Daric's Mate by J. S. Scott Read Free Book Online Page B

don’t know,” she answered honestly.
    “I’ll take you home right now if this isn’t what you want to do.” His arms tightened around her, his breath forming a visible cloud of white vapor in front her face.
    No! No turning back. Hannah wanted to find her way, and maybe it started by taking this mountain. “It could get dark once the moon is blocked by the trees,” she answered, her eyes scanning her purposed path.
    “It won’t.” Even as he uttered the words, the path lit up with artificial light, even though Hannah couldn’t see the source.
    Do it, Hannah. You know you’re dying to go.
    Daric loosened his hold around her waist. “I’ll be right behind you. Don’t second guess what you want. Your instincts are almost always correct. Trust them.”
    Trust me. Isn’t that what Daric was actually saying? Isn’t that what he was asking her to do?
    “Yes,” he answered, his arms lowering away from her body.
    Before she lost her nerve, Hannah struck the snow with her poles, lowered her goggles, and pushed herself off the mountain, plunging into some of the best fresh powder she had ever experienced. She started slowly, her confidence building as she navigated around obstacles, some of them disappearing before she even got to them. Courtesy of Daric’s magic!
    Hannah flew down the mountain, laughing as she tore up the snow, her leg working perfectly. Having Daric behind her, letting her lead the way was novel. She turned her head to the right, catching a glimpse of Daric tearing down the mountain slightly behind her, skiing like an Olympic Gold Medalist.
    Exhilarated by her growing speed and confidence, she let herself enjoy the ride . She knew this moment in time, this magical experience, would stay with her forever. For the first time in a very long time, she was flying down a mountain just for the sake of enjoyment, tearing up snow just because she loved to do it. She wasn’t on patrol, she wasn’t helping Mark train, and for the first time since she had been a teenager, she actually felt free.
    As Hannah neared the bottom of the mountain, she felt tears form in her eyes. Coming to a halt, snowing spraying around her from her quick maneuver, she pulled her goggles up to swipe at her eyes with a gloved hand. She was panting from exertion, her body no longer in condition to tackle a run that required that much physical strength. She gripped her thighs, laughing, trying to catch her breath. Her head was down, but she saw Daric’s feet planted next to hers, his skis gone, replaced with the black boots he had previously been wearing.
    Hannah straightened, still breathless but slowly recovering, her heart still pounding. “Thank you for this.” She met Daric’s eyes, not quite sure how to express what this experience had meant to her or how to tell him that it had a significance far greater than just skiing down a mountain.
    “Don’t.” He speared her with a dark glance. “I already know. Why do you think we’re here? You’ve spent enough time in the shadows of another, never pleasing yourself. What does Hannah want?”
    You. The word fluttered through her mind instinctively, automatically. “I didn’t really want to leave Temple. I wanted to stay here and learn how to run a business from my father. Vail and Olympic training were Mark’s dream. I was never happy there.” I was never happy with him. It had never truly been the location or her occupation. The problem had been her relationship with Mark.
    “He never valued you. Never protected you or loved you. Why did you go if you didn’t want to?” Hannah’s ski equipment disappeared, and Daric moved closer, pinning her between his body and the trunk of a large tree, his eyes never leaving hers.
    “Mark and I grew up together. We were childhood friends. I guess we just gradually became a couple. He was all I knew.” Even as she spoke, Hannah realized that even from a very young age, Mark had somehow convinced her that she needed him, and she