Nic stared out of the picture window of his cabin, lost in his thoughts as he watched the snow flurries fall lazily to the ground. They added a negligible amount to the deep powder already gathered from the storm that had raged for three days. The sun hadn’t emerged from the grey clouds yet, but the barometer showed that the worst of it was over. He’d checked in with his sister earlier and she said the reports from the weather service indicated they were in the clear as well.
Time to pay her a visit.
He’d been contemplating over how to best explain to Elam his urgency in going to see her and to reassure him that his ability to make it through the snow wouldn’t be an issue. If the snowmobile still worked, he’d be golden. He’d only ever gotten it in the first place so he could bring larger items to his pack that couldn’t be handled when shifted and the jeep couldn’t make it through the snow.
The Wolf Creek Pack isn’t mine anymore.
He scowled as he returned his thoughts to the situation with Elam. If the snowmobile was out of commission, he’d have to hassle with digging out the driveway, then run the snowblower to the access road. Not only didn’t he want to give Elam the out to leave, but he wouldn’t stand for his mate over-exerting himself before he’d fully healed. And I know Elam well enough now to know he’d be clamoring to help.
The time spent with his mate over the previous day and a half had shown him what he’d been missing for so long. He’d tried to resist, but Elam’s mating scent had continued to increase to the point where he couldn’t hold back any longer. And he has no idea what he’s doing to me. Their bond was already forming to such an intense degree he doubted that Elam would want to leave him. Just the thought of such a thing happening was like a knife to his chest. Fate had ensnared them both and Nic was loving every second of it.
Except… Nic ran a hand across the top of his head. He needed to be inside his mate, to fill him with his seed, but he couldn’t—not yet. He’d already had to stop Elam from sucking him off more than once. As close as they were to the full moon, it wouldn’t take much cum to start the process of changing him. Ever since he’d hit puberty, he’d been warned that unprotected sex along with the claim bite was all it took to turn a human. The process could be gradual or immediate—depending on the moon phase, amount of cum and whether or not a bite was involved.
As such, all he’d engaged in with Elam so far was frotting and Nic had given him more than one hummer. Condoms weren’t something he had lying around the house since he hadn’t fucked a human since college. The poor guy has to be wondering what the hell’s going on. While he was in the small town that belonged to the pack, he’d find one of the younger guys who sometimes hit the city. They were bound to have a few he could scam off them.
“I tried to save as much hot water as I could, but you might want to wait a few minutes.” Elam regarded him with a smile as he entered the room, sporting a fresh tee and pair of sweatpants while drying his hair with a towel.
Nic rose and opened his arms, hoping that holding his mate would reassure him that all was well before he announced his intention to head to his sister’s place alone. Elam stepped into his embrace and Nic buried his nose in Elam’s damp hair, searching for his natural scent beneath the artificial perfume of whatever shampoo it was that Elam used. I’ll have to pick up one of the herbal ones that Alex makes while I’m there. He only wanted natural aromas to highlight his mate’s essence, not chemicals.
“That’s all right. I was going to shut off the generator for now anyway. I’m thinking of heading to my sisters for a few hours in a bit, so I’ll grab a shower when I get back.”
Elam glanced up at him, his brow wrinkled. “I’m sure you know better than me, but I can’t help but ask. Are you sure it’s safe?”
“I promise I’ll be fine.” Nic took the towel from Elam then tossed it on the table. He framed Elam’s face, then brought their mouths together before continuing. “It’s still early enough that I can be back well before twilight.”
Even though the dark wouldn’t be a problem for me.
“Okay, sorry.” Elam covered Nic’s hands with his own and chuckled. “I don’t mean to be pushy.”
Nic kissed him again then locked gazes. “Everything’s new, right? We’ll figure it out.”
“Yeah. I’m thinking we will.”
Elam’s smiled beamed back at him and the certainty they were on the right path reassured him once more.
Now to see what the pack guide can tell me.
* * * *
Nic completed shifting then peered through the opening of the outdoor changing area behind his sister’s cabin. Already she was headed his way.
Must’ve been waiting.
Alex called to Nic as she tromped closer in the path through the snow to where he was concealed while he got dressed.
“All right. Out with it.”
“Jesus, sis. Gimme a sec.”
Nic shook out his wet hair as he tugged on a pair of icy briefs—holding in an undignified yelp—from the metal trunk of clothing he kept handy for such visits. He’d left his pre-shift clothes in the pack attached to the snowmobile. After traveling less than a mile from his place, he’d lost patience and parked the vehicle to return to later. Traveling on paw had saved him a lot of time and aggravation—not to mention how eager he was to meet with the pack’s wolf spirit guide.
Once he was dressed and had yanked a thick wool sweater over his head, he emerged from the enclosure to the sight of his sister leaning against the nearest tree, her arms crossed with a smirk on her lips.
He narrowed his eyes. “What?”
“I can smell him all over you.”
Great. “So? I can’t be alone all the time.”
She snorted. “Since when?”
Nic sucked in a deep breath, counted to five, then let out a puff of frosty air. “Let’s take this inside. I’m freezing my… Well, I’m freezing.”
She gave him the side-eye as she pushed off the tree and headed back toward the house. “Uh-huh. And I imagine he wouldn’t appreciate you freezing anything too important off.”
They were too damn close to each other, that was the problem. He hadn’t really wanted to get into and specifics about Elam with her until after he’d met with the pack guide and healer.
Once they’d entered her small home that he’d had a hand in building, she gestured toward the living room. The kids couldn’t be heard fighting or yelling, so he assumed they were taking a nap. He sat in the chair by the fire and held up his palms to warm them.
“Kids asleep?”
She plopped on the couch. “No. They’re with Artur and Papa. I needed a fucking break after three days of being trapped inside with them during that blizzard.”
After her mate died, both he, their brother Artur, and their father had taken turns taking the kids so she could have a chance to grieve. Their father knew what it was like. He’d lost their mom when she’d given birth to Artur. “Is everyone hanging out at Papa’s place, then?”
Alex sighed. “Actually, Artur moved back in.”
Nic straightened, frowning. “What happened to his mate, Dara?”
She rolled her eyes. “It’s kinda a touchy subject, so don’t bring it up with Papa yet. Unless of course he uses it as another reason to plead with you to come back here and take back your Alpha title.”
What now? “I don’t have the title until he steps aside.”
“Which he won’t do until he’s convinced you to get back in line.”
He turned away from the fireplace to face her. “For fuck sakes. I’ve explained over and over that I can’t give the pack an heir.” He held up his hand to stop her from whatever it was she was about to interject. “I’m not mating a woman. Call me a selfish asshole, but I don’t view it that way. Whoever I mated would forever be stuck with me, would never find love or their true mate. I refuse to take lovers on the side—something I find abhorrent—and a miserable, bitter Alpha isn’t going to give the pack the proper leadership it needs.”
“Okay, I get it. You’ve explained this a hundred times. I’m the one who supported your decision when Artur found Dara. I figured, hey, why not? He’s family bloodline, would be a direct heir to continue our rule.” She arched her eyebrows with another smirk. “Except for one teensy problem.”
Nic scowled at her. “Go on.”
“All that fated mate drivel he shared with us was bullshit. Dara’s a lesbian.”
Nic shook his head in confusion. “Say what now?”
“It was a joint scheme between them to gain leadership of the pack. But she found her fated mate with a woman in the Artic Gates pack, so she backed out. Nothing’s been announced to the council yet, but we can’t keep it a secret much longer. Dara’s already taken off, Artur’s back at home and there’ve been grumblings. Plus…”
Nic waited while she rubbed her forehead, the tension clear in her features. When she didn’t continue right away, a sense of foreboding washed over him. “Come on. Out with it.”
She lifted her gaze. “There’s talk that the Yukon Delta Pack will be putting forth a challenge before long. That’s what I was anxious to talk to you about.”
Nic bared his teeth, the wolf in him ready to rip someone to pieces. “I’ll fucking kill anyone who tries. No one has challenged another pack Alpha in hundreds of years! That’s the point of the Alliance, that we work together, protect each other.” He let out a low growl. “Not threaten each other.”
She nodded, leaning forward to clasp his arm. “I know, it’s insane. But we need to stop it before everything gets out of control. With Papa still Alpha, Artur next in line and you off in the woods with some boy toy, we don’t stand a chance.”
Nic shot to his feet. “Bullshit! First off, he’s not a boy toy, he’s my fucking mate, and you act as if our Alpha is old and decrepit and the Alpha that you and the council agreed would be my worthy replacement is useless!” Nic’s heart hammered as he paced around the room, his jaw clenched as he tried to work out what to do next. “We need to schedule a meeting right away with the Alliance. The councils from all packs so we can hash this out, bring it out in the open. We can’t have secrets from one another, it won’t work.”
“Mate, huh? Does that mean you’re stepping back in line to rule as Alpha? Because only our pack leader can put forth such a request.”
He whirled around to face her and was met with her smug expression, her arms crossed as she regarded him.
“You know I can’t do that,” he gritted through his teeth. “But I can sit down with Papa and Artur, get one or both of them to do it. But first…” Nic shook out his hands, jittery from trying to control his anger, from trying to temper his instinct to fight to the death for his pack.
“First?” Alex had narrowed her eyes. “Does this have anything to do with this man you’re calling your mate?”
“I’m not calling him that, he is my mate. I rescued him in the blizzard, and I knew. His scent drew me in and the minute I fucking touched him, I knew.” He scrubbed his face with both hands then let out an aggravated groan. “Fuck. Talk about bad timing.”
“Hey.” Alex gave his arm a jostle. “Or maybe it’s good timing. This has to all be happening for a reason. I assume you came here to meet with Asha?”
He nodded. “Our guide has to have some answers. I’ll even take hints at this point.”
She winced. “From what I gathered when you radioed, he’s human. Right?”
He nodded again.
She let out a soft whistle. “Wow.”
“Yeah.” He snorted. “Wow.”
She patted his hand then sat back. “Then you’d better get moving. You have a spirit guide to see.”