His to Bear: Icy Cap Den #1 (Alaskan Den Men) Read Online Free

home. Anyone you’ve been keeping an eye on? A certain ice bear?” I focus on my suturing.
    “You mean the sheriff?” Trudy’s nervous fingers stop mauling the pages. Oh sweet Jesus. I hadn’t meant Ash. I’d been thinking of how attentive Tristan was. Now, though, with all that painkiller lowering Trudy’s inhibitions, I panic. Is she going to wax on about how wonderful he is? And am I going to have to listen?
    Not that I don’t agree, but I remember from my human days that there are few things worse than hearing another woman praise the guy you like. Especially since I can never have him.
    Trudy is perfect for Ash. She’s a shifter too. She’s from Icy Cap. She’s known him for years.
    I feel a stab of jealousy.
    “Me and Ash? That’s funny. Ash is a great guy, but you haven’t met Dane. He’s hawt .” Trudy giggles.
    Good news: the pain meds are working.
    I haven’t met Ash’s twin brother, Dane, but I’ve scrapbooked more than a few pictures of him. The brothers have identical features except that instead of Ash’s fair hair and light eyes, Dane is all dark, broody good looks.
    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I’d invite Ash to warm my bed any day if it wasn’t for that whole staking thing.
    So Trudy has a thing for the smoldery twin? I’m willing to bet Tristan doesn’t know that. Luckily I’m in no position to tell him.
    “You’re not like other vampires I’ve met. You care about people.”
    “That’s my job.” I give her wound a sniff. No sour odor, which means the dark magic is gone. I hate to think what would happen if that wound festered.
    “So, what about you and the sheriff?” Trudy asks.
    I’m starting to wish I’d given her a little less pain medication. It doesn’t function as truth serum with most people.
    “You should rest now. You’ve lost a lot of blood.”
    “Admit it,” Trudy presses. “You like him. And I know he likes you.”
    Thank God I’ve got more self-respect as a vampire than to hang on every last word from Trudy like a lovesick teenager.
    “Life is complicated, Trudy.”
    “No shit. This medicine is awesome, by the way. Any chance you can leave me some for later?”
    “None at all.”

3
    Ash
    I head back outside . Being in close proximity to Meg and seeing Trudy injured, my bear spirit paces inside me, eager to fight whatever is attacking innocent residents.
    Activity is the only thing that will calm my bear. Behind the cabin, I find a bloody trail leading from the woodshed to the back door, a mix of human and fox tracks. It’s lucky Tristan freed Trudy when he did, or the outcome would have been deadly.
    I’m surprised Tristan hasn’t showed up yet. Maybe he’s following up on a lead. I’ll ask him later. He’s hung around Trudy ever since he arrived in Icy Cap.
    I find the trap near the generator, as she said I would. Whoever set it was serious about catching a fox, and they didn’t care how they did it. I close my eyes, reaching for my ice bear spirit within. I sift through smells of humans, foxes, birds, and other small mammals. Something else too. Musky. Familiar, but I can’t place it. Unease stirs within me.
    I dig around using a downed branch, hoping to trigger any other traps. I come up empty. Whoever set the trap picked the perfect spot. Not only would the trap maim, but the distance from her cabin meant she could have frozen to death. I wonder if the sick fuck watched the whole thing.
    With the trap sprung, I hang it up against the cabin as I did at my place. I start the generator, then stack wood by the back door. Trudy can easily grab it here when she feels better.
    Seems like as good a time as any to split more wood, blizzard or no. I retrieve the ax from the woodshed, the handle feeling solid in my hand. Stacking a log on an old tree stump, I split that sucker into two perfect halves. Now if I could only have the culprit’s head, I’d be making progress.
    Set. Swing. Split.
    Set. Swing. Split.
    I move into the motions,