My Perfect Mate by Caryn Moya Block

the amarok like she says?”
    “They are an abomination!” Itigaituk
yelled.
    “They’re people, most of these are
children. Children of the Nanuk.”
    “No. They can never be nanuk. They are
cursed, beneath us. The goddess knows they are unclean, that’s why
they are canine. Dogs to be kicked.” Susan stiffened. Itigaituk
could never be reasoned with. His hatred consumed him.
    Susan looked at
Jean-Paul. “I love you.”
     
    §
     
    “Don’t even think of giving
up on me, little wolf.” JP sent a warming
spell to the air around Susan. He could feel her heart breaking
from the hatred of the man holding her. Ujarak kept his uncle’s
attention like JP hoped. No one noticed him hand the knife to the
small white wolf, or see Qannik making her way behind
Itigaituk.
    “Susan, when I tell you,
kick Itigaituk in the knee. You must close your eyes. I’m going to
send a fireball at his face. It won’t hurt either of you, but fire
coming at your face will make anyone duck. Be ready.”
    Susan closed her eyes as he suggested.
JP could feel her through the mating bond gathering her strength to
kick the bastard holding her. He wasn’t going to leave it to
chance. As soon as he threw the fireball he would port to Susan’s
side. Itigaituk wouldn’t take his Destined One from him.
    Jean-Paul called his magic. A golden
glow filled his mind. The Gryphon’s Eye ring feed his passion, both
his love for Susan and his hatred for the man who threatened her.
“Fire bright, warm this night, to my hand, a ball I
command.”
    JP threw the ball at
Itigaituk’s head. “Now, Susan.”
    She kicked. Itigaituk cried out. He
released her, throwing his arms up against the fireball. JP ported
to Susan and dragged her away from the man. The fireball winked
out, but not before a knife flashed in the light. Jean-Paul pulled
Susan farther away and blinked the dark spots from his eyes. When
his vision cleared. Qannik stood over the fallen man. She plunged
the knife over and over into Itigaituk’s back.
    “I only wanted to love you! You killed
Mama! You carved your initial into my skin. How could you? You
bastard!” Tears streamed down her face.
    Aisyt was suddenly beside the young
woman, taking the knife from her hand. She enveloped Qannik in a
hug, holding her trembling body as the girl sobbed.
    Ujarak ran up, his face pale. “Aisyt,
is Qannik my uncle’s daughter?”
    “She was before he tortured her and
left her to die. I found her bleeding on the ice. He staked her
out, so she couldn’t shift. I saved her and brought her
home.”
    “I didn’t know, Luava had a child. No
one in the family knew.”
    “No, your uncle brought them here,”
Aisyt explained. “He went hunting leaving Luava alone. He enjoyed
hunting the amarok. I tried to shelter them from your uncle and his
friends. When Qannik was born and shifted to a wolf, I knew there
would be trouble. I made it a point to check on Luava. I never
blamed her for what your uncle did. When he came back and realized
that Qannik was amarok, he strangled Luava. Then he tortured,
Qannik. Your uncle hated the amarok even more after that. He left
traps in the snow, anything to hurt the wolves of the arctic. He
came, every chance he could to hunt them.”
    “Qannik, I’m so sorry.” Ujarak wrapped
his arms around the two women. “Little cousin, I am so
sorry.”
    Susan shuddered in JP’s arms. Tears
flowed down her face. He drew her close and using his magic
breathed warm air around her again. “You should shift, you’ll be
warmer.” Susan nodded. White lights coalesced around her. JP
released her and then sunk down to grab her by the rough once the
shift was completed. She licked his face and whined.
    More whining surrounded them. JP
looked around at the six sled dogs. The leader nosed Susan and
licked her face. She licked him back. Jean-Paul stood giving the
dogs a chance to comfort Susan. In moments she was surrounded by
the tired, confused canines. He said a healing spell over