Free Frozen Necessity by Evi Asher Page B

started.
    He got up in a fluid motion and stalked over to Angelica’s door.
    “Gelibean,” He said in a husky tone. “I owe you an apology.” He pushed the door open and frowned.
    The room was empty. He stepped in and looked behind the door. Nothing. The fire had burned low in the fireplace and the bedding was strewn across the floor. The bearskin was gone, and so was Angelica.
    Colt felt a roar of pure rage build in his chest. He clenched his fists and fought it. That kind of emotion would only make him shift, and he didn’t want to shift right now. He wanted to find his missing mate.
     
    * * * *
     
    “…and that is how I ended up here now.” Angelica finished her story with a sigh. Archer had kept everyone in check, and the commentary had been no more than the occasional question.
    “I’m sorry, Angelica.” Ath leaned forward and grabbed her in a bear hug. “I should have known better.” 
    Scarlet was blushing. “I owe you a big apology as well.”
    Yes, they did, but Angelica would let it go. Their assumptions had hurt, but she might have made the same ones, had their positions been reversed. “Don’t worry about it,” she said.
    Scarlet started to protest, but Angelica held up her hand. “Look, you didn’t know the whole story, so I don’t blame you, okay? All that is important is that we get out of here now.”
    Athera was studying her with a strange look. “I’m not so sure we should leave.”
    “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Angelica stood and glared down at Athera. “Didn’t you hear a word I said? Colt is holding me hostage, and I don’t want to be a prisoner, so let’s go now.” She looked to the others for support, but only Scarlet would meet her eyes.
    “You are all going to support Athera on this?”
    Archer shrugged. “I think she has a point.”
    “I was just the bloodhound on this trip,” Laz said. “What they do, I do.”
    Angelica looked at Scarlet.
    “I think that if you run, he will follow you, and you are mated to him. I can’t take his mate away.” Her eyes fell on Archer and her lips curled in a small smile.
    “What?” Angelica drew in a deep breath, asking any deity that would listen for some patience. “So you aren’t here to rescue me. You are here to hand me over to Colt?”
    “Angelica, it’s not like that,” Ath spoke up. “Scar is right. He will follow you, so why not save us the stress of being chased and sort things out with him, and find an amicable way to leave.”
    Angelica’s voice brimmed with anger. Even she could hear when she answered. “He will never let me leave.”
    “Fair enough that you believe that, so how about we make a deal. You give me two days, stay with Colt for two days, and if you still want to leave after two days, we’ll steal you away from your mate and make sure he can never find you again.
    Angelica considered the proposal for a moment. She had taken all he could dish out this far—what was two more days?
    Two more days of rejection, hurt, and soul crushing apathy. She hesitated, not sure if she was up for it, and then decided she could do it. She’d proven to herself how tough she could be. She would hide her feelings behind a wall so high that the polar bear could never reach them, and if he couldn’t reach them, he couldn’t hurt her.
    She straightened her shoulders and nodded her head. “Okay, I agree, but if I want to leave, you have to leave, and no more arguments?”
    “Agreed.”
    The front door of the cabin opened and Sarah stepped into it. “Oh, hello Angelica, I didn’t know you were visiting your friends.” She smiled.
    “Hi, Sarah.” Angelica returned her smile then introduced the Eternals to the town elder.
    “I’m so glad you came to visit our small village, and we’d love for you to come to the small gathering of village people. We want to welcome you properly, as is our custom here.
    Scarlet spoke for the others. “We’d love that.”
    Angelica felt a lump of dread