Chocolate Temptation

by A. C. Mason

  “We can move faster if you put me down,” Alexia said.

  He met her stare, unsure that he trusted her reason for making the offer. “Do you promise to do as told?”

  “Yes.” Alexia nodded, her bright green eyes beaming at him.

  “Good, I need to shift and you can ride.” He lowered her into the impressions his feet had made to ensure the weres didn’t follow her tracks. “Hold this.” He handed her the leather bag, then he turned from her.

  As he leaned forward, he undid his jacket, then released the buttons of his shirt.

  She set down the sack and stepped away from him.

  “You’d better not be doing what I think you are.” If she deceived him, he’d be angry. “If you break your word, it will be impossible to regain my trust.” He unfastened his trousers.

  “I’m sorry.” She spun and picked up her pace, shifting from human to wolf ghostly- matter midstride. Her Shunu form pulsated.

  “Alexia.” Cathen pursued. Light burst from his cells. As his limbs morphed into paws and he went from two legged sprint to four in solid wolf form, hair covered his flesh.

  Two large male werewolves approached at lightning speed. Alexia stopped. The larger of them lunged at her. Cathen leapt in front, forcing the attacking snout downward with his paw. He took up a post, shielding her with his body.

  “Give us the girl.” The beast’s mind spoke to them both.

  “Or what, fellows?” Cathen paced, mirroring Alexia’s movements.

  “Keep them busy so I can get by.” She barked to him.

  The woman was insane, and seemed to have forgotten she was more prone to being a damsel than a hero. “That is the last thing on earth I’d do.” He growled. “You should be heading west.”

  The thinner of the werewolves swung his claws at her. Using his body, Cathen nudged Alexia away and whacked the attacker’s limb.

  The werewolf whimpered and licked his wound.

  “If you give us the girl, we’ll stop hunting your pack,” the bigger one said.

  As if Cathen believed a word that came out of one of those filthy animals’ mouths. All they wanted was to get all the Shunus out of the way, so they could win the war and cleanse the world of those like Alexia, and many others. Not while he still had an ounce of strength in him.

  A horrid howl came from the train. It was VanWolf.

  Chapter 3

  At the terror Alexia heard in VanWolf’s cry, she barked, and the sound vanished in the whistling wind. She had to help him. No matter how she tried, though, she still could not connect with him through their mental link. She could only assume VanWolf had shut down their telepathic connection to protect her. Large snowflakes fell, coating their fur. Cathen formed a wall between her and the lean, black salivating werewolves.

  “You can spare him if you come with us.” The glimmer in the thinner werewolf’s yellow eyes unnerved her. A waved of hatred from the beasts traveled through her body. Their intent was to harm her. Nothing would please them more than to figure out how to get the ancient Shunus’ abilities and rid the world of their kind once and for all. Furthermore, she was the key. At least that was what they believed. She didn’t know what she was. VanWolf called her a miracle. Part of her had stopped believing those would happen to her. Once again, it seemed she was right. Not that she wanted to be.

  “Alexia, I need you to go with Cathen.” Weak and strained, VanWolf’s voice sounded in her mind.

  “I can’t. I need you.” Did he know what he asked of her? She couldn’t lose another person she loved. Not again. The joy she’d known over the past few weeks as his mate dwarfed all the pain built up inside her from the loss of her mother, father and brother. With VanWolf, she was whole, and the pack provided her with the family she’d lost. “What of our child?”

  “I won’t fail to protect my mate and child a second time. Don’t make me a failure, please.” The timber of his voice quivered in an echo of pain. “I won’t try to get out until I know you are both far from here and safe.”

  She knew he meant what he said. “Okay, I will go with Cathen and meet you at the rendezvous point.”

  The two werewolves swarmed on Cathen, at once forcing him to the ground. He pushed himself up and shook his body, throwing each in a different direction. A squeal pierced the frigid air followed by a low, menacing growl.

  One took up a post in front and the other behind. Cathen backed up, forcing her to remain hidden. Red stained his white fur. Reaching forward, he seized the larger one with his paw and sliced through his neck. Blood poured from the claw-sized gashes.

  The smaller werewolf sprinted away. Cathen pounced on him, placed his paws on both sides of the beast’s head, twisted and snapped his neck. A breath released from the were in the cold winter air, swirling like mist.

  The wind whistled around her, chilling her to the bone.

  “Let’s go before the two others pick up our trail.” He pushed her bottom with his snout. “And you stay in front where I can keep both eyes on you.”

  If only she had listened, maybe VanWolf would have escaped by now. His words the morning after he’d marked her while they’d made love replayed. I don’t see my future, only my death. So when she’d made him promise after he’d said those words that they’d be together for eternity, he may have lied to her. She hadn’t given him much choice.

  Cathen placed his clothing inside the leather bag and held the band in his mouth, then with a flick of his head, looped the strap around his neck. His amber eyes met hers, then they shone gold.

  He nudged her to a trot. “We need to pick up our pace.”

  “Fine.” As she sped to a jog, the frigid mountain night bit into her tender flesh. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why, even covered in a thick coat of fur, she still felt cold. She never seemed able to warm up. The air this high in altitude was thin. As she climbed the steep slope, her muscles cramped.

  When she slowed down, Cathen growled at her. Since she’d paired with VanWolf, Cathen rarely spoke to her, and when he did, she wished he hadn’t. VanWolf had advised her to give him time, but Cathen only grew more distant with every passing day. He’d even stopped joining the pack for meals.

  She had no need for his attitude. “I’m tired,” she responded. Fatigue plagued her aching body, and her mate could be dead.

  “Why don’t you shift to human form and I will carry you?”

  The provoking note in his voice annoyed her. He knew damn well she’d shredded her clothing when she’d shifted. Her abilities to morph from human to Shunu left a lot to be desired still. “You know I can’t.”

  “And why would that be, princess?” The forced cordiality in his tone wasn’t an improvement.

  She grumbled under her breath. He wouldn’t be content until she admitted her foolish actions, or her lack of practice.

  “Because I shifted while fully dressed,” she said low, head turned away from his penetrating stare.

  “You’re welcome to wear my attire.” Nothing out of the ordinary about how he’d delivered that.

  Could she be reading too much into the way he spoke? “Really?” She glanced back at him. Was this a ploy to embarrass her?

  His graceful movements displayed his strength as a warrior. It was why he was the Epsilon-Beta. “Of course the offer is sincere.” He met her gaze with his golden eyes.

  Why had she thought otherwise? Because she couldn’t figure out if he hated her or not? When VanWolf had asked her if she should be saving herself for someone, she should have told him of her interest in Cathen, but the Alpha was all consuming and had burned right through her flesh to her soul.

  Now she feared for VanWolf’s life. Not a word had come from him in the last while.

  “Otherwise we may never get out of here.”

  Cathen just couldn’t help himself from taking a swipe at her. That didn’t mean she had to engage in the banter. Part of her wondered if he did it in an effort to elicit a reaction from her.

  He gestured
with his snout a few yards ahead. “Over there looks like a good spot for you to change.”

  The row of pine trees would provide privacy and good coverage from the wind. The moon was past the three quarter phase, and bright. Less than a week remained before the large orb went full, wreaking havoc on the pack.

  He set the sack down and turned his back to her, giving her privacy.

  “Thank you.”

  Since her transformation, she still struggled to shift at will. Often in intense situations, she did so without warning, but controlling her ability was hit and miss. At least with her Shunu gifts. She spent more time concentrating on her chieftain skills, of which healing was the strongest. The ability had benefited nearly every member of the pack at least once in the past few weeks.

  “What’s taking you so long?” He panted.

  She pulled out his shirt, pants and jacket. “I’m trying to concentrate.” It was a small fib, wasn’t it? She might be responsible for VanWolf’s death. Tears burned her eyes.

  Cathen was angry at her actions. At this moment, she couldn’t focus to shift back, and the cold stabbed through to her insides. She wanted to lie in the snow and wait for VanWolf to carry her, wherever he was. But she had their baby to think of, and herself. Nor could she allow her blood to fall in enemy hands. She needed to be careful about telling Cathen about the child she carried to ensure he didn’t take even more risks to keep her out of harm’s way. As she and VanWolf had discussed, she wouldn’t tell anyone until they rejoined the pack.

  “My brain is scrambled. I can’t concentrate.” She turned her paw over in surrender, unable to settle into a transformation.

  “We need to keep moving,” he snapped at her.

  How was his comment helpful? As if she weren’t aware they needed to get out of there. “Then help me.”

  “No.” He shook his head.

  Was that a double no? “What?” Why was he being so difficult? He claimed they had to get out of there, but wouldn’t assist her so they could.

  “I’m not going to change you back. He’s turned you into a spoiled princess. The most basic skill of a shifter is being able to transform at one’s own will. Not to be dependent on others doing it for you. I’ll be carrying you most of the way, and you can’t even morph so we can keep moving.” His condescending tone grew worse with every word.

  Who the hell did he think he was, speaking to her this way? He used to treat her with respect. She’d show him. Spoiled princess? The nerve!

  Her long, elegant limbs became graceful legs. She breathed deep as she lifted from the ground. Energy burst from her every cell. A buzz tingled all over like atomic fusion–that was what VanWolf called the excited state of the Shunu transformation.

  She landed in the snow. The cold bit into her bare feet, cramping her muscles. She slipped on his pants and boots, then wrapped his coat around her. Wind whirled up under the fabric against her skin. She slid his shirt under the jacket and pushed each arm inside a sleeve. One by one, she fastened the buttons, then secured the jacket. She placed the sack on her shoulder.

  “There are gloves and a hat in the bag.” If she didn’t know any better she’d say he smiled. Of course, that was impossible because wolves don’t have facial expressions.

  She reached in to remove the items and covered up.

  Cathen pulled up alongside her. “Let’s go.” Back to his pushy self.

  From where she stood, the train tracks below weren’t visible. A smokestack rose near where they had fled. Did that mean the train had yet to leave? Maybe they wouldn’t take VanWolf with them. Nor would they leave him behind alive if he couldn’t escape. No, he’d find a way out. He had to.

  Alexia climbed and sat astride the Shunu Cathen’s back, grabbing onto his thick coat of fur. Dark red liquid slid down his side to his front leg. She followed the trail to the gash in his shoulder, running along his neck. As her finger pressed the wound, he growled, then clenched his jaw.

  “That hurt.” He spoke through gritted teeth.

  Any moment he could pass out from the loss of blood. “Why didn’t you tell me you were injured?” She leaned into his pointed ear.

  “It’s irrelevant.” He leapt upward, covering yards in a single stride.

  Men. “Stop and I will heal you.”

  “We don’t have time for that. For all we know we have two more weres on our trail,” he grumbled.

  “But we have time for you to become incapacitated and for me to nurse you along the way?” What could she have been thinking, that his plan made more sense…

  He growled. “I’d prefer you not use magic on me.”

  Her healing ability wasn’t magic, exactly. “I will heal this when we stop, and I’m not listening to any more of your nonsense about it.” Somehow, she was deeply connected to matter on a cellular level. She could speed the natural process in the body to heal. Yet she couldn’t explain how. She wasn’t versed on the workings of all the nuances, nor did she have anyone she could ask about how it worked.

  As they descended the other side of the peak, Cathen’s breathing labored. At the basin, pristine water sparkled. His predator body moved gracefully through the untamed forest, avoiding branches. The snow ran deep, requiring considerable effort as his paws sank into the white powder.

  “No speaking. The risk of an avalanche on this side is high.”

  That was his way of telling her to be quiet.

  Chapter 4

  The winding path through the maze of thick brush drained Cathen’s energy. The powder beneath his paws sunk with every step forward, requiring twice the effort to advance. Snow fell heavily, leaving minimal visibility.

  He stopped in front of the door of a log cabin. A well cared for shack. From the slight residue of human scent, no one had been here in weeks.

  The lovely creature on his back kept him on edge. There was a special place in hell for men like him. Men who wanted a woman marked by another male. And he was in the depths of the underworld in a sea of flames. Suffering for his desire over and over again. Silencing her was a new torment. Alexia’s soft exhalations brushed his fur and seeped into his flesh. The rise and fall of her chest, the weight of her breasts against him brought purgatory to earth.

  Not a word from VanWolf, which told Cathen the situation wasn’t good. The Nazis’ methods left little room for belief in their humanity. He didn’t even want to consider what would happen if the Alpha didn’t make it out. Did she know she would become his wife the moment VanWolf died? Would he need to be the one to tell her? How could he explain ancient customs and obligations when her mate had died, or how dangerous he might be until they sealed their bond? Yet he couldn’t stop wanting her. This horrid outcome was his punishment for choosing as his mate a female who’d picked another. But when they’d met and his wolf-spirit selected her, she hadn’t belonged to anyone. Even if she had been taken, it wouldn’t have meant anything to his inner wolf. VanWolf had told Cathen she’d been meant to be his mate. He was doing the best he could, given everything that had happened. Of course he could try harder.

  “Get down.” He lowered one of his front paws to allow her to dismount.

  She slid her silky legs off him. Already, he missed the warmth of her body on his. He backed away, working himself into his divine light. His legs quivered as he took slow, deep breaths. A throbbing sensation radiated from his neck. Frozen blood glazed his front paw. Maybe his injury was worse than he’d believed. Those worthless weres wouldn’t be the end of him. He had a mission and he refused to fail. Not when she meant so much to him.

  Alexia wrangled with the handle.

  She was infuriating. “Out of the way!” He pushed back on his hind legs, ready to move through the wood in his ghost spirit form.

  The door swung open.

  He huffed. “You couldn’t help but use magic, could you?”

  “Actually it was open.” She turned her palms up and raised her brow.

  “Fine,” he grumbled. “No fire. We grab all the blankets a
nd fabric we can find and head into the innermost closet. If we find candles we can use those for heat, otherwise it’s our bodies’ warmth only.” He entered the living room, then the kitchen area where a large woodstove stood front and center. Cabinets formed a row against the wall. In the center, an empty sink linked most likely to a frozen cistern. Pots, pans and bowls littered the counter.

  Alexia searched the drawers, then headed for the first room.

  Three doors lined the opposite side. He poked his head into the backroom. Two single beds stood with folded covers at the foot.

  She exited a room near the entrance with sheets, blankets and candles in hand. “I need to heal you. While I go get some water, you transform into human. Think you can handle that?”

  The sauciness of her manner irked him. Who did she think she was, talking to him this way? Just because she was the Alpha’s mate didn’t mean she could get away with such disrespect.

  She tossed the covers onto the floor near the middle of the door, then pulled coats off hangers. Plopping a large wool hat on her head, she grabbed a bowl and headed outside.

  A few items still swung on hangers: a large pair of trousers, two dress shirts and some long johns. From the inside, this place appeared to be used as a seasonal retreat for a family.

  Cathen closed his eyes and concentrated on returning to his human form. Cells in his body buzzed with energy as he encased his divine light into the cage of his human form. Paws contorted to hands and legs. With his large body returned to a torso, he rose to his feet. Blood leaked down the ridges of his muscles over his lean stomach. He twisted, stretching the tender muscles of his abdomen, then used his hand to wipe the glaze of red.

  Outside, Alexia reached the lake. He grabbed the trousers and slipped them on, covering his nude lower half.

  From the rear room he took the covers. If he didn’t get the small space warmed up she’d freeze to death. Opening a cabinet, he removed a plate, got matches from his bag and lit the wick. He tilted the candle, dripped wax onto the plate and placed the end into the soft substance to harden in place. What was taking her so long? He shoved over the blankets and lowered the plate. An inch of snow coated the entrance. The storm worsened.