by Vivian Arend
Dani hit the brakes and spun the skidoo sideways, skidding to a stop inches before tipping into the pitch black of the river’s icy depths.
Michele was vanishing into the distance already, lights fading, the low rumble of the engine growing softer and softer until Dani was sure her friend was safely away. They’d connect ASAP down the road.
In the meantime, a roar on the southern bank pulled Dani’s attention toward the wolves. Dark shadows lengthened, the sky growing twilight dark as the sun gave up for the day. Dani eyed the open water between the shoreline and where she sat on the sled on what was now an island of ice.
Good. The gap was too wide for anyone to jump.
“Hang on. I’ll get a rope.”
One of the men disappeared, the other approaching the bank, stomping vigorously. “You idiot,” he grumbled, his voice dark chocolate and grit.
“I’m sorry about your sled,” Dani called, eyeing his naked form with admiration. Sometimes naked wasn’t a good thing, but in this case, he was a fine example of lupine masculinity. And yay for great shifter night vision that let her see him.
Soft curses rose from the man. “Fuck. You’re a woman.”
Dani snickered. “Last time I checked, yeah.”
“What the hell—?”
“Here, bro. Catch the rope.” The other man returned, tossing a coil to her grumpy dark shadow on the riverbank.
Mr. Grumbly caught the armful gracefully, turning to her as he anchored one end around his waist. “We won’t hurt you. Now catch the rope, and I’ll pull you and the ice float to safety.”
Oh, the sweet gentlemen. “Awesome.”
Not that she needed any help, but she did like for people to feel useful.
“Don’t make any quick movements,” he warned, that voice slipping over her like erotic sandpaper. All her lady bits were tingling for some reason.
The rope landed within an arm’s reach, and Dani smiled as she got off the sled and took one step toward the center of her floating palace. “Good job.”
“Tie it around your waist.”
Nope. “I have a better idea.”
She made a quick slipknot then dropped the coil over the skidoo handle bars. She tugged to make sure it was tight before twisting back to the shore and. “There you go. Thanks for the ride, darling.”
“What the hell—? Wait. Stop.”
Dani took a step around the sled toward the edge of the floating island. “You might want to increase your security a little. The second deadbolt on your front entrance is out of date. People can get key blanks for it on the black market for five dollars.”
He pulled himself to his full height, holding out a hand as if calming a child. “Don’t move. We’ll get you to safety, and I promise, nothing will happen to you.”
Awww. He was worried about her. “You’re sweet, but I’m okay.”
“That island you’re on isn’t stable.” He pulled gently, the ice rocking in spite of his care. “Keep your balance low, and once you’re close to shore, I’ll save you.”
He shouted over his shoulder at the other wolf, but Dani had seen enough to know it was time to make a quick getaway.
He was cute, though, that big ol’ wolf with the flashing dark eyes and the grumbly voice. Maybe someday their paths would cross again. Now, though, she needed to regroup and try a different way to reach her sister.
She kicked off her boots as she stepped to the water’s edge, icy chill sliding over her toes as she shrugged free of her jacket. Cold wrapped around her as she wiggled out of her pants and dropped to her butt, ankles dipping into the frigid water.
A hoarse cry of anger and denial rang from her wolf, but he was too late. She turned toward the riverbank as she slipped under the surface and shifted.
The last thing she saw as the current sucked her away was the dark-haired wolf being tackled to the ground before he could leap after her.
2
Cole rolled from under his brother, scrambling to his feet and desperately eyeing the river for a sign of his slippery target.
When he realized she was gone, he turned on Caden frustrated and furious. “What the hell did you do that for?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Because I didn’t want my brother to kill himself,” Caden roared back, his display of temper heightened by the look of disbelief on his face. “Are you out of your goddamn mind?”
“She was getting away.”
Caden jerked back in surprise, his anger cooling under rising curiosity. “That was a chick? Interesting.”
The worry and frustration in Cole’s gut tangled then exploded outward. “She’s not interesting. Not to you, not to anyone else.”
His brother raised a brow, his expression going wary. “Oh? And this would be…because?”
It had finally happened. It had finally happened, yet this was the most frustrated Cole had been in his entire life. This topped the months and years of waiting, because—
“She’s my mate,” he snarled.
And she was gone.
For one small moment, the wind had carried a gust of air across the ice that had laced itself through his system, and Cole had felt whole for the first time in his life. Not the scent of perfume, but her. Addictive, overwhelming. Like everything he’d long for, and everything he needed to be complete.
One enormous snout full of an aroma unlike anything he’d smelled before.
He lifted his gaze to meet his brother’s, pretty sure that misery was the strongest expression marring his face.
Caden responded appropriately enough. “Shit.”
The icy air registered on his bare skin, and Cole headed back to his sled, jerking on clothes and slipping his feet back into his boots.
His brother did the same, returning to his side as Cole eyed the river and considered his next move.
“No.” Caden shook his head. “You are not going after her right now.”
It was like being back in their teen years, when Caden had hauled Cole out of one dangerous situation after another, usually caused by Cole trying to “prepare” for his future. Cole would blindly rush headfirst before his brother’s damn voice of reason would lasso him and jerk him into line.
Only this time, it was his mate they were talking about. Cole was tempted to bare his teeth and growl. He didn’t want to settle down and think rationally.
Caden gave him a look. “Don’t make me pull rank on you.”
Bullshit on that. His brother might have been the stronger of them until now, but prophecies said changes were coming. “I don’t think you could,” Cole informed him.
Momentary shock shone in his brother’s eyes before he recovered, a slow grin curling his lips. “Just because you’ve met her, doesn’t mean you’re actually mated yet. And until that happens, Prince Cole, you’re only royalty in waiting.”
“Don’t call me that,” Cole said instinctively at the childish tease before realizing the prince bit was another part of the prophecy, and if one part was coming true, maybe other crazy repercussions were on the way. “Why the hell should I not go after her?”
“You can, but not this instant. Don’t go off half-assed,” Caden told him.
His brother turned his back and headed to his sled, starting the engine and heading into town without another word. As if he was trusting Cole would use what little sense still clung to his wolfish nature and make the right decision.
It nearly killed him, but Cole mounted the second sled and followed. He put on his headset, though, to offer a few choice words regarding the matter.
“I’m doing this under protest.” He wanted that crystal clear.
“Understood. But if you’ve met your mate, that means a whole lot of other things could be moving forward over the next while, which means I need to get back to town. We also have clients to follow up with—we committed to guiding them, and guarding them, and we’ve done a pretty shitty job of both.”
“Not our fault. And honestly, they were safe. She wasn’t going to hurt them.”
/>
“Oh, and you know this from some magical mate bond that shouldn’t even exist yet?”
Cole sighed. “Bastard.”
Caden offered a low chuckle. “I’m glad for you, but don’t jump the gun. Part of the reason why I didn’t let you chase after her is I caught a flash of white. If she’s a polar bear, there’s no way you want to tangle with her in the water.”
“She wasn’t a polar bear.”
“Flash of white, bro— That’s all I’m saying. Pick a better spot to fight than in the fucking water.”
His brother was stubborn as a mule. Stubborn as Cole himself.
A change of topic was needed before Cole’s wolf decided to take matters into his own paws and shift to track down his mate. “Perimeter sweep?”
“Several. And then, since they were obviously in the shop, we’ll get a scent on them. I don’t want to speak to our clients without any answers at all.”
There was only one answer Cole needed, and that was why the hell had his mate taken off on him. “I will track her down.”
Caden assured him of his utter belief, then signed off.
They worked in silence as they encircled the entire town, his body going rigid as if he’d been poked with a cattle prod when he caught another whiff of that enticing scent. Her, his mate.
Our mate, his wolf emphasized.
It took a little while to be sure there were only the two scents—his mate and a second stranger. Finally satisfied, he and Caden made their way into town and returned to the shop.
His brother stopped to examine the door and the security system, whistling softly. “You know, she’s right. This middle lock is useless.”
Great. Not only was his mate a thief, she was an experienced one. Experienced enough she could identify a weak link in their security. Cole went straight to the corner of the shop where they kept the emergency supplies, shoving food and equipment into a pack randomly.
“Take a deep breath, and get control of yourself,” Caden snapped again.
Damn logic anyway. Cole closed his eyes and counted to ten. It gave time for his wolf to pace back and forth under his skin like the wild animal it was. By the time they’d both settled, he knew his brother was right.
The whole situation was screwed up, but there were good things to focus on. Like, he knew his mate was there—really there, not just a bit of knowledge floating around in the ether. She was real, and solid, and if he had his way, she’d be in his arms before the week was out.
Before the day was done, if possible, although that was pushing it considering there weren’t that many hours before midnight.
He pulled on a thicker coat and his travel boots. “I’ll take one of the sleds. I’ll cross the river then travel up and down stream until I pick up a scent.”
“Great idea.” Caden slammed a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to stop his rush toward the sleds. “Right after you come with me to talk to our clients. I got a message they’ve slipped out to the Northern Lights Theater for a bite to eat.”
“Fuck that, I’m—”
Caden was strong enough his stern frown made Cole pause. The balance between them, though, was wavering. Undulating.
The change in power caused a strange sensation, and he saw Caden work through the new emotions as well.
“I’m not ordering you.” His brother spoke softly. “I think you need to go with me. You need to talk to Nadia. See if she has any advice or warnings for you.”
“Nadia’s not my Alpha,” Cole snapped.
“And you know damn well I’m not your Alpha anymore, either.”
The new ranking between them hovered, like a storm threatening to fall.
“Come with me. You’ll be gone in under an hour with my blessing.” Caden pushed him firmly toward the door. “We’ll talk, I’ll make some excuse about feeding you, and you can take off. And we won’t say a word about one of the intruders being your mate.”
Cole forced his feet to obey, even though everything in him wanted to turn and head toward the river.
They were two steps from the front doors of NLT when the owner, Nadia, slipped in front of him.
The petite lynx shifter wasn’t much to look at—pretty enough, he supposed, but really, she was a slip of nothing when it came down to it. No impressive claws, or fangs, or power streaming out of her.
Not at the moment, anyway. She was like a stealth bomb. Secretive and silent, yet powerful enough she could make Cole crawl if she wanted.
“Heading somewhere?” she asked. “Gee, Cole. You seem a trifle…ruffled.”
Cole sighed. “Are you really going to make us do this? Now?”
She offered a grin. “Nah. I’ll be nice. Just wanted to wish you good hunting.”
How did she do that?
“You know, people would like you better if you didn’t do spooky shit that makes it seem as if you’re reading our minds,” Caden muttered, obviously as frustrated as Cole.
“People like me, plenty,” Nadia insisted. “Right, Martin?”
Her lumbering shadow of a bouncer-slash-bodyguard stepped into the light. The enormous brown bear shifter was the size of a Mack truck, but somehow still reminded Cole more of a puppy dog, soft and eager to please, at least when it came to Nadia.
His dark brown hair stood upright in unruly tufts as if he’d just dragged his hands through it for the umpteenth time. “I like you.”
Cole snorted. The big dude was infatuated with the little lynx. “Oh, we all like you. You still do spooky shit, that’s all we’re saying, Nadia. Martin, she’s spooky, right?”
Martin hesitated for long enough that Nadia turned her blue eyes on him, jaw dropping as if shocked. “Martin.”
“You are spooky at times,” the big man admitted softly. “I still like you.”
“Aww, I like you too. But I’m not spooky,” she insisted.
Cole rolled his eyes. The two of them were bad enough to deal with when he didn’t have an urgent agenda. “If you two don’t mind, I’ll get tickets for a future showing of this mutual-admiration-society event. In the meantime, I’m off to track down our mystery guests.”
Nadia waved a regal hand. “Have fun, Prince Col—”
“Don’t call me that,” Cole snapped. Dammit. “That’s exactly what I was talking about. I’m pretty sure I’ve never mentioned a word about that…situation…to you.”
“Really?” Nadia made a face. “Okay. Well, we can discuss it more once you’re back.”
Caden took that as a signal to move, but as his brother stepped out of earshot, Cole couldn’t resist asking. Maybe with her woo-woo help, he’d have an idea of what was going on. Not that the woman was a mystic, but she certainly wasn’t normal, either.
“Nadia. You know what I’m dealing with here? Any clues?”
Her bright perkiness faded. She concentrated hard before shaking her head. “I’m sorry, Cole. If I had something to tell you, I would. It’s all a big sea of fog and confusion right now. I only know you’re going after something more important to you than tracking down random intruders.”
He squared his shoulders. “Yes.”
Nadia swung her arm encouragingly. “You can do it.”
“Is that the Super-Omega of Chicken speaking?”
She snickered. “It’s the lynx who’s seen you in too many bar brawls. You don’t give up, you jerk. I know once you get your teeth into an idea, you’re going to make it work. I pity the people you’re tracking, because they’re going to be found.”
She leaned in, holding his arms for a moment. He bent over so she could brush a kiss on his cheek as if in blessing.
He straightened to discover two pairs of eyes watching him. Nadia with encouragement, Martin with a hint of jealously and a flashing dagger of frustration. It was enough to send Cole off into the pub with a lighter step. He would find his mate. And Martin? Had it bad for the little lynx.
Hmmm. This knowing stuff was heady business.
He kept his cool through the meeting with thei
r clients, the dark-haired woman and her big bear protector, vowing he’d find the trespassers, but his mind wasn’t fully on the discussion.
As promised, neither he nor Caden said a word about the fact he suspected one was his mate. And when Caden gave him a nod, Cole escaped, fleeing the sanctuary of the Northern Lights Theater. He had plans and he had a goal.
Track his mate.
She’s ours.
Dani crawled up onto the ice, not bothering to shift back because it was just as easy to travel in her bear form. Easier, really. With her spectacularly bad timing, the only thing that remained of her gear was the stretchy emergency kit she’d fastened around her wrist.
The design was her own invention. The fabric was supple enough to survive the shift to animal size while retaining elasticity to snap back to fit her human form. Clothes rarely survived the shift.
The small transceiver she’d attached to the outside glowed a solid red. Her partner in crime on the other end must be out of range—the glowing light should flash if Michele were within the proper radius.
Dani brushed her paws together before heading for the nearby trees. The other woman was a skilled enough tracker. She’d join Dani at the rendezvous point when possible. While they’d just met for the first time a few days ago, their individual training over the years should have given them the ability to take care of themselves. Dani certainly could.
She also had a head full of the maps she’d looked over before the operation, and now she headed toward the nearest shelter.
It took six hours before she stumbled into a clearing and the solid shape of a tidy little cabin came into view. Stars were full overhead, and the air had grown icy. Dani went all the way to the door of the cabin and examined it closely before bracing for the shift. Standing in the cold, naked, wasn’t something she wanted to spend a long time doing, but so far, she’d hadn’t figured out how to use bear paws with lockpick tools.
