Page 15 of Bad Attitude
It made him wonder why he hadn’t donethis to start with.Maybe it was that he’d never wanted to mate afemale before, so he’d never had to do a thing to get theirattention.Wolf females and even other kinds seemed to recognizethe alpha in him and wanted him without any effort on his part.He’d rarely bothered with humans, and they didn’t require mucheffort either.
Bindi was different.What he wantedfrom her was too.Today would be fun and start building thememories for both of them of their life together.Maybe she wouldshare something about her life before they’d met.Maybe not sincehe wasn’t exactly forthcoming either.Duroc knew he had things tohide but what could Bindi have to hide?The only way to find outwas to ask or if she wouldn’t say, to have Tyne check her out.Shewould be upset if she found out.It couldn’t be too bad since Tynealready knew since he investigated all his employees.Duroc stillfelt it would be good for him to know.
He didn’t know the guy who ran the dogsleds for Naqi, but he was hooking up their sled for them.The wayhe worked said he’d done this for a long time and was a pro.Dogsledding was dangerous and he felt good about a pro setting him up.While he’d not gone sledding here, he had gone before when he’dbeen on vacation years ago.
When he’d gone back home, he’d told hisfather about it.Dad had resorts and had put in a dog sleddingbusiness that was only open to supes.Duroc would like to thinkhe’d gotten good at it, but it had been a while since he’d gone.Hewas sure he’d be just fine although the runs back home weren’t aslong as the one today would be.
These dogs were well trained and ingood shape.Bindi was calm and petting the dogs and they seemed toenjoy it.Naqi’s team was getting set up right now.It seemed funnyin a way, wolves driving dog sleds.But he knew Bindi would lovethis.He enjoyed it and it got him back to nature.This would be abonding experience.Once back to HQ, there were many activitiesthey could share.This was the way to woo his mate.
“You two ready?”Naqiasked.
“We are.Where do you wantto go?”It was important to know that sincethat if they becameseparated, they would have a place to meet up.
Naqi pulled out a map.“This is ourfirst destination.”
Duroc had a map too and he marked it.“Got it.”
Naqi got on his sled and took off.Theyfollowed a distance behind.Bindi held on tight, and he enjoyed it.The weather ws was bracing, but they were dressed for cold weather,especially Bindi who was human and didn’t run as hot as a wolfwould.She seemed to be doing fine.After about an hour theystopped for a break and Joey pulled out some hot chocolate and hewas sure she had done this to check on Bindi.
His mate was so excited she didn’t seemto notice the cold at all.This was the best thing he could havedone for her.There were other activities here and it was a shameshe would miss them.Many people panned for gold and went to themeetings where crafts were sold.It was possible they might comeback for a visit, but he’d wasted so much time.They might havebeen mated by now.
Naqi pulled over and motioned him topull beside him.“We’re being followed.It’s probably the haters,but I can’t be sure.They are on four wheelers.We’ll keep an eyeon them.”
Now that Naqi had brought them to hisattention, he would watch them as well.He didn’t think Bindineeded to be worried about them.This was a day for her to enjoyherself.These guys might not even attack them.It might be thatthey just wanted to see where they were going.What happened wouldbe clear in time.They might even get lost or go out on theice.
If that happened, they wouldn’t have tobe dealt with at all.Maybe they were worrying about nothing.Naqihad sped up, so he did as well to keep up, Joey was in front of hermate, but he had Bindi behind him.Duroc wondered what differenceit made.One thing was for sure, the break Joey probably hadplanned wouldn’t happen.
The strangers were falling behind, andhe expected no stops until they had lost them.It was too bad theycouldn’t talk but there was no way to as they rushed along.Alaskawas truly beautiful, and he was glad he had come here for morereasons than that he’d found his mate.
Naqi knew a hiding spot and they turnedinto it.About twenty minutes later those following them drove bygoing top speed.Joey suggested they take a break now, so they did.Duroc felt like Bindi needed the break.It was easy to forget as ahuman she couldn’t handle the tougher than usual conditions theycould.She also wore out faster and this rest was good forher.
This made him wonder if there was anyway she would change when they mated.It was a lot to hope for buthuman mates that changed happened more often because wolves hadbeen breeding with humans more.The council had been investigatingand found it happened so much that it was a problem.As an alpha,his father was expected to take actionact as far as his pack wasconcerned.There were human mates in his pack, but their childrenwere claimed and cared for.
Those rare few that weren’t claimed hadbeen dealt with easily and the males fined and punished.Their packdidn’t and had never taken the view that any pups should gounclaimed regardless of whether they were full blooded wolfwolvesor not.Pups should be claimed and provided for.There were noexceptions.
Not all packs took that view and thealphas of those packs had much to deal with.If they didn’t findthe fathers and make them pay, it became the responsibility of thepack to care for those pups.With the council hunting down thosewith half blood, responsibility would be taken one way or theother.With so many pups carrying half or more wolf blood, thewonder was that humans didn’t know of their existence.
“Do you want some hotchocolate, Duroc?”Joey asked.
“No, thank you.I’mdrinking coffee.”
“You don’t know what you’remissing.”Bindi mentioned with a smile.
Duroc thought she was so beautiful andwhen she smiled it filled him with warmth.“I’m sure it’s not assweet as you.”She flushed.
“Maybe we should head backbefore they give up and come back this way?”Naqisuggested.
They all looked at Bindi.“What?I canhandle it.”
He hoped so, because they might not beable to stop with the crazies on their tail.They loaded up andheaded back to Naqi’s business.Those following them didn’t comeinto view until they were nearly back to Wilde.Even then, theylooked too tired to give them much of a fight and as theyapproached the business their group had already reached, theyrushed on by.
“Those guys looked rough.”Bindi observed.
“That’s good for us becausethey didn’t stop to bother us.”Joey observed.
“Thanks Naqi.I appreciateyou two going with us.”
“Joey has been wanting togo.”Naqi admitted.
