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

able to swim back to the main land, which is obviously much easier to do as a polar bear than as a human.”
    Kenzie nodded. “I’m sure Neal will be understanding of that. He’ll probably act super grumpy, but don’t let it faze you. They all act like grumpy bears now and then.”
    “So… you’re Ryker’s life mate? How is it, being married to a bear?”
    “It’s not really much different than you’d expect normal married life to be. Every now and then the clan members shift and go off seal hunting, but other than that, I almost forget sometimes that they’re bears. Why?” Kenzie asked, narrowing her eyes at Delaney. “Did you sleep with him?”
    Delaney said nothing, but her face gave her away.
    Kenzie’s face broke out into a grin, and she squealed. “I knew it! The way he looked at you was too sweet! He bonded to you, didn’t he?”
    Delaney nodded. “He asked me to be his life mate. I said yes. It’s a little crazy, because I’ve only known him a few days. But there’s just such a strong connection. I’ve never felt anything like it before.”
    “That’s the bear bond. It was that way for Ryker and me, as well. When it happens for a bear, it happens fast. And the bond is so strong that even a mere human like you or me can feel it. Bear shifters believe that there is someone out there for everyone. When you know, you know. It’s like the human concept of a soul mate.”
    “Will Neal be angry that Eric already asked me to be his life mate?”
    Kenzie shrugged. “Neal’s always mad about something. He’ll get over it. Neal has to approve all life mate matches before they’re final. It’s not an automatic shoo-in, but I don’t think it’ll be a problem for you. The Northern Lights Clan desperately needs to grow, and humans are the only option right now for adding clan members. Plus, I’ll give him shit if he tries to decline your membership. I’m so ready to have another woman around here. The bears are all great, but they’re all guys. It’d be nice to have someone to girl talk with.”
    “I’d like that,” Delaney said, and smiled. It had been a long time since she’d had a close girlfriend. Traveling around constantly made it hard to develop close friendships. But Kenzie seemed very sweet and down to earth. Delaney had a feeling she was going to enjoy being part of this close-knit group. She glanced toward the window. The storm was finally fading, and she could see the outline of Ryker’s and Eric’s figures. She hoped Ryker wasn’t giving Eric too hard of a time over her. Nothing would make her happier at the moment than being accepted into the Northern Lights Clan.

Chapter Ten
    After about twenty minutes, Eric and Ryker reentered the cabin. The two women, who had been drinking tea and laughing, fell silent as the men entered and stomped snow off of their boots.
    “Is everything okay?” Delaney asked, her voice filling with trepidation. She half expected Eric to tell her he had changed his mind and she needed to leave. But he smiled tenderly at her and leaned over to plant a kiss on her lips.
    “Everything’s fine. But I need to call the alpha and update him on what’s going on, with the Blizzards and with us.”
    “Kenzie said he has to approve me or we can’t be together,” Delaney said, her voice catching a bit.
    “That’s true. But don’t worry, he’ll approve you. I’ll fight for you if he tries to say no.”
    Delaney grinned, and her heart beat faster at the sexy confidence in Eric’s voice. He was her man! He would fight for her! What more could a girl ask for?
    Eric grabbed the cordless phone’s headset and stepped back outside of the cabin.
    “We really need a cabin with more than one room,” Kenzie said, shaking her head. No one can ever have any privacy in here, and I’m sure our little cub is going to eventually want to have a door he can slam in our face when he’s angry.”
    Ryker laughed. “Hopefully the door-slamming days are a little ways