Comrade Bear
by Mary Winter
Nanook Warriors Book 4
erotic gay bear shifter romance
Trent had always been the outsider on the team. When one-by-one Bjorn, Kjell, Hans, and Mark found mates, Trent knew he’d always stand alone. The European military structure might be more tolerant towards homosexuality; he wondered if his commanding officer and team members would be. Then Vik brings Aleksander back to the team. The Russian is the one man who can prove to be Trent’s undoing. But betrayal and uncertainty run deep, and when Aleksander is asked to go undercover with a band of Russian shifters, Trent wonders if he can truly consider Aleksander is comrade, or if the man he’s always loved might become his enemy.
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Excerpt:
Driven by Louhi’s words and the need to get his thoughts on Trent and what the bear spirit had said sorted out, Aleksander shut himself in his room. He wasn’t afraid to be known as a gay man, that wasn’t the reason why he kept his relationships tucked away. Before Trent, he’d been content with superficial relationships, never scratching the surface to really get to know him. Aleksander stopped his pacing. He rested his hand on the desk and stared out the small window to the frozen tundra beyond the compound. Except Trent knew him. Trent worked for the same man, had probably done many of the same things. Straightening, Aleksander fisted his hand. He shook his head. The things he’d done, he knew Trent had never done anything like his work in the former Soviet Union.
He heaved a sigh and headed from his room to look for Trent. Vik’s briefing would be soon, and he wanted this settled before something bad could happen. For a moment, the thought of being killed on this mission—a very real possibility given his status with the Russian team at the moment—without reconciling with Trent punched him in the gut. He couldn’t allow that.
After checking in the dining area and the rec room, he finally found Trent in the workout room. He stood in the doorway, watching Trent run on the treadmill. Wearing only a small pair of blue shorts, the Canadian moved like a machine. Muscles in his legs and abs rippled with every stride. His powerful arms worked back and forth, accentuating the muscles in his neck. The time since they’d been lovers had certainly been kind to Trent, honed his features and made him even leaner.
Aleksander’s cock surged to life. He willed it to still, mentally telling himself he wasn’t here for that kind of exercise. Besides, his own pair of green shorts did little to hide his erection. Silently, he went to the treadmill besides Trent and stepped on. After setting his favorite program, a set of steep inclines, he began to run, keeping pace with Trent.
Neither man said anything. The steady thump-thump-thump of their shoes on the machine and their deep, but easy breathing, filled the room. The slightest tang of sweat filled Aleksander’s nose, and he turned to watch a stray drop trickle over one of Trent’s pecs and down over his abs. Damn, he wanted to follow that drop with his lips and tongue.
“The Spirit wasn’t asking us to do anything except put the past behind us. I’m willing to do that for the sake of the mission.” Aleksander spoke casually, as if Trent hadn’t run out on his duty and the meeting.
Trent slapped the red button in the middle of the control panel and the treadmill came to a halt. He turned and stared at Aleksander, bracing his hands on the side rails. Breathing hard, he swallowed, then grabbed a towel and mopped his face and arms. “Just for the mission? Seems if we reconcile then we have to do it. Put the past behind us, period. I can’t go there. Not yet.”
“What I said earlier was inexcusable. The fact that I was under orders and had to leave didn’t have anything to do with it. I was an asshole.” Aleksander turned off the treadmill. He looped the towel around his neck, and turned to face Trent. “If it’s an apology you want, then you’ll have one.”
Trent arched one dark brown eyebrow. “Because I want one? God, Aleks. You’re such an ass sometimes.”
“I just said that, didn’t I?” He shrugged.
Trent laughed. “Yes, you did.” He mopped off the machine with quick swipes of his towel. He jerked his head toward the benches along one wall where the free weights were. Without waiting for a reply, he went there, and Aleksander followed. Laughter, at least, was a start.
Trent sat, then picked up a weight and began doing curls. More to have something to do, Aleksander figured, for the Canadian didn’t seem to be putting much thought behind the movement, and he’d chosen a lighter weight. “What if reconcile meant more than just putting the past behind us? We don’t know what the Spirits want. They only seem to speak to Louhi. The times we’ve seen them…” He frowned. “Before then we’d apparently only seen the bad faction and they tried to kill us. I—” His voice grew rough and he fell silent.
“What if they do want us to get back together? Old flames never die, do they?”
“This one should,” Trent countered. He set down the weight. “Look, you might want to finish that conversation, but I really don’t want to. As far as this is concerned, I’m done. We’ll work together. We have to. Beyond that, there is nothing.”
He’d believe Trent if there weren’t the hint of pain in his voice. There was something all right, and he’d never been a man to back down from a challenge. “If you don’t want to finish the conversation, then let me. I meant what I said. I was wrong. Whether I was trying to say it then or now makes little difference. I was. You might think that nothing has changed, but I can see time has changed you. Is it so hard for you to believe it may have also changed me.” He stood, knowing when to beat a strategic retreat.
“Aleks.” Trent spoke so softly, he thought he didn’t hear him.
