Phantom Warriors: Arctos Read Online Free Page A

distance—which was a mistake, because it gave him a clear view of her smal bottom as it swished from side to side with each step.
    Caitlin didn’t seem to notice as she picked her way over the snow. Arctos could do nothing but pay attention. It was as if she’d strapped a hunk of raw meat on her luscious ass.
    Mesmerized by the gentle swaying motion, his hungry gaze devoured every inch of her. Despite the pain in his side, his cock hardened, demanding release. He shouldn’t want this woman…but he did, and Arctos was beginning to think that it had nothing to do with the bond he’d forced upon her. He growled in frustration.
    The deep rumbling sound traveled on the wind. Caitlin jumped and let out a little squeak, then picked up her pace.
    Her focus became single-minded as she rushed toward shelter. Had Arctos not been watching, he wouldn’t have believed she could move so fast.

    Don’t run! The plea echoed in his mind.
    Arctos wanted to scream the command as his body instinctively reacted. He took a step and froze, balanced on a blaster’s edge, as centuries of training and breeding spurred him to give chase. He shuddered as the bear roared inside his skul . Sweat broke out across his forehead a second before sharp incisors burst through his gums. His beast struggled for its freedom, no longer content to wait for its mate, determined to run her to ground.
    Claws sprung from his fingertips as he fought the urge to hunt, to catch, to claim. The warrior in him knew Caitlin wasn’t running from him. She was scared and hurrying toward the structure. Arctos latched onto that thought and clung to it, even as his raw instincts demanded action.
    He raised his head and inhaled. Her warm scent wafted past him before being carried away by the wind.
    “Patience,” he growled, forcing his claws and teeth to recede. Far easier said, than done.
     

Chapter Two
    The snow was coming down hard by the time they reached the rickety shack. The structure looked even worse up close than it did from a distance, which didn’t seem possible. Caitlin stared at the wooden hut wondering if they’d fal through the floor upon entry.
    Wind whistled through the trees, whipping her hair around her face. If nothing else, the place would block out some of the cold. She climbed the two steps up to the door and knocked, then waited.
    “There is no one inside,” Arctos said. His warm breath teased her ear, making it tingle.
    Caitlin shrugged in a lame attempt to brush the sensation away. “How do you know?” she asked.
    “I know,” he countered, then pushed the door open.
    The hinges creaked as the door swung wide. Caitlin stepped forward, her eyes squinting to adjust to the darkness. Arctos put her pack down near her feet, then walked inside, his big body brushing hers as he did so.
    She sucked in a breath as a shiver skittered along her spine, turning her nipples into hard points. Caitlin chalked it up to the cold, refusing to acknowledge that it could be anything else.
    Arctos moved silently in the shadows. Given his impressive size, Caitlin was surprised by his agility and stealth. She couldn’t see exactly what he was doing until a flame flared to life, nearly blinding her. She blinked away the spots, then scanned the shack as he continued to feed the growing fire.
    The cabin turned out to be in better shape than it appeared from the outside. Despite the Spartan furnishings, the dwel ing somehow managed to be cozy with its smal table for two and over-sized chairs situated near the hearth. An elk pelt covered much of the floor, keeping the cold from seeping into bare feet.
    A neatly stacked pile of wood, enough to heat the place for the night, stood next to the now crackling blaze. A thin, crude mantel had been erected over the hearth. It housed a row of wel -worn paperbacks that clung precariously to its narrow ledge.
    Caitlin recognized several of the titles. At least they’d have something to do, while they waited out the storm, she