Vivian Arend - Black Gold

Gem rested against him as they stared into the fire. “I’ve never done this before.”

Shaun chuckled. “Not many people have. Which particular new experience is catching your attention?”

She tilted her head back, and the dark stars in her eyes twinkled. “It’s bright daylight out and yet we’re sitting by a fire. I always associate fires with darkness. Something to look at and fill your senses.”

“Ahhh, but you’re talking about southern fires. Here in the north, our fires are multisensory.”

Gem wrinkled her nose. “Go on.”

“Don’t look with just your eyes. Look with all your senses. Then it won’t matter that the sun is shining, you’ll have the whole picture.”

He settled her against the backrest he’d made, then reached to unlace her boots.

“What are you doing?” Light suspicion hovered in her eyes.

“Just relax. Check out the fire. I’m fixing your feet.”

She leaned back, and as he pulled off the boot she groaned, a pure unadulterated sound of pleasure.

He worked the massage, pressing his thumbs into the arch of her foot, smoothing the cream he’d grabbed over the places where her footwear had rubbed. She had fewer hot spots than he’d expected. He lifted her foot and examined it closer. A newbie hiker and no blisters? Impossible—the boots had to be more than two days old.

“You said you’d worn these boots around Whitehorse.”

Gem cracked open an eye. “I did.”

“These boots were broken in more than that.”

She waved a hand in the air. “I just meant I’d worn them recently. Ever since I got approval for the project, I’ve been all over the estate grounds to do conditioning walks. I went out first thing in the morning before my father got up.”

“Sneaky again. Well, you did great.”

Her pleased expression warmed him. She relaxed and let him take care of her, and he enjoyed every second. Watching her face, seeing the minute responses to his touch. Then she took a big breath, staring up into the still-light sky.

“There are strange things done under the midnight sun…” she recited. “The poems make a lot more sense, having seen how light it really is.”

Shaun grinned. “Robert Service. Now there was a man I could relate to.”

She wiggled upright, wrapping her arms around her legs. “I read a bunch of his work in preparation for this trip. I enjoyed some of it, but the occasional bit that—”

A shiver shook her whole frame, and Shaun laughed. “Didn’t like the part with the sizzling bonfire?”

She poked him. “No. Definitely not.”

Shaun stared at her. The fire was dying down, but he didn’t want to go to bed yet. She had to be sore, and there was one sure way to cure some of those aches.

His wolf pranced with excitement, nudging closer to the surface. Gem’s smile faded slightly, changing to awe. He sensed her wolf wanted to come out as well. Wanted to meet his. They’d been denied for long enough.

“Gem?”

She swallowed hard. “I…I don’t know why I’m feeling like this.”

“It’s our wolves. Don’t you think it’s time that they got to meet? Got some time to play?”

She nodded slowly.

“Changing will make your feet feel better. A couple shifts can help cure the little things like rising blisters and muscle aches.” And he’d get to see her. See the colour of her fur and the way she moved—to appreciate how her human dignity and power would adapt as she shifted into her animal form.

He didn’t want to wait any longer.

He rose, tugging her by the hand.

“Shaun—I don’t know about this. I mean, yes, I know it would help, but…”

“What’s wrong?”

“We don’t shift very often back home. Special occasions only.”

Shock socked him in the gut. “You’re shitting me.”

“Shaun!”

He was too surprised to apologize for his language. “Special occasions? I can understand not shifting outside where you could get shot, but really? Are you talking like once a month or only in formal settings? That’s insane.”

She tossed him a dirty look. “I thought we agreed that word was not allowed into this relationship.”

“Gem, no matter what else we have to deal with, our wolves are the pair that need to be free, not formal.”

She shook her hands in frustration. “I know that, but it’s tough, okay? Changing on a casual basis is not what I’m used to.”

He held her tight, resting his forehead against hers. They breathed slowly for a few minutes, the embers of the fire giving a final last gasp before fading away to nothing. Shaun didn’t want to push, but damn it, this was not an issue he was willing to give on.

They were wolves. He would not deny that, and she shouldn’t either.

Still, in the interest of attempting to not caveman her, he offered an out. “If you really don’t want to, we can wait.” He stroked her fingers lightly, thrilling at the smoothness under his fingertips. “But, Gem, I want to see your wolf. I want a chance to admire and run with you. To show you the north through your other eyes.”

She clung to him for another moment before stepping back and squaring her shoulders. “I want that as well. To run with you.”

He stripped, the entire time watching her take off her own clothing. It wasn’t an erotic striptease, but every article she removed, folded and placed on the blanket added to the pressure building in his body.

His wolf snapped at him, reminding him sex would have to wait.

She was beautiful, standing naked in the twilight of the midnight sun. Then she shifted, and he smiled even harder. She was so tiny compared to the wolves of the north. Dainty, delicate.

So Gem.

He squatted and held out his arms. “You’re just as beautiful as I thought you’d be.”

She strolled over slowly, her nose wiggling like crazy. All the different scents of the north—it must be like a smorgasbord to her. His hand brushed her head, and she stilled, letting him stroke her from nose to back.

When he tugged at her front paw, she sat, head tilted to the side as he caressed her.

“So elegant, fragile almost—”

Gem leaned against him, hard, until she’d pushed him to the ground. She planted both front paws on his chest and growled as she stared into his eyes.

Okay, ix-nay on the fragile bit. He laughed, wiggling to free himself and cursed instead as a twig dug into his bare backside. “Hey, no fair. Fine, you’re not delicate. You’re a Viking. An Amazon. The most incredible example— oof .”

She lay on top of him, her meager weight still enough to make him feel each and every rock poking into his back.

Gem lowered her nose to the crook of his neck and sniffed, her teasing growl changing to one of satisfaction. Shaun trembled as he fought to maintain control, but he couldn’t hold back his wolf any longer.

He rolled as he changed, the sensation of limbs and bones transitioning from human to wolf in one easy flow. There was an almost erotic pleasure in the shift, and as he came up on his feet, knowing his mate waited for him made it even better.

She’d rolled with him, finding a safe spot to rest as he stood and took a deep breath in through his nose. If he’d thought she smelled good before, the aroma was nothing compared to now. The extra strength of his wolf nose not only thrilled at their connection, but was ecstatic to find they shared a scent. Shaun threw back his head and howled in delight.

From a distance, a series of long and short yips answered him, and he grinned. Those weren’t shifters—just natural wolves, but it was always exciting to be able to appreciate a good songfest.

Gem sat silently, staring at him.

Was it too much? The unfamiliarity of the change now, or was it that this was the first time their wolves had met? He walked over and nudged her, stroking her side. Silky soft, there was no other way to describe her. Shaun wrapped himself around her and finished by resting his head along her back, the wolf equivalent of a hug.