Read Online Cynful: Halle Shifters, Book 2 by Dana Marie Bell - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Dana Marie Bell
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giving out free samples. “Why?”
Cyn bopped him upside the head. “You could have died , asshole.”
He sat back on his heels, his erection completely forgotten. This was something that couldn’t wait, something every Kermode had to do before mating with someone from the outside. “This is who I am, what I am. Bear made me this way for a reason.”
“Does that mean you have to risk your life?”
“Yes.” He sighed and stroked his hand across her knee. “He was two minutes from death. An aneurysm. What would you have me do, let a man die right in front of me when I can save him?”
She blew out a breath and refused to meet his eyes.
“I’m a nurse because of what I am. The urge to heal is strong within all Bears, but more so for the Kermode.”
“Alex said that was the reason the Kermode hold themselves apart.”
“He’s partially right. There’s more to it than that. The First Nations say that Kermode were made white by Raven to remind us all of the Ice Age, but it’s not true. Kermode were made white because…” He grimaced. “The truth is, not all Kermode are white. Only one in ten is, and they’re the ones with the special gift. But those of us who are born Spirit Bears are slowly dying out.” And the majority of human mates turned never became Spirit Bears. He doubted Cyn would be any different.
“Genetic problems?”
“Partly. We have our own problems as well, problems that up until now we’ve tried to deal with on our own.”
“Tell me.”
He hid a grin. He couldn’t wait until Tai and Cyn spoke for the first time. He had the feeling they’d seriously butt heads. “I can’t.” He held up his hand, stalling her objection. “I’m not allowed to. Bears might not have Alphas and Packs, but we have our own way of doing things. Tai Boucher is the closest thing we have to an Alpha, and until he tells me it’s all right to tell you, or until you accept the mating and become one of us, I can’t.” He shot her a cheeky grin. “It’s a Spirit Bear thing. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Your leader’s name is Tai?”
Hell. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard that much guilt in someone’s voice. “Yes. Why?”
She rolled her eyes. “Then trust me when I say he’ll never give you permission.”
His stomach rolled. “Crap. Did Tai call while I was sleeping?”
She nodded. Her expression now matched her voice.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing!”
“Cyn.”
“I may have taken exception to his tone of voice. I might even have retaliated a little. Just a tiny bit.”
He rubbed his forehead. Wow, look at that. A headache really could come roaring back to life. “What did he want?”
“He said to tell you that every Kermode has had the same dream, something about a key and a Bear, I forget exactly what he said.” She waved it off even as a shiver worked its way down his spine. This was bad. “He also—” She bit her lip and frowned ferociously.
“Also what?”
She looked him dead in the face and lied her pretty ass off. He’d made it a habit to study all things Cyn, and her left eyebrow always twitched just the tiniest bit before she fibbed. “Said to tell you hi.”
He traded stare for stare with her, but she didn’t back down, didn’t give him what he wanted: the truth. “Is that all he said?”
“Would you like some cookies?”
What the fuck? “I doubt he said that.”
“No, I’m hungry.” She pushed him away and clambered out of bed. “I want cookies.”
“I want answers.” He followed her to the kitchen where she helped herself to a large glass of milk. “What did Tai say, Cyn?”
“Oreos? You don’t have any chocolate chip?” She put the bag on the counter and ripped into it. “You need to do a grocery run.”
“I need to paddle your ass if you don’t tell me what he said. And Oreos are manna of the gods, you evil heathen. Especially if they’re double-stuff.”
She glared at him and shoved an entire Oreo in her
Cyn bopped him upside the head. “You could have died , asshole.”
He sat back on his heels, his erection completely forgotten. This was something that couldn’t wait, something every Kermode had to do before mating with someone from the outside. “This is who I am, what I am. Bear made me this way for a reason.”
“Does that mean you have to risk your life?”
“Yes.” He sighed and stroked his hand across her knee. “He was two minutes from death. An aneurysm. What would you have me do, let a man die right in front of me when I can save him?”
She blew out a breath and refused to meet his eyes.
“I’m a nurse because of what I am. The urge to heal is strong within all Bears, but more so for the Kermode.”
“Alex said that was the reason the Kermode hold themselves apart.”
“He’s partially right. There’s more to it than that. The First Nations say that Kermode were made white by Raven to remind us all of the Ice Age, but it’s not true. Kermode were made white because…” He grimaced. “The truth is, not all Kermode are white. Only one in ten is, and they’re the ones with the special gift. But those of us who are born Spirit Bears are slowly dying out.” And the majority of human mates turned never became Spirit Bears. He doubted Cyn would be any different.
“Genetic problems?”
“Partly. We have our own problems as well, problems that up until now we’ve tried to deal with on our own.”
“Tell me.”
He hid a grin. He couldn’t wait until Tai and Cyn spoke for the first time. He had the feeling they’d seriously butt heads. “I can’t.” He held up his hand, stalling her objection. “I’m not allowed to. Bears might not have Alphas and Packs, but we have our own way of doing things. Tai Boucher is the closest thing we have to an Alpha, and until he tells me it’s all right to tell you, or until you accept the mating and become one of us, I can’t.” He shot her a cheeky grin. “It’s a Spirit Bear thing. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Your leader’s name is Tai?”
Hell. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard that much guilt in someone’s voice. “Yes. Why?”
She rolled her eyes. “Then trust me when I say he’ll never give you permission.”
His stomach rolled. “Crap. Did Tai call while I was sleeping?”
She nodded. Her expression now matched her voice.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing!”
“Cyn.”
“I may have taken exception to his tone of voice. I might even have retaliated a little. Just a tiny bit.”
He rubbed his forehead. Wow, look at that. A headache really could come roaring back to life. “What did he want?”
“He said to tell you that every Kermode has had the same dream, something about a key and a Bear, I forget exactly what he said.” She waved it off even as a shiver worked its way down his spine. This was bad. “He also—” She bit her lip and frowned ferociously.
“Also what?”
She looked him dead in the face and lied her pretty ass off. He’d made it a habit to study all things Cyn, and her left eyebrow always twitched just the tiniest bit before she fibbed. “Said to tell you hi.”
He traded stare for stare with her, but she didn’t back down, didn’t give him what he wanted: the truth. “Is that all he said?”
“Would you like some cookies?”
What the fuck? “I doubt he said that.”
“No, I’m hungry.” She pushed him away and clambered out of bed. “I want cookies.”
“I want answers.” He followed her to the kitchen where she helped herself to a large glass of milk. “What did Tai say, Cyn?”
“Oreos? You don’t have any chocolate chip?” She put the bag on the counter and ripped into it. “You need to do a grocery run.”
“I need to paddle your ass if you don’t tell me what he said. And Oreos are manna of the gods, you evil heathen. Especially if they’re double-stuff.”
She glared at him and shoved an entire Oreo in her
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