The Gift of My Mate (Siberian Volkov Pack Romance Book 9) Read Online Free Page B

falling from his face. “What’s wrong? Is she okay?”
    “She’s tired from her run. She’ll be all right once we get back to the hunting cabin,” Mathis sent telepathically to his youngest brother.
    Grief and misery flowed through the golden light that connected him to Margot. Even with the mating bond being as thin as a pencil, the emotions almost brought Mathis to his knees. Margot was devastated by his deception. He didn’t know if she could ever forgive him.
    Mathis didn’t want to share his problems with Ujarak. He would never give up Margot. Somehow, he must get her past his lying to her.
    He sent his enormous strength through the mating bond, tempering her grief and trying to wrap her in reassurance. They must still make their way back to the cabin. Margot needed to get up. Mathis went over and nosed her shoulder, and licked at her muzzle, before giving her a nudge. “Come on, Margot. We need to go.”
    Margot sighed, and got to her feet.
    Ujarak crawled from the snow cave and Mathis followed. He waited at the opening until Margot climbed out of the makeshift shelter. Ujarak had already shifted and rolled around in the snow, playing like a cub.
    Margot froze, her whole body quivered and on alert.
    “It’s all right, Margot. Ujarak is my brother. I am only half-lycan.”
    “Your brother is a polar bear shifter?”
    “Actually, all of my siblings are nanuk. My mother and I are the only wolf shifters. She named me, Mathis, after her grandfather. My brothers and sister have Inuit names since they are nanuk.”
    “I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
    “The mating bond snapped into place for my mother and father. Their mating is interracial, but it is filled with love. Mother left her pack and moved to nanuk territory with my father. It happens sometimes.”
    “Can you turn into a polar bear?”
    “No. It seems I inherited my wolf shifting genes from my mother, while my siblings inherited the polar bear shifting genes from my father. Now if my brother will stop playing around, we can get on our way.”
     
    §
     
    Mathis was half polar bear shifter? Margot stared at the huge bear that was Ujarak as he rolled in the snow. He came up smiling with a goofy grin and winked at her. She glanced at Mathis. He stood a little way from the entrance to the snow cave, testing the air.
    Suddenly, he ran over and stopped in front of Ujarak. The huge bear began to lumber away. Next, Mathis ran up to her and nosed her shoulder. “Run, Margot. Back toward the cabin. We’re being hunted.”
    The tone of his command rang in her ears. Margot began to run. Mathis followed her, nipping at her heals. She lengthened her stride and he moved up beside her. Mathis increased their pace, urging Margot to go even faster. “Hurry, Margot. We must make it back to the cabin.”
    “Who is hunting us and why?”
    “We are in nanuk territory without permission. Not all nanuk are friendly with lycans.”
    “You’re saying we are being hunted by polar bear shifters?”
    “Yes. Now, run! Our only chance is to get out of their territory before they can catch up to us.”
    Margot tried to match his speed, running full out. She was confused about where the danger came from, still she ran. She glanced at him. It made sense that he was half polar bear with his white coat and broad body. He was so much stockier than a regular lycan. He even smelled different from other lycans, with that hint of frost scent mixed into his lycan aroma.
    The cabin was up ahead. Mathis growled low as two polar bears lumbered into view. “Keep running, Margot. Don’t stop for anything. You need to get into that cabin and stay there.”
    Mathis dropped back behind her, keeping his body between his mate and the polar bear shifters behind them. Margot pulled on the last of her reserves and shot into the trees next to the hunting cabin. Shadows darkened the ground. A man stepped out between two trees, his body covered in furs, a rifle at his shoulder.
    Margot