Chasing the Alpha: Shifters of Nunavut, Book #3

by Rivard, Viola

  “You smell like you need a bath.”

  Hissing with irritation, she pushed his head away, not feeling the slightest bit guilty about getting bits of fish in his hair.

  “I’m not certain, but I don’t believe we’ve been here a week yet,” he said. “If you start asking me that now, you’re going to make yourself crazy. Give it another week, and in the meantime, put it out of your mind and enjoy your last days of freedom.”

  “You make parenthood sound so appealing,” she grumbled.

  “It is the most extraordinary thing you will ever experience. But it also comes with extraordinary sacrifice.”

  Indigo recognized that he’d told her something profound, and usually she liked how deep and insightful Sten could be. But right now, she was single-minded.

  “But you will tell me when you smell something? Even if it’s just a little change. I want to know right away, okay?”

  She thought she saw him roll his eyes. “Yes, I will tell you. In a week.”

  Indigo was no longer eating, but focusing all of her energy on staring him down. “If you smelled something tomorrow, or even if you did just now, you’re not going to tell me for an entire week? We’ll be back at Amarok by then, so I won’t need you to tell me.”

  “We’ll be here a few more days,” Sten said, utterly undaunted by her stare. “I want to see if I can pick off one of those muskoxen from the herd. I doubt Erik will be allowing us to take food, so it will be good to have something waiting when we bring the others back. I also would like to scout the den. I’ve heard water below, and if…”

  Indigo tuned him out and resumed eating, though now the fish was definitely starting to taste like fish.

  One week…

  Ugh.

  Chapter 30

  Lying on his chest, with his chin resting on his forearm, Sten was giving Indigo a smile that she could almost describe as boyish. She had half a mind to smack it off his face.

  She pursed her lips. “Stop it.”

  “Stop what?”

  “Mocking me with your eyes.”

  She returned her attention to the floor, where she’d amassed a small pile of dried roots and lichen. She struck the sharpened flint again. It gave off a couple sparks that blinked out as quickly as they’d appeared.

  Sten’s eyes glittered with amusement. “Even if you were doing that properly, which you are not, nothing you have there is suitable for kindling. The lichen isn’t dry.”

  “It is dry,” she grumbled, giving it poke. Maybe it was a little springy.

  “And even if you could defy physics and get that to burn, it wouldn’t last long enough to cook your meat.”

  He was so arrogant. Why hadn’t she noticed that before?

  Because you were too busy trying to get him to mate with you.

  It had been three days since she’d woken from the mating stupor, as she now referred to it. Three days alone with Sten—the most time they’d spent together since they’d met, and she had since come to the conclusion that they might be a little too suited for one another, if such a thing were possible. It seemed that her most dominant personality traits—pride, stubbornness, and intelligence, Sten also had, and to a greater degree.

  The last one rankled her the most. He was much older than her, so it should have only made sense that he’d had more time to amass knowledge, but she hated it when he pointed out when she was wrong. Coupled with his arrogance, there was always a smug smile waiting for her at the end of a debate.

  “I’m not eating raw meat,” Indigo said.

  “You had no problem eating it the past few days.”

  The past few days, her hunger had been indiscriminate, but that had been because she’d been rebuilding her strength. There had also been the meat that Coral had given her, and what she’d eaten when they’d hunted with the Amarok wolves, but that had been when her body had been preparing to mate. Now that she was back in her right mind, the prospect of eating uncooked meat grossed her out.

  “My body was full of crazy hormones,” Indigo said.

  “And you don’t think it is now?”

  Indigo opened her mouth, and then promptly shut it.

  Another thing she had learned about her mate was that he had a perverse sense of humor.

  Another striking of the flint brought more sparks, and she quickly dropped to her hands and knees to observe the kindling. Nothing caught, and she rested her chin on the ground, sighing.

  “I give up,” she muttered, chucking the flint aside. “I’ll eat once we’re back at the den.”

  The plan had been to leave that morning, but Sten had made a last minute decision to stay another night. Indigo had been more than happy to stay longer. As obnoxious and arrogant as Sten could be, she really did like spending time with just the two of them.

  Sten seemed to be doing everything in his power to keep her busy. When they weren’t mating all over the upper chambers of the den like a pair of juveniles, they were out hunting together, or exploring the lower caverns. That afternoon, they’d discovered a vast pool of warm water, though unlike the pools at the Amarok den, the chambers that held the water were pitch black, and even Sten had been reluctant to take a dip.

  “We won’t be back until tomorrow night,” Sten said, pushing himself up into a sitting position.

  She flopped over onto her back and stretched. “I’ll manage.”

  There was a flicker of annoyance on his features, and it was all she could do not to smile triumphantly.

  Gotcha.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” he said. “Just eat it.”

  Indigo grabbed a pelt and stuffed it behind her head. “Unless you’re going to shove it down my throat, I’m not eating it.”

  Sten crawled over to Indigo, his arms barring her in as he leaned over her. “I know what you’re doing.”

  Her face hurt from repressing the smile. “Is it going to work?”

  He raised his chin. “I spent half the day hunting for you. Do not let it go to waste.”

  She sighed heavily. “Will you just tell me already? There’s really no point in drawing it out.”

  “Four more days.”

  And there was that mocking smile. What would he do if she tried smacking it off?

  “No,” she said, jabbing a finger to his chest. It was like poking at hot stone. “You said the point of this was to ‘enjoy my freedom’ but I’m not enjoying it at all, because you’re constantly—” she jabbed at him again, “insinuating that I’m pregnant, and it’s making me crazy.”

  He seemed to be taking every chance he could to allude to her being pregnant and it wasn’t just with words. In the mornings, she would wake to him stroking her belly, and each time they had sex, he was so maddeningly gentle that it sometimes took her an hour to climax. That certainly was not going to continue.

  “You are the one driving yourself crazy,” he told her. “You may not ask me the question outright, but it’s in your eyes every time you look at me. I’ll admit to some pettiness, but it’s only because I also wanted to enjoy this time with you, as it is quite possibly the only time we will ever have alone together again.”

  Sten didn’t seem angry, in fact, his smug smile was still in place, but the words might as well have been a slap in her face. She had been obsessing over whether she was pregnant, and it had sucked most of the pleasure out of her days with her mate. Not only had she been distracted, but also resentful of the male who only wanted to enjoy her company.

  She reached up to cup his cheeks. He hadn’t bothered shaving that morning, and tiny hairs prickled her soft hands.

  “I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?”

  He appeared thoughtful, and when he’d held the expression long enough, she lightly pinched his cheeks. Grinning, he leaned down to kiss her. It was a quick brush of the lips, but his lips remained only a breath away as he stared into her eyes, his gaze searching.

  “I love you,” he said, kissing her again.

  “I love you, too,” she said agains
t his lips.

  She had always imagined that when a man finally told her he was in love with her, it would be a deep, soul-wrenching moment. But though her heart was pounding to break her ribs, she recognized that the words were nothing more than an affirmation of what she’d already known. She suspected that was the way it was supposed to be, when a man was truly in love with you.

  Indigo made a whiny sound when he pulled away. She hated that sound, but she could never stop it, any more than she could stop the way his touch heated her blood.

  “Do you want to know if you’re having my pup?”

  Indigo tensed. “Is this a trick? If I say yes, do I fail some sort of test?”

  He laughed. “Do you really care?”

  “No. But you don’t have to tell me. I already know the answer.”

  “Oh?”

  Now, she could give him her own smug look. “Using my considerable intelligence and powers of deduction, I’ve reasoned that since you are so madly in love with me, you would not have brought it up if you knew that your answer would disappoint.”

  He nodded to himself. “That is a logical conclusion, but you are forgetting one thing.”

  “What?”

  “That no matter what you think you know to be true, you are not going to be satisfied until you hear me say the words.”

  Indigo bit down on her lip, as though it would stop her from growling. “Are you really going to make me ask?”

  She was expecting more back and forth with him, so it startled her into silence when he said, “You’re pregnant. I’ve known for several days, which is why I’ve been particularly adamant about trying to get you to relax and enjoy yourself. Even Astrid’s scent didn’t change this soon, and I will be very surprised if you’re only carrying one pup.”

  Indigo put her hands over her mouth. A wasted effort, considering she couldn’t process her emotions, let alone words. Sten waited a full minute before prodding her.

  “You’re allowed to be afraid.”

  And she realized that she was. “We’re never going to be alone again, are we?”

  He gave her a wan smile. “We will find time together, but not to this extent.”

  She gripped at his hair. “Can we stay another day?”

  Sten kissed her again, slow but deliberate. Beneath his lips, her insecurities withered and her doubts became as insubstantial as mist.

  “Of course we can.”

  Chapter 31

  “You’re back.”

  Tallow greeted Sten with the curt acknowledgement and a sullen stare, but it did nothing to dampen his mood. He felt exuberant—he had for days. There had never been a time in his life where he’d been quite so happy, or had so much to look forward to.

  “How has Halley been?” he asked, falling into step beside her.

  He had hoped to find Halley waiting for him in the main room. Amarok wolves being as vigilant as they were, news of his arrival would have reached the den well before he set foot inside, but the main room was near empty when they’d arrived back. Better that it was, he’d decided, because even the few wolves that had been there had immediately swarmed he and Indigo, all to discuss the new pack, but not before offering congratulations.

  Sten’s mood had momentarily soured as the wolves crowded his mate. He had not realized how irrationally protective he was going to feel towards Indigo now that she was his mate, especially with her carrying his pups. But once he’d gotten Indigo safely nestled away in their room and then headed up to collect his daughter, his good mood had returned twofold.

  “Oh, she is just lovely,” Tallow said, in a sickly sweet tone.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” she grumbled. “I am just glad you’re back. Perhaps now, I can finally get a single second alone with Boaz.”

  He arched a brow. “You have a room full of pups. I doubt Halley makes much of a difference.”

  “I have a room full of pups that enjoy playing with one another, and then I have your daughter, who spends every waking moment mooning over Boaz.”

  Sten snorted. “You’re mistaken.”

  She laughed dryly, and when she spoke, it was in a high falsetto voice, presumably her impression of Halley. “Boaz, tell me a story about your trip to Africa. Oh my, did you really fend off a lion? You must be so brave. Oh, you went to France, Boaz? Did you know that I can speak lots of French? Vous êtes charmant, Boaz.”

  Each grating sentence brought his mood down, until he was tense with agitation. Only grim fascination kept him from cutting her off. He knew that Tallow had the tendency to hyperbolize, but if there was even a grain of truth to what she was saying, then he would have to have strong words with his daughter.

  When they arrived at Tallow’s room, Sten had to stop himself from cringing. Most of the pups were either playing games or napping in small, furry piles, but Halley sat leaning against Boaz’s side. The human male appeared to be showing her a picture of a mountain range, and was enthusiastically recounting his journey to the summit. Halley was gazing at Boaz with a look that was much too fond for Sten’s liking.

  “See?” Tallow said, shooting Sten a look.

  “I do,” he muttered.

  At the sound of his voice, Halley’s head shot up. A broad smile covered her face, and she leapt up and raced over to him, Sten’s irritation was forgotten. For once, she didn’t jump into his arms, and instead wrapped her arms around his torso. His torso. When had she gotten so tall?

  “You’re back!”

  They were the same words Tallow had greeted him with, but Halley had a way of saying them that warmed his heart. He bent to pull her into a tight embrace, but she was fidgety with excitement and quickly wormed her way from his hold.

  “Did you and Indigo make a pup?” she asked.

  That was not what he’d expected her to say, and he found himself narrowing his eyes on Tallow. The beta female gave a shrug that was almost diffident.

  “I wasn’t aware you hadn’t told her,” Tallow said. “Besides, you should be thanking me. I have spared you a very uncomfortable talk.”

  He wasn’t sure how he felt about Tallow explaining mating to his daughter, but she did have a point. Later, he would have Indigo talk to Halley, and she could find out exactly what Tallow had said to her.

  “We did,” he told Halley. To his surprise, Tallow’s squeal of excitement was louder than Halley’s.

  “She loves pups,” Boaz explained, coming to put an arm around Tallow’s waist.

  Sten gave the male a compressed smile, and then returned his attention to his daughter.

  “I know you’re excited, but it is still early, and it does not mean we’ll be having a pup this time.”

  They were difficult words to say, but what happened to Astrid had been fresh in his mind as he’d returned to the den.

  Halley nodded solemnly, but then asked, “Will I be able to hear it yet?”

  “Not for a couple more weeks,” Tallow said, and then frowned. “You’ll be gone by then, won’t you?”

  “I haven’t spoken to Sylvestre yet,” he said. “But our original plan was to leave shortly after Indigo and I returned.”

  Halley tugged at his shirt, vying for his attention. “Papa, I would rather it not be a male pup.”

  Sten chuckled. “I’m afraid it’s too late to decide that, but I will take it under consideration for next time.”

  “We spoke with Sylvestre,” Tallow said. “I can’t leave Zane, but there is talk of your pack taking some of the pups.”

  Boaz said, “If it’s something you’re willing to consider, we’d like to sit down with them, explain the situation, and ask them individually what they’d like to do.”

  Sten had not considered taking any of the pups, but it made sense. It would be better to take some of them to lessen the burden on Siluit. It would also be good for Halley to have peers among her new pack.

  “I agree,” he told them. “But let’s discuss it in the morning. I’ve had a long trip, and I’d like to g
et rest.”

  * * *

  Astrid’s room had been stripped bare when Indigo arrived. There were several bags stacked in the corner, one open enough that Indigo could see an array of colored fabrics within. Astrid was on the floor, folding the furs that made up her bed pallet.

  Indigo hesitated in the doorway, feeling more awkward the longer she stood without announcing herself. After a long moment, she stepped inside, making sure her footfalls were loud enough to catch the human’s notice.

  When Astrid looked up, her eyes widened, and then she smiled. “How are you?”

  Not anticipating such a warm welcome, Indigo stood frozen as Astrid got up and strode over to embrace her. Indigo hugged her back, trying not to hold her too tightly. Humans could be more fragile than they seemed.

  “I’m sorry to barge in,” Indigo said as they separated. “I wanted to apologize for…what happened. I wasn’t thinking clearly and…”

  Astrid patted the side of Indigo’s face, and it had an oddly calming effect. “Don’t. Believe me, I understand. When I went through the mating thrall, I was so out of it that I almost got killed, and from what I gather, it’s much worse for shifters. Plus, my mate is really scary. I can’t blame you for freaking out.”

  Even though Astrid had already absolved her, Indigo still found herself babbling. “I thought he was going to attack me, and I panicked.”

  “Honestly, I’ve never seen Erik the way he was that night. I’d like to believe he wouldn’t have hurt you, but… Well, I think you were well within your rights to do what you did. I just hope you can forgive me for not interfering sooner. I was a mess, too.”

  As she spoke, Astrid absently rubbed her belly, and something finally struck Indigo.

  “You’re pregnant,” she blurted.

  Aside from seeing her in passing at the Siluit den, she had not known Astrid before she’d become pregnant, and it had seemed such a natural aspect of her scent that Indigo hadn’t thought anything of it at first.