“I’m not playing games,” she ground out, her voice so sexily hoarse he almost came in his pants right there.
“You are.” He closed the inch between them and settled his lips a breath away from hers. There was an innocence to her game playing, a real curiosity, that gave him pause. She was a demon, no doubt closely protected by family her entire life, considering female demons were incredibly rare. Had she been with a man? The other night, the woman had known how to kiss. Really known how to kiss. Was the curiosity real? “Enough game playing.”
Her eyelids fluttered shut. “Fine.” Quick as any witch, she shot her hands into his hair and yanked his mouth against hers. Soft as petals, she kissed him, flicking her tongue along his lower lip.
Desire, hot and desperate, roared through his blood. Flexing his hands, he tipped her back, taking her lips and stealing the kiss. His tongue swept inside her mouth, tasting woman and fine wine. The combination lit him on fire, and he had to force flames away from his skin. Something he hadn’t had to do since he’d been a randy teenager centuries ago.
He pressed against her, allowing the beast inside him off the leash. Then she groaned. The sound reverberated up her throat, eased into his mouth, and set his nerve endings alive. Kissing her harder, he pressed his chest against hers, allowing the handlebars to carry their weight. With only his mouth working hers, he tilted her head to the side so he could go deeper. His hands went to her jacket, just as her cold nose brushed against his cheek.
Freezing nose.
He broke the kiss and leaned back, his entire body throbbing with the fierce need to strip her bare and bury himself inside her tight body. “You’re cold,” he rumbled, his voice rougher than any demon’s would ever be.
Her eyelids fluttered open, and her pupils widened. Surprise and need glittered in the depths of her eyes. “Not cold. Very hot.”
He grinned. Even now, his body on fire, her likability soothed him. Oh, he didn’t trust her and had no doubt they were on opposite sides of whatever was going on. Yet she had a sweetness to her he wanted to explore, consequences be damned. “Shelter, baby. We need shelter.”
The atmosphere ticked. A change around them, a tension in the storm, had his shoulders stiffening. He leaned back, taking Cee Cee with him, and surveyed the area.
She stilled, her head turning toward the orange building. “Something is there.”
Aye. The storm had strengthened, swirling snow around, making visibility nil. But he could feel something. Or someone. Darkness through the white. Eyes. Animal eyes.
Slowly, on the prowl, a series of polar bears stalked around both sides of the orange building. The beasts were well known in Norway, their kills a normal occurrence when anybody was stupid enough to set foot on Norwegian islands.
Cee Cee swallowed. “Shifter or animal?”
He ducked his head. Many shifters lived on the island, and most of his employees in the coal mine were actual bear shifters. But these? All animal, which was unfortunate. He moved his hands incredibly slowly around the woman’s stiff body. The switch inside him flipped, turning him from lover to killer in an instant. Protecting the woman in front of him became his entire focus. “I’m going to ignite the engine, and I need you to flip around me and hold on at the same second.”
“Okay,” she whispered, her thighs tightening around his waist.
“Now,” he muttered, twisting the key. The engine roared to life, and Cee Cee moved, gracefully swirling around him and planting her butt in place.
The lead bear charged, teeth sharp and bared.
Chapter 5
Oh God. There were at least eight large beasts running at them.
“Hold on, Cee Cee,” Daire said, twisting the throttle. The powerful vehicle jumped forward, and snow sprayed.
She clamped her hands together, her body flush with his, her legs vibrating. Piercing cold air rushed against her face, and she leaned her cheek into his back. “What about Vegar?” she yelled.
Daire swerved to avoid the head bear.
Two more leaped toward them, hitting their bodies square on and knocking them off the rapidly moving snowmobile. Daire turned in midair and tucked her close, wrapping his body around her as they landed hard on the ice and skidded several yards. Before she could catch her breath, he was up and in front of her, facing down a line of snarling beasts.
She scrambled to stand, her boots sliding on the slippery surface. Panic cut off her air, and the wind shoved at her from behind. The snowmobile continued on without them for a distance, slowed, and slid to a stop, its engine still running.
The nearest bear lifted its head and growled. Insanity glowed in its eyes, or maybe that was hunger. Definitely pure animal with no shifter inside. Judging by size, three of the animals were male, five female. All were a mangy white with thick coats and deadly claws, ranging from nine feet to seven feet tall, and about a thousand pounds. How in the hell could she and Daire take all eight of them?
A female to the leader’s left turned and ran over to Vegar on the ground. Cee Cee cried out and tried to move toward the downed witch, but Daire shoved her back behind him.
“Too late. Concentrate on the immediate threat,” he ordered, his stance set, his large body between her and the snarling beasts.
A sickening crunch echoed as one of the beasts sank its teeth into Vegar’s neck. Within seconds, the animal had beheaded the witch. Two more bears leaped over and started to feed.
Oh God, Oh God, Oh God. Cee Cee swallowed down bile.
Daire angled slightly toward the sea, facing the remaining five beasts. “I’m going to charge them, straight in the middle, and you run for the snowmobile,” he said under his breath.
“No.” She couldn’t leave him to five of the snarling monsters. “You’re tough, Enforcer, but one of those animals just ripped off a witch’s head with minimal effort.” She’d never fought a real bear before. “Go for the throat and incapacitate quickly,” she whispered.
He nodded. “Get to the damn snowmobile. The throttle is the right handlebar—just twist forward the second you jump on. I can’t charge them and cover you.”
She quickly calculated scenarios in her head. He was right. The five remaining bears began to spread out and circle them. “Okay.”
“When you get on, go north, past the buildings, and keep going until you reach the base of that peak over there. I have allies, polar bear shifters, and they’ll help you. Tell them you’re mine.” Daire shook out his hands and angled to keep himself in alignment with the leader as it moved. “Now. Go.” With a breathtaking roar, he jumped forward, arms outstretched, taking down three of the massive bears.
Cee Cee ducked to the side and ran full bore toward the snowmobile. Panting and the clacking of nails on ice sounded behind her. Claws raked down her arm, shredding the coat and digging into her skin.
Pain flared—hot and brutal.
Her heart rate increased, and her lungs panted out. She half turned and kicked out, nailing the animal in the snout. It went down, and Cee Cee turned to run again. Blood poured from her torn artery, but she didn’t have the time or resources to heal herself right now.
She reached the snowmobile, leaped onto the seat, her hand already twisting the handlebar. The machine lurched forward, and she jerked to the right, swinging the back skis around. No way was she leaving Daire to the animals. The machine wobbled, and she tightened her hold, opening the throttle wide. Ducking her head, she drove over the ice, straight at the melee.
Blood already flowed across the white tundra. Daire stood in the middle of the four remaining predators, kicking and striking, forming fire balls and throwing. The beasts used sharp claws and deadly teeth, alternating between striking and avoiding the burning plasma.
Cee Cee ran right into the biggest animal, hitting it in the back and sending it flying toward the sea. She whipped the vehicle around and reached out a hand for Daire. Blood covered him forehead to ankles, and most of his clothing was shredded. “Get on,” she yelled.