Black Gold

Chapter Eight

She was as punctual as he expected. Shaun loaded her equipment and bags into the cargo section and completed his last-minute checks before returning to the airport hangar to escort her to the helicopter. Whitehorse was small enough he got to care for everything himself. The next commercial plane wasn’t due in or out for over two hours, so there was no need to rush.

The sensation of panic haunting him had more to do with knowing that somehow in the next two weeks he had to make her fall in love with him, and prevent her from killing herself in the bush. Bloody tangled mess he’d gotten into.

She lit up the area with her smile as he approached the gate. “Shaun.”

Damn, she was gorgeous. The urge to scoop her up and toss her into the back of the helicopter to ravish her was strong. His wolf was beyond pissed at him, for allowing them to be separated for the past three days.

He ignored her outstretched hands to pull her tight to his body and take a deep breath of her sweet scent. That was all it took—his wolf calmed in a flash.

“I missed you,” he confessed.

She returned his embrace, the heat of her torso melding with his, and he couldn’t let go. Her slight weight as she relaxed against him comforted the ache, then stirred the ashes. “I missed you as well.”

She lifted her mouth and he eagerly accepted her lips.

Public place, man. It took a ton of energy to keep himself from consuming her like a bag of cotton candy. Instead, he gave her a gentle kiss. Maybe a little too gentle. He leaned away, and she grabbed his head, holding on to him and increasing the greeting to something on a higher-fire warning.

Hello, she tasted good.

They were both slightly breathless by the time they drew apart.

He finally noticed what she was wearing. “Sweet—like the boots.”

Gem lifted a foot and displayed her hikers. “All broken in and everything. I’ve been walking around Whitehorse for the past two days to make sure I’m ready.”

Two days? Shaun didn’t have the heart to warn her that wasn’t nearly enough time. “Awesome! Shall we go?”

She accepted his elbow and they made their way to the chopper. He dawdled over strapping her in, enjoying having his hands on her body again, even if she was buried under a bulky shirt and thick cotton pants. He liked her in those pants, liked the way they hugged her curves. For one terrible second the image of her wandering Whitehorse alone—and all the guys who got to see her in said pants—flashed into his brain and his temper flared.

Cool. Keep it cool.

“Did you enjoy your time in Whitehorse? Sorry I had to leave you, but there were things to do at the hangar before I could be ready for the trip.”

Her smile dazzled him. “No problem—it was just wonderful. Caroline and I did an aerobics class at the Canada Games Centre, then I went out to dinner with her at the Klondike Rib and Salmon and we ate with our fingers. It was so exciting.”

Her enthusiastic descriptions helped the final preflight prep pass in a blur. He gave her a headset, taught her how to use the microphone to ask questions. Her obvious delight continued as he shared information about the landscape passing under them, but for the most part she simply leaned against the window and took it in. Fascination painted her face as he followed the Yukon River, the many tributaries trickling into the main waterway littered with small-claim shanties, even after all this time.

It was a sight that had always mesmerized him. He could only hope her thoughts were as positive as his, and that she wasn’t aware how increasingly remote they were becoming.

“Do you have any idea yet how long a layover we’ll have in Dawson?” she asked.

Shaun pulled himself back from his mental ramblings. “Looks like a week at the most. The herd is moving late this year.”

“I checked the websites, but the data wasn’t up to date.” She pointed out the front window at a pair of moose darting into the bush at their approach.

“The radio-collar program the government set up gathers great information, but when they had a real-time website posting, the data was accessible to everyone. Including hunters, who then used it to plan their expeditions. Turns out the conservationists were unintentionally broadcasting the exact location of individual animals.”

Gem shook her head in disgust. “That’s terrible.”

Shaun shrugged. “Hey, people use the resources offered. I don’t agree with the hunters using the system, but I understand why they did. So the website is now on a time delay.”

“How are you getting your information, then?” Gem placed her fingers on his arm, and the contact did wonderful wiggly things to his system.

He smiled. “I have my sources.”

Her laughter danced over his ears. “Of course you do.”

The admiration she displayed cheered him inside. That’s what he wanted more of—that look in her eyes, that sweet smile on her lips—all for him. Somehow he had to maintain whatever was causing it, because making her happy was like a drug pouring back into his own system. “Local packs have always shared information to keep their territories as peaceful as possible. There’s a wolf pack in Dawson, and at least a dozen more in the outlying communities of the north. Each one a little more remote, a little less civilized in some ways. I’ve gained contacts with them during my years of flying.”

He glanced at her face. She remained enamored with the landscape, staring in fascination, and that was a fabulous start. Now he had to figure out how to make the time in Dawson memorable. And something outside the bedroom, although please to high heaven, could they have some time in the bedroom?

They still hadn’t had sex. Not as far as he could remember.

The hours it took to get to Dawson seemed to pass in a few seconds. Just breathing her scent on the air made him ecstatic. Even though arriving meant they were that much closer to a fight, because another argument was inevitable. Their time in Dawson as they waited would involve mainly sightseeing. No problem there, but the next stage of the adventure, when the research began? Her plans needed to be adjusted, and somehow he didn’t think she would take the news with a happy smile, not after the hell she gave him back at the coffee shop.

Landing at Dawson and arranging temporary storage for the chopper didn’t take very long, and soon enough they were in a cab en route to their overnight stop. The streets were far busier than he ever remembered seeing before.

Arriving at the hotel threw all their positive travel mojo out the window.

Shaun eyed the man behind the counter and debated how he’d taste roasted. “What do you mean, cancelled? I had those rooms on a guaranteed reservation.”

“I’m sorry, sir. I agree, the booking mistake is completely our error. Let me see what I can arrange for you instead.” The clerk typed rapidly, his gaze frantic as he studied the computer screens. Shaun glanced over at Gem who sat behind him in the foyer, people watching. The expression of delight on her face intrigued him.

He wasn’t sure if all the things she found captivating choked him up because he was shocked at her naivety, or because her enthusiasm made him realize he’d spent so much of his life not really noticing what was going on around him. Kind of like living in a constant state of “whatever”.

“Sir? Unfortunately there are limited room choices left.”

“We’ll take anything you’ve got.” Hang on. Back when they didn’t know it was his mate he was ferrying, they had booked two rooms. “Oh, and one room is all we need.”

Genuine relief covered the clerk’s face. “Thank you for being so understanding. There’s been a flood of visitors into town in the past couple days, and the extra bookings are making it difficult to do any shuffling.”

“Convention?” Shaun asked.

The clerk shook his head. “Nothing in the Chamber of Commerce notes or at the regular convention centre. But it’s crazy. I suggest if you’d like to eat out you make reservations early.”

Shaun accepted the key card and went to collect Gem. She stared at him from under her lashes as they waited in the elevator. When she licked her lips, his groin tightened.

Oh please, oh please, oh please.

He held the door for her, watching her ass with longing as she stepped past him. She turned and examined the room. There was that expression on her face again. The one that said she thought he was almost, but maybe not quite, out of his mind. He took a quick peek past her shoulder to try and spot what was wrong. This hotel wasn’t the fanciest place in town—he hadn’t wanted to go overboard in trying to impress her. The room was neat and tidy, sunshine streaming in the window.

“Two beds?”

Hope rose in a rush. It wasn’t the lack of fancy amenities that had caught her attention. “There’s some kind of convention in town and everything else was booked solid.”

“I see.” She slipped to the far bed and sat on the edge of the mattress, staring around the room before fixing her inquisitive gaze on him. “Well—what’s first on the sightseeing agenda?”

Shaun pushed down the desire to suggest there was nothing he’d like to see more than her naked and waiting on that bed. “So much to do, so little time to do it in. Come on, let’s paint the town red.”

Bodies crowded the boardwalks. Far more hulking male bodies than she’d expected, and Gem was glad of Shaun’s solid frame by her side. “Does it seem as if there’s an awful lot of shifters around?” she asked, leaning to whisper in his ear.

“You’ll find more shifters in general in the north. Living up here is safer, for one thing, and we all enjoy the open spaces. Gives us room to let our animal sides run when they want.” Shaun pointed down the street. “Bears, wolves, cougars. Yeah, there is a huge variety of shifters here. Not as much as in Chicken, but—”

“Chicken?”

He led her into an old-fashioned theater. “That’s a town just over the border in Alaska. Shifters-only for some strange reason. The original founders wanted to call the place Ptarmigan after the flocks of local birds, but no one could spell the word properly, so…”

“Chicken.”

“Yup.”

She laughed, then got distracted by the shimmering lights reflecting off the walls.

There was a stage at one end, noisy casino machines along the other. The center of the room was filled with tables, mostly occupied. Shaun urged her toward a couple empty seats, his fingers warm around hers. He gestured with his free hand.

“Welcome to Diamond Tooth Gertie’s. The theater’s been revamped. They did a great job of bringing her back to life like in her heyday.”

Gem didn’t know where to look next, everything was so fascinating. Turn-of-the-century fixtures, honky-tonk music. Waiters and waitresses in costumed garb. “Oh, her costume has a bustle. I have a dress like that.”

Shaun plopped into a chair. “Really?”

She stood for a moment longer, and he bounced up like a yoyo.

“Shit, sorry.” He held her chair as she sat, and she bit her lips to hide her smile. He was trying. That counted for something.

That counted for a lot.

Then the floorshow started, and she got lost in the narration. History filled her mind, more than just the disconnected bits of information she’d read over the years. The actors on the stage took her back and immersed her in the gold rush. In the daily struggles the Klondikers faced as they fought for survival in the wilds and scratched out a living from an uncertain future.

Gem found herself clinging to Shaun’s hand as the tales unfolded.

When the curtain fell, she applauded as loudly as anyone in the room, strangely touched. It wasn’t just the remembrance of people who had died long ago, but a sensation of something else. There were so many possibilities in her own future, so much more for her to experience.

His lips brushed her cheek. “Come, let’s walk.”

Outside, the sky was still daylight bright, the hills around them clear and the air fresh. Even at this time of night, the crush of people remained overwhelming. They ducked and dodged a constant stream of bodies, and the contentment she’d felt after the show slipped away. This wasn’t what she wanted.

She’d enjoyed the flight to Dawson, and the attention Shaun had paid her. The respect he’d given in agreeing to her terms—letting her remain on her own in Whitehorse for three days… Well, she hadn’t really let him do anything but agree with her, if she was honest. Still, exploring their relationship was what they needed now, not fighting a swarming mass of humanity and shifters, crowding and bumping into their space.

“Can we get away from this?” She ducked an errant elbow, and Shaun curled himself around her a little tighter.

“Back to the room?”

Their room. “That would be…lovely.”

They stared at each other for a moment, and she wondered if all he could picture—like her—were the beds waiting for them at the hotel.

She’d felt some guilt for walking out on him at the restaurant the other day. And when he had caught up, she’d used all her strength to insist her decision was final. It had taken another ten minutes before she managed to get back to her room, forcing him to leave before she changed her mind.

Her wolf was very put out with her.

Shaun didn’t seem to understand why she needed to do this trip. Yes, things had dramatically changed when they’d discovered each other. It didn’t mean she was willing to abandon what she wanted to accomplish. If anything, it made her goals even more important.

She didn’t want to be a weak person, not for him. And the way she’d been going was being weak. Depending completely on others’ opinions and following the paths they planned for her—that was wrong. Plus, she didn’t need another older man in her life making all the decisions. One father was enough. Shaun had to see her as his equal, or this partnership of theirs was going to go nowhere fast.

That didn’t mean she didn’t want him.

The crowds thinned by the time they reached the hotel, all the traffic on the street headed the opposite direction.

“It’s a madhouse out there.” Shaun pushed through the door then froze. “Fuck it. Sorry.”

She gave him a wry smile. “Shaun, I won’t knee you in the groin if you occasionally forget to open the door for me. I can handle doors.”

He grinned sheepishly. “Good, because I totally want to keep my groin un-kneed.”

She flushed. Thinking about that portion of his anatomy made taking their time to stroll to the elevators difficult. He leaned past her to press the call button, and his scent filled her nostrils. Made her mouth water and her knees quiver.

Suddenly, having been apart for a few nights seemed like the most insane—there was that word again—thing. And this time, it was her fault.

Two other couples joined them in the small compartment. Shaun stepped in front of her, as if to guard her. A terribly naughty thought popped into her mind, and as the doors clicked shut, she grabbed a handful of his shirt and tugged upward, hard. He stiffened, but didn’t move as she slipped her hand under his T-shirt and let her fingers roam over his warm skin.

Oh dear, she was getting turned on just touching his back. Touching his side. Firm edges to the muscles, the swoop of his waist lined by the cut of his obliques. The elevator stopped and one couple left, opening more room. Rather than shifting away, Gem stuck to his side, sneaking her hand around to his abdomen. Under her fingers, his muscles quivered as she stroked the ridges of his six-pack. She watched his throat move as he swallowed hard, changing her touch to play with the faint dusting of hair lower down. The intriguing trail disappeared into where his shirt remained tucked into his pants in the front, and Gem longed to be able to dip her hand under the waistband.

The elevator door dinged, and she withdrew her hand quickly, dragging her fingernails lightly over his skin. Leaving her mark on his body.

She wanted her mate.

The door slid shut, and he whirled on her, his eyes more feral than human. “You playing games?”

She shook her head, mouth gone dry. “No games. I want you.”

The elevator couldn’t open fast enough for either of them.

When he dropped the plastic card for the third time, Shaun was tempted to kick the door down. Gem scooped up the key, slammed it into place and shoved the door open all in one motion. She grabbed him by the back of his belt and yanked him in after her, finishing the job of stripping his shirt away rather handily.

“Your bed or mine?” She mouthed the words against his neck. Gem was wrapped around him, her lips on his skin nibbling and sucking as frantically as he felt.

“Don’t care. Floor. Wall—”

“Wall?”

Oh, his sweet innocent. He latched onto her shirt and stripped the fabric off without bothering to unbutton it. “I’ll show you sometime.”

Not now. In fact, as much he wanted to simply throw her to the bed and thrust into her, he couldn’t.

This lovemaking—with his mysterious memory gap—was their first time, and damn if he’d screw things up.

They got lost in the kissing business for a bit. Her mouth was warm and soft. Shaun held her, his thumb and fingers curled gently around the long column of her neck. Sweet. Intoxicating. It wasn’t so much her flavour as the emotions that went along with the kiss. Knowing she was his, to care for, to be with.

Knowing she wanted him. Powerful, yet very intimidating.

Shaun leaned back to gaze into her eyes and fell headfirst. What had he done to deserve her? Nothing. A big fat nothing. All his life he’d run from responsibility. From being the man he could have been. Maybe he’d done a few good things along the way, but that was in spite of himself, not because he planned it.

That was going to change, and now, because this woman before him, staring back at him?

She deserved more than he’d become.

But he’d work on the other parts of that later. Right now he was going to make love to his mate, and remember every single second. In minute detail.

Shaun stepped around her slowly, savouring the ability to run his hands over her body. The soft caress of her dark skin. The way his hand contrasted with hers. But more than the difference in their colouring, it was the ripple of goose bumps that rose behind his touch that drew his attention.

“Cold?” he pressed his lips against her upper arm.

“Hot. Crazy hot. Like I’m on fire and you’re pouring on gasoline—oh…”

He licked her. A small, intimate touch as he held her in place. Another lick, this time lower. On the back of her arm. The next higher, at the ticklish spot where her arm met her body.

He tugged her bra strap to the side, letting the elastic fall away. More kisses followed, his actions repeated on the other side. Then he nuzzled her neck as he undid her bra and removed it completely.

She shivered.

Shaun pressed his naked chest to her back, the heat from both their bodies burning hotter than a blowtorch. Over her shoulder he admired her, the firm swells of her breasts, the slender curve of her waist. He teased her skin with tiny circles, starting at her hipbones, drawing his hands higher and higher. Dusting along her ribcage, skimming the underside of her breasts, caressing her collarbone.

Not one part of her upper body was neglected. Not one part was ignored, but nowhere received more than a brief caress before he moved on.

He was memorizing her. He’d forgotten their first lovemaking? This time would be etched into his memory forever.

Gem moaned as he cupped her breasts. “Feels so good.”

“More?”

She nodded, leaning her weight on him. Her ass brushed his jeans, and the tight control he’d maintained nearly snapped. He ached.

Licking her nape was the only thing that calmed his wolf enough he could get the snap on her pants undone. “I like these, by the way.”

She laughed. “Wearing pants feels as if I’m in a disguise.”

He eased the zipper down, peeled the material off her hips. “No disguise, just being smart. These are what you’ll need in the backcountry.”

“So I’m not insane?”

“Right.” He froze, only relaxing when she wiggled with laughter.

“Sorry, couldn’t resist.”

Neither could he. Shaun dropped to his knees behind her and nipped her butt cheek.

“Oh, what—?”

“Love the pants, love what’s in them even more.”

She smiled at him, and he was ready to do anything for her.

It took a long, long time to strip her. Every article of clothing he removed required him to lick and taste all the new exposed skin. By the time she was completely naked, he’d brought her close to orgasm with his fingers, his tongue, always stopping just before she gained release.

When he picked her up and laid her on the bed, her wolf was rumbling in pleasure.

Shaun paused to strip the rest of his clothing off, then crawled next to her, careful to push her hair aside. He looked her in the eye and let his fingers drop to her sex. Felt the wetness there. Used it to rub and caress until she shook. All the while he watched her. Saw her pupils change, her breathing hitch. She closed her eyes and her sheath squeezed around him, and he smiled.

It was only the beginning.

This time as he stroked, her breasts received attention. Laving and circling the tight peaks with his tongue, he waited until there was the tiniest of fluttering around his fingers, buried deep inside her. That’s when he drew the entire tip into his mouth and sucked.

Gem screamed out in pleasure, thrashing on the bed as he refused to stop, pulling her up again and again until she quivered under his hands.

He finally covered her with his body. Nestled between her thighs. Rocked his hips a few times and enjoyed the way her cream coated him. Then he slipped the head of his cock into her heat, and they connected.

Wonderful, welcoming. Shaun fought to keep every memory fresh and new, but mostly what his brain told him was holy fuck this feels incredible. His mate fit him like no wolf ever had before. Like no one would in the future.

He rose on extended arms, and the only point they physically connected was at the hips. He wanted more, wanted it all.

Gem drew up one leg and he slid a little deeper. “Sweet mercy.”

“Shaun? You okay?”

Did he have to answer that? “I’m so okay, you can’t imagine.”

She shifted position again, and did this squeezy thing that made his eyes cross with pleasure. “Good. Then, can you move? Maybe?”

Shaun laughed. “Move how? Like this?”

A slow withdrawal was followed by an equally deliberate press forward. Every inch of her was incredible, wonderful and addictive.

“I like that.” Gem arched her back as he brought their hips together, making the contact a little tighter, a little more intense.

He was going to lose his ever-loving mind at this rate.

A dozen measured strokes later he was praying for a miracle. If he didn’t do something now—stop, recite the times table—something, he was about to go up in smoke.

Gem wrapped her legs around him and pulled violently, increasing his pace, and he was lost. They were making a memory, but now it was a heated and sweaty one, full of off-the-wall and borderline out-of-control energy.

When she cried out he nearly collapsed with happiness, not only because it was his name she called, but because he could finally allow himself to cross the line. He made one final thrust, stopping buried in her body, then let go.

The waves went on forever. Just freaking forever. It was nearly painful how good he felt, and his mind went blank.

Oh, damn it, no. Gem. Her name was Gem. They were mates…

Shaun rolled them both, draping her limp body over his. Panic faded as the details of their lovemaking remained strong, in spite of the lack of brainpower he currently possessed.

The usual lassitude of postcoital pleasure pooled in his limbs, along with an intriguing something extra. Making love with his mate? Far bigger, brighter and more everything than the physical rush of previous encounters. He stroked her back and sighed happily.

Chapter Nine

Three days later and the sighing wasn’t so happy anymore.

Gem sipped her tea as they waited for the breakfast bill. “Will we be leaving today or not yet?”

He shook his head. “Reports are that the herd is moving, but there’s no use in heading anywhere this early.”

She glanced out the window, her slim fingers tapping for a moment against her cup. “Okay, not much we can do about that.”

Shaun was about ready to scream in frustration. Three days of cooling their heels. He’d taken her on a bus tour. They’d gone through all the museums—twice. They’d done everything he could think of that didn’t require her getting dirty, muddy or dusty. Life had alternated between incredible and stinky, based on whether he’d remembered to shut the hell up and let her have some control, or if he’d flipped back into his usual do as he pleased mode.

It was a lot more difficult than he had thought it would be, to make a radical change in his life and attitude. At times it seemed he had made progress. Others? He was scared there was no freaking way this relationship would work. It was like tossing his wolf into the kitchen and demanding the beast make a gourmet meal. The result wouldn’t look pretty even if he tried his damnedest.

She slipped her hand into his and squeezed for a moment. “Do you mind if I go write a few emails? Check my notes. Things like that.”

A reprieve from planning another non-action fun-filled day? Shaun snatched at the opportunity. “Want me to walk you upstairs?”

She laughed. “I don’t think so. I know the way by now.”

“I’ll be up in a bit. Maybe we can hit the casino again. Or go for a run? There’s that great trail I told you about that allows easy access to the wilderness. The local pack uses it all the time. No one thinks anything of wolves in the area.”

They still hadn’t let their wolves out to play. A tiny crease appeared between her eyes, and he wondered how long her upbringing would remain a barrier. Any time he mentioned shifting she stiffened up. “No, that’s okay. I’ll see you whenever, all right?”

Shaun watched her walk away, remembering only after she’d left he should have held her chair. Done the polite thing.

He had managed to go a whole thirty minutes without swearing this morning. Fucking insanity, this learning-to-be-a-gentleman shit. Gem hadn’t complained, but he felt as if there was some judging happening. Not so much her evaluating him, but their surroundings, the rustic nature of the hotel, the food.

Yeah, maybe his behavior at times as well.

He leaned back and stared out the window at the people walking past. His lack of finesse was a point in the north’s favour—he bet she could never see him fitting in with her fancy highfaluting circumstances.

She was so skittish. He was not looking forward to the discussion he needed to have regarding the fine details of how the trip was going to go once they left Dawson, because she seemed determined to carry this thing through to the end.

In the meantime, they had at least three or four days to burn before the shit hit the fan. What to do with the time? She’d seemed enthusiastic about going for a run—not. And he didn’t want to simply have sex.

Wait.

Well, he wanted to have sex, but that couldn’t be the only thing they had going for them. Mating was on all kinds of levels. They had to connect, and so far, the bedroom was the one place they were completely at ease.

A whisper of a previous conversation drifted through his mind. He’d spent so much of his life doing for himself. Or even the things he’d done for others had the ulterior motive of screwing someone—usually someone in authority. He was a rebel without a cause. Learning to be special to Gem—well, he’d basically had no practice being special to anyone up to now.

Be a hero.

Shaun snuck a suspicious peek over his shoulder. No one there.

Do the right thing, just because.

He looked to the left, quickly discarding the idea that anyone in the restaurant had spoken to him. That meant it was one of the little inside voices taunting him. Damn it. Those were tougher ones to ignore.

Who had told him that? Do something for someone who can’t even thank you. Just because it’s the right thing to do.

He paid, then wandered outside to take a deep breath of the crisp air. The crowds were far thicker than they should be. One fellow stormed past, his shoulder bumping Shaun a trifle too hard, and he staggered to catch his balance.

He grabbed the nearest vertical object, which turned out to be the arm of a shifter who glared at his hand without a word.

Freaking oversensitive asshole.

Shaun let go and stepped back with exaggerated care. No use in getting into a fight when it wasn’t needed. That’s when he noticed exactly how many of the bodies on the street were shifters. And not just any shifters, but all kinds of bears. Hell, there were even a few polar shifters, and those dudes only left their turf in Churchill and the Far North once in a blue moon.

Shaun found a bench and sat for while, counting, wondering. This was the weirdest thing. Bear Jamboree or what?

The bench creaked beside him, and he glanced over, waving a finger when he recognized one of the local wolf pack.

“Nick.”

“Shaun.” Nick stretched his legs out in front of him as he surveyed the street, his easy positioning belying the tension in his body. “You come to watch the circus?”

Something was up. “I’m here with…a client.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t want anyone else to know he and Gem were mates, but if there was trouble coming, he’d prefer to keep her out of it. He doubted rumbles were her forté.

Nick nodded. “Word is the bears are holding a rally—something about territorial divisions. A bear gathering is a rare enough occurrence, but with impeccable timing, the humans arranged a protest over the oil and gas development continuing up north. Two unpredictable groups in town at the same time? The sooner you can get out of Dodge the better your chances of avoiding any hassles.”

Shaun twisted to face the older wolf. “Thanks for the warning. The pack got it under control?”

“We’ll be fine.” Nick ran a hand through his hair before gesturing to the street. “We get environmental protestors up here on a regular basis. They make some noise, wave a bunch of signs, then leave a mess behind on the streets. Pretty pathetic considering they shout ‘save the earth’ then litter like pigs.”

A clatter rose to their right. Nick shot halfway out of his seat. Another man across the way waved him down, and Nick relaxed.

Impressive. “You got spotters coordinated?”

Nick nodded. “We know the signs, what to watch for, what to ignore. Right now, it’s the humans getting riled up. All the bears who have arrived in the past couple days? They’re behaving, but bears usually do. They like things orderly. Riots in the streets aren’t their style, not unless they’ve been drinking.”

The commotion quieted again. Shaun spoke before he could think it through. “Call me if you need help.”

Nick eyed him with suspicion. “You looking for a new pack?”

Shit. “I’m not trying to take over or move up your ranks. Just a friendly offer is all.”

Sheer disbelief painted Nick’s expression. “Right.”

Fuck it. Shaun rose and gave the other wolf a curt nod. He paced away, his mood increasingly foul.

How the hell could he convince Gem he was serious about being there for her when others pointed out so well he didn’t know how to give unselfishly.

The boardwalk creaked under his feet, puffs of dust rising as he stomped his way down the street. Fine. Unselfish. What was the most unselfish thing he could think of to do?

Two complete revolutions of Main Street later he finally acknowledged the one obvious idea that wasn’t totally crazy. Find out what was up with the bears. Nick wasn’t that high up the ranks in Dawson, so it was stupid expecting him to know if real trouble was brewing. Shaun needed to speak with the actual leaders, maybe offer Takhini’s support—it couldn’t hurt. He wondered momentarily if Evan would kick his ass for making the suggestion without checking in first.

Probably. Shit.

The memory of Gem’s beautiful eyes staring at him with admiration… Shaun was ready to sell a bit of his soul to make her look at him like that all the time. It made his skin crawl, but he did it anyway. He hauled out his cell phone and called Evan.

“Moonshine Mayhem, director of Chaos speaking.”

Shaun snorted. “Director, you got that right. Hey, why you being your own answering service? Where’s Caroline?”

“Making a run down to the police station to bail out a few of the pack.”

“No shit. Really? What they do?” Shaun paused to watch a taxi empty. Four bear shifters in fancy suits made their way up the stairs of the Grand Hotel, the valets rushing to bring in their cases.

“Got in a brawl down at the pizza parlour with a bunch of visiting bears. I let them cool their heels overnight before posting bail. Those boys are in for some hard labour when I get my hands on them.” Evan spoke softly, but even Shaun heard the displeasure in his voice. Irreverent, yes, but his Alpha didn’t tolerate the pack breaking his rules.

“Speaking of bears, that’s why I’m calling. Dawson is overrun with them. You know anything about what’s happening?”

Evan chuckled. “I know everything, man. It’s politics. Every so many years—and no one seems to know exactly how many—the bears meet to redistribute territory and such. Their hierarchy is way more formal than the way we wolves do things. They vote and shit.”

No way. “Like, no beating each other up or ripping out throats for leadership? They vote on bits of paper and that decides the leaders?”

“Barbaric, isn’t it?”

“Totally.” They both laughed hysterically for a moment. Shaun took a deep breath. This stopping-being-Peter-Pan was tough. “Okay, level with me. If I suggested to the Dawson pack Takhini’s got their back, would you agree or should I start running for Siberia?”

Dead silence greeted him. “Shaun, did I just hear you make a considered, grown-up suggestion all on your own?”

“Fuck you.”

“Not really interested in swinging that way, darling. You should be getting enough from Gem—oh, wait a minute. That’s what this is all about, isn’t it? You trying to impress your new lady?”

His Alpha was far too close to the mark. Shaun resumed pacing the boardwalk. “I repeat, fuck you.”

Evan laughed at him. “Aren’t you supposed to be guiding your mate somewhere into the bush for the next couple weeks? Is this like last fall when you caused all kinds of mischief and then took off?”

Shaun growled. “Hardly. Last year I purposely hid so you couldn’t order me to tell you where I’d taken my friends for a little private R&R. This go-round I have to leave, which is why I suggested Takhini as a backup, not just me.”

“So last year you flaunted my authority, this time you’re asking for permission?”

The answer stuck in his throat. “Argh. Um, maybe.”

Evan crowed. “Sweet. You beg so well…” Shaun opened his mouth, “…and don’t bother to tell me to fuck anything.”

Bastard.

His Alpha continued, all humour and joking vanished. “Here’s the deal. Tell them we’re available if they need us. I’ve got three other outlying packs that owe me favours. If trouble arises, Dawson can call. Rumor is the first stages of the bears’ meetings are in Dawson City. Second set might move our direction. I hope the northern packs will reciprocate if we need a hand.”

Shaun nodded. “Makes sense. I’ll drop in on them this morning.”

“Last thing. This has to stay quiet. Remind Dawson of that as well. Keep an eye on what’s happening with the bears, but any wolf alliances are to remain hush-hush. Bears are usually reasonable creatures, but if they think they’re about to be overrun by pack, things could get out of hand.”

That made sense. Shaun scratched his head. “How come I didn’t know any of this? Did the meetings and shit just start in the last couple days?”

Again, silence for a moment. “Nah. There’s been signs for a while. You’ve had things on your mind.”

Shaun swore. That was bullshit, and they both knew it.

The light laughter on the other end of the line was both annoying and reassuring, it was so Evan. “Look. You have a good idea here. Roll with it. Forget the past and move forward. Oh, and have a great time with Gem, okay? Shit. Gotta run. The screw-ups are back, and I have to go put the fear of their Alpha into them. Call me if you need anything.”

Shaun hung up, feeling slightly dirty. This following-the-rules thing wasn’t…normal.

The scent of unwashed bodies struck him with the force of a brick wall. There were times having enhanced smelling ability sucked. The solid pack of people milling in front of the bar doors and blocking his path didn’t budge as he shouldered through.

He sidestepped a familiar-looking dark-haired brute already teetering drunkenly at barely noon. It was the biggest of the bears Shaun had thrown out of the Moonshine Pub only a few days ago. Obviously even the lowest class of bear was involved in these talks.

Shaun glanced down the street and considered. If he was going to be all self-sacrificing and shit, he may as well start right now. Armed with Evan’s permission—gag—Shaun turned toward the Dawson pack house.

One final concern hit as he marched toward his goal. Potential shifter wars were nothing he wanted Gem to worry about. As if crazed politics were a selling feature that would entice her to settle in the north. No, he’d have to find some way to do what he needed to without letting her know he was potentially knee deep in trouble. Situation normal, all fucked up.

She shouldn’t be upset. He hadn’t done anything wrong.

Had he?

Gem tried to remember the specific details of what they’d talked about right before she left the breakfast table.

Her stomach grumbled for the fifteenth time in the past half hour.

“Fudge.”

She opened the curtain and stared into the street. It was nearly six. She hadn’t gone downstairs to grab lunch, thinking Shaun would return at any minute. There had to be a mistake. He couldn’t have meant to leave her alone all day. Or…had he said he’d see her at supper?

Her phone rang, and she stared at the display with rising frustration. Her father. Again.

She clicked off the ringer and threw the phone on the bed.

It bounced a foot.

The small act of violence was so satisfying, she moved without thinking. Picked up the phone, stepped back a couple additional paces. Cocked her arm and flung her cell harder than previously. It bounced higher.

Not enough. She grabbed it again, raced across the room, her back to the door and took a couple of running steps. This time when she let go, she spat out the word even louder.

“Fudge!”

The phone bounced, hit the edge of the lamp, ricocheted sideways and crashed into the garbage can. Both tipped in opposite directions, and she watched in horror as they landed, the can softly, the lamp with a terrifying crash.

“That was interesting.”

Gem twirled, covering her heated cheeks as she stared into Shaun’s laughing eyes.

“I, um…”

“Didn’t like the décor?”

There really was something happening in this northern air. Her hands shook in aggravation as she moved to clean up the mess. “I’m sorry, I don’t usually do things like that.”

Shaun was at her side, grabbing the garbage can and holding it for her. “Hey, I don’t mind. If I’m not on the receiving end of the throwing, it’s kinda fun to watch.”

She dropped another shard of pottery into the can. Great. Now she was back to entertaining people. Gem clamped her teeth together and concentrated on moving the lampshade from where it lay tangled around the side table.

He caught her wrist and held her immobile. “Hey.”

Gem sighed as she examined his face.

There was no longer amusement there. “I wasn’t trying to insult you. I think what I said came out wrong. You okay? Why are you throwing things in the first place?”

An ache pulsed inside. “My father.”

Shaun lifted her off her knees and took her to the couch. “I thought you got along with your old man.”

“I do, except for him forgetting that I’m not a baby, and that I’d like to have some control over my own life.”

Shaun leaned back, keeping her hands in his. “Did you call him?”

She shook her head. Layers of guilt, deep and colourful, had made her almost break her promise to herself and contact him. “He doesn’t know.”

Shaun frowned. “Know what?”

“About us.”

Shaun sucked in air. “Oh damn, I was going to ask you about that. I mean, I bet you’ve got all kinds of traditional shit that…I mean protocol that I should be doing. Like calling him and telling him we are mates and—”

“I don’t want to.” She couldn’t read his reaction. Was that panic or relief? “I mean, I want him to know, and he’s a great dad and all, but he’s used to getting his way, and until we figure this out…” She waved a hand between them. Oh dear, what a mess she was.

Shaun caressed her fingers. “I think I know what you mean, but I’m serious. If there’s something I can do to help, tell me?”

She nodded. “I will.”

They sat quietly for a minute, then he leaned forward, curiosity on his face.

“So, why the baseball with the phone?”

She pointed to the desk where she’d spread out her work. “I’ve been going through my notes. The information I need to gather to complete my report. And suddenly it just all seemed stupid. A total waste of time and money. I’m a small cog in a tiny wheel. What difference does it make if I do this or not?”

“Hell. Your research makes a huge difference.”

That was not what she’d expected to hear. “Really?”

Shaun’s mouth twisted into a wry grin. “Okay, earlier I said you were insane—I mean, we thought the scientist who booked the trip was insane. And we do need to talk about the details, but the actual reason you’re here isn’t the study, right? I mean, really, really why you’re here.”

Gem collapsed back against the couch to stare across at him. Her studies had originated from her interest in science and the environment, that was true. But arranging a project that required a trip that would take her as far away from home possible?

That had nothing to do with scientific discovery, and everything to do with discovering herself.

“I just want to prove I can make it on my own. For a little while.”

Shaun snorted. “And then I drop into your life, and you’re still not alone. Not even after traveling all that distance.” He lifted her knuckles and kissed them lightly. “I’m sorry for crowding you, but I’m not sorry I found you.”

Gem couldn’t talk for a moment, her throat was so tight. She nodded. “Me too. I’m just so all over the place right now—both my mind and my emotions. What if all this time they’ve all been humouring me? My professor, my fellow students? Maybe I don’t belong anywhere but protected and under the firm control of—”

“Bullshit.” Shaun leapt to his feet and towered over her. “Where the hell did that come from? Where’s the woman who less than a week ago told me and my wolf to cool our jets?”

She stared in shock. “I didn’t say that to you.”

He laughed. “No, you told me it was ‘more appropriate to continue with my usual systematic preparations and consider our attachment to be on a temporary hiatus’.”

Gem cradled her head in her hands. “I can’t believe I said that when I really didn’t want to send you away. I also don’t want to make my father unhappy, but him calling me all the time, and emailing—I wish he wouldn’t, and yet I miss him terribly. It’s so confusing.”

A pair of dusty shoes moved into her line of vision as he squatted in front of her. “I’m with you on that one, love. I’ve never been so wishy-washy before in my fucking, I mean, my entire life.”

They stared at each other, and a tiny strand of electricity slid from where his hands rested on her knees. The sensation wasn’t sexual, not this time. It was cool and calming. Like a hands-on application of peace, and Gem leaned her head against his shoulder.

They sat like that for a while, breathing slowly. Drawing strength from each other. Finally, he wrapped an arm around her and changed position to sit at her side. They leaned back, her head on his chest, his hands stroking her hair, her cheek. Her neck.

“Surprise, surprise—there are layers to this mate thing.” Shaun spoke quietly.

Gem had never experienced anything like it before. “I don’t feel so worried anymore.”

“It’s the connection between us. Being mates will help us through all kinds of situations. I’ve heard others talk about it, but man—that was cool. Totally new.”

Mates had many deep levels of connection, and in the midst of her other concerns, she’d completely forgotten something. “Shaun, can you hear me talk to you?”

His soft laugh stroked her. “Umm, yeah?”

“No, not this way.” She sat up and turned to face him. “In your head.”

“Hell. I haven’t.” Shaun stopped and stared at her, obviously attempting to say something. She waited.

He waited.

Nothing happened.

Shaun grunted in frustration. “It’s not working. Maybe we won’t have a mate connection like that. It’s one of those things, some do, some don’t. Or we need more practice.”

That didn’t make sense. “But when we made love the first time, I heard you.”

“Really?”

“I told you, remember?”

His mouth opened, then closed and his gaze darted away. “Umm, no. Forgot…about that.”

Sadness hit again, the tranquility of the previous moments diluted by a sense of loss. “Do you ever think we’ll be able to?”

There was a trace of something—worry? fear?—on his face, right before he smiled and tweaked her nose. “We might need to exercise more or something. Remember, we only met a few days ago. And we haven’t had the chance to do a lot of things, not even go for a run together. Let’s give it time.”

She still felt as if there was something he wasn’t telling her, but after the closeness they’d shared, she didn’t want to damage their fragile intimacy.

The rumbling in her stomach provided as good a topic change as anything.

He pulled her to her feet. “Sounds as if we need supper, then we have to pack. I suggest we head out tomorrow.”

Gem moved toward her suitcase. “Really? The herd is that close?”

“No, but remember I mentioned Chicken? We’re going to wait there for a bit. It should be a little quieter than here and more things to look around at. We’ve kind of done Dawson to death.”

He made himself busy. Gem watched in confusion as he untied and tied his laces. Twice. What was going on?

“Shaun?”

He snapped his head up. “Yup? Ready to go?”

She hurried to finish changing. “In a minute. By the way, where were you today? I thought we were going to go do something. When you didn’t come back, I was worried.”

Pacing. He was definitely pacing. “Sorry about that. Just got caught up talking with people. That’s all.”

Suspicion grew. “What people?”

“People.” He glanced at his watch. “Oh my, look at time. If we want to find a seat we’d better—”

“Shaun, where were you?”

He reached for her hand, and she reluctantly allowed him to take it. “I was talking to some of the locals, and I lost track of the time. Sorry.”

His dark eyes shone with sincerity. Then he switched topics, becoming utterly charming and entertaining for the rest of the evening. As much as she’d loved the closeness they had shared, there was something marring the joy of it.

She still wanted to know where he’d gone.

Chapter Ten

The expression of delight on Gem’s face was so endearing Shaun found himself tripping as he walked down the street by her side, attempting to catch every nuance. The town of Chicken was pretty cool. It had changed in the past couple of years, becoming more of a touristy getaway spot for shifters, and less one-hole-away-from-the-entrance-to-nowhere.

There was none of the gold-rush paraphernalia that was featured so prominently in Whitehorse and Dawson. Town council and the planning board weren’t trying to impress visitors with historical tidbits. With the number of packs, prides and clans that made their home in the area, the goal was to maintain positive relations among the various factions. That resulted in a multitude of coffee shops, boutiques and half a dozen bakeries all piping glorious scents onto Main Street.

Shifters liked their goodies.

When a wolverine in furry form dashed past them, shifted to human and calmly walked naked into the nearest store, Gem’s little gasp made him chuckle.

“What?”

Gem pointed, then dropped her hand and tangled her fingers together. “Right out in public? What if someone had seen her? I mean, someone human?”

Shaun gestured the length of the street. “Look around. Chicken is on the Top of the World Highway, and the shortest distance from outside civilization to here is a four-hour drive in either direction. The few humans who do make the trip slip right on through. They never stay in town long. We talked about it once, a group of friends and me. The nearest thing we could figure is that with how many shifters live here there’s something in the air that makes humans uncomfortable, so they just keep on driving.”

She shook her head. “Everywhere we go you manage to find new things to surprise me. It’s—”

Caught in mid-pivot, her words froze on her tongue. He rotated to see what she’d discovered to make her expression change that much, that fast. R-rated movie theater? Adult toy store?

A couple stood a few feet from them, kissing. Shaun hesitated. Didn’t seem too risqué to him, but who knows what was the norm for her back home.

“Do you see that?” He could barely hear her, the words whispered so soft and low.

He squeezed her fingers. “I…ah, yeah.”

The couple pressed tighter together, the woman getting into it, her hands buried in the guy’s hair. The man grabbed her ass, and even as Shaun watched, lifted one of her legs to wrap the limb around his hip. Shaun sighed happily. Shifters were so cool about sex.

“I wonder if it would be comfortable?” Gem leaned into his side.

Comfortable? His cock wasn’t comfortable. The damn thing had risen and now pushed urgently against the front of his jeans. “Oh, I think it would be just dandy.”

Gem’s eyelashes fluttered, and she stared at him sweetly. “Do you think that would look good on me?”

Draped over his body, lips locked together and one second away from being screwed in the street? Hell, yeah. “I think you were made for it.”

He reached for her, biting back a curse as she slipped out of reach. Gem dodged the groping couple and ran toward a nearby shop.

Shaun stood in one spot, frozen in confusion.

“Shaun. You coming?”

No. It seemed not. At least not the way he wanted to be. What was going on? He shook his head and concentrated harder on her than the ache in his groin. She had the door to the shop open and hovered in the doorway.

Nope, still clueless. He glanced at the couple again in envy. They had taken all of four steps farther down the street to finish pressed against the side of the building, frantically stripping each other. The shop door shut, and Gem’s figure appeared in the feature glass as she pointed between two dresses displayed on mannequins.

Oh shit. She was talking about shopping, not very Public Displays of Affection.

Okay, he could do shopping. If he had to. He followed her slowly and made plans for at least ravishing her in his mind as he watched her try on outfits.

A guy had to have a little fun.

Gem glided through the restaurant door ahead of Shaun, the loose edge of her new dress skimming her thighs. Her skin tingled as if touched with tiny sparks. The delight racing through her wasn’t just from the nearly scandalous length of the cut. It wasn’t the material itself, with the softness of silk and the teeniest touch of lace stroking her like a million tiny butterfly wings.

It was the way Shaun couldn’t stop staring at her that made the dress worthwhile.

He slipped a hand around her waist and led her to their table, the heat of his touch bleeding through the light layer separating them. Everything was perfect, the way they brushed together intimately as he seated her, the way his gaze kept roaming over her body as they ordered, sipped drinks, ate.

She could barely swallow, her throat tightening as the sexual tension intensified. Whatever lingering annoyances she’d experienced during the tail end of their time in Dawson were washed away by his current attentiveness.

When she stood to take a bathroom break, he leapt to his feet, helping with her chair and stroking his fingers over her shoulders as she left.

Her entire stroll toward the back of the room she swore his gaze never moved off her hips.

An assortment of emotions danced through her as she primped in front of the mirror. Having found her mate was beginning to feel more—right. More like something she could balance in her life, and less like another older male ordering her around. Oh, she was unsure how she was going to convince him to move south, but that wasn’t as important right now as making sure they were okay as a couple. And while sex wasn’t the only thing they should base their relationship on, it wasn’t a bad place to start.

She smoothed her hands down the front of her dress, enjoying the soft caress over her bare legs. Against the nearly naked skin of her lower body. Shaun had no idea she’d found a pair of very sexy underwear to accompany her dress. She wondered what he would do when he made the discovery?

Something wonderfully wicked and intensely pleasurable, that was for sure. Yeah, the starting with sex part was working out fine.

While the future stretched out unknown, there was no doubt in her mind what the rest of today would look like. She was going to go back into the restaurant and knock his socks off, figuratively. Then, after they’d finished dinner and maybe danced a little, it was back to the hotel where she would literally take care of incidentals like socks, shoes and everything else he wore.

Of course, returning to their table and finding it empty put a crimp in her plans.

His jacket lay draped over the armrest, but there was no sign of him anywhere. She stood, hands resting on the back of her chair, slightly disoriented.

Get a grip, girl.

He must have gone to the washroom. Gem sat, feeling foolish she’d hesitated for even a minute. She sipped her water and examined the décor.

Then she heard his laugh, and it hadn’t come from anywhere in the dining room. Gem rose and slipped through the doorway separating the restaurant from the bar. She leaned against the nearest wall, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the lower lighting.

It only took a second to spot him standing next to an extremely pretty woman. The petite lynx shifter was perched on a barstool, her silver-blonde hair tossed over one shoulder in gorgeous smooth sweeps. Gem touched her own head, smoothing down the usual errant strands with fingers suddenly gone numb.

The woman reached out and planted a hand against Shaun’s chest, and Gem’s temper flared.

That was her mate. Gem straightened, intending to go and rip the woman’s head off, or some equally undignified thing, when a touch landed on her shoulder. She turned to look into the buttons lining the shirt of the largest man she’d ever seen. Tilted her head up. Up. Way up.

Dark crew cut. Sparkling green eyes. Broad didn’t even start to describe his shoulders. He had a different scent to him—bear shifter all the way, but not one she was familiar with. A cocky smile played around his mouth, and he tipped his head politely. “Hey. You wanna dance?”

An instant rejection shot to her lips, trapped when a repeat of Shaun’s laughter carried over and sealed her mouth shut. Pain rippled through her, and she fought the violent urge to be ill. No, no cowering in the corner allowed—this was a far better idea. She would see what Shaun thought of her stepping out on him. If moving from woman to woman was what being mated meant here in the north, she wanted to know right now.

Handing him a little of his own medicine felt more than justified.

Gem put aside every instinct in her that screamed noooo and smiled sweetly at the giant. “I would love to.”

She placed her fingers in his and allowed him to guide her onto the crowded floor.

He was a decent enough lead, which let her totally ignore her footing. While she usually loved to dance, this time she was more interested in darting glances between the other bodies weaving around them. Not that she wanted to see Shaun’s reaction when he realized someone was paying attention to her. No, she was totally uninterested.

The stranger placed a hand on her lower back and tugged her closer. Gem took a quick internal inventory, hoping to find a flicker of interest, some kind of sexual response to being in another man’s arms. Nothing. It was like dancing with her grampa.

The big shifter was a good-looking fellow, but now that she’d met her mate, it was clear there was a downside to not being with Shaun. She simply didn’t want this man touching her. How could Shaun even think of being with another woman? It made no sense. Her partner guided her to the side to avoid a drunkard teetering past them.

“Sorry about that.” Her dance partner leaned down to speak into her ear. “That guy’s not from here. Not sure what he’s doing.”

It seemed obvious to Gem. Falling down in the middle of the dance floor. Even the protective arm around her wasn’t enough to allow the butterflies of fear to settle as the noise level increased, loud shouts and insults traded between the drunk and another couple men at the bar. She peeked in Shaun’s direction again, hating that it was his embrace she wanted to be sheltered in.

Across the room, for a split second, they made eye contact. Shaun’s expression passed instantly from shock into sheer rage before disappearing behind the rising head of the drunken bear as he attempted to regain his feet.

“Hey, pretty lady. I like you.”

A big hand pawed the front of her dress before she could step back, her companion forcing an opening in the crowds to let them escape.

“Get your hands off my mate.” Shaun’s voice echoed off the roof, cutting through the dance music pounding the room.

Oh, now she was his mate? Gem sniffed and moved a step closer to her dance partner.

It was right about then that all hell broke lose.

Shaun stepped onto a bar stool and leapt into the air. The drunken bear made it to his feet just in time to become a landing pad for Shaun’s descending body, and they both tumbled back to the floor. A loud grunt of pain escaped the bear, screams rang in the background and Gem was pushed to her knees as a chair flew overhead.

“Crawl toward the exit,” her partner ordered, covering her with his body as bottles and plates crashed around them.

“Gem!”

She peeked out from under her protective block to see Shaun scrambling upright, only to have a hand snag his ankle and yank him off balance. He kicked backward, connecting a foot with the bear’s face. A roar of anger was followed by a violent swing of arms, and Shaun went down in a tangled mess with the flailing bear.

She was tugged away from the center of the room as the giant bear attempted to get her to safety. Leaving Shaun behind—it was so wrong. Everything in her wanted to stay back and help him. Anger rose—why couldn’t she just turn and walk away? Why should she feel anxious for him when he’d been cheating on her, talking to another woman?

Because talking is one step away from sex, right?

Oh…pickles.

Maybe she’d misunderstood the situation. Even as guilt struck, a loud screeching sound rang from the left, and she glanced over to see a tall buffet descending toward her. There was no time to retreat, too many bodies between her and escape. She threw up her arms and hoped for the best.

Something hard and warm crashed into her, pulling her to the ground and rolling them both to safety under the feet of the roaming crowds.

“Hold on to me,” Shaun shouted above the noise, and Gem’s heart pounded as she obeyed. She snapped one arm around his neck, clinging tight as he cradled her to his body and plunged them forward through the masses toward where the cooler night air poured in the open front door.

She cried as a blow landed on her side. Shaun rolled them again, blocking her from the attack even as he managed to get them free from the mess and out into the relative calm of the street.

There were shifters everywhere, in human and animal form. The fights continued, but the scene around them blurred as Gem clutched Shaun with a death grip and allowed him to sweep her up in his arms to carry her away.

“Are you okay?” He paused outside a shop to run a quick gaze over her. “Damn it, Gem, when I saw you go down, I thought I would die.”

Her side ached, but the look in his eyes made things infinitely better. Then she noticed he was bleeding.

“I’m okay, but your face—”

He’d been hit, a ribbon of blood trickling from the cut on his forehead. “Those damn bears. I’ll be fine, but they are acting awfully weird—even for grizzlies.”

“You bastard. Ready to take your medicine?”

Raucous shouts rose from the street behind them, and Gem cowered against Shaun’s side as he cradled her protectively. A crowd of dark bodies had surrounded one figure—the man she’d been dancing with. Two of the group smacked him on the back and sent him sprawling to his knees. He rolled, but couldn’t escape before another shifter landed on top of him and began to systematically pound blows against his unprotected face.

Gem’s throat tightened. She had no idea what was going on, but didn’t think anyone deserved this kind of abuse. She tugged on Shaun’s arm.

“He’s all by himself, seven against one? What could he have done? I didn’t see him do anything wrong.”

Shaun nodded once. “Even if he did, this isn’t the way to deal with it.”

He squeezed her tight before turning toward the street.

Gem stepped after him. “Should I…?”

He twirled to face her. “You stay out of it, okay?”

“But I can—”

“Stay out of it.” He clamped onto her arms and stared her in the eye. “I can’t fight if I’m worried about you. Please.”

It only took a second for her to nod, and when he pointed to a nearby doorway, she fled in obedience. It didn’t matter how strong she was as a wolf, not when other kinds of shifters were involved.

From the safety of the entranceway, she turned to watch as he waded back into the fray. Fists flying, feet kicking. The match was hard and dirty, but Shaun moved with an easy grace, mowing down bodies in his path one by one until he reached the centre of the fight and peeled the two main opponents apart.

“Is he your mate?” a feminine voice asked from beside her.

Gem refused to look away, cringing as a blow rocked Shaun. “Yes. What’s happening?”

“The bears have some kind of territorial battle brooding. There is supposed to be a peaceful gathering in Dawson, but a few side agendas seem to be heating up their blood. Martin—the one getting the shit kicked out of him—he’s local. I’m surprised he’s involved, he’s not usually into politics.”

“Is there someone who can stop this?” Martin was back on his feet, standing shoulder to shoulder with Shaun as the circling group of bears took random swings and lunges their direction.

“Like the police?”

“Yes.” Gem slammed a hand over her mouth to capture her gasp of fear. Shaun ducked at the last moment before landing a solid punch on another attacker.

“There are times it’s better to let the guys beat each other senseless. Being shifters and all, it gets messy when they think they’re being bossed around, especially by us females.”

Gem snuck a quick peek to her side and finally saw who stood next to her. “Oh. It’s you.”

The lynx shifter who had been with Shaun in the bar eyed her curiously. “You have an issue with me, sweetie?”

The intensity of Gem’s simmering fear as it burst into blazing anger surprised her. “Hands off my mate from now on, okay?”

The woman backed up. “Hey, I’m all about the peaceful stuff. No problem.”

Someone called out Nadia, and the lynx turned, waving her hand at the summons as if annoyed. Gem spotted an abandoned walking stick leaning against the wall beside the door, and desperation sent a terrible idea into her head.

She snatched up the stick. Her mate was in trouble, and she was not going to stand there and watch.

“What are you doing?” Nadia asked.

Besides shaking with fear? “Letting them fight is not the way to solve matters. Fighting is childish and unproductive.”

Gem slipped toward the street. In the short time she’d had her attention elsewhere, Shaun and Martin had knocked another couple of the gang to the ground, but there was blood pouring down Martin’s arm, and more smeared across Shaun’s face. Gem swallowed hard. Getting involved wasn’t what Shaun had asked for, but she simply couldn’t stand there and watch him be outnumbered.

She raced forward and swung with all her might.

Of course, if she hadn’t squeezed her eyes shut, she would have had a better chance of hitting any one. The sudden thunk as the stick made contact with something surprised her enough her eyes popped open just in time to see one of the bears go down with a satisfying crash.

That’s when she realized she was a touch too close to the continuing action, and twirled to race out of reach.

A cooling mist floated past her.

Gem stared at the sky in confusion, looking for a cloud, or barring that, a water hose being used on the fighters, but there was nothing. Still, her heart rate slowed, and the stick grew impossibly heavy. The impromptu weapon slipped from her fingers as the blonde lynx walked past.

Nadia stepped over the prone bodies to stare in disgust. “What a waste of energy, boys. You want to fight, do it properly. Give us time to organize bets and make it a real evening’s entertainment. Otherwise, you simply piss off the locals, and that’s no fun for anyone.”

One of the men snarled at her, and she planted her fists on her hips and glared harder.

He dropped to his knees without another sound.

“See, that’s what I mean. When you’re all growly and stuff? No one likes you.” She clapped her hands and motioned to the bar with her head. “Everyone, time to cool down. Grab a broom, get that dance floor cleaned up and go back to relaxing. No more fights tonight. Got it?”

A steady stream of curse words spilled from the lips of one of the fallen bears. Shaun pointed toward him. “You have a first aid center in town? That one needs more than a beer.”

Nadia motioned at the crowd, and a couple stepped forward to pull the bear away, his heels dragging on the ground. All the tension in the air simply dissipated, and understanding finally hit Gem. She turned to stare at the lynx in wonder.

“You’re an Omega—and you can control all the shifters.” Gem had never heard of pack hierarchy crossing shifter species boundaries before.

The blonde blinked at her. “And you’re black.”

Gem paused, taken aback for a moment. “What’s that—?”

“Getting described like that is rather offensive, isn’t it? Because that’s not all you are. Don’t define me by the obvious.”

Shaun had a supporting arm around Martin, and a disapproving frown on his face as they paced forward. “Cut her some slack, Nadia. She didn’t mean anything by it.”

A smile twisted the corner of Nadia’s mouth. “So the mighty Shaun is mated. I’m interested to hear how this turns out.”

“You know each other?” Gem eyed them suspiciously.

The blonde batted her eyelashes. “No worries, it was a long time ago. He’s all yours now. Really, I don’t poach.”

Gem jerked back, moving toward her mate instinctively.

Martin pushed off Shaun’s assistance. “Thanks for calming things down.”

“Part of the job, you know.” The blonde held up her hands like they were guns, blew smoke from the tips and pretended to holster them.

“Sheriff Nadia. Good one.”

She turned and walked away.

Martin sighed, then faced Shaun. Gem slipped in close, tucking herself against his torso. Her pounding heart matched the tempo of his.

The bear shifter held out his hand and Shaun shook it. “Thank you. There’s bad blood between that clan and mine. I appreciated your help.”

“No worries. Shit this bad happen around here often?”

The big shifter laughed, the sound turning into a groan as he wrapped an arm around his ribs. “The fights? Off and on all winter. Typical shifter stuff. But with territorial debates going on, tempers amongst the bears are running shorter than usual. The ballots close in a month or so. Until then, there’s a lot of maneuvering happening. Plus, the more unscrupulous clans are going after the undecided with intimidation, or buying their votes outright.”

“I’ll say it again, you bears have weird ways.” Shaun squeezed her shoulders, his touch reassuring. Most of the discussion washed over Gem. All she wanted to do was to haul Shaun aside and make sure he was okay.

It seemed to take forever to get back to their hotel room after they said their farewells to Martin, the big man rumbling down the street, small clusters of shifters moving away as he passed.

Gem stared into the mirror at Shaun as he removed his shirt. He groaned as the material slipped from his shoulders. She helped him tug the fabric free, noting the bruises rising on his torso.

“You’re a mess.” She pressed a kiss to his chest as a penance for her words.

He cupped her face, letting his gaze trickle down her body. Her new dress was dirty and ripped, the pretty fabric stained from a combination of liquids off the barroom floor and the dust of the street.

The expression in his eyes—she’d never felt more beautiful.

“I should be a mess. That was a hell of a lot of bears.” He leaned closer and touched his lips to hers before groaning again.

She rushed to turn on the shower and help finish stripping his clothes off. “You were very brave.”

“I was?” He shuddered as the water landed. Gem tore off her tattered dress and grabbed a facecloth, stepping into the shower with him. His eyes were closed, but he smiled as she touched the soaking cloth to his torso to clean away the blood and dust from the fight.

“You were. I was proud of you.”

“You were mad at me.”

Well, yes, that too. “Shaun, what were you doing with Nadia?”

He sighed, a weary sound full of confusion. “Same thing I was doing back in Dawson when you got mad at me for not explaining myself. I was looking for information, trying to make sure… Well, it’s northern politics and I didn’t think you’d be interested.”

She stroked the cloth over his right pectoral and higher to where his shoulder muscle bulged. With every touch he responded, a small moan or a twitch. Gem wiggled behind him and carried on, thinking hard. He had known she was upset in Dawson and didn’t say anything.

Was it really something she needed to get all the details about right now?

The steam built around them, thickening the air on every breath she took, and clouding the sight of his smooth flesh only inches away from her. Slicking her fingers over his skin made the connection between them burst upward, a longing for his touch overwhelming the need for answers.

Gem leaned her cheek against him, her hands resting on his hips. He threaded his fingers through hers, his thumbs rubbing gently back and forth.

One small lean brought their bodies into full contact, her breasts pressed to his back.

“Gem…”

She shushed him, gyrating an inch at a time, letting the moisture of the shower become the only barrier between their flesh. Shaun tilted his face upward and let the spray hit him fully in the face.

Gem snuck her palm forward, leaving his hip. His hand stayed behind for a moment, his fingers stroking her forearm, tightening into a firm clasp as she made contact with his groin. She continued until his erection filled her hand, the hot, heavy length pulsing as she closed her fingers and stroked.

The splash of the water against the tiles faded into the background as his moans filled her ears.

“Gem…”

The timbre of agony mixed with ecstasy in his voice made her smile. “Like this?”

He nodded, his hand covering hers and tightening. Increasing the length of her stroke, then shortening it. His fingers urged her on, forceful, then relaxing away as he rocked his hips, thrusting into her hand.

There were too many sensations to keep track of them all. Touching him made her achy inside, and the noises from his lips made her even hotter. Knowing she brought him pleasure after the pain he’d received—giving to him filled an enormous need.

This was another part of being mates. She took a deep breath through her nose, thrilling at the mixture of their scents. He squeezed her left hand where it rested on his hip, pressing harder into her right hand. He shuddered, and his shaft jerked, the heat of his seed splashing her fingers.

Shaun turned and half-collapsed against the shower wall, his head resting on the tiles as he pulled her into his arms. “When my brain comes back online I’m planning on making your world spin at least as hard as you just—holy fucking hell.”

He gasped for air, and Gem bit back the giggles. His swearing didn’t upset her this time. Neither did the fact he’d kept a secret from her. In fact, she was sure right now there wasn’t much that could upset her.

When he kissed her, his hands pulling back her hair and beginning a slow seduction of all her senses, she felt as if life was pretty much as perfect as it could get.

Then he slipped to his knees, and the moment got even better. Gem closed her eyes and let her mate love her.