My Perfect Mate (5 page)

“Dammit to hell, this water should be
frozen solid!” Ujarak cursed. He got off his snowmobile and went to
the bank of the stream.

JP stopped his machine next to
Ujarak’s. The ride so far had been heaven and hell. Susan was soft
and warm against Jean-Paul’s body, her arms holding him tightly,
her thighs pressed around him. Occasionally, she would lay her head
against his back. His body responded with each squeeze and made
riding the snowmobile an exercise in frustration. He patted Susan’s
hands to release him and waited for her to disembark. She walked
toward Ujarak. JP removed his helmet and joined Susan at the
stream.

“What are we going to do?” Susan
asked.

JP winked at her. “I can refreeze the
stream. It won’t last long, but should give us the time to get the
machines across. Can you drive ours over, Susan?”

“Sure, no problem.”

“Okay, you two get ready and I’ll
build you a bridge. Wait until I signal you to go
forward.”

“I guess you might be useful after
all,” Ujarak grumbled. He reached for Susan’s hand and led her back
to the snowmobiles.

Jean-Paul gritted his teeth, tempted
to shoot a fireball at the polar bear for touching Susan. Of course
it would be a waste of magic since shifters were immune to spells.
The only way to get to them was by magically affecting their
environment.

A fireball wouldn’t hurt the bear, but
a tree branch to the head would. Ujarak and Susan started the
snowmobiles and sat idling. Jean-Paul turned toward the stream and
reached for the water with his magic. “Stream that flows, feel the
cold, ice so solid, build and develop. Sturdy and strong, bridge
builds long, as I command, let it be so.”

JP watched with satisfaction as ice
crystals began to grow across the top of the water and the flow
slowly trickled and then stopped. Jean-Paul stepped on the ice,
testing it, and then motioned to Ujarak to cross. He made it
without a problem and then Susan followed him with her
snowmobile.

When she stopped on the other side, JP
got on behind her. He put on his helmet and wrapped his arms around
her. He mentally groaned as he snuggled up to her and wondered if
she could feel how much he desired her. Before he could say
anything, Susan started after Ujarak. JP gritted his teeth and held
tightly to the one woman who belonged to him.

§

Susan smiled. Watching JP turn a
stream to ice was a little intimidating, but the proof that he
desired her pressed against her behind and gave her a sense of
empowerment. He belonged to her, her mate. He’d said turning into a
wolf was magical and she could attest to that, but being a lycan
wasn’t anything like what JP could do with the elements.

Ujarak made a slight turn and Susan
followed. They left the line of trees and headed across the plains.
Their headlights didn’t take away from the night sky filled with
stars, the white of the snow glowing softly with the light. She
could see clearly with her lycan sight and wondered if JP as a
witch could see as far.

She yawned and wondered when they
would reach the polar bear village. She felt weary as it was. All
of them would need to rest before they traveled farther north. Her
stomach rumbled. They hadn’t stopped to eat. The tea at JP’s was
the last food she touched. Jean-Paul rubbed her stomach and Susan
blushed. Had he felt her stomach complaining? Ahead of them, Susan
could see a glow of lights. They must be getting close.

It was already late when they pulled
into the small village on the edge of Hudson Bay. Ujarak showed
them where to park before leading them to a small house. The door
flew open and a young woman with dark hair grabbed Ujarak in a
hug.

“I’m so glad you’re back. The whole
village is in an uproar over the fires. Poor Anaaya is here with
mother since Uncle Itigaituk ran off.”

“She’s here?” Ujarak asked. Susan
couldn’t help but notice how his voice squeaked.

“Where else would she go? Shouldn’t
you introduce me to our guests?” the woman asked.

“Right, this is Susan and Jean-Paul.
JP is going to help us with whatever our uncle found in the ice.
This is my sister, Malina,” Ujarak said, turning to JP and
Susan.

“Hello,” Susan replied.

“Come in. Mother and Father are
anxious to meet you.” Malina turned, leading the way into the warm
house. Susan fumbled with the zipper of the snowsuit. She wanted
out of all the layers of clothes. JP tugged off his jacket and
Malina took their things down a hallway.

“I’m sure everyone is gathered in the
kitchen,” Ujarak suggested and motioned to a doorway toward the
back of the house. Susan grabbed JP’s hand. Meeting new people made
her uncomfortable.

“This is my father, Taliriktug, and my
mother, Nicole.” Susan nodded to the older couple sitting at the
table. “And this is Anaaya, my uncle’s wife.” Ujarak stood
awkwardly by the door.

“Soon to be ex-wife. Hi, I’m the
middle brother, Kumaglak,” said a handsome man standing by the
sink. He walked over to Anaaya and placed a cup of tea in front of
her and then squeezed her shoulder.

“Nice to meet you,” Susan muttered as
JP greeted everyone. So many people with strange names. The
brothers looked very much alike. Were they as bossy as their older
brother, Mathis?

“Don’t just stand there, Ujarak.
Invite our guests to sit,” his father said.

“Please, sit down. Can I get you
something to eat or drink?” Nicole asked.

“That would be wonderful, if it’s not
too much trouble,” JP said. “I know Susan and I haven’t eaten much
today, with everything.” Jean-Paul pulled out an empty chair for
Susan and then sat beside her.

She wrung her hands in her lap, her
wolf nervous surrounded by so many polar bears, and Susan didn’t
want to open her mouth and say the wrong thing, which always
happened when she was nervous. JP laid his palm over hers. She
grabbed it with both hands. He smiled and squeezed.

“Mathis mentioned that you help care
for his children,” Nicole took items out of the
refrigerator.

“Yes. I love children… and
dogs.”

“You’ll have to excuse my mate. She
can be shy when she doesn’t know someone,” JP interjected
smoothly.

“Would you mind telling me how my
daughter Cybille is doing?” Nicole asked. Her hand shook as she
moved a bowl of soup to the counter. Was she nervous, being a lycan
who lived in the polar bear village?

Susan took a deep breath. No one in
the room smelled threatening. “All of the children are adjusting
well. Margot and Mathis dote on the kids, making sure they have one
on one time with each child. Cybille is starting to come out of her
shell, though she can still be clinging, wanting Margot if she is
upset.”

“Thank you. I’m glad the children are
doing so well,” Nicole said stiffly and then turned her back to the
group.

Susan glanced at JP. Did she say
something wrong? He squeezed her hands again.

“It was very hard on my wife to send
Cybille to live with Mathis,” Taliriktug said.

Susan nodded. “That would be hard.”
Susan started to ask Nicole why she didn’t fight to keep her
children. A warning look from JP stopped her question.

“You will go after my brother?” asked
Taliriktug.

“Yes. I believe he found a magic item
that was lost in the ice. Unfortunately the item heats with strong
emotion and if not stopped, could melt the polar ice cap. We need
to get it back as soon as possible.”

“What will you do with it?” Anaaya
asked.

“Send it someplace where it isn’t a
danger. Is there anyway, your husband would give up the ring
voluntarily?”

Susan’s nose tingled with the biting
smell of aggression rising. She followed the scent to the middle
brother, Kumaglak, and a little bit from Ujarak. Did they not like
the question, or that JP asked it. She shuddered. Jean-Paul glanced
at her and frowned before taking his arm and wrapping it around
her.

“I don’t think so,” Anaaya said sadly.
“My husband is a violent, bitter man.” She began to cry and
Kumaglak picked her up and carried her from the room. Ujarak
started to rise from his chair, then sank down, a look of defeat on
his face.

Susan couldn’t figure out what went on
here. Both brothers were acting strangely over their uncle’s wife.
She opened her mouth to ask, when JP caught her eye and shook his
head. Susan sighed and pursed her lips. These polar bears were
crazy. Thank goodness she hadn’t been turned into one of
them.

Ujarak’s mom placed a bowl of hot soup
in front of her and Susan gladly ate. At least she couldn’t get in
trouble with food in her mouth.

§

“The house is pretty full, so you guys
can have my room,” Ujarak said. “Sorry it only has a twin bed. I’ll
be on the couch if you need anything.”

All JP wanted was to take Susan to
bed. If he didn’t cement the mating bond into place now, it would
have to wait until they got back from their excursion. Susan seemed
to be edgy with all the bears around and JP appreciated the offered
privacy.

“You don’t have to give up your room,
Ujarak. We can take the couch,” Susan said.

Oh, no way was JP taking the couch. He
would’ve ported Susan back to his home, but with his family there,
he wouldn’t get any more privacy than here. “Your friend is trying
to be generous while protecting you and the other shifters at the
same time. We’ll need a little privacy to cement the mating bond
into place,” JP explained.

“Oh.” Susan blushed a pretty
pink.

A door opened and Kumaglak stepped
into the hall a frown on his face. “Ujarak, Anaaya is sleeping. I
don’t want her disturbed. She needs rest after her
ordeal.”

“Are you going to claim her then,”
Ujarak asked through gritted teeth.

“When she is no longer considered
married. Isn’t that what we talked about before you became enamored
of this she-wolf?”

“Wait a minute. This she-wolf is
standing right here! And if you want to let Anaaya rest you might
take this discussion outside.” Susan put her hands on her hips. Her
gaze switched back and forth between the two brothers. JP’s lips
twitched. His Destined One was a puzzle, outspoken one minute and
shy the next.

“Our guest is correct,” Kumaglak said
with a nod toward her. “We should go outside and talk, little
brother.”

“Thank you for the use of your room,
Ujarak,” JP quickly interjected. “Susan and I will see you in the
morning.” JP opened the door and pushed Susan through, and then
closed it behind him. The room was meant for a child and hardly had
enough room to walk around the twin size bed. One lone chair sat in
the corner.

“Hey, what was that for? I wanted to
know what was going on with those two.” Susan looked up at him, her
eyes bright.

“Honey, sometimes it’s best to let
brothers figure things out on their own. They’re family, they’ll
work it out.”

“How do you know? You have a sister.”
Susan plunked on the bed before leaning down to untie her
boots.

“Yes, half-sister. I love her very
much.” At least Susan got undressed without him asking.

JP began to unbutton his shirt. He
frowned when Susan didn’t pause to watch or show any sign of
interest. Didn’t she want to cement the bond in place? Marguerite
told him his chest was swoon worthy. Did she exaggerate?

Susan stood and slipped off her
sweater. Underneath she wore white silk thermal underwear. JP undid
the buckle of his belt and still Susan didn’t pause, but started
removing her jeans. Jean-Paul swore under his breath as she sat and
pulled her jeans off, before folding them, and placing them on the
chair next to the bed.

Jean-Paul stepped out of his underwear
and stood before her, naked and wanting her. Susan finally stopped
messing with her clothes and looked him up and down. Her eyes
widened and she licked her lips. Yes, that was the kind of reaction
he hoped for.

“Aren’t you going to take off your
hat? You know I can’t remember a time you didn’t have a hat on. Is
your hair weird or something? Do you have a bald spot?”

“No, I don’t have a bald spot. I wear
the hat to cover my ears because it’s cold.”

“You don’t have some kind of hat
fetish do you? Are you going to sleep like that?”

JP sighed. “Susan aren’t you going to
take off the long underwear?” This was not what he pictured for the
first time he took his Destined One to bed. He’d thought of
something a little more palatial, after all, he was a Fae Lord. Not
that Susan realized that, though he was sure she could see through
his glamour spell.

Still, he had worn a hat to hide his
ears while around her and there wasn’t another Fae for thousands of
miles. The witch-kind couldn’t see through his spell, so they
probably never mentioned his ears. Susan didn’t even know about
lycans until six months ago, so Fae were probably not even on her
radar. He looked closely at her face and noticed the blush on her
cheeks. She looked everywhere but at him. Was she
nervous?