Snow Time for Love Read Online Free Page B

hers will match. I have to ask, how do they know which fey to send?”
    “Seers.” He pressed his hand to her lower back, and his eyes grew heavy lidded with pleasure. “The seers see an animal that will connect to our lives. In my path, they saw a white tiger; also, the other three were probably exposed to a white tiger in their visions but not as the primary beast.”
    “So, on the off chance, they gather everyone who has the same beast in their vision and send them here at the same time?”
    He nodded as if it was the most reasonable thing. “That is correct.”
    “So, if I hadn’t said yes...”
    “I would be waiting until you did or waiting until another white tiger entered the Crossroads who was willing to take a chance on the fey.”
    She took a deep breath and held it as she pressed her lips to Reygaer’s. Cool, like everything else about him, he waited a moment as she got the nerve to deepen the kiss.
    There was no place safer than the Crossed Star for a first kiss. If anything got out of hand, Chuck or Spike would step in.
    As they kissed in the middle of the dance floor, Nova felt a building of her beast’s energy under her skin. The pressure increased until she felt the flow of fey magic into her mouth. The combination of shifter and fey magic mingled, and a blast of power shot out in a circle from the union of their lips.
    Nova leaned back in his embrace, and the shock she felt was echoed in his face.
    Applause broke out wildly from the shifters. The three fey looked a little confused.
    Her victim moved over to them and asked, “What was that?”
    The shadows in the corner of the bar moved and parted, allowing a graceful woman with long midnight hair and brilliant green eyes to become visible. “It was a meeting of equal and opposite.”
    A man came out of the shadows behind her, as striking as his companion was beautiful.
    Dira and Mak stood side by side, and from the far corner, an elder fey stepped forward.
    Nova looked from one to the other. “You were watching?”
    Dira smiled. “You are the strongest possible match we could find. If this is going to work, we had to prove it quickly.”
    Reygaer bowed to the senior fey approaching.
    The man had long white hair and a pathway of wrinkles around his eyes, but those eyes were clear and bright with hope.
    “Rise, Lord Frostwind. I am surprised you volunteered for this but gratified by the progress you are making.”
    “Thank you, High Lord West.”
    “You are welcome. Will you introduce me?”
    Reygaer blinked and a deep purple stained his cheeks. “Of course. High Lord West of the People of the Echo, this is Nova Spalding of the shifters, my intended bride.”
    Nova looked at the older elf and gave a graceful curtsey that apparently surprised him.
    He took her hand and kissed the back of it. “Welcome to the new heartbeat of your life.”
    Nova quirked her lips. “It isn’t certain because we have been determined equal, nor because he declares me his intended. This isn’t over until we prove that our beasts are compatible or that our bodies are. Shifters don’t take anything on faith or destiny. We prove our paths. Once I have Lord Frostwind naked, I will believe the seers.”
    Dira was howling with laughter and holding on to Mak.
    Mak was trying to keep his dignity, but he said, “She isn’t wrong. Shifters do it by physical feedback.”
    Reygaer tightened his hand on Nova’s waist. “High Lord, I would hate for this experiment to remain unratified.”
    “You do realize that this lacks dignity.”
    Nova sighed, “You do realize that for most shifters life is too short for dignity. We like to live our lives, not formalize them into empty rituals. No disrespect intended, but this is why we are thriving and you are fading. I have yet to see a fey who doesn’t look bored with their own existence. This will inject some much-needed fun. Shorter lives but much more energy.” She paused. “High Lord.”
    She curtseyed again and he started