Frozen Necessity Read Online Free Page B

Colt's clamped hand, but what Angelica meant was, I don’t make any vows, so let me go.
    She was trying to get it out, but Colt clamped down on her mouth harder.
    “Say the words, Colt.”
    “Wait.” He leaned his head down, put his lips to her ear and spoke in a low voice, “I’m going to let go of you. If you scream or try to run or disagree in any way, I will hunt down every one you’ve ever cared about and take my vengeance bit by bit from them.”
    Angelica froze, the menace in his voice was palpable. He radiated pure fury, and she had no doubt that he meant every word he’d said.
    “Do you understand, Gelibean.”
    She nodded her head.
    “Can I let go of you?”
    She nodded her head again, and Colt released his grip on her waist and removed his hand from her mouth. He took a step to stand next to her and reached for her shoulder, turning her to face him.
    Angelica stood stiff, unable to do anything to stop this atrocity from happening.
    With his right hand, he touched her left shoulder, then slid his hand down her arm, entwining his fingers with hers. He raised her arm so that both their limbs were bent at the elbow and their wrists touched.
    “I, Colt of the Ice-bears, vow to take you, Angelica, of the Phoenix as my mate, what is mine and what is me is yours. What is yours and what is you, is mine. Do you accept this, Angelica?”
    “Answer him child,” Sarah uttered in a soft tone.
    “I…”
    Sarah prompted her. “The words are, I, Angelica of the Phoenix ”
    “I, Angelica of the Phoenix.”
    “Vow to take you Colt of the Ice-Bears…”
    Angelica repeated the words, and before Sarah could prompt her, she finished the vow.
    “What is mine and me is yours, what is yours and you is mine.”
    She felt a sharp stinging pain where their wrists met, and tried to jerk away.
    “Don’t,” Colt ordered, and gripped her fingers tighter.
    The sting eased and Colt let go of her hand as if she had plague or something. Angelica lifted her writs so she could see what wound was there.
    There was no wound, just a tattoo. Angelica wanted to weep. On her wrist was Colt’s name. Just as the Lycan marked their mates, Colt had marked her.
    “I’m branded your slave for eternity.”
    He gave a harsh laugh and shoved his wrist in her face. On the smooth skin was the rune that marked her name. “You aren’t the only one marked.”
    Angelica gasped in shock. Normally, the female was the one that was marked, but with the ice-bears, both partners wore each other’s name.
    She didn’t know why, but that made her feel better.
     
    * * * *
     
    Everyone was huddled as close to the stove as possible. The wind howled and raged outside like a monster of myth looking for prey. Every now and then, an extra hard gust would rattle the whole building, causing Athera to shudder in response.
    When would the storm end? No one had slept, and no one seemed to want to. Perhaps they were all worried they’d wake up in the elements with the small building lying in ruin around them.
    She wrapped her arms around her and looked up at the others. “Do you think the storm will have passed by morning?”
    There was a moment of silence, as if no one wanted to say aloud what they were all thinking.
    Then Laz answered. “No, I think this storm is here to stay at least a week.”
    “Humph.” Athera stood up and held out a hand to Laz. “Give me that map again.”
    He canted his head in question.
    “Now, please.”
    Laz shrugged and stood, stretching his long legs and his spine before heading to the backpack that held the map. A moment later, he handed it to Ath.
    She spread it out on the table and glared at it as if it was going to surrender and start shouting answers to her questions.
    “We are here.” Ath put a finger on a spot on the map. “Angelica is here.” She used her left hand to put a finger on that part.
    “How many miles is that?” 
    Laz moved to stand next to her and looked down at the map. “I’m not a cartographer.