I Married a Bear Read Online Free PDF Page B

supposed to make him complacent and scope out the town, reporting back about their strength and discipline when Daddy sent his men to collect me.
    Cold hearted? Please. That damned bear had brought me to my knees.
    One kiss ripped apart my life like a nuclear bomb. Kissing him turned the whole world I knew on its head, shattering my duty to my father, my clan, and myself.
    His rough grizzly heat burned through the ice that was supposed to keep us separate. Heck, even through my tiger's, and she rarely opened up to anyone.
    Another savage revelation rattled my brain. I didn't belong in Tiger Bay anymore. Didn't belong anywhere after this.
    I couldn't go running back there, and I certainly couldn't go to James either.
    For the first time in my life, I felt truly homeless. Lost.
    In my brain, my tiger paced restlessly, making me growl softly to myself.
    Tonight was going to be one of the hardest nights of my life until my brain finally shut up and let me sleep. And the harsh Alaskan elements were only half the battle. The real one was inside.
    Overhead, the gentle crescent moon rising over the mountains was swallowed up by dense clouds.
    Thick puffy flakes began falling, landing on my fur.
    My back twitched every couple minutes, brushing snow off me. I nestled tighter into myself, burying my face in my paws, hoping against all odds I'd have some of this sorted out in the morning.
    Cracking wood jolted me awake. I jumped up, poised and ready to tackle any threats with teeth and claws.
    The noise hadn't been as close as I thought at first. I heard it again, several feet away. Slowly, I put my paws on the rocks and lifted up, peering over them.
    Caribou had arrived overnight. The herds were migrating with the changing seasons, and now at least several dozen of the beasts huddled around the big lake where the stream emptied, watering themselves.
    My tiger instantly drooled at their fresh, succulent meat. I'd hunted with Daddy and his men before, a rite of passage for every tiger. But those hunts were always well organized, more like sports than serious acts of survival.
    Our hunts always went after stray animals too. I didn't know the first thing about sneaking up on a herd and tearing away the more vulnerable members.
    I watched the caribou crowding in for their water, sometimes jostling each other when too many beasts got too close. My stomach growled so fierce it felt like my brain was getting sucked out.
    How hard could it be?
    I leaped over the rocks and landed gently in the spotty snow. Last night's thick dusting was already turning to mush, but it also buffered my weight, preventing too much crunch.
    Perfect for getting closer to them.
    I crouched as I moved, walking low to the ground, soft and non-threatening. None of them noticed me yet.
    I wasn't sure they'd freak out if they did. Tigers had hunted their kind for years, but our clans were scarce. These animals had far more common natural predators to fear.
    Several cows stepped away from the water, loitering in little groups. As ripe for picking as they'd ever be.
    My tiger needed fresh meat. I couldn't reign her in if I'd wanted to.
    I was halfway to the small group when I heard another snap. This one was louder, and at first I thought some caribou had completely fallen on brittle wood.
    Then I looked up. Half the mountain was coming down near the lake in an avalanche. Mud and snow began flowing into the water alarmingly fast, burying the first little noise I'd heard in a deafening roar.
    Oh, crap!
    The caribou reacted quicker than I did. I hit the ground, planting my furry face in the snow. Hooves beat the ground all around me, a panicked stampede thundering like the end of the world.
    One hoof caught my tail. I screamed, springing up and lashing out with my claws, trying to chase the beasts away.
    The herd was a lot more frightened of the mountain collapsing than a spitting, angry tiger. They ignored my roars and frantic slashes. Several big reindeer climbed right over