Bearing the Black Ice (Ice Bear Shifters Book 4) (6 page)

“Hey,” he said, looking down to nuzzle her nose with his nose. “It’s going to be okay. I have faith that we can pull this off.”

“I just can’t believe that after all we’ve suffered and overcome, it’s going to come down to this. One mad, crazy dash through the middle of hell.”

“I know. But just think of it this way—win, lose, or draw, this will all be over tomorrow.”

She sighed, and buried her face deeply into his chest. “It just seems like there should be
some
way to get out of this mess without running straight into the waiting jaws of our enemies.

He kissed the top of her head and held her close. “I know. But, sometimes, the only way out is through.”

Late into the next evening, Alan and Hannah made their way back to the Blizzard’s main den. They left Alan’s back pack behind, since it would only slow them down, and they wouldn’t be needing it after tonight. Whether or not their plan succeeded, this was it.

They made most of the walk in silence, but Hannah obviously felt terrified. She kept thinking up scenarios for why things wouldn’t work out.

“What if there are more guards tonight?” she asked.

“Then we’ll wait for another night.”

“What if that door to the entrance is locked?”

“I’ll bash right through it.”

“What if it doesn’t lead to an exit?”

“Then we’re probably screwed. But just keep running. And whatever you do, don’t look back. Don’t stop if they catch me or if I fall. Just run for your life.”

By the time they were close enough that they needed to stop talking to avoid being heard by a Blizzard, Hannah’s questions had exhausted Alan. He tried to remain patient and understanding. He knew that she was trying to work through her fears over facing possible death at the hands of a large horde of Blizzards. But her nerves were rattling his nerves, and he was thankful that she was forced to fall silent as they approached the lair.

Peeking cautiously from the furthest vantage point possible, Alan saw that the same two guards were standing watch tonight. And they looked just as bored as they had the night before. Alan nodded to Hannah, and they silently crept as close as they felt they could without taking a chance at alerting the guard. If their cover was blown, the whole operation would be down the drain.

Several minutes later, they had made it to the launching spot without incident. Alan looked over at Hannah and took a deep breath. He wanted to drink in her beauty in the dim shadows, in case this was the last time he got to see her.

“I love you,” he mouthed at her, and blew her a kiss.

“I love you, too,” she mouthed back. Her eyes had gone from terrified to serene, and Alan took comfort in the fact that she seemed to have accepted that this was what they had to do. He took one more deep breath, and then began executing their plan. He held up his hand and used his fingers to slowly count.

One.

Two.

Three.

When he put his third finger into the air, he and Hannah both shifted. The cave filled with powerful bursts of wind and energy as two polar bears appeared where the two human forms had just been. Alan and Hannah, as bears, ran full speed, knocking over the first guard a split-second after he raised his eyes in shock at the sound of their shifting.

They flew over the sleeping Blizzard clan members, who were all spread out on the floor in human form. A few sat up, dazed and confused as they were smacked by the giant bear paws passing over them. More than one person was crushed by the weight of the running polar bears landing on them.

“Hey!” the second guard yelled. “Stop!”

Of course, Alan and Hannah didn’t listen. Alan barreled through the second guard. He didn’t bother stopping to check whether the door was locked or not. He just smashed straight through it. On the other side of the door, they found themselves in another tunnel, and they ran smack into two more guards, who had just turned around to see what had caused the sudden commotion. The force of the sudden impact knocked the guards unconscious.

Alan fought back disappointment and fear. He had hoped bursting through the door would put them out on the surface again, but they were still very much in the cave. The only light in the tunnel came from the faint glow of the Blizzards’ den that was quickly fading behind them. As they ran, Alan heard the sound of numerous pops of energy behind him. The Blizzards were shifting, and would soon be in hot pursuit. As they had planned, they had a good head start. But a good head start for what? If this tunnel didn’t lead them to an exit soon, they were doomed.

Alan forced himself to focus on nothing but running. He couldn’t afford to waste energy on panicking right now. The roars of the Blizzards echoed down the tunnel from behind him. For three solid minutes, he forced himself to run despite the terror that threatened to overtake him. And then, he felt a glimmer of hope. The tunnel started sloping upwards ever so slightly. After another minute of running, he saw lights. Two flaming torches were mounted on either side of a large hole, which looked out at a starlit sky. Alan wanted to stop and whoop for joy, although, of course, he couldn’t waste time doing that right now. Freedom was in sight! Only a few hundred more feet.

Just as Alan had started to feel confident that they would make it, two heads appeared in the opening. Even from the distance, Alan could see the glittering, jet black eyes of the two Blizzard guards. The roaring from down the tunnel must have alerted them, and when they realized that two foreign polar bears were racing toward the entrance, they wasted no time in shifting. The gusts of powerful wind as they changed form slowed Alan slightly, but he kept moving his limbs as fast as he could in their direction. He could take them.

As he burst through the exit and onto the snow covered ground, he dragged a claw across the muzzle of one of the guards. Then he tackled him, rolling over a few times and closing his teeth across his neck in a death grip. He looked over to see Hannah struggling with the other guard. Leaving the first guard limp, he roared and went for the jugular of the second guard, who went limp moments later as well. Quickly, Alan sniffed in all directions, trying to catch a whiff of town. As soon as he smelled it, he started running full speed in that direction. He had no idea what side of town they would end up running toward. If they were heading toward the west side, where the Northern Lights Cabins graced the outskirts, that would be perfect. They could find shelter and assistance from his clan members.

But even if they were heading to one of the other sides of town, if they could just make it close enough to Glacier Point, they would be safe. Even the Blizzards wouldn’t risk a fight in the presence of so many humans. The last thing any of the clans wanted was to prompt a bear hunt by the humans.

Alan kept running, even though his lungs burned and he could feel himself growing tired. He wanted to turn around and make sure Hannah was still following him, but he couldn’t afford to slow himself down even for a millisecond. He had already lost too much precious time when he had to fight off the two additional guards. He could hear the Blizzards’ roars behind him, even louder and closer than before. All he could do was run for his life, and trust that Hannah was doing the same. They were so close to escape, if only they could hold out a little longer.

After several more minutes of running, Alan started to recognize landmarks on the moonlit countryside. He saw a familiar giant boulder with a dead pine tree leaned against it, and he realized with a flood of relief that they were indeed on the west side of town. That giant boulder marked the beginning of a path that wound through the forest and ended up at the outskirts of town where the five cabins for the Northern Lights Clan stood.

Alan sacrificed a quick second to look back and check on Hannah. She ran behind him with a tired, desperate look. He gave her an encouraging roar, then ran forward with renewed strength. The sound of the Blizzards behind them grew quieter, and Alan realized that many of the bears had probably dropped off the chase by now. It sounded like less than ten still followed them. As they drew closer to the Northern Lights cabins, Alan let out a few roars at the top of his lungs. He wanted to wake up his fellow clan members, and alert them to the fact that he would be there soon. Hopefully they would hear him, and understand that they needed to be ready for a possible fight. Even though he was in bear form, Alan almost cried when he heard Neal’s familiar roar in reply. His alpha had heard him, and would certainly be standing ready to defend him.

The Blizzards must have heard the roar as well, because the sound of their footsteps running behind him abruptly tapered off. A few minutes later, Alan burst into the clearing where the Northern Lights cabins stood. He turned around, ready to fight any Blizzards to the death, but the only bear that came running up behind him was Hannah, panting, but unharmed. The Blizzards had abandoned the chase, and Alan and Hannah had escaped the Black Ice Caverns alive.

Neal had been standing in the clearing with a rifle in his hands, ready to shoot or shift as the situation required. Behind him were Tyler and Eric, two of Alan’s other clan members. When Neal realized that Alan was back, and safe, and that Hannah wasn’t a Blizzard, he dropped the rifle and ran running up to Alan. Neal threw his arms around Alan’s big furry, polar bear neck and squeezed him tight.

“Welcome back, buddy,” he said. “Tonight is full of miracles.”

After making doubly certain that no Blizzards had trailed them back to the cabins, Alan and Hannah shifted back into human form, then went into Neal’s cabin where they both got new clothes and a huge plate of homemade chili leftovers. Alan briefly introduced Hannah, then scarfed down two huge bowlfuls of food. After nearly starving, and then subsisting on raw vegetables, the reheated chili tasted like a slice of heaven.

Alan quickly learned that Kenzie had gone into labor several hours before they arrived, which would explain why her life mate, Ryker, hadn’t also been outside to help fight off any Blizzards. He was staying with Kenzie, both for moral support and to protect her. Eric had gone back over already to help guard the cabin. Eric’s life mate, Delaney, and Tyler’s life mate, Kat, were both with Kenzie as well, assisting with the labor and providing moral support. Alan hadn’t seen Neal with such a genuine smile on his face since most of the clan had been lost to poisoning.

“This night is incredible,” Neal said. “A new cub is being born into the clan for the first time since the poisoning. Not only that, but we thought by now that you were dead. Yet here you are, alive and well. What happened to you? Kat came back to get help, but when we headed back we couldn’t find the entrance to the hole where you fell in. At first, we thought she must have just miscalculated where she left you. But we searched high and low across the tundra and couldn’t find anything.”

“It’s a long story,” Alan said. “But I’m sure you’re going to want to hear about this.”

Alan proceeded to tell Neal about falling into the cave, then seeing Hannah get thrown in, after which the entrance was closed off and hidden. He talked about wandering the cave and almost dying, finding the underground greenhouse, and finally escaping right through the stunned group of Blizzards.

Neal shook his head in amazement throughout the story. “No wonder we’ve seen so many Blizzards around lately. They’ve been hiding right under our noses. I’m worried about what their plans are once Kenzie’s cub is born. They’ve been suspiciously quiet in the last week or so. We’ve been taking turns guarding Ryker’s cabin, and we’ve all been staying close, ready to fight at a moment’s notice. God help me if one of those Blizzards lays a hand on that new cub. I will personally tear out every last one of their hearts and feed them to the wolves.”

Neal slammed the table for emphasis, his eyes turning dark. For several long moments, no one spoke. The joy of the soon-to-come new cub was tempered by the knowledge that the Blizzards were hell-bent on harming him or her.

“Anyways,” Neal said, standing and grabbing the empty bowls on the table. “I know you two must be exhausted. Why don’t you go back to your cabin, Alan, and get some rest. I’m so thrilled that you’re back. And Hannah, you’re welcome to stay here as long as you want. We’ll provide you with shelter and protection. Any enemy of the Blizzards is a friend of mine.”

Hannah, who had barely said a word that evening, merely nodded.

Alan said goodnight to Tyler, who was getting ready to go take a turn guarding Ryker’s cabin. Then he and Hannah made their way over to his cabin. When he walked in and turned on the lights, he could have cried. The sight of his familiar kitchen table, and the familiar old couch and TV in the living room, overwhelmed him. He had tried to be brave during the whole ordeal, but seeing the home he had thought he might never see again filled him with a flood of emotions.

“Come here, you,” he said to Hannah, and pulled her close to him. She had been silent all night, holding back the emotions as well. But, here, in the warm solitude of Alan’s cabin, she finally let the tears come. She leaned against him, sobbing into his chest. The relief consumed them both.

“Shhh…” Alan said, stroking her hair and kissing the top of her head. “Shhh. Everything is okay. We’re here. We’re safe now. We made it through.”

Hannah still said nothing. She just nodded, and then allowed Alan to pull her over to the bedroom and onto his king sized mattress. After so many nights of sleeping in the cave, the luxury of a soft bed and warm blankets made them feel like royalty. Alan wrapped his arms around Hannah, and within moments they were both asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Hannah awoke to bright sunbeams streaming through the window and directly into her eyes. After so much darkness for so long, the light was jarring. It took Hannah a few moments to gain her bearings, but once she did, a huge smile crossed her face. She looked over at the other side of the bed. It was empty now, but a slight impression remained in the mattress from where Alan’s body had been not long before. The warm smell of roasting coffee and sizzling bacon drifted into the room, and Hannah had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

She rolled over and buried her face into the soft pillow, savoring the simple joy of the moment. She hadn’t realized how long it had been since she woke up in a proper bed, to the smell of breakfast and the sight of sunbeams. And the sound of your true love singing, she added to herself, as the sound of Alan’s deep baritone came from the kitchen.

She knew danger still lurked in the shadows. The Blizzards would be furious over her escape, and they were determined to get Kenzie’s cub. The threat of an attack hung heavy in the air. And Hannah still had no idea where her other clan members were, or if they were even alive. But, at least, no matter what new trials and tribulations came, Hannah knew she wasn’t alone in the fight anymore. She had Alan by her side, and Neal had offered her the protection of the Northern Lights Clan. Things weren’t perfect, but they had taken a huge leap in the right direction.

Hannah rolled out of bed and padded out to the kitchen, excited to pour herself a huge mug of coffee.

“Morning,” she said to Alan, who had his back turned to her as he worked at the stove.

He turned around and grinned at her. “Morning, Beautiful. I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“No, the blinding sunlight in my eyes woke me up. Although, I’m definitely not complaining about that. I’ll never take a sunrise for granted again.”

Alan leaned over and kissed her cheek. “There are mugs up there,” he said, pointing to a cupboard at the end of the kitchen. “Help yourself to coffee. Bacon and eggs will be ready in a few minutes.”

Alan must have showered this morning, because any traces of dirt, sweat, and grime from their cave ordeal were gone. He had combed his dark hair neatly into place, and his violet eyes sparkled with new life. He smelled faintly of vanilla. Although he had definitely lost a few pounds over the course of their ordeal in the caverns, his physique and muscles seemed to have remained largely intact. Hannah suddenly felt self-conscious of her messy, dirty appearance. She sighed and went to grab a mug from the cupboard Alan had pointed toward. She couldn’t wait to take a shower.

Hannah poured herself a generous helping of coffee, then took a seat at the table to wait on the rest of breakfast. As she took a small sip of the dark, hot liquid, she heard the sound of distant moaning coming from the direction of Ryker’s cabin.

“I guess Kenzie is still in labor,” she said.

Alan nodded. “Yeah, poor thing. I went over and checked on things about half an hour ago. This is her first cub, and Ryker told me labor and delivery is usually the longest with first time moms. She’s been in labor almost twenty-four hours now, so they’re hoping it won’t be too much longer before the baby is born.”

“What time is it, anyways?” Hannah asked.

Alan chuckled. “One p.m. Not exactly breakfast time, but whatever. We needed the sleep, and I needed some bacon.”

Alan loaded two plates up with scrambled eggs and bacon, and then set one down in front of Hannah. They ate in silence for a few minutes, hungrily devouring the food. Even though they’d had plenty of chili the night before, they both still felt like they were running on a nutritional deficit. It felt good to eat to satisfaction after the meager food options they’d had in the caverns.

“I got you several outfits from Kenzie and Delaney. They’re both about your size. Glacier Point is the main town around here, and they have a few stores where we can buy you some clothes of your own. But Neal wants everyone to stay around the cabins for now, until we figure out what the Blizzards’ plans are for an attack on the new cub.”

Hannah smiled gratefully as she swallowed down the last few bites of her food. “Thank you. I’m just happy to have clothes again that aren’t sweatpants and several sizes too big.”

Alan laughed. “You looked adorable in my sweatpants.”

“I looked like I was wearing a potato sack.”

“You did not. You’re beautiful, no matter what you’re wearing.” Alan stood and kissed the top of Hannah’s head. “I need to go help guard Kenzie’s cabin for a while. You can stay here and relax. The shower here is awesome. The water gets very hot and the water pressure is great. I’ll be back in a few hours, but make yourself at home. I got a bunch of food by raiding the kitchens of the other clan members. And, if you like to read, I have a pretty big collection of books in a wide variety of genres.”

“Sounds good,” Hannah said. “Don’t worry about me. I can entertain myself. And this cabin is like an amusement park compared to the empty, dark caves where the Blizzards left me for days on end. I’m sure I’ll find plenty to do.”

Alan smiled and kissed her, on the lips this time. Then he took off in the direction of Ryker’s cabin.

Hannah definitely wanted to take Alan up on the offer of a shower. She sifted through the outfits he had brought over for her and chose a pair of dark wash jeans and a soft gray long-sleeved sweater with a v-neck. She laid the clothes out on the bed and then went into the bathroom. After turning on the water and finding a towel, she looked at her reflection in the mirror while she waited for the water to heat up.

She shuddered at the sight. She hadn’t seen her own reflection in months, and she hardly recognized herself. Her cheeks looked gaunt and hollow, and her skin appeared pale. She must have lost close to thirty pounds, making the outline of her ribcage easily visible. Her oily, dirty hair had lost its sleek black shine. Smudges of dirt appeared at random across her body. How could Alan look at her and see beauty? She only saw a starving, dirty shell of a woman.

She sighed, and stepped into the shower. The first step in fixing this mess was to get cleaned up. She moaned out loud as the steaming hot water hit her skin. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d had a hot shower. The Blizzards certainly hadn’t offered her any creature comforts while they held her prisoner all those months. And, before that, she had been on the run with her clan for so long. She might be part animal, but she was still a woman. She still loved a relaxing, warm shower. She grabbed a bar of soap from the side of the shower and started lathering up. It smelled like vanilla, the same way Alan had smelled in the kitchen earlier. Dirty, soapy streams of water ran down her body and disappeared through the drain, erasing the evidence of her long days and nights in Black Ice Caverns.

Hannah wished that her lingering fears and worries could be washed away so easily. She didn’t know what the future held. She knew she had bonded to Alan. They hadn’t discussed it, but she was fairly certain that he felt it, too. There hadn’t been much point in making plans to become life mates, though, when they thought they were going to die in the caverns. Now, the prospect of an actual future stretched out in front of them. If this morning’s display of affection gave any indication of his feelings, he still considered her beautiful and special. But did he want to make the leap of committing to her for all time? And would his clan members accept her?

And what about her own clan? Where they still out there? Had they given up looking for her. Were the other two clan members who had been taken prisoner still alive? She feared they had been killed, since she hadn’t seen or heard anything about them for a very long time.

Hannah wondered if the rest of her clan had escaped the area alive. Was her alpha still alive? Would her clan’s alpha be willing to agree to an alliance with the Northern Lights alpha, Neal? Usually, when two bear shifters from different clans decided to become life mates, the alphas of the different clans would make an agreement to form an alliance. Each clan would pledge to protect and support the other clan. But the rules for clans were changing, since so many clans had been wiped out or reduced to a handful of bears. These days, given the dwindling number of many clans, more and more bear shifters were taking human mates. And bears who found shifter mates were going through the life mate ceremony quickly, forgoing the formalities of joining two clans together. Since Hannah didn’t know if she would ever see any of her clan members again, odds were against there ever being an alliance between the Frozen Claw Clan and the Northern Lights Clan.

Hannah lathered shampoo into her hair and, for the first time in a long time, allowed tears of grief to run down her face. She knew she had to accept the fact that her clan, like most of the other Northern Arctic clans, had either been killed off completely by the Blizzards, or had slunk away into the shadows, never to be heard from again. She knew the best course of action was to go forward with her own life. But her heart broke for all the lost bears. This madness had to stop. Someone had to stop the Blizzards from their quest to violently take over the Arctic. The pain of losing clan members never left you, and almost every polar bear shifter in the Arctic Circle had now felt that pain.