“Jealous, you mean. Father didn’t have the choice of going against the nanuk norm. Mother is lycan. She loves one man, forever. There was no room in her heart for Uncle Itigaituk, except as a brother. That’s why Dad is having problems with our uncle now. He never forgave Father and Mother for excluding him. How much longer to the hunting shack?” Mathis looked at the swiftly falling snow. This storm might cover their escape from the resort, or it could strand them in the middle of nowhere.
“A little over an hour, unless you want to get out and shift. We could make better time in our animal coats.” Ujarak looked hopefully over his shoulder at Mathis.
“Once we got to the cabin, we wouldn’t have any clothes or supplies. I should have sent you up earlier to stock the things we might need.” Mathis shook his head. Margot turned him inside out, he couldn’t think straight when she was in danger.
“We can hunt for food. Your princess would have to rough it, but she’d survive.” Ujarak slowed the car as visibility lessened.
“Don’t call her that. She doesn’t like being singled out.”
“Aww, to old man Martin, Margot is his little princess. He doesn’t want to see the wolf in her. What did her father say to your plan to secret her away?”
“He didn’t say anything. I didn’t tell him.” Mathis couldn’t help but smirk. Parker Martin thought he could tell Mathis what to do where Margot was concerned, except lycan law recognized the mating bond before other family. “I spoke to Margot’s mother and the Quebec Province Alpha, Jared Wolfe. I didn’t want the pack coming after us. We all agreed that her father shouldn’t be informed until after I took Margot out of the party.”
“He’s going to be mad as hell when he finds out. He thinks he’s top dog since he owns the resort.”
“He owns the resort, but the pack owns the land. Martin is pretty arrogant. I’ll do what I think I need to in order to keep Margot safe. Lycan law will side with me, her mate, whether her father likes it or not.”
“Don’t make an enemy of your father-in-law. Your mate won’t thank you for it,” Ujarak warned.
“I’ll try to remember that,” Mathis said with a sigh. He couldn’t take his eyes off the woman sleeping so soundly, her head against his thigh. He wanted to pick her up, hold her tight to his heart, and never let her go.
§
“Hey, man. You awake back there? We made it, though I’m not sure how. The wind is blowing pretty hard, so be careful when you open the car door,” Ujarak said from the front seat.
“Go get the cabin door open and start a fire. I’ll take care of my mate.”
“Sure, sure. Should I plan on sleeping outside tonight? Or will you invite me into your bed?”
“Dream on, little brother. I don’t share, you know that. Margot is mine, and mine alone. Now get moving before she gets too cold.”
“You should try and embrace your nanuk side once in a while. Sharing a woman can be fun for all participants.”
Mathis growled low in his throat. His brother jumped from the car and made his way to the door of the log cabin standing between three large fir trees. Ujarak wouldn’t be mad, he knew Mathis was lycan through and through, or amarok as the nanuk called them. He inherited some things from his father’s race, just not the need to share a mate, or shift into a polar bear. He’d done all the sharing he could take watching Margot hunt for a mate.
“Margot, I need you to wake up. Wake up and look at me,” Mathis said, his hand gently caressing the soft skin of her shoulder. She shuddered and blinked open her eyes, before sitting up and looking around.
“Where are we?” she asked wrapping her arms around her middle.
Mathis slipped off his jacket and placed it on her shoulders. “At my hunting cabin. It’s not much, but we will be able to see someone coming across the tundra for miles. Come on, let’s get you inside and out of the cold.”
Margot nodded while gripping the edges of his coat in an attempt to keep it closed. Mathis opened the door and stepped into the snow, sinking a good four inches. He reached in for Margot’s hand as she scooted across the seat and swung around to get out.
“Wait, you’ll only freeze your feet in those dress shoes. Let me carry you.” Mathis didn’t wait for an answer. He lifted Margot into his arms and pressed her close to his chest.
She let the coat fall off one shoulder so she could wrap an arm around him. She buried her nose in his neck, hiding her face from the wind. Mathis felt every movement of her body against his, every breath she took.
He struggled to stay focused as erotic fantasies filled his head, all of them showing Margot naked in his bed. He trudged through the snow to the front of the cabin, his mate in his arms, and pushed the door open with his shoulder.
Ujarak looked up from the fireplace, a fire crackling on the hearth. “This should warm the place up pretty quickly. Here let me get that door.”
Mathis placed her in the chair closest to the fire. She immediately put her hands out, trying to feel the building heat.
“I need you to get the bag of Margot’s things and the other supplies out of the trunk.” Mathis said to Ujarak. He stood by the door watching Mathis and his mate, a look of longing on his face.
“Sure, sure. I’ll be right back.” Ujarak hurried out into the snow.
“Is he going to be all right?” Margot asked her brow furrowed.
“He’ll be fine,” Mathis quickly assured her. “Are you warm enough? Do you want to shift? You’d be warmer in your wolf form.”
Margot nodded. Mathis felt immediately relieved. If Margot was in her wolf form, she would be safe from the cold and his brother’s envious gaze. “There’s a small bathroom behind that door,” Mathis said, pointing to the doorway next to the sink on the wall. It would be cold in the bathroom, but it would give her the privacy to strip before shifting.
Margot walked to the door and opened it looking inside. She bit her lip before stepping into the room and closing the door. Mathis sighed. What would his mate think of only a small toilet in the room? There wouldn’t be any bathing while in the cabin. Even hand washing took place at the kitchen sink.
Mathis pulled two foam mattresses out of the bench seat by the table. He unrolled the first one by the fireplace and the second one he left in the chair. Ujarak opened the door and walked in with the small duffle, a suitcase full of clothes for Margot, and the box of food supplies. Kicking the door closed, he left a trail of snow as he walked to the table and deposited the items.
“It’s colder than a witch’s kiss, out there,” Ujarak grumbled.
“I know a few witches who would disagree with that statement,” Mathis said.
“Really? You know witches? Real witches?” Ujarak asked.
“Of course. You really need to get out more, little brother. See the world before you settle down with a mate.”
“What are they like? Can they put a spell on you?”
“Most magic doesn’t work on shifters, at least not on lycans, and they’re people, the same as you and me.”
A small whine came from the bathroom. Both men turned and looked at the closed door. Mathis walked over and opened it. Margot trotted out in her wolf form and rubbed against his leg. Mathis buried his hand in the fur around her neck and then patted her on the head. “Lay down by the fire. I’ll get your things.”
Mathis grabbed her belongings and his jacket. Before storing the items in the duffle, he couldn’t help but breathe deeply, taking his woman’s scent into his lungs. Margot lay on the mattress he left by the fire and put her head on her paws.
Ujarak stacked the food supplies on the lone wooden shelf over the sink as his gaze took in the scene. “Now what?” he asked, leaning against the sink.
“Now we get some sleep. Here.” Mathis threw the rolled up mattress at Ujarak. “In the morning, we’ll do some hunting and scout the ground so we can plan our surprise for Ouelette.”
Ujarak nodded and then looked pointedly at the wolf staring into the flames. Mathis shook his h
ead. Later, he mouthed to Ujarak. His little brother wanted him to claim his mate. First, he must remove the hypnotic command to ignore the mating bond. He’d already pushed her to sleep earlier. She didn’t mention it, but her mind stayed firmly closed against him. He could get past her shields, except he didn’t want to hurt her.
Mathis strode to the fire and kneeled next to Margot. She thumped her tail in greeting. Mathis put his hand on her neck. She shivered. He caught her gaze and held it.
“No fear, little wolf. You know I’ll never let anyone harm you. Come, share your mattress with me.”
She quickly moved to the edge. Mathis lay down on his side and pulled her unresisting body back against his chest. He kept his arm around his mate and let sleep take him.
§
Margot stared into the flames. She leaned her wolf body against Mathis’s solid weight. She didn’t like that he commanded her to sleep earlier, but she had trusted this man from the first moment she saw him across the room, two years ago.
Her parents had opened their house to some of the pack members for a Christmas celebration. Mathis walked into the living room with the old Alpha, Jasha Wolfe, Jared’s father. She’d looked on in curiosity from her seat next to the Christmas tree. When Mathis caught her gaze and held it. She couldn’t have looked away even in an emergency. He was bigger and broader than most lycans, but it was his chocolate colored eyes that captured her. Her whole body came to life. She rose from her seat, certain that she belonged to this man. He would hold out his hand, she would take it, and the mating bond would appear. She took a step forward.
Mathis turned his back on her. Suddenly, she felt weak, and shaky, confused. She sat back in her chair. He spoke quietly in Jasha’s ear, and the Alpha directed him to her father, standing by the bar. Margot never forgot that night. She’d been so sure that Mathis was her mate. Then nothing ever came of it. No mating bond appeared.
Her vision blurred and then cleared with more clarity than before. She could hear the Christmas carols playing on the stereo and the clink of glasses as people chatted around her. The lights on the Christmas tree grew brighter and cheerier, while the smell of blue spruce filled her nostrils. It felt like going back in time. She jumped when a roughened hand landed on her knee.
“I’m sorry, I turned my back on you that night. Your instincts were correct, I am your mate. Come dance with me.”
Mathis pulled her into his arms and they danced, right there by the Christmas tree. On some level, she knew she dreamt, but she never wanted the dream to end.
“I have enemies and I wanted to protect you. I hope you’ll forgive me, nutara.” Mathis ran his fingers down her cheek. “Your skin is so soft. I love touching you.”
Mathis’s fingers slid under her chin and lifted her face. His mouth came down hard, possessive. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He licked at the seam of her lips demanding entrance, claiming her. She moaned. His tongue swooped in, plundering the depths of her mouth.
Finally, when she felt faint with desire, he pulled back. His lips hovered over hers, the warmth reaching to connect them. “Open your eyes,” Mathis commanded.
She looked up at him. The warm chocolate color of his eyes fascinated her. She wanted to sink into their warmth. “When you wake up, you will be able to see the mating bond between us. You will be able to feel through the bond, as well as send your thoughts through it. The mating bond is a gift without measure, and I am glad it ties me to you.”
A loud pounding on the door, jerked her awake. Mathis already stood by the door, a gun in hand. Ujarak jumped up, ready to fight as well. Margot stood, quivering with energy, unsure whether to fight or flee. She shook her shaggy head, trying to clear the last of the dream from her mind.
With a nod of Mathis’s head, Ujarak yanked open the door. Two people walked in, bundled in furs. Ujarak made a noise of surprise and clutched one of the people in a hug. The other fur covered person pushed off her hood, releasing a flood of long brown curls, and smiled at Mathis.
“Hello, brother. Ujarak said you might need a little help keeping your mate safe from a human. Since, I know a human couldn’t be a problem for my big brother, I decided to come see for myself,” the woman said, reaching for the ties of her jacket, she shrugged it off. “Kumaglak came along to test his new dog team.”
Mathis looked first at the woman and then at Margot. Finding the whole scenario slightly surreal, Margot sat. Mathis had a family? Family that smelled funny, or maybe that was the furs they wore to keep warm. Mathis continued to look at her, his gaze worried.
“Did we interrupt something?” the woman asked, looking from Mathis to Margot. “Won’t you introduce us?”
Margot waited for Mathis to tell the woman, she wasn’t his mate. That he worked for her father, and was tasked with keeping her safe. Instead he smiled and held out an arm to the woman. She slipped into his embrace.
He hugged her briefly and then turned to Margot. “Margot, this is my sister, Malina, and the one Ujarak is hugging is my middle brother, Kumaglak. Malina, this is my mate, Margot Martin.”
Margot froze. No. Her nostrils flared, expecting to smell the scent of a lie, instead the smell of truth was behind Mathis’s words. She shook her head. She must be wrong. Mathis wasn’t really her mate, she just wished him to be. He wouldn’t hide the mating bond from her, not for two years.
Her body began to shake. Margot tipped back her head and howled her grief to the sky. The need to run, to flee from her mate’s treachery, gripped her. She leapt for the open door and the darkness outside.
Mathis lunged at her. “Margot, NO!”
She made it past his grasping hands and jumped into the waiting snow. Then she ran.
§
“Dammit!” Mathis ripped off his shirt and reached for his pants.
“What are you going to do?” Ujarak asked.
“Go after her. If we’re not back by tomorrow, come looking.” Mathis shucked his pants and called the change.
White lights surrounded him as his jaw lengthened and fur sprang from his skin. In a moment he was a huge white wolf, broader and shorter than other lycans, he was still bigger in stature than most.
He ran out the door, trusting his family to have his back. Margot’s trail, easy to follow through the snow, led to the northwest. Thank goodness, the storm passed leaving a layer of powder. Mathis lengthened his stride. He would need to catch her before she ran into any nanuk. Not all polar bear shifters were friendly with the lycans.
Chapter Three
The cold of the night air burned her lungs. Her heart pounded, flooding her ears with the sound of rushing blood. She reached for the next stride. How could Mathis do this to her? He denied her. Kept their mating a secret from her. She leapt over a narrow ravine.
Tears blurred her vision, but still she ran. The moon bounced off the snow and an occasional bush. She ran and ran. Her heart shattered in her chest. All she ever wanted was to be loved, to have a family of her own. Her mate didn’t want her. It rang in her head with each stride, didn’t want her, didn’t want her.
Her lungs fought for breath. Her legs quivered. She was broken, alone. From the corner of her eye, she saw a gigantic monster wolf coming up beside her. She put on a burst of speed, wondering why she bothered to fight to survive, when she had nothing to live for.
The animal growled, showing huge white teeth. Margot shuddered, fear coursed through her. Was this one of the ferocious amarok the Inuit Indians spoke of? She tried to swerve away. The beast stayed with her. She swerved again. He followed her. The animal snapped his teeth, barely missing her. Margot jumped to the side. Next, he lunged at her, knocking her over.
She rolled. He surrounded her. She bit and scratched. He growled, “Dammit, Margot! Stop it! Stop fighting me,” pierced her brain. She froze. They rolled to a stop at the bottom of a ravine. The enormous beast held her down. His jaws clamped on her shoulder. She looked into chocolate brown eyes glaring at her in fury. She whimpered. Slowly, his hold on her le
ssened. He watched her, waiting to see if she made a move.
“Stay right where you are. You’re foolishness has increased the danger you’re in tenfold. Wait while I dig us a snow cave.”
Her foolishness? With a final stroke, his words turned what was left of her heart, to dust. She laid where he left her, uncaring whether she lived or died. Tears leaked from her closed eyes, the cold slowly eating its way through her fur.
“Dammit, Margot! Why didn’t you move to stay warm?”
Strong arms lifted her and carried her through a small opening into a dug-out snow cave. Mathis laid her down, his hands searching for wounds on her body. The bite on her shoulder left her fur wet, but he was careful not to break the skin. He rubbed her legs and torso, trying to get her warm. Finally, he pulled her into his arms, using the heat of his naked body to warm her. She laid on his lap, unable to respond. He lifted her head and brushed the frozen tears from her face. “Open your eyes, Margot! Look at me, dammit!” He shook her slightly.
The tone of his voice grabbed her. Her wolf spirit whined and forced her to comply with the Alpha’s wishes. She blinked her eyes open. Mathis captured her gaze. Warmth suddenly flowed into her body, into her heart. “You will shift. Right now!” he commanded.
In moments, Margot sat on Mathis’s lap in her human form. She shivered from the cold, her skin prickling from the frigid air. He leaned down and took her lips, his kiss hot and demanding. His thoughts flooded into her mind, his desire for her, his need to keep her safe. Arms tightened and crushed her to his chest. “Shift back to your wolf. I won’t let you freeze. NOW!”
Margot obediently called the change, unable to deny the Alpha voice Mathis used on her. She blinked her eyes, and once more she was a wolf. She looked up and noticed he too had shifted. He towered over her, his front paws, one on each side of her. She whined. He leaned down and sniffed at her, burying his nose into her fur. Then he licked her muzzle.
The Gift of My Mate (Siberian Volkov Pack Romance Book 9) Page 2
