Vivian Arend - Black Gold

She shook her head and followed as he guided her to another section. The corridor led inward, away from the exterior walls. The building was large enough there were no windows in this section.

“I think someone had adapted this DEW Line for science experiments before it was abandoned. The bears who stuffed us in here must be Alaskan or Northern Yukon born. They did an awesome job making sure your average wolf would be stuck like a fish in a barrel.”

Shaun tugged open a half-size door and squatted, pointing into a small square opening.

Gem sat on her haunches. Oh fudge, she bet she knew where this was going. He’d called her insane before. It was his turn for the label if he thought she’d go along with this without some sweet-talking.

She was going to make him say it, because volunteering to crawl into a black, spider-web-filled metal box when she didn’t know where it went?

“I can’t fit. A bear damn well can’t fit, but you can. This is part of the heating system. The central furnace—they simply ran the ducting along the floors. We only need to get to the other side of this wall, and from what I saw as we were entering, there’s a good chance there’s a break in the exterior and you can get outside. Once you’re free, we’ll work on how you can spring me.”

Gem nodded, then ignored him and paced back to the “bedroom”. The duct was a great idea. An awesome idea. She had no issues with any of it.

But first she was going to have breakfast, just to get up her nerve.

She jumped on the bed and shifted before reaching up for a hug. Shaun tugged her against him, his hands nice and warm as they stroked her bare back. “I thought you were going to crawl through the ducting right away.”

She squeezed him hard, then looked around for her robe. It was crumpled and dirty, and she couldn’t be happier to have something to tug on to give her the illusion of protection, at least for a little longer. “No, you suggested I go right away. I want something to eat, please, and maybe a washroom?”

Shaun kissed her nose. “I’m sorry. I was so excited when I started looking around that I didn’t even think—”

She stuck her palm over his mouth. “You know what? You don’t have to do it all—have all the answers, solve all the puzzles. Work with me, just like you taught me on the trail. Right?”

Shaun caught her wrist in his fingers, nibbling on her fingertips for a moment. “My apologies. You’re right. I’m used to being the one in charge—excursions, and all that. But since this is my first kidnapping, I should totally follow your lead— oof .”

Gem shook out the knuckles of her left hand. “You have wonderful abdomen muscles.”

“If you want to examine them, feel free to use your tongue, not your fist.” Shaun pointed behind her. “They left a cooler with food in it. Shall I make you a sandwich while you use the little girl’s room? It’s around the corner to the left. A lovely plastic bucket complete with TP and a squirt bottle of sanitizer.”

She stood for a moment until her sense of the ridiculous hit hard. She’d run for miles in wolf form, made love on the side of a mountain. Sat by a fire under the midnight sun.

This was simply another part of the adventure, wasn’t it?

“A sandwich would be lovely. Is there anything to drink?”

Shaun winked at her. “You’re not going to believe this, but there are bottles of Perrier.”

Gag . “Really?”

She slipped away to examine the facilities. If they were too freaky she’d shift back to wolf and pee in the corner.

His voice carried to her. “Yeah, I guess one of them figured you being a genteel lady and such, you needed the good stuff.”

“Do they know Perrier tastes horrible? And smells like stinky socks.”

A loud guffaw rang out. “No shit?”

A terrible temptation overwhelmed her. “That’s right. Shit is a perfect description.”

She stepped back into the bedroom in time to see his jaw fall open. “Gemmita Ellen Louise May Jacobs, did my ears deceive me or did you just use the word shit?”

Laughter bubbled up, urged on by the expression on his face.

“Poop? Crap? How did you put it once? Bloody fucking—”

This time his hand slapped across her mouth. “Who are you, and what have you done to my Gem?”

She smiled and he released her. “I do know the big bad words, Shaun, I choose not to use them. But I think in light of our circumstances, there’s a few choice swears that need to be aired.”

“As long as your father doesn’t think I corrupted you or something.”

Her father. “Oh boy, I bet he’s not happy right now.”

Shaun handed her a sandwich as she sat on the lone chair. “You get kidnapped often? Just so I can make plans and such.”

The ham and cheese was delicious after having had nothing but rabbit for the past however many hours. “First time. Maybe that’s part of the reason I was kept protected. It’s a bit of a problem of my own making, leaving the easy-to-protect zone.”

Shaun finished his first sandwich and dug into another. “Love, if people want to grab you, they’re going to try if you’re walking the streets of Whitehorse or hidden away in a cloister. It might be tougher for them to succeed in the second case, but that’s not a great way to live, now, is it?”

Gem chewed thoughtfully. He was right. She was enjoying being out and about in the “real world”. She watched him as he watched her. There was something there, more than the mate bond. For a moment she considered repeating her words from the plane, making sure he heard her this time, but this wasn’t the setting for confessions of love and forever.

She’d been frightened back before they started the return trip to the chopper. Scared by how much she’d come to care for him, and how close she’d come to giving over control to him. Allowing him to make the decision of where they would live, and what they would do.

There had to be the balance, between them being a partnership and being individuals with ideas of their own. It wasn’t about getting what she wanted anymore, but making sure that she didn’t give up on herself in the midst of becoming one with him.

None of that seemed the thing to share while they were locked in a prison.

But once they were free? Look out.

“Gaag.”

Gem glanced up to see Shaun’s face contorted into the most awful grimace. “Are you okay?”

He pointed at his mouth and wrinkled his nose. In his hand he clutched one of the distinctive green bottles and she giggled. He swallowed hard, the exaggerated movement making her laugh even harder.

“I warned you!”

“Actually, I’ve tasted worse.” Shaun winked at her before taking another swig, his expression thoughtful. He shook his head. “Nah, I’ll take a double shot of Sourdough Toe any day.”

Sourdough Toe? She patted her mouth against her sleeve and stripped off the robe. “I guess it’s time to pretend I’m a mole instead of a wolf.”

His gaze followed her as she stood. She bent to drop a kiss on his cheek then walked out the door back toward the open vent. If she happened to let her hips wiggle extra hard, it was his own fault.

“Tease.”

“Uh-huh.” Gem darted a glance over her shoulder to see him following along, eating her hungrily with his gaze. “I hope you don’t have to crawl any time soon, because you’re not going to be able to get that weapon to remain concealed.”

He grinned at her. “Kidnapping has done wonders for your sense of humour.”

Gem had to agree. “I think it’s the whole northern air. I must be allergic.”

She shifted, paws slipping out of her outsized shoes. Shaun moved the door aside farther, and she stuck her nose in as far as she could without actually putting her head into the duct.