hand and pulled her closer.
"These were two men,” Gilby answered. “They looked a lot like you, Shila: really big with pale skin and brown eyes. Both of them had white hair, but one's was more yellow. Otherwise they could have been twins."
"Tartok and Cikuq.” Shila practically spat the names. When she turned to him, Koll saw her concern. “They've found me."
"Not yet.” It was Gilby who spoke.
She looked at him. “What do you mean?"
"While you're wintering here with me, you're a member of this village,” Koll explained. “That's why the people have accepted you. Otherwise, we stick to ourselves. None of us would help an outsider, not until we got to know him well enough to be sure he was trustworthy."
"Koll is right,” Gilby added. “Nobody told them anything. When they questioned me, I swore I could name every resident in the village and that they were the only ones who didn't belong. They just stared at me before they turned and left. Don't mind saying those two gave me a bad feeling. I'm glad they're gone. Dag said he saw them head south after they left our village. I'm just warning you in case they come back. You might want to stay out of sight for a while, stick close to the house."
"Thank you, Gilby.” Koll gave his friend's shoulder a quick squeeze. “We appreciate the warning."
"Anytime.” A grin popped out on the smaller man's face. “I'll be going now. Hope you can sleep tonight, what with all the beasts growling and bellowing around your house. I heard the most frightening noises while I was waiting outside your door."
Koll shot his hand out to swat him, but Gilby was too fast. He ducked in time and made a run for it. Koll had to settle for slamming the door shut behind the fleeing man.
Any humor he felt melted when he saw how tense Shila was.
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Chapter 4
They'd found her. For weeks, Shila had sensed that the brothers were close, but she hadn't been able to pick up their scent. When there had been no sign of them, she'd dared to hope it was just her imagination. She couldn't believe they'd actually come into the village looking for her. If they'd tracked her this far, why weren't they at the door now?
The smell of sex, still fresh in the room, tickled her nose. Perhaps Koll was keeping her safe from Tartok and Cikuq. They'd been together so much his scent was all over her, masking hers. If that weren't enough, Greyfell had put his mark all around the house. While that wouldn't throw off the brothers in bear form, their noses weren't as acute when they were men. It sounded as if they hadn't risked coming too close to the village as frost bears.
They would be back, though. When they didn't pick up her trail to the south, they'd double back to her last known location. With spring approaching, those two would be even more determined to find her. And if they found her, they'd find Koll.
Shila turned to her mate and locked gazes with him. She'd come to love Koll, to dream of a future with him. Although it wasn't usual for a Child of Nanook to mate with a clawless villager, there was nothing in their laws to prevent it. Koll was strong and virile and kind in his way, and he made her happy. He satisfied the woman in her while still allowing the bear freedom. The thought of him in danger turned her stomach.
"I should not have brought this threat to your village,” she said.
Koll shook his head. “You should never have had to face them alone. I will deal with Tartok and Cikuq."
His assurance should have calmed her, but instead she flashed back to an image of her first mate, Imnek, torn apart and lying lifeless in the snow. One clawless man, no matter how brave and strong, could not hope to defeat two full-grown frost bears.
Shila did what she'd never allowed herself to do—certainly not with her people, who would have taken advantage of her weakness. She let him see her fear. “I can't lose you."
Koll had his arms around her in two long strides. He carried her
"These were two men,” Gilby answered. “They looked a lot like you, Shila: really big with pale skin and brown eyes. Both of them had white hair, but one's was more yellow. Otherwise they could have been twins."
"Tartok and Cikuq.” Shila practically spat the names. When she turned to him, Koll saw her concern. “They've found me."
"Not yet.” It was Gilby who spoke.
She looked at him. “What do you mean?"
"While you're wintering here with me, you're a member of this village,” Koll explained. “That's why the people have accepted you. Otherwise, we stick to ourselves. None of us would help an outsider, not until we got to know him well enough to be sure he was trustworthy."
"Koll is right,” Gilby added. “Nobody told them anything. When they questioned me, I swore I could name every resident in the village and that they were the only ones who didn't belong. They just stared at me before they turned and left. Don't mind saying those two gave me a bad feeling. I'm glad they're gone. Dag said he saw them head south after they left our village. I'm just warning you in case they come back. You might want to stay out of sight for a while, stick close to the house."
"Thank you, Gilby.” Koll gave his friend's shoulder a quick squeeze. “We appreciate the warning."
"Anytime.” A grin popped out on the smaller man's face. “I'll be going now. Hope you can sleep tonight, what with all the beasts growling and bellowing around your house. I heard the most frightening noises while I was waiting outside your door."
Koll shot his hand out to swat him, but Gilby was too fast. He ducked in time and made a run for it. Koll had to settle for slamming the door shut behind the fleeing man.
Any humor he felt melted when he saw how tense Shila was.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter 4
They'd found her. For weeks, Shila had sensed that the brothers were close, but she hadn't been able to pick up their scent. When there had been no sign of them, she'd dared to hope it was just her imagination. She couldn't believe they'd actually come into the village looking for her. If they'd tracked her this far, why weren't they at the door now?
The smell of sex, still fresh in the room, tickled her nose. Perhaps Koll was keeping her safe from Tartok and Cikuq. They'd been together so much his scent was all over her, masking hers. If that weren't enough, Greyfell had put his mark all around the house. While that wouldn't throw off the brothers in bear form, their noses weren't as acute when they were men. It sounded as if they hadn't risked coming too close to the village as frost bears.
They would be back, though. When they didn't pick up her trail to the south, they'd double back to her last known location. With spring approaching, those two would be even more determined to find her. And if they found her, they'd find Koll.
Shila turned to her mate and locked gazes with him. She'd come to love Koll, to dream of a future with him. Although it wasn't usual for a Child of Nanook to mate with a clawless villager, there was nothing in their laws to prevent it. Koll was strong and virile and kind in his way, and he made her happy. He satisfied the woman in her while still allowing the bear freedom. The thought of him in danger turned her stomach.
"I should not have brought this threat to your village,” she said.
Koll shook his head. “You should never have had to face them alone. I will deal with Tartok and Cikuq."
His assurance should have calmed her, but instead she flashed back to an image of her first mate, Imnek, torn apart and lying lifeless in the snow. One clawless man, no matter how brave and strong, could not hope to defeat two full-grown frost bears.
Shila did what she'd never allowed herself to do—certainly not with her people, who would have taken advantage of her weakness. She let him see her fear. “I can't lose you."
Koll had his arms around her in two long strides. He carried her
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