Arctic Bound

Chapter 2

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 on because her hair was a mess. She noticed most of the people in town walked around in lighter wear than she did. 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. All the townspeople treated Nerina as if she were some sickly individual who 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?”

Speaking of the devil, Nerina looked up into the black eyes of Thorn Canidae, Talkeetna 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. Storm’s 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 that was 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.” Nerina reminded him.

Thorn was the local contractor, as well. His son Colin was the sheriff of the town. She wasn’t sure about his other two sons. The Canidaes 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 either. They didn’t seem to be afraid of Thorn, but they did defer to him in any situation. Not like her father’s men. They feared Roman. 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 thin, 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 and headed 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 her uncle 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 she 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 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.

Rina. The kid was the only one in town comfortable enough to give her a nickname. She really didn’t have time for hot cocoa, though. 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 widened. “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.

“All right, 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 appreciate being treated like a kid.

Her list of supplies almost complete, she continued to make 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 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 Mistress Red had recruited them 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 Civita. No one will 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.”

“Liar.” Raven chuckled over the phone. “There are only whales and mean-ass townsfolk there. Ain’t enough variety for me. There’re mountain men, and then more mountain men, oh wait, and…mountain men,” Raven said sarcastically.

It was true enough, but Nerina wasn’t looking to get laid.

“I’m not looking for a man, Raven.”

“Give it time. Your double A’s can only treat you good for so long.” Nerina could hear the smile in her friend’s voice.

“Shut up. Is everything else on the up and up?”

“Yeah, package coming for you this time tomorrow. When’s the storm coming?”

The package wasn’t related to anything friendly. It was probably from the Mistress.

“Later in the week, possibly Saturday or Sunday.”

“All right, later.”

“Later.”

Nerina turned and bumped into Thorn.

“I had no idea you could speak Italian.”

“Yes, my father is from Civita, and my mother is from the islands.”

Thorn nodded his head towards her phone.

“Got some pretty expensive equipment there. Don’t see many phones like that up here.”

Yeah, cause your town’s a throwback.

She didn’t answer his implied question. Instead, she said her goodbyes and walked next door to Cassandra’s bed and breakfast for cocoa with Teak.

Victor heard the door to his sister’s bed and breakfast open and wrinkled his nose. Human. Must be Nerina Simpson. The woman walked through the door bundled from head to toe in protective winter gear. She was of average height, but he could tell she had good weight about her. She pulled off her skullcap, and long, curly tresses of dark brown, almost black hair spilled down her shoulders to rest in the middle of her back. Daar and Demon walked ahead of her into the common area. Her smell was stronger now that she’d taken off her cap and mittens. The scent was distinct and pleasing. He could see why his nephew was drawn to her. He watched as she took off her jacket and exposed more of her features. Damn, she was beautiful. Her unruly curls fell around her exotic face. She was devoid of any makeup, and her cheeks were a warm red from the biting wind. It wasn’t until he noticed that her hands were scarred that his admiration stopped. His wolf immediately put her at the bottom of the food chain. Prey to his predator.

Eyes the color of aged whiskey regarded him shrewdly as she pulled the sleeve of her shirt over her hand. As his gaze ate up her body, he lingered on her legs and hips, loving the fullness of her. His wolf rejected any possibility of the two of them sharing any intimacy. However, the man couldn’t help but notice the parts of her that appealed to him. As she made her way over to his sister, she limped, favoring her right leg. He returned his gaze to her face, and still she stared. If it had been any other person’s gaze staring so directly at him, he’d have put them in their place, but she was human, not accustomed to their ways.

“It’s rude to stare,” she said.

Victor straightened from his seat at the counter, still transfixed by the woman in front of him. Trying to come to terms with the man and the beast. One was of a mind to dismiss while the other wanted to take a closer look, see what made her tick. What made her wet between the legs? Was she a screamer, or would she be a silent lover?

Clearing his throat, he responded to her comment.

“I wasn’t trying to be rude, but I can tell by your tone, you’re the rude one.”

Cassandra slapped his shoulder to make him stop. The human eyed him, watchful of his moves.

“You caught all that just by me telling the truth, did you? How very astute of you.”

She turned to Cassandra and smiled, asking for a cup of cocoa. Aware of her dismissal, Victor straightened his back, not ready to be ignored.

“Where are you from?”

She looked over at him and then back to Cassandra after she’d done her own assessment of him.

“Can you let Teak know I’m here? I really need to get back soon. If he wants to share a cup of cocoa, we should do it now.”

Did she really just address his sister and not him?

“Hey, I asked you a question.”

She turned harsh eyes to him and shrugged.

“A question I don’t have to answer. I’m not much of a talker. We may as well not even exchange pleasantries. I don’t like you, and it was obvious from the look on your face when you saw my hand, you don’t like me either. Let me save you the trouble now and tell you that the rest of me is just as hideous.”

He didn’t think so. But she apparently didn’t want to hear that. The woman wasn’t Pack, she was human, and no matter what his thoughts were on the subject of bedding her, he wouldn’t get the chance to find out. Teak made an appearance then, walking into the kitchen and putting a protective arm around Nerina. She shrugged him off and gestured toward the seat next to her.

“Hot chocolate, kid, that’s it. This isn’t a date.”

“Ah, Rina, I was just being friendly. No harm, no foul. Right?”

“No. Of course, not.”

Teak grinned and Victor watched as the two of them discussed music and sports. She didn’t so much as look his way as she and his nephew conversed. Cassandra motioned for him to join her out in the hall; and reluctantly, Victor went.

“What the hell, brother! Did you really need to do that? And the look on your face was worse than how some of the Pack members look at her. I know she’s disabled, but we’ve come a long way. I won’t tolerate you or anyone else mistreating her while in my house.”

“I was taken off guard. One minute I was considering things, and the next she was, well, she was not what I expected.”

His sister glared at him, her violet eyes turning bright amber momentarily as her wolf surfaced.

“You stay away from her, Victor. You may have bedding rights, but you need to take your intentions and your d**k elsewhere. Get those thoughts right out of your head. She’s human, and you’re not. You know what would happen if the two of you got together.”

Yes, he knew, he could kill her or worse, he could mess things up with Sasha. Her father and their Clan wouldn’t tolerate him entertaining any sort of ideas with a human.

“Of course, sister, you’re right. I should probably go and apologize to her.”

Cassandra nodded.

Victor made his way back to the kitchen just as Teak and Nerina were finishing up their drink.

“Thanks for having me over, Teak, I appreciate it. You and your mother have been very kind to me.”

Teak smiled wide at her praise. His nephew was entertaining other ideas, but Victor would talk to him once they were alone. Victor cleared his throat to get their attention.

“Miss Simpson, my apologies for my behavior earlier. It was rude of me to stare. And inappropriate for me to assume that you would be forthcoming about any information after the way I behaved.”

She didn’t acknowledge him right away but eyed him as if he’d grown a second head.

“Sure thing, no problem. Demon. Daar. Time to go.”

The wolves rose from their spot in front of the fire, and as she bundled up again for the harsh weather, she caught his gaze one more time before she walked out into the dark wintery afternoon. There was something there between them. He wasn’t going to call it a spark, because f**k… this wasn’t some romantic comedy. But there was something. The two of them were both acknowledging the other. If she weren’t going to admit it, he would. There was something there. He just wasn’t sure if it was worth the time or hassle to find out more.

Victor turned back to his nephew, who was standing love-struck as he watched her go.

“Get those thoughts out of your head, Teak. She’s not for you.”

“Says who? I have no problem with bedding a human.”

“She thinks you’re a kid.”

“Her mistake, not mine.”

What he really wanted to do was wring his nephew’s neck. A deep growl rolled and rumbled in Victor’s chest, daring his nephew to overstep his bounds.

“Seriously, you’re about to be mated, and you really want to piss on my feet to mark your territory, Uncle? I already said I wouldn’t go near her unless we were in town, and unless Nerina is someone who likes to get down and dirty out in the open, I’ll have no chance.”

Cassandra eyed both of them with a serious face when she brought them both back to reality.

“Both of you need to forget about her. She’s human, end of story. Now go and help Father with Nerina’s supplies. And, Teak…”

“Yeah, Mom?”

“Mind your uncle.”

Teak nodded as he made his way out the door and over to the supply shop.

Nerina made her way back up the hill. The air was cooler as she slowed her vehicle to a stop in the shed. Cassandra’s big ass brother was not sexy. She wasn’t into mountain men. Hell, she wasn’t into any men at the moment. He was taller than his father, Thorn, with piercing emerald eyes and a nicely trimmed goatee. His hair was the same inky black as both of his parents’. His jaw was strong, and his lips…man, those lips were full. She knew he could make her weak in the knees with a mouth like that.

NO!

She wasn’t going to think about him. He’d been rude to her. His gaze had been appreciative at first until he’d gotten to her hands where she was burned. She’d seen that look so many times. Only his was devoid of pity. In its place was disgust. Like the rest of the townsfolk, he looked at her as though she were diseased. She wasn’t going to be any man’s doorstop or secret f**k. The heat in his eyes had been unmistakable. He wanted to get in where he thought his d**k would fit, but only behind closed doors where no one would know about their indiscretion.

The cabin was still warm when she stepped inside. The security locks firmly in place. She stripped down to her underwear and walked to her room where she changed into a sports top and yoga pants. The weather was perfect for working out. What little space she had was enough to get in a decent cardio workout. She just needed to move her small recliner and table farther out of the way so she had room to move about. Nerina turned on her music player and went into her kickboxing routine. Demon and Daar sat in the entryway of the room and watched. Their bodies supporting one another as they focused on Nerina. Jabbing while bouncing back and forth, she swung out with an uppercut. She mimicked a right cross, then a right hook. She repeated these moves over and over again, changing things up every now and then, blocking, deflecting, and ducking, until sweat dripped down the sides of her face and her sports top was soaked through.

After her cool down, the music switched over to Sean Paul, the beat of the music was sultry with its heavy bass. Of their own accord, her hips swayed to the beat of the music that was native to her mother’s island. Lost in the moment, Nerina didn’t notice the knock at the door until Demon walked over and butted his head against her leg.