Alaskan Wolf Read Online Free PDF Page A

able to take people out on dogsled rides much longer, the way they’re melting.”
    â€œWish I knew what to tell you,” Emil Charteris said. “But that’s part of why we’re here—to see if there’s something even worse going on than global warming, which is usually bad enough.”
    â€œI’m most concerned about how this trend may harm the wildlife around here,” Mariah said. “That’s Jeremy’s expertise.”
    Patrick’s interest was focused almost entirely on the glaciers, not the wildlife. Still, he found himself listening to Mariah’s melodic voice, inhaling the surprisingly spicy scent she wore considering her down-to-earth demeanor…. Hell, he had to stop this. He had come over here hoping for information helpful to his investigation, and she was turning the discussion in a different direction.
    â€œDo you know, Mariah said she saw a wolf on top of Kaley Glacier right after it calved?” interjected Carrie Thaxton. She gave Patrick the impression she didn’t like anyone else to be the center of attention, especially another woman. “I think that’s wild, don’t you?”
    â€œWolves do tend to be wild,” her husband said drily. The look Jeremy gave his wife was bothcondescending and caring. His scent suggested he used a lot of antiseptic hand cleanser.
    â€œThat’s not what I mean and you know it.” She gave him a gentle shove.
    â€œOne interesting thing about the wolf was that it appeared to be alone,” Mariah said. Patrick had the impression she was trying to keep the peace at the table as much as get the discussion back on the topic of her interest.
    â€œThey’re usually pack animals, of course,” Jeremy confirmed, “but you only glimpsed that one. Could be the rest of his pack was somewhere you couldn’t see from the water.”
    â€œWe’ll check that out tomorrow when we take the dogsled onto the glaciers, right, Patrick?” Mariah asked.
    She sounded so enthusiastic that he could do little but agree with her. “Absolutely,” he said.
    Â 
    Mariah wasn’t sure how much she should look forward to her outing with Patrick Worley. He would be a real distraction to her research, if she weren’t careful. He was tall. Broad shouldered beneath his blue sweater—good thing he’d taken off the jacket that obscured that delicious view. Sharp, handsome features etched into a long face.
    And why had he sat down here? She’d had the initial impression he wasn’t happy to see her.
    â€œHow’s your salmon?” Thea Fiske had come over to the table, bringing a basket of fresh rolls.
    â€œA little dry,” Carrie said. “Otherwise, it’s okay.”
    â€œNot just okay,” Mariah contradicted after noticing Thea’s hurt look. “Mine’s delicious.”
    Their hostess gave her a broad grin, then leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Hey, those mushers—they’re good company on cold Alaskan nights, honey. And that new guy, Patrick—looks like he wants to get to know you. I can tell.”
    Mariah felt herself flush. “I doubt it,” she responded softly right back. “And if so, he can hope all he wants.”
    Thea just straightened and winked. Which only made Mariah feel all the more uncomfortable—especially since, when she glanced again at Patrick, he was watching her. She had the unnerving impression that he knew exactly what Thea had said.
    But his attention wasn’t entirely focused on her. Unlike his two friends, engaged in a muted conversation together, Patrick seemed interested in her companions at the table.
    â€œSo tell me your theory so far on the melting of the glaciers, Emil,” he said to Dr. Charteris, who had just taken the last bite of his meal.
    â€œStill working on it,” he said.
    â€œOf course,” Patrick agreed. “But—”
    â€œWe’ve got