by Amy Ruttan
Who are you kidding? You don’t know jack-all about the wilderness.
Still she couldn’t stand around here waiting for Levi to catch her. He was ruthless when it came to the hunt. He enjoyed it too much.
No, she wouldn’t let Gordon get hurt. She cared too much about him, which was odd since he was a basically still a stranger. She knew hardly anything about him, except that he made her toes curl with pleasure.
Her stomach fluttered and her heart raced as she thought about his cock buried deep inside her.
It felt so right.
Only it could never be. Not while Levi was alive and looking for her.
She quickly got dressed, making sure she was as quiet as possible. Her gaze fixated on Gordon, making sure he didn’t move or wake up.
She took his parka, knowing he didn’t need it but she did, and then crept to the door. Slowly she eased the leather strap through the latch hole and opened it just as slowly so the cold blasts of air wouldn’t disturb the slumbering bear on the floor.
Sheridan’s heart was beating so fast that her blood was thundering in her ears as she shut the door. Each creak made her jump, hoping it wouldn’t wake him.
This is for the best.
Finally the door was shut. She took a deep breath, the cold air infiltrating her lungs and leaving a burning sensation.
Sheridan began to trudge through the snow. She got about thirty feet when the hair on the back of her neck stood on end and she shuddered with what her grandmother used to call the heebie jeebies.
She froze, turning around to look at the woods. It was then her blood ran cold in spite of the frigid temperature outside.
A large Kodiak was at the edge of the woods. It was standing still, its fur blowing in the breeze, and even from a distance she could feel its eyes boring into her. Like it knew what she was, who she was.
She was paralyzed with fear.
Levi was a Kodiak, but she was pretty sure it wasn’t him. It couldn’t be him, he couldn’t have caught up with her this fast. She prayed he hadn’t. Arms encircled her waist and she screamed as she was lifted off the ground.
“Woman, it’s just me, Gordon.”
Sheridan opened her eyes and realized Gordon was holding her and he was standing very naked…in the snow.
“Oh God, I thought…there was a bear.”
Gordon’s spine stiffened. “Where?”
Sheridan pointed to the tree line, but the bear was gone. “It was…it was there. A Kodiak.”
Gordon growled and carried her inside.
“No, you have to let me leave, Gordon.”
He didn’t listen to her and carried her back into the cabin, locking the door behind him. Gordon set her down on the floor and stood in front of the door. He was naked still, his arms crossed, his cock hard.
It made Sheridan melt into a little pile of goo.
It also pissed her off. Didn’t he get it? It was better this way. Besides, why did he care so much? He was a Lone and had no intention of returning to a clan. He made that pretty clear.
“Let me by, Gordon. I have to go.”
“Are you crazy? You know nothing about what awaits you out there and you were heading in the wrong direction, that’s if you were heading toward the road.”
Sheridan’s heart sank a bit.
“Now, tell me about this bear you saw?”
“I told you. It was a Kodiak.”
“You are certain?”
“Of course. Please, you have to let me leave.”
“With a bear on the loose?” He snorted. “I think not.”
Gordon opened the door and headed out, stark naked, into the snow. Sheridan ran to the door. “Where are you going?”
He didn’t respond, but he headed toward the tree line, his head raised into the wind, snow pelting his beautiful copper skin. Then he crouched down and Sheridan’s voice caught in her throat wondering if he was going to shift in front of her and secretly hoping he would.
Only he didn’t. He stood again and then turned back to the cabin. His eyes were dark and she knew he was fighting the beast within him again.
“I could smell nothing. It was a figment of your imagination.”
She breathed an inward sigh of relief, but when she opened her eyes again she saw she was standing in front of an aroused and pissed off Mukswa male.
“How did you know I left? You were sound asleep.”
Gordon tapped his head. “I can hear your thoughts.”
Sheridan startled and the blood drained away from her face. He could hear her thoughts? Only mates could hear one another’s thoughts and Gordon hadn’t marked her with his claws. How was he able to connect with her telepathically?
“Why did you run from me?” he asked, interrupting her pondering, his brow furrowed in confusion and anger.
“I-I thought I heard Levi and I knew if he was nearby…I didn’t want him to hurt you.”
A smug smile tugged at the corner of Gordon’s mouth. “He would not hurt me.”
“He is a Kodiak when shifted.”
Gordon shrugged. “So? It does not matter the size, it is one’s abilities.”
She let her gaze travel down to his still-erect cock. How true indeed. Heat flushed her cheeks and she looked away.
He reached out and touched her cheek. “I will not let him harm you.”
“I know, but leaving is for the best. If I leave he can’t harm you. You don’t know Levi the way I do. He’s ruthless, violent. He runs a lethal mob in our clan and kills indiscriminately.”
Gordon growled. “That is disgusting your clan leader allowed such a thing to happen in your clan.”
Sheridan bit her lip, a lump forming in her throat. “The clan leader was my father.” A hot tear slipped down her cheek and she wiped it away.
“Sheridan…I’m sorry.”
“Don’t you see why I have to run? It’s better for you.”
Gordon’s face softened. “Sheridan, it’s not safe out there.”
“I had to leave.”
“Why?” he asked.
“I couldn’t bear it if you got hurt. He’s hurt too many of my family and friends already.” Tears began to flow freely then, there was no stopping them even if she wanted to.
Gordon’s strong arms wrapped around her. His heartbeat was steady and reassuring, it calmed her.
“Who did Levi hurt? What did he do?”
Sniffling, she tried to regain control of her voice. “He murdered my father, then my mother, and my brother is missing and most likely dead. They were trying to protect me from him, but he was too powerful. He killed off all the people I loved and I couldn’t let him do it again.”
Gordon stiffened under her and he pushed her away, tipping her chin so she looked at him. His gaze was warm, like melted chocolate. The stroke of his thumb on her cheek was soft and full of tenderness. “I won’t let him hurt you, Sheridan. You’re safe when you’re with me.”
“I don’t think I could handle another death of someone protecting me. Too much blood is already on my hands. Besides you don’t know me well enough to promise me this.”
Gordon took her hands and kissed them tenderly, first one and then the other. “Just as you don’t know me well enough to run away to protect me, which by the way is a foolish thing to do in the middle of a storm.”
Sheridan chuckled and blushed again. “I guess I’m not the most experienced person when it comes to the wilderness, eh?”
“No, not in wilderness survival,” he teased and then leaned down to nibble her earlobe. “With respect to your other inexperience, well I’m willing to work with you more.”
Her stomach fluttered and her panties became damp. “Oh really? Just how do you propose we do that?” she asked, intrigued and highly aroused.
“There’s so much I could show you,” he whispered against her neck.
A ripple of desire ran through her. “Show me then. I want you so bad.”
Gordon scooped her up and laid her down on the mattres
s. “There’s lots of time for that.”
“Is there?” Sheridan was intrigued. Gordon gave her the impression that what they shared here was temporary, but now he was implying there could be more and that thought thrilled her. She’d love to have more time with Gordon. She’d love to have a life with him.
He was nibbling on her neck again and the brush of his teeth over the delicate skin made her blood sing.
“How much time do we have?” she asked. Sheridan couldn’t help herself, she was falling hard for him.
“Spread your legs.” He ignored her question but she complied, her body thrumming with excitement. “You tasted me, now I want to you. I want to taste you on my tongue when you come.”
A moan slipped past her lips when she thought about it, recalling the way his tongue licked her slit. She almost came right there just from that memory.
“Mmm, I can smell your arousal. You drive me wild.” He pressed against her thigh. “It’s so hard to keep calm around you.” He drew his tongue up the center of her folds, not quite parting her labia. Her nipples hardened, begging for his attention. When she glanced at him, with his face nestled between her thighs, she arched her hips up, offering herself to him, and he greedily partook. His tongue swirled around her clit and she thrust her hips in time with his tongue.
Two fingers slipped inside her. She cried out as he fucked her with his tongue and fingers. It didn’t take long before her pussy clenched around Gordon’s fingers, coming hard and fast.
As the last shudders of her orgasm rippled through her Gordon loomed over her, his eyes dark with lust. He parted her quivering thighs and began to stroke her folds.
“I can’t take any more. I can’t fight it.”
Sheridan had no idea what he was talking about and she didn’t care. All she knew was blinding, exquisite pleasure. Gordon stood and she moaned in frustration, wanting his undivided attention and tongue back between her legs.
“Your taste drives me crazy. I can barely contain the predator inside me.” His eyes were like coal, there was a feral look about him and it made her blood heat. Before she could respond he flipped her over. She braced herself on her hands and knees. She was vulnerable to him in this position.
He gripped her waist, his cock head pressed against her folds. She held her breath and waited in anticipation for that moment when he would thrust into her, possessing her. Gordon thrust forward, growling as his cock stretched her. It hurt for a moment because she wasn’t prepared since her last orgasm, but it only stung for a moment as her pussy adjusted to his size. His thrusts were deep and hard. Gordon restricted her movements but it didn’t matter, it felt so damn good.
So fucking good.
“Oh God, Sheridan,” he moaned, another growl rumbling deep in his chest. His hands moved from her waist and the sting of something sharp pierced her skin.
Oh my God, he’s marking me.
Gordon’s claws scraped across her flesh, marking her as his own. She cried out and arched her back into his claws so she could experience the sensation of his marking more deeply. It was a rush.
“Mine,” he growled as he finished his claim, his thrusts shallow and fast. The air brushed against her scratched skin. It stung as the cool draft mixed with the venom of his claw mark.
Sheridan bit her bottom lip, her pussy clamping down on his cock as she came again. He cried out, stilling as he spilled his seed inside her. Sheridan waited and listened to his heavy breathing. His cock slipped from her and he finally let go of her waist. She collapsed on her side, but as the mattress hit her shoulder she winced.
Though she didn’t mind the pain at all. He had marked her, claimed her.
Levi could never have her now. She belonged to Gordon.
She belonged to the Lone Mukswa and she was thrilled about it.
Chapter Five
“How is your back?” Gordon asked as he ran his finger over her silken shoulders. He had marked her as his mate. It had never been his intention, but in the moment when they connected mentally he just couldn’t control himself.
Sheridan had cried out as he raked his claws against her skin, arching her back into them. He was worried he had hurt her and now felt extremely guilty for binding her to him. A Lone.
“Fine,” she purred as she nuzzled closer to him. “Just fine.”
“Good.” He slid out from under the blanket and pulled on his pants. Behind him Sheridan sat up, he could hear the mattress shift and could hear the anxiety in her mind.
“Where are you going?” she asked, her voice tense.
“The snowstorm stopped.” He buttoned up his shirt, his throat constricting as he tried to fight the emotion he was feeling. Sheridan didn’t belong living with an outcast, but he didn’t want to take her to Dawson so she could leave. Gordon wanted her forever, but he couldn’t have her. It wasn’t fair.
A life of a Lone was no life for a woman of the clan—especially one who had been a chief’s daughter, in an affluent clan no less.
He didn’t have the help of his clan any more. All he had was his salary from the RCMP and a small one-bedroom modular home on the outskirts of Dawson.
Gordon had nothing to offer Sheridan Stevens, but he had marked her as his own regardless.
“So, it’s stopped. So what?” she asked.
“I’m going back to my patrol car and try to radio my detachment. Maybe the road has been plowed.” He highly doubted it. The road he found her on wasn’t a main access road. His radio would be working again. “Why don’t you try your cell phone again?”
Sheridan reached for her purse and pulled out her phone and then frowned. “No bars.”
Damn. They were too deep in the wilderness. “I have to get to the patrol car.”
“What will happen then?” Sheridan’s green eyes were wide with trepidation. He could smell her fear and it made him edgy.
“I’ll take you to Dawson.”
“My car is in a ditch somewhere.”
“I’ll find it and once it’s repaired you can be on your way.”
Her lip trembled and he heard her take a deep, even breath. “I see. What if I don’t want to go?”
“Sheridan…” He didn’t know what to say. She stood up and let the blanket drop, her naked body sending a jolt of fire straight to his loins. Sheridan turned, baring her back to him. Claw marks—his claw marks—grazed her skin. The venom in his claws would scar her flesh, telling other potential mates that she was his and his alone.
Gordon’s stomach twisted with guilt. “I’m sorry I did that to you.”
Sheridan picked up the blanket and covered her body again. “I’m not. You’re my mate, the one I choose, and I can’t live without you. I can’t breathe without you.”
Gordon pulled her into his arms, holding her tight against him. “I’m an outcast. You’ll become an outcast too and for that I’m sorry.”
“I don’t care as long as I’m with you.”
He smiled. “Well we still have to go to Dawson. We can’t stay here.”
“Why?”
Gordon chuckled when he saw the wicked glint in her eyes. “I have a job to do. My detachment would miss me.”
“I understand. It’s just been so…it’s been so cozy and wonderful here.”
He cupped her face and captured her lips, kissing her deeply, their tongues entwining. Sheridan dropped the blanket again and pressed her naked body against him. A growl rumbled deep from his chest, the beast in him fighting to escape. Gordon pushed her away before he lost himself again.
“I’ll go to the patrol car and you stay here.”
Sheridan nodded. “Okay.”
Gordon reluctantly left the cabin and Sheridan pulled the latch in, but it didn’t put him at ease. The bear in him was still edgy. As he broke a path through the deep snow he felt as if he was being watched and the creepy feeling wasn’t dissipating. The sensation of eyes boring into the back of his skull threatened the tight hold he had on keeping his bear at bay.
It was then She
ridan’s fear rippled through the air. He could sense it. She was terrified about something.
Gordon stopped halfway between the patrol car and the cabin, but both were out of his range of vision.
Panic rose and he closed his eyes, listening for Sheridan’s thoughts.
Male. There’s a male outside. I know it. I can smell him. Where is Gordon? Why did he have to leave?
Those words made him clench his fists. He spun around and ran as fast as he could back to the cabin. When he was within ten feet of the cabin the potent scent of a male permeated the air.
Gordon went to the door and knocked three times, the leather latch slipped through and he opened the door. Sheridan was shaking as she stepped back. She was dressed again and had wrapped the blanket around her. The mattress had been pushed to a far corner. Obviously she was trying to hide in the shadows.
He locked the door, pulling in the latch. In two strides he had Sheridan in his arms. “What happened?” he asked as he rubbed her back, trying to ease her shaking.
“I heard a snuffling and I…I could smell a male Mukswa. It wasn’t a regular bear, it was a Mukswa. Oh God, what if it’s Levi?”
Gordon kissed the topped of her head. “I will deal with him, but you’re in heat and any male for miles around would come sniffing. It might not be him.”
Pounding on the door startled them both and Sheridan’s mouth opened in a silent scream.
He nodded toward the mattress in the corner. Go hide. I won’t let him get you. Sheridan nodded and clambered into the corner, out of sight of the door. The pounding started again. It was insistent and violent. Gordon picked up his rifle and readied it, though he’d rather shift and sink his teeth into Levi’s flesh, he had no idea if this Mukswa was in fact Levi.
“Who is it?” Gordon asked.
“You have my sister. Hand her over.”
Sheridan gasped. “Oh my God, it’s Jared.”
“Sheridan?” came the muffled response. It sounded relieved. “Sheridan, have your bodyguard open the blasted door. It’s fucking freezing out here.”
Gordon stuck the latch through and the door opened up. Jared crouched down to get in the door and he was stark naked.
