by Vivian Arend
“Although, sometimes that backfires. Like when you get an earworm, and you only know two lines of the entire song and that’s all you think of for hours on end.” Dixon’s grin hovered on maniacal. “Once, I got that song from Shrek in my head. You know, the one with rock star and…”
Panic filled the wolves’ eyes as Dixon started humming the catchy tune.
“He’s terrible,” Amber whispered admiringly to Cooper, wondering how the young man had survived this long.
Suddenly everywhere people were getting naked, and Amber was trying to find a safe place to look without looking. The wolves slipped into their shifter-friendly harnesses that Lara explained would allow them to detach themselves when they wanted to get free. Final packages were being strapped to the sleds.
James and Kaylee shifted, the bobcat pouncing on her mate in what look like an entirely reckless move considering he was so much larger than her.
But as always, James was kind and gentle with his mate. He dropped willingly to his back, paws in the air as if he were a dead bug so Kaylee could give his face a tongue bath.
It was so much to take in. All these people were gathered to help her. Her and Cooper. There was life and laughter, and under it that lingering sense of sadness.
Yet as always—hope.
Amber twisted toward the gentle giant who was doing the final checks on his sled. As if sensing her gaze, Cooper left his task to return to her side and catch her against him in a giant bear hug.
He brushed their noses together. “Are you ready?”
With a death grip around his neck, she kissed him. Fiercely, possessively. With every bit of the emotion that had been filling her chest for the past hours and days and months and years, if she was being honest.
Sweet words hovered on her tongue, but she kept them back because a howling and whistling wolf pack was not the best audience for her first declaration of love for Cooper.
But it was true. She loved him.
The words would keep, but the feeling was there, warming her from the inside out. She pulled back and was happy to note that Cooper wore a glassy-eyed expression and looked as befuddled as she felt.
“With you? I’m ready for anything.”
12
He’d worried at first. Because of course he did.
Still, he should’ve known that Amber hadn’t been blowing smoke when she said she could handle the dogsled, and he didn’t think it was because the dogs were actually shifters.
They’d headed out of town as quickly as possible, finding the open route to the north and west. Amber led the way, with Lara as her lead on the line of wolves hauling the sled forward. This was still familiar territory for the Orion pack, and Cooper wasn’t at all concerned that they would get off the trail. Not with his sister-in-law guiding them.
He opened the line between his and Amber’s headsets. “You’re handling the sled just fine.”
“I took lessons back in the spring. Didn’t realize it was going to come in handy so soon, but yeah. I know what I’m doing.” Ahead of him, she glanced over her shoulder for a moment. The line crackled and then she continued. “You’re not so bad yourself. You do this often?”
“Grandmother insisted we all learn survival skills. Because as she put it, ‘even you seemingly indestructible polar bears might occasionally need other forms of transportation.’”
“She’s the one who gave me the lessons as a present. It’s obviously something she’s passionate about.” Amber’s voice held a smile. “I like your grandma.”
“She’s your grandmother now too,” he insisted. Then he changed the topic before she could protest. “Are you warm enough?”
“If I’m not, I can just run more and ride less.”
Cooper admired the view as the landscape unfolded. The snow was hard-packed and windblown, and they had reached the point where they could travel side by side.
The wolves who weren’t attached to the ropes ran out and back willy-nilly, tongues hanging from their mouths as they grinned with sheer delight. James and Alex ran as well, their lumbering bear forms a sharp contrast with the sleek wolves and the dainty bobcat also keeping pace.
Cooper glanced over at Amber, but she was focused on her task. She didn’t seem the least bit afraid or fazed by the fact she was surrounded by a whole squadron of shifters in their wild forms.
She’s doing well, he pointed out to his inner bear.
Of course she is. You need to stop assuming that I think she’s wrong for us. She’s just not ready for us, that’s all.
She’s awfully willing to jump through hoops for being not ready, Cooper said with a touch of annoyance.
While he understood how important it was to find Amber’s brother, this whole delay on completing the mating bond had left a sizzle of frustration running just under his skin. As if the lack of finishing up was somehow making the situation worse.
His bear vanished, and Cooper settled back into concentrating on the task at hand.
They stopped a few times to let everyone rest and switch out the wolves who needed a break.
And to eat. Everyone needed to eat.
The weather was cooperating, the sky overhead blue with wisps of clouds that stretched like ribbons across the wide expanse. Crisp cold made each breath fresh and sharp. It was a glorious day for an outing, and with everyone along, it was more like a party than a serious venture.
Amber pulled food supplies from her sled and passed them out, wandering calmly into the middle of the pack, amidst the wolves. Lara and Kaylee had shifted back, dressed quickly against the cold, and helped her. James and Alex shifted as well and came to join Cooper as he prepared a lunch for everyone not still in their fur.
None of the breaks were for very long, and it still took most of the day to cover the distance to the small village.
They pulled into the clearing in the middle of the square, and a greeting committee met them.
An older woman stepped forward, eyeing the group with curiosity. “Welcome. I’m Chief Starling. Are you looking for a place to stay?”
Amber stepped forward. “Possibly. But also, I’m trying to track down my brother, Mason Myawayan. We heard he might’ve been here.”
The woman frowned. “I think I remember that name, but it was a while back.”
Cooper wrapped an arm around Amber and squeezed in encouragement. “If he was here, we might be able to figure out where he went next. If you have any way of checking your records, we would appreciate it.”
A whispered conversation was taking place amongst a group of children who had gathered. They watched with fascination as each wolf pack member slipped out of their own harness then trotted off after the locals guiding them to places to spend the night.
But now a small girl came forward, slipping her hand into the elder’s before looking up for permission to speak.
The woman offered a smile before turning to Amber. “My granddaughter.” She looked at the little girl. “Do you remember something, Jessie?”
The girl nodded instantly. “I can show you. I think it was him.”
Jessie took Amber’s hand in hers then, to Cooper’s shock, she boldly grabbed his hand as well, tugging them both toward what had to be a common gathering house.
“It was a long time ago, but I remember him because he had the same smiling eyes you have. Not just a smile on his lips, but here.” She tapped the side of her head. “As if his happiness was shining out on all of us.”
Jessie paused outside the door of a large community center before guiding them into a playroom.
Cooper followed as Jessie headed to a bookshelf and pulled down an artist’s notebook. Inside there were more than a dozen sketches of the children of the community. Some showed them playing, others depicted them working with their families.
All of them were signed by Mason, with the date from approximately a year earlier.
Amber ran a finger over the page. “He was here. And yes, he has smiling eyes,” she told Jessie before openi
ng her arms to offer a hug. “Thank you for showing me these. It makes it feel as if I’m closer to him than I was before.”
The little girl slipped into Amber’s embrace and squeezed.
Cooper watched as Amber closed her eyes and seemed to soak in strength from the sweet exchange.
It was nearly an hour later by the time all the wolves had found showers and clothing, and everyone gathered together to discuss what came next.
“My children checked the records to see if there was anything recorded about where Mason planned to go next. As far as we can tell, he took the northeastern trade route toward the Arctic coast. He promised to drop off packages with some of our family along the way.” Chief Starling leaned her elbows on the table. “I can offer you the same help we gave him. Some skidoos, and directions to supply stops.”
Before Amber could say anything, because she was obviously eager to accept, Cooper spoke up. “How long a journey is it?”
The old woman considered. “A week? Maybe a few days more or a few days less depending on the weather.”
Cooper turned to Amber, ignoring the murmur in the background as the information trickled down to the wolves. “If you want to do this, I’ll go with you, but I don’t think we can expect everyone else to come along.”
She tangled her fingers in his where they lay in his lap. “I know, and it’s wonderful to have them here, but as long as you come with me, we’ll be okay.”
He lifted their joined hands and kissed her knuckles. “Of course I’m coming with you. That was never in question.”
“I knew that too.” She squeezed his fingers then turned back to the table and the head of the clan. “Your offer is very generous, and we appreciate it very much.”
Chief Starling nodded then clapped her hands to get the attention of the assembled group. “Since you will be staying the night, I guess we should have a party. If I can get some volunteers to help get ready?”
She was swarmed by wolves then laughed as she pointed them in a dozen different directions.
Cooper found himself alone with his brothers as Kaylee and Lara stole Amber away.
Alex looked him over then nodded. “It’s pretty much what I expected you to do at some point. Ride off into the wilderness, looking for answers.”
“I didn’t think you’d be doing it with a human,” James said, “but Amber’s perfect for you. I hope this works out.”
Cooper shook his hand and patted him on the back the way brothers do—i.e. nearly hard enough to knock James’s lungs out. “Of course it’s going to work out. Now go make sure Alex’s wolves aren’t getting into mischief.”
“Why are they my wolves when they’re being bad? How come they’re not Lara’s wolves?” Alex complained.
Cooper just raised a brow.
As soon as James trotted off and they were alone, though, Alex’s expression turned serious. “Are you feeling okay?”
Strange question. “Pretty much. I’m probably in better shape than you considering I got to ride a sled today instead of running my ass off.”
Alex shook his head. “That’s not what I’m asking. How’s your bear? I did some research about the mating bond after I was stupid and nearly messed things up with Lara. I ended up following a rabbit trail that led me to some information that’s kind of worrisome. I didn’t mention it before because I hoped we’d find Mason right away and things would be done, but it looks as if you’ve still got a long journey ahead of you.”
Cooper considered. That electric itch was still there under his skin. That was the only thing that seemed out of the norm. “My bear side has his reasons for holding off on mating. I can’t fault him for that, and we’re dealing with it as quickly as possible.”
His brother lowered his voice. “Just be careful. From what I read, when it’s the shifter holding back and it goes on for too long, one of two things can happen. Either he’ll end up taking total control, or you’ll have to. Permanently.”
Dear God. “Do you mean to say—?”
“If you don’t finish the mating bond in time, you could get stuck as a bear. Or you could end up as a human, never able to shift again. And the longer you wait, the less choice you’ll have in which it will be.”
13
The evening passed in a blur, and Amber found herself smiling an extraordinary amount.
There was food and drink and dancing. A few members of the Orion wolf pack seemed intent on doing all three at the same time, which meant it was dangerous out on the dance floor.
Her friends were there, and the laughter and warmth of the time was made better because Kaylee and Lara were happy as well. They each took turns dancing with their mates, and the adoring expressions on James’s and Alex’s faces as they stared at their partners made every bit of hopefulness in Amber’s heart flare.
When it was her turn to be in Cooper’s arms, it was one step shy of perfect.
She sighed happily and rested her cheek against his chest as he guided her around the floor.
“For a small person, you can make an awful lot of noise,” Cooper teased.
She glanced up and grinned. “I thought that was something you liked about me. How noisy I am.”
Hunger flashed in his eyes, and the next thing she knew, they were leaving the gathering hall. She was draped over his shoulder, her face hot as could be, but in spite of the catcalls chasing after them, she didn’t care.
She cared even less when he quickly found the room they’d been given, stripped off her clothing, and proceeded to tenderly make love to her.
When they were done, both still breathing heavily, Cooper curled himself around her and held her tight. Stroking her hair and petting her as if he couldn’t get enough.
“Are you really ready to head into the wilderness? Just the two of us?” he asked quietly.
Amber rolled in his arms, looking up into the shiny depths of his deep blue eyes. “There are parts of it that scare me, but not the fact that we’ll be together. And I feel it—this sense that everything we need is just around the corner. I’m not going to give up on us, Cooper.”
“I’m not going to, either. There is nothing that can stop me from being with you forever. I don’t care what it takes, or what sacrifices have to be made, we will be together.”
She kept the smile mostly off her lips. He sounded so dramatic in that moment, a far cry from the logical and step-by-step lawyer she’d been around for so many months. “Let’s try to avoid the sacrifice bit, okay? And just so we’re clear, yes, I know how to drive a skidoo. Another thing I learned living with my foster parents.”
Cooper leaned up on an elbow. “They sound as if they were pretty amazing.”
“Are amazing.” She nodded decisively. “As soon as we find Mason, he’ll be able to tell us more. I don’t think they’re gone for good, I really don’t.”
His grin was bright and happy. “You’re such an optimist. It’s a good trait. To look for the hope. To feel as if things will turn out okay.”
She dragged her fingers down his chest slowly, teasing and touching because she could. “To know things will turn out okay.” She arched a brow and looked at him questioningly. “Do you know how to drive a sled?”
He nodded.
A sneaking suspicion slipped in. “Grandmother Laureen?”
“But of course. Grandfather, too, but he usually ran along in his bear form while she used the sled. We used to do slalom races against her, and more than half the time, we’d lose—that woman is fearless.”
Cooper kept talking late into the night, sharing stories about his family and his grandparents. Times with his brothers when they made mischief and all the times they’d spent learning together.
It felt as if he was trying to share everything that was important to him and the words kept spilling out.
Amber didn’t want to interrupt, so she held on tight and listened and simply soaked it all in. She fell asleep with his voice in her ears, Cooper murmuring softly about love and family and choices.
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A cold wind greeted them in the morning as they prepared for the next stage of the journey, beginning with saying goodbye.
Kaylee gave her a hug. “Stay safe and get in touch when you can. I hope you find Mason soon.”
“Thanks. And you run fast on the way home. You don’t want to get frostbite.”
Lara gave Amber a tackle squeeze before ruffling her hair then pulling her toque back on. “We’ll be fine. We have big polar bears to cuddle with if it gets too cold.”
“My cute furry baby is like the world’s biggest hot water bottle.” Kaylee glanced at Amber. “Remember that. If the weather gets too cold, tell Cooper to shift and use him as your own personal heating device.”
“It’s easier than slicing open a tauntaun,” Lara agreed.
“And they smell much better,” Amber and Kaylee said at the same time before bursting into laughter.
Cooper was saying goodbye to his brothers where they waited beside the wolf pack. He stood patiently while Dixon got in an overzealous hug, then Cooper shook Alex’s hand in a strangely solemn manner.
With a final thanks to the village and the chief, Amber and Cooper were off, skidoos gliding over the shimmering whiteness that stretched as far as the eye could see.
The sun played peekaboo behind the clouds. When it snuck out, Amber was grateful for the sun goggles protecting her from the brilliant glare reflecting off the surfaces all around her. It was like being inside a shiny bowl and having slivers of light shooting at her from every direction.
Shortly after noon they found the first refueling station, filling their machines then taking a break a little further down the trail. A wide stretch of river wove back and forth, completely covered by ice. On the inner corner, though, a number of holes had been opened in the frozen surface, and it was clear someone had been ice fishing recently.
Cooper eyed the frozen river with what was definitely a wistful expression.
Amber laughed. “You’re so transparent sometimes. Did you want to stop for a while?”
