Chocolate Temptation. a.c. Mason

go before the two others pick up our trail.” He pushed her bottom with his snout. “And you stay in front where I can keep both eyes on you.”

      If only she had listened, maybe VanWolf would have escaped by now. His words the morning after he’d marked her while they’d made love replayed. I don’t see my future, only my death. So when she’d made him promise after he’d said those words that they’d be together for eternity, he may have lied to her. She hadn’t given him much choice.

      Cathen placed his clothing inside the leather bag and held the band in his mouth, then with a flick of his head, looped the strap around his neck. His amber eyes met hers, then they shone gold.

      He nudged her to a trot. “We need to pick up our pace.”

      “Fine.” As she sped to a jog, the frigid mountain night bit into her tender flesh. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why, even covered in a thick coat of fur, she still felt cold. She never seemed able to warm up. The air this high in altitude was thin. As she climbed the steep slope, her muscles cramped.

      When she slowed down, Cathen growled at her. Since she’d paired with VanWolf, Cathen rarely spoke to her, and when he did, she wished he hadn’t. VanWolf had advised her to give him time, but Cathen only grew more distant with every passing day. He’d even stopped joining the pack for meals.

      She had no need for his attitude. “I’m tired,” she responded. Fatigue plagued her aching body, and her mate could be dead.

      “Why don’t you shift to human form and I will carry you?”

      The provoking note in his voice annoyed her. He knew damn well she’d shredded her clothing when she’d shifted. Her abilities to morph from human to Shunu left a lot to be desired still. “You know I can’t.”

      “And why would that be, princess?” The forced cordiality in his tone wasn’t an improvement.

      She grumbled under her breath. He wouldn’t be content until she admitted her foolish actions, or her lack of practice.

      “Because I shifted while fully dressed,” she said low, head turned away from his penetrating stare.

      “You’re welcome to wear my attire.” Nothing out of the ordinary about how he’d delivered that.

      Could she be reading too much into the way he spoke? “Really?” She glanced back at him. Was this a ploy to embarrass her?

      His graceful movements displayed his strength as a warrior. It was why he was the Epsilon-Beta. “Of course the offer is sincere.” He met her gaze with his golden eyes.

      Why had she thought otherwise? Because she couldn’t figure out if he hated her or not? When VanWolf had asked her if she should be saving herself for someone, she should have told him of her interest in Cathen, but the Alpha was all consuming and had burned right through her flesh to her soul.

      Now she feared for VanWolf’s life. Not a word had come from him in the last while.

      “Otherwise we may never get out of here.”

      Cathen just couldn’t help himself from taking a swipe at her. That didn’t mean she had to engage in the banter. Part of her wondered if he did it in an effort to elicit a reaction from her.

      He gestured with his snout a few yards ahead. “Over there looks like a good spot for you to change.”

      The row of pine trees would provide privacy and good coverage from the wind. The moon was past the three quarter phase, and bright. Less than a week remained before the large orb went full, wreaking havoc on the pack.

      He set the sack down and turned his back to her, giving her privacy.

      “Thank you.”

      Since her transformation, she still struggled to shift at will. Often in intense situations, she did so without warning, but controlling her ability was hit and miss. At least with her Shunu gifts. She spent more time concentrating on her chieftain skills, of which healing was the strongest. The ability had benefited nearly every member of the pack at least once in the past few weeks.

      “What’s taking you so long?” He panted.

      She pulled out his shirt, pants and jacket. “I’m trying to concentrate.” It was a small fib, wasn’t it? She might be responsible for VanWolf’s death. Tears burned her eyes.

      Cathen was angry at her actions. At this moment, she couldn’t focus to shift back, and the cold stabbed through to her insides. She wanted to lie in the snow and wait for VanWolf to carry her, wherever he was. But she had their baby to think of, and herself. Nor could she allow her blood to fall in enemy hands. She needed to be careful about telling Cathen about the child she carried to ensure he didn’t take even more risks to keep her out of harm’s way. As she and VanWolf had discussed, she wouldn’t tell anyone until they rejoined the pack.

      “My brain is scrambled. I can’t concentrate.” She turned her paw over in surrender, unable to settle into a transformation.

      “We need to keep moving,” he snapped at her.

      How was his comment helpful? As if she weren’t aware they needed to get out of there. “Then help me.”

      “No.” He shook his head.

      Was that a double no? “What?” Why was he being so difficult? He claimed they had to get out of there, but wouldn’t assist her so they could.

      “I’m not going to change you back. He’s turned you into a spoiled princess. The most basic skill of a shifter is being able to transform at one’s own will. Not to be dependent on others doing it for you. I’ll be carrying you most of the way, and you can’t even morph so we can keep moving.” His condescending tone grew worse with every word.

      Who the hell did he think he was, speaking to her this way? He used to treat her with respect. She’d show him. Spoiled princess? The nerve!

      Her long, elegant limbs became graceful legs. She breathed deep as she lifted from the ground. Energy burst from her every cell. A buzz tingled all over like atomic fusion–that was what VanWolf called the excited state of the Shunu transformation.

      She landed in the snow. The cold bit into her bare feet, cramping her muscles. She slipped on his pants and boots, then wrapped his coat around her. Wind whirled up under the fabric against her skin. She slid his shirt under the jacket and pushed each arm inside a sleeve. One by one, she fastened the buttons, then secured the jacket. She placed the sack on her shoulder.

      “There are gloves and a hat in the bag.” If she didn’t know any better she’d say he smiled. Of course, that was impossible because wolves don’t have facial expressions.

      She reached in to remove the items and covered up.

      Cathen pulled up alongside her. “Let’s go.” Back to his pushy self.

      From where she stood, the train tracks below weren’t visible. A smokestack rose near where they had fled. Did that mean the train had yet to leave? Maybe they wouldn’t take VanWolf with them. Nor would they leave him behind alive if he couldn’t escape. No, he’d find a way out. He had to.

      Alexia climbed and sat astride the Shunu Cathen’s back, grabbing onto his thick coat of fur. Dark red liquid slid down his side to his front leg. She followed the trail to the gash in his shoulder, running along his neck. As her finger pressed the wound, he growled, then clenched his jaw.

      “That hurt.” He spoke through gritted teeth.

      Any moment he could pass out from the loss of blood. “Why didn’t you tell me you were injured?” She leaned into his pointed ear.

      “It’s irrelevant.” He leapt upward, covering yards in a single stride.

      Men. “Stop and I