Snowbound (Arctic Station Bears Book 1)
Page 2
“…four days or so,” Ollie said. Ollie was talking. Shit. I had been fantasizing about Liam and totally ignored Ollie as a result.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “What did you say?”
Ollie smiled. “Been awhile since you were around an alpha, huh?”
“Fuck you,” I said. My cheeks burned.
Ollie laughed and Liam looked confused. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist,” Ollie said. “I just said that we thawed him about two weeks ago. The progenitor virus was in his blood. Within a week, he was talking to us, but it was more mimicry than communication. He’s done nothing but read for the past four days. He won’t even eat.”
“He’s amazing,” Liam said. “Here we are.” We stood in front of two glass doors. Inside was a multi-level room lined with shelves. Each shelf was stuffed with books and journals. At a table on the second level, I could see a man sitting next to a stack of books. Liam turned to me and smiled. I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t melt a little. “You ready?” he asked.
“Hell yeah,” I said.
“Then let’s go meet the Snowman.”
Chapter Three - Alanna
The Snowman looked human, aside from a slightly larger head and an enlarged brow. He was handsome. I approached him like he was made of glass and the slightest vibration caused by a heavy step could make him shatter. He looked up from his book. When he spoke, his speech was stilted, but I understood every word.
“You are. Alanna Mac Ready?” he asked.
I grabbed the back of a chair, half because I wanted to sit down and half because I thought I might fall over from excitement. “MacCready,” I said. “Do you mind if I sit?”
“I would like it,” he said. “My name is Calder. I saw it in a book.” He extended a hand and I was momentarily struck dumb. His hand looked large and heavy, and his fingers each ended in what looked like a retractable claw. He saw my surprise and looked at his hand, and as I watched, his fingers transformed to have more recognizable pads and nails. He smiled, almost sheepishly. “Sorry,” he said. “Easier to turn the pages with claws.”
“You’re a cat shifter?” I asked. His hand closed around my own and I was shocked by his sheer power. He could crush every bone in my hand without a second thought, but while his handshake was firm, he did not hurt me. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“A cat from my time,” he said. He held my hand a little longer than I was expecting and never broke eye contact with me. I had to pull away a little before he let go. “A saber-tooth tiger is what you call it?”
“And you can partially shift?” I asked.
“I can.” He pulled back his hand, and as I watched, it transformed into a gigantic paw. The bone and muscle structure in his arm changed. Fur grew from his skin. He was a man with a cat’s forelimb. He extended his claws — two inches long at least and brutally hooked. Then as quickly as it happened, his arm was suddenly normal again.
“I’d like to talk to to you later if that’s okay,” I said. “I have so many questions.”
Calder smiled. “I would like it.”
Alanna
Back in the common area, I took a cup of coffee with a trembling hand. “Thanks, Donny,” I said.
“Sure thing,” Donny said. “I hope you like it strong and black.”
“Is there any other way?” I asked, and he laughed.
“Glacial and microbial analysis suggests that the ice we pulled the Snowman out of is at least a hundred thousand years old,” Donny said. “The exact time is proving difficult to pin down. We have some better equipment being shipped in, but the ice makes things slow.”
“Plus they don’t trust me enough to fly in anything expensive,” Ben said. Donny and Ollie laughed.
“What am I? Expendable?” I asked.
Ben just grinned. “Not at all, doc,” he said. “Prettiest passenger I’ve had in years.”
I rolled my eyes and turned my attention to Liam. He looked lost in thought, but something was gnawing at me after our conversation with Calder. “So what happens to the Snowman?”
“We’ll keep him here for study,” Liam said.
“As a prisoner?” I asked.
Liam looked hurt. “Of course not.”
“So he’s free to leave when he wishes?”
Liam turned his chair to face mine. “Alanna, surely you see the scientific value this subject has. We can’t just let him go.”
“That is such bullshit. You’re shifters. You might not be old enough to remember the zoos and the freak shows, but I’m sure you’ve all read history books. You’re planning to just keep him here and study him?”
Liam’s face darkened. “You don’t need to tell me anything about that time in our history. It’s a big part of the reason we try to just blend in.”
“I warned you about her bleeding heart, Liam,” Ollie said.
“Fuck you, Oliver,” I said. “You flew me all the way to the frozen asshole of the Earth because I thought you wanted me to weigh in on the biological effects of the therianthrope progenitor. A virus I thought you pulled out of the ice — not out of the blood of a man I just talked to. Which, by the way, was a nice conversation. When did he learn English?”
“Yesterday,” Ollie said.
“You’re shitting me.”
“We’re not,” Liam said. “He is learning things faster than any of us ever expected. He consumes books and even seems to grasp the content.”
“He even knows how to work that fancy coffee maker in the kitchen,” Ben said. “Donny’ll be out of a job, soon.” He grinned. I smiled and Donny laughed, but Liam was fixed on me. I could feel the energy rolling off of him, like waves of heat.
For a moment, we just stared at each other, like seeing someone familiar after a long absence. Did I know him from somewhere and had forgotten? Even sitting down, Liam’s presence was powerful. Every muscle in my body wanted me to jump into his lap, but instead I slid backward in my seat.
Liam seemed to realize his own intensity. He broke off eye contact with me and sat up a little straighter. “We always assumed that ancient humans were less intelligent based on their tools and what we know of their society through evidence of burial grounds and trade routes, but what if they just didn’t need anything else? We don’t know if he’s dangerous. We don’t know if the virus he’s carrying is dangerous.”
“Can you at least promise that if we decide that he’s not dangerous, we come up with a plan to reintroduce him to the world?”
“At this point, I can’t promise anything.” Liam said.
I sighed. “A big cage is still a cage.”
Calder
Calder watched the human female and the bear shifters leave. He was overjoyed that she’d accepted the offer to join their team, and closed the book he was reading. Biochemistry. Finally, he could begin to put his plan into action. They understood so little, and Calder could not trust them. He would stay underestimated. Speak in easy sentences. Mispronounce words.
There was so much research on the progeny of his bloodline, but fortunately that research did not exist in eons past. If only his tribe had known the effect of silver on shifters, they might not have been content to leave him a prisoner in the ice. They just couldn’t figure out how to kill him. The warriors of his tribe had tried, absolutely. Blades. Fire. Drowning. Calder had left them no choice. He understood that. They were afraid. Calder closed his eyes. If only he alone had been the lone victim of their fear.
Hopefully history would not repeat itself. Hopefully the people of this time would welcome a return to nature. A connection to the world in which they lived.
The shifters in this time were weak. They might need to be culled to make way for the new, purer breed. They were unable to partially shift. Unable to truly call upon the strength of the animal and the man at will, and to have control over both. Liam had said that the bears changed only during a full moon, and if they did shift at will, the animal held sway over the man. Their lack of control was pitiful. And the chang
e was a thing to be celebrated daily, not endured as a monthly hardship.
But not all of the bears were useless, he reminded himself. There was one with potential. He would help Calder bring the plan to fruition. He could be redeemed. Calder smiled. It would begin so soon now. He just needed to understand a little more about the world in which he now found himself. He opened another book.
Chapter Four - Alanna
I stared out of the huge windows in the common room. It was night, although outside the sky was the same purple-blue twilight as it was when I arrived. It really was beautiful. I should have brought a camera along, because my cell phone pictures just did not do it justice.
“You okay?”
I almost jumped out of my skin at the sound. I spun around and there was Ollie, holding two cups and looking like he thought he might get decked. If my hand didn’t ache from the cold, I might’ve actually punched him.
“You scared me shitless,” I said. “You know I fucking hate it when you sneak up on me.”
“I’m sorry, Allie,” he said. “Peace offering?” He held a cup out to me. It was filled with a golden liquor that smelled like it might burn a hole right through the floor.
I took the cup. “What the hell is this?”
“Richie Golden makes it. He has a still. It’s basically moonshine mixed with honey and spices. He calls it Golden Gate. The rest of us call it Heaven’s Gate, because when you drink it, you feel like you’ve died and gone to heaven.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “So you’re trying to buy your way back into my good graces with rotgut whiskey?”
He flashed his most charming grin. “I thought it might be nice. You know, have a few drinks, catch up a little. Bury the hatchet, maybe?”
“Before I bury one in you, you mean?”
“The thought had crossed my mind. I’d just like us to be friends. Truly. I’ve missed you, Allie. I’m glad you’re here.”
I took a sip from the cup. It burned all the way down my throat in the best possible way. I did have a thing for questionable beverages. Ollie continued to speak, but I failed to hear a single thing he said. I just kept sipping from my cup and eye fucking him, staring at his square jaw and his dimples when he smiled. The strength of his hand when he put on my thigh made my heart skip a beat. I felt like I couldn’t breathe as badly as I needed him.
Admittedly, it had been awhile since I’d last had sex. I was on edge, I really needed to blow off some steam. And if there was ever a man on Earth worthy of scorn-fucking, it was Oliver.
“…I was hoping to spend some time working on myself and —”
“Oliver. Shut up and show me where my room is.” I think even after all this time, I might have actually surprised him.
He grinned. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Alanna
Ollie was back in my bed again. I just couldn’t believe it. Silencing the last of my good judgment, I leaned back on the surprisingly comfortable bed and tried to enjoy the light kisses on my feet. Ollie crouched down, kissing me from where my feet were exposed to my ankles. His lips were warm and his hands even more so.
“Ollie…,” I started to say, and slid my jeans down over my thighs. Less consciously, I parted my legs to give him better access and he tore my jeans the rest of the way off and tossed them across the room. The bedding was so soft against my bare thighs. I started to squirm and Ollie crawled between my legs. He rose up on his knees, stroking my legs from calf to thigh, then leaned forward until our lips were nearly touching. He smelled so familiar, like sunshine. I grabbed his head and pulled him to me. Our first kiss was ferocious, heavy with all of the times I’d wanted to slug him and then fuck him until he couldn’t walk. His tongue was forceful and tender all at the same time as he parted my lips. His hands squeezed my thighs, then ventured higher to lightly stroke my pussy through my panties. Any reluctance melted away, only to come rushing back when Liam’s face came crashing into my mind.
“Wait,” I said, and pushed my hand against Ollie’s bare chest. I just had the most bizarre feeling that I was being unfaithful to Liam, which was utterly insane. Even as sexy and interesting as the man was, I’d only just met him. And then as quickly as it came, the feeling was gone. “I have no idea what I’m feeling and…” I stopped mid-sentence. Ollie was staring at me with sparkling eyes and I couldn’t remember the last time I had been this horny.
Ollie just smiled. “This is the first time you’ve been around two alphas at the same time,” he said. “It can be a little intense. I didn’t think to warn you about it.”
I relented to a battle that my body had made me not keen on winning anyway and slid my hand down to his cock, wrapping my hand around his girth and pressing my rubbing my thumb against its sensitive underside.
Ollie let out a deep growl and leaned forward to kiss me again. Suddenly we were intertwined.
My skin was on fire as he kissed me. When he gently nibbled my jawline, bringing his hands to my throat, I thought I might boil over. Ollie pulled my top up over my head.
I arched my hips upward, loving the feeling of his cock sliding over my wet panties. He kissed my throat, sliding his tongue down between my breasts. Bringing his hands down to cup them, he teased the sensitive pinnacle of each with his tongue and sucked them in turn. His sharp teeth slid along one nipple and it drove me insane. I wanted him inside me immediately — I wasn’t sure I’d ever wanted anything so badly in my life, but he obviously had other plans. He pushed himself up on his arms and then slid down beside me, turning so that his hard cock was inches from my mouth.
Ollie kissed and licked my thighs, pulling my legs apart with strong hands, then rolled my hips and laid his head on me. He pulled my panties to the side and I could feel his warm breath on my most sensitive skin. As his tongue licked the length of my cleft, I took his cock into my mouth. The vibrations of his deep groan sent a wave of pleasure rocketing through me. I took as much of him as I could manage, relishing the taste of him as I swirled my tongue around the tip.
“Allie,” he said. His voice was almost desperate. “You feel amazing and taste even better.” He teased my opening with a finger, then slowly worked it inside as he dragged his soft, hot tongue over my clit. My pleasure broke my concentration, so I let his cock slide from my mouth. Wet with my saliva, I stroked its entire length while fighting to breathe. Between my legs, Oliver tongue was the promise of things to come. I couldn’t stand the wait.
I moved my leg out from under him and spun around, mounting him. I could not even be bothered to take off my panties. Just pulled them to the side and pressed the tip of his cock against my opening. When it slid in, I gasped. He was thick, and it had been awhile. I worked my hips slowly, sliding some of his girth into me, then withdrawing. Ollie was in no mood to be teased. He grabbed my hips roughly in both hands and shoved himself deeply inside me. I cried out. I couldn’t help it—it was just so good to be so full. I fell over against him and leaned in so he could take one of my nipples into his mouth.
We fucked fast and hard. Ollie pulled out almost all the way before slamming his cock back into me again. Over and over. I moved my hips in rhythm, feeling that familiar buildup of orgasm. I tried to prolong the feeling, but it would not be contained. When I came, I collapsed on Ollie’s chest breathlessly, floating in waves of pleasure that found every part of me.
“Allie,” he growled. His eyes were wild. “You feel so good, I can’t…”
Ollie pounded into me at a fever pace. His breathing grew ragged and his expression almost pained. He was past the point of no return, so I just held on and enjoyed the ride.
When he pulled his cock out of me, I reached underneath and grabbed it, stroking him as his cum shot out in long spurts. I reveled at the way his cock pulsed under my touch, so thick and virile.
I collapsed to his side, breathing hard. The orgasm invigorated me to the point that I believed I could scale a building with my bare hands. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt so alive.
“Oh, no,” I said. “You can’t pretend to be a gentleman after all that. I’m on to you.”
He laughed. “You mean again?”
“Don’t say stupid things.”
Chapter Five - Liam
Liam paced in his quarters. He could not get Alanna out of his mind, and no amount of Heaven’s Gate would change that fact. He’d never met anyone with whom he shared the connection he’d only heard about — the fated mate. The one person in a shifter’s life that was supposed to complete them. Tame them. Release them. It was a connection stronger than love. Stronger than blood.
He’d always tried to stay at arm’s length over affairs of the heart. He was terrified of the look in a lover’s eyes when he told her his secret. He’d seen it all too often in his early life. Throwing himself into his education was a poor substitute, but it kept him safe. It kept them safe.
And now Alanna. A woman who already knew his secret and didn’t bat an eye. Who already knew that a bear tore out of a human skin on the night of a full moon and a man fought his way out of a bear skin come morning. I wonder if she’d treat the skins like socks, he thought. ”Dammit, Liam,” she’d say. Clean up your damn pelt. He’d make a joke about it and then, laughing, they’d fall into bed together.
Liam closed his eyes and tried to banish the thoughts. She was here to assist in the research, even if they had different feelings about the ethics involved. Besides, she had history with Oliver, and their culture made crossing into another bear’s territory very taboo. She was spoken for. And Liam couldn’t break the rules just to make himself happy.