A tree at least twenty feet tall sat to one side of the circular room. It had been decked out with blown glass ornaments shaped like pinecones and petite birds, all for a holiday she’d never celebrated but found a beautiful sentiment. White lights twinkled from every bough, setting it alight like a starry night. The lodge had been trimmed with natural pine garland and the scent of the forest and cinnamon permeated the air, a heady smell of the Christian holiday season. She scanned along the entrance.
Shiya froze as her gaze landed on a man, the last person she expected to see here—this early. Had he flown in by Learjet? Her heart jumped into her throat, and she pressed her hand to the divot at the base of her throat. “Oh, God.”
The man, not nearly as big as Gunnar, but tall by any standard, stood in the great room, unaware of her at the moment. The monster had almost killed her once. Shiya’s pulse throbbed so hard in her neck it became difficult to breathe.
Not the average stalker, Lucas had both looks and power. Attractive with his dark hair and cocoa skin, he could have any woman he wanted, every woman but her. He’d followed her around the globe, determined they’d come to an understanding.
Any other woman would have fallen for him, but Shiya had lived her entire life around predators and knew one when she saw one. Dressed in Armani, wearing a twenty thousand dollar Rolex and custom made Italian shoes, Lucas was smoking hot but deceptively dangerous.
She should flee before he spotted her. This was not the place to make her stand. A lump formed in her throat, and she swallowed, doing her best to summon the strength to run. The message failed to reach her feet. Instead, she stood in place, continuing to stare. Shiya balled her hands, damp from fear. Run!
Lucas looked up, locking gazes. Adrenaline punched through her midsection, making escape finally possible. She gasped and backed up, but a wall of muscle stopped her retreat. She yelped and jumped.
Lips pressed to her ear. “I thought I scared you away.”
She spun around. “Let’s go back to the room.” She tried to smile, but couldn’t summon the control and ended up giving him more of a nervous twitch, certainly looking more like a crazed woman than someone who wanted to flirt her way back into bed. Her hands shook. Her heart pounded. All she wanted to do was run and the damn man blocked her path. “Plea…please.”
He leaned in and rubbed his nose to hers. “What’s the matter?”
Her stomach fluttered. “I….” She glanced over her shoulder. Lucas hadn’t moved. Not yet. “I’m just tired.”
Gunnar reached up and ran his thumb along her jaw. Shivers moved through her. “You go back. I’ll procure some food.”
Looking in those eyes, she felt safe. So strange. “Okay,” she said and gave him her nervous twitch again. Shiya glanced back one more time before running up the stairs and dashing into the room. She didn’t stop until she’d slammed the door behind her and shoved the deadbolt into place.
What am I going to do? She leaned back against the door and slid down the solid surface to sit on her heels, rubbing her forehead. She couldn’t drag Gunnar into this. Lucas would kill him—might even after he saw the contact on the stairs. He’d been ruthless in his pursuit and hadn’t let anything get between him and what he wanted.
Lucas had stabbed her on an elevator back in New York, but before he could finish her off, the doors opened and security grabbed him. He would kill anyone who tried to keep her from him. The biologist was outgunned in this instance. He couldn’t possibly have the funds or resources to stop Lucas.
“Brother,” Gunnar inclined his head to the man in the lobby. Not a brother by blood but by planet and mission. Both served their world in a different manner on Earth. Lucas was charged with mind-wiping witnesses, and if they couldn’t be mind-wiped, they disappeared. He carried the title of hunter, intergalactic assassin, and knew the job well. He could only be at the lodge for one reason.
“Don’t get between me and my target, Gunnar. This isn’t your concern.”
Gunnar narrowed his eyes. He had bonded with her, and Lucas couldn’t touch her without authorization from higher up. “Stay away from my wife.”
Lucas shook his head. “You’ve been on Earth too long. You and I both know we don’t take Terran wives.”
“And you know she’s no more Terran than you or I.” The doppelganger mutation changed cells, overpowered other genetics. Though it might have been several generations since the cross-breeding, none of the Terran genes would have survived. Every mating created a child half and half, that within days of birth, mutated to full doppelganger, retaining only the physical appearance of their parents. Shiya though a product of a mating several generations past, was full-blooded doppelganger and starting the shift.
Gunnar would also bet she’d never been to a hospital or physician who would have noticed the differences in her genetic makeup. From her heritage, he was certain that’s why she’d slipped through the cracks and wasn’t identified as a child. Her primitive life in Alaska had insured it, until she’d stepped out into the spotlight and caught Lucas’s attention.
An adult doppelganger running around without knowledge of whom and what they were could be very dangerous to his people’s secret. Lucas hunted her, and she’d be dead when he finished his task.
Not happening.
“I know what she is,” Lucas said. “We can’t leave her alive. She’s too big a risk to remain here, and she can’t go back to our world. She could carry germs or viruses that could be harmful to our people who haven’t been exposed to Terran diseases.”
“We’ve developed immunity to the illnesses that plague this world. You know that’s just an excuse to keep our people from taking alien mates. Her mother or grandmother may have been Terran, but she certainly isn’t.”
“It’s the law and I’m ordering you to stand down.”
“Which is only applicable to Terrans. You’re going to have to go through me to get to her.”
Lucas smiled and gave him a curt nod. He wouldn’t do anything at the lodge, he’d draw too much attention, but the moment Shiya left its safety, Lucas would go after her. He didn’t need to say anything further. Gunnar knew he’d have to kill him to protect her. Lucas turned and exited. The man wasn’t going to make it easy—but then again, neither was Shiya.
***
What a nightmare. Shiya gathered her strength and grabbed her bag. She yanked all the drawers on the dresser open and began to cram her clothes into the duffle. She could run to her village. No one could find her there, but her people wouldn’t exactly welcome her with open arms.
After seeing Lucas in the great room, Shiya knew she’d run out of options. Her sled, her dogs had to be at the lodge. Gunnar didn’t seem like the kind of man who would neglect their care, and he was a biologist—an animal lover. The team would be the quietest method to run, but getting down to the kennel could be tricky.
Never had she been as thankful for the six weeks every year her father had trained her in the traditional Inuit skills of survival. For a period every year, her tribe would swap the roles of the male and female children. The boys were taken under the village women’s wings and taught to cook and sew, while the girls were taken out and taught to hunt and track, even going out on the water in kayaks. Shiya knew the area better than most and wouldn’t succumb to Alaska’s vicious bite.
No, survival out in the elements wouldn’t be an issue—survival here another matter altogether. She needed to get back to what she knew and that would be how she escaped. Her only regret would be to leave Gunnar behind. She wanted to know him better, explore the energy that seemed to sizzle between them. Unfortunately, dragging him into this wasn’t an option. She still planned to kill Lucas and couldn’t let Gunnar be an accessory to murder, even if in self-defense.
Here they would part company, so why did she want to throw herself on the bed and cry? It wasn’t like she knew him all that well, intimately—yes, but she didn’t know much more than that, and that he cared about her world.
> She blew a breath out and found her boots in a closet. Blood covered the toes. Shiya flipped them over to see more had dried on the treads. Gunnar had lied to her.
Why?
Her guts twisted into a tight knot. Her feelings instantly went into conflict. Did he work for Lucas? Were they in it together?
The door opened and Gunnar stepped through. She looked up at him. He eyed the boots in her hands and then locked gazes. “I’m not working for him, but we are from the same place.”
Shiya dropped the boots. “What?”
He nodded at the bed. “Sit.”
She sank to the mattress.
“If you go anywhere without me, he’ll kill you. I can protect you, but only if I’m by your side. Do you understand?”
She nodded. “Who exactly are you? Some kind of federal agent?”
“I’ll explain later. Right now, I need to arrange our escape. You will go everywhere with me and not leave my side until I say we’re safe. Do you understand?”
Shiya nodded. Even though he’d lied about the bear and the blood, the tone of his voice told her he didn’t lie about what he said now.
“Good. We’re here for a party, so we’re going to carry on like nothing has happened and slip out to escape during the ball. I’ll arrange for transport to a safe location with my people. Until then, we sit tight.”
“Your people—as in people like Lucas?”
“No. They’re with me, and they won’t let anything happen to you. You can trust me.”
“Even if you lied to me?” She eyed him, waiting for him to deny it.
“I had to—to protect you. Besides, I didn’t believe you’d accept the truth.”
“Try me.”
“I really wanted to wait until later to talk to you about this.” He sighed.
“I’m not going anywhere with you until you explain.”
“Do you believe life exists outside of your world?” A serious expression covered his face. He continued to hold her gaze, watching for her reaction, waiting for her response, not saying anything further.
The air between them crackled and a shiver ran up her spine. What was he trying to say? He was an alien? Shiya nodded toward the ceiling. “You mean up there?”
“Yes.”
“I suppose. There are many planets in the universe. It would be foolish to assume we have the only one with life on it.”
“You’re correct. Life exists on many worlds. Some of these planets are like your own, others not so much.” He walked up to her and cupped her face in his hands so she couldn’t turn away. “I’m from one of those worlds—a place like Earth, but very far away. So is Lucas.”
Shiya screwed up her face. Did he understand how preposterous his claim sounded? She was willing to accept that other people existed out there, but he asked too much when he wanted her to believe she’d come face to face with an extraterrestrial—made love to an alien. Really? He couldn’t be serious. Shiya pulled her face away.
“I’m serious.”
“Uh, huh.” She bit her lip. Why did she always manage to find the crazy ones? “It appears I’ve stumbled onto a lodge full of escaped mental patients. From the frying pan into the fire. I guess I got the one night I’d never forget—as promised.”
“You’re not making sense.”
Shiya spun around. “Okay, let’s review this conversation. You know my stalker—actually you’re both from another world and just happened to end up in Alaska at the same time I did, and this somehow has something to do with me being attacked by a giant bear. How does that not sound like a really bad acid trip?”
“The bear didn’t attack you.”
“Yes it did.” Shiya pointed to her boots. “It knocked me to the ground…”
“…and licked you.”
Shiya jumped to her feet. “You were there. I knew it. I didn’t imagine it, and the blood on the bottom of my boots more than proves it.” She poked him in the chest, furious. “And you’re asking me to trust you—to stick to you so you can protect me from the other crazy in the lodge. You’re as insane as Lucas. I’m leaving and taking my chances with Nanuk.”
Shiya twisted and Gunnar grabbed her arms stopping her. His lips sealed over hers and her world froze in time, hanging suspended in the moment. All her anger, all her intentions vaporized and her traitorous arms reached up and pulled him deeper into the kiss.
***
Gunnar took her pack with a change of clothes, her boots, and parka, and set up the dog sled as she changed for the ball. Shiya smoothed the white velvet over her curves and fastened a diamond necklace around her throat.
Her gown was sleeveless, with a deep plunge in the front and a slit on the side up to her hip. A sexy number for Alaska, but it also suited the location. The creamy fabric reminded her of the bear that had almost taken her life. Strange that she’d chosen to bring the dress, especially when she’d never intended to come to the party, but something about the gown called to her, demanded she bring it. So she had, and as she looked at herself in the mirror, she truly wondered how much fate governed her future.
Shiya couldn’t help but feel the gown was exactly Gunnar’s taste—for him alone. She turned side to side and then bent over to slip her heels on, unafraid of the height they’d add, knowing she could never be as tall as her Viking who claimed to be from another world.
The door opened as she buckled a strap on her silver stiletto.
“It’s all….”
Shiya lifted her head and smiled. Gunnar froze where he stood. His jaw dropped open, and his hand clamped onto the doorframe so hard his knuckles turned white.
“It’s all what?” she asked.
“Done,” he said so low the vibration rolled through her and centered in her torso, sending zings racing through her blood. “My gods, woman. You look like sex in the snow.”
Shiya took her time buckling the other strap and then stood enjoying the way he visually feasted on her. “You like then?”
He nodded.
Her stomach flipped at the hungry expression on his face. She didn’t bother to tell him underwear couldn’t be worn with the gown because every line showed. A trickle of anticipation of him discovering that fact shivered through her.
Crazy really, she didn’t intend to sleep with him again, or at least that’s what she’d told herself over and over after he’d left the room. And it had been settled—until he opened that door. Now, she wanted him again. Crazy or not, the man did things to her with one glance she’d never thought possible, but she needed to push those urges aside and focus. Her life and his depended on it.
After she escaped the lodge, Shiya planned to ditch Gunnar at the first village or town and head deep into the wild country, her territory.
Out there, she had control. Leaving him behind felt wrong, even though it wasn’t. She didn’t have time to develop feelings for Gunnar, nor had she had the chance to grow attached, but here she was, full of regret. The sooner they left, the sooner she could take care of unfinished business. “Shall we go down?”
Gunnar stepped forward and kicked the door shut behind him. Shiya gasped as he stalked forward.
“Gunnar?”
He backed her against a wall, pressing both his palms on the surface, caging her in. He leaned in and sniffed her neck. “Go down. Yes.” He dropped to his knees and slid both hands under her skirt, shoving the fabric up on her hips. “No panties?” He tipped his head back and gave her a smoldering look. “How wicked.” His fingers found her clit and drew a circle around the throbbing bud. “You’re just looking for trouble, aren’t you?”
And from the expression on his face, trouble meant that tongue thrust inside her. Cream flooded her pussy. “No,” Shiya gasped and fell back against the wall. “I’m avoiding panty lines.”
“Um hmm.” Around and around his finger went, circling her clit, drawing her tighter, setting her core on fire. He cocked his head, never taking his gaze from hers. “Is that so?”
“Yes,” she mumbled and
moaned as his finger slipped inside and he began to fuck her. In and out, slow and tortuous, until she was ready to climb backward up the door, or fire off like a rocket. A second finger joined the first. Both twisted and curled up, nailing her in her G-spot.
Launch. Her igniters blew as the orgasm overtook her with such force she couldn’t breathe. She cried and threw her head back. Her hands clamped on his shoulders, the only thing keeping her upright.
In and out—faster and faster. Wave after wave rolled through her. No end—no beginning. Throbbing spasms rocked her with seismic force, and yet he continued stroking, drawing out the pleasure, taking her deeper into his own brand of possession. There was no denying what he did. He’d claimed her and made it clear she wasn’t going anywhere without him and she’d be out of her mind to try.
“You were planning to run from me?” He spoke as though he’d read her thoughts from moments before.
“No.” she lied, shaking her head back and forth, denying her intentions.
“Let me show you what you’d be running from.” He licked her thigh and a second orgasm tore through her, stronger, more intense than the first. It pulsed around his fingers. He hooked one of her legs and rested it on his shoulder. His lips traveled up and she gasped. The man was sexy—crazy as shit, but oh, my God, sexy.
Chapter Four
Her escape hadn’t gone as planned. Gunnar swore backup would arrive soon and they could make their departure, but that had been hours ago and still no backup. She hadn’t seen Lucas since the encounter on the stairs, but her instincts told her not to let her guard down. He didn’t back down from a challenge.
Gunnar must have sensed it too. He hadn’t let her break physical contact. Always touching her arm or hip, so close she could hear him breathe in the crowded and very noisy room. She’d had to pee for the last hour, but couldn’t seem to summon the control to break contact. His touch settled her nerves.
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