Bearing the Black Ice (Ice Bear Shifters Book 4) Read Online Free PDF

sensitive to her predicament and take care of her. His conflicted feelings weren’t her problem.
    “Sorry,” he said. “My mind was somewhere else. Do you need a hand?” Alan reached out his arm to her, and she gratefully grabbed onto it to steady herself. As soon as she touched him, an electric passion shot through his body. He may have been in an icy cold subterranean cavern, but the heat washing over his body right now made it feel more like a tropical island.
    Hannah had worked her magic on him, breaking through his ice cold barriers and warming his heart.
    “Sorry, Tessa,” Alan mouthed into the dim light of the cavern. He looked toward the ceiling.
    The only answer was a strange feeling of peace that washed over Alan. Was Tessa sending him a sign from somewhere in the spirit world? Despite finding himself in less than ideal circumstances, Alan suddenly had a feeling that everything was going to be alright.

Chapter Six
    Hannah did not share in Alan’s peaceful outlook. As she hobbled along, hanging onto Alan’s arm, she grew more and more despondent with every step. Her back ached where the Blizzard had slammed her into the wall yesterday, and pangs of hunger shot through stomach. The sharp pains reminded her that their food supply was almost nonexistent. When it was gone, their already dwindling strength would go quickly. Hannah hadn’t missed the fact that Alan didn’t join her in eating a protein bar this morning, and she felt pangs of guilt shoot through her in addition to the pangs of pain.
    This whole situation was such a mess. Such a goddamned, hopeless mess.
    And making it even messier was the way her heart kept melting every time he looked at her. Maybe she was just hallucinating from the hunger, but she could have sworn that his attitude toward her had softened. His arm felt strong as she gripped it, and she clung to it not just for the extra balance it provided, but for the warmth and comfort it gave her.
    They walked for several hours. Hannah’s entire body ached and screamed at her to stop, but she forced herself to keep moving. Alan seemed to sense that she was fading, because he finally stopped at one of the many rooms that branched off from the tunnels.
    “I think we’re far enough away from the dead Blizzard now,” he said. “We should stop and rest for a while.”
    Hannah nodded, and wearily sat down on a rock as Alan used his extra set of clothes to make her a makeshift bed. He handed her his water bottle, and she drank greedily. Maybe if she filled herself up with enough water, she could trick her stomach into thinking it wasn’t so empty. As she lay down on the crude bed, she let out a deep sigh. Things were not looking good. No matter how much they walked, they didn’t seem to make any progress. The tunnels seemed never ending. Hannah had no idea how far they went, but she knew from listening to the Blizzards talk that they stretched out for miles in a convoluted, underground web. They could keep walking tomorrow, but odds were good that their results would be the same as today. And after a few days with barely any food and no proper place to rest, they weren’t going to have the strength to keep going. At least, Hannah wasn’t. Alan seemed to be doing pretty well, still.
    Within moments of laying down, Hannah’s teeth were chattering again. Alan, who had been sitting on a rock and sifting through his backpack, glanced over at her.
    “You’re freezing,” he said.
    Hannah shrugged and tried to look brave. What else could she really do?”
    “Maybe you should shift, so you’ll have some fur to keep you warm,” Alan said.
    Hannah shrugged again. “I don’t have much energy left,” she said. “I’m afraid if I shift I won’t have energy to shift back, and I don’t want to be stuck in bear form. If I’m going to die, I at least want to die looking like me. Looking human.” Her voice caught in her throat, and Alan ran his fingers through his hair, seemingly at a loss