Mating Season (4 page)

She was ready to go outside, though. Too much time cooped up made her restless, and she was anxious to examine her surroundings. The moment she stepped outdoors, she sniffed the air to see if there were any signs of Tartok and Cikuq. Although the brothers were wily, they'd have a hard time beating her nose. They definitely weren't anywhere near Koll's home, which gave her hope that maybe she'd shaken them for good.

"Show me the whole village,” she told Koll.

He stood beside her, looking delightfully furry with his coat on.

Shila expected him to protest since most males liked to keep their mates to themselves, but he actually looked pleased.

"This way.” He took her hand and kept hold of it as he led her forward.

Behind them, Koll's sled hound, whom he'd introduced as Greyfell, followed at a respectful distance. The canine had barked and growled when Koll had first let him out, but Shila had quickly established the hierarchy. Her bear could eat a hound like him for dinner, not that she'd put him on the menu. She clearly outranked him.

"Are you warm enough?” Koll kept her close as they fought their way through the snow past the nearest houses.

Shila nodded. She rarely got cold, and at the moment, her hand was throwing off more heat than his was. Maybe he was chilly? Shaking loose of his grip, she put her arm around him and pulled him in tightly enough they bumped thighs when they walked. She didn't mind sharing her body heat and was pleased to feel his stride fall into sync with hers.

"Better?” she asked.

He returned a smile—one of the full ones he'd started to give her after their first round of sex. “Much."

Still alert for the brothers stalking her, Shila sniffed every corner of the village while Koll told her the names of everyone who lived in each home they passed. Relief flooded her when she was certain there was no sign of her pursuers. Then she realized she was being herded into a squat building filled with villagers.

"What's this?"

Koll answered with his usual succinctness. “Tavern."

She might have guessed as much from the odor of alcohol permeating the place. The clawless people had a perplexing habit of poisoning their liver in small doses to addle their senses. When she was younger, she used to watch the villagers stumbling out of such places from afar. Their tipsy antics were always good for entertainment.

There were a lot of people here tonight, like bears gathering at an especially good hunting spot. So many voices should have formed a cacophony. Instead, there was a steady murmur. Even that died the moment they caught sight of her and Koll. Several men and women gaped, although they didn't bare their teeth. Shila didn't care for their intense eye contact, but since they smelled of surprise and curiosity, she didn't take it as a threat.

A man near the back, one who appeared especially drunk, chortled. “Will you look at that?” He hiccupped. “She's nearly as big as he is!"

Shila felt Koll tense a second before he stepped forward and pinned the fellow with a lethal glare. “Careful."

It was a warning, clear and serious. Without fully understanding what the challenge was about, she still recognized there was one.

Even drunk, the other man must have possessed some survival instincts. He wilted under Koll's stare and glanced away, which meant Koll won. She was proud of her new mate.

"Well, bring her in,” another fellow said.

The voice came from a little villager who hurried forward to greet her. He was light and fast on his feet, and she felt the wave of playfulness and excitement that radiated from him. Shila immediately glanced around to see whom he belonged to, but nobody stepped forward.

"Koll, you did a good job,” the little villager said. “She's beautiful."

"Yes, she is.” Koll shot her a hungry stare that reminded her of how good he could make her feel. Then he turned to make introductions. “This is Gilby. Gilby, this is ... um..."

Koll blinked several times and suddenly made a choking sound as his skin flushed right up to his temples. He looked as if his supper had just escaped beneath the ice and splashed him in the face for good measure.

"I'm Shila, his mate,” she finished for him.

"Shila.” Koll repeated her name like a rough caress.

The little villager was all smiles. “Nice to meet you. Come in, come in. Sit down.” He waved them toward a beat-up table and chairs that were currently unoccupied.

Once again, Shila expected someone to take control of the young fellow, but no one moved. Slowly, everyone returned to their conversations, although they still kept shooting her curious glances. Her new mate followed the little villager and motioned for her to sit.

When she did, Koll leaned in close. “I didn't know your name.” He said it as an apology.

"Why would you?” she said. “I didn't tell it to you."

"I could have asked."

She just shrugged, more concerned with the little villager taking a seat across from her. “Names aren't important. They're just useful in crowds. Where is this cub's mama?"

"Cub?” Koll scowled.

Shila indicated the small male at their table. “This juvenile. He shouldn't run up to other people like that, especially strangers. They could take a swipe at him."

Koll followed her gaze and gave her another one of his smiles. He didn't bother keeping his voice low. “You think Gilby is a child?"

"What?” Now the cub was the one who looked horrified. “What are you talking about? I'm the same age as you, Koll."

"He is?” Shila wasn't sure whether to believe the cub, so she addressed her mate. “But he's not done growing yet.” Then it hit her. “Oh, is he a runt?"

Koll didn't just smile now. His massive shoulders quaked, and he threw back his head to release a roar of laughter. It was a free and joyful sound, and his happiness smelled like fresh snowfall. The people gathered in the tavern looked shocked at the outburst.

"Hey! I am not a runt.” Gilby frowned for a moment, but then he chuckled too. “Not all of us have our head in the stars. I'd get a nosebleed if I stood as tall as the two of you."

That provoked a final snort from Koll before he stopped laughing. The rest of the crowd appeared to have been stunned into silence.

"Now that we have that settled,” Gilby said, “tell us everything, Shila. What's happening in Idona these days?"

"Idona?"

"Your village.” Gilby looked at her mate. “You did find her in Idona, didn't you? I thought you said that's where you were going this year."

"Found her on the way back,” Koll mumbled.

Shila shook her head. “I belong to no village."

"You're two-skinned.” The female voice came from her left where she found an old woman studying her.

"Elli.” Koll said the name respectfully, identifying the speaker.

"What do you mean ‘two-skinned?'” Gilby asked the elderly female. “Her skin looks fine to me."

"Careful.” Koll repeated his earlier warning, this time with a growl at the runt.

Elli held her head high and spoke to Shila directly. “I can tell by your coloring, though I haven't seen one of your people since I was a girl. You're a Child of Nanook."

Beside her, Koll released a loud snort. “The Children of Nanook are a myth."

"Then a myth sits before us,” Elli insisted.

Shila regarded the woman for a moment before inclining her head. “Long ago, on a world beyond these stars, my people lived much like you. We came here for a fresh start, to reconnect with nature and live in harmony with it. But we discovered the bacteria of this planet were deadly to us. They destroyed our bodies slowly from the inside out. To survive, our leader, Nanook, saw that we needed to become one with a life form of this world. He chose the largest of the land predators, the great frost bear, and asked the bear's spirit to join with his. My people merged with the mighty predators to become a new race, one who wears two skins."

"Wait a second.” Gilby leaned over the table. “You're saying you are a Child of Nanook?"

"Yes.” She thought it was obvious. Then again, perhaps the scent-blindness of the villagers had masked the truth from them.

"You didn't change into a bear outside,” Koll said. “The Children of Nanook are supposed to be men and women inside and bears when they step out."

It was Shila's turn to grunt. “Indoors or out doesn't matter.” Except she didn't like being enclosed when she was on four paws.

"But you're saying you turn into a bear?” Gilby sounded skeptical.

She nodded.

A few people chuckled, but their laughter sounded strained. All around her, a variety of expressions passed over everyone's faces.

Koll didn't say a word. When Elli motioned him over, he went to her and hunkered down to face the old woman.

"Take good care of her,” Elli told him. “The Children of Nanook should be treated with respect."

He simply agreed and looked back at Shila over his shoulder.

The way his nostrils flared made her shiver in anticipation. So far, Koll had taken very good care of her.

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"So you turn into a bear?"

Koll studied Shila as they walked through the snow to his house with Greyfell trailing them. There were no flakes falling right now, but the wind cut through his coat and made him shiver. He couldn't believe she looked so comfortable in the cold. She didn't even have her hood up.

"I said so,” was her only response.

Although he didn't believe her for a minute, he didn't have the heart to call her a liar aloud. Especially not after she'd forgiven him for not knowing her name. His manners might be rough, but he did have some. Even an idiot knew to get a woman's name before bedding her. Yet somehow, while he'd spent the day making love to her spectacular body, the thought had never crossed his mind. To be honest, thinking hadn't been a high priority, not when there was so much to feel.

Now he wanted to get to know her better. If she liked to pretend she was some kind of mythical shifter, then he'd play along.

"If you can become a bear, why were you running on two feet when I found you?” he asked.

"To help disguise my scent and throw off Tartok and Cikuq. I swam a great distance in my bear form and carried my clothes and snowshoes in my mouth.” She sounded perfectly serious. “When I couldn't swim anymore, I climbed onto the ice, dressed, and ran."

"And you haven't turned back into a bear since then because...?"

She stopped and leaned in to brush his mouth with a teasing kiss. “Because then I couldn't be with you."

Who was he to argue with such logic? With a hungry growl, Koll ducked his head to capture her lips more fully. She parted them in welcome, allowing him inside where the taste of her went straight to his head.

The feel of her tongue darting into his mouth in return had him panting. So did the way she clutched the front of his coat with both hands, as if she'd never let him go. His cock swelled beneath the leather and fur of his clothing, begging for another foray into the tight haven of her pussy. He broke the kiss so he could order her inside.

Shila didn't give him a chance to utter the command. With a hard yank, she pitched herself backward, causing him to fall with her. She landed flat on her back with him on top. Koll barely caught his weight in time to keep from squashing her with his heavy frame.

Then she rolled out from under him. Rolled and tossed and giggled as she played in the snow.

"Come on,” she demanded.

She had to be kidding. It was freezing out here, and he wasn't some sled pup ready to frolic in the powder.

His woman was adamant, though. With surprising strength, she grabbed him and sent him rolling with her on the next pass, over and over at least half a dozen times. Snow got in his hair and numbed his scalp, and stray clumps avalanched down the back of his neck.

He should have been annoyed. Instead, Koll laughed for no good reason.

When they finally stopped tumbling, Shila came out on top and sat up to straddle his lap. The sight of her astride him had his laughter fading and his cock stiffening even further. She left him breathless. With her white hair and pale skin, she was ravishing, especially against the winter backdrop. He reached up to stroke her cheek before touching the ribbon in her hair.

"Mine,” he said. “My woman."

Koll knew better. He shouldn't have spoken those words aloud. Instead, he should have complimented her—told her she was beautiful and added something romantic. But Shila wasn't put off by his possessiveness.

"My male,” she said with equal ferocity. Taking his hands, she brought his palms up to cup her breasts beneath her coat. Her voice turned husky. “Play with me."

His hips jerked up without his control. Anxious to get her inside and in bed, he sat up, but she pushed him back down.

"Here,” she insisted.

Koll was sure his eyes peeled wide. She wanted to make love out here? He quickly glanced around, though he knew what he'd see. His nearest neighbors were far enough away they wouldn't glimpse anything unless they came looking for him. As for Greyfell, his hound seemed happy sniffing around the far side of the house.

Using the element of surprise, Koll rolled before Shila could fight him. He'd never been with such a big strong female. Her strength and the challenge it presented acted as an aphrodisiac. He got her pinned beneath him with his cock already nestled between her legs. The barrier of their clothing was a nuisance.

"It's cold out here,” he pointed out, pleased to see she was now panting with excitement too.

His woman returned a grin that could have melted the ice caps. “Do I feel cold to you?"

Not one bit. Shila was the hottest woman he'd ever touched.

After he freed her arms from the sleeves of her coat, he left it spread beneath her like a blanket. Her sigh made his sac feel even heavier as he tugged her top off and tossed it aside. No matter how hot-blooded she was, her anatomy still reacted to the frigid air. Uncovered, her nipples pebbled so hard he just had to take a taste.

He caught one of the tight buds between his teeth and moaned at the feel of that delicate pink flesh teasing his tongue. Her breathy groans and the massage of her fingers against his scalp only encouraged him. He startled a yelp out of her when he let go, exposing her wet nipple to the chilly air. Then he made up for it by suckling her other tit with rasping passes of his tongue.