Arctic Bound Read online

  “Neri, I’m a werewolf, and in my wolf form, I’m pretty sure I can handle the nasty weather outside.”

  He kissed her lightly on the forehead before pulling them both up into a sitting position.

  “You wait here, I’ll go out and grab us something to sink our teeth into. Keep the fire burning, I’ll be back soon.”

  With that he stood depositing her on her feet and turned quickly so that he wouldn’t want to keep her in his arms. Which was absolutely ridiculous. She wasn’t his, he was promised to another. A fact he still hadn’t explained to her and didn’t really know how to. Humans, although they claimed they practiced monogamy really didn’t. Oh, some did, but for the most part everyone tried finding comfort with someone. Even if there was someone waiting for them somewhere. Whether in their past or their future. He was going to be mated to Sasha and there was no help for that now. He felt a kinship with Nerina. It could be the elements of their meeting, it could be that they truly were compatible, and if it were the later, then that would be a shame. Because if she were truly meant to be his, their life would be full of love, mutual respect and understanding. There would be no give and take in their need for one another only giving and receiving. Unlike Sasha who would try and take until Victor had nothing left to give.

  Victor quickly hurried out of the cave, taking his Werewolf form only after he was out of her site. He didn’t want to scare her. She may have accepted him, but it was one thing to hear someone was a shifter, and something entirely different when you shifted in front of them.

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  Nerina wanted a mirror so she could inspect her entire body. She’d just had the best sex ever, and she was completely healed. Two good things in one day. She was enthusiastic, but still a little hesitant. What if this was all some dream and when she woke up she was still be back at the cabin?

  And so what if it is a dream! You just had the best dream sex ever! That was true. If it turned out to be a dream, she’d deal. She always dealt. Right now she was hungry, sweaty, and achy. Phenomenal sex came standard with food, sweat, and body aches. Nerina stretched out on the dirt floor and dipped her hand in the warm water, swaying her hand back and forth. She was lazy with her movements. Trying her best to not over analyze the situation, she thought of more important things.

  Her friends were trying kill Victor, as he’d taken something from Mistress Red. She still didn’t really know what it was he’d taken. Nerina didn’t really like Victor as a person, aside from their amazing sex, he was arrogant and nosy. He thought because he was a Werewolf he was part of the upper echelon of society where his word was law. All cons on her list of traits a man should not have. But he fucked like a beast. Pun definitely intended.

  Nerina snorted at her last thought. Well, she’d just have to keep knocking him back to her level if they were going to have any kind of relationship. Whoa! They weren’t about to embark into relationship territory. This was a one-time deal. Expiration was a for sure thing the moment the storm stopped ragging outside and she could go back to her cabin to figure out her next move. Raven would have told Red what had went down at the club and she would be wanted for questioning. Now she was wanted by both her friends, and her family. Way to go!

  Her body now relaxed, Nerina found that despite her stomach’s protest she was getting sleepy. Very sleepy. Her mind drifted and her body pressed further into the dirt as she rested her head on her forearm and continued to drift her free hand in the water.

  

  The kitchen was spotless, which meant her father was coming over for dinner. Roman didn’t like to see their apartment a mess. He was very strict when it came to that, and Nerina had to admit, she was the same way. Her mother was a scatterbrain, but a beautiful one, and even though the things around her seemed chaotic, she was well put together.

  “If you didn’t wait until dad showed, and cleaned all the time, you wouldn’t rush when you knew he was coming.”

  Her mother looked over her shoulder. Elbow deep in suds, Nerina’s mother pulled the plug from the sink as the last dish was set on the drying rack.

  “Girl, hush up. You know I like my house to look lived in. It’s your father who wants me to live in a museum.”

  “No ma, he just likes order, and you’re anti-order.” Her mother grinned while wiping her hands on a nearby dishrag.

  “Your father secretly loves my chaos. Don’t let him fool you for one second.”

  “You say that now ma, but I know dad. He doesn’t secretly love it. He openly accepts it, while complaining profusely about it behind your back.”

  There was rustling behind her, and Nerina turned to face her father, Roman. He was smirking while watching her and her mother verbally spar.

  “Listen to your daughter, my love. She knows what she’s talking about.”

  Her father had a strong accent, and every time he spoke, it was music to her ears. His pronunciation of the word love, was swoon worthy. Nerina adored everything about him. From his black hair and his dark olive complexion to his amazing eyes that were so brown they were almost black.

  “It’s about time you showed up, Roman,” her mother scolded. “Dinner was getting cold.”

  Her father grinned and tapped Nerina nicely on the nose with his finger before walking over and wrapping her mother up in a big hug. Showering her with kisses, he made Nerina’s mother squeal.

  “Roman! Put me down!” Her mother giggled.

  They were always acting like young lovers; it gave Nerina hope that one day she’d have what her parents had.

  “I can’t stay long, I have a meeting to attend. I just stopped by to pick up my number one girl.” Roman looked over his shoulder and smiled at Nerina. Whatever it was, it was pretty serious. Usually her father would call if he needed her to go along on a job. Not show up late for dinner and then quickly excuse himself.

  “So who the hell is going to eat all this food? Why come over at all,” her mother turned away from him shaking her head. “You come by less and less, I’m starting to think crazy thoughts.”

  “Stop it woman. You know you’re the only one for me.”

  Nerina’s mother threw down the dishtowel she was holding and put her hands on her hips.

  “Yeah? Prove it. Give Nerina your last name, move in here with me.”

  Her father’s eyes arched high into his hairline, and Nerina could see the sorrow in his eyes, and the indecision. They’d had the same argument since before she was born. Her mother would complain and her father would attempt to placate. Being the head of a crime family was big business to her father. The fact that he was already married was a huge wall that could not be torn down. His wife’s father was the head of another family and the two both sat on the same council. If her father so much as tried to leave his wife it would mean war. A war neither side could afford to lose.

  Nerina woke with a start. Had she had known that was the last time she’d see her parents alive, she would have told them to stop arguing and just hug it out. Her grandmother used to say everything could be solved with a hug. Stretching, she sat up and looked around the empty cave. Victor still hadn’t returned, but then again the storm was still in full effect outside.

  Hope he’s okay. Gah! Now she was starting to care whether or not he was okay. She cared, but she didn’t care-care. Grabbing her clothes, she tossed on her blood soaked flannel shirt that had a gaping hole in the side where the bear had attached her, and then put on her underwear and pants. Her boots where still at the mouth of the cave. Outside tufts of flurries whirled in dense white clouds as a green curtain weaved its way across the black abyss of the night sky. Normally Nerina wouldn’t be able to see a thing, but she was able to clearly see the copse of white spruce, their branches once sprinkled with snow dipped low, heavy with snow. In the distance she saw a large white mass moving between the trees.

  Dear God, is that Victor?

  The wolf blended perfectly into its surrounding, its fur white and thick. It was his eyes that
made him visible. The wolf was bigger than a normal wolf, but not by much. The snout more pronounced and its canine’s longer.

  He’s not at all scary.

  Nerina had this picture in her head of an eight-foot tall creature with the head of a snarling wolf and the body of a man with its legs bent backward at the knee and clawed feet. This wolf was just like any other wolf in the forest. Just bigger and more pronounced. Grabbing her shoes, she pulled them on and made her way towards the fire.

  No scars, stronger senses, and incredible sex. Those were the thoughts going through her head when Victor finally returned, dragging a large black mass in his jaws.

  “Jesus!” Standing quickly Nerina waited to see what would happen next. Victor was still in wolf form, but had somehow managed to drag a bear by the scruff of its neck inside. The white wolf approached slowly. Nerina moved closer in fascination. She should be scared, but found that in the animal’s presence she felt safe. Calm. Tentatively, she reached out her hand to let him smell her. The wolf’s head tilted to the side eyeing her hand before turning its head back and forth making a huffing sound. A sound she heard frequently from Demon. A sound she associated with laughter.

  “Are you laughing at me, Victor?” She asked, smiling at the wolf. He stepped closer. His movements slow and non-threatening. Nerina knew it was his way of trying to acclimate her to what she was seeing.

  How do you know that? He could just be sizing you up for his next meal. She was being ridiculous of course. Things couldn’t be that sinister. They’d had sex not too long ago.

  Nerina lowered herself to the same level as the wolf. Her breathing came in short bursts of quiet air as her heart threatened to burst from her chest with excitement. In this form he was magnificent. Reaching her hand out again, Victor stepped forward dipping his head and allowing her fingers to tangle in the tufts of his thick fur. She flexed her hands as she ran her fingers continuously through his pelt. Over and over she stroked him. One hand at his neck, the other gliding along the side of his body. Underneath the fur he was solid. Victor’s wolf seemed to enjoy her touching him as he nuzzled her face with his cold nose making her laugh. Her stomach rumbled and the wolf growled before stepping back.

  The transformation from wolf to man was not like in the movies. It was far worse. Bones cracked, muscles twisted and limbs were bent in odd ways. It was like his body was going through a complete breakdown, but on a molecular level as well as physical. The hair on his body made a slurping sound as it retracted beneath his skin while bones reformed into a shape of a man.

  “Wow.”

  His only response was a grunt.

  Back to surly Victor.

  “You’re hungry.”

  “Was it that obvious?”

  Victor gave her a deadpanned expression before turning back to the bear.

  “That isn’t the bear that attacked me is it?”

  “No. He’s been dead since your attack. This is another one.”

  Before slicing into the bear, Victor bent over it saying some sort of prayer before slicing into its fur. He went about the task of skinning the bear. When she would have asked how, she was quickly silenced when she noticed his razor sharp claws.

  Well isn’t he handy.

  “What did you say to the bear?”

  “I was saying a prayer to the Gods, offering thanks for the meal that’s been provided. Don’t humans bless their food.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, we wolves do the same thing.”

  “Smart ass.”

  Victor turned to look over his shoulder gracing her with what could only be a smirk.

  It took him seconds to skin the bear and a handful of minutes to clean it. He was quick with his claws. When he cut the meat into strips he placed them on top of the fire and walked deeper into the cave. Curious, Nerina followed to find him back at the water they bathed in and watched as he washed the blood from his hands and chest.

  

  Going out and killing the bear had given him time to think, at the same time it provided food while they waited out the storm. He could have sent word to his family to let him know that he was okay, but it would have taken longer. He didn’t like the idea of Nerina being in the cave by herself. Something compelled him to watch over her. The moment he’d left the cave he’d wanted to go back. It was an instinctual need that clawed at his gut, urging him to return to her as soon as possible. Things were going from bad to complicated.

  You should have kept it in your pants Vic. He hadn’t been wearing any pants to keep anything in them to begin with. Therein lies the problem. What he should have been doing was questioning her. Not fucking her. His curiosity and his need to protect his family would have never been tempted had he stayed on course. Granted, he was the Pack’s enforcer, and it was not only his job but also his brother’s job to ensure the Packs safety, which was why he had to go and retrieve the Silver Bow of Artemis from Mistress Red in the first place. That Bow belonged with his family. Not in the clutches of a woman and her mercenaries who only killed for sport. They liked to claim they were doing justice. Really they were killers for hire. A different kind of Hunter, but a Hunter all the same. As long as the money was good, there wasn’t a job they wouldn’t accept. He just didn’t know who contracted them to retrieve the Bow and then hold onto it. It had been hidden for centuries.

  Victor submerged himself under the water. He popped up just as Nerina appeared. Her eyes warm and inviting. It only made him hard. Would the feeling ever subside? He needed it to. In the spring he would be tied to another woman.

  Tied.

  His mind drifted to other thoughts. Thoughts of Nerina bound and at his mercy.

  Her hands bound with rope, secure in his embrace. The rope, a living breathing extension of himself. His hands fisted at his sides as need crashed heavy in his gut hardening his cock further. Thoughts of her body encased in his rope tortured Victor as he imagined it woven seductively around her skin leaving beautiful marks embedded into her flesh. The thought surfaced faster than he could push it back. The image manifested itself in perfect clarity. She would be enthralling, her beautiful golden honey skin marked by his bindings. Holding his attention as no other woman had, or ever could. No. Not happening. He needed to put distance between them. Even if every cell in his body rejected the idea. It would need to be done. They needed to go back to being not so friendly. It was a one-time deal. After the storm passed he would be Victor and she would be the human up on the hill.

  “Why are you staring at me as if you want to eat me?”

  His thoughts clearing, he focused in on what she was saying.

  “What?”

  “You’re staring. I’m not complaining, just curious as to why you’re staring at me like that.”

  Distance yourself, Vic. Keep distance.

  “Sorry, my thoughts were preoccupied.”

  “Obviously.” Nerina deadpanned.

  Victor waded to the edge of the pool, pulling himself out of the water. The warmth from the cave kept him comfortable as he walked naked to the fire. He could feel the heat of her look against his back as he bent to pull the bear meat off the fire.

  “Come over here and eat.”

  He turned, meat in hand, offering her the first bite.

  Nerina shook her head.

  “You first.”

  Grinning, he tore off a piece of the meat and popped it into his mouth. It was thick with a smoky flavor. Not bad, but not the best. It would hold them over until the storm passed. Reluctantly, his cave mate reached out and took a strip of meat from his hand. She tested the meat, seemed to find it edible and sat pulling another strip off the fire and putting it into her mouth.

  “It’s not bad, but it’s not great either.” She said around a mouthful of meat.

  Victor watched and found once again she mesmerized him. He’d seen her as weak before, not recognizing the inner beauty that she exuded when she was relaxed and comfortable. He wanted to ask her what happened to cau
se her injuries, but couldn’t. That would be too personal, that would bring meaning to their interlude. He couldn’t allow that to happen. Instead of starting a conversation, they ate in silence. She didn’t seem to mind so he didn’t either. When a good portion of the bear meat was consumed, Victor walked over to the bear skin which he’d turned pelt side down allowing the heat from the fire to dry out the blood. The fur was dry, as was the skin, it wouldn’t cover her completely but she could at least sleep on something warm. He laid the fur close to the fire and gestured for her to move towards it.

  “You can sleep on this.”

  “He speaks.”

  She didn’t move from her spot, but starred up at him as if he grew two heads.

  “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Nothing’s wrong with me Vic. You’re the one that obviously has the problem.”

  She wasn’t the problem. She was his addiction. The best way for an addict to get clean was to quit cold turkey. There was no amount of therapy that could convince him she wasn’t good for him, because she was. She’d just never be his. Mine. His inner beast contradicted.

  “Nerina, I don’t want to give you the wrong idea.”

  Grinning she stood, walking towards the bear pelt.

  “Then don’t. We know what this is, or at least I do.” She sat down on the makeshift bed, laying down and stretching her hands above her head.

  Now she was giving him other images.

  “I’m not some clingy broad. We had sex. It was one time. I get it. Not asking for more.”

  Well she should be because he wanted more.

  “Never said you were. I just want to make sure that things between us stay as they were before all of this.”

  “Sure thing Vic. We can go back to disliking one another once we step out of the cave. Message received.” She saluted him with two fingers and moved her head from side to side trying to get comfortable.

  He watched as she yawned, closed her eyes, and dozed off.

  Chapter 12