Black Gold (21 page)

He’d been saving them for Gem, because
holy fucking moly
, did it ever feel good.

She sucked the tingling lobe into her mouth and slammed their hips together harder. “I’m not ready to mark you, but damn if I don’t want to nibble you all over.” Sadness crept in, just a tiny bit. She was right though. They’d agreed to wait until they had all their cards lined up. “Okay. Biting is fine. No marking, just—shit!” She dragged her teeth down his neck and his cock grew two inches. Or more.

“Hmm, you like that, do you?”

“Didn’t think my southern lady had teeth.”

She nipped again, and he wasn’t able to stop himself. He pounded into her, cock driving hard.

Fastened his mouth on her neck and sucked for all he was worth. If he couldn’t officially mark her, he was damn well going to leave his signature another way.

She canted her hips slightly, and his groin rubbed across her mound. With a twist, he slipped his hand between their bodies and pressed on her clit. She threw back her head and screamed, choking off in mid-cry.

He would have laughed in delight if at that moment the freight train hadn’t hit him as well, release exploding out as his cock jerked deep inside her. Pleasure rose in waves that blurred his vision and drained all logic from his brain.

Fuck,
fuck.
Wowity fuck.

Sweaty and sticky and happy and mind-fuddled, they clung together, kissing and caressing until the heat of their joining cooled enough they could both sit upright without using each other as a brace.

“I think you just killed me.” Shaun nuzzled the side of her neck where there was a nice big hickey.

His wolf gloated with happiness.

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119

Vivian Arend

“You talk pretty good for a dead guy.”

“You know if I’m dead, you have to haul my carcass with you to the shores of Lake Laberge and cremate me.” Shaun grinned as she slipped her hands around his neck and gave him one final kiss.

She pulled back and batted her lashes. “No. I’m not going to listen to you sizzle as you burn, thank you. Instead, I will be forced to weep copious amounts of tears while I pile rocks on your body and leave you here where the little animals will chew on your remains and continue the circle of life.”
Impressive
. “Is that your sweet innocent role-play persona? Because, like, I totally thought you meant that.”

“I did mean it.” Gem patted his cheek then rose off him, her warmth disappearing far too quickly and making him sad. She stretched and his mouth watered again. Hmm, how long was it possible to survive naked in the Alaskan wilderness if they had sex non-stop?

She was a researcher. Maybe she’d go for finding out.

Shaun glanced around. Below them, the herd had settled in, and he doubted there was any way they could get back to the tent for at least a day.

“Okay, love. Time to make a decision. You want to hang out for the next few days in our wolf skins?” She rotated to face him, the sky-blue background a stark contract with her dark skin. He dragged his gaze off her full breasts, forcing himself to focus on the current discussion. “Food and shelter would be a snap—

it’s not a bad solution. We can keep track of the beasts and gather our things as soon as they leave.” Gem hesitated. “Is there another option? I enjoyed my time as a wolf, but…I’m not sure I’m ready for more.”

Shaun stood to take her hand. “How about this? We shift to run back to the chopper. In our wolves it should be around four hours. I’ve got an emergency stash there—everything we need to return to civilization for a few days. Once my sources tell us the herd has moved on, we’ll come back and retrieve our things.”

Gem gazed at their campsite. “You’re not worried about abandoning our supplies?”

“Nah. The only thing that could cause a mess is the food, and it’s all tucked away in bear-proof containers. What about your notes and research?”

“All safely packed up.” She brought his hand to her mouth and kissed his knuckles. “I’d feel more comfortable with that plan. If you don’t mind.”

Shaun hurried to reassure her. “Don’t feel bad you don’t want to live wild for a few days. There are a lot of wolves who grew up in the Yukon who have never done an extended trip in wolf form.” Gem nodded. “May…maybe someday. I’m not sure, but I think I’d like to. Someday.” The fluttering sensation in his heart—was that a heart attack about to happen? Or the realization she had just implied they’d be together for long enough for there to be a someday? Even staying in the north?

Shaun tugged her to face him. He had to say it. “Gem—I want you to know…” 120

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Black Gold

“We need to be going, right?” Gem stepped back, antsy. Nervousness surrounded her. “I’m starting to get hungry, and we need to be far away from the herd when that happens. I mean, if the wind changed right now, it would be terrible. You lead the way, okay?”

She shifted before he could respond. Before he could find out why all of a sudden she’d gone from sounding as if she had offered him the moon to shaking the dust from her feet as she fled.

She waited in wolf, tail twitching. Body shivering. He would go insane wondering what was wrong.

Nothing physically had changed in the last few minutes. He must have said something to offend her, and the idea stabbed him in two.

“Gem?”

He thought at her as hard as possible. Nothing.

He shifted to wolf, moved to her side and held himself still. Breathing slowly, willing her to calm down. In spite of what he’d done to upset her, he wanted her to know how much he cared.

When she finally relaxed and licked his muzzle once, a tentative touch, he blew out a long breath.

Whatever bullet had just passed, he was going to be very careful until he knew what was going on in that complicated head of hers.

They headed toward the chopper, two-plus days of hiking as humans eaten up under their much faster wolf gait. After two hours of travel, they’d already covered more than half the distance back. The still-illuminated sky helped as well, and other than the occasional side trip to nab a snack, they made good time.

Somewhere in the middle of the night they arrived. They were both tired, turning the corner into the clearing where they’d left the helicopter. Shaun was sure sleep was Gem’s only focus. It was pretty much the only thing on his mind as well.

Which was why he didn’t see the trap until it was too late.

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121

Chapter Thirteen

A sudden
snap
rang out, followed by the scream of a rope through a pulley. Gem’s eyes, which had been closing in near sleep, flew open. Her hind left paw lifted in the air, caught in something, and she scrambled away, rolling to the right as hard as she could, all her senses waking up in a hurry.

The wolf that was Shaun howled, and she glanced upward to see him wrapped in a net like a fly in a spider’s web. He warned her to hide, the simple communication they used in their wolf forms enough to get that message across loud and clear. She didn’t bolt into the cover of the low-lying brush, instead dropping to her belly and lowering her head.

The scents on the air and the sounds reaching her ears told the story. There were bear shifters in the area. Their aroma seemed vaguely familiar as their human voices drew closer. She scrambled back, staying low to the ground, hiding where she could keep an eye on Shaun.

“Yoo-hoo, sweet lady. Lovely to finally meet you in person. You’ve led us on quite the trip.” A voice rang out from the right as one of the shifters came into view. A Coleman lantern hung from his hand, brightening the twilight until he and his two companions were easily visible. “You may as well change, Gem. You’re going to be with us for a while, and you’ll be much more comfy in your human form.”

“Didn’t expect she’d travel in her wolf, Bruce. That’s not what the report suggested.”

“Where’s the guide?”

“The guide is right here, you asshats.” Shaun shifted, clutching the netting to pull himself to vertical in the wiggling trap. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Let me down.”

“Shit, caught the wrong one.” The skinniest of the three bear shifters came over to stand beside the net, his head level with Shaun’s butt.

“Don’t worry about it, Vince, she wouldn’t go anywhere without him.” Bruce stared at the scrub, his gaze passing within a few feet of where Gem lay hidden. “And we’re not leaving without her.”

“So we’re at an impasse?” the third bear asked.

Bruce turned, his voice lowering. “You’re not going to start that business again, are you? I thought I told you two no more quoting from
The Princess Bride
or I’d rip your fucking ears off.”

“It’s not my fault this time,” Vince whined. “Norm started it.”

“Sorry, Bruce.” Norm crossed his hand over his heart then pressed a finger to his lips. “Not another word.”

Black Gold

Gem locked her jaw together to stop from whimpering in fear. Shaun spun in a slow circle, the net he was caught in suspended from a cross post that had been attached to the airstrip’s wind-kite tower. The bears had set a trap?

Bruce paced a step closer to Shaun. “Where’s the lady?”

“I killed her and left her body for the crows.” Shaun jerked the ropes harder.

What?

“Idiot! You know how the hell much she was worth?” Norm smacked a fist into Shaun’s back. A harsh grunt escaped Shaun as he attempted to twist away.

“Stop it, he’s bullshitting us.” Vince blocked another kidney punch from landing. “There’s no reason for him to kill her.”

“That’s what you think,” Shaun growled. “You didn’t have to deal with her highness in the backcountry. Now let me down.”

His insults slipped off like she was a duck who had fallen into the Takhini Hot Springs. He was trying to pull a fast one, and she needed to trust him. And help him.

And get them both out of this mess.

Bruce grabbed the net, stopping its steady swing. He twisted the trap until Shaun faced him.

“You’re lying through your teeth. I can smell her on you—hmm, you’re a little taken with the lady.

Trying to move up in the world, wolf-boy?”

Shaun glared down at him. “What do you want with Gem?”

“Just doing a job. We caught wind of her arrival the minute she landed in Whitehorse. I hear her family is loaded. There are things we need to do in the next while that require cash. You do the math.” Gem froze. They were using her to get money? This wasn’t happening. How had she gone from a simple-research-project/spread-her-wings outing to finding her mate and being used as a pawn?

She was not going to let this happen.

Shaun shrugged. “Good luck on that. The finding-her bit, I mean. She’s a wolf, she can shift and go a lot faster than you bears, especially since she knows the territory better than you now. It will be days before you even spot her.” He never glanced her way once, but she’d gotten the message. She could go back to the tent, she could hide and get away—it was true.

But like…
hell
…was she was going to leave him.

Her mate continued, total indifference in his voice as he baited the bears. “When I don’t call in for the final stages of our flight on time, there will be all kinds of people and pack searching for us. You really don’t want to be doing this.”

“No, I really do,” Bruce insisted. “We need the money, and see, your little scenario with us chasing her for days? Not going to happen. Because I bet she’s watching right now.”
Fudge
.

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123

Vivian Arend

Bruce examined the bush again, his lantern held high in the air. “You want to make this easy, Gem?

Come on in, and we’ll go ahead with the next step of the game plan.”

“She’s not stupid. You confessed you planned to kidnap her. Why the fuck should she be willing to come out?” Shaun rearranged himself awkwardly.

“You’re right. Fine. Lower him, boys.”

Vince’s idea of letting him down consisted of whipping out a fixed blade knife and slashing the supporting rope in two. Shaun smacked the ground with a crash, a few choice swear words escaping.

Gem didn’t move. Not when they pulled the ropes from Shaun and yanked him to his feet. Not when Norm and Vince grabbed him by the arms, forcing him forward to stand naked and defenseless before their boss. Not when Bruce placed the lantern at his feet.

Bruce called out louder. “Right. Of course she’s not stupid. Gem, it’s you we want. If you come with us now, your lover doesn’t get the shit beat out of him. Simple.” He spun and planted a right hook into Shaun’s belly. Fist meeting flesh was stomach-retching sickening. So was the expression on Shaun’s face. He’d turned cold, cruel. As if her Shaun wasn’t there anymore.

Bruce bashed him again, across the jaw. Shaun’s head snapped back with a crack, blood dripping from the side of his mouth. Another blow landed, and another. Shaun struggled against the bears restraining him. He lifted his legs and slammed them at Bruce. The bear shifter laughed as he ducked aside and struck repetitively.

He spoke between blows. “And, Shaun? If you decide…to change to your wolf in the hopes you can escape us that way? Just remember a human body is a lot harder to hide. I have no trouble killing a wolf in an instant.”

Gem hesitated. Maybe she wasn’t supposed to cave. Maybe Shaun had some master plan up his sleeve, but witnessing his torture? She couldn’t do it. There had to be a better solution.

She shifted back to human, crouched low. If they made a run for her, she would change again and escape. “Stop.”

Shaun spoke, the first sound from him other than grunts of pain since the beating began. “Insane.” She wasn’t going to fall for it—he’d said that on purpose, just to piss her off. Bruce pivoted, the lamplight at his feet smearing the smile on his face into a hideous caricature. “There’s the lovely girl. Come on, dear. So nice of you to join us.”

“You have to promise not to hurt Shaun anymore. He’s my mate. He’s worth money as well.” The sudden silence in the clearing was deafening.