by Vivian Arend
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.
7
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 supposed 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?”
S
haun 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 mo
rning, 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.”