Chapter 16
“And this is Wyatt and Jada,” Indigo said, pointing to the pudgy little boy and the sour-faced female.
Halley barely paid any attention. She was chatting away with Piper and Maia, both girls asking Halley questions about her dog. The white dog sat between the girls, wagging her tail excitedly. Indigo thought she was quite cute, if not a little smelly.
There was a clear schism in the wide central chamber, with Siluit wolves on one side, and Amarok wolves on the other. The Siluit wolves didn’t look as uncomfortable as she might have expected, and while neither pack looked ready to start mingling, she’d seen more than one of her female pack mates gawking at the Amarok males.
As soon as Indigo said her name, Jada’s head snapped up. Pursing her lips, she said, “Why can’t we eat what they’re eating?”
Jada pointed to a group of five males, who were eating what smelled like fresh muskox. Two were in their wolf forms, and two were eating and conversing in human form, while the fifth lay stretched out on a black pelt, muscular arms folded behind his head. She recognized him as the wolf who had been with Erik the day before, the one who had appeared as large as the alpha himself.
She stared at him longer than she should have, and wasn’t surprised when his golden eyes flicked in her direction. Something about his eyes made her skin prickle, and not in a pleasant way. They were dangerous eyes.
She looked away, turning her attention back to Jada. “We have our own food to eat. Why don’t we go find Boaz and he can get us some—”
“I don’t dry meat, I want what they’re eating,” Jada protested.
“Too bad, kid,” said Kya, sauntering over to them. She looked Indigo up and down, her lips quirking. “Where have you been?”
“Sleeping,” Indigo said. “Have you seen my brother or Ginnifer?”
She’d looked for them when she’d first entered the main room, but although she could smell their scents lingering, neither had been anywhere to be seen.
“You just missed them,” Kya said. “They went back to sit with Gin’s sister. I heard she’s doing better now, thank God. I thought Erik was going to kill you.”
Indigo was glad to hear that Astrid was doing better, though the mention of Erik made her stomach twist. She still didn’t understand how Erik could be related to Sten, with as scary as he was.
“I didn’t know Sten had a pup,” Kya said, her nostrils flaring in Halley’s direction.
“Her name’s Halley.”
Kya leaned in close, her brown eyes sparkling with intrigue. “Hey, are you sleeping with Sten?”
Indigo was taken aback by the abrupt shift in topic. She was almost positive that Jada wouldn’t understand the question, but she still grabbed Kya by the arm and pulled her away from the pups.
“I only slept in his room, nothing happened,” she said quietly.
“You slept in his room and nothing happened?” Kya repeated doubtfully. “His scent is all over you.”
“We slept very closely,” Indigo said. The memory of waking in Sten’s arms still made her heart flutter. “Besides, Halley was in there. It’s not like we could have done anything.”
Kya gave her a sly look. “And if she wasn’t there?”
At least a dozen fantasies shot through her mind, each one more graphic than the last. Indigo looked over to where Halley was playing with Piper, oblivious to their conversation.
“Then we’d probably still be in there now,” she said frankly.
Kya gaped at her. “Wow. I suspected you had a thing for him, but I didn’t see this coming. Now I don’t feel so bad. I’ve been scoping out the males here and damn, it’s like a candy shop, Indigo. Everywhere my eyes land there’s a naked male that looks good enough to eat. If I didn’t have to watch Coral overnight, I’d spend every night in a different bed. And I’d start with that one.”
She pointed in the direction of the five males, and Indigo didn’t have to look to know that she was referring to the large, dangerous-looking one.
Kya groaned. “Have you seen him? I bet he could toss me around like a rag doll.”
“And snap your neck like a twig,” Indigo remarked.
“You’re no fun,” Kya said. Her expression darkened. “Ugh, what the hell is that pup doing now?”
Indigo looked over to see Jada standing in front of the males, looking like a hobbit among giants. She said something to them, which prompted raucous laughter from the two that had been eating.
Kya stalked over to them, Indigo close at her heels. A male with short, snowy hair was handing Jada a slice of meat as they arrived at her side. Jada looked at the meat, and then back at the male, frowning.
“It’s not cooked,” she said.
The males laughed again, and said something to one another in a language Indigo thought she recognized as French. Whatever it was, the words were spoken too rapidly for her to make sense of them.
“Give the meat back and get your butt back over with the rest of the pups,” Kya said, lightly thumping Jada on the top of her head.
“But they gave it to me,” Jada said. “And they told me I can join their pack and eat with them whenever I want.”
This time, the males made an effort to suppress their laughter, though it was probably because Indigo was scowling at them.
After another moment of going back and forth with Jada, Kya finally managed to dismiss her, though the pup refused to give up the meat. She stormed off, angrily informing them that she was going to go build a fire. Indigo went to follow her, but Kya gave her a very subtle kick to the ankle. The next thing she knew, Kya was introducing them to the males.
“I’m Kya, and this is my friend, Indigo.”
Indigo gave them a tight smile, wishing she were anywhere else. There were a million other things she could be doing besides helping Kya find a bed partner.
“Beau,” said the shorthaired male. “This is Ciel, and that one, he is Sylvestre.”
Sylvestre.
Indigo cocked her head as she looked at the lounging male. “Oh, you’re the one who tried to give Halley a tattoo.”
Suddenly, he didn’t look quite so threatening. Sylvestre’s brows rose, and he made a sound somewhere between a grunt and a cough. “I only offered to shut her up. I knew her father would not agree to it.”
His accent was definitely French, though nowhere near as thick as Beau’s. He looked her over, considering her in a way that made her feel like she wasn’t wearing any clothes. When his eyes came back up to hers, he gave her a slow smile. She realized then, that he was very handsome. He had strong, masculine features, his face almost perfectly symmetrical, save for his nose, which appeared to have been broken, more than once by her estimate. His real appeal was his body, which was every bit as scarred as Sten’s, though the marks were evenly distributed throughout his ripped torso and muscle-bound limbs. If she’d him anywhere else, she would have never pegged him for anything but an alpha.
“I wasn’t aware that you two knew each other,” Kya said, looking thoroughly displeased.
“We don’t,” Indigo said. It annoyed her that Kya would be so quick to turn on her over a male. “Halley mentioned him while we were getting dressed.”
Beau rattled off something in French to Sylvestre, and this time Indigo was able to catch Sten’s name. She turned to see him approaching them. He was still wearing the pelt that he’d taken when he’d left the room that morning. Part of it hung open, exposing a long triangle of flesh from his strong neck to his hard abdominal muscles.
His gaze brushed over Indigo and to the other males, settling on Sylvestre as he came to stand beside her. Just when she was beginning to feel disappointed by his lack of acknowledgment, he placed a hand on the small of her back. It was a light, simple touch, and it made her pulse race.
“You’re looking better,” Sten said to Sylvestre in a flat monotone.
Sylvestre averted his gaze to stare at the ceiling. “I’m glorious.”
Sten looked down at Ind
igo. “Have you eaten yet?”
The question reminded her of Halley, and she winced. “I’m sorry, I still have to feed Halley. I introduced her to the other pups and then I got sidetracked.”
“Don’t worry about it. She’d let you know if she was hungry.”
Staring into his amber eyes, it almost felt like nothing existed beyond the two of them, and she gave a small jump as Kya addressed her.
“Hey, Indigo. Do you think you could take some food to Coral and Lake after you eat? I really don’t feel like going up that death trap of a walkway again today.”
“Where are they?” Indigo asked.
“In a cave about a kilometer west of here. You can follow your nose to them.”
“What are they doing there?” Sten asked.
Kya faltered at being addressed by Sten, though Indigo couldn’t fathom why. Instead, Sylvestre answered.
“No one could think straight with the way she smelled,” Sylvestre said. “I wasn’t going to wait for the males to come to blows over the girl, so I told the Siluit betas to get her out of our den until she is well.”
“There’s nothing wrong with her,” Indigo said, putting her hands on her hips. She could hardly believe that she was defending Coral, the way Sylvestre had spoken about her was aggravating. It was as though Coral wasn’t a person, but a problem to be dealt with.
Sylvestre made no effort to apologize.
“I know where she is,” Sten said. “I’ll take you there after we eat.”
“I’m sure I can find it on my own,” Indigo said quickly.
As much as she wanted to spend time with Sten, especially away from the den, she definitely didn’t want him anywhere near Coral.
Sten frowned. “I’m not having you leave the den on your own, not until you’re familiar with the area.” He cocked his head towards Beau. “I’ll be over with Henna and the Siluit betas. Have something cooked and brought to me.”
Beau got up and left without protest, and with his hand still on her back, Sten guided Indigo away from the others. They walked close enough together that her hips brushed against him.
She could see Henna sitting with Kuva and Roch on the far side of the room, but Sten didn’t lead her straight there. Instead, he took her a roundabout way that led away from the clusters of people.
“Stay away from Sylvestre,” he said. “His sister died recently, and he has not been himself. Tell Kya as well.”
The warning annoyed her, though she wasn’t sure exactly why. She thought it might be her old habit of being combative, finally resurfacing.
“Kya’s a big girl. I think she can handle herself.”
“Not with that one, she can’t.”
Indigo had been thinking the same thing not ten minutes ago, but she still couldn’t quell the urge to be contentious.
“Fine, I’ll stay away from him,” she said sweetly. “Any other males I should avoid, or am I free to do as I please with them?”
She watched him from the corners of her eyes, looking for even the slightest hint of jealousy, but Sten only rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I wouldn’t dare deprive you. After all, I have heard that many of the males in my pack look good enough to eat.”
Any belligerence she had felt was promptly replaced by embarrassment as she realized that he had overheard her conversation with Kya. How long had he been in the room, and how much had he heard her say?
So what? She thought suddenly. So what if Sten overheard her? By now, it would have been obvious to Sten that she wanted him, and she was fairly certain that he wanted her too. And if he didn’t, well then she just wasn’t trying hard enough.
She rounded on him, flattening a hand on his chest to stop him. Her fingertips came in contact with the bare flesh of his chest and she almost lost her point in the ensuing wave of arousal that hit her.
“I want you,” she said, looking him straight in the eyes. “I’m not interested in anyone else. But I need to know that you want me, too.” She forced the last words out, though she wanted badly to keep them confined to the insecure corner of her mind.
Sten pulled her hand from his chest, but didn’t let go of it. His thumb drew small circles on her palm as he spoke.
“This is hardly the place to have this discussion,” he said. “But we will have it. Tonight, in my room.”
Chapter 17
The ravine was less terrifying while on Sten’s back, but Indigo still felt nauseous. She kept her eyes on the narrow, icy pathway and tried not to look in the direction of the dark chasm.
The pathway had made an excellent excuse for not shifting. She’d told Sten that she’d been worried about slipping, and he’d been quick to agree that he should carry her. In reality, she wanted badly to shift and go for a run, but her wolf had stubbornly refused to come out. For all it had played coy earlier, she could feel her wolf closer than ever now, practically rubbing up against the back of her skin. Whether it was taunting her, or trying to get closer to Sten, Indigo was unsure.
With Halley sitting in front of her, Indigo did her best to keep her hormones in check. When Sten had told her that he’d be taking her to Coral, she’d imagined the pair of them going on a private run, perhaps even spending some time alone together after her errand was completed. But after breakfast, Sten had taken Halley to get changed into heavy furs for leaving the den.
It was another reminder that Halley was going to be as much a part of her life as Sten was. She had planned on having pups with Sten if she could, the first as soon as possible. But she hadn’t thought that she’d be inheriting another female’s pup, and it was still a lot to take in.
While Halley and Sten had been getting ready to leave, Indigo had finally stopped by Astrid’s room. To her immense relief, she and Ginnifer had gotten Astrid awake, though she’d been more than a little disoriented. They’d gotten her up to pee, and managed to get her to drink some broth before laying her back down beside her mate. Indigo was still amazed that Erik had slept through the entire thing.
Snow started to drift down around them as they reached the top of the cliff. Halley tried catching the snowflakes on her tongue, and Indigo almost joined her. Sten’s presence made her think twice. She still worried about how he perceived her, and didn’t want to do anything that made her seem childish.
As Kya had said, Coral’s scent was easy to pick up, and the cave wasn’t far. Sten carried them across a small valley, and stopped a few minutes into the rocky hills. Halley slid off his back, and as soon as her feet hit the ground, she started to run and jump in the snow.
Sten shifted once Indigo had climbed off. Indigo stole a quick look at his nude form, before helping him to secure his pelt. He could have easily done it himself, but he let her do it, a small smile playing on his lips.
“I haven’t been outside in a whole week!” Halley shouted excitedly.
His smile vanished, and his lips pressed to a hard line.
“Malina didn’t take you out?” His tone was light, but his expression was anything but.
“I asked, but she doesn’t like going out in the snow.” Halley was looking at him worriedly.
“What about your uncle? He seemed to have time to take Astrid hunting.”
Halley shrugged. “He took me out once last week, but I could tell he’d rather be alone with Astrid, so I didn’t ask again.”
Sten sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck.
“Are you mad?” Halley asked.
He walked over to pat her head. “Not at you, darling.” Turning back to Indigo, he nodded towards the hill up ahead. “The cave is up there. We’ll wait for you down here. Take your time.”
Indigo nodded, though she had no intention of staying any longer than she had to.
Lake was waiting for her as she reached the top of the hill. Indigo’s father had once told her that she and Lake were cousins, though Indigo was grateful that they shared no resemblance. Lake had a hooknose and thin lips, set in an otherwise plain face. Her breasts were even smaller than Indigo
’s, and her hips were narrow and boyish.
Despite this, she’d always been very popular with the males. Indigo thought this had less to do with her personality, which was just a notch above bearable, and more to do with her lack of inhibitions. Once, she had overheard a conversation between Roch and another male, and things they’d talked about doing with Lake could still make Indigo blush.
“Where’s Kya?” Lake asked. She was standing in front of the squat entrance to the cave, her boney arms folded beneath her chest.
“Probably in bed with some Amarok male by now,” Indigo said, sounding more than a little envious.
There was only one Amarok male she wanted to be in bed with, but was unfair that Kya could be indulging in carnal pleasures when Indigo had a sinfully appealing mate that she still hadn’t claimed.
“I figured as much,” Lake said, spitting at the ground. “What’d you bring?”
Indigo held out the basket. “Same crap we’ve been eating all week.”
Sten had tried coaxing her into eating some of his grilled muskox meat. It had been hard to pass up, especially when he’d offered her a slice from his hand, but it’d felt wrong to enjoy fresh meat when the rest of her pack was on rationed jerky.
“Whatever,” Lake said, snatching the basket. “At least it’s something. I’ve been hunting all morning and I haven’t found so much as a fucking rat. This place really is a wasteland.” She sneered when she looked inside the basket. “Tell me this is just one meal.”
“It’s supposed to last until tonight. Kya will bring her own food.”
“Well, at least I won’t have to share it,” she grumbled, taking a bite from a piece of dried meat. “She drinks like a fish, but she’ll sick up anything you try to feed her.”
“How long has it been since she’s eaten?”
Lake shrugged. “I dunno. She looks like shit though.”
And now I’ve officially had my fill of Lake for today.
Chasing the Alpha: Shifters of Nunavut, Book #3 Page 14
