Cloudburst Ice Magic by Siobhan Muir Read Free Book Online Page A

it.”
    “Why don’t you take the lead? We can’t
afford to miss it for anything as stupid as ego.”
    Zach cocked his head, but stepped around her
to lead them on. Irritation roared its protest at looking weak to
her competition, but when it came to life and death in the snow,
Lily admitted she’d rather survive embarrassed. She shook her head. I’m not competing…am I?
    Her back itched from the awareness of the
redhead behind her, but she grimly forced her focus ahead to the
trail. Zach’s broad back and tight ass made for a much more
pleasant view, and his measured strides lulled her into a relaxed
state. Her anger faded into the background and she followed her
mate with contentment.
    Whoa. Hold the phone. Mate? She
wasn’t an Ice Demon . And the jury’s still out after he started
sniffing around Ms. Benedict.
    Lily’s anger returned just as they trudged
around a small ridge. The Forest Service equipment shack loomed out
of the snowy murk, and her thoughts shifted away.
    “Oh, thank God.” Lily caught the relieved
remark from Caroline just as the woman stumbled closer to the
door—and Zach. “Thank God you found it, Zach.”
    Lily swallowed a snarl. The woman fawned
over Lily’s boyfriend and it didn’t help that he’d saved the day. Especially since that’s his job. Dammit.
    “I wouldn’t have gotten close without Ms.
Sinclair’s knowledge.” Zach snapped the padlock off the door and
shoved it open. “Let’s get everyone inside.”
    Lily waited outside while the others
shuffled through the doorway after Zach. The scents of old oil and
dusty metal hit her nose as the wind stirred the interior. Randy
nodded to her as he passed, pulling out a flashlight to illuminate
the darkness. The room held old parts of a jeep, a few chainsaws,
and a chemical cabinet for oil and paint. An old woodstove squatted
in the corner near a grungy window and a small pile of wood sat
beside it. It wouldn’t last days, but it would be enough for a
night or two.
    Lily closed and secured the door while Zach
poked around the woodstove and Randy got out the radio. She tried
to ignore how Caroline hovered around Zach, but her new possessive
streak flared, a low growl rattling her chest. She frowned at the
emotion and concentrated on starting some hot water on their little
stove. They’d need it even if Randy got through to base on the
radio.
    What the hell is wrong with me? I’m never
possessive. But the red-headed woman’s fawning over Zach’s
attention set her off and made her want to sink her talons into
Caroline’s throat. Mine. Lily gave herself a mental slap. Jeez, get a grip . She gritted her teeth and lit the stove.
The dull roar soothed some of her irritation and she took a deep
breath to calm down.
    Randy’s low voice filled in below the
rumble, but she couldn’t make out the words. Zach found an old
lantern with kerosene in its reservoir and soon the pale light
filled the shed. It made the old equipment look rather exotic, like
an industrial exhibit in a museum. Lily would have appreciated it a
lot more if she’d been there alone. She let her gaze rest on the
others and watched Brad wrap his arms around Tammy as she leaned
against him. Lily wished she could be held in Zach’s embrace.
    Let it go. Besides, he often said he prefers
red.
    She stifled another growl as she set the
water on to boil. Randy ended the conversation on the radio and
settled beside her while Zach coaxed the fire in the stove.
    “What’s the news?”
    “Better than I’d hoped.” Randy held his
hands out over the cook stove to soak up the heat. “Visibility is
still a problem and the weather has revved up another notch, so no
helicopter.” He shrugged. “But the good news is this shed has been
mapped on a well known road with GPS coordinates so they know
exactly where we are. If they can get snowmobiles through the
weather, we could be out of here tonight.”
    “Did you tell them about our lack of
stores?”
    “Yeah. They know