Arctic Bound (2 page)

He knew she was right of course. Fewer males were taking mates. They'd offer up their seed to produce offspring, but that was all. Females were of the same mind. His sister had participated in the breeding program. She refused to take a mate. A hundred years ago, that would not have been tolerated. Now, everyone had choices. Who to bed, who to mate, and of course who they could reject. His father and Sasha's father Eric, had arranged their union from the time they could walk. She was twenty-four moons his junior and to him. She was also immature. Her tales of temper tantrums had reached even his ears. She was beautiful, and in perfect breeding condition. No one could argue that fact. Her pale skin and golden spun hair was more than to his liking. She had a slender frame and her eyes were the color of wheat grass. A peculiar color but intriguing still the same. There were two things Victor was sure of, they would be mated and she would obey him in all things.

Thorn and Eric had agreed on a spring mating ceremony. All the Packs from Canada and Alaska would be there to witness his union to Sasha. It was his duty to the Pack to ensure their way of life continued. He would still have to take down his father and Eric in a brutal battle, but they'd agreed it wouldn't be a death challenge. The wolf in him would try and conquer, showing any onlookers he was not one to be challenged. He had to prove he was able to lead with a strong hand. The human in him knew it was the best course of action to show mercy and restraint. Things were different now.

He'd still have bedding rights to all the unmated women in the territories. Sasha was afforded the same courtesy with all unmated males. A throw back from the earlier days, but kept around due to the intense sexual needs of their kind. They could also enact bedding rights on the other, if they decided. Which meant Sasha could intervene with him and another female if she choose, and vice versa.

“I won't let the family down Cass.” Victor reiterated. His sister and his mother both wanted the mating between him and Sasha to go off without incident.

“Good to hear,” His father, Thorn said, as he walked in with Victor's nephew Teak.

“Hey there uncle Vic, what can I do you for?” His nephew held up his hand in a fist and gestured for them to bump the knuckles.

“Cass, stop letting the boy watch MTV, and those dumb ass movies. It's ruining his brain.”

Cassandra laughed, untying her apron as she made her way over to her son, hugging him fiercely. Teak was twelve moons from becoming a mature adult male. To humans he looked sixteen. Really he was twenty-nine.

“It's not me brother, he keeps sneaking up to the Simpson place and watching her. I told him it was rude, but the boy has a crush.”

The Simpson place? He'd only been gone for six months. Had a lone wolf moved in?

“You mean the Raines place? Did someone new move in?”

“Yeah, she moved in about six months ago, while you were away on business.”

This was news to him. Mrs. Raines was the only human they'd allowed in town so, whoever this Simpson lady was, she must be a wolf.

“Demon and Daar?”

“They're up there with her, Demon refused to leave her side when old Mrs. Raines sold the place to Nerina.”

Nerina? What kind of name was that? No one had even consulted him about possibly moving a stranger into their midst. He was, after all, going to be the new Alpha.

“Father?” Victor questioned.

Thorn grunted.

“It was my choice son. She's harmless enough, likes her privacy and she's human.”

Human? Seriously, like the town really had time to get acclimated to a new human. It was bad enough with Mrs. Raines. She was only accepted because she'd mated Picar who was from their Pack. Something that wasn't widely accepted, but exceptions were made all the time. This new comer could be a problem or worse she could be a Hunter. They could appear to be human, and in some cases were. It was the older Hunters that posed the most danger. There was a good reason they'd relocated to Alaska.

“Teak, stay away from the outsider.”

His nephew arched a brow, smiling devilishly.

“Yeah right, like I could ever ignore her. Nerina Simpson is hot. Like fire in my pants hot.”

Cass hit Teak over the head making him duck and Victor grinned.

“I don't care how hot she is, keep away from her. She could be a Hunter.”

Hunters and Werewolves did not get along. Hunters were hell bent on destroying all werewolves. It was an ancient war, killing more than a third of their population. It was also the reason they'd migrated to the New World and up North to harsher climates. Pack Canidae were the true founders of Talkeetna. His father's, father founded the town officially in 1919, but the Pack had settled in the area long before there were towns and railroads. His ancestors were originally from Mesopotamia, by way of Egypt. Captured as a boy and recruited into the Secret Order of Anubis, Enil had been forced to drink the God's blood changing him forever. There were Hunters then, and there were Hunters now, and Nerina Simpson could very well be one of them.

“Give him a break. Nerina keeps to herself and Demon hasn't said anything ill of her.” Cass turned to her son, and reached up on her toes to kiss the towering male.

“Listen to your uncle Teak. He'll soon be Alpha.”

“Yes mother. Sorry uncle. I'll keep my distance.” His nephew said, looking down at his feet.

Victor nodded and sat down at the counter, pouring himself a cup of hot chocolate.

Chapter 2

 

Nerina's cheeks hurt from the chilling wind tearing at her delicate skin. Goggles and a facemask did nothing to stop the harshness of the Alaskan winter. She cursed as she pulled up to Thorn's supply store. Demon and Daar were already trotting inside to greet Thorn's wife, Allesandra.

“Miss Simpson, you here for your supplies?”

Nerina nodded, pulling off her headgear. She left her skullcap because her hair was a mess. She noticed most of the people in town would walk around in lighter wear than she would. They were used to the cold. She wasn't.

And someone should put a space heater or something in the store so people don't freeze to death.

Demon and Daar lounged near the front door, the two of them always on alert. There was no need of course, as all the towns people treated Nerina as if she was some sickly individual that was highly contagious.

“My sons are all back in town. Thorn should be able to get up to your cabin later this evening when the sun is up, now that they can help with the store.”

“Sounds good. Can you also see if he can check out my snowmobile?”

Speak of the devil, Nerina looked up into the black eyes of Thorn Canidae, town patriarch and man about town. His grandson Teak alongside him.

“Demon. Daar, I trust you two had a good run this morning?”

He always talked to the dogs before addressing her. As if they understood him, both dogs raised their heads up and then down as if nodding.

“Miss Simpson, guess you're here for your monthly supplies. You'll need extra items too, storms coming in at the end of the week.”

“Yes, I was just asking Allesandra, if you wouldn't mind taking a look at my snowmobile too when you come up to deliver my supplies.”

Thorn nodded in agreement and walked over to his wife, pulling her in for a quick peck on the cheek. Thorn was a mountain of a man, with a thick beard and ink black hair greying at the sides. Laugh lines crinkled at the corner of his eyes though he didn't look a day over forty. Living up in the high altitude was definitely doing wonderful things for his complexion.

“After the storm, I'd like to get started on the plans for the plumbing and the gym.”

Thorn was the local contactor as well. His son Colin was the sheriff of the town, and his other two sons, she wasn't sure about. The Canidae's ran the town. She could even say they strong-armed the townspeople. Whatever Thorn said was law. No one went against him. When he'd told them she was in Talkeetna to stay, no one had said otherwise. They weren't happy. But they didn't complain. They weren't afraid of him, but they did defer to him, in any situation. Not like her father's men, they'd feared him. Back home people paid to have an audience with her father. No one wanted Roman to make house calls, because if he did, it meant death.

“Why do you need a gym? You're in shape, besides the bum leg,” Nerina flinched when he said, ‘bum leg.'

“Trying to get waif then is it? Like those sticks in them fancy magazines?” Thorn clicked his tongue, eyeing her from head to toe.

“Thorneaus Canidae,” his wife scolded. “Leave the girl be.”

Nerina eyed Thorn for a few moments before responding.

“I like to be prepared. You never know, I may need saving and I'm not the type of woman to wait around on some man when I can get the job done on my own.”

Leave it alone, old man.

“Is that right?”

“Yes it is, now if you'll excuse me.” She turned down the aisle heading for the condiments. She knew her limp was noticeable, but to have him say it out in the open where she had to acknowledge her weakness pissed her off. She wasn't some helpless female up on a mountain. She could fight, hard and dirty if she needed to. She was tired of running. If Oscar figured out where she was this time, she was going to stand and fight. To the death if need be.

Half the items in the store she could do without, but knew she had to acclimate. The folks in town already disliked her and that was fine by her, but there was no sense in giving them more reason by asking Thorn to special order items just for her. She could deal. She couldn't make a decent tortellini or fry up some pork chops, or roast a chicken, but could at least make a decent breakfast. They had meat, mostly deer and big game, something her stomach was still trying to get used to.

Demon followed her down the aisles as she marked items down on her list. He let out a deep growl as Teak appeared.

“Demon, he's not trying to hurt me.”

Demon grunted and walked between her and the boy.

“You make it impossible for anyone to approach Demon.” Teak said grinning. He stretched out his arm for a fist bump and Nerina reluctantly returned it, but smiled in doing so. Smiling was something she didn't do much of anymore. He was a cute kid, probably no more than sixteen, but a tall sixteen. He was at least six two, with hazel eyes, rich brown hair, and a smile she knew the younger girls in town swooned over.

“Rina, would you come have cocoa with me at mom's today,” Teak ducked into his jacket, trying to hide his blush. She really didn't have time for hot cocoa. She was waiting for a phone call. Daar came up to her and nudged her forward, which Nerina knew meant she was encouraging her to join Teak, a direct negation of Demon's growl. It was like the two dogs were an old married couple. Non-verbal communication went a long way with animals.
Consider me the dog whisperer.

“Alright Teak, but only if you promise not to sneak up to my property and spy anymore.”

His eyes widen, “I don't—” Nerina held up her hands to stop his lie.

“Save it kid, I know you watch me when I work out. Daar and Demon know it too.”

Demon growled again.

“Alright, I promise Rina.”

Nerina looked him dead in the eyes making sure he knew she was serious. “I mean it, or I won't visit you and I'll close all communication between us down.”

“Yes, of course. I'm sorry. Can I come up and watch with your permission?”

Clever kid. Nerina smiled politely, trying to figure out how to let him down easy. She didn't have to in the end, because Thorn interrupted their conversation.

“Absolutely not Teak. Do you hear me? Your mom wouldn't approve and neither would Victor.”

Teak slumped further into his jacket.

“Yes grandfather.” The words were gritted out.

“Thank you Thorn, I do enjoy my privacy. One of the reasons I moved all the way out here.”

“Of course, my grandson needs to learn his place.” Thorn popped Teak on the back of head, causing the boy to blush further. He obviously didn't appreciated being treated like a kid.

Her list of supplies almost complete, she continued making her way through the store checking off items. Raven hadn't called yet. Normally her childhood friend would have phoned by now. Nerina pulled her sat phone out of her pocket checking to make sure it was on.

Thorn's wife met Nerina at the register. Same black hair and violet eyes as her daughter, Cassandra. Both women were beautiful. As Thorn's wife rang up her bill, Nerina's phone finally rang.

Nervous, she answered on the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Ciao, Bella.”

Nerina took a deep breath. That was code for all clear.

“How are things?”

“Possiamo Parlare?” Raven said, asking if they could talk.

“Si.”

“Where are you?”

“Picking up supplies before the storm comes. What's going on?”

Something was up, but she had a feeling Raven wouldn't tell her just yet.

“You know, the usual. Oscar's men are looking for you, the girls miss you, and I wish I was there to protect you.”

“You know I can take care of myself.”

Raven was her best friend. Her father had put the two of them together when they'd started working for him. They were both collectors for her father. It wasn't until they were recruited by Mistress Red, that things had gotten dicey. The Mistress only employed women and they were all hired assassins. They'd both joined up and together they did the jobs that everyone else was too afraid to touch. Living on the other side of the law did not come without its dangers.

There was a long pause over the line before Raven spoke again.

“Go to your father's villa in Civiti. No one would ever think to look there again. It's been two years, Rina.”

“No, it's the first place they'd circle back to. Be smart Raven. I know my uncle, here is fine. Alaska is growing on me.”