Maggie stood stunned for a moment.
“What? You look like I just suggested the two of you go bite heads off live chickens or something.”
She snorted. “I’ll confess your advice is not what I expected.”
Jared adjusted the straps on his pack and pointed up the trail. He resumed talking as she walked beside him. “Why? Because you heard I like the ladies? I do, and if you weren’t taken I’d be doing my damnedest to romance you. But I’m not stupid, I like more than a tumble. Sex is fun, but my hand is a lot safer than a regular routine of loving and leaving without more than a howdy-do and goodbye.”
Maggie walked in silence for a minute before facing him. “That’s good advice.”
He winked. “But if you’re not mates, then…”
She swung at him and he danced ahead of her, laughing. She took a deep breath and followed. These wolves were different from what she remembered in her teen years. The posturing and constant one-upmanship weren’t there. It must be because they were involved in the Games. This couldn’t be how they lived all the time.
Could it?
TJ and Erik disappeared from the top of the next rise, heading off the trail into the bush. They must have found another clue. By the time she’d reached the heights, the guys were back, Erik sporting a rather large grin.
“You found another one?” Without thinking, Maggie leaned against him to check out the paper in his hand. His body was warm and solid, and she adjusted herself to nestle closer, tugging until the clue sheet was within her vision. He chuckled and she suddenly realized she was completely inside the circle of his arms. When she would have retreated, he subtly closed the space and trapped her, drawing her attention to the paper.
“Number eight. I tell you, the clues are logical but if TJ didn’t have such a good sense of smell I think we would have missed half of them.”
TJ lay flat out on the trail, panting lightly. His ears pricked up when Erik said his name, as if delighted by the praise.
Jared dropped his pack and passed out granola bars, unwrapping TJ’s and tossing it to him whole. “Where was the clue this time?”
“On a tree.”
“Drawn on?”
Erik shook his head. “Carved into the bark. Looks like it was done at least six months ago.”
Jared swore. “How the hell did TJ get a scent on something that old? That’s freaky impossible.”
Maggie stared down at TJ and could have sworn he winked at her.
Erik laughed. “Yeah. The kid has always said his sniffer was good, and he wasn’t kidding. We’re at the point I think we should set up camp. I’d like to make an early start tomorrow so we have enough time at the end of the day to figure out the first mental challenge.”
“You want to camp here?” Jared looked around. Maggie wondered too—there wasn’t much of a clearing.
“Sheep Camp should be within the next half hour of hiking. Let’s make that our destination. Once we get there, TJ can shift back and we’ll get supper going.” Erik turned her and Maggie froze. He reached and adjusted her chest harness straps then patted her cheek with his fingers before pointing for her to follow TJ’s lead. She stared at him even as her body obeyed, and she took her first steps still watching his face. There was a laughing look in his eyes that made her want to haul him aside and ask just what the hell was going on.
She walked in silence for almost twenty minutes before it hit her. She’d spent the entire day with pack members, one in wolf, and she wasn’t having a panic attack. She hadn’t passed out and she was still safe.
Maybe Missy had been right. Maybe it was time to move on.
“So what do you think this is?”
Jared hit TJ over the head with his baseball cap. “Shut. Up. That’s why it’s called a puzzle, you idiot, because we don’t know what it means.”
“Jared.” Erik didn’t want to have to deal with a couple of young punks right now. Maggie reclined next to him and her scent filled the air. He’d far prefer to be able to continue the little mental fantasy he’d been enjoying than have to discipline his teammates.
“But he’s asked the same damn question ten times already.”
Erik sighed and sat up with reluctance. “I know. I’m only four feet away and I’ve heard him every single bloody time. As well as heard you make smart-ass responses and guesses back every single bloody time.” He held out his hand. “Give me the puzzle page and find something else to occupy your minds. We don’t have enough clues to be able to solve this, and you’re both getting on my nerves.”
The two young men exchanged panicked glances and then got busy. Jared grabbed a knife and whittled at a stick, while TJ produced a mouth organ from somewhere and started playing some pretty damn good blues. Erik always had appreciated that—even though TJ was clumsy, everywhere he went music followed.
Erik was just about to settle back down when there was a soft touch on his arm.
“You did that well.”
Maggie sat with her arms wrapped around her legs, her face whiter than he remembered. Shit. “Did I scare you? I didn’t mean to. The boys know I’m joking around.”
She shook her head and frowned. “I’m not upset.”
“You look pale.” He shut his mouth quickly. What an incredibly stupid thing to say.
She rolled her eyes at him. “Gee, thanks. You’re really batting a thousand right now aren’t you?”
Yup. “Are you tired? Hungry?” Can I massage your feet—or any other part of your body? What he wouldn’t give to be able to touch her. The whole day spent together, even hiking, had made his desire for her rise.
“No, I had more than enough at supper. I just need to think for a bit. Thanks for asking the comedy duo to shut up. I haven’t been around a lot of people for a while and their constant yattering was getting to me.” She stretched lazily and he enjoyed the way her T-shirt pulled tight over her breasts, the display making his mouth water. She might be a little thing, especially compared to him, but her breasts were full and distracting.
She curled up next to him, her hip touching his and he smiled. There was no way to ignore the physical pull between them. He wasn’t even interested in trying to act as if it wasn’t there. He’d go as slow as she needed, but he wouldn’t back down. For the next thirty minutes he pretended to stare at the puzzle clues all the while looking over every inch of her body. She was going to be his—to care for and love and be with for the rest of their lives. The whole idea of fated mates didn’t bother him one bit.
Jared yawned, a loud juicy sound that made Erik laugh. Time to round them up. “Hey, good job today, everyone.”
TJ waved lazily, tucking away the mouth organ and letting out his own yawn. “It’s the altitude, I swear it is. I’m heading to bed. Early morning I assume?”
“On the trail by seven please.”
Jared nodded. “I’ll turn in as well. I need to spend some time talking to my eyelids.”
Erik wondered what the hell was up as Jared gave a direct look at Maggie as he spoke and she laughed.
It took a long time for the boys to crawl into the tent, and organize their sleeping bags with all their goofing off. The grumbles and laughter slowly died away, and Erik relaxed. Finally. Time alone with his mate.
The two of them sat silently, the small noises of the forest at night continuing. Here in the southernmost part of the Yukon, the sky insisted on staying bright, but it wasn’t midnight sun by any means. There was a beautiful pink glow rising from behind the eastern mountain and Erik shuffled back down to rest his head on the log they’d rolled over to sit on.
Maggie looked at him for a long moment before sighing. “It’s no use, is it?”
“What?”
She touched his arm hesitantly and a thrill shot through him. Oh hell-o. He kept his hands behind his head and watched as she wiggled closer, resting her head on his chest. Her short bouncy curls tickled his chin and her breath warmed him. “I can’t deny I’m attracted to you. My wolf likes you too.” She sat up to look into his eyes. “I just can’t…”