Free Bearing the Late Thaw (Ice Bear Shifters Book 5) by Sloane Meyers Page B

stay in town—bear shifters don’t like to draw attention to themselves in front of a lot of humans. If you ever don’t feel safe, for whatever reason, call me or one of my clan members. I’ll give you everyone’s numbers, and you can come meet them as soon as you have a chance to get away from work. Just be alert, and stick close to the city.”
    “Okay,” Christine said, her voice sounding agitated. Neal reached over and squeezed her hand.
    “I don’t want to scare you, but I want to make sure you’re keeping a lookout.”
    “How long is this threat going to last?” Christine asked, biting her lower lip and nervously drumming the table. “It sounds like you haven’t made much progress on finding them. What if you never do?”
    “I don’t know,” Neal admitted. “All I can promise you is that my clan members and I are constantly searching, and constantly brainstorming for new ways to flush out the Blizzards. I had hoped that the search would get easier once the weather starts warming up and the snow starts melting away. It’s a bit difficult to search when the entire tundra is just a white sheet of snow and ice. But the weather has been unusually cold this year. We haven’t had any days above freezing yet, and it’s getting close to June.”
    Neal ran his fingers through his hair, and Christine sighed.
    “I just don’t want to end up crossing paths with them again. That was not my idea of a fun day.”
    Neal leaned over and kissed her. “Stay in town, and you’ll be fine. And I’m always just a phone call away. If you can’t reach me at my cabin, call the shop. You’re also welcome to come spend time with the clan out by the cabins any time you want. They’re a very friendly group, and I know they’re going to love you.”
    Christine smiled gratefully. “It would be nice to have some friends to hang out with again. Things have gotten a little lonely around here since Jill left.”
    “I know you’re busy, but, seriously, any time you want.”
    “Thanks,” Christine said, then glanced at her watch. “And speaking of busy, I have to get going. Feel free to stay here and eat pancakes for as long as you want, though.”
    Christine leaned over and gave Neal a quick kiss on the lips, and then headed for the door.
    “Do you want a ride?” he called after her.
    “Nah, I like walking. Gives me a chance to stretch my legs for a few minutes.”
    “Alright. Have a good day,” Neal said. After she shut the door, he went to the window to watch her walk away. He admired her silhouette until she disappeared around the corner of a building, and then he let out a little whoop. Even with all the pressure of taking care of his clan weighing down on him, Neal couldn’t help but feeling like he’d just won the lottery.
    Now if it would just warm up so he could flush those damn Blizzards out of hiding.
     
    * * *
     
    Five days later, Christine decided to take Neal up on his offer of spending time with his clan. Neal had come over to see her every night, bringing her takeout food or showing up with ingredients to whip up a quick meal. He was no master chef, and his cooking usually consisted of stereotypical bachelor meals like spaghetti with meat sauce or grilled cheese sandwiches, but Christine didn’t complain. The quick dishes still beat eating a microwave dinner alone, and the effort Neal was making was sweet. She loved it when he spent the night, but he only actually stayed over every other night. He didn’t want to spend too much time away from the cabins where his clan slept, given the looming threat of a Blizzard attack.
    Christine was drowning in work, and the extra time it took to make the commute back and forth to Neal’s cabin felt like forever to her, but she didn’t want her new relationship to suffer because of a job she was on the edge of leaving anyways. She had fallen hard and fast for Neal, and she’d be damned if she let this stupid document review project drive a wedge between