IceHuntersMate

by Marisa Chenery

  Noah narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re lying.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Yes, you are. You’re biting your bottom lip. You always do that when you’re not telling the truth. What are trying to hide from us?”

  She made herself stop nibbling her lip. “Are you saying I’m not strong enough to have handled my own kill?”

  “All right,” Carson said. “Then prove you used the tarp. Let’s see it. If you had, it should have some mud and grass on it. And some blood as well.”

  Shit, even though she didn’t want to tell her brothers about Wachei, she was going to have to or they wouldn’t let up, especially when they saw she was lying. The tarp was perfectly clean and still folded up in one of her jacket pockets.

  She sighed. “Okay, you win. I had some help.”

  “Who?” Noah asked.

  “No one you know. It was someone who happened to be hunting at the same place I was. He offered to help me, and I took him up on it.”

  “What’s his name?” Carson asked.

  “Wachei. Can we please get the caribou dressed before it starts to go bad?”

  “With a name like that, he must be native,” Noah said.

  “As far as I know he is.”

  Hoping to hold off her brothers’ third-degree questioning, Eryn lowered the tailgate on the pickup. She climbed up onto the bed and grabbed the caribou by the horns to lug it closer to the edge. Carson took over the job as Noah opened his garage door.

  Carson lifted her kill onto his back as Wachei had, but Carson didn’t make it look as easy. Her brother grunted a bit as he settled it onto his shoulders and then took it to the garage. He placed it on the folding table Noah had set up in the middle of it.

  “So what did this Wachei say to you?” Carson asked.

  God, her brothers could be like dogs with a bone at times. “Nothing much.”

  Noah and Carson seemed to let it go and then they got down to the business of dressing. Eryn didn’t think she would get off that easily. And soon found she hadn’t.

  “Since we all managed to get holidays at the same time, why don’t we go out for lunch tomorrow afternoon?” Carson asked.

  Noah nodded. “It works for me. Heidi is taking Crystal over to a friend’s to have a play day so I’m free.”

  Both her brothers looked expectantly at Eryn. Her luck was definitely not with her. She cursed to herself. “Ah, I can’t make it. I already promised I’d meet up with someone tomorrow at that time.”

  “You have a date with that Wachei guy, don’t you?” Noah asked.

  Her older brother was sometimes too smart for his own good. “It’s not a date. He said he’d teach me how to shoot a bow and arrow.”

  “It sounds like a date to me,” Carson said.

  “How can that be considered a date? We’re going to be at my hunting spot. There’s hardly anything romantic about it.”

  “Do you have the hots for him?”

  “That’s none of your damn business, Carson.”

  Noah nudged their brother with his elbow. “She does. Look how much she’s blushing.”

  Eryn wanted to smack them both. Either that or fan her heated cheeks. It still wasn’t any of their business if she wanted nothing more than to strip Wachei naked and ride him until she put both of them into a sex coma.

  She gave her brothers a fierce look. “Would the two of you knock it off? I’m a thirty-year-old woman, and can take care of myself. You both can stop trying to stick your noses where they don’t belong.” Eryn pinned Carson with a stare. “When you’re interested in a new woman, do I drive you crazy, asking questions about her? No. So I deserve to be treated the same way.”

  They must have realized they’d gone a bit too far because Noah and Carson held up their hands in surrender, then focused back on the caribou. Breathing a silent sigh of relief, Eryn worked alongside them. Once they were finished and the meat was all packaged and ready for the freezer, she gave some of it to her brothers before placing the rest in a box she had in the pickup.

  That chore done, Eryn kissed her brothers goodbye. She also told them to pick another day for them all to go out for lunch and text her. She drove away, thinking she’d gotten off relatively easy in regards to her meeting up with Wachei the next day. Eryn knew Noah and Carson meant well, but if they had their way, she’d never be able to date and would still be a virgin.

  Chapter Three

  Wachei hadn’t gotten much sleep by the time he finally gave up and got out of bed. His night had been filled with dreams of Eryn, of taking her in every position he could imagine. One had been so intense he’d been on the verge of coming when he jerked awake.

  Now he felt out of sorts. After taking a shower—which did nothing to make him feel more like himself—and getting dressed, he went downstairs to look for something to eat. Durlach was already there, cooking something on the stove. Whatever it was, it smelled as if it was burning. Wachei had picked up on it after he’d walked out of his room.

  His wolf brother had decided he’d learn how to cook once they’d moved into the house, mostly because Durlach always seemed to be eating. If he were a mortal, Wachei figured the hunter would be well on his way to being very overweight.

  Though Durlach cooked quite a bit, it didn’t mean what he made was edible. It mostly ended up either being burned or nasty tasting. And it was bad enough when he thought to help Cassidy out and cook dinner for them all. Having suffered through one of Durlach’s creations had been more than enough for Wachei. Any time his wolf brother was to cook for everyone, Wachei made sure he wasn’t around to eat it and had something later.

  “Hey, Wachei,” Durlach said when he saw him come into the kitchen. “I just finished making some breakfast. There’s more than enough for the both of us.”

  Wachei shuddered inside when Durlach pulled the frying pan off the stove and held it out for him to see. “What is it?”

  “An omelet.”

  Even though he hadn’t had many since awakening from his long sleep, Wachei knew what Durlach called an omelet wasn’t anywhere close to the ones Cassidy made. It looked revolting. There were black bits in the egg mixture where it must have stuck and burned to the pan. Added to that mess were shredded cheese, mustard and ketchup. Even though he’d overcooked it, somehow Durlach had managed to have parts of the egg still runny. It was completely unappetizing, and Wachei figured if he had to eat just one mouthful he’d bring it right back up again.

  “Ah, you can eat it,” he told his wolf brother. “I’m really not that hungry. I’ll just get some milk to drink.”

  “Well, if you’re sure, that means there will be more for me.” Durlach placed the frying pan on a cold burner before he reached into the cupboard for a plate, then dumped some of the slop he called an omelet onto it.

  Wachei shuddered inside as he did his best not to look at Durlach while he shoveled his food into his mouth while standing at the counter. Wachei took out a glass, then went to the fridge to pour some milk.

  After emptying his glass in four large swallows, Wachei beat a hasty retreat and headed back upstairs to brush his teeth. On his way to the bathroom, he ran into Cassidy and Edensaw, who appeared to be heading to the lower level.

  “You might want to wait to go to the kitchen,” he told them. “Durlach is down there eating what he calls an omelet, which is nothing of the sort. It’s more like a burned, gloppy egg mess. It also doesn’t smell very good.”

  Cassidy shook her head. “Poor Durlach. He tries so hard.”

  “But the worst part is he thinks everything he makes is delicious,” Edensaw added. “I swear if we were mortal, we all would be dead from food poisoning.”

  Cassidy laughed. “It’s not that bad. He just has some funny taste buds. I’ll work on him.”

  “Will you be able to drive me to where I hunted yesterday soon?” Wachei asked her.

  “Sure. I know you must be anxious to see Eryn again. Let me have a cup of coffee and then we can leave.”<
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  Wachei left Edensaw and Cassidy to continue downstairs while he went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. That done, he returned to his room to grab a jacket. This time he would dress more appropriately than he had the day before. He still wore jeans and a t-shirt, but he’d added hiking boots and a lined nylon jacket as well. He also grabbed the new compound bow he used for hunting and a quiver of arrows. The set he had used during the ice ages was carefully packed away along with his clothes and furs from that time.

  Twenty minutes had gone by since Wachei had spoken to his alpha and his mate so he headed out of his room and down the stairs to see if Cassidy was ready to go. She was and stood waiting for him by the front door along with Edensaw. The mated pair always went together everywhere, neither one of them wanting to suffer through the separation anxiety that would take hold of them if they were to part for any length of time. It was something all mated werewolves could experience. It also wasn’t supposed to be fun to go through. Each one would think something bad had happened to the other, which caused them to think they’d been away for longer than they actually had. All they would care about was being together again, and if they were separated long enough, they reconnected in the most intimate of ways.

  “All ready to go?” Cassidy asked once Wachei had joined her and Edensaw.

  “Yes. You can drop me off at the same place as yesterday. I’ll go wolf and run the rest of the way.”

  “Okay. And you have your cell phone, right?” Once he pulled it out of his pocket to show Cassidy, she nodded. “Good. Call me when you want to be picked up.”

  He wouldn’t have forgotten his cell. Wachei still intended to get Eryn to show him how to use it better. It would be another excuse to keep her with him.

  Once they arrived at the place and Cassidy had pulled over onto the shoulder of the road, Wachei got out and waved to her and Edensaw before heading out to the grassed area. Clear of the road, he reached for the spark of magic inside him and went wolf.

  Even in this form he had to watch that mortals didn’t get a good look at him if they happened to cross paths, which hadn’t happened yet. Except for Eryn, but Wachei was sure she hadn’t really seen him well enough. Being a dire wolf, an animal that had been extinct for ten thousand years, there was some difference between him and the native gray wolves. His legs were a bit shorter and sturdier than theirs, and his head was larger and broader. Also, his teeth were slightly bigger as well.

  Wachei broke into a fast run as he headed for the tree line. He didn’t slow when he entered the wooded area. Once he was clear of it, he drew himself back until he came to a stop. He’d have to go the rest of the way as a man just in case Eryn was already waiting for him. Wachei didn’t think that would be the case since he’d planned on being early.

  He shifted, willing his clothes back on. The compound bow and quiver of arrows appeared at the same time. He then walked the rest of the way. With the wind blowing in his face, Wachei couldn’t smell Eryn’s scent, which meant she hadn’t shown up yet.

  Arriving at the place where Eryn had parked her pickup, Wachei looked down the road she’d be using. He didn’t have long to wait before he saw her truck. He smiled as she drove off the asphalt and onto the grass before she turned off the engine. He closed some of the distance between them once Eryn got out.

  “Hi, Wachei,” she said.

  “Hi. I’m glad you could make it. Are you ready for your first lesson?”

  Her gaze landed on the compound bow and she nodded. “Yes. I’m looking forward to it. So where do you want to do this? I didn’t bring anything to set up as targets, and from the looks of it, you don’t have any with you either.”

  “I was thinking we could go where the trees start and use some of them.”

  “All right. Let me just lock up the truck, then we can go.”

  Wachei watched her. He longed to take her into his arms and kiss her once again. Seeing her, being with her, he realized how much he’d missed her. And she was prettier than he remembered.

  Once she joined him, he started them walking toward the trees he’d passed through to get here. Wanting some form of contact, he took her hand in his. He now knew why Edensaw liked to hold Cassidy’s hand when they walked together. Eryn didn’t seem to mind. She laced her fingers with his and gave him a smile.

  Reaching the place where Eryn had shot the caribou, Wachei asked, “Did you get your kill dressed okay yesterday?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. My brothers helped me with it.”

  “These are the same ones who drive you crazy?”

  Eryn looked at him and smiled. “Yes, they do, but I can still depend on them when I need them. I just have to put up with their crap.”

  They finally reached the trees and Wachei brought them to a stop. He looked around until he found one that would be a good target for Eryn to use. “I see a tree that will be perfect for you to shoot at. I’ll put an arrow in its trunk and you can try to land one close to it.”

  “All right.”

  Wachei let go of Eryn’s hand and walked a little away. Once he stood directly across from his target, he took an arrow out of the quiver he wore on his back and nocked it before he pulled back on the string. Keeping his gaze on the tree, he breathed evenly as he sent the arrow flying. It hit the trunk with a thunk, dead center where he’d been aiming.

  “You made that look easy,” Eryn said.

  He turned to face her and held out the bow for her to take. “It’s not that hard. It just takes practice to get your aim right. But since you already can hunt with a rifle, I doubt you’ll have too much trouble with that.”

  Eryn took the bow, and Wachei handed her one of his arrows. Once she had it ready, she pulled back on the string all the way to her ear as he’d done. She took her time aiming before she let go. The arrow hit the ground at the base of the tree.

  “Damn,” she said.

  “That was a good first try. At least you came close. Try again.” Wachei gave her another arrow. Eryn’s second attempt was only a tiny bit better. This time she hit the trunk but close to the ground. “Let’s try something and see if that will help you.”

  Wachei came to stand right behind Eryn. He put his hand on top of hers that held the bow. He took out an arrow and nocked it. Once Eryn held on to it, he put his other hand on hers and pulled the string back.

  As he took aim, Wachei forced himself to pay attention to the task at hand and not to how good it felt to have Eryn’s back and bottom pressed completely against his front. But that didn’t stop his cock from getting hard. Or from jerking when Eryn shifted slightly. His mating urge rode him a little harder as her scent filled his head. The heat from her body seemed to warm his blood even further. The way they stood, it wouldn’t be very hard for him to lower his head, nudge her hair away from the side of her neck and kiss her there. See if she’d shiver if he nipped her.

  Then Eryn shifted again and the scent of her arousal made itself known. His libido surged, making his cock ache to be inside her. He suddenly had a hard time remembering what he was supposed to be doing.

  Even though he wanted to take Eryn to the ground and sink his dick deep inside her pussy, Wachei focused on the tree and adjusted the aim of the bow. “Release the string,” he told Eryn. His voice was husky, even to his ears.

  She released the arrow and it flew true, hitting the trunk just above the first one he’d shot. Wachei let go of her hands, and Eryn lowered the bow.

  “Did that help with your aim?” he asked, not moving away from her.

  “Yes,” she replied, sounding a bit breathless. “But not with everything.”

  Eryn dropped the bow to the ground and turned so she faced him. She put her arms around his neck and played with the back of his hair as she rubbed herself against him. Wachei groaned, unable to resist her lips when her tongue darted out and licked the bottom one.

  He put his hands on her hips and closed the distance between their mouths. Eryn let out a breathy sigh as he kissed her, pushing his tong
ue past her lips. All the hunger he had for her came roaring to the surface. He stroked and sucked, rocking his hips into her, letting her know exactly what she did to him.

  Wachei soon closed his eyes, knowing they had to be mutedly glowing with the desire Eryn brought to life in him. He kissed her deeper. He lowered his hands to her bottom and tugged her a bit closer to grind against her. She moaned into his mouth and threaded her fingers into his hair to hold him just where she wanted him.

  As the first time he’d kissed Eryn, Wachei felt himself being swept away by the arousal that surged between them. She became the center of his awareness. Even if he didn’t have a mating urge to tell him she was the one meant for him, holding and kissing her like this would have sent him that same message. No woman had ever made him crave her quite like this—needy and desperate.

  The sound of a gun being fired rang out, causing Wachei and Eryn to break apart. Wachei spun in the direction the noise had come from and let loose with a wolf’s growl, acting instinctively to the possible threat to his mate. Realizing he revealed too much of his true self, he quickly reined himself back. A glance at Eryn showed she wasn’t paying any attention to him at all. Her gaze seemed to be focused on something in the distance.

  She scowled. “I’m going to fucking kill those two idiots.”

  Wachei looked and saw the two men who walked toward them. “You know them?”

  “I wish I didn’t. It’s my brothers, Noah and Carson. I knew I made a mistake in telling them where I would be meeting up with you today. I’ll be right back.”

  Eryn marched off, grumbling about too-protective older brothers. Wachei followed behind her, ready to step in if Noah and Carson gave her a hard time. She was his mate, and it was his right to protect her, even from her siblings, if it proved necessary.

  Once Eryn reached the two men, she stood directly in front of them and crossed her arms over her chest. “All right, what do you two think you’re doing?”

  One of them patted the rifle he held in his arms. “Noah and I thought we’d do a little hunting.”