Ice Bear's Bid (Northbane Shifters Book 4)

by Isabella Hunt

I’d grown up in a topsy-turvy, tiny family. A mother who tried her best but couldn’t quite escape the demons of her past. And a brother who took the brunt of that.

  Mom had run away from home, young. She’d gone chasing dreams and wound up pregnant. Her first baby was my older half-brother, Leon. By all accounts, Leon’s dad had been a good guy—not surprising, knowing my brother. Yet she’d never told that man about Leon.

  Young and scared, she’d wound up with an older man, a jackass who took off on her not long after I was born. A man I’d never met and had never thought much about. Not with Leon looking out for me. Leon had been “born with an old man’s soul,” my mother liked to joke. He’d protected me as we bounced around from trailer park to apartment to commune to the streets.

  Leon had tried to protect my mother, too. He’d loved her with a loyalty that lay at the core of his very being. It made me wonder if Leon’s dad had been some kind of superhero, and our mother hadn’t wanted to drag him down. If she’d loved him so much, she would have had no choice but to walk away.

  We never found out those answers because my mother had contracted a terrible illness she couldn’t shake and we couldn’t afford. Not that she’d let us take her to the doctor.

  Not until it was too late.

  Leon had been devastated and grown even more protective of me. Juggling school part-time and working all sorts of crappy jobs, he’d supported us the best he could. All of a sudden, though, three years after my mother’s death, when he was nineteen and I was fifteen, the government got involved. There was a blur of worried weeks, and suddenly I was in foster care. A nice paycheck for a nice but indifferent couple.

  However, I pretended to like it for Leon’s sake. Now he was free and could volunteer with one of those overseas groups he was crazy about. The kind that went into areas crippled by poverty, bringing medicine and building houses. He’d always been intense about helping others.

  Leon had promised he’d be gone for a few months, back in time for my sixteenth birthday, and I’d get more postcards than I could handle.

  As that summer waned, I’d been happy for him and content with my foster parents. But then hurricane season had swept through, and the news went into a feeding frenzy about a tragic group of US college student volunteers who were killed in a flash flood. They’d been there building houses and doing medical work. Only three had survived.

  One, thanks to Leon.

  My eyes squeezed shut more tightly, and for a moment, I let myself fall, just a little bit.

  But as soon as I did, Kal stopped, and a soft sigh brushed my forehead. “You fall asleep?”

  “No,” I said and straightened as he put me down. Instantly, the cold hit me, as though Kal had been keeping it at bay, and a tight bundle of nerves hit my stomach. I suddenly felt like a drowned, wilted flower and pushed back my damp curls. “What do you need me to do?”

  “Stay there while I build a fire,” he said.

  I squinted, watching his big form move away. I shivered, waiting and wishing I could change. He came back with a pile of wood in his arms and squatted down by the wall, tossing wood in, and then fire flashed between his fingertips. Warmth rolled over me as I moved closer, realizing there was a big, old-fashioned fireplace in the wall.

  “You’ve been here before?”

  “Yes,” Kal replied and straightened. “I’m gonna go over there and change. I suggest you do the same.” There was a military crispness to his voice, but the firelight on his face gave him a softer, younger look. As though he were worried. “Can’t get sick on me.”

  The phrasing of those words made my heart flutter as he walked away again. For a moment, I stared, watching the tantalizing play of shadows on those big muscles. Then I saw the sweep of his arms as he took off his shirt, and a squeak escaped me.

  Kal half-glanced over his shoulder, and I swore I heard a soft chuckle, so I hastened to my own bag and dug out some dry clothes. The whole time, my neck and ears were burning, a sensation I was altogether unfamiliar with, and I had the strangest sense Kal was still laughing at me.

  Once I was out of my sodden clothes and had hung them up on a semi-clean chair, Kal returned and tossed his clothes over another chair. I watched as he easily folded up his tall form and dug into a bag of food. Uncertain of what to do, I fumbled with my bag and then walked over, hesitating a little as I sat next to him.

  Kal glanced over, the light warming the white edges of his blond hair to gold and making his storm-gray eyes an uncertain, lovely color. I looked away, and suddenly a heavy jacket went around my shoulders.

  “You don’t have—”

  “You’re shivering.”

  It’s more from nerves than the cold, I thought and wiggled my toes at the fire. “Thanks.”

  “You’re very polite.”

  I didn’t turn my head more than an inch, only swept my eyes to the side to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating. Kal was sitting with his legs stretched out in front of him, his head tipped to the side and arms stretched out behind him to prop him up.

  “Oh,” I said after a long moment during which my brain screamed at my mouth to stop wagging open like an idiot. “Yeah. Thanks. My mom was always big on that.”

  “Was?” The question slipped out before Kal even seemed to realize it had, and he hunched forward, head dropping down. “Uh, shouldn’t pry. My bad.”

  “She passed when I was twelve,” I said carefully. Like most kids who’d lost a parent young, you could always tell. This time, I couldn’t help myself when I looked at him. Kal’s jaw was tight, and my stomach twisted with a mixture of empathy and grief. “You don’t have to tell me.”

  Kal relaxed back a little, studying me. “Lost my dad when I was young.”

  I nodded, throat too tight to say anything and not sure he’d take kindly to unwanted physical contact. Not when he was holding himself so carefully and with a constraint honed by years of practice.

  “Never gets easier, does it?”

  This time I had to dig my nails into my palms to stop from reaching for him.

  “No,” I said in a soft voice.

  There were a few moments of quiet, where I had the strangest sense of blending into Kal. Like we’d been friends a long time, then lost track, and now found ourselves together again. With the strangeness of years between us and the old bonds tugging underneath.

  It was such a disorienting and strong feeling, I had to close my eyes and focus on something else to keep myself from doing something impulsive. The wind was muttering above the roof, the fire crackling, and Kal’s rhythmic breath brushing by my ear.

  “You should stay in Winfyre.”

  “Huh?” I asked, and my eyes flew open, finding his gaze on mine. There was a serious set to his jaw and a slight furrow to his brow. “What-what do you mean?”

  “Exactly what I said." There was no intonation to those words I could catch, so I gaped at him. Big shoulders rolled back, and tendons popped along his neck as he sucked in a breath and then let out an enormous sigh. “Geez, Iris, don’t look at me like that.”

  I was so thrown, all I could do was sit there and try to come up with something to say.

  “You’re on your own, right?” Kal continued, and I nodded. A slow, half-embarrassed nod. “Yeah, I know a frog when I see one.”

  “Oh, right,” I muttered. A frog was a Riftborn who bounced from territory to territory.

  “Winfyre is home for anyone and everyone,” Kal said simply and rolled his shoulders. “I know you’ll like it. So why not? We’ll even send someone to go get all your stuff. So, stay.”

  I hugged my knees, thinking of the small, cramped apartment I had in the Greyclaw territory. The handful of things I’d managed to keep, and some clothes. It was paltry.

  Most of the time, I hated being there.

  So, why wasn’t I jumping at the Alpha’s offer? Did I think it was too good to be true?

  More than that, though, I felt like a book Kal had read too easily, and color flooded my cheeks. Did
this mean he knew I was nursing a bit of a tiny crush on him, too?

  Honestly, how could I say no to that proposition? It was so tempting. Too tempting.

  “I’ll think about it,” I finally got out.

  “What?” I looked at Kal, and he was frowning. “What’s to think about?” A strange expression moved over his face. “Is there someone back in the Greyclaw?”

  I tried not to overthink how he’d said someone as I carefully answered, “No, but Winfyre Ridge isn’t somewhere you pick up and move to without serious consideration.” I fiddled with the jacket zipper. Ugh, and what if he had someone? What if I saw Kal arm in arm with some tall, leggy brunette? My stomach cramped with nausea. I’d hate that. “Thanks, though.”

  “Hmph,” Kal grumbled and rubbed his hair. “We’ll see.”

  I also really didn’t want a pity invite to live in Winfyre Ridge. I wanted to earn my place.

  “There’s a place for a Riftborn like you,” Kal said, as though hearing my thoughts, and I jumped. “That’s all I’m going to say.” A shiver ran over me, and he straightened. “You still cold?”

  “Uh, yes?” I said.

  “I don’t really get cold,” he said and stood up, getting his bag. I watched as he tossed a sleeping mat and bag at me, smelling of him. “Yours got a bit damp.”

  “What are you…?” I trailed off as Kal shifted.

  The ice bear padded around me and settled down behind, curving his body around mine. A snort escaped his nose, and he bobbed his head at me. I stared for a second, a crazy idea chasing back and forth in my brain. But not until he growled did I believe it.

  “Um, if you insist,” I said and spread out the mat with shaking fingers.

  Then I unzipped the bag, fluffing it over me. With a strange jolt to my brain, I lay back on the miles of warm white fur behind me, and a small, satisfied sound escaped me. Kal’s fur looked bristly, but it was soft, unbelievably soft, and I nestled into his side, smiling to myself.

  Chapter Eight

  Iris

  A strange sound woke me, and I slowly opened my eyes. Dust motes swirled across the ceiling, caught in the few loose light beams from the early dawn. Adjusting, my neck uncomfortable, I turned over only to meet resistance.

  Craning my head, I pulled in a startled breath.

  Kal had shifted back in his sleep.

  Lying on his back, he was curled towards me, and my head was on his stomach. In a rush of alertness, I realized there was a warm pressure wrapped around me, and it was Kal's arm. He was so damn tall and long-limbed, he could curl his entire forearm around my stomach and hold onto my side with ease. I could feel his fingers digging into my stomach. I tried not to shiver, not wanting to wake him and to ruin this moment.

  Kal made a noise and pulled me closer, a sigh exuding from his chest. Closing my eyes quickly, feigning sleep, I wondered if I should creep away and pretend this never happened.

  But now that I’d pillowed my head on him, I was too comfortable. Exhaustion pulled me back down into warm and comfortable depths. Tucking a hand under my cheek, I let the heat of his body seep into mine and promptly fell right back asleep.

  The next time I woke up, it was brighter, and Kal was up. Patting the ground next to me, I saw that he’d rolled up his cloak and tucked it under my head. How had he managed to sneak away without waking me? My heart sank. I wondered if I’d dreamed the whole thing about his shifting back and holding onto me.

  There was nothing to read on Kal’s face. If we’d been spooning, I thought he’d be acting at least a little flustered. He seemed back to his distant self. My heart pinched a little.

  “Good, I was about to wake you up. Here.” He gave me a squashed granola bar, and I smiled, about to say thanks, but he’d already stridden away. “I’ll be back. Get dressed. Leaving in ten.”

  And he was gone.

  With a bigger pinch to the heart, I got up and dressed while eating the bar. Everything in my bag was starting to have a damp, smelly quality to it, and I wished I had something nicer to wear. We’d reach Winfyre today, and I didn’t want to give a bad first impression.

  “Ready?”

  “Yes,” I said, turning around and holding out his jacket. “Here.”

  Kal shook his head. “Last night’s storm brought in a cold front. Keep it.”

  “Wow, thanks,” I said and tugged it on, enjoying the worn softness of the sleeves, even if it did dwarf me. “It smells great.”

  The last sentence had escaped me before I could stop myself. Kal raised an eyebrow. “How?”

  “It smells like you, you know, and you have a nice scent.” He kept looking at me, nonplussed. “What? You smell like wintertime and some spice. Maybe cologne.”

  “Huh. Must be soap,” he said. “I’m not a cologne guy.”

  “Oh,” I said and wished I hadn’t shoved us into this awkward conversation first thing in the morning. Or at all. Why couldn’t I ever shut up? “Yeah, maybe.”

  Gesturing with his head, Kal led the way outside, and I gasped at the cold plunge of air that nipped at my nose. Our breath fogged the air, and I shuddered as the wind raked across my bare cheeks. The sky was a faraway, cold blue, and I tugged the jacket up higher.

  Glancing over at Kal, I saw he was inhaling the air with a small smile and had his face tipped back. Relaxed and happy on this freezing morning. I raised an eyebrow as he glanced at me, and a rumbling chuckle escaped him.

  "I trust the cold more than the heat," he said.

  It struck me as a very Kal thing to say, and I smiled at him. “Sure.”

  “Knock it off,” he said in a gruff voice, hiding a smile and starting off. “Let’s hustle. Don’t wanna camp out tonight.”

  Hours later, when the air had warmed incrementally enough so that I wasn't shivering with every step, we paused atop a barren hill. Before us was all woods and mountains, with a small break to the west that revealed the ocean. I sucked in a happy breath and let my gaze drift across the woods, catching sight of smoke spiraling in the distance.

  “Almost worth breaking our necks for this, eh?” Kal asked, and I nodded. “All right, one last slog. Be there in time for dinner, a nice, hot meal at the gate.”

  “That sounds amazing,” I breathed as I followed him down the steep hill.

  It was precarious walking and made me more nervous than the climb yesterday had. Going more slowly, lowering myself down until my butt was only inches from the ground, I let the rocks guide me until I hit an open slice of ground that was all sheer and smooth rock.

  “Dammit,” I muttered and began to backtrack.

  “Hey,” Kal barked, and I jumped. He was scowling at me and clambered over to me in an instant. “If you needed a hand, you should have asked.”

  “I-I didn’t want to bother you,” I said, and Kal scowled more.

  “Scoot your ass forward, and give me your hand,” he said, stepping up and bracing his leg against the rock. “I’ll swing you down. Yeah, that’s it. Put your other hand on my shoulder.” I tried to and slipped. Kal’s hands caught my waist. “Hold my shoulders, Iris.”

  I slipped forward, my hands gripping him and my waist almost at his eye level. A slow burn of nerves and embarrassment crawled up my chest into my face. Distracted, I lost my footing and would have fallen down the path if Kal hadn’t grabbed me and skidded back a few inches.

  “What are you doing?” he asked. “Why are your goddamn eyes closed?”

  Opening my eyes, I saw he was inches away, and I gulped. “Sorry, I got nervous.”

  “Next time, ask,” Kal growled and set me down. His thumbs pressed into my lower ribs, and the back fingers drummed against my back. “C’mon, I told you I wouldn’t let you fall.”

  My hands were on his arms, fingers curling into his biceps because I didn’t know where to put them. Or maybe I wanted to feel the hard bulges of his arms. At his words, though, I didn’t want to move. I also didn’t want to admit how much I liked this feeling, as unfamiliar and nerve-wracking as it was
. Part of me was screaming that I was losing my grip, that I was dangling over the edge…

  Another part of me opened my mouth and teased, “I think I’m starting to believe that.”

  “Starting?” Those big fingers on my sides tightened and pulled me closer. “You know, you didn’t look this fresh when I first saw you. Trouble, yes.”

  “I’m not trouble,” I protested.

  “Trouble,” Kal retorted. “And fresh.”

  “Well, you’d know, wouldn’t you, Kallen Deacon?”

  At that, Kal’s face crinkled up, and a grin split his face. “Dammit, how do you do that?”

  “What?” I asked and repressed a sigh as his hands left me to push back his hair.

  “Make me laugh,” he grumbled.

  “Why are you making that sound like a bad thing?” I asked, a little indignant.

  “Because, I’m an Alpha, a Northbane Alpha, and…” Kal sighed, and he glanced to the west. “And I need to get you off this mountain. Stop distracting me.”

  “I didn’t realize I was,” I said as Kal began to pick his way down and then extended a hand back. “You sure?” I challenged, and he glanced at me. “Won’t be a distraction?”

  Kal grabbed my hand before I could blink and didn’t answer. As we climbed down, my hand in his, my heart was bumping oddly in my chest. Who was this wild man who’d possessed my body? Was I flirting? Was I losing my mind? He was an Ice Bear Alpha, someone you didn’t flirt with.

  Maybe this is a dream.

  As we neared the bottom, there was another steep drop off. Kal let me go and hopped down, and then, because he was so goddamn tall, reached back and gripped my waist. Like I was a ballerina, he lifted me and swung me down.

  “There,” he grunted, and his hands lingered on my waist. “You made it.”

  “Thanks to you,” I said, and a small, satisfied smile played around his mouth.

  “Yeah, well—” he started to say, but a drawling voice interrupted.

  “Now, there’s something you don’t see every day.”

  I watched as all the emotion washed out of Kal’s face except his eyes, which filled with a look I couldn’t place as he whipped his head around. His hands left mine to knot up against his sides, and his eyebrows furrowed into a heavy glare.