a matter of fact, I’ve just checked into my room.”

“You can change your mind about this. You don’t have to prove anything to me, sweetie.”

Arghhh, fathers. Was she ever going to be more than a child to him?

“I’m fine, Daddy. And I want to do this. The trip is an exciting part of my education, and a real opportunity to put my training into action.” His silence on the other end of the line did nothing to increase her happiness. Gem shucked her shoes and stockings, digging one-handed into her suitcase to find fresh underclothes while placating her parent. “I have some sightseeing planned, the northern flight is already booked. I’ve got all my equipment arranged—everything is in place. You knew a field excursion was a part of my schooling when I signed up.”

“I expected you would conduct your research somewhere in Georgia, not in the middle of nowhere, hundreds of miles from home.”

Gem tucked her phone into the crook of her neck and awkwardly held it in place. She’d even surprised herself with the radical idea. Finding a research topic that forced her to go to the Yukon?

She’d anticipated he’d be upset.

“I know you’ll miss me, but everything will be fine. It’s three weeks, four at the tops, and I’ll have the information needed to finish my paper. Plus, this project should give me a good shot at getting that job with the company you approved of.”

“You don’t need to work.” His change of tack was a resumption of the oldest argument they’d ever had, starting well before her mother had passed away.

Gem hopped on one foot as she pulled on new silk stockings. “I’m not having that discussion, Daddy, so stop. I’ll be home within the month. If you want to contact me, use email. Otherwise, please, let me do this? I am capable, of this and more.”

The alternative was to admit she was nothing but a piece of spoiled fluff like she’d overheard her fellow students declare. It wasn’t true—there was so much they didn’t know about her, things that she chose to go along with simply to keep the peace. But now? She had to see this project through to the end.

Her father sighed, long suffering in his tone. “Yes, Gemmita, I’ll let you go. I want you to phone me the instant you need anything, you understand? Anything. What the hell good is having money if I can’t use it to make sure you’re comfortable and happy?”

She forced a laugh. “I love you. I’m going to enjoy every minute of the adventure, okay? And I’ll tell you all about it when I get home.”

She blew him a kiss then scrambled to tuck the phone away and finish getting dressed. Only, what should she wear? At home, meeting an Alpha was a formal event, with all the highest-level pack in attendance. Not to mention she had broken protocol—groveling could be a messy business if she didn’t set the right tone from the start.

Gem eyed the clothes she’d purchased for her upcoming fieldwork and wrinkled her nose. Nope. Sturdy canvas and baggy cotton would not do. She dug deeper into the suitcase and went for the high-powered artillery, fingers crossed the Alpha was single and at least remotely interested in females.

Wrapping dazzled males around her little finger and making sure they weren’t aware of it was one area in which she had some experience.

Chapter Two

After half an hour in Evan’s office, Shaun was feeling better than he had in weeks. Months even. The liquor in the dusty bottle had been poured into teeny tiny glasses, and he’d shot back the first round in one toss. Evan’s brows hit the ceiling right about the time Shaun’s brain lit on fire.

“Most people sip it, dude.”

“Shit.” His throat was melting, his tonsils had incinerated. They might be able to figure out how old he was if there was anything left of his teeth to carbon date.

But now that it seemed a good ninety-five percent of his blood was pumping with that same fiery fluid, Shaun didn’t have a care in the world, or a discreet tongue in his head.

“I mean, life sucks. All my friends got mates, man. And I’m alone in the dark hangar with nothing but flipping my helicopter to keep me warm.”

Evan frowned. He started to speak a couple of times, stopping as if confused.

“Wassup?” Shaun’s tongue had grown thicker, and his words weren’t flowing so good. The windows wiggled in the walls.

Cool. He’d never seen windows do that before.

“You’re doing what to your helicopter?”

Shaun paused in confusion. It had to be the liquor. Evan had clearly lost his mind. “What?”

“You were flipping your helicopter.”

Was his Alpha going deaf? Such a sad thing to happen to such a young man. Shaun spoke slower, and trifle louder—just in case that would help. “I hit and fuck chopper, and fly hangars in the dark.”

Evan nodded. One of those go along with the crazy person—let’s not agitate him nods. The fact Shaun had seen that kind of response so many times it was instantly recognizable kinda burned.

“I’m trying to imagine how the hell you’re masturbating that you call it a helicopter. Sounds painful.”

What in the world? Shaun rushed to explain, even as his tongue tangled further. “No, no, I’m flying my hangar. Wait, I mean, I’m shitting in my hanging, ducking my flapping heli.” He slammed a hand over his mouth. Damn. His brain cells had melted into a lump of jelly. Or Jell-O. Wiggling neon Jell-O with raspberries floating in the middle layer…

He shook his head and attempted to focus both eyes on the same point. Nope—not happening. The room did one slow revolution counterclockwise, and he stared upward, expecting to spot a disco ball or something dangling from the ceiling to explain the sparkling lights flashing on the walls. Wolf metabolism usually dealt with alcohol in a quick and efficient manner. His didn’t seem to be working tonight. Shaun snatched the bottle off the table, the blue glass swelling and shrinking before his eyes. “What. The hell. Is this shit?”

Evan sprawled in his La-Z-Boy and took another sip. Every muscle relaxed, contentment oozed out from him like a cat that had fallen into a bucket of cream after tormenting the dog. “Moonshine, from my old pack. Doubles as rocket fuel.”

“Fuckit.” The room spun quicker. “Freak me out. I mean, get me drinked?”

“You may as well sit and be quiet for a bit.” Evan peered at him, shaking his head in disgust. “Here I thought you could hold your liquor. Sad. Sad state of affairs.”

Shaun would have argued, but right now there was this super interesting crack in the ceiling that grew, sprouting mosaic arms of purple and chartreuse. He leaned back in his chair to get a better view, reaching down to tug the recliner arm and raise the footrest, like he’d seen Evan do.

The next minute these really cool glowing lights were dancing in front of his eyes.

“Shaun, that’s not a recliner.”

Shaun reached to his side and tapped. Solid wood boards met his fingers. His back was well supported, legs stretched out. The room now spun in the opposite direction. “Did I fall down?”

“And you can’t get up again.”

“Cool. I’ll just…you know, hang out for a bit. Okay with you?”

Evan laughed. “Sure. Only next time? Sip the ’shine, got it?”

“No prob.”

It was kind of comfy on the floor. Evan rose and lit the fire, warmth pouring from the hearth to pool past where Shaun lay.

“Hey, did you…” Shaun lost track of the words. Why was he here again?

It wasn’t because he was bored. No, he was sure there were plenty of things he was supposed to do. He had Maxwell’s Silver Hammer, the aviation company he co-owned with a buddy. A full summer schedule approaching where he’d be busy providing helicopter trips over the most beautiful part of the world. Sightseeing and supply dumps, and the occasional medical emergency—he did them all. So why did he feel like crap?

Oh. Right. His friends were deserting him.

“You ever get lonely, Evan?” Shaun scrambled to his feet then held out his glass to his Alpha who carefully poured him another two fingers’ worth. Shaun eyed his chair, the one on the floor, and decided the couch appeared a trifle more sturdy.

“I find it fascinating what topics I hear when I serve the good stuff. No, Shaun, I’m never lonely. I have all the pack around. And friends, like you. Although, I’m not sure why I’m trying to talk to you anymore. You’re so pissed right now I could tell you anything I want and you’ll never remember a word in the morning.”

“Really?” His hand shook. The liquid in his glass sloshed and Shaun lapped the spilt alcohol off his fingers carefully. It wouldn’t do to make a mess in his Alpha’s office. “Then tell me big secrets, man. The kind of stuff you don’t share with anyone, but think about when you’re all alone…” sniff “…alone. Like me. Fuck.”

There was a reason he wasn’t supposed to do this, but he couldn’t remember the specifics. He held the glass to his lips and tossed his head back. An icy sensation bled down his throat, seconds before the cold morphed into daggers stabbing his brain from the inside out.

“Shaun! Damn fool, that’s it, you’re cut off.”

The glass disappeared from his fingers. The same fingers that glowed in a wonderful Aurora Borealis imitation. It was as if all the flames he’d consumed were attempting to escape from his body through his skin.

The visuals were either very cool or very creepy.

The cushions of the couch reached up fluffy fingers to cradle him tighter, and Shaun sighed. Evan’s face appeared in his line of vision, the man’s dark hair waving as he shook his head.

“I know it’s strong, but, damn. You have the worst tolerance for moonshine of any shifter I’ve ever met.” Evan hauled a chair over, the feet screeching on the wooden floor. The shiver up Shaun’s spine exploded out his ears.

“Ouch.”

Evan leaned back and crossed his arms. He cupped his chin for a moment then dropped his hand to point at Shaun.

“You know what your problem is? You don’t have a mission.”

“I need a mission?” Cool. Didn’t know that was a requirement of the Takhini pack.

“Something to give you a reason to get up in the morning. Shaun, I’ve watched you since you settled back in Whitehorse. You’re listless. You fight if you have to, but you don’t enjoy it, not even when you win.”

“I always win.”

Evan nodded. “Of course you do, because you’re a strong wolf. But you succeed without even trying. It’s easy for you to win against the punks who come to try you. The more experienced wolves avoid you—they know you’re strong, even if you are a little stupid.”

“Hey—”

“Because you’re not fighting to become a leader in the pack. You’re simply fighting to fight.” Evan shook his head and that finger popped out again. Shaun tried tracking the shaking object, but he found it damn near impossible to tell which was the real finger amongst the liquor haze.

Okay, this was interesting, but a bit too much like therapy.

“I don’t want your job,” Shaun blurted out. Hell would be preferable to run. At least demons were predictable, unlike wolves who were endlessly creative in coming up with new mischief to try.

“You don’t want my job.” Evan shot back, his confidence screaming out.

Shaun hesitated. “Did we already have this conversation? It sounds familiar.”

“You don’t want to be Alpha, Shaun. You’d have to actually give a damn about someone then.”

Ouch. The words percolated through the alcohol haze, and a thin line of cold ran up his core. “What a fucker of a comment. If I’m that much of an asshole, why did you let me return to the pack?”

“Because at the root of it, you’re only an asshole because you don’t give a damn about yourself right now either, and I’m getting annoyed at your stupid refusal to grow up.”

Okay, that was one step too far. “And did you get this special bullshit training in Alpha school or—?”

Suddenly Evan was right in Shaun’s face, and he couldn’t budge. Evan had him pinned in a neck hold, trapping his body against the couch. There was no air getting through his windpipe, and Shaun scrambled his fingers over Evan’s forearm. Stars appeared in front of his eyes, glowing even brighter than the mysterious Northern Lights clouding everything else in the room.

“Don’t mistake my tolerance for weakness.” Evan hissed in his ear. Dangerous. Shaun fought back as hard as possible and barely moved. Evan held him immobile. “You’re a damn good wolf, and I’m getting tired of seeing you waste your life. You don’t need to want to save the world, but you need to care enough to do what’s right for more than simply a lark.”

Blessed air flooded into his lungs as Evan released him, settling him back into the couch’s soft surface. Shaun stared at his Alpha, shocked nearly sober—well, maybe not that. Definitely chastised enough to remember a few manners, though.

“I’m…sorry.”

Evan shrugged. “I am too. I don’t usually lose my temper.” He retook his seat, sipping his moonshine as he stared into the fire. “You need to face it, Shaun. We’re wolves. We like having a pack around, but there are times it’s not the pack we long for.”

Fuck. Shaun didn’t think he’d told anyone about the ache in his gut for a mate. For the feeling of truly belonging. “Have I been talking in my sleep or something?”

Evan shook his head, holding his glass up to the light after a quick sip. “Love it when this stuff kicks in and people lose track of whole threads of conversation. No, Shaun, you told me a few minutes ago. You’re lonely. You’d give anything to find your mate. But in the meantime, you’re going to be the best damn wolf there is, and get off your ass and do something for someone else who can’t possibly repay you.”

Shaun sniffed. “My God, I’m so charitable. Is that really what I said?”

Evan leaned forward on his elbows and nodded seriously. “I was very impressed, my friend. And you said you would start right away.”

“Awesome.” Wow. He had a purpose in life. A goal, and he was going to be a hero to…someone. His throat tightened with emotion—delight, determination…confusion. There was one trouble. The only things in his mind were the delightful pink and purple clouds morphing into elephants and crashing rhinos right before his eyes. “Did I tell you what I was going to do?”

“Not a word. Top secret, all that shit. But I’m sure you’ll let me know when it’s appropriate.”

“Cool.” Shaun relaxed back into the cushions. There was something so right about hanging out with Evan. “I love you, man.”

Evan choked on his drink, his face turning bright red as he coughed his lungs out for a second. His expression transitioned to one worthy of a long-suffering and indulgent older brother. “That’s great. Now I think you are ready to crash for the night.”

Shaun peeked at his watch. The digital numbers were impossible to see, but he pressed onward. Faking it worked for many things. “Oh my, is that the time? I’m going to turn into a pumpkin.”

Evan nodded slowly, his expression twisting into an evil grin. “Sure you are, big guy. Six thirty is oh-so-late for a weeknight. Tell you what. I’ll pop you into one of the empty hotel rooms.”

Brilliant. His Alpha was the most brilliant man he’d ever met. “Good idea.” Shaun stood then dropped to a low crouch to counter all the heaving underfoot. “Fuck—is that an earthquake?”

Evan clicked his tongue like a mother hen, grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out the back exit and down a side hall. “Trust me, it’s not the floor that’s shaking.”

He swiped a keycard and pushed open a door.

Mercy sakes, that was a king-plus bed, and the enormous thing was calling his name soooo sweetly. Shaun turned and impulsively hugged Evan. “I love you, man,” he repeated.

“You probably aren’t going to like me very much in the morning but, yeah, fine. I love you too. Now sleep it off, dude.”

Blessed darkness beckoned, and Shaun strolled forward, stripping as he went. Before the outer door clicked shut behind him, he yanked back the covers and collapsed face-first onto the mattress, a groan of pleasure escaping his lips.

This was better than his single bed back at the hangar. Far better than the bunk in the clan house in town. The only thing that would make his situation better yet? He sniffled and ignored the thoughts cavorting around in his mind singing in three-part-harmony about how nice it would be to have a soft feminine touch in his life.

She’d given up making her hair cooperate, and had finally managed to pull the dark strands back into a plain but presentable bun when a knock sounded. Gem smoothed her palms over the knee-length peach-coloured silk skirt, straightening to tug the neckline of her matching cashmere sweater a trifle lower. She squared her shoulders and adjusted her handbag before opening the door.

David flashed a brilliant grin as he checked her out.

“Now that’s a nice outfit. Evan will be impressed.” The cabbie-slash-philosopher-slash-guide offered his arm, and she slipped her fingers over his elbow without hesitation. “Let me lead you through the chaos—don’t mind the boys, okay?”

The volume cranked way up as they passed the bar doors and the ambience changed from modern classic to turn-of-the-century madhouse. The room was full of bodies, mostly shifters if her nose had anything to say. Some of them danced on the tiny floor, some played darts, but most stood around tall tables or perched on high stools eating and laughing and hanging out.

From the table closest to her, one of the men rose to his feet, his gaze crawling over her as if she were naked. Gem stumbled for a second before David pulled her upright, slipping his body between her and the new threat.

Funny how the cabbie had gone from being a stranger to someone she felt would protect her.

“Knock it off, Jackson.”

“Just wanted to make sure the lady got a proper northern welcome.”

David tugged her toward the back of the pub. All around them excitement trembled in the air—the energy in the bar was wild and energetic, and in spite of the tinge of uncertainty inside, she’d never felt more alive.

Independence was heady stuff.

“Evan’s back in his office. Come on, darling, you don’t fit in with this crowd.”

Gem stared in fascination at one of the women on the dance floor. The top buttons of her blouse hung open, the swells of her breasts visible to everyone. She twirled and her mini skirt rose, revealing a tiny thong and bare butt cheeks. Gem’s face flushed hotter than a summer day. There went the idea that her own outfit was provocative. Obviously, she was mistaken.

No, she didn’t belong here, that was clear.

David knocked on the door, again placing himself as a barricade between her and the action in the room.

A tenor rang out from the other side. “What?”

“Visitor from the States.”

A longish pause. “Come in.”

Gem slipped past David into the warm office, and peace settled. The fire in the hearth, the leather furniture—this room wasn’t her home, but a lot more comfortable than the rowdiness occurring in the bar.

“Evan, this is Gemmita Jacobs, from Georgia. She’s the one Shaun’s taking north in a few days for that Porcupine Herd analysis.”

Gem startled. “Hey, how did you—”

“There are many ways to find out information when it’s needed.” David tipped his hat and pointed into the room. “Evan Stone. He’s a good bloke. You’ll be all right. I’m sure I’ll see you later.”

David left in a whirlwind, and Gem turned to take her first look at the Whitehorse Alpha.

Dark hair neatly trimmed around his ears, snapping black eyes that examined her with sharp intelligence. He was all lean muscle, bright white teeth, the entire appealing package sprawled in a low leather chair. One leg bounced, his knee hanging over the armrest, his foot rocking steadily to the low-lying beat of music sneaking in under the door. The position left his torso wide open, and she snapped her gaze back to his face before she continued staring anywhere inappropriate.

His smile twisted to one side, and he raised a brow.

Gem flushed. So much for keeping her arrival inconspicuous and politically correct. He’d caught her gaping at his groin. How gauche.

“Sorry for not getting up, but I’ve had a hell of a day.” He gestured to the couch across from him. “Have a seat. I won’t keep you long. You must be tired.”

Gem dipped her head. She’d never met an Alpha quite like him before, but she could get around that. Act normal, you idiot. Charm him—smooth out this mess. “I apologize for not letting you know sooner I would be in your territory. I’m terribly embarrassed.”

She sat, and a curious scent surrounded her. Something that made her catch her breath and a tingle start deep, deep inside. She tried to hide her reaction, but Evan narrowed his gaze.

“What? Why are you wrinkling your nose like that?”

Another flash of—excitement? need?—rushed over her, and she opened her mouth to explain away her rudeness with some kind of cast-off remark when a flicker of comprehension singed her.

The aroma made her mouth water, and her heart race. She reached up and tugged on the neckline of her sweater, finding the collar suddenly far too constricting. She wanted nothing better than to strip the fabric away and go down to bare skin. Let the air play over her and have fingers touch everywhere. Her breasts felt heavy, her sex pulsed with a steady rhythm, growing wet.

Only one thing made a wolf react like this—as if she’d been involved in hours of foreplay instead of having spent minutes in his presence.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but there’s this scent…” She took another deep breath, and it was as though the crisp air shot straight from her nose to her clit, her body going all soft and needy.

Oh my goodness. This couldn’t be…could it?

She cleared her throat. Maybe she was overtired from the trip. But that shouldn’t be enough to make her react as if she was in the midst of a sexual encounter.

Was Evan her mate?

The notion terrified her. Not because she didn’t expect a life partner to appear some day, but finding her mate right now would cause a lot of trouble. One more issue to deal with while she fought for independence. And an Alpha whose territory was a fifteen-hour flight away from home? Oh boy. Daddy would have kittens.

But something was up, and ignoring the possibilities wouldn’t change the answer.

Enough with the being-a-coward thing. She waved a hand between them. “I wonder if you’d mind…?”

The confusion on his face smoothed away as awareness filled his eyes. He leaned forward in his chair, elbows to knees as he breathed in deeply, nostrils flaring. He hmmed lightly, his tone a little lust-filled. Gem sucked in a quick breath in response, and the whammy smacked her between the legs again. She squeezed her knees together instinctively, and he grinned.

“Come here, darling. I don’t think I’m what you’re looking for, but I have no objection.”

He patted his lap.

Gem stilled. He wasn’t serious, was he? And yet, if he was her mate, she was seconds away from one of the most important moments of her entire life.

Grace. Elegance. That’s what she’d bring to this occasion. Even as she rose to her feet, she straightened her spine and smiled properly. Stepped to his side and pivoted. Oh my, the wonderful aroma continued to fill her nostrils, and her body’s involuntary response to its effect added another layer of scent to the room. Excitement filled her limbs, making them tremble in anticipation of his touch.

She sat slowly, hard thigh muscles meeting her backside. Her eagerness increased. Need raged inside for another zing of lust to shoot through her body. Like holding a wick of desire toward a flame in the hope unquenchable passion would envelop her.

Evan settled her against his torso as he leaned back, drawing her face closer. His lips hovered near. A slow approach, maddening.

His fingers in her hair, chest to her breasts. She closed her eyes as their mouths connected.

Chapter Three

Gem was so dainty as she plopped into his lap. Evan had to admit this was the most interesting meet-and-greet he’d had in his relatively short time as Alpha for the Takhini pack.

The scent of her desire rose around them, making him feel slightly dirty. Oh, he liked having a long, lean honey panting over him. Especially one like this, with her soft brown skin, huge dark eyes that had grown even bigger when she’d caught a whiff of something in the air. Only, while she was delightful to look at, all smooth hourglass curves with endless legs and an elegant neck—she wasn’t his type. Too delicate, too fine, and definitely not catching his notice in terms of being his mate.

Which is what he’d picked up from her stumbling question. Something made her think he might be the one, and while he had no interest in forever, he’d be happy to let her be the one to call it quits today. Shouldn’t take too long—once he didn’t make her motor run, she would no doubt stop their intimate contact.

Of course, if this was some southern custom of greeting the ruling Alpha with a tumble—hell, who was he to argue with tradition? It wasn’t as if he didn’t get all kinds of intriguing offers from the local wolf ladies, based solely on his position. Having a visitor to do the mattress mambo with would be far less complicated than his current dilemma of keeping the power-seekers in check.

She kissed him back. Innocent, chaste, lips closed and pressed to his.

Forget that. Even if they were mates, a simple kiss wouldn’t be enough to confirm or deny their connection. While the scent on the air told him she was turned on, her reaction wasn’t in response to his touch. He needed her to know for sure—as in no way in hell are you my mate for sure.

A little more thorough encounter was required.

He grasped the back of her neck as he angled her head to the side, teasing the seam of her lips with his tongue until she opened to him.

Hmm, much better. With a hesitant touch, all warm and soft, she explored his mouth, her hands rising to cup his face, and he smiled. The kiss grew more heated, teeth and lips getting involved as she twisted in his lap, her chest rubbing his.

Oh, nice. Maybe she wasn’t too delicate after all. Evan withdrew his right hand from her back, sliding up her torso to cup one perfect breast, and she gasped against his lips. He soothed her, even as his thumb brushed the tightening tip of her nipple. She had nice firm mounds that he was sure would look spectacular if he stripped her. He gave a brief moment to consider what colour her nipples were, but his curiosity was nothing more than a typical male reaction to a desirable female. Nothing earth shaking or undeniable.

As far as he was concerned, this was fun, but not a forever mate-need-want-gotta-have situation.

Gem planted a hand on his chest and pushed, her lips separating from his with a soft sigh. There was a crease between her eyes and confusion on her face. He froze his hand and smiled back at her.

The little throat clearing that followed was kinda cute. “I…don’t feel anything.”

Hell, hiding his smirk was going to kill him. “Nothing?”

Her mouth opened to a shocked O. “It’s not that I don’t find you attractive, and I was enjoying—” Her gaze dropped to where he still grasped her breast. Embarrassment poured from her far stronger than lust, and Evan relented and withdrew his hand without a word.

But when she would have squirmed away he held her for another moment, releasing a trace of his wolf power to calm her. She lifted her gaze to meet his, and he touched her cheek. “You’re a lovely wolf, but you’re not mine. Don’t worry, we’ll figure out what’s up. Please, though, allow me to offer the protection of my pack while you’re in the north.”

Her brown eyes were enormous as she stared back. Making her part of his responsibility wasn’t necessary, but the offer felt right, especially after groping her. She might have walked into his office looking as if she owned the world, but she was a long way from home. Whatever physical mischief was happening—she needed a little reassurance and his Alpha genes had kicked into high gear.

Evan expected her to retreat as quickly as possible, but she surprised him by leaning in and kissing his cheek. “Thank you. For the offer of protection, and for allowing me to…satisfy my curiosity. I’m not sure what’s wrong.”

He helped her rise, supporting her until she regained her feet. “Anything unusual happen on your flight? You come in contact with any other wolves between arriving and now who caught your interest?”

“Nothing on the flight. I got a ride here with the cabbie, David, and I didn’t react to him at all. Since then I’ve been in my room waiting—they told me you were busy.”

Oh hell. And who had he been busy with? The only other wolf who’d been in his office today for long enough to leave a scent signature was Shaun.

Evan kept his face blank as the possibilities smacked him up the side of the head. This was getting more and more interesting. Was the princess panting over Shaun? “I think…”

She had taken a seat across from him on the couch, and watched with keen interest. Knees together, ankles delicately crossed, back straight. Add a china cup and a fancy hat, and she could have been at home having tea with the Queen. How was she going to take the news that her potential mate was three-sheets-to-the-wind at the moment?

How bad was Shaun going to flip? The guy had been almost crying like a girl over the fact he was all alone, but what kind of a woman had he been imagining as a mate? Evan eyed Gem again, and his sense of humour poked him hard. Maybe he should send her to Shaun’s room. Instant contact was the simplest way to figure out if there was some mate-ish stuff in the cards for the mismatched couple.

His common sense battled back and hog-tied the hysterical images of Gem and Shaun meeting right now, and forced him to consider the good of the pack and his commitment as Alpha.

Damn, sometimes having to be a grown-up sucked.

Gem waited for him to finish speaking, curiosity and more in her expression.

Evan rose to his feet and held out his hand to her. “I think the answer will have to wait for a little while. Come. I’ll buy you a late supper, then in the morning I’ll take you to someone who should be able to answer your questions.”

She hesitated before nodding. “If you think that would be best.”

His timing wasn’t what she wanted to hear—Evan sensed her frustration. But waiting was all he was willing to provide tonight, and she was far too polite to make a fuss. Lovely thing about well-bred young ladies, that. He led her to the bar, and let the anticipation of the fun and games coming tomorrow entertain his imagination.

Lordy, but she ached. The scent that had been driving her mad dissipated once they left Evan’s office. The kick-start to her libido was more difficult to turn off. Tucked into the corner of the pub with the music pulsing in time with the beat raging between her thighs, she was hard-pressed to remain aloof.

“Wine?”

Gem dragged her attention back to Evan. Wine? Oh, that was a question. She nodded.

Evan spoke to one of his waitresses, turning back to raise a questioning brow. “Would you like bison? Or salmon?”

Her mind whirled too hard to concentrate. “Please—whatever you decide will be fine.”

He patted her hand, nodding as if he understood her dilemma. Her gaze returned to the room around them as he finished ordering. Everywhere she looked there was something to catch her interest and increase her arousal. At the table opposite them a couple kissed, long and slow, infinitely erotic as their tongues brushed together. An electric tingle struck deep inside as she spotted two wolves leaning against the wall, one covering the other as he nuzzled his partner’s neck. The dance floor was filled, body to body, all gyrating and pumping in a wild enthusiastic celebration of life.

It was terribly hot. Gem patted her napkin over her forehead and neckline. She drained her water glass, and still the heat rampaging through her system refused to cool.

She’d already decided this was one of the most unusual evenings she’d ever spent when the constant stream of, for lack of a better term, hussies parading past their table began. No less than a dozen women came over. Supposedly to welcome her, but it was clear enough after the second faked casual hello they were there to see if Gem was a challenge to their hopes to hitch up with the Alpha.

Even in her mind-fuddled state, she was shocked. Some women would go to any lengths for attention, but this kind of approach was far too blatant to be effective. Getting your way around the male of the species, human or wolf, took a little more finesse.

Evan appeared uncomfortable with the whole situation. When he managed to scatter the final of the convoy like the squawking crows they were, he tossed Gem a less-than-in-control grin.

“Sorry about that. Ignore them.”

“Do you get this much attention from women all the time?”

“Well…”

His bravado was back, his expression changing as she stared at him, and the kiss they’d shared returned in vivid detail. She flushed. “I mean, not that I don’t think you’re attractive. You are, very, but…”

The tension between them dissipated as they both laughed. Evan winked. “Why, thank you. But yeah, it’s part of the hardship of having a high-ranked position and no partner.”

Gem considered his dilemma. “What would they have done if we had turned out to be mates?”

He paused in the middle of lifting his glass to his mouth. “How good are you at arm-wrestling?”

She smiled. “Is that a northern euphemism for displays of power?”

Evan nodded.

Interesting. Back home they all knew their place. There was little movement up or down the ranks in the pack, and everything stayed very dignified and orderly. Getting asked to show how strong she was—that hadn’t happened in a long time.

She rested her fingers on the back of his hand. “Excuse me if I break any rules—this isn’t a common situation for me.”

His sexy grin flashed. “Trust me, darling, there’s not much you could do to surprise me.”

She shrugged. Wolf hierarchy games had never thrilled her. She opened the mystical part of herself and let a smidgen sneak out. Just a tiny bit, like she had back at the airport.

Well, that was the intention. Maybe she was more tired now, or the confusion of the strange scent had affected her ability to maintain control. This time her power didn’t sneak, it ripped through the pub like a low-level sonic boom. All faces whipped in their direction. A few wolves fell to their feet. Chairs tipped as bodies scrambled back, eyes wide with…fear?

Oops.

“I have no idea why—” Sheer embarrassment heated her face, again. It seemed she was going to spend her entire time in the Yukon either aroused or embarrassed. Or both.

Evan stared slack-jawed for a minute before breaking out into a deep, strong laugh that shook the room harder than her momentary loss of control. He rose to his feet, turning with his palms open, his confidence streaming out like a calming balm.

“Relax, it’s okay. Everything is fine.”

The pack members dipped their heads, then turned back to their activities, music resuming. The overall tone in the pub remained subdued for a few minutes, with an awful lot of questioning glances tossed their direction.

The receptionist from the front desk, Caroline, popped in the doorway and glared at Evan. She rolled her eyes before making her way to a table occupied by a human couple. Gem overheard her commenting to them about music systems and overload feedback.

Great. She’d made the Takhini pack have to do damage control around humans. She was toast. She was going to be sent home on the first plane south, without a chance to complete her research.

“I stand corrected. That was not what I expected.” Evan’s tone was light, but a tad more respectful than before. Maybe.

She struggled to apologize enough to make up for her blunder. “I’m so sorry. I had no intention of making a public display that loud.”

He shrugged. “I’ve always been told it was the quiet ones to watch for, and in your case, that’s true. You pack a pretty punch there, sweetheart. Not quite as powerful as me though…” Evan polished his fingernails against his shirt, before tossing her an outrageous wink.

Forgiven? That easily? “I’m not in trouble?”

He pushed her empty water glass away to make room for the arriving plates of food. “No. No trouble. And thank you—all the women who have been hounding us should give me a bit of a reprieve, at least until you’re out of town. They aren’t going to mess with you, darling. Just in case, you know.”

The rest of dinner passed in a blur. She didn’t taste a thing, couldn’t remember a word she said. When Gem finally closed the door on Evan’s grin she was more confused than the last time she’d been alone in her hotel room.

Only her years of training in etiquette had allowed her to sit and chat with the pulse of sexual desire firing through her veins. She turned and headed toward her suitcase, kicking off her shoes, stripping the confining sweater and skirt away. There were more than a few times she must have lost her concentration, if the amusement on Evan’s face was any indication.

She was getting very tired of people finding her entertaining.

The aching need swirling around her refused to diminish. It was as if a shimmering layer of an aphrodisiac lay over her skin, from her toes to the top of her head. Nothing had ever turned her on like she was now.

And, Lordy, the music. The pounding beat drove lust hard. She still heard it, and in a flash, there was nothing she wanted more than to have passion surround her. Push her farther down the road toward an urgent release. She clicked on the radio and fiddled with the knobs until she found a local station with a similar rhythm.

There was a mirror mounted over the dresser, and she caught a glimpse of herself. Her light pink bra and panty set shone like pale cotton candy against her dark skin. She pulsed her hips in time with the music, letting her hands drift above her head in imitation of one of the women on the dance floor.

Only that lucky lady had a man opposite her, someone to stare in admiration. A partner to caress her, draw their torsos close and grind their bodies together to let the heat between them escape. Gem had nothing but this frustrating sexual urge and no one to ride it with.

Like usual.

She cranked up the volume then slipped back into position before the mirror to resume her dance. Fine. If she was alone, that meant she could go for it. Swing her body to the beat and do whatever she wanted. And if Evan found her a solution in the morning for her troubles, that was wonderful, but in the meantime…

If she had to take matters into her own hands, she had a lot of experience with that as well.

The faint scent of laundry soap rose off the bedsheets, and Shaun nestled deeper in the covers to make himself a nest. Hmm, that almost, but not quite, feminine fragrance. Some of his happy thoughts faded.

Female? There was no female in his room. Sadness slammed into him like an earth slide.

He sniffed harder. Man, whatever they washed the linens in not only smelled good, it kinda…turned him on. A momentary confusion scrambled his brain—and the idea he might have had a wee bit too much to drink passed by, waving madly. He ignored the mental suggestion, stuck his tongue out at it, in fact.

He was a wolf, damn it. He could hold his liquor.

One mad grope gathered the covers into his arms, and he buried his face in them to breathe deeply. The interesting scent vanished, covered by the cloying after-burn of dusty dryer sheets.

Nope. Nada. He sat up, the crumpled bed linens forgotten as he found his feet. The fragrance wasn’t coming off the bed, the delicious aroma instead rolled along the covers, originating from somewhere else.

Shaun hauled himself off the mattress, the clock staring at him with red eyes complaining it was barely nine o’clock. He swung his head to peek out the window—pale light and not daylight bright. Okay, that meant evening, not morning, so he hadn’t snoozed the entire night away yet.

There had to be a source to that wonderful smell. He was tempted to shift to a wolf—his sniffer would be stronger in that form, but doors were a bugger to manipulate with paws. Instead he clung to the wall to help stop the slow roll of…well, himself…as he made his way back to the main door.

Evan was a twisted bastard. Shaun grinned. The moonshine began to fade from his system as his wolf metabolism kicked into gear, but the wicked aftertaste remained, and the pounding in his head let him know he was going to hurt like the blazes.

Yeah, his Alpha was a right asshole—which pleased Shaun like whoa. The dude was the first Alpha he’d been beholden to whom he really respected when it came down to it. Just because a wolf was powerful enough to be able to boss around the rest of a pack didn’t mean they had to lose their sense of humour like most of the tight-assed jerks who ran other territories.

Both hands slid onto a smooth surface, and Shaun halted. The connecting door to the next room was warm under his palms, a soft thump, thump, thump radiating from the opposite side. It took a little maneuvering to get the deadbolt undone, and he swung his door inward.

The second door, the one from the neighbouring room, remained closed, but the volume of the music and the amazing scent increased tenfold. Shaun soaked in the bouquet. Delicious and invigorating. Appetizing enough to chase away the brain-buster of a headache hovering nearby. One deep breath after another cleansed the fog from his brain and lit a direct path from his nostrils southward.

Whatever the hell was on the other side, he had to have a taste.

The music changed, slowing in pace. Shaun pressed his ear against the door and froze in surprise as the surface retreated from him. He glanced to the side and spotted a faint crack of light glowing back. Holy shit—the lock on the second door was open, and as the space widened, he was gob-smacked with more of the mouth-watering goodness.

Leaning on the doorframe, he pushed and let the door swing on silent hinges away from him. His eyes adjusted to the increasing light, focusing in a flash as a pair of shapely cocoa-brown hips barely covered by pale pink panties swished from side to side not ten feet from him.

Chapter Four

Shaun dug his fingers into the doorframe, using arm strength to keep his body vertical. Standing was a major issue in light of the reverberating shock waves rushing up his limbs. Every breath he took forced more of the incredible scent into his head and brain. His gaze remained trapped by the woman as she undulated before him, her head tilted to one side, her hands running over her skin. The long, lean line of her neck tempted him, the shimmer of the lamps highlighting her curves.

One pulsing beat after another, the music drove into his ears, his blood racing head to toe in powerful surges. And when she widened her stance and scooped upward with her palms, catching hold of her lace-covered breasts, Shaun wasn’t sure what could possibly calm the storm raging inside him.

Imagining that he was touching her would be a good start, him pinching her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. She hummed in time with the music just before the sound disappeared behind a scene of white noise, his hearing obliterated by the blood pounding out of his brain en route south to his groin. The lacy wisp of her bra floated to the floor, and he followed the frilly thing with his gaze, distracted for a second by the desire to pick it up and see if the lingerie was warm from her skin.

There had to be a reason for his entire body to be shaking with need. He glanced behind him into his room, his abandoned clothes untidy heaps barely visible in the darkness.

Was he still asleep? Shaun wiggled himself upright and pinched his thigh, snapping his mouth shut on the ouch he wanted to exclaim.

Nope. Awake.

A hallucination. That’s what this was. Damn fine one too, made even more incredible the moment she revealed those breasts. Perfectly formed, dark nipples already tightened to peaks. Shaun stared slack-jawed, frozen in admiration for the sheer angelic beauty before him. Or maybe this was heaven—that was the answer. Evan’s moonshine had given him a heart attack, and he was now entering the Pearly Gates. The cheap wooden doors weren’t expected—but then people everywhere were dealing with cutbacks, right? And who the heck cared what the gates were made of when the streets beyond were lined with visions like this one.

He stepped forward and took a deep breath. Angelic perfume flooded his brain and erased all thoughts except needing to see if his other senses were going to be treated to an incredible feast tonight.

Then the angel opened her eyes, and he stared into dark glistening obsidian pools. Right before she vanished.

Gem snapped her mouth shut, trapping the scream that threatened to burst free. It wasn’t turning to discover a man in her room—a naked man—that stunned her the most. The complete flip-flop her belly turned as her wolf sat up and howled in delight wasn’t enough to shock her into letting a girlish cry escape.

It was staring into the man’s eyes as all his humanity drained away. Watching as he transformed into the biggest, most enormous and bushiest black wolf she’d ever seen in her life, the beast immediately crashing to the floor between the wall and the bed.

She snatched up her shirt and held the fabric in front of her. Then the stupidity of attempting to cover herself when she had a much bigger issue at hand hit—there was a strange wolf at her feet and her own itching to come out and say hello. Being mostly naked was nothing compared to that.

Gem took one step, then another, slow and cautious until she reached the end of the bed. She nudged one furry paw with her toe. “Hello? Are you okay?”

No response.

She peeked into the space behind the now open door, figuring out the rooms were pretty much identical. He’d opened his side, and she must have left hers unlocked. With that mystery solved, she turned back to deal with the more difficult one of the furry beast sprawled on her floor.

Deep inside she felt it again—a nearly violent urge to change and let her wolf crawl all over his. The scent in the air had returned to intoxicating levels, even higher than she’d experienced earlier in the office with Evan.

Oh my. Oh no. Through the haze of lust coating her mind like a thick coastal fog, the only possible solution pulsed out a lighthouse-warning signal.

Her mate? For real this time?

A low rumble bounced off the wall, urgent growls and moans increasing as the wolf scrambled to his feet. Gem retreated instinctively before making a stand.

She was not going to freak out. One hand shot forward, palm upright.

“Freeze right there, mister.”

The wolf ignored her, pacing closer until he stood on top of her feet. Then he rubbed against her legs, bumping hard enough to force her to sit on the bed. The mattress swayed under her hips as he jumped up and joined her, the bulk of his wolf body dipping the surface.

He sniffed her cheek and sighed happily, the warmth of his breath hitting her squarely on the neck. Gem twisted to bring up one leg and face him better.

“You don’t take direction very well, do you?”

A wolfish grin, with a full flash of teeth greeted her just before he stuck out his tongue and licked her from jaw to hairline.

She giggled and grabbed him. All thoughts of how utterly enormous his wolf was compared to the other wolves she knew disappeared as she wrestled with him on the mattress. Instantly comfortable with this stranger in her room, she targeted all the prime wolf ticklish spots, laughing as he squirmed under her.

Then he rolled and shifted at the same time, and instead of the weight of a furry wolf pinning her to the bed, the full length of a very smooth-skinned, muscular and naked man held her captive. His black hair hung in unruly tangles around his head, beautiful dark brown eyes with simply enormous pupils filling their cores hovered inches over hers.

A squarish jaw. The smile she’d seen moments earlier on his wolf—the expression was still there, although his teeth were now human-shaped and even. His nose had a slight bump in the middle, broken at some point she suspected.

“Hello, love.”

His voice tickled inside her ears, drowning out the background music and sending an icy sensation down the length of her spine. She instinctively arched and hit the brick wall of his body. He held her immobile. His hips nestled tight to her groin, her breasts crushed to his chest.

The interest on his face flashed hotter.

Gem panted with need. She’d been turned on before, but now the scent in the air was an impossible-to-ignore aphrodisiac. “Hello. Are you…? I mean…are we…?”

He lowered his head and kissed the hollow of her neck. The icicles spread from her spine, threading in an intricate pattern over her skin. How could she be on fire and so cold at the same time?

“Are we what? Are we going to fuck?”

The dirty word was accompanied by a light nip to her throat, and Gem cried out. She thrust her hips forward, the rising heat between her legs meeting his erection. His very large erection.

Oh my goodness, they made everything about these northern wolves larger than in the south.

She tangled her fingers in his hair, reluctantly pulling his lips from where he’d been laying a trail of soft bites and lazy kisses.

“Stop. We need to stop for a moment. I don’t even know your name.”

He licked her bottom lip and moaned in approval. “Shaun Stevens. What’s yours, princess?”

Shaun. Nice name. Gem found herself having difficulty speaking as he’d resumed kissing her jaw and the tender spot right under her ear. “Gemmita Ellen…Louise May…oh my, that feels wonderful…Jacobs.”

He paused. Snorted lightly. “That’s a bit of a mouthful, love. You have a shorter handle?”

“Gem. My friends call me—oh!”

A sharp pain struck, smearing into a wave of pleasure. The dangling earlobe where he’d nipped her throbbed in time with the ache between her legs.

“Pretty. Gem. Almost as pretty as you.”

She smiled. Sweet-talking on top of the incredible rush of hormones dancing in her cells? This was going to be one extraordinary evening. A couple wiggles later, she was able to prop herself up on her elbows and stare at him. “Shaun?”

He twirled a fingertip around her right nipple as he rested on his other elbow, gaze fixed on hers. “Ah-huh?”

“Are we going to talk some more?”

Shaun leaned closer, his hand cupping the side of her breast, supporting her nipple skyward. He licked the tip. Once. Again.

“Later.”

He closed his mouth around her and sucked. Electric impulses sparkled through her system, nerves going off standby and into highly sensitized and ready-to-explode mode.

Maybe talking was overrated. She relaxed back onto the pillow, her wolf rumbling its content as she smoothed a hand over Shaun’s broad shoulders. His muscles shifted under her fingers as he played with her breasts, driving her with deliberate slowness to the brink of undeniable need.

All her earlier confusion faded. Making love with Shaun was right. Being with him was not only right, their meeting was the first thing in her life that had the potential to be perfect. Her mate, coming to claim her. She would claim him. Together, they’d be able to do anything.

All the stories of how much happiness there was found in having a partner were going to be true for her, starting this moment. Predestined mates might not be the human way, but her wolf inside basked in the attention, the total correctness of the situation.

Shaun licked her ribs. “I’ve dreamed about you.”

She shivered.

“I never imagined you’d show up today. And now I can’t stop touching you. Wanting you. Needing to bury myself in you.” He dropped his forehead to her belly and she squirmed.

“Keep going,” she begged.

Shaun looked her in the eye. “You’d have to kill me to make me stop.”

That made them even. She’d kill him if he stopped.

His wolf wasn’t far away—the beast was still visible in Shaun’s eyes, in the way he went rigid at moments, as if fighting for control. Gem let a touch of her power escape to soothe him.

For one second the mystical connection worked. He relaxed, eased back into her arms. Then it was as if a totally impenetrable wall rose between them. Shaun’s wolf vanished in that moment, and all that was left was the man who stared at her with extreme hunger in his eyes.

“It’s not the wolves’ turn, love. We’ll let them out to play later. Right now, it’s just you and me.”

He lowered himself between her legs and touched her intimately with his lips. A soft caress to the inside of her leg. Another at the top of her curls.

When he slipped a finger along her slit, she realized something important.

“Shaun, you haven’t kissed me yet. My lips, I mean—oh…”

One thick finger slid into her core as she spoke, and her question ended on a breathless sigh.

“Soon. Trust me.” Shaun stroked in deep, the heel of his palm rubbing the apex of her sex, his finger stretching her. “You’re very tight. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t.” Gem spoke with utter conviction. He was her mate. There was nothing a mate wanted more than to make their partner happy. Even as she wondered how they would be able to juggle their lives, and locations, her momentary concerns faded.

He was touching her. How could she concentrate on anything but enjoying this moment?

The steady thrust of his hand into her core notched the tingling up to overdrive as he made additional contact—his mouth. He tongued the aching nub at the apex of her mound, lapping and licking in unending sweeps until she couldn’t take it anymore. An orgasm ripped through her, shaking her, squeezing around the two fingers he’d carefully worked into her.

Gem pulled her knees farther to the side in expectation of him rising over her. He didn’t shift position, but he kept moving all right—that talented tongue of his. She gasped for air as he stroked gentler now, forcing her to accept his touch until stars floated before her eyes. Moisture pooled around his fingers, her body loosening and wanting more.

“That’s it, love. You’re beautiful. Really and truly. The way you taste—hmm.”

Shaun lapped again, sucking on her clit, and a long, slow pulse broke through. Gem quivered on the bed, wondering if she’d be able to walk when they were done. He hadn’t stopped, but he hadn’t given her what she needed yet.

She reached down and grabbed his hair, tugging harder as urgent desire rose. “Please. Take me, now. I need you inside.”

His laughter rang out, a low rumble of amusement. “I need you too. But my wolf said to go slow.”

Really stupid, bad idea. She tightened her grip and hauled him up to her level. She might be smaller than him, but she was still a wolf, and that made her strong enough to force even his bulk to change position.

“You said to leave our wolves out of this. If I want slow, I’ll tell you.”

There was a pause—only a second—as they stared into each other’s eyes. Then the world exploded as they both moved.

He hadn’t kissed her before. Now he consumed her, feasting at her mouth as if he was starving. She returned as good as he gave, nipping and licking, her tongue tangling with his. The exhilarating flavour of her mate burst onto her taste buds, adding to the richness of her pleasure.

They rolled together, the heat of his body pressed against her, the rigid length of his shaft nudging her thigh. Gem snuck down a hand and wrapped her fingers around him. Wide and solid and warm in all the right ways. She stroked in time with the thrusts of their tongues together, and he groaned into her mouth.

“Gem. Oh yeah, like that. Harder. Fuck—”

A shiver at the naughty word made her tighten her grip, and he threw back his head with a loud shout. She froze, fearful she’d hurt him, until reassured by his continuing enthusiastic thrusts forward.

Shaun broke free, brought her on top, clasping her so hard her muscles protested. She couldn’t complain, not when he rearranged her and began a rocking motion, grinding against her ready sex.

“Now, please, please, please…” Gem tilted her hips, attempting to line them up properly. He refused to let go, maintaining the steady torment, driving her back up to the pinnacle. Each brush of his erection priming her body.

She pressed on his chest as she lifted her torso to vertical, catching his gaze. Her movement caused the tip of his shaft to slip through her folds. They hung together motionless—the place between worlds. Now they were two individuals—one step away from joining their lives forever.

The only sound was the song on the radio. Soulful, yearning.

He smiled up at her as he stroked her jaw with the back of his finger. “My mate.”

My. Mine. The word thrilled her and scared her silly. Predestiny was the norm amongst wolves, but no one had told her how heart-stoppingly fragile facing this moment would make her feel.

One heartbeat passed.

Another.

Gem moved forward, Shaun thrust up, and the two of them connected forcibly. Mating heat danced around them like an exotic pied piper.

Instantly, she froze. The width of his erection stretched her, changed the ache of need into something midway between pleasure and pain. Similar to the nips and the bites he’d given, and she wasn’t sure if she could survive if tonight got any better.

“Oh, Shaun.” She leaned forward to kiss him. He lifted his head eagerly to allow his mouth to meet hers. The controlling grip on her hips loosened as he stroked her gently, fingertips soothing her. He tasted wild. There was raw energy in his kiss, the hint of a sweet aftertaste that made her smile against his lips.

The measured exploration of his hands continued as he slipped them farther up her torso to cup her breasts. Pulling in a breath of air from his mouth seemed the only way to get any oxygen. His palms were hot against her skin, the tender touch helping her relax. Slow smooth circles, teasing flicks over her nipples. The distraction on her breasts let her almost forget there was an extremely large section of his body currently in residence inside her.

Almost, but not possible.

Any pain she’d experienced was gone, replaced with the urgent desire to use him like a pogo stick. Gem tightened her thighs, lifted herself and moaned at how incredible it felt, the consuming rub that started deep and rose to the sensitive edge of her sex in line with the crown of his shaft.

“Sweet Gem. That’s so good.” Shaun’s head thumped back on the pillow, his one arm thrown over his eyes, the other hand caressing her body. “I’m dying. I’m really and truly dying.”

She rode him another time, the smooth stroke sparking energies inside her that wanted to break free. “You’d better not die. Other than your name, Shaun Stevens, I don’t know anything about you.”

His arm fell away, and the brilliant white of his smile hit her full force as she drove herself down harder. “I’m a wolf, you’re a wolf. We’re mates. That’s all we need to know.”

Mates. Another plunge. Mates. Together. This was really happening.

“She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

Gem froze—sex forgotten. Well, kind of forgotten. It was difficult to completely ignore the fully erect penis in her passage, and that all manner of incredible hormonal things were happening because of that fact. And when Shaun took over and lifted his hips, increasing the pace between them again, Gem was the one to moan her approval in spite of having something to say.

“I heard you…in my head… Oh, Shaun…”

He didn’t acknowledge her, the sheer bliss on his face enough to make her put the discussion aside and come back to what she was doing.

What they were doing.

Shaun smoothed his hands up her thighs, dipping his fingers between her legs to find the sensitive tip of her clitoris. He rubbed, and that was game over. Like pressing an ignition switch, the explosion was immediate and full body. Waves crashed upward, skimming her skin like a flash fire. Gem cried out and savoured the sensation.

Then he rolled her again, rising over her and taking total control. Thrusting into her, forcefully, madly. Each piston of his hips pressed her back to the bed. Gem wrapped her legs around him and canted her pelvis, a little scream escaping as he went deeper on the next motion. The climax that had started earlier went on and on, peaking higher and higher on each breath like consecutive firework bursts, each one more spectacular than the one before.

“Holy hell, Gem.” Shaun slammed in once more and stilled. She felt every jerk intimately. Each hard pulse within her as her sheath squeezed him tight, wringing another cry from his lips.

Shaun lowered himself to lie skin to skin on top of her. The slow weight increase made her smile, a tender moment of complete satisfaction and delight all tangled up in the sated sexual bliss cocooning her body.

She had a mate. Incredible. Not just the sex, although that had been fairly spectacular to start with, but the realization she now had someone else in her life to love and care for. Gem traced her fingers over his back, the heat of having him close so right and proper.

A soft kiss landed on her lips, then he nuzzled her cheek. He dropped his full weight beside her and rolled them just enough that when he snored a moment later, Gem giggled then curled up tight to his side, joining him in sleep.

Chapter Five

Caroline parked in her usual slot, right next to Evan’s shiny red Hummer. She wasn’t scheduled to work today, but this would be one of her only chances to catch the Alpha alone. The morning sunshine seemed to taunt her as she pulled her courage in and forced herself out the door toward the entrance to his suite.

Even knowing Evan Stone wasn’t likely to hurt her, butterflies of fear still insisted on tangoing in her belly. What she was about to propose was extremely unusual—she knew that—but desperate measures were occasionally needed.

She squared her shoulders and knocked.

His footsteps sounded on the hardwood floor, and she pictured his approach with ease. She was the one who’d arranged for the renovations to the suite after he took over from their old Alpha. He was turning the corner, just about there…

“Caroline?” Evan opened the door and she caught an eyeful of rather spectacular masculinity. The jeans covering his lower body were nice, but it was the wolf genes he wore up top that made her libido jolt—his naked chest was oh-so-distracting.

It took a lot of self-control to concentrate enough to offer a smile. “Hey.”

He looked her up and down slowly. Glanced over her shoulder. “Something wrong at the hotel I need to know about?”

She shook her head. “No, nothing. Everything’s fine. I mean, things were fine when I left last night, and I didn’t stop in yet this morning. I’m not on shift until tomorrow, to be honest, but I’m sure everything is going great.”

Evan waited. Caroline bit her lip. She’d been rambling. That wasn’t good. Wolves didn’t like rambling. Straightforward, no nonsense. That had been her plan, but she always turned into a babbling fool when she got nervous.

Nervous. Shit—he could probably smell her anxiety. Damn wolf senses.

He stepped back, gesturing her forward. “You want to come in.”

She was past him before she realized what he’d said. Caroline twirled to spot him sporting an ear-to-ear grin. “You already know why I’m here.”

Evan closed the door behind them and laughed. “Caro, trust me. Of all the surprises thrown my way since becoming Alpha for the Takhini pack, you are the most interesting.”

She followed him into the kitchen where she took a deep appreciative breath of the scent of coffee filling the room. Without thinking, she grabbed the coffeepot and two mugs, and prepped them both drinks. “What makes you say that?”

Evan tilted his head toward her. “Honey, you’re the only human I know who would knock on my door at six a.m., walk in and make herself at home.”

She paused. “Oh. Sorry.”

He gestured for her to carry on. “I don’t mind. Come on, let me know what’s got you in such a tizzy this early.”

She finished her task, passing him his mug. He’d found a T-shirt while she’d been working, and had covered up.

Damn it anyway.

The main living space was decorated with dark cushions scattered on thick log furniture. She’d had a blast putting the place together for him. The extra-wide windows faced the Yukon River, the curve to the left leading to the dry-docked SS Klondike. Only a few remaining pieces of ice clung to the edges of the river, and spring was well on its way.

Caroline turned from the view and grabbed a seat in one of the single chairs. Straight out with it—after all those years around her stepfather, you’d think she had this talking-to-wolves business down pat. “I have a proposition.”

He sprawled on the couch, a contented smile breaking across his face as he took a large gulp of his coffee. “God, that is so good. How do you consistently make a perfect cup? Half the time my coffee tastes like dirt.”

“You pour to the dregs and get all the excess grounds. You need to stop and leave a little in the pot.” She watched his throat as he swallowed. “I want to move in with you.”

Evan jolted upright, choking on his mouthful. She sat patiently, waiting until he calmed down. Except, every time he looked her direction, the coughing began again until she got pissed off. Placing her mug on the table, she stood, fists landing on her hips. “Fine. You don’t have to spell it out. That’s a no.”

Before she’d reached the door he was there, blocking her path, his breathing still shaky. “You want to back this train up a few stations? I’m not saying no. I’m not saying yes. I’m saying what the hell kind of question is that?”

Caroline stared at the wall. “Was that too blunt? Johnny always told me to simply spit it out, that wolves liked the straightforward approach.”

“Johnny. That’s your stepdad, right?”

She nodded.

Evan wrapped an arm around her shoulder and led her back to the living room, sitting next to her. This time he handed over her cup, motioning for her to drink. “Go on. Take a sip. We’re not going anywhere until we get this figured out.”

Caffeine was an utter necessity at this point, to get through the rest of the conversation. Evan reached past her and nabbed his own mug, his thigh pressing tight to hers. There was no way to hide her instant physical response, but she knew from their history he would simply ignore the way she heated up whenever he was near.

He was used to it, and frankly, she planned on making the undeniable attraction work in both their favours. She wasn’t in love with him. Had no ideas of forever and all that kind of thing where Evan was concerned. The fact her secret agenda would be served nicely by getting a taste or five of his wolfish charms was a bonus in the scheme.

Guilt-free offers that helped both sides were always the best way to go.

They sat quietly and drank for a moment before Caroline deemed herself ready to try again. She placed her cup down and laughed when he copied her.

“Sorry, protective measures.” Evan turned to face her. “Now. Seriously. Are you getting kicked out of your apartment and need a place to crash for a while?”

“No. I need to move in to stop the local women from tearing the town apart trying to get your attention.”

His brow rose in the air. “You want to shack up for my sake?”

She nodded.

“But…you’re not a wolf.”

“I know. So you don’t have to worry that I’m trying to do what all those other females are doing. Trying to get ahead in the wolf priority list.”

Evan looked confused. “But you’re not a wolf.”

“Don’t be stupid. I know that. Trust me, I got reminded of that often over the years by the rest of the pack every time they came around the house. Johnny was strong enough to fend them off until I learned to deal with them myself.”

He leaned back and crossed his arms, Mr. Sexy in full view. “Well, sweetie, Johnny may have been right about shooting straight with wolves, but there are a few special circumstances when it’s perfectly fine to explain yourself. In complete and utter detail.”

“When would that be?”

Evan tweaked her nose. “When I can’t understand what the hell you’re proposing. I mean, I got the ‘you move in with me’ bit, but how will it help me having a human in my house?”

Caroline sighed. “The power plays are a constant thing, Evan. Add in the fact you’re single, a looker, and a touch on the wild side, the ladies of the pack without boyfriends, and some with, are always trying to hit on you.”

“I noticed. Why is that a problem for anyone but me?”

She pulled a face. “Okay. Take last night. I’m going to assume whatever happened in the bar was somehow related to the woowoo thing you guys do.”

His grin got wider. “Woowoo. Nicely put. Is that the scientific word, or something we’re still trying on for size?”

She ignored him. It was the only way to make this conversation go anywhere before she needed to drag in reinforcements.

“In the old days I had to come up with logical explanations for weird wolf shit happening around the hotel and bar maybe once or twice a month. And nine times out of ten the incidents were caused by visitors to the area—the usual gangly teens not able to control a shift, or thinking it would be hysterical to go for a swim in the pool in their wolf forms.” Evan snickered, and she smacked him on the arm. “Laugh it up, big boy, but after a while trying to cover your asses and keep the shifters undercover is a royal pain. I like my job, and I like the pack. I don’t like being your nursemaid.”

“Sorry.” He looked contrite enough, but his smile didn’t diminish. “I was remembering the story they told me about you announcing there was a meeting for the Iditarod and some of the teams had gotten loose. That’s why crowds of ‘dogs’ were swarming the halls.”

Caroline sniffed. “That was one of my better moments of inspiration.”

She stood and carried their empty cups to the kitchen, rinsing them and putting them in the dishwasher. When she stood, Evan was right there at her side.

“You didn’t finish your explanation.”

She leaned back on the island. “Think about it. Since you took over as Alpha, there have been more and more incidents. It’s not once in a while anymore, it’s weekly, if not daily. And the troubles are always related to a female panting over you in some shape or form. I realize jostling for position is normal for wolves, but it’s a pain in the ass. As a human, I have no designs on your pack or being something big shot in the hierarchy. But with my background, I know enough about wolves to hold my own and keep the bitches off your back. At least until you tell me you’ve found someone you’re interested in—I won’t get pissed off if you announce it’s over. I understand the whole mate thing.”

Evan nodded slowly. “Makes sense. I’ll think about your offer.”

Caroline couldn’t stop the little thrill of excitement that hit. “I can wait. Just try to decide before I have to explain a wolf fight in the front lobby, okay?”

He stretched and yawned. “Well, since we’re both awake, you want to help me take a load to the recycle station?”

Hmm. No. “On my day off?”

“Who knows, there might be crowds of women waiting to leap out of the blue boxes and besmirch my virtue.”

They both laughed, comfortable together in spite of her out-of-the-blue suggestion, and she could only cross her fingers and hope for the best.

There was a small headache crouched behind him, waiting to pounce. Shaun opened his eyes slowly, fearful of what he was about to discover. The last time he’d been this groggy when he woke, there had been hijacking, Russian fishing vessels and anvils involved. The ceiling looked unthreatening, but he didn’t do anything stupid like move too fast. He never knew when a billowing black cloud would leap out and burst into a neon lightshow that would force him to squint in pain.

He hated these kinds of mornings, but had to admit they were fairly entertaining.

A soft purr of contentment sounded on his right, and he jerked. Then he cursed silently as the jerk triggered explosions that ricocheted through his brainpan.

He took his time and went for a slow roll. He only made it part way over. His legs were trapped, his hips tight against something warm and soft. Shaun leaned on one elbow to stare down at a one-hundred-percent, honest-to-God beauty-pageant winner.

She had the most incredible eyelashes. He wasn’t used to spotting facial features first on a woman. Usually, it was her breasts or her legs he keyed in on. Being an equal-opportunity admirer of the female body, he hated to have a favourite part.

But this woman? Her lashes were like little furry caterpillars. Only—attractive caterpillars. He was tempted to touch one to see if it would crawl away, but he didn’t want to wake her. She must be awfully tired after last night.

Whatever it was they’d done.

He had to assume that since they were in bed, naked—he checked—yup, naked—there had been some major mattress shaking going on. He really wished he could remember, because the sex must have been spectacular.

Shaun lay back and took a few deep breaths. Strangely, that didn’t have the result he was looking for. His goal had been to relax and close his eyes until Miss Universe woke up and they could have a second, or third, round of whatever they had enjoyed before.

Nope, relaxing was out the window as soon as his brain registered what his nose said. It wasn’t just how incredible her scent was, but the fact she smelled like him. He matched her, they were all mixed up and—holy crap.

“Oh my God, you’re my mate.” Shaun was up on his elbow again in an instant, staring at her. He racked his brains. Yesterday—fighting with bears, drinking with Evan, crashing at the hotel—he got that far. When the hell did find your mate and fuck her silly slip into the equation?

He wasn’t sure if he should scream in joy or horror. He was so screwed.

She wiggled, brushing his side, and a shiver started where she made contact, the sensation racing all around his groin.

Think. Think. Shaun had to remember before she woke up, because he was sure there was something in the female-wolf manual about permission to castrate your partner for forgetting your first time together. He’d forgotten a girlfriend’s birthday once. It was kind of guaranteed that this would be an even bigger screw-up.

Maybe if he had a scorching hot shower. Or another couple stiff drinks. Shaun scrunched himself as small as possible before peeling backwards off the mattress with the same care he would use in disassembling a bomb. If he knew how to do such a thing.

One foot contacted the floor. The other. He used his hands to force his body upright, pleased to find he had no trouble staying vertical. She hadn’t moved, the long strands of her hair wreathed around her head like a fluffy black cloud.

He liked how she looked, all soft and warm. Which was fabulous, since they were mates, but enjoying the visual feast laid out before him didn’t answer a few vital questions.

A sudden mental itch stopped him in his tracks, and he tiptoed back to double-check if there was a bite mark on her anywhere. They hadn’t bothered to crawl under the covers, the heat from their shifter bodies enough to keep them warm. That left every succulent inch of her exposed, and Shaun was suddenly curious about more than discovering if he’d already marked her.

Her smooth, chocolate-brown skin was unmarred by bruises, or any bite marks. The long elegant line of her neck revealed bare flawless flesh.

Why hadn’t he marked her? He wanted a mate. Even staring at her now his interest in getting to know her all over again rose.

What was the better choice? Escape now and have a mature discussion once she woke wherein he would grovel and beg for forgiveness, or should he try to fake his way through, at least for a while?

He’d hate to be in the doghouse before he’d even had sex. Well, sex he could remember.

A low beeping noise sounded and Shaun scrambled back, searching for the source before the clatter woke his mystery mate.

Lying on the dresser was a slim cell phone, and he picked it up in time for the ringing to stop and a message to flash onto the screen. Gemmita, call me.

“Shaun?”

He spun, tucking his hands behind him. Shaun coughed lightly to cover the sound of the phone hitting the wooden surface of the dresser as he dropped it. His dark beauty had woken, curling those spectacular legs in as she sat up. She did naked very well.

Gem.

Relief flooded him. Okay, that was one thing back in the right spot in his memory banks. She’d asked him to call her Gem.

“Hey.” He glanced around for a moment, looking for more clues.

She blinked. “You okay?”

“Sure. Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” Shaun leaned back casually on the dresser.

One of her perfectly arched brows rose. Then she smiled and patted the mattress beside her. “We should have that talk we didn’t have last night.”

What? He greeted her words like a small miracle. Shaun sauntered forward. Casually. That was going to be his catchword for the next however the hell long.

“Gem.”

Her smile lit up, and when he sat next to her she snuggled in tight and lifted her lips to be kissed.

Shaun paused. What a strange situation. They’d already had sex, and here, this was what he would consider their first kiss. He took a deep breath, appreciating the way her scent made tiny alarms go off all over his body. Then he brushed their mouths together. Soft. Tender.

She gave a happy sigh, caressing his cheek gently a second before threading her fingers in his hair and pressing harder against him. Her mouth was open, her tongue darting out to tease his lips.

Her name was Gem, she was his mate, and she was delicious. Did he really need to know more?

It took a great deal of strength to pull away when what he wanted was to crawl over her and make love all morning. Maybe all day. Heck, he didn’t have any true commitments until three days from now when he had a private booking.

“Shit.” He’d be gone for a couple weeks at the least. Shaun smiled to reassure her, a puzzled expression crossing her face at his exclamation. “Yeah, we need to talk, because…oh man, there’s a lot we need to figure out.”

Gem wiggled back on the bed, and he swallowed hard. She sat perfectly straight, which meant her breasts were now staring him in… Well, he was staring at them.

Wolves might be okay with naked, but this was his mate, and he was freaking a little he wanted her so much. He stood and examined the room.

“What are you looking for?”

Shaun paced toward the bathroom. “Clothes, towels, the bed sheets. Something to cover you.”

Gem laughed. “Am I that ugly?”

The connecting door to the next room was open, sunlight streaking across the floor to spotlight rather messy piles of abandoned clothing. He recognized one article and scooped it up, turning to toss his shirt to her. “Trust me, love. If you want to talk, I can’t have you naked or the only talking will be our bodies.”

“Then you’d better find something to wear, so I don’t become overwhelmed with lust as well.” She winked before turning to examine the shirt he’d tossed her. An adorable little frown appeared on her face as she wrinkled her nose and sniffed. Gem left his shirt on the bed as she headed to her suitcase and took out a long shimmery…thing. Shaun watched in fascination as she pulled it on, the floor-length garment wrapping her trim body in meters of mouthwateringly see-through fabric.

“I don’t know if that’s going to help the situation.”

She sat in the corner chair, legs crossed at the ankle. The swath of layers around her hid enough his brain functioned. He stepped into his room and scrambled until he had managed to turn his jeans right side out and tug them on sans underwear, since that article of clothing seemed to have vanished altogether.

If they hadn’t talked last night, maybe he wasn’t as far up shit creek as he’d supposed. A moment’s unease snuck in. While it was fairly normal for strangers to discover they were mates, he had never imagined the logistics of what having it happen to him would mean. Saying there was a lot for them to discuss was an understatement of massive proportions.

Shaun took a deep breath and hoped like hell whatever good karma he’d earned in his life to this point would somehow descend right about now.

He marched back into her room feeling somewhere between being ushered into paradise and being offered a long walk off a short plank.

Chapter Six

Gem was sore in all the right places. The only thing that made her sad was the lack of a warm body snuggled against her. She’d been looking forward to waking in Shaun’s arms and seeing what other mischief they could get up to. While she didn’t have a ton of experience, sex with a mate was much better than anything she’d experienced before—she had so many things she wanted to try with him.

Shaun returned to her room and nabbed his shirt off the bed, snapping the wrinkled garment a few times before tugging it on and flopping down opposite her. Even rumpled and a total mess, he was all kinds of sexy. She imagined he’d look more impressive yet in a silk shirt. A pale blue would be spectacular against his skin.

“You come here often?” His delicious voice stroked her, and there was that smile again. The one that made her heart rate double.

She shook her head as she laughed. “My first trip north. You?”

Shaun rearranged the pillows against the headboard and leaned into them. “Born and bred in the Yukon. My family has been a part of the Takhini pack for generations. We have stories dating back to the gold rush. Of course, none of us hit it rich, but we did okay.”

“Do you work for the pack?” She could already hear the questions her father would ask, so she’d better get those out of the way first.

“Nope—well, lately I’ve been giving Evan a hand and doing the bouncer thing in the bar, just to keep out of trouble.” He paused and made a funny face.

A bouncer. Gem kept her smile firmly in place. Well, at least his position wasn’t something that would lock him in the north. He could get a job in one of the local bars.

Or they could buy a bar for him if he wanted. There were many possibilities to consider.

Gem pulled her legs up and hugged them tight. “I’m not employed right now. Once I finish my degree, I hope to get a position with one of the family companies. Maybe working in environmental research for green products and controlling the impact of industry. It’s a fascinating field.”

“But you’re here for the summer?” he asked.

“I’m here for a few weeks, yes.”

Shaun frowned. He opened his mouth and paused. When he did speak, it was obvious he’d changed tangent.

“Anyway, I own an aviation company with a friend. Tad does less flying and more of the bookings these days because he’s got a young family, and he’s pretty busy with all his pack work. We’ve hired an additional pilot to help pick up the slack, and I do all the helicopter flights. We contract out to an adventure company called Maximum Exposure.”

“You fly…” Gem adjusted her image of him as a red-necked, untrained brute, just a second before it hit her. “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.”

“Right. You’ve heard of our company? That’s cool.”

“I’ve hired you.”

Shaun sat upright. “The caribou trip? You? You’re the insane scientist who wants to go into the bush for two weeks?”

“Insane?”

Shaun snorted. “Sorry, not you personally. It’s just that almost every occasion in the past that we’ve had a southerner book flights into the backcountry, things have gone nutso. Statistically, you’re a walking time bomb.”

She wasn’t sure when she’d crossed her arms in front of her, sitting even straighter than usual. His comments were not what she’d expected, not in terms of the trip or their relationship.

“I’ve contracted a perfectly acceptable research project, with all the background information completed. I simply need to gather the final hard data and report my findings.”

His expression of disbelief hadn’t budged. “You want to go chase caribou?”

“Yes.”

“You.”

The heat in the room kept rising, but no longer because she wanted to jump him. “Me. To complete a project for my undergrad studies.”

“But you? Love, show me your hands.”

She tugged them from under her robe and snapped them in his face. He took one and rested it in his palm. Like a knight of old, he kissed her.

Gem huffed. “This isn’t the end of our discussion.”

He shook his head, but didn’t take his eyes off her fingers. He stroked them, long draws with his hand, his thumb on one side, the other four fingers rubbing and massaging. “So soft.”

Shaun rotated her palm upward and touched his lips to the pulse point on her wrist. The echo of lust-filled pleasure from the previous night reverberated through her body. “Stop. Please.”

Another kiss. “You don’t want to go into the bush. These beautiful hands aren’t the kind to handle the work.”

Her rising passion was doused by a bucket of all-too-familiar discouragement. She yanked her hand free and rose to her feet.

“I am very capable of whatever it takes to complete this assignment. I’ll have you know I practiced everything I needed for the wilderness part of the excursion.” Gem stomped to the dresser, head held high. Of course, bare feet on carpet meant her heaviest treads didn’t make much of an impact.

“Practiced? What did you practice? Getting lost in the scrub brush? Making a cat hole?” Shaun turned to follow her, his handsome face highlighted by a huge smile.

If he laughed, her response would involve pain on his part. She was so so sick of not being taken seriously, even if she had no idea what he was talking about.

What in the world had she done? Going off on such a wild hair and diving into bed with him before they had a chance to talk—all her lovely morning-after thoughts were well and truly trampled underfoot.

“Shaun, we’ve kind of gotten off topic. Maybe we should stick to background information for a bit longer, and we can worry about our work later.”

He nodded slowly. “Right. Okay. Well, I’m the youngest of two kids. My sister mated a fellow a couple years ago, and they live in Fairbanks, Alaska. My mom and dad are part of the Takhini pack, but they aren’t back from Florida yet.”

“Florida?” That was her backyard. Almost. “Oh, right. Snowbirds?”

Shaun laughed. “Yeah, only they found a 55-plus community that’s on the edge of a natural reserve, and the place is shifter-friendly. Most of the residents are either wolves or foxes, and once a week instead of bingo, they have tracking contests.”

“We have mainly shifters on the grounds as well. Actually, all shifters. I didn’t meet my first human until I was ten.”

Shaun lost a bit of his smile. “Where do you live that you didn’t meet a full human until you were that old? That’s insane.”

There was that word again. Gem chose to ignore the rude remark this time. “Our house is in southeastern Georgia close to Savannah. The estate borders a river and some woods, and there’s a small community of residences around the perimeter. That’s where most of the estate workers live.”

“School? Didn’t you go to a local school?”

Gem stared at him. “Of course I did. I just told you there was a community next to the estate. I went to grade and middle school there before attending a private school for upper grades.”

“It’s like you’ve been in a little shifter bubble your entire life. What about now? You said you’re doing research for an undergrad degree. Which university? You’ve got to be attending campus somewhere.”

A hint of embarrassment rose. “Well…no. I’m registered at Savannah, but most of my classes have been tutorials or home study. There’s a full lab on the estate, and my classmates join me there for projects.”

At the expression of absolute horror on his face, she crossed her arms in defense.

He shook his head in wonder. “Incredible. I didn’t know this kind of situation existed.”

“It’s perfectly acceptable.”

“You haven’t been living in the real world.” Shaun leaned closer, his gaze narrowing. “Hang on. Your classmates come to the estate? The prof as well?”

She nodded.

“What the hell kind of kickbacks does that take to arrange?”

Kickbacks? “What are you talking about? Daddy simply asked and they come. There was never any trouble. I always had tutors visit the house when I needed them.”

“Wolves, right?”

“Usually.”

“Because associating with humans was beneath you?”

Gem laughed. “Of course not. It was a safety issue. Do you know any US history? The natural lupine population was eradicated from Georgia during the 1960s. To this day residents can shoot wolves on sight without a permit.”

His eyes widened in horror. “Holy shit. Really?”

Her amusement faded rapidly. “It isn’t a great setting for a non-stable teen shifter to be out in public, which is why I assume my family organized private studies in the first place.”

“And you still live there? I’d have thought all the shifters would have gotten the hell out.”

“The estate has been our family’s home for generations, and we don’t want to abandon our heritage. We’ve adapted. Only it means that Daddy is more protective than I’d like. That’s part of the reason I decided to do this trip. Spread my wings a little, and show that I’m capable.”

Shaun fell silent. He strode to the window and threw open the curtains. Bright sunshine flooded the room. Gem caught herself fidgeting with her robe and deliberately folded her hands together, standing in a position that said relaxed, even though she was far from it.

The addictive sensation of his touch hadn’t faded. The incredible awareness of having him inside her lingered, intimate and demanding. While the physical need to jump him remained, she wasn’t at all happy with the way their conversation had progressed.

Shaun rotated, backlit by the sunshine. “What’s your name?”

“I told you—”

“I can’t remember your last name.” He snapped the words.

She lifted her chin. “Jacobs.”

His response was not what she expected. He buried his face in his hands for a second. “Holy fucking hell.”

This time it wasn’t a thrill of excitement that hit upon hearing his curse. “Shaun! Such language.”

He gaped at her. “You’re a Jacobs? Like the southern multibillionaire Jacobs who owes half the land in Georgia and—”

“That’s not true.”

Shaun collapsed back onto the foot of the bed. “Oh, sorry. Slight exaggeration on my part. Only a quarter of the state. You’re a fucking heiress.”

“Shaun. Enough swearing.” She pulled herself upright with as much poise as possible, years of experience of dealing with dignitaries helping her deal with her mate. “There’s no need for you to be vulgar. Yes, I’m a Jacobs, and we own a few properties and such. When we go back home, you can discuss with Daddy what part of the family business most interests you. With your background in aviation, you might like to take over one of the airlines at some point.”

Gem trailed off. The expression on his face had shifted from disbelief to disgust.

“You expect me to move to Georgia?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t you? We’re mates.”

Shaun rose and stepped against her body. The desire to wrap herself around him was instant and strong, but she kept her hands in place, fingers gripped together tightly. He stared down, one finger stroking her cheek. He took a slow breath, as if calming himself. “Yes, we’re mates. That means you can come and live with me. That’s how this works. My sister met her mate, then she moved to be with him.”

“And sometimes it works the other way. It makes more sense—”

He grabbed the back of her neck, his hand warm and gentle on her skin even as his words cut and stabbed. “I’m sorry, there’s nothing that makes sense to me about abandoning my business, my life and my friends to go become a pampered boy toy for the Rockefellers of the wolf world. Not to mention moving somewhere I could be shot on sight—forget that shit.”

“But I’m supposed to give up everything to come live with you?”

“It’s where you belong.” Shaun brushed his thumb over her cheek as he spoke.

Disappointment, deep and heartfelt slammed into her. Her mate was as controlling as her father, and frankly, she’d had more than enough of being a docile little lamb.

She wasn’t about to give up the independence she’d worked so hard for over the past year. Maybe she appeared soft and fragile, but golly gee, she hadn’t spent all that time training and learning to stand on her own just to toss it away to mate with a footloose drifter.

She caught his hand in hers, stilling the caress that was simultaneously making her body tremble and her heart break. “Then it’s a good thing we didn’t mark each other, isn’t it? Because until we come to an agreement about how to deal with this situation, there will be no marking, understand?”

Gem slipped under his hand and snatched up her clothes, ignoring his protests as she stepped into the bathroom and firmly closed the door on his face.

Shaun spun his spoon between his fingers. Played with his coffee cup. Leaned back in his chair and rocked it precariously on two feet. He’d dressed and paced the room until Gem had basically ordered him to wait in the restaurant for her. It was either follow directions or break down the bathroom door, which she’d locked on him, and since he didn’t think Evan would appreciate him smashing up the hotel, he’d taken his reluctant carcass away and left his mate alone.

As he sat pondering his future, he didn’t know if he should run and hide, or go buy flowers.

“Careful. You break the chair, Evan will charge you to replace it. At least he always charges me.”

A familiar teasing grin poked into Shaun’s line of vision, and he caught himself a split second before tipping over onto his ass.

“TJ, what’re you doing here?”

The lanky young man grabbed the chair next to him, pivoted it to face backwards, and sat, straddling the seat. “Pam’s coming home today for a two-week stint. I’m picking her up at the airport, then we’re doing the four-hour drive back to Haines. Granite Lake pack is holding a celebratory…”

He sniffed the air, and his eyes grew wide.

Oh shit. TJ had the best nose in the north. Shaun figured Gem’s scent was all over him, and not only as a female he’d spent the night with for a bit of slap and tickle. He held up a hand. “I don’t want to hear it.”

As usual TJ ignored him. “Holy cow. Do I smell what I think I smell?”

“Shut it.” Just what he didn’t need. Love advice from someone nearly ten years his junior who until last year was best known for causing natural disasters everywhere he went. Didn’t matter that he and TJ belonged to different packs, there was enough history between them Shaun should have been eager to share his news, but no. Fucking. Way.

His friend paused for a moment then shrugged. “Okay.”

TJ motioned for the waitress, and she zipped over to pour him a coffee and top up Shaun’s.

It was the coward’s path. Shaun took an extra long time adding sugar and cream to his cup in an attempt to avoid having to talk. To justify why he was sitting here by himself when it would be clear to any wolf in the area that he had just found his mate.

The urge to blurt out something—to explain away what he didn’t really understand himself—was so strong Shaun had to bite his lips.

For once, TJ seemed to take the hint and drop the subject.

“You heading to the hangar in Haines Junction soon? Tad had me go get the aircraft ready for the summer season.” TJ grimaced. “The float plane was easy, but I don’t know what the hell you left in the chopper the last time you flew her. There were like a million mice nesting in there.”

“Sorry.”

“You’re worse than the pack kids. You know, when I dropped in at Tad and Missy’s last week I nearly broke my neck, and it wasn’t me being a klutz. Those kids have enough Lego to build a causeway to Russia. Plus, with the balls and stuffed shit there are times I think…”

Shaun pinched the bridge of his nose. Having TJ not ask about his mate was worse than having the discussion.

He gave up and scowled at the younger wolf. “Met her last night.”

TJ thumped rapidly on the chair back in front of him to produce a drum roll. “Now we’re getting somewhere. You work fast.”

Damn wolf genes. “It wasn’t my idea.”

TJ gave him the look. “Believe me, I know about having choices taken out of your hands. You’re a wolf, mating is never completely your decision.” He glanced around before warning, “Just a heads-up. That excuse, it wasn’t my idea? Like totally gets my ass kicked when I try to use it.”

That was old news. Shaun had never let others get away with that wimpy whine before either, but he still fought the urge to groan. “She’s not from around here.”

TJ whistled, soft and low. “Hmm, that sucks. But, Shaun, while I bet the whole situation looks pretty impossible? Anything is doable. Pam’s south for months at a time as she waits for her transfer to come through. And since having me move to Vancouver with her and bag groceries or pump gas is stupid when I’m needed up here… Yeah, the living-apart thing isn’t fun, but for now it’s the only solution.”

Explaining to TJ what exactly about his mate made his skin itch when he didn’t really know himself made this conversation impossible. “Well, let’s just say we’re working on figuring things out. By the way, you want to pass on a couple of messages to your brother and Tad for me?”

“Sure, what’s up?”

“Tell Tad that I’ve got that flight to the north all taken care of, and let Keil know I’ll be the one guiding the trip.”

TJ frowned. “You want to take over the guiding as well as the flying? But if you’ve found your mate, I’m sure Tad can get someone else—”

“I’ve got it, okay?” Shaun snapped. TJ backed off, his hands raised in mock surrender. Shaun sighed. This emotional rollercoaster was turning him into a psychotic wreck. “My mate is the client, and there’s no way I’m letting her go north without me? So I’ll do the flight, guide her and everyone can be happy. The company, my mate…me. Hurrah. Happy happy happy.”

He forced a grin.

TJ pulled a face. “Don’t push it too hard, dude. I hear you. I mean, I hear more than you think.” He checked his watch.

Shaun did the same, starting to worry if Gem was going to join him or if she had run for the hills after their little enlightening conversation. He’d been a total jerk. Never suspected the extent of an ass he could be, but it was obviously a ginormous one.

TJ finished his cup of coffee and slapped some money on the table. “I need to get going but whatever is bugging you, I suggest you get your head out of the sand quick. This isn’t you. I’ve never heard you whine before in your life. Hell, usually you’re the one telling everyone else to get their act together. Did you wake up this morning and make a shit list?”

Guilt smacked him like an avalanche. Yeah, he kinda sounded as if he’d made a list of everything he thought was fucked up and simply complained about them one after another. “It’s not what I expected to be dealing with this week.”

TJ shrugged as he rose to his feet. “That’s reality. If everything ran according to a plan, life would be pretty boring. Finding your mate is an incredible gift. But even though we’ve got the freaky wolf genes making the decision for us, it’s our human side that lets us work out the details. Just take it one step at a time, okay?”

Shaun stared at the younger man in shock. “When the hell did you grow up? You’ve never lectured anyone before.” He’d certainly never been on the receiving end.

His friend’s grin got wider. “Self-defense. My mate is a very stubborn woman. I’ve learned over the past nine months if I want something, I either need to sweet-talk her into seeing things my way or turn the logic way up.”

Everything in him wanted to laugh at the thought of TJ using logic, but Shaun figured he was far more screwed at this point than TJ, so who was he to argue? “Fine. I get the message.”

Already a couple steps away, TJ turned back. He winked at Shaun. “For what it’s worth, I think you can handle this.”

There was no time to throw anything at him before TJ waved and ducked out through the restaurant doors.

Shaun sat back down, slumping in his chair. Logic? He’d been using none of it, simply reacting. With his dick. His mouth, his attitude.

He had done the deed with his mate, and he couldn’t freaking remember. Why in the hell had that happened? Then there was the whole overreacting thing. Memories flashed of being a teenager and deliberately picking fights with his parents.

His stomach grumbled, and he checked his watch again. If Gem didn’t show up soon he was going back to the room to haul her ass out for breakfast even if he had to remove the hinges—

Shock hit upside the head.

Shame.

Holy shit. He couldn’t turn it off. Even sitting here he was thinking like a Neanderthal. As if that was the way to get the princess to do anything. She was his mate. He might not have marked her, but he was damn well not going to give her up.

He dropped his head into his hands, plotting as hard as he could. Okay, if he’d recited a list to TJ about everything wrong between him and Gem, maybe he needed to make that list again, and use some of his sweet-talking ability and keen logic to improve the situation. There were a lot of ways to accomplish goals, and one sure way was for the other person to offer you exactly what you wanted.

Well, maybe somewhere in the next day or two he’d figure out what exactly it was that he wanted. Because right now, he had absolutely no idea, other than his plans had to include her.

The doors to the restaurant opened again, and this time instead of TJ’s ugly mug it was her. Pristine and perfect, dressed in a suit jacket with a matching knee-length skirt. Small heels on her shoes, dark hair pulled back to lie in immaculate sweeps over her shoulders. Shaun rose to his feet instinctively, and the frown on her face smoothed away.

Gem stepped slowly toward him, and he held out his hand.

“Ready for breakfast?” he asked. Polite. Almost formal. Shaun grit his teeth at how weird it felt to try and impress a female this way.

“Starving.” He held her chair, then waved down the waitress. Gem adjusted her place setting before looking up from under lowered eyelashes to smile hesitantly at him. “I seemed to have burned off a few extra calories last night.”

Sweet mercy. He licked his lips and discarded the first half-dozen responses that shot to mind—all of them far too dirty to voice.

Gem accepted a menu and examined it closely, giving him more time to stare in fascination at what fate had laid in his path. Mentally, he scrambled to organize the list—the winning Gem over list.

Number one. She was from the south, he loved the north. That was the biggest and most obvious barrier between them. Somehow he had to convince her that where she wanted to be was here. The beauty of the north was unlike anywhere else in the world, especially for wolves. Being able to enjoy the freedom of running through wide open spaces—he bet she’d never gotten to experience anything like that down south—not with the freaky “no wolves in Georgia” deterrent.

The waitress came by to take their orders and top up his coffee. Gem lifted her cup and took a long appreciative sniff. “Smells delicious.”

“Midnight Sun brewing company. Locally owned, and they roast the beans right here in Whitehorse. We’ve also got one of the pack who is a gourmet chef working the Moonshine Inn. You won’t find better in the fanciest restaurant elsewhere.”

“Really? How wonderful.” Gem took a slow sip and Shaun looked around helplessly for puppies to pet or something equally awe-inspiring. Five minutes into the meal, and he was reduced to boasting about the social graces of the north? Gag.

Still, desperate times, desperate measures.

While they waited for their order to arrive, Gem shared about her trip north the previous day. Even as she spoke, Shaun nodded absently and mentally scrambled through his foggy memory banks. She had mentioned something vital this morning. Something about…spreading her wings and trying new things.

She’d been protected—really, really sheltered up to this point in her life. Although the fact concerned him and made all his own protective instincts rev up to high, her wanting to experience a freer life could work right into his game plan. He would show her around, but allow her space. He totally understood that need.

Gem continued to examine the restaurant as if fascinated. It allowed him time to add give Gem breathing room to his list.

The biggest worry he had right now was her crazy trip to the North Country.

Over the years, most of the bookings he’d flown that had turned out disastrous involved members of the research community. What they thought was adequate preparation in the lab had been nowhere near what was needed in the bush. The only way Gem could get her information would involve a lot more hands-on activity than helicopter fly-bys. They would have to hike and camp on the actual terrain.

Their breakfast arrived, and Gem smiled sweetly at the waitress before dipping into her food. Shaun tried to picture her in the middle of his usual going-back-to-the-land-to-relax situation, and couldn’t. Simply couldn’t. The delicate aura surrounding her turned him on, then wrapped him in knots of fear. What if she hated the trip? He came out of his intense concentration to catch her staring.

She reached across the table to touch his hand. “Is everything all right?”

Shaun nodded rapidly. “Fine, just fine. Wonderful.”

“You’re frowning.”

Because he’d imagined her taking one look at the primitive campsite they’d be living in for days and running as fast as her pretty little shoes could take her, as far away from him as possible.

He scrambled for some logical excuse. “Too much coffee. I should switch to decaf. Orange juice?” He offered his glass and her expression smoothed again.

Somehow he had to convince her there was another way to finish her project without subjecting her to full-out wilderness in her first days up north. It really would be better for them all if she decided to cancel the trip. He didn’t need her to get so discouraged she turned and ran south before she’d had time to truly fall in love.

With both him and the land.

Chapter Seven

Gem made sure the breakfast conversation stuck to light, non-them related issues. They might have far too many details to figure out, but based on how fabulous their earlier discussion had gone, she didn’t want to be fighting indigestion as well as anger for the rest of the day.

Instead she played the ultimate diplomat. If there was one thing her years acting as her father’s hostess had taught her, it was how to talk about absolutely anything, with anyone, and say nothing.

If only she didn’t keep losing her concentration every time their elbows bumped. Or when their fingers touched as he passed her the salt. When he’d offered her a taste of his fresh-squeezed orange juice, she’d nearly had heart palpitations. Even sharing a glass with him was far too intimate.

Finally, Shaun stared at her over his empty plate. “Had enough?”

She dabbed her mouth with her napkin and nodded. “That was delicious, thank you.”

He led her back toward their rooms. She paused in the foyer. “I know the official sightseeing wasn’t suppose to begin until we leave Whitehorse, but would you be interested in showing me around?”

His grin was mesmerizing. “I would love to be your guide. Put yourself entirely into my hands.”

Into his hands. The coals in her belly fanned to high heat, and she forced herself to ignore them. Not now. They had already established they could have sex. Hot sex. Melt-the-sheets sex.

Could they go for a walk without starting another argument?

“I’d like that.” She paused again. “I should change.”

He eyed her, admiration clear. “I don’t want you to change a thing.”

That wasn’t what it had sounded like before, but she’d take the statement at face value. “Thank you.”

Shaun offered his hand and she accepted it, her fingers tingling where they made contact. He led her out the front doors to where the sun was already high overhead. A lingering coolness hung in the air as the breeze flowed over the river.

It was peaceful and serene—walking quiet streets with hints of brilliant green showing everywhere. Considering it was June and she’d seen Savannah bloom back in March and April, to realize it was only spring here was another reminder of just how far away from home she was. He squeezed her hand and pointed to a nest, the white head of a bald eagle peeking over the edge.

She was loath to break their companionable silence, but they had to begin the discussions sometime. “Do you live right in Whitehorse?”

Shaun laughed. “That’s a tough question. When I’m not working tourist flights or shipping supplies, yes, I live here in town in the pack house. I also have an apartment in Haines Junction—that’s where we store the planes.”

“Two places?”

“Yeah, means less time on the road. In the summer, my partner and I fly most of the bookings for Maximum Exposure Wilderness Expeditions. Tad’s Alpha and brother-in-law owns that company. Then in the dead of winter, I chopper medical and emergency supplies to Old Crow and other people in remote areas who get isolated in the cold season.”

They’d arrived at a walkway that paralleled the river. With a gentle pressure on her hand, he held her back for a moment, pointing across to where a section of lingering ice had just broken loose from the bank. The minute iceberg drifted past them, slowly spiraling on the lazy current of the wide river.

Her mate wasn’t simply a shiftless bum after all. Something inside warmed that had nothing to do with her wolf and the way it kept nudging her to touch him. “That sounds like a very noble occupation.”

The mischievous grin was back, the dark centers of his eyes like magnets, catching her and refusing to let her go. “Yeah. And the pay is good too. Additional benefits because of the danger, you know.”

One word nabbed her attention. “Danger?”

He grunted lightly. “If you have a mechanical breakdown that far back in the bush, and you don’t find shelter quick, you can pretty much kiss your ass goodbye.”

Gem deliberately ignored his swearing. “But you’re a wolf, so that reduces some of the risk.”

“Even wolves can freeze when it’s minus sixty, love.”

In spite of the sun’s warmth, Gem shivered. “The estate stays above freezing all winter, and for much of the year, flowers bloom everywhere over the grounds. There’s a pool for the hot summer days as well, but my favourite thing has always been going to the beach.”

“Really?” His surprise was genuine. “You…”

She waited.

He stopped at the base of a bridge. “I was going to say you don’t strike me as the beach type.”

Gem had to give him that one. “I don’t enjoy getting sand everywhere, but there’s something about the waves I love. And how big and free the ocean is—it moves me.”

“Hmm.” Shaun stared at her for a moment, then gestured over the bridge. “Want to see the fish ladder?”

“I’d love to.” She’d read about it. Checked the online information. Getting to see it in person—even better. That’s what she needed more of. To expand what she’d only witnessed in books and research into life experiences.

Shaun caught her hand again and tugged her across the gently curved footbridge. “Building the hydro-dam caused Miles Canyon to flood and back up to form Schwatka Lake. Of course the dam not only stopped the water, it blocked the salmon from their traditional spawning grounds, and so the city installed the ladder.”

He took her to the viewing house, and they peered through the glass at the running water. The slope of the wooden trough appeared gentle enough the fish would be able to fight the current and swim the extension waterway all the way from the base of the falls to the top of the dam.

“There’s nothing here now, but in the fall the salmon arrive by the thousands, and the fish and wildlife dudes count them as they go up the chute.” Shaun hopped over the security fence to dig in a wooden box. He picked up a plastic salmon and displayed it to her. “They’re about this size by the time they get here.”

Gem glanced around, hoping she wouldn’t spot anyone official coming to clap them in irons. “Put it down. Oh, dear.”

“You want to touch it?”

She must have looked like Spock. She felt her one brow rise way, way up in the air. “Why?”

He dropped the plastic prop back in the box, grinning the entire time.

Then he hauled her up the hill to what he called the best viewpoint in town. Shaun pointed out landmark buildings, shared history tidbits and some of his own personal escapades. Somehow his arm snuck around her waist without her even noticing. Leaning into his side felt very right. Brand new and at the same time as if she was coming home.

Maybe…this relationship wasn’t going to be as difficult as she had first feared.

An hour later, they were back on Main Street, strolling past all those quaint little places she’d seen on the drive in. The scent of coffee in the air nearly made her mouth hang open.

“Could we stop for a moment?”

Shaun smiled his agreement. “How about lunch?”

He guided her through a massive set of wood doors, and warm air laced with fresh-baked bread filled her nostrils, followed by another familiar scent.

“Ho there. Gather your libations and join us.” In the corner of the shop, someone waved a hand. Evan, accompanied by the human woman from the hotel.

Gem and Shaun both hung back for a second. On her part, it was because of the sudden realization Evan would know they had mated. The wide smile on the Alpha’s face increased her suspicions. This was his “figure it out in the morning” solution?

She wasn’t sure if she should hit him or hug him.

Shaun bumped her hip with his. “I’ll grab us grub, okay? You go ahead and sit down.”

He vanished back to the pickup counter before she could protest.

Fine. Gem stepped forward boldly, accepting the seat Evan graciously held for her. At least not all the northern wolves were without manners.

Just hers. Heavy sigh.

“Caro, have you met Gemmita? She’s up north to do some research. Gemmita, this is Caroline. Head of the admin department at the Moonshine Inn and my right-hand man.” Evan winked. “So to speak.”

Gem nodded politely. “We met at the hotel. Nice to see you again.”

Evan leaned on his elbows and tilted his head toward Shaun. “So. You and him mates?”

Utter shock at him discussing such a thing in front of a human froze her tongue.

She must have unwittingly made a face because Caroline patted her hand. “It’s okay. I know about wolves. My stepdad and stepsiblings are all shifters.”

“Really? That’s very unusual. I mean, it’s uncommon down in Georgia.” Astonishment was followed by a flash of insight.

When she’d set out on this excursion, she’d had no intention of being entrenched in wolf society. Yet in less than a day she’d fallen back into the familiar pattern of feeling comfortable around pack, simply because they were pack. The idea of sitting and talking with a human had made her hesitate at the door almost as much as anticipating Evan’s reaction to her and Shaun’s mating.

Comprehension allowed her to let the curiosity she felt rise.

She’d never been in this position before, having someone fully human she could discuss wolves with. Caroline must have a million experiences to share. With one smooth swipe, some of Gem’s unvoiced concerns fell away. After years of dealing with people during formal events with her father, she knew she was more than capable of having polite conversation in public without anyone holding her hand.

Moreover, she had a lot of other skills that would be needed over the next weeks—not just the ones she’d practiced in the lab, but ones to let her take care of herself. Being helpless wasn’t part of her plan for this trip—she didn’t want to be coddled by anyone. Not by her father, not by her mate.

Happiness accompanied by a tiny bit of pride warmed her, and Gem turned to pepper Caroline with questions.

Evan sat and watched the women, contentment rising as he sipped his drink. Gemmita and Shaun’s mating, although they were a bit of an odd couple, didn’t concern him much. The tension between them was thick enough to cut right now, but that was to be expected. Knowing how strong Shaun was and having experienced a taste of Gemmita’s power the previous night, it was inevitable the two of them would take some time to find a point of balance.

His own future seemed far more uncertain.

Caroline had surprised him that morning, but after a couple hours of thinking through her proposition, he had to admit there was merit in it. Being distracted by the single ladies jostling for position had delayed his actual plans. A temporary moratorium on his solo-ness could help him make some important progress in amalgamating the two Whitehorse packs—which had been his goal since he had taken control of Takhini barely a year ago.

Would Caroline really be able to handle the rest of the pack? She had a way with people, evidenced by her skills at the hotel, but wolves were a cocky bunch. And they liked to get physical when they were uncertain or happy or… Hell, wolves just liked to get physical.

He let his gaze slip over her curves. More importantly, had she thought through what moving in with him implied? If the ploy was going to work, it wasn’t just her presence in his house he’d require. The entire crew would know if they were sleeping together or not.

Besides, while he’d love to have the ladies off his tail, he didn’t relish the idea of being celibate. Not one little bit.

Shaun approached, tray piled high with food and drink. Evan changed his position, deliberately moving closer to Caroline. Then he oh-so-casually stretched his arm along the back of her chair.

Instantly, her scent picked up like usual. Sexual arousal—spicy and invigorating. Yeah, he’d always known she was attracted to him physically. He took another deep breath, savouring her reaction and considering again if he should accept her offer.

“When will you be heading out to do your study?” Caroline didn’t jerk away as he dropped his fingers onto her shoulder, stroking her almost absently.

Gem accepted a drink from Shaun and turned back to answer Caroline. “I had thought the flight was to leave on Saturday, but I guess since Shaun is my pilot and guide, he can tell you better than I can.”

“Yeah, well…” Shaun twisted in his chair. “About that. We need to discuss some specifics. There are a few complications.”

Her whole body tightened. “Really? Doesn’t seem that complicated to me. I hired you to fly me to Dawson and then farther north. Did you need more time to arrange tickets or file for permission or something? I assumed you’d have everything all in place since I prepaid a deposit. I seem to remember receiving confirmation that the trip was a go.”

Shaun wiggled like a two year old, and Evan hid his grin. The irresponsible devil had something on his mind, and for the first time in history, he wasn’t simply spitting out everything without a thought. Maybe this mate business would be what it took to make Shaun live up to his full potential.

Evan watched the impending fireworks with interest, even as he played with the back of Caroline’s neck, caressing her skin, enjoying himself immensely.

She glanced at him, but he ignored the question on her face. Their conversation would come after the two lovebirds in front of them either spontaneously combusted or settled down.

Shaun nodded slowly. “I have the flights arranged, only the timing isn’t right for a direct trip. It’s best if we head up to Dawson City on Saturday and spend some time there looking around. We have to wait for word that the herd has moved past the Porcupine River before we can leave.”

A sharp acknowledgement from Gem. “I mentioned that in my request—I knew there would be matters of timing to deal with. That’s why the sightseeing tour was added in. I did research, you know.”

“Yes, but—” Shaun slammed his mouth shut.

Evan twisted in his seat, tempted to bury his face in Caroline’s neck to be able to let out a laugh. Shaun’s newfound self-control was extraordinary, although the sight was the funniest thing Evan had seen. How to bell a wolf? Bring in a Gem.

“But what? Of course, I’ll pay for your accommodations while we’re waiting in Dawson. Simply part of the research costs.” Gem offered a scone to Caroline, ignoring the wolf at her side who looked as if he was about to burst out foaming at the mouth.

“I don’t need you to pay. In fact, we’ll be refunding your deposit.” Shaun stared at her.

“I don’t think that’s wise. Your business partner has young children. I’m sure they need to eat. I’ll pay as usual.”

“You’re my mate, you’re not paying.”

“I can afford it, I’m paying.”

They glared at each other for a second before Gem coughed lightly and once again turned to speak to Caroline.

Shaun interrupted. “Look, fine. You can pay the cost of the trip, but not the extra. It’s my time, I’m donating it to you.”

Gem blinked. “Thank you.”

Shaun sat back, content.

“…but no,” she continued. “I want to do this, and I’m going to do this. On my own, without being catered to by my father or my mate or anyone else who thinks they have a piece of control over me.”

Heat flushed Shaun’s face. “That makes no sense at all. Why not let me help—”

She stood. “Because you don’t get it. I don’t need help right now. I don’t want help right now. I assume you have to go…somewhere to pick up the helicopter. My initial papers said you’d meet me at the Whitehorse airport on Saturday at noon. I will see you there at that time.”

“But th-th-that’s…”

Gem ignored the stuttering Shaun, nodding instead at Evan and Caroline. “Thank you for the lovely visit. Caroline, perhaps we could meet for dinner tonight? You know where I’m staying.”

Then she lifted her chin and calmly stepped away from the table, leaving a stunned Shaun in her wake. He watched her walk a few paces before leaping to his feet.

“Shaun,” Evan warned. “You might want to give her a little space to cool off.”

His friend turned back in the middle of the room, the most pleased expression on his face. “Are you kidding? She’s got a freaking backbone. I love it!”

Evan shrugged. “Your funeral, man.”

Shaun disappeared out the door, running past the shop windows in his attempt to catch up with Gem.

The shoulder under his hand wiggled, and Evan glanced up to see Caroline shaking with silent laughter. “What’s with you?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think you can understand exactly how entertaining you wolves are when you’re all hormone-driven with your mate thingy. I’ve never seen Shaun act like that before.”

Evan laughed. “Yeah, well, somewhere they’ll come to a solution. I hope. And about time too, for Shaun at least.”

Caroline offered him one of the muffins from the table, and he placed it on his plate. She did know enough about wolves to deal with a lot of the shit that would go down if he accepted her offer.

But was she strong enough? To deal with the pack and handle him?

Should I? Shouldn’t I?

Why the hell not?

She stopped in the middle of buttering her muffin. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Because your offer this morning is intriguing, and I’m going to say yes—on one condition.”

Her eyes widened to the size of silver dollars. “One condition? What’s that?”

He leaned back in his chair, gesturing to the empty seats on the opposite side of the table. “Just like they need to work out a few things, we have to as well. You do know that if you move in, you’ll be sleeping in my bed.”

Not only were her eyes wide, but her jaw dropped open. “Oh shit, I forgot—”

“Because we’re obviously not mates, and none of the pack will believe we’re a real partnership if we’re not having sex. So straight up, you okay with that?”

“With having sex with you?”

Damn, she was cute when she blushed. “Sex. Lots of it, too.”

Then she snorted, and his ego got a little bruised. “Oh yes, the legendary wolfish sex drive. It’s okay, Evan, I think I can handle anything you want to dish out. Only I’m not doing kinky things with you when you’re in your wolf form. I draw the line at that.”

Ick. “Of course not.”

She straightened up, all business-like. “So, is that it? The condition is I agree to sleep with you?”

“Sleep, screw, fuck, roll in the—”

She slapped his arm. “Enough, I get it. Fine. Done. It might kill me, but for the sake of the hotel, I’ll make the sacrifice.”

He examined her closely to see if she was yanking his leg or not. Damn human sense of humour. “That’s the first part of the condition.”

Caroline laughed. “If there’s another part, then you don’t have one condition. You have two.” She waved at him. “Go on.”

“You have to claim me in front of the pack.”

The way all the colour drained from her face was enough to let him know she understood exactly what he’d demanded.

“I claim you?” she forced out, low and hesitant.

Hmmm. “Did you think you could just move in and we’d announce it? Sweetie, this is pack. You can either deal with them, or you can’t. What’s it going to be?”

She stared out the window for a moment. He examined her smooth skin. Was he crazy for hoping she’d have the guts to go through with it?

When Caroline turned back to face him she had bright red spots on her cheeks, and a determined expression in her eyes. “Fine. When the time is right. I’m agreed.”

She held out her hand and he took it. One firm shake later, they both let go and stared at each other.

Then she calmly returned to her muffin, asking about an order he’d suggested for the hotel. Business as usual.

Evan enjoyed the rest of his breakfast. Shaun was headed into his own personal wilderness with Gem, and here he was, also venturing into new territory. He looked forward to the next stage of the adventure.