Free Bearing the Black Ice (Ice Bear Shifters Book 4) by Sloane Meyers Page B

few pairs of shoes. Half of them fit her, so at least one of the women in the clan shared her shoe size. Hannah felt a little ball of nervousness in her stomach when she thought about the other women in the clan. She hadn’t had a chance to meet them yet, since they had been helping Kenzie during her labor. She hoped they would all like her. Alan had told her that the women were all human. The idea of being the only female shifter in a clan felt strange, but as long as the other women didn’t get weird about it, Hannah didn’t see any reason they couldn’t all be friends. And, oh, how she longed for close female companionship again. She missed the days of sitting on a front porch on a lazy summer afternoon, sipping lemonade and sharing the latest clan gossip. She missed spending winter afternoons baking batches of cookies with friends, all while sipping on homemade hot chocolate. Hannah would give almost anything to enjoy happy moments like that again, and she hoped that the women of the Northern Lights Clan would welcome her in and let her be a part of their crew.
    As Hannah sat there daydreaming about happier times ahead, Alan suddenly burst through the front door. “They’re here!” he shouted, his voice full of excitement.
    “Who’s here?” Hannah asked, confused.
    “The cubs! Kenzie had her cubs—twins! A boy and a girl. No one near Glacier Point does ultrasounds, so she had no idea! What an amazing surprise. Not just one, but two new clan members were born today!”
    Hannah grinned from ear to ear. Even though she hadn’t yet met Kenzie, she was overjoyed at the news. She knew the good news of a double blessing would buoy the spirits of the Northern Lights bears, who had been through so much with the near annihilation of their clan.
    “Alan, that’s fantastic! Kenzie must be thrilled.”
    “She’s over the moon with excitement, although she’s exhausted. But she’s asking to meet you. Would you like to come meet her and the new cubs?”
    “Right now? Doesn’t she want to rest up first?”
    Alan shrugged. “I guess she’s on a bit of an adrenaline high at the moment. And she was so excited to see that I was back and okay after they had given me up for dead. I told her about you, and she insisted that I come get you.”
    “Wow, really?”
    “Yes, really. Throw on a jacket and come with me. Kenzie’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.”
    Hannah grinned. “Okay,” she said, grabbing the hand Alan offered and standing up. It appeared that her question over whether the women of the clan would accept her had just been answered.

Chapter Eleven
    Hannah timidly followed Alan into the cabin that belonged to Ryker. The front room was crowded with excited clan members. Neal, Tyler, and Eric—whom Hannah had already met—stood in the kitchen, leaning against the kitchen counter and sipping steaming mugs of coffee. They talked in excited, hushed tones, and greeted Alan and Hannah with friendly nods when they entered the cabin.
    Two women sat at the kitchen table, and they rose to greet Hannah. The first woman had honey brown eyes, and hair of the same color pulled up in a bun. With her slender frame and olive skin, she looked like a model.
    “You must be Hannah,” she said. “I’m Delaney, Eric’s life mate. I’ve heard so much about you! It’s so good to meet you.”
    Delaney reached over and gave Hannah a warm hug. The gesture took Hannah off guard, but she returned the hug.
    “All good things, I hope,” Hannah joked.
    “Of course! Alan can’t stop talking about you.”
    Hannah glanced over at Alan, who blushed and gave her a sheepish shrug. Seeing the cheeks of her tough guy shifter turning pink was kind of adorable.
    The other woman was curvier, with shiny blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. Her porcelain skin glowed with beauty and happiness, and she gave Hannah a big hug as well. “I’m Kat, Tyler’s life mate,” she said. “Delaney’s right, we’ve heard such good