Bearing the Black Ice (Ice Bear Shifters Book 4) Read online

  He had found the spot where Hannah was unsuccessfully trying to fight off the Blizzard, and his angry polar bear had quickly decimated Hannah’s attacker. The other bear had been a giant compared to most Blizzards Alan had seen, but Alan still had no trouble taking him down. His first worry after killing the Blizzard was that there were more of them around, but after a few moments of sniffing around and not smelling or hearing anything else, Alan was satisfied that the bear had indeed been alone. He had probably been a lone guard bear patrolling the tunnels for signs of foul play. Well, he had found some foul play, alright.

  Alan had shifted back to human form and pulled the flashlight out of his bag. When the beam landed on Hannah’s face, he had seen the image that now haunted him of her eyes rolled back into her head. Even though her bear form was on the smaller side, he still had to shift back to bear form to manage to drag her to a remote space in the cave. Shifting back and forth took an enormous amount of energy, which he hated to waste with such low food supplies. But he hadn’t wanted to risk being on the main patrol route, in case another bear guard came along.

  Luckily, Hannah’s wounds had been minor. She had a couple nasty gashes, but nothing that required stitches. The Blizzard had mostly knocked the wind out of her, and when she came to she had been alright. After a few more hours of sleep, she should be up for more traveling.

  Alan tossed and turned, willing his mind and body to rest. But the gravity of the situation weighed heavily on his heart. He wanted to believe that everything would work out okay in the end, but he knew deep down that Hannah’s worries over their situation were legitimate. They had almost no food, and they were completely lost down here. The only spark of hope Alan felt came from the realization that the Blizzard who attacked Hannah had not been carrying any supplies with him. This meant that they had to be less than a day’s journey from some sort of food supply. The problem was finding it.

  Alan squeezed his eyes shut tight in the pitch black darkness. He had no fear of dying. Since losing Tessa, everything always seemed slightly out of focus. Colors were less vivid, and every emotion except grief had taken on a dull edge. But he found himself strangely troubled by the possibility of Hannah dying. When she had shifted back to human form earlier, and he had seen her exquisite human form standing right in front of him, he had felt his bear leaping with pleasure inside of him.

  Mine his bear had whispered as Hannah’s perfect, full breasts came into view. Beautiful, the bear added, as Hannah bent over and her smooth, round ass was put on display. Alan had turned away quickly, trying to stop the rush of passion that had unexpectedly started coursing through his veins. Seeing another shifter naked was a commonplace occurrence, thanks to how destructive shifting could be to clothing. But Tessa had been the only woman who had ever excited him. After she died, Alan had pushed the thought of any other woman far, far out of his mind. Thinking about anyone besides Tessa in a sexual way seemed wrong. But Hannah had somehow broken through that invisible wall. He couldn’t deny that the sight of her heated his blood and filled him with desire.

  Alan groaned when he felt an involuntary stiffening between his legs as his body responded to his passionate thoughts. He tried to change the subject in his head, but his dick insisted on hardening. It stood firm and erect, reminding him that he was still a man with needs and wants, no matter how much the grief had been overshadowing that reality.

  Alan squeezed his eyes closed even tighter than they already were. He desperately needed sleep, and if they made it out of here alive, he could worry then about sorting through these feelings.

  Right now they needed to focus on surviving.

  * * *

  Alan woke with a start several hours later. He could hear teeth chattering in the darkness, and he realized that Hannah must be freezing. The temperature felt like it had dropped another couple of degrees, probably due to the dropping nighttime temperatures up above ground. Alan sat up on his elbow, and fumbled around in the darkness trying to find the flashlight.

  “Hannah? Are you awake” he asked, feeling along the edge of the wall to locate their light source.

  “Uh-huh,” she said, her voice sounding shaky from the shivering. Alan found the flashlight and turned it on, the small beam flooding the cavern with its light.

  “We should get moving,” he said, glancing at his watch. They had only slept about four hours, and it was still the middle of the night. But it didn’t sound like Hannah was going to be able to sleep again anytime soon, and getting her blood flowing to warm her up seemed like a good idea at this point.

  Hannah sat up slowly. “Can I have another protein bar?” she asked. “I’m starving.”

  Alan hesitated. His own stomach was growling insistently, too. But if they were going to stretch out their meager food supply, it was best to limit themselves to a bar a day each. On the other hand, Hannah’s body had been through quite an ordeal. She needed fuel to warm up and to heal. Alan decided to let her have another one but hold off for the time being on eating any more bars himself.

  “Sure,” Alan said, digging into his bag and pulling out a bar to toss to her. “But enjoy it. We’ll need to wait a while before allowing ourselves to dig further into the food rations. And make sure you drink plenty of water.” Alan tossed her his water bottle as well. Thankfully, there were plenty of underground springs and streams in this cave, providing an abundant supply of water.

  As soon as Hannah finished eating, Alan stood up. “Are you up for walking? I think moving around will help you warm up. And we should try to get some more distance between us and the dead Blizzard. I don’t know how long it will be before someone realizes he’s missing and comes looking for him, but I don’t want to be anywhere near here when they find him.”

  Hannah nodded. “I think I can walk. Just take it slow. I only have socks on, so the ground feels pretty rocky and rough.”

  Alan smiled at her kindly. “We’ll go slowly. But let’s keep moving at a steady pace.”

  Hannah smiled back at him, and Alan felt his heart melting. His bear leaped inside of him, demanding to be heard. Was it possible that Hannah could be his new life mate? Alan turned abruptly away and headed for the entrance to the next tunnel. He didn’t want to think such heavy thoughts right now. He walked quickly, trying to stop the stiffening of his dick between his legs as it responded to the warmth spreading through his body from Hannah’s smile.

  “Alan, wait. I can’t go that fast,” Hannah called out. He looked over his shoulder and saw her trying to gingerly run across the rocky floor. Guilt immediately flooded him. He needed to be 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 for words.

  “Let’s huddle,” he finally said.

  “Huddle?”

  “Yeah, I know it’s a little weird since we barely know each other. But, whatever, we’ve spent a few days together in some pretty extreme circumstances. We’re not exactly strangers anymore. And we could use the body heat from each other to help stay warm. It’s stupid to sleep on separate rocks under these circumstances.” He ran his fingers through his hair again, looking really nervous.

  Hannah tried to smile through her chattering teeth. “Okay,” she said. She felt warmer just at the thought of him laying next to her. Somewhat awkwardly, he walked over and gingerly laid down on the layer of clothes that made up her bed. The clothes didn’t provide much cushion, but at least they made a small barrier between the cold rocks and Hannah’s body.

  Alan nestled himself up against Hannah, and wrapped his arms around her. He didn’t turn the flashlight off. Maybe he felt complete darkness would make the intimacy of the moment too great. Hannah didn’t care whether he felt awkward. The warmth of his body against hers felt like heaven. She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent. Even though he had been in the cave for several days, sweating and soaking up the dank atmosphere, he still smelled woodsy. A faint hint of pine clung to his sweatshirt, and Hannah figured that must be his usual scent. She wondered if she would ever have an opportunity to know him outside of this horrid cave. The sensation of his arms around her felt incredible. The security she felt in that moment overwhelmed her, and a single tear managed to escape from her eyes and roll down her cheeks. She hoped he hadn’t noticed, but the tear must have slid down onto his own cheek, because he pulled back his face to look at her.

  “Hey,” he said, his voice soft and concerned. “Don’t cry. It’s all going to be okay, I promise.”

  His sensitive tone only made her cry more. “It’s not that I’m worried about things not being okay. I mean, it sort of is, I guess. But, it’s just… It’s been so long since anyone has touched me for any reason other than to torture me. I forgot how good real, caring contact feels.” Hannah felt stupid as she said this, and an all out river of tears started streaming down her cheeks as sobs began to shake her body. She told herself to stop being so emotional. She was making a fool of herself in front of him. But she couldn’t stop crying.

  But Alan didn’t seem fazed by her outburst. “Shhhh,” he whispered in her ear, pulling her closer and holding her tighter. He stroked her long black tresses and buried his face against hers. Hannah slowly calmed down, her sobs fading into sporadic shudders. She forgot to feel self-conscious, and she buried her face against his chest. He felt so good. His arms were so strong. His chest was so sturdy. He was the most magnificent bear she had ever seen. And no matter what happened in the next few days, at least she had this one last gift. This chance to feel him holding her, and comforting her. In spite of the bleak circumstances, Hannah sighed happily.

  The next thing she knew, his lips were on hers. Tentatively at first, as though he was asking if this was okay. She felt a thrill of warm heat run through her as he pressed his mouth against hers, and she returned the soft kiss. The fact that she didn’t pull away seemed to bolster his confidence, because he deepened his kiss. He slipped his tongue gently between her lips, and let it slide over her tongue. She pushed back with her own tongue, daring him to go deeper. He didn’t need to be asked twice. With his body pressed against hers, and his hands holding the back of her head, he kissed her deeply, passionately. She felt his erection growing against her. He was large, and hard as the rock on which they were lying. Her shivering ceased, and her lack of energy was forgotten as he let his warm hands run down from her head, to her neck, past her shoulders and down to the small of her back. He paused there, rubbing delicious little circles into her aching muscles and sending chills up and down her spine.

  “I want you,” he whispered into her ear. She could feel herself growing moist between her legs as the husky tone of his voice sent a tingling sensation up and down the length of her body.

  “I want you, too,” she answered, pushing her groin against his solid erection as encouragement. He hesitated for just a moment, pulling back to look in her eyes.

  “Are you sure? And are you sure you’re feeling up to it?”

  Hannah looked him straight in his deep, violet eyes. A yellow glow burned around the edges of his irises, and Hannah smiled. She had heard about this phenomenon. Rumor had it that when a Northern Lights bear was turned on by a woman, his eyes would glow yellow. Apparently, that rumor was true.

  “I’m sure,” she said.

  Slowly, gently, Alan rolled her onto her back. He carefully started pulling down her sweatpants and underwear, going just far enough to expose her dripping wet vagina. She shivered as the cold of the cave hit her bare skin.

  “As much as I would love to see you fully naked right now, I’m going to leave you mostly clothed for the moment,” he said. “I don’t want you catching pneumonia thanks to me.”

  Hannah chuckled, but didn’t argue. As much as she would love to have his bare body plastered against her bare body, she knew he was right. They had to be careful to stay warm.

  In the next instant, Alan pulled his own pants and underwear down, putting his massive dick on full display for Hannah. She moaned at just the sight of it. It stood at attention above her, its generous girth in full view. Alan was ready for her, and she was ready for him.

  “I need you,” she gasped out, surprised at the urgency in her own voice. Waves of passion were flooding over her as she tore her gaze from Alan’s huge penis and focused on his glo
wing eyes once again.

  Alan straddled her, and Hannah gratefully realized that he was careful not to push down on her body with his own weight. Her body was still sore and tender from the Blizzard attack. Alan smiled down at her, then closed his eyes and tenderly slid into her bit by bit. His huge width pushed against her inner walls. He stretched her in ways she had never been expanded before, and touched her in places she had never been touched before. She moaned as he moved deeper into her, his unbelievable length filling her entirely. Her inner bear roared with pleasure as she felt him filling her.

  The electricity of his body connecting with hers filled the air so thickly that Hannah almost felt as though she could reach out and touch it. For the first time today, she didn’t feel cold. His warmth enveloped her. The passion of his embrace overtook her. The blissful pressure built inside of her as he slid up and down, sending tingling sensations to the outer reaches of her being. Then, like a slow, intense earthquake, she found her release. The tremors poured over her one after the other as her body responded to his movements. Her inner muscles clenched hungrily around his dick. The earthquake continued for several long moments, growing stronger before it slowly started to wane.

  Hannah was vaguely aware of Alan’s face scrunching up as he moaned and found his own release, shooting a warm stream of passion into her. But all she could really focus on was the amazing feeling of ecstasy between her legs. She shuddered with delight as an occasional aftershock rocked her body. What a perfect moment in the midst of a dire situation.

  Alan slowly pulled out of her, his eyes glowing yellow and his face looking truly peaceful for the first time since Hannah had met him. He gently tugged around her sweatpants to pull them up so she would be fully clothed again. Then he replaced his own pants before leaning over to kiss her.