Frostbitten Read Online Free PDF Page A

overkill. “I’m pretty clear on the anatomy. I’m talking about the rest.”
    His shoulders visibly relaxed. “Well, what you’re feeling now is only the tip of the iceberg. My understanding is that it will intensify after the claiming. We’ll be connected, in a way. Some wolves can even communicate without speaking, telepathically, especially in wolf form.”
    “Even half breeds?”
    “Why do you refer to yourself in such a derogatory manner?”
    She raised her eyebrows. “I didn’t realize there was any other way. It’s what I’ve always been called.”
    “I’m sorry for that. The reality is there are many wolves in the world with one parent who is a shifter and one who isn’t. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Your pack is backward in their thinking, and prejudiced.” He inched his fingers across the table toward hers, but didn’t make contact.
    She found she enjoyed the proximity. She wished she had the courage to reach out and let the tips of their fingers touch. “Go on. I’m still wondering why a full wolf like yourself would even consider mating with me.”
    “It doesn’t work like that.” He shook his head. “You’re misinformed. We don’t choose our mates. Not true mates, anyway. There are plenty of wolves who meet and fall in love without an actual fated claiming. Once they mate, they never know the difference. However, if an unclaimed shifter meets his or her actual mate, there is no stopping the inevitable.”
    Adonia flinched and jerked her fingers into her lap. If what he was saying was true, she would be powerless to stop this from happening. And she feared he was correct, because she felt about as helpless as an injured animal in the wild.
    A knot had formed low in her core, and it gathered in intensity as the day wore on. Like a magnet, her body felt compelled to connect with the man across the table. Instinctively she knew a simple touch would not be enough. It would only make the need increase until she went crazy with desire.
    “So, even though I’m not a full-blooded snow wolf, you’re okay with that?” She lifted her gaze to his.
    He smiled. “I don’t give a damn if your other half is a rodent, baby.”
    A chill shook her frame as he used that endearment. No one had ever looked at her with such tenderness. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Her mother and her extended family loved her. But it wasn’t the same as the intense feeling of being cherished like the most important being on the face of the earth that was evoked every time Zephyr looked at her. Her mouth hung open, but no words came out.
    He continued. “Even if I had some preconceived notion I would mate with only a full wolf, which I do not, I would still have tossed those stupid barbaric ideas out the window the moment I met you. That’s how mating works.”
    “My mother never mentioned any of this,” she muttered.
    “Your mother was never truly mated, was she?”
    “No.” She realized her well-meaning parent had only been able to impart what she knew. True matings weren’t in her repertoire. Hell, she doubted any members of the pack her mother was from experienced anything like this. Their strict methods and beliefs undoubtedly prevented them from a full life.
    “Hey, this is all new to me too. Even though I’ve known mates, I’ve never experienced a claiming myself. We’re on the same page where that’s concerned.”
    Adonia narrowed her gaze at him. “I hardly think we’re even reading the same book. The only thing we have in common right now is the fact that we are both stuck in this cabin until this storm passes.
    “I’ve led a very simple life, Zephyr. You’ve been in a city surrounded by people. The thought of leaving here makes me hyperventilate. It’s not in my realm of possibilities. If what you say is true, and mating will increase our desire for each other, then you should steer clear of me. I’m not leaving my home. And you would suffocate in my world.” She stood once more and