Frozen Necessity by Evi Asher Page B

Scarlet, this is Archer. That’s Ath.” She waved a hand at a woman huddled in a ball as near to the fire as she can get. “And Laz.”
    Colt lowered the piece of wood and dropped it on the snow. “Are you the ones Geli sent me to rescue?”
    He felt a frown crease his brow. He was expecting women, no men, and he didn’t think there were any men in the other realm, from what he’d heard Geli say.
    “Geli?” Ath stood up. “If you mean Angelica, then yes, but no one has ever called her Geli.”
    “Well, I do.” Colt jerked his chin up as if daring her to object to the nickname he’d given his mate.
    Ath looked at him as if she was trying to read his mind, and smiled. “Okay, well we should get going. I’d kill for a warm bath.”
    “Follow us,” Jericho said and led the way back around the fallen cabin toward the snow machines and the snow cat.
    “Do you greet all your rescuers with violence?” Colt asked as they trudged through the snow.
    Archer answered with a shrug. “I didn’t know who you were, and I wasn’t going to risk my She. I’ll hit first and ask questions later.
    “So you are lycan. Who is your She ?” Colt was curious.
    Archer smiled at Scarlet as he yanked her out of a deep snowdrift.
    “Never mind. Question answered.” Colt was still curious about the others, but he would ask questions once they were back in the village.
    The women were loaded into the cat, and the men climbed on behind Colt and Jericho. They made better time back to the village. It looked like the blizzard had started to blow itself out.
     
     

Chapter Seven
     
     
    Angelica spun towards the door as she heard the booted footsteps on the planking. Colt was back. She wrung her hands, stopping herself from racing towards him. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing how eager she was for news about her friends, or that she had missed him. She had admitted it to herself, grudgingly—she had missed Colt while he was gone. The lack of his presence had worked on her nerves. She’d jumped at every sound and felt…lonely. She hated to admit it, but she’s never felt as alive as when she was interacting with the stubborn ice-bear. He made her feel vibrant, and colors seemed brighter when he was around.
    The husky at her feet let out a whine. The animal knew it was Colt, but he stayed by her side. The dog had come scratching at the cabin door about an hour earlier, and she felt too guilty to leave him outside, so she'd let him in. The canine had stayed by her side the whole time. Angelica reached down and scratched him behind the ear.
    "Good dog." She didn't know which one it was. She would have to ask Colt.
    The door opened and he stepped into the cabin, pulled off his coat and shook the snow out of his dark curls. She watched his hair caress his skin and had the urge to go brush it out of his face. The play of his muscles under his button down shirt was obvious and made heat shoot through Angelica. The male was attractive on every level, to every one of her senses.
    “Did you find them?” Angelica forced herself to focus on her friends, getting sidetracked by how attractive Colt was would not help her now.
    He didn’t answer as he hung his coat on a peg near the door.
    He spoke to the dog. "What are you doing in here, Disco?"
    Angelica got impatient and took a step toward him. “He was whining by the door, so I let him in. Colt—"
    “Yes.” He pinned her with his green gaze, and Angelica felt a shiver race down her spine.
    “We found your friends.” He glared down at the dog, but then looked back at Angelica.
    “And?” Angelica started wringing her hands again.
    “They are safe in a cabin in the village. But—”
    She didn’t let him finish. Angelica ran and threw herself into his arms, grabbing his face between her palms to kiss him. He had gone and saved Ath and the rest, and he’d done it even though he hated her.
    She’d given him no choice but to catch her, and she felt him grab her