My Perfect Mate Read online

  “It’s a twisted path, isn’t it? I know I really wanted to hate the nanuk families that sent Tikaani and the other children away. Watching the little ones suffer broke my heart. Thank goodness Mathis and Margot were willing to take them in and give them a loving environment.”

  “It broke my mother’s heart both times she sent her children away,” Ujarak said. “She did it for their protection, not because she wanted to.”

  “I could tell she was upset while we were at your house. I felt really bad for your mom.” Susan reached over and patted Ujarak’s knee.

  “This isn’t getting us anywhere,” Jean-Paul said. “We need to find Ujarak’s uncle and get the Gryphon’s Eye.”

  Ujarak stood and started to strip.

  “What are you doing?” Susan asked. She turned her eyes to the dirty dishes on the floor.

  “I’m going to shift and see if I can figure out why the trail ends here. I should be able to smell where my uncle has gone. I’ll be back in a while.”

  “Hey, be careful out there.” Susan lifted her head to catch his eye. Ujarak smiled.

  “Don’t worry about me, Suzy-Q. The Arctic is my home.” Ujarak opened the flap and stepped naked into the cold.

  Chapter Six

  Jean-Paul reached for Susan and pulled her into his lap. It would take Ujarak a while to find his uncle’s trail and scout where he went. That would leave plenty of time to relieve the hard on he sported from having his Destined One so close.

  “What are you doing? I need to clean up the food and dishes.” Susan squirmed in his arms. She couldn’t help but feel how much he wanted her.

  “We have some alone time; the dishes will wait.” JP nibbled at her ear. The scent of ripe peaches teased his senses and his mouth watered. He kissed her neck and then sucked her earlobe. Her little whimper made him smile. He released her ear and moved her hair off her shoulder. He kissed down her neck until he encountered the neckline of her sweater. “You have way too many clothes on. Let’s take them off, shall we?”

  Susan giggled. “I wonder how the nanuk do this. Do they ever get skin to skin in the winter?” Susan pulled off her sweater and then her long underwear shirt. Jean-Paul held her waist, caressing her sides and up to the lace of her bra. He leaned down to kiss her shoulder. She sighed and trembled. “Now you.”

  “What?” JP’s concentration was on the feel of her skin under his hands and lips. He flicked out his tongue to taste.

  “Your clothes. You need to take them off.” Susan laid her head back. He licked the place where her neck met her shoulder. Most lycans bit their mates while mating. He rubbed his teeth over the spot. Susan moaned. One hand grabbed his thigh, while she looped the other arm around his head. He moved his hands up to caress her breasts through the lace of her bra. He kneaded the soft flesh and felt her nipples harden.

  “Take off your pants and get into the sleeping bag.”

  “So, bossy.” Susan scooted off his lap and over to the sleeping bags they rolled out earlier. She wiggled out of her pants and thermal underwear and slipped into the bag. JP had made sure to attach a couple of bags together so there was room for two. He quickly divested himself of his clothes and climbed in beside her.

  “Now, I’ve got you.” JP scooted close.

  “Said the spider to the fly.” Susan chuckled.

  “Be careful, petite amour. I may have to eat you.” JP unhooked the front clasp of her bra and leaned down to suck a tight nipple into his mouth. Susan moaned and clutched his head. He lapped at the extended flesh before pressing his teeth down. Susan arched her back, pushing her breast deeper into his mouth. He continued nibbling and sucking until Susan’s whole body trembled. Then he released her.

  She growled in her throat and tugged on his hair. A sexy sound that made his shaft jerk. He moved to kneel between her thighs and then leaned down to take the other breast into his mouth. He nipped her. She jumped and grabbed his shoulders. He licked at the small torment and then sucked hard. Susan moaned. Her nails scored his skin. He loved her responsiveness.

  He let the swollen nubbin fall from his mouth and kissed the underside of her breast, and then her ribs, stomach, and finally the top of her mound.

  The small blond curls glistened with moisture. JP was glad for the light of the lantern. Seeing the proof of her desire only increased the size of his shaft. He throbbed and ached. He couldn’t last much longer, but wanted to make this time special. Their entire mating had been rushed. He needed to show her that she mattered.

  §

  “You’re so beautiful, une petite louve.”

  Susan recognized the phrase he called her. It meant my little wolf. Her body was on fire. Twice she thought she would come. Then he moved to another place to torment her. The man played her like a well-loved instrument. If he didn’t finish her soon, she might expire from desire. “Please, Jean-Paul.”

  “In a moment, love. I know what you want.”

  He spread her legs wider and caressed her inner thighs. She whimpered. It wouldn’t take much to make her come. He spread the lips hiding her sex. She gasped. Everything was so sensitive. He leaned down and blew across her. She clenched and cried out. He chuckled.

  “Dammit, JP…”

  Before she could continue, he licked her. Her hips lifted into the caress. He licked again, before plunging his tongue into her core. It wasn’t enough. She needed him deeper. To fill her. She pushed up harder. He put his arm across her hips, holding her in place. He plunged in again, before licking at the sensitive bundle of nerves. She trembled. Her breath panted. His fingers replaced his tongue. Pushing deep and then pressing on her clit. Her eyes closed. Her mind clouded with desire.

  She reached for him through the mating bond. It blew open. Jean-Paul’s thoughts and desire swamped her. She felt the pain it caused and tried to shut it down. She didn’t mean to hurt him. It had been instinctual to reach for him.

  “NO! Leave it. Feel how much I want you.”

  “But the pain…”

  “Open your eyes, look at me. Watch while I take you.”

  Susan obediently opened her eyes and looked at the man who was her mate. Little sparkles of light surrounded him. His look of possession fierce. The muscles of his body hard. She felt the nudge of his member as it searched for entry. He pushed through her body’s resistance. Plunging deep, he filled her. Her whole body tightened. He pulled back and plunged again. Her heart raced. She could hardly draw enough breath. Their minds merged. Fire, passion, desire flooded her. Susan exploded. Her body jerking, her mind took flight. JP held her, his fingers digging deep as he continued to fill her. Again and again.

  He shouted and joined her in the ether. His pleasure hers, her ecstasy his.

  §

  Ujarak called the shift and felt his body grow in size. He lowered his head and waited, letting the agony of change flow over him. Moments later, he lifted his bear head and lumbered to the igloo. The dogs on their lines barked at him, but he ignored them. He searched around the ground. Somewhere there had to be a sign of where his uncle went.

  Did Itigaituk use something to mask his scent? Why else couldn’t Ujarak find it? Finally, on the west side of the building made of ice, he saw a paw print. West of here was one of the small islands that dotted the Arctic Circle above Canada. He moved forward and found a scrape in the ice. He continued. Polar bears were known for their patient hunting skills. He’d find his uncle.

  The wind began to pick up. Ujarak smelled the air. A storm was coming. He quickened his stride. He didn’t want to lose the few signs left of his uncle’s passing. He kept going, his nose to the ground. The Gryphon’s Eye was too dangerous to remain in the Arctic. His uncle needed to understand that.

  He heard the sound of a bird and looked up. On the horizon a large white shape rose from the ground. Ujarak smiled. He’d found the island. Now where was his uncle?

  The wind whistled along the ground. The stars began to disappear as clouds filled the sky. Miniscule ice crystals stung his face.
He lowered his head and kept going.

  Watching for signs of his uncle’s movements, he almost missed the small wolf print the wind tried to erase. He paused and looked around. Was it an amarok or a regular wolf? Not knowing when the print was actually left, he shrugged and moved forward. A few feet ahead, he found a scrape in the ice left by a bear claw. On he went, following the small signs.

  A sudden yip on the wind caught his attention. He froze. Listening, he heard another. He rose to his full height and searched the landscape. His nose sought a scent. He turned, facing slightly south. There. The smell of canines. Another dog sled team? He lowered down to all fours and lumbered forward.

  The wind increased and even for a polar bear, it was hard to see. He needed to find his uncle. Now. Before the storm covered the top of the world in white.

  He hurried forward. The sounds of yipping got louder. Finally, the shape of an igloo cut through the wind and blowing snow. Ujarak couldn’t pick up any smells. The wind blowing obscured everything. He didn’t see anyone around. If his uncle or one of the other nanuk were here, they would be releasing the dogs and moving them inside the shelter.

  He ran over and began to yank the lines from the ice, freeing the dogs. Several headed inside the igloo, while he released the others. Finally, the last dog was free. He made his way to the igloo and called the shift. It was time to get out of the wind. He kneeled down to crawl inside when something flickered out of the corner of his eye. His first thought was one of the dogs was still outside. He paused and began to turn. Something hard crashed down on his head. Everything went black.

  §

  Jean-Paul held Susan tight. His feelings swamped him. She was his Destined One. His. He almost lost her when the ice crumbled under her feet. She was precious to him. His arms tightened and she snuggled closer. Her blond ringlets tickled his nose. He smiled.

  The wind outside rose in volume. It whipped around the tent lowering the temperature even more. JP frowned. The dogs could freeze to death in a storm like this. They should be moved inside the igloo. He slowly loosened his arms, hating to move. He’d have to get dressed before he went out into the cold. He pulled one leg off Susan’s. She stirred.

  “What is it?” she mumbled.

  “Sounds like a storm.”

  “The dogs!” Susan bolted up. The sleeping bag fell to their waists. JP enjoyed the view.

  “Easy, sweetheart. I’ll go. I’ve got to get dressed first.”

  “That’s silly. I’ll go.” White lights swirled around her and suddenly a wolf stood before him. He petted her silky fur and she licked his face. He chuckled.

  “Okay, I’ll get dressed and come help you.”

  She yipped and pawed at the door. He crawled over and unzipped the entrance for her. She scrambled outside. He zipped the door closed and reached for his clothes. They’d need the warmth in the tent when they came back inside. He pulled on his pants and sweater, before reaching for his boots. He’d just gotten them tied when there was a shuffling at the door.

  The polar bear must be back. JP wondered if he’d found his uncle’s trail in this wind. He reached for his parka and unzipped the door. Once in the jacket, he stepped outside. A huge polar bear stood before him raised on his hind legs. A golden ring lay fastened around the bear’s neck on a piece of rope. Something told JP this wasn’t Ujarak back with the ring. He went to move sideways when another polar bear appeared, a growl in his throat.

  He held up his hands. “I just want to talk to you.”

  A huge bear paw swiped him in the head.

  §

  Susan hurried around the tent to the dogs. The scent of a nanuk stopped her in her tracks. Was it Ujarak? She crept forward. Luckily, the wind blew toward her. She could smell the polar bear shifter, but he couldn’t smell her. She peeked around the side of the igloo and watched as the nanuk swiped the lines free from the ice. The dogs ran over to her near the entrance of the ice building. Licking her face and rubbing against her. “Go inside and get warm,” she sent to the pack. The lead dog barked and then crawled inside the igloo.

  A growl and huffing noise by the tent froze her in place. These nanuk must be Ujarak’s uncle and his men. What should she do? They hated lycans. They might not talk to JP if she was there. She followed the sled dogs into the igloo. When she heard the sound of a man swearing, she moved as far back in the pack as she could. Two of the dogs moved to shield her. A man crawled inside the igloo. He carried a large piece of raw meat and threw it into the pack. The dogs quickly fell onto their meal. Susan lay down and watched.

  The man turned and crawled outside again. Susan heaved a sigh. That was close. She crept around the growling dogs. Since she wasn’t making a move toward the food they ignored her. She peered out the tunnel entrance. The wind picked up and it got harder to see, even with her heightened lycan senses.

  She crawled on her belly into the tunnel. If the man came back, he would be in his human form. A sudden pain in her head made her whimper and stop. She clenched her jaw. Black spots appeared before her eyes. She blinked and moaned. As quickly as the pain came, it was suddenly gone. Breathing deeply, she continued forward.

  She stopped inside the entrance. A polar bear came from the side of the tent dragging something in his mouth. She froze. It was a sleeping bag. One of their sleeping bags. From the way it bumped against the ground. It had something in it. She reached for JP through the mating bond. Nothing. Her breath stuck in her throat. The smell of blood filled her nostrils.

  She grabbed the golden cord in her mind and yanked it open. “Jean-Paul!” Darkness. Wait. There was a small flickering. He was alive.

  She opened her eyes. Another polar bear followed the first. This one had a piece of rope around his neck. Something golden swung from it. The ring? Another nanuk followed. Three polar bear shifters were more than she could hope to go against. Even one would probably kill her. She waited, listening as they made their way around the igloo and into the wind.

  There was a sudden blaze of light and the smell of burning filled her nostrils. She ran outside. The tent! The bastards started a fire. Flames leapt high as the whole structure caught fire. Shifting back to human form was impossible without clothes. She couldn’t keep warm with magic like the Fae. She couldn’t even call for help since the satellite phone was inside the inferno. At least the snowmobiles sat far enough away that they wouldn’t become fuel for the fire.

  Susan saw red. She wanted to howl, but letting the nanuk know she was close wasn’t a good idea. The wind whirled feeding the flames. Her eyes burned. All she wanted was to crawl back into the igloo. But her mate was in trouble. Hiding wasn’t an option. She reached for JP’s mind, calling to him. There was no answer. Her heart ached. Panic threatened to overwhelm her.

  “Come on, Susan. There’s no one left, but you,” she told herself. She turned to follow the three nanuk.

  Chapter Seven

  The wind howled. Ice crystals pelted Susan’s face. She lowered her head and followed the golden thread of light that was the lycan mating bond. Her vision hampered, she squinted her eyes and focused on putting one paw in front of the other. She’d follow wherever they took JP.

  Luckily the trail of the dragged sleeping bag was easy to follow even in the storm. Snowflakes gathered in the sky, sticking to each other so when they hit the Earth they were large enough to cover a muzzle or an eye. Susan ducked her head and kept going.

  “Jean-Paul. Please. Wake up!” No answer.

  Susan trudged on. She could hardly see. Only the mating bond led her forward with its soft golden glow. The furrow where the sleeping bag dragged began to fill with snow. She quickened her pace. She didn’t want to lose the trail. The nanuk seemed in a hurry to get somewhere. Was their shelter up ahead? Her limbs felt stiff with the cold. Susan didn’t know how much longer she could go on.

  “JP! Wake up. I need you.” Why wouldn’t he answer her? How would she rescue him from three polar bear shifters?

  §

  “Qannik,
stop!” Aisyt hurried forward.

  Qannik fingered the knife in her hand. “He’s evil. He should die.” The young amarok leaned down and pulled back Ujarak’s head and put the knife to his throat.

  “No! If you have any love for me at all you won’t hurt him.” Aisyt’s heart thudded in her chest. Her throat constricted. “Please. I need him!”

  “Why him? Why would you choose a nanuk for a mate?” Qannik’s hand trembled.

  “I didn’t choose him, Destiny did.” Aisyt took a step forward. The wind rose. Her panic caused her magic to feed the storm. “But even if Ujarak wasn’t my mate, he doesn’t deserve your wrath. Qannik, don’t be like the nanuk that hurt you. They didn’t care that you were an innocent child. All they cared about was that you were amarok. Not all nanuk are evil. I can sense Ujarak’s heart. He is good and kind. Please, don’t hurt him.”

  “There are so many amarok that love you. I don’t understand. Why him?”

  “Does it really matter? All that matters is if you kill him, then you kill me as well. Is that what you want? I saved you. I raised you. I think you owe me his life.”

  A sudden noise in the distance heralded the return of the three nanuk that hunted the amarok. Both Qannik and Aisyt turned to look.

  “Those are the nanuk who deserve to die.” Aisyt pointed. “Not this one. Please, Qannik. Go now, gather the pack, these are the evil ones we hunt.”

  Qannik looked back at the man on the ground, then up at the woman she loved like a mother. She nodded and sprang away, turning into a white wolf from one stride to another. The knife in her hand fell to the ground and stuck, hilt up in the snow.