Free Bearing the Whiteout (Ice Bear Shifters Book 2) by Sloane Meyers

laid down the gun and plugged her ears, while closing her eyes tightly. If she was doomed to die in here, she didn’t want to see it happen. She didn’t want to hear it happening. She just wanted to pretend she was somewhere, anywhere else. Delaney felt herself growing warmer by the second. The layers of clothes she was wearing were too much for the warm interior of the shelter. The roaring continued, although the noise slowly lessened. But Delaney got hotter and hotter, and sweat formed on her skin under the layers of clothes. The temperature was reaching unbearable. Delaney opened her eyes again, and then screamed. The shelter was on fire. No wonder she was so hot. Flames licked at the storage compartments on the opposite side of the shelter from her, slowly growing in size and intensity.
    Delaney screamed again and ran outside through the front door, which was only a few moments away from being blocked by flames. The blast of cold hit her like a shock wave, and she was instantly blinded by the solid white of the swirling snow. She looked around, desperately trying to make out anything that might resemble Eric. But all she could see was the faint orange glow of hot flames behind her. A strong chemical smell hung in the air, and Delaney realized that the Blizzards must have set the fire using some sort of flammable substance. Maybe they had even been trying to burn them alive before Eric realized they were there. Eric had said they didn’t like to get in physical fights.
    Delaney realized that the noise of bear roars had silenced. There was no sound except the crackling of flames and howling wind. She looked all around in panic. She needed Eric. She had no idea where she was, or how to get anywhere from here. If he wasn’t still alive out here, then she was as good as dead, too. She wanted to scream his name, but she didn’t want to alert the Blizzards to her location if they hadn’t yet realized she was out here.
    Suddenly, a large black snout nudged Delaney. She screamed and jumped backwards, not sure who the bear was. Then she saw those familiar violet eyes. It was Eric! He had made it through. Patches of his fur were bloody here and there, but he seemed to be mostly okay. Delaney couldn’t tell whether it was his blood or the blood of the Blizzards. Probably both. He sniffed her, and looked her up and down. Seemingly satisfied that she was okay, he laid on his stomach with his paws outstretched. Delaney understood. He wanted her to climb on his back again. She hopped on and grabbed two big fistfuls of fur. He looked over his shoulder, grunted, and took off running. Delaney had no idea where they were going, but Eric seemed sure. He was running quickly and confidently through the storm, his large paws driving through the snow banks with ease.
    Delaney shook her head in amazement. Here she sat, again riding on a polar bear through the Arctic. If it wasn’t for the fact that she was worried about another Blizzard attack, the moment would have seemed almost magical. Delaney glanced down at her hands, full of polar bear fur, and she admired the way Eric’s strong shoulders moved beneath her grasp. He ran steadily, never slowing down for a second. After what felt like the better part of an hour, he came to a stop in front of a small cabin. Delaney had no idea where they were, but Eric let out a large huff that sounded like a relieved sigh. He banged a paw on the door, a clumsy version of knocking. A few moments later, a tall man with violet eyes threw the door open, revealing a small but cozy one-room living space.
    “Eric!” the man said, his voice full of surprise and concern. Eric’s bear huffed and swung his head over his shoulder in Delaney’s direction, then huffed again.
    “He wants you to get down,” the man said, then held out his hand to help Delaney hop off of her polar bear escort. Then he nudged Delaney inside, where a beautiful, slender woman with dark brown hair and concerned green eyes was