Tagging Her Lynx (Alaska Lynx Clan) (10 page)

Granger
kept his gaze on Chloe and didn't acknowledge the compliment. "Any news?"

From
his peripheral vision he viewed Tucker shake his head. Damn it. The men in
charge of cleaning up the disaster at the refuge lost the man who'd helped the
person Granger attacked at the refuge.

The
crew failed to kill the one man who'd witnessed the whole fight, although they
did dispose of the evidence. He had a bad feeling the guy was running with the
other hunters who kept trying to invade the clan's area.

Chloe
tilted her head back and laughed. He ran his gaze from her head to her hands,
which she had clasped in front of her chest. The men needed to get aggressive
and put a stop to the threat hanging over them. If anything happened to Chloe,
he'd not survive.

"I'll
meet with the crew in the morning. I want them gone." He turned to Tucker.
"I'll go after them myself."

"But—"

"No
one hurts my family." Granger stood up, ignoring Tucker's attempt to stop
him, and crossed the room.

"Looks
like everything is winding down." Granger wrapped his arms around Chloe's
waist from behind. "Let's get out of here."

She
laid her head back against his chest. "Okay, but let me say goodbye to the
girls first."

"I'll
meet you outside." He leaned to the side and kissed her lips. "Hurry."

Outside
the community cabin, a dark shape ran along the tree line. He sniffed, scanned,
and deemed the area safe. Stepping farther away from the door, he stopped
Darren.

"Everything
set up?" He grinned.

His
brother nodded. "Yep. Better hurry. Not much daylight left." He
chuckled. "There's a nice thick layer of ice on the lake. You shouldn't
have any problems. Winter came early this year."

Granger
clapped him on the shoulder. "Thanks." He heaved a sigh. "The
men are meeting up in the morning. I want you to stay back and guard Chloe."

"You're
going after the hunters?" Darren's mouth tightened.

Granger
turned toward the cabin to see Chloe walk out. "Yes."

"Be
careful, my brother." Stepping back, Darren nodded and turned to go back
to the cabin.

Granger
stepped forward, smiled, and held out his hand. "Ready for an adventure?"

"I
guess." She puckered her lips. "Is this about your job that you mentioned
earlier?"

"Yes."
He pulled her closer by the front of her coat, zipped her up, and gave her a
quick kiss. "You'll need to stay warm. We'll be hiking for about fifteen
minutes."

"Okay."
She held his hand in both of hers and followed him.

Chapter
Nine

This
late in the year the golden globe of the sun lay far off in the horizon and
cast shadows amongst the few trees Granger led Chloe through. She slowed down
and glanced up at the sky. Maybe one hour of daylight remained, and the
darkness would return.

"Not
much farther."

She
hurried to keep up with him.
"I'm not worried, just enjoying the scenery.
You've never taken me in this direction."

It
didn't faze her that they often spoke telepathically even when they were alone.
It came naturally now, and it was nice to feel that deep connection with
someone. She enjoyed their private conversations.

Chloe's
lips curved upward. Granger never missed a chance to tell her his wicked
thoughts either. Whether she was washing dishes, practicing her skills, or
lying in bed with her eyes closed, he'd whisper his thoughts and laugh at how
flustered she would become.

The
previous night she orgasmed from the words he spoke in her head alone. Goose
bumps broke out over her arms despite the heavy down coat covering her. He
certainly kept life exciting.

Chloe
gazed out in front of them, squinted, and squeezed Granger's hand.
"There's
a plane out there."

He
needed to tell the Lynx. If the pilot spotted one of them from the air and he
taxied hunters, the clan's lives were at stake. Granger continued to pull her
closer to the aircraft.

"Granger?"

"It's
okay."
He stopped, turned his head, and
grinned.
"This is my plane."

"What?"
She glanced from the airplane to him. "You're a pilot?"

"Yes."
He scooped her hand back up and pulled her along with him. "I transport
people, goods, and once a week, the mail to the people living out in the bush.
Because of the weather, I have a lot of time off in the winter." He
grinned. "Now that I've found you, I'm happy about that."

She
laughed. "That is so not what I expected you to do for a living." She
shook her head. "I had you pegged for a builder or some kind of laborer."

"Yes,
my manly body does make you think of physical labor." He joined in her
laughter. "Nope, I love to fly." He took her arm and set off in a
jog.
"Come. Let me show you my world."

The
light layer of snow over the ice-covered lake gave them enough traction to keep
their feet from sliding out from under them. Chloe clamped her lips shut
against the stinging cold air. She'd never flown before, despite her father's
using a charter service to go farther south to pick up supplies for the refuge.
She'd wanted to fly for a long time, and she grew excited at the prospect of
experiencing it for the first time with Granger.

Once
they reached the plane, he opened the door, lifted Chloe into it with one
gentle toss, and climbed into the pilot's seat. She clasped her hands together
on her lap and turned her head back and forth to check out the small area.

Eight
seats behind them sat empty, and she turned to study the console in front of
Granger's seat. So many buttons, switches, and gauges adorned the panel. How
someone learned all the skills to fly something this big amazed her.

"Buckle
up." He pointed to the side of her seat. "We won't be up in the air
too long. Snow's coming."

Everything
happened so fast. Before she knew it, the plane built up speed over the frozen
lake and began to lift off. She leaned over, peered out the window down below,
and squealed. The ground grew farther away, and the plane tilted a fraction,
sending her the biggest thrill—they floated in the air.

The
noise of the plane grew louder, and Chloe turned back to Granger. He operated
the controls with an ease that told of his experience flying. His facial
muscles relaxed and an aura of calm came over him—he appeared in his element,
doing what he loved.

Granger
glanced over at her, smiled, and wiggled his eyebrows.
"This never gets
old."

"I
bet."
She laughed.
"I can't believe you're a
pilot."
She turned and peered out the window.
"Can I go with
you sometimes while you work?"

"Anytime
you want."

The
plane flew steadily over the treetops following the dip and rise of the land.
Close enough that Chloe recognized landmarks from her many runs through the
birch trees at the edge of the river north of her home.

She
sat up straighter and pressed her forehead against the glass.

"Oh
Granger, there's my home."
Moisture clouded her
vision.
"It appears so vacant."

"Everything
will remain there for you. You only have to ask, and I'll take you back to
visit."
Granger turned the plane and dipped the
wing to give her a better view.
"Your home is with me now."

"I
know."
She swallowed.
"I hope the
animals are faring well."

"They'll
survive."
He turned and headed back in the
direction from where they came.
"Just like you will do fine with your
new life. Everyone is back where they belong, with their kind, their mates, and
in their natural surroundings."

She
nodded.
"I know."

He
tapped her leg, and she turned to him. He held out a pair of binoculars. She
smiled and raised the viewing equipment to her eyes.

A
few adjustments to the knob on top, and the ground came up close enough that
she felt she could almost reach out and touch the snow. Her view through the
binoculars grew fuzzy, and she laid them in her lap and rubbed her eyes.
"This
is giving me a headache."

"Another
minute and we'll be descending. I can already see Darren at the edge of the
lake, waiting."
Granger reached over and flipped a
switch on the console. He quickly set off a myriad of buttons, and the engine grew
quieter.
"Looks like we beat the storm coming in."

"How
can you see Darren? I don't see anything except snow."
She raised the binoculars back up to her eyes.
"Oh, there he is!"
She waved, laughed, and smiled over at Granger.
"I guess he can't see
us, huh?"

"You
need more training to heighten your vision, Aningan."
Granger laughed.
"We can't have a lynx wearing glasses."

She
rolled her eyes.
"Funny…not."

Granger
landed the plane nice and easy on the lake. It turned at the end of the ice and
rolled to a stop. He cut the engine, unfastened his seat belt, and turned to
Chloe. She grinned and shook her head.

"You
amaze me." She flipped her hands in the air. "You came into my life
when I needed you most, and every day I learn something new about you."

"Come."
He opened his door and held his hand out for her to climb over his seat. "Let's
get you back to the cabin. I have this wild urge to fuck you."

She
hovered with her knee on the seat. "Oh, you do?" She lifted her legs
and slid down into his arms. "I like the sound of that."

Granger
nodded over at Darren. "Go ahead and tie it down." He waved. "We're
going to leave our clothes over there. Do you mind taking them back with you?"

Darren
shrugged and muttered, "Damn life mates. Always ready to go off and leave
everything for the singles."

"I
heard that, little brother."

Darren
laughed. "Get the hell out of here!" He shooed them away with his
hands. "You both need to learn some self-control."

"Never!"
Granger squeezed her hand.

She
gazed over at Granger and laughed. The thrill of claiming these two brothers as
her family settled in her chest.

"Bye,
Darren." She waved over her shoulder.

Chloe
stripped out of her clothes at the same time she shifted into her lynx form.
The transition was smooth, limiting the amount of time her human body had to
deal with the elements. She lifted her front leg and stretched. In her animal
body, she luxuriated in the freedom to stretch her muscles. She wanted to run.

"Ready?"
Granger sidled up beside her and rubbed his body along her fur-covered side.

She
trilled low in her chest. Waiting for him to lead the way, she gazed at the
thick, silvery fur covering his sleek body. It fit him. With one glance, anyone
could see he was an alpha lynx.

Able
to stay steady atop the snow-packed ground, she followed Granger and matched
him step for step. With her breathing under control, she was able to pick up
all the different smells coming their way. The long hours of training had paid
off, and she grew excited at the freedom of giving control over to her lynx.

Caught
in her own thoughts, she missed the quick turn Granger made to leap onto a log.
He landed on top of her. Startled, she snarled and bared her teeth.

"Pay
attention." He licked the side of her face, apparently to take the sting
out of his words.

Her
anger melted away. She purred and stretched her body out from under him. He
nipped at the loose skin on the back of her neck. She wanted him. A need deep
in her womb cried out for him to take her, to force her to submit.

Granger
jumped off her, took one leap, and flew over the log out and of sight. She lay
sprawled out where he left her, her rump lifted, and her tailed twitched in
frustration. He left her aroused and alone. She opened her mouth and sounded
off a scream of frustration.

His
laughter echoed in her head.

With
her nose in the air, she ran over the same path Granger took back to the cabin.
His fresh, woodsy scent left a trail she could follow even over the heightened
rage that built inside her body. How dare he tease her and then leave her
behind?

She
ran at top speed, ignoring the wind that grew and the beginning of another snow
flurry. Propelling herself through the opened window and into the cabin, she
shifted into human form and landed on her bare feet.

Granger
stood in the middle of the room, stroking his cock. His grin lit a spark inside
of her. Without missing a step, she charged toward him, captured his face in
her hands, and sealed her lips to his mouth. She'd wipe the amusement off that
gorgeous mug of his.