Chasing the Alpha: Shifters of Nunavut, Book #3 Read online

  She was already shaking her head before he finished. “And leave Zane? Even if he would let me go—which he wouldn’t—I could never do that to him. I… The pup will be here any day now. If I can’t risk a trip to Port Trent, I certainly won’t risk a trip all the way to Amarok.”

  “Even if it’s safer for your pup?”

  She looked away. “We’re safe wherever Zane is.”

  “Perhaps,” he said, letting the word hang in the air.

  After a long moment, he stood, offering a hand to help her up. He waited until she was on her feet before he spoke again.

  “I have a daughter.”

  Her brows lifted. “I wouldn’t have guessed. How old?”

  “She’s eight. Her name is Halley, like the comet,” he gave a slow grin. “Not my first choice, or my second, but the name has grown on me.”

  Sten led her to the door. “You love your pup very much, don’t you?”

  She nodded warily. “I do.”

  “Trust me when I tell you that what you feel for him right now pales in comparison to what you will feel the first time you hold him in your arms. Your life will never be the same, and no matter how much you love your mate, your pup will always come before him, and yourself.”

  Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, and Sten wanted to brush them away. He refrained, knowing it was not his place to do so.

  “I will be staying until noon,” he said. “I need to speak with your mate, though I will not press this issue to him without your permission. Think on what I’ve said, and if you change your mind, we will talk to him together.”

  She gave a teary nod, but made no move to leave the room. Of all the things he expected her to say, the question she asked caught him off guard.

  “Do you still have a mate?”

  The question should not have stung, but lately the memory of Elizabeth felt more like a festering wound, rather than the old scar it should have been. Erik was mostly to blame. Months back, he’d promised Astrid to Sten. Until then, he hadn’t realized how strong of a hold the urge to mate still had on him. He should have been relieved when Erik decided to take Astrid for himself after all, but couldn’t deny the lingering resentment and envy that he felt towards his brother.

  He met Ginnifer’s questioning gaze, offering only a curt “No” before heading from the room.

  * * *

  Indigo woke slowly, as she always did, flexing each muscle in her limbs before stretching and letting out a big yawn. There was a warm lump burrowed into her side, and she didn’t have to open her eyes to know that it was Maia. She wrapped her arms around the lump, cuddling it closer even as she complained.

  “You know I don’t do breakfast. Go find Boaz.”

  Maia’s squeaky voice was muffled against Indigo’s chest. “I already had breakfast. It’s nap time.”

  With herculean effort, Indigo managed to open one eye. She lifted the blankets, revealing nothing but a head of bushy black hair. She twisted a lock around her finger, giving it a gentle tug.

  “What happened to your braids?” Indigo asked.

  “I dunno.”

  “Maia,” she grumbled. “Kya spent two days working on those braids.”

  The pup tilted her head up to give Indigo a toothy grin. “Wyatt and I got them out between breakfast and lunchtime.”

  Indigo tapped Maia’s nose. “Ah hah, so the truth comes out.” Her other eye popped open. “Wait, do you mean between breakfast and lunch today?”

  Maia nodded vigorously, and Indigo leapt up from the bed, giving the pup a start.

  “What time is it?” she almost shrieked. She pushed aside the clutter on her bedside table, searching for her pocket watch. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter. I need to get dressed as quickly as possible.”

  She dashed over to the wooden chest in the corner of her room, throwing up the top and revealing her neatly folded clothing. Hastily, she snatched up a few different pieces and laid them out on the floor.

  Maia watched from the bed, her head in her hands and mumbling as much to herself as to Indigo.

  “But we always nap together.”

  Indigo lifted up a dress in each hand, eyeing them critically. One was the type of garb a shifter female might wear around the den, a patchwork of animal skins stitched together and lined with fur for added warmth. It wasn’t ugly, but the other dress, lavender, form-fitting, and made of breathable cotton, was much more to her tastes.

  Absently, she said, “I’m sorry sweetheart, I have something very important to do today.”

  Sten’s impression of her probably couldn’t get much lower, but she wondered what he’d think if he saw her wearing human clothes. It was bad enough that he’d seen her room, wired with electricity and cluttered with books. She had no intention of changing herself for the sake of any male, but she thought it might be best to wait until they’d had a pup or two before she unveiled the full extent of her eccentricities.

  “But what if I can’t nap alone?”

  Indigo stuffed the pink dress back in the chest and slipped into the loose-fitting fur dress. “Well, you’ll never know until you try.”

  She got up and went to her mirror, quickly raking a brush through her hair. She’d finally taken a bath before she’d gone to bed, but she’d been all out of shampoo and conditioner. She also didn’t have any more of the lotion that made her skin feel soft and smell like honey. Opening her compact, she discovered that she was also out of the powder she used to hide her freckles. The only makeup she did have left was a pink lipstick, which she applied, and then thought better of, wiping it off.

  She stood in front of the mirror, looking woefully like her plain old self. It would have to do. If she’d managed to garner a spark of arousal from him while smelling like blood and fish, then surely this would be enough to entice him into kissing her. She still didn’t know if a single kiss would manage to convince him that they were mates, but it was the only thing she could do, short of coming right out and telling him the truth.

  “Will you be back before I wake up?”

  Indigo pulled away from the mirror and climbed onto her bed. She pulled the covers up over Maia’s small body, tucking them in at her sides.

  “Probably not, but how about this? If you nap alone just for today, then you can sleep in here with me tonight.”

  Maia considered the offer, before smiling and nodding her agreement. Indigo leaned down and planted a wet kiss on her forehead, making the pup giggle. Climbing from the bed, she padded over to the doorway. The second she was in the hall, she broke out into a run.

  Breeze’s room wasn’t far, but when she got there and peeked in, it was dark. She pulled back the door coverings and stepped inside. The room smelled like it had always been his, and her body tingled with each inhale. The bed was made, with his pelt folded and placed on the nightstand.

  On top of the pelt was a small, rose-hued chunk of quartz and something that reminded her of the pocketknife that Boaz carried. She picked it up, finding the groove in the blade that allowed her to pull it out. It wasn’t a pointed blade, but a long, flat one. A shaving razor, she realized. She ran her finger along the handle, tracing the letter S that was engraved at the base.

  After a minute, she closed the razor and set it aside, instead picking up Sten’s pelt. The fur was white, and she realized that it was wolf fur, too large to belong to just one wolf, though she couldn’t find any seams. She brought the fur up to her nose and inhaled deeply. Heat shot through her body, gathering at the juncture of her thighs. A familiar ache began to gnaw at her, an emptiness that yearned to be filled. A soft moan escaped her lips.

  “You can bring that to me when you’re done.”

  Indigo nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of Sten’s voice. When she saw him leaning against the wall by the doorway, barely suppressing his amusement, she wished she could jump out of her skin, because it burned with her humiliation.

  “And the rest of my things, too,” he said.

  “I di
dn’t hear you come in,” she said lamely.

  He flashed her a grin. “I’ve met humans that are more alert than you.”

  Indigo winced. It was his scent, the way it clouded her brain, that made her so oblivious to what was going on around her.

  She placed the razor and the rock in his pelt, and then took her time rolling them into a tidy bundle. When she stood to carry it to him, she noticed what he was wearing and almost tripped over her own feet. Black jeans contrasted with a crisp white shirt. The long sleeves were cuffed at his elbows and the top two buttons were undone, leaving just enough visible flesh to send her hormones into a frenzy.

  “Your wearing human clothes.” It was more of a whine than a statement. She wished she could start this entire day over again, wake up five hours earlier, put on her lavender dress, and not make herself look like a creep in front of Sten.

  He pinched at the fabric of his shirt. “I don’t care for wearing furs, unless it’s convenient.”

  As she approached him, his nostrils flared. Tilting his head, he asked, “What is that you’re wearing?”

  She looked down at her fur dress, feeling miserable. “It’s not my favorite dress. Actually, I prefer wearing—”

  “Not your clothes. Your scent, it’s different today.”

  She stopped in front of him, and raised her wrist to her nose to sniff, feeling self-conscious. “I took a bath last night, but I was out of soap. We haven’t been able to make any supply runs for over a month now. What do I smell like?”

  To her surprise, Sten bent to lower his head to her neck. She heard him inhale, the soft sound causing her to shiver. She noticed something else as he pulled back, the husky, tempting scent of male arousal. Her tongue flicked out to wet her lips.

  Sten pressed a finger to her mouth. She wanted to nibble it. “Don’t.”

  “Don’t what?”

  “Don’t try to kiss me.”

  Indigo took a step back, glaring up at him. “I wasn’t going to kiss you.”

  I was expecting you to kiss me.

  She wiped at her lips reflexively. “You’re very presumptuous, and it’s really starting to get on my nerves.”

  Why won’t you kiss me?

  Chuckling, Sten extended his hand. “Well then give me my things so that I can stop burdening you with my company.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked, taking another step back. “Where are you going?”

  “Back to my den.”

  Indigo felt a horrible sinking feeling in her stomach, followed immediately by nausea. She clutched the bundle to her chest as though she was at sea and it was the only thing keeping her afloat.

  “But you only just got here.”

  “I came to deliver a message, and that is done,” he told her. “You do know I could easily take that from you, right?”

  On impulse, she said, “I’ll go with you. You shouldn’t cross the tundra alone, not with so many bear shifters out there.”

  “I’m bringing my betas. Besides, I wouldn’t want to put you in jeopardy.”

  His lips twisted as though he’d sucked on a lemon candy. Indigo ignored the strange expression. Her mind was too busy cycling through points she could argue, anything she could say to convince him to take her back to his pack.

  “If you do run into trouble, you’ll need a healer.”

  The look he gave her said that he was only humoring her. “And assuming your brother would let you come, what would you do once you were at Amarok?”

  I’d stay with you and be your mate.

  There was just no way to tell him that without sounding crazy. Why couldn’t he feel the pull as she did?

  Maybe you are going crazy. Maybe he’s just a male that smells good.

  The thought made her wilt.

  “Besides,” Sten went on to say, “Ginnifer is going to need you when she gives birth to her pup, which from the looks of her will be any day now.”

  “So everyone keeps reminding me,” she said, sighing.

  “You’re afraid?”

  Her jaw slackened. “I didn’t say that.”

  Sten stared at her, his amber eyes unreadable. After a long moment, she took a step forward and leaned her forehead against his chest. He didn’t push her away.

  “I don’t know anything about delivering pups,” she admitted. “And they already blame me for everything. If I screw up and something happens to Ginnifer or Luken…”

  “They shouldn’t put the responsibility on you,” he said, sounding almost angry on her behalf. “There are older females in your den. Don’t any of them know anything about giving birth?”

  He still hadn’t pushed her away, so Indigo decided to press her luck. She moved closer to him, until her entire body was leaning against his.

  “There was Marl, she was the healer before me, but she died. Marl was a nurse before she came to the pack. She had medical training and decades of experience, but everyone thinks I can do everything that she could. Sometimes I spend my entire day reading her medical journals so I can figure out how to help someone.”

  Indigo paused, letting her eyes flutter shut. She didn’t care if he thought she was being weird. It felt so good to be close to him. She almost thought she could feel his energy seeping into her and giving her strength.

  He couldn’t leave her, not yet. They were still strangers to one another, and she needed him to know the real her, not the birdbrain she turned into whenever she was in his presence.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, reluctantly lifting her head from his chest. “I don’t usually ramble so much.”

  A lock of her hair had fallen over her face, and she tried blowing it out of the way. Sten reached up, catching it with his claw. He tucked it behind her ear so carefully that he never touched her skin, but her heart still pounded.

  What would you do if I kissed you?

  She could tell Sten would have far more self-control than Roch, but she thought if she kissed him right then, he might just kiss her back. And if she pulled him to the bed before he had a chance to reconsider, if she shed her pelt to lay naked beneath him, if she stroked that hard place between his legs…

  Sten’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment she thought he might have heard her thoughts. By the time she realized how absurd that was, it became apparent that he was not irritated with her. There was a sound of heavy footfall, and a few seconds later, the door hangings were pulled up. Roch appeared, looking slightly out of breath.

  “What do you want?” Sten asked coolly.

  Roch swallowed. “Uh, hey.” His eyes darted to Indigo, and he reached out to grab her by the arm. “I need to talk to you.”

  Without further explanation, he dragged her from the room. When they were a few paces down the hallway, Roch rounded on her.

  “I’ve been looking all over for you. I should have known to check his room first,” he grumbled, bending down to sniff her face. “Thank God. Your brother is on the warpath today. If he smells my scent on you, he might actually skin me.”

  They were not nearly far enough that Sten wouldn’t be able to overhear. Indigo gave Roch a look that promised murder if he didn’t shut up.

  “What are you doing here?” she hissed, jerking her arm free.

  “Zane sent me,” he told her. “We caught one of the bears, but he’s badly wounded.”

  Her heart seized. “Zane’s hurt?”

  Roch used his knuckle to thunk the side of her head. “No, stupid. The bear. We need you to patch him up so that he’ll live long enough for us to question him, or whatever they want to do with him. You’d think I wasn’t a beta male, with as much as they treat me like I’m—”

  “Where are they?” Sten cut through Roch’s ranting. Braving a glance over her shoulder, Indigo saw him regarding Roch with a frown, though his face was otherwise unreadable.

  “Not far from the point, near the tip of the island. They brought him across the inlet, but moving caused him to loose a lot of blood, so they’re keeping him there until he’s tended to.
If you want to come, you can follow us.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” Sten said, coming to stand beside Indigo. He flicked his hand at Roch in a dismissive gesture. “I’ll take her myself. You can go now.”

  As Sten walked away, Indigo stared at his back, her teeth biting down on her bottom lip. She had vague memories of her father being like that—giving orders and not waiting around to see if he’d be obeyed or if he’d have to repeat himself. It was the kind of casual authority that she was glad Zane didn’t have, but on her mate, it was kind of…sexy.

  So long as he never tries to order me around like that.

  She grinned at the petulant-looking Roch, and then trotted to catch up with Sten.

  “We should stop by my room before we go. I’ll need my supply box.”

  Appearing lost in his own thoughts, he nodded without looking down at her. She scratched the back of her head, her hand coming down to tug listlessly at her earlobe.

  “What Roch said, about his scent being on me. It’s not what it sounded like.”

  His lips quirked into a half-smile. “It’s none of my concern who you kiss, Indigo.”

  Chapter 8

  Sten’s wolf sent him images of Roch, leaning down to sniff Indigo, and then knuckling her head. In the wolf’s recollection, the gentle thump became a hard strike that made her recoil, whimpering in pain. The next image was of Sten, grabbing Roch by the throat with one hand, and breaking his offending arm with the other. As if that wasn’t enough, he then proceeded to strangle the beta male.

  He would have laughed at the absurdity of his wolf, if he weren’t feeling so high-strung. Roch’s interruption had been highly fortuitous. If he hadn’t barged in and dragged Indigo from the room, Sten wasn’t sure what would have happened. He didn’t think he would have taken her to his bed, not when they could have easily been interrupted. But he also knew that he hadn’t been thinking clearly, not while surrounded by her scent.

  Looking at her from the corner of his eye, he gave her body a quick appraisal. He’d seen plenty of appealing females the night before. Vale, in particular, was his occasional bed partner back at Amarok. He knew that they were sexually compatible, and he liked her maturity and her physical strength, the latter of which allowed her to pose a challenge to him.