Arctic Winds Read online

  “Yes, sir,” she joked, saluting him.

  “I’m serious.”

  “Okay, I promise I won’t sit by and let someone slander my good name again. Now are you going to talk all night or are you going to—”

  Jason didn’t give her a change to finish as he threw her down and pounced on top of her.

  Claiming her lips once again, he ran his hands down her body. He loved how pert her breasts were and how responsive. Her nipples beaded instantly to his touch, and she bowed up as he played with them. He moved his hands lower and pushed a finger inside her. She was wet already and anxiously thrusting up against him. Releasing her mouth, he nibbled his way to her ear and bit down harder than intended. If her moan was any indication, though, his roughness had only turned her on more.

  “I didn’t get dessert tonight, but I’m thinking I can fix that right now.” He felt her body shiver with excitement. Trailing his lips down the column of her throat and over one creamy white breast, he teasingly placed a chaste peck on the peak before moving on. He savored her moan of frustration as he continued to tease her with his mouth. He nibbled at her flat stomach and dipped his tongue into her belly button briefly before moving lower. Just as he hovered over her exposed mound, Jason sat back and took in the view. Samantha was beautiful. Her pink folds beckoned him closer, but the woman behind was just as enticing. A sheen of sweat glistened on her skin as she writhed back and forth and clenched the bedsheets in small fists. She looked at him with desire clouding her eyes.

  “Jason. Please.”

  Jason thrust another finger inside her as he leaned down and sucked on her clit. He loved hearing her sounds of pleasure as he added a third finger into her wet channel and quickly brought her over the edge. He chuckled softly as he replaced his fingers with his tongue and let her essence flow into his mouth. His mate was a bit of a quick shot, and he couldn’t wait to see how many times he could get her off in one night.

  Jason had wanted to tell her exactly how serious he was about this relationship earlier, but he didn’t want to scare her off. He wasn’t sure how quickly it took other shifter species to sense their mate and didn’t want to risk her running. He’d take things slowly until he was sure Samantha was ready to accept what he already knew. Well, he’d take things as slowly as he could with his tongue buried deep inside her.

  Samantha writhed again as he moved back up her body and captured her mouth in a searing kiss. Gently he nudged her onto her stomach and up until she was on all fours in front of him. He ran his hands over her gently curved ass and had to suppress the urge to bite her there, marking her forever as his. Eventually he would mark her wherever he wanted. She arched against his hand, moaning his name. She was beautiful in this position, completely vulnerable to anything he wanted to do. He smacked her ass, testing her responsiveness, and was pleased by her startled yelp, which quickly turned into a throaty moan.

  Hurriedly donning a condom, he lined himself up with her entrance and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Tell me what you want, baby.”

  “You. I need you.”

  “You need me where? You’re going to have to be more specific,” Jason teased.

  “I need you inside me. Please, Jason, don’t make me wait.”

  “Anything you want, little heart.” Jason thrust inside her snug passage and groaned at the exquisite feel of her surrounding him. He could still taste her cream on his tongue and the sight of her in front of him, arching her back, made him want to howl. He pulled out until only his tip remained buried in her sheath, then plunged back in, seating himself fully. Alternating between shallow and deep thrusts, he felt Samantha climb toward her second peak. Just before she went over the edge, he held himself perfectly still until she whined and squirmed. The exhilarating smell of her arousal infused his senses. He loved the feel of her bound by her lust beneath him, depending on him to give her what she needed.

  As her excitement climbed to a peak, Jason plunged inside hard, bringing her to a screaming orgasm that milked his own release from him. He almost collapsed but caught himself before crushing her. Gently, he removed himself from Samantha and eased her onto the bed.

  Jason quickly disposed of his condom and crawled back into bed. Breathing a sigh of satisfaction, he pulled her closer and spooned her from behind as he drifted into sleep.

  Chapter 10

  Samantha breathed the cold winter air deeply as she hurried across the forest floor. She didn’t know what time it was, but she figured she had at least another hour before she needed to head in for work.

  Last night was the first night in weeks she hadn’t spent with Jason. He was visiting another shifter community to lend a hand to their new leader. Jason had asked her to come with him, but it seemed silly since he would only be away a couple of days at most. However, after tossing and turning throughout the night, she had quickly realized her body had become accustomed to sleeping with her wolf.

  The realization worried her. What would she do when he finally tired of her? Granted, he didn’t seem to be tiring at all. If anything, his desire seemed to grow. The other night he had practically attacked her in his kitchen as she was cooking them dinner. They’d ended up having passionate sex on the table and the pasta had burned. But life had taught Samantha to never let her guard down, because the moment she did, life would throw her to the ground and stomp on her.

  She’d decided to go for an early morning run before work to clear her head. It had been a while since she’d given her fox free reign and she’d started feeling itchy in her own skin. She’d gotten the same feeling in larger towns where her fox wasn’t able to connect with nature. If she wasn’t able to immerse herself in the wild every now and then, her fox grew anxious.

  A slight movement caught her attention, and she snapped her head to the right and froze. Her gaze scanned the area until she caught the movement again and saw a mouse scavenging for food underneath one of the trees. She licked her lips in anticipation of a hunt.

  Slowly creeping forward, Samantha kept low to the ground, trying to blend in with her surroundings, and inched forward. The mouse looked up and, for a minute, she was sure it had seen her and was going to take off before she got close enough to catch it. But after a moment it went back to digging in the snow.

  Breathing a sigh of relief, Samantha crawled closer and got ready to pounce. The mouse must have sensed her presence, though, because the moment she pounced, it took off running. Her animal instincts wouldn’t let her give up on her prey that easily, and she took off after it, chasing it through the woods and in between trees, turning left and then right, blindly pursuing the mouse.

  She thought she had it until suddenly it disappeared into the snow. Samantha put her head to the ground but she couldn’t sense any movement. She tried digging and met only with the hard earth.

  Huffing in frustration, Samantha decided it was time to head back. She’d grab a muffin for breakfast as she opened the coffee bar. It wouldn’t taste as satisfying as something she’d hunted herself but it would have to do. She didn’t want to be late.

  She raised her head and looked to the right and then to the left. Panic started to overtake her as she realized she didn’t know where she was. The mouse had taken her farther than she intended to go, and she didn’t know which way she had come from. Her nose couldn’t detect any hint of the wolf town she was beginning to think of as home. But there was something in the wind. Deciding to test her luck, Samantha headed toward the smell and prayed she could somehow find her way back home.

  * * * *

  Jason was in the shower when the shrill strains of his cellphone broke into his thoughts of Samantha. Grabbing a towel and throwing it around his waist, he looked at the number. Books and Crannies. It looked like Samantha couldn’t wait to talk to him, either. Maybe a little time away was just what the doctor ordered. Jason smiled at the thought. “Good morning, little heart,” he said into the phone. Silence was the only response.

  “Samantha?” Jason tried again, sta
rting to get worried. A prickling unease crept up the back of his neck.

  “She’s not with you?” Laurie’s voice sounded strained.

  “Laurie? What’s wrong?” The unease spread, causing his stomach to drop like a lead weight.

  Whatever Laurie had to say, he knew he wasn’t going to like it. He sat on the edge of the bed.

  “Samantha didn’t come in to work this morning. I figured she was running a bit late, but she wasn’t in her apartment either. I was hoping she went with you and just didn’t mention it.”

  “Where is she?” Jason all but shouted into the phone. Things had been going well. He couldn’t understand why she would leave him. This had been the first night in weeks they hadn’t spent together, and he thought she might be beginning to love him. But now he wondered if everything had gone to shit.

  “Her car’s still here, Jason. She might just be down at the diner or something and lost track of time. I’m sorry I worried you.” Laurie wasn’t telling him everything. He could sense the lie even over the phone. Besides, it wasn’t like Samantha to be late for work. She took her responsibilities seriously.

  “What aren’t you telling me?” Jason put every amount of authority he had as Premier into his voice. If there was a problem with Samantha, he needed to know. He was anxious to find her and take her back in his arms. Nothing but the feel and scent of Samantha, the sound of her lyrical voice, would appease his wolf right now.

  “I called the cellphone you bought for her,” Laurie said hesitantly. “I heard it ringing upstairs.

  Wherever she is, it’s not with her.”

  Jason closed his eyes, barely reining in his panic. He’d find her. No matter what. He had to get home. “I’m on my way. Call Ethan and Danny and have them ask around. Call me if anything happens before I get there.”

  Jason hung up the phone, gathered his clothes and flung them into his suitcase. He ran out to his car and jumped inside it. The only thought running through his head was I have to get home.

  I have to get to Samantha.

  * * * *

  Shit. All she could think was… shit. Samantha kept under the cover of the trees and glanced at the town she had stumbled into. It was another shifter town and smelled familiar enough that she was willing to bet they were foxes. What the hell was she supposed to do now? She could shift, explain herself, and ask for a phone to call the bookstore. Of course, if she shifted she’d be naked, so that plan had some pretty major drawbacks. But what could she do as a fox? Nothing. Closing her eyes, Samantha rethought her options. If she stayed in fox form, she’d blend into the snow, hopefully enough to allow her to get close enough to town to find some clothes before anyone noticed her. There was no way she was going into a strange shifter town naked, but if she could find some clothes, she could find a payphone, call Laurie and be gone before they even knew she was there. Hopefully.

  Taking a deep breath, Samantha crawled out of the shadowy forest and started inching toward the closest house. She was halfway across the snowy expanse when she sensed someone watching her. Her ears twitched as she cautiously looked around. Not ten feet away stood a gorgeous male red fox watching her with one foot raised. It appeared to have been following her since she left the cover of the forest.

  Samantha panicked. Her mind went completely blank, and her feet automatically began to run toward the town. She didn’t get far before the fox was on her, tackling her to the ground.

  Samantha struggled for a moment, strengthened by sheer adrenaline, before she assumed a submissive pose. She could never win a fight against this much larger fox. She’d have to figure another way out of this mess.

  Samantha mewled in distress, wanting to cry out at the unfair twist life had just dealt her.

  Everything was going well, she had a job, an apartment, and a man she was beginning to love.

  All she could hope was this community was like her wolves, that they would help her find her way home.

  The strange red fox kept close to her, steering her toward the first house they came to. The fox pawed open the side door and ushered her inside. The house was a small ranch style but was obviously a bachelor residence. Clothes were piled on chairs around the room and a few empty beer bottles sat on the coffee table in the living room.

  As soon as they entered, the red fox started shifting. If he hadn’t been blocking the exit, Samantha would’ve taken the opportunity to get away. She thought about running into the house and trying to hide. With her small frame, she could easily find a nook to hide in until the man went away. But even if she could hide herself visually, she was sure he could track her scent and find her. Shifters’ increased senses were always much sharper directly following a shift. No, she would have to bide her time and wait for the next opportunity to make her escape.

  As the man’s form began to take shape, Samantha looked away embarrassed. He was making no attempt to shield himself from her, and everything was completely exposed. Samantha lay on the floor, covering her eyes with her paws, whining softly. It suddenly occurred to her how vulnerable she was, trapped in a house with a naked man who was capable of overpowering any attempt she made to fight him.

  Samantha heard the man chuckle above her, but she still refused to look. “Modest little thing, aren’t you?” She heard him move away from the door and made a dash for the exit. At the last second, he closed the door, causing her to slam into it before she could make it outside. Samantha shrank away from him again.

  “Easy, princess,” the man said as he grabbed a pair of jeans from the chair near the door and slipped them on. “You know, not many shifters are squeamish about nudity.” His eyes raked over her small form appraisingly. “It’s rather charming.” He chuckled again as she continued to stare at him warily from the floor.

  “Not going to change in front of me, huh?” His eyes twinkled as he looked down at her. “I don’t have any girl clothes around, but I can dig up a clean t-shirt and some boxers. Come on, the bedroom’s this way. I’ll get the clothes out and give you some privacy while you change.” He led Samantha to a door on the right and went digging in a drawer until he came out with the promised articles of clothing and laid them on the bed.

  “Come on out when you’re done.” He looked at her again as if trying to puzzle something out. “We have a few things to discuss.”

  In the bedroom, the human Samantha nervously pulled the shirt over her head. What could he possibly want to discuss with her? He seemed nice enough, even allowing her privacy to change.

  But despite his demeanor, Samantha was reluctant to trust him. She needed a phone to call Laurie.

  Somehow she had to get home. Home to Jason.

  Samantha peeked out the door and didn’t see the fox. Glancing to the left and to the right, she couldn’t find him anywhere. Would this be her only chance to escape?

  “I know you aren’t planning on running after I nicely offered you my clothes.” The man’s voice came from behind the archway to her left. Samantha held a brief internal debate over her next course of action. The man was right, though. He had provided her certain courtesies and if he was going to hurt her, he’d had plenty of opportunities out in the fields before they even got inside his house. Once again, her instincts told her to trust a strange shifter.

  Samantha stepped through the archway into a beautiful kitchen. It was surprisingly clean considering the state of the living room. The man stood at the stove making scrambled eggs…a lot of them. There had to be enough eggs there to feed three people. He stood at the stove with his spatula frozen in midair, his mouth gaping, as his eyes ran from her feet to the top of her head and back down again.

  Samantha nervously played with the hem of the t-shirt as he continued to stare at her with a shocked look on his face.

  “Thanks for lending me the clothes,” Samantha stuttered out. “I’m sorry to intrude on your skulk’s property. I got turned around in the woods and couldn’t find my way home.”

  “Must’ve gotten really turned around to en
d up all the way down here in Colorado. Quite a trek from Alaska.” He smiled at her finally as he leaned against the counter.

  Samantha found herself smiling back. “That is quite a trek, but I’ve been staying in Alpine Woods.. Do you know of it?”

  The man frowned at her. “Alpine Woods is wolf territory. What are you doing there? You should be staying here among your own.”

  “Oh well, I kind of stumbled into their town and they helped find me a place to stay and a job. I work for Books and Crannies, the bookstore. I’m actually late for work. If I can use your phone, I can give them a call and then get out of your hair. I appreciate all the help, but I should be getting home.”

  “Why don’t you have some breakfast first? I’m always ravished after a shift, and I made plenty for both of us. I’m Cody, Premier of the Vulpes skulk.” Cody dished the eggs onto two plates and set them on the table.

  “I really should be going…” Samantha’s rumbling stomach cut off her protests, and she reluctantly sat at the table. “I’m Samantha,” she stated after a pause and began eating the eggs in front of her.

  “Pleasure to meet you, Samantha. I must admit I was a bit shocked to see an arctic fox crawling toward my house this morning, but after meeting you I think my birthday must’ve come early. I can’t wait to get you into the skulk.”

  Samantha blushed as she swallowed the food in her mouth. “Oh. It’s nice of you to offer, but I’m fine where I am. Everyone has been really nice to me.” Samantha frowned. “Except some of the females. But that’s another matter.”

  Cody laughed. “Dealing with some pack jealousies, huh? You won’t have to worry about that once you choose a mate. I’m hoping I can help you with that. Although we need to spend more time together before we make any decisions, of course.”

  Samantha paused with the fork halfway to her mouth and looked at Cody in shock. Surely, she hadn’t heard him right. Or she’d misunderstood what he was trying to say.