Still, I’m not willing to be deterred. “What is your fucking problem?”
Ash rubs a hand over his eyes, a move I recognize as a stalling technique. “When you’re mated, it’s, um, impossible to lie to your mate while you’re . . .” He trails off, not quite meeting my eyes.
Seriously, now he’s going to get tongue-tied on me? “That’s what I get for blowing you?” Mother of God. Now that the feeling is coming back in my legs, I’m pissed. I still don’t trust myself enough to stand, but he doesn’t need to know that. “You think I’m behind the traps? That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. But then again, I shouldn’t be surprised what you shit-headed shifters come up with.”
“I asked. You said no.”
“With your cock buried inside me! Fucking is not a lie-detector test.” I stand up. I wobble a bit, but I’m on my feet. It feels good to be apart from Ash.
Then his semen trickles down my leg.
A small smile starts at the corners of his mouth. Of course he smells himself on me. The big lummox is pleased he’s marked me. Again.
I feel tears prick the corners of my eyes. Vampires don’t cry. That vulgar emotional display is the domain of human children and trolls who can’t hold their liquor.
Pulling a throw from the couch, I wrap it around me. Not only am I now feeling cold, I don’t care to be ogled. I’m furious and more than a little hurt. When Ash saved me and marked me as his, I was proud. I fell in love with him before then, of course. I thought he’d returned the sentiment, even though we’d not spoken of love. If making someone your mate isn’t an expression of love, then I clearly misunderstood this shifter.
I push my wayward curls back from my face and stand taller. Ash, meanwhile, reclines on the couch, naked and seemingly unperturbed. How have I so seriously misjudged him? I knew him to be a hothead but never guessed he was cruel.
I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. “I want you to leave.”
“This is my cabin. You’re my mate.”
“So what?” I call over my shoulder as I head to my bedroom, trailing my blanket like a train. I begin throwing clothes on. “You’re an asshole!” I shout as I layer up.
Ash appears in the doorway. “Where are you going?” Seeing me dressed for the elements, he pales. “You can’t go out there. It’s not safe.”
I wind a long scarf around my neck. “I’d rather face what’s out there than spend another minute in here with you.” I push past him, heading for the front door. Grabbing a snowmachine helmet, I step out into the storm.
8
Ash
As I watch Meg walk out that front door, my bear spirit roils inside me. Part of me wants her. Needs her.
Fuck this.
Why have I let Tristan get in my head?
Except it isn’t just Tristan. I claimed Meg. She’s my mate. Her happiness is more important than my own now. We are more than a couple; she is the other half of my heart.
But she is also a vampire. I had to know that she didn’t have some hidden agenda. Hell, that succubus could’ve promised her anything. If she doesn’t have anything to be guilty of, why is she so pissy?
Yet if I’ve done the right thing, why do I feel like shit?
I shove her paper clutter off the dining-room table in frustration. Paper debris flutters to cover the floor. Great. I’ve made a mess of her stuff and I don’t feel any better.
As I bend to scoop armloads of paper back onto the table, a picture of myself as a toddler catches my eye.
I flip through the scrapbook quickly, watching my life unfold before my eyes in carefully arranged layouts. Then I return to the beginning. Each scrapbook page is thoughtfully construct and framed. This is more than the work of a perfectionist. This was laid out with love.
Meg loves me. Just like I love her. We are true mates.
When I hear the snowmachine start, I know she’s heading to Trudy’s. She’ll cool down. Literally.
I’ll go to her, apologize for not trusting her, and promise to make it up to her.
Yeah.
That is my plan. I pace the cabin a few times, stalling so I don’t run right out the door after her. I have some self-respect as a shifter.
Finally, I bound for the door.
Outside, the snowmachine is gone. I take the steps two at a time, then start my run to shift.
I skid to a halt. The snowmachine tracks aren’t headed toward Trudy’s house. They’re in the opposite direction, toward the sea.
Why would Meg go that way? In this poor visibility, she could misjudge where the ice ends and plunge into the freezing water. Also, other ice bears patrol that area. My mate or not, if another ice bear is hungry, he won’t hesitate to kill her.
Fuck.
The only reason to travel along the coast is to reach either the mining camp to the south or the fae up north. Neither trolls nor fae would welcome a vampire’s arrival, even one with Meg’s physician credentials. Both groups are paranoid in the extreme. She should’ve let me come with her. At least if she had a sheriff escort, they’d be less likely to stake her on sight.
But I’ve messed up big time.
Now I have to find her before it’s too late. She is my mate. She is my everything.
I sprint along the snowmachine track, shifting before I leave sight of the cabin.
9
Meg
Son of a fucking bitch.
The speed at which my life imploded dizzies me. I’ve gone from dead (again) to the best sex of my life and being claimed by the man I loved to being mistrusted because I’m a vampire.
Where should I go? Maybe Fairbanks. Somehow that manages to feel both too close and too far away. I love that lug-headed, well-hung shifter, even if the thought of disemboweling him is the only thing keeping me even slightly warm now.
Well, that and Ash’s old hockey cap—which I swiped on my way out the door.
Sweet Jesus, it’s cold. The ferocity surprises me every time. It penetrates my body like I’m being plunged in an ice bath. Icy Cap sucks. Leaving would be the best thing for me.
What I didn’t expect was the pain. Ash doesn’t trust me. He had no problem fucking me, but when faced with an idiotic theory his clod-headed cousin cooked up, he doubted me.
I’m a vampire. I’m used to the shitty rap. It’s why, a few hundred years ago, the physician-vampire profession started. The board hoped that if vampires had more to offer other humans and paranormals, it would ease some of the mistrust.
And face it: I’m a badass. My speed and endurance make me far superior to the most talented human athlete, male or female. Don’t even get me started on my greater intellect. There’s a reason vampire physicians are the doctors both humans and paranorms prize most.
But I’m also in love with my mate. And that makes me vulnerable to pain. For the first time, I see the reasoning behind the prohibition against vampires having personal relationship with non-vamps. Mistrust between species runs deep and probably can never be completely forgotten.
The only way to prove Ash is wrong about me is to find the culprit behind the traps. I’ll start with the trolls. They’re either in league with the succubus or probably have an idea how to track her down.
Visiting the fae is easier to put off. History has been much kinder to them because of their diminutive size. If humans knew the fae were behind most of history’s genocides, nobody would be leaving their kids’ teeth under pillows for them at night.
My GPS is set for the mining camp. If it wasn’t for the storm, I’d be able to smell the trolls, but the blowing winds disorient me. And I need to get there as quickly as possible before I froze to death.
It would serve Ash right if he found my dead body out here. Maybe the guilt would kill him.
My snowmachine is clipping along when suddenly it hits something hard buried deep in the snow. Metal grinds against metal in a teeth-jarring sound. I sail through the air and land headfirst in a snowdrift before the vehicle even shudders to a stop.
&nbs
p; Holy hell. My head hurts like a mule’s been tangoing on my brain. I blink, wiping the snow out of my eyes. My glove comes back covered in blood. Crap. I cracked my head on my landing. That’s why my helmet is lying nearby, badly dented.
The best thing would be to get the snowmachine running again and find help. Seeing how I can’t stand up, that seems like a lot of effort. The headlights are still on, but they stare off into space. The machine is on its side, and the two front skis are gone.
Shit on a stake.
Worst of all, I left the cabin without my bag—and more important, my rifle. I have no way to call for help. I’m going to die out here alone unless some hungry ice bear makes me his dinner first.
And at that dreary thought, everything goes black.
10
Ash
The heavy snow means Meg’s snowmachine tracks fill in fast. But she is my mate. With that bond, I’ll always be able to find her; that isn’t in question. The issue is time.
My ice bear form covers the distance easily. Even though visibility is zero, the salt-tinged air means the sea is close by.
I blink as the snowmachine’s outline suddenly appears in front of me. My joy turns to horror as I see the riderless vehicle lying on its side.
Where is Meg?
I circle the machine, its familiar acrid odor filling me with fear. A sprung bear trap has snapped its two front skis. Their bent tips lie like broken front teeth in the trap’s metal jaws.
Spinning around in a circle, I search for Meg. I can’t see her, but her scent tells me she is nearby. She’s fallen victim to another trap. Why did I ever think she had anything to do with this? What an idiot I am to lose her over such an asinine thought.
Nose to the ground, I track her scent. She is close. At a snowdrift, I nudge the packed snow with my nose. Tunneling, my snout smacks into my own hat.
Meg moans when I lick her face. “Mom, let me sleep ten more minutes. I’ll take out the garbage later.”
The good news is, she’s alive. The bad news is, she’s suffering from hypothermia and probably a concussion, judging by all the bloody tracks.
I pull away from the snow berm so I can shift.
When I pop my human head back in, Meg’s eyes are still closed. Her teeth chatter.
“What a clever mate you are.” I crawl into the den the falling snow has created around her. “You kept yourself warm and safe until I found you.”
“I hate you,” she says without opening her eyes. She’s either too scared or too cold to fight me now.
“I can be a real ass. Can you forgive me? Hurting people is so contrary to who you are. I knew you weren’t responsible for the traps, but sometimes your mate can be a bit thickheaded.”
“A bit?” She opens one eye. My hat is drawn down tight, covering her eyebrows. From the accident, she already sports bruising under her eyes that will probably deepen into hideous colors. “And don’t think you’re ever getting this hat back.”
“It looks much better on you anyway. Will you forgive me? You are my one true mate. You hold my heart and my soul. I promise to never doubt you again.”
Meg asks from behind her closed eyes, “What are your plans for warming me up? If I’m going to freeze to death, it might as well be in your arms, mate.”
“I won’t let that happen. I promise. Now let me see what I can do about warming you up.” I cover her with my body.
Doubt creeps in. I can’t lose her. I just can’t. This is all my fault for being such an idiot. How could I even have believed Tristan for a moment? Can I keep her warm enough until help arrives? And why do I smell wet dog?
Even Meg rouses more as the odor intensifies. “You stink.”
“It’s not me, I swear it.” I punch a hole in our snow cave. Definitely smells like damp dog—or dogs?
I hear sleigh bells draw closer. “Whoa! Whoa!” A dogsled team slows before it can run over us. “Ash, you crazy bastard! Where are you?”
Dane. My twin brother and silent partner.
“Here.” I widen my snow cave hole. Dane here is close to impossible. His one condition for giving me the money to rebuild Icy Cap was that I never ever ask him to visit our former hometown again.
His head pops into the hole. “When I didn’t find you at the cabin, I followed your scent. Didn’t quite expect to find you like this, though.”
Whereas I am in my usual bare skin, my twin’s attire is ridiculously expensive outerwear. Just looking at all his clothing is making me feel overdressed. “Give me your clothes.”
Dane’s eyes narrow at Meg, huddled against me. “Nice hat.”
I ignore my twin. “She’s freezing and concussed. We gotta get her warm and medical help. Strip now.”
Sighing, Dane undresses and begins tossing his clothes to me. I cover Meg with his clothing.
“Fuck. It’s cold out here. I don’t know how you run around naked.” Dane busies himself seeing to his sled team.
Pleased Meg is marginally warmer, I glance his way. “Pussy. This is the natural state for me and Tristan.”
Satisfied his dogs are fine, Dane returns and squats next to me. Now that is naked. Meg rouses herself slightly for a better look. My mate is feeling better.
“Don’t get any ideas,” I whisper into my knit cap. “You’re my mate.”
“Just curious whether you really are identical twins,” Meg slurs.
Someone needs to check out her head.
“I gotta get her back to the cabin, then to Fairbanks for medical attention. She’s the town doc.”
Dane’s eyes widen. “Take her in my sled back to the cabin. I’ll meet you there, then fly you down to Fairbanks before I leave.”
Relief floods me. If I can keep Meg from freezing or losing too much blood, then Fairbanks will take care of her. For once I’m thankful for my brother’s expensive toys.
As we load Meg onto the dogsled pallet, Dane shivers. I tuck asking why he’s in Icy Cap away in the back of my mind. That can wait. Meg needs me.
“Brother, she’s my mate. I’m not going to leave her in Fairbanks. As long as she’s there, I’m there.”
Dane’s lips twist. “Your mate is a vamp? Seems a bit untraditional for a shifter all hell-bent on tradition.”
“Fuck you,” I say without heat as I tuck the spare dogsled blanket around Meg on the pallet. “I have a favor to ask.”
“Beyond lending you my prizewinning dog team and flying you to Fairbanks? These dogs won the Iditarod last year, you know. And if she bleeds on my leather seats, that’ll be a bitch to get out.”
I shake my head. Dane and his toys. Some things never change.
“You need to take over renovations while I’m gone.”
“I’m a silent partner, remember? You promised.”
I hold up a hand. “And I’m swearing you in as sheriff for while I’m away. Icy Cap’s got a big problem. The succubus is nesting again.”
For probably the first time ever, my brother is speechless. His jaw hangs open in a way that makes him look more like a caveman than the Mensa member he is.
I step on the back of the dogsled, ready to kick off. Meg is snuggled securely in front of me so I can keep an eye on her as we travel.
“Word of advice,” I call back over my shoulder. “You’re gonna need to shift to get back to the cabin, or your cock will freeze off.”
From the depths of her blankets, Meg giggles. “Now that would be a real shame.”
My mate giggled? She needs medical care urgently.
“Hike, hike!” I call to the sled dogs. There is no time to spare.
11
Meg
I’m not too sure what happened next. Later, Ash tells me I’ve gone in and out of consciousness. Probably a good thing, considering how much my head hurts and how fucking cold it is.
What I do know is that when I open my eyes, I’m in a brightly lit hospital room. Outside the window, everything is dark and frigid. Inside smells like antiseptic . . . and sweaty ice bear?
&nbs
p; Slowly I turn my head. Ash pops out of his chair. He looks different. I frown.
“Hey, beautiful, how you are feeling?”
I frown. The skin on my face tightens painfully. “Like shit.”
Ash’s lips twitch. “That’s my girl.” The backs of his fingers stroke my cheek. “Hurray for consciousness. You had me mighty worried for a while.”
“Has the review board been here?” Panic clutches at me. I only want Ash to be near. Just being near him makes me feel better. I guess that’s how the mate thing works. I never want to be separated from him.
“Relax. I’ve got Tristan filing all kinds of lawsuits against them. I’m not sure the red tape will last forever, but if he has his way it’ll be for at least my lifetime. You’re safe with me, mate.”
I am his mate. We will be together, come what may. I couldn’t ask for a better gift.
Ash drops his hand from my cheek, instead using it wipe sweat off his brow. Studying him more carefully, I notice sweat dampening his temples. My glance travels down. Ash is wearing a long-sleeved button-down shirt, a tie, narrow-leg pants, and leather chukkas. A navy wool peacoat is draped over another chair. Has he just come from a GQ photo shoot?
“That’s why you look so different,” I say slowly. “You’re dressed.”
Ash slips a finger inside the neck of his shirt. “You can thank my brother for that. The clothes are his. If I didn’t think they’d arrest me, I’d be dressed more like a shifter.”
“You mean naked.”
“That’s my preferred attire. I don’t know how my brother not only stands it but also, judging from the volume of his wardrobe, appears to enjoy dressing this way.”
“Now that I’m awake, let’s get out of here.” I glance around the room, looking for my stuff.
“We leave when the doc here says you’re ready. You gave me quite a scare. Forgive me for linking you to the succubus. My brother and Tristan will deal with her now. All I care about is you.”
His to Bear: Icy Cap Den #1 (Alaskan Den Men) Page 5
