Bare Season: Children of Nanook, #4

By Allie Ritch

Idonea has been afraid of frost bears ever since she was attacked by one. She has also been distrustful of men after the one who should have protected her ran away. As a shifter, Massak takes the form of both man and bear, so he should be her worst nightmare. One whiff of her scent, though, and he knows they're meant to be together. Winter is the mating season on the planet of Jensen—a time when nature strips everything bare and primal instincts rise to the surface. Massak must use this time to prove to Idonea that he's her perfect mate. He'll use every skill he has to protect and pleasure her until the stubborn female admits she's his.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Allie Ritch
• Release date: Oct 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386364887

Allie Ritch

Allie Ritch is a multi-published author of sizzling sci-fi and paranormal romance. She has an active imagination and enjoys entertaining others through storytelling. Allie lives in her own little world in the Southeastern United States, where she spends time appreciating the ocean and sunshine. Follow Allie at https://allieritch.wordpress.com or on Twitter https://twitter.com/AllieRitch

Book preview

Table of Contents

Copyright

Title

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Excerpt from Tribal Shift

About the Author

Bare Season

Copyright © October 2018 by Allie Ritch

Published in the United States of America

––––––––

Cover design by Allie Ritch

Images used under license from Shutterstock.com. Licensed images are being used for illustrative purposes only, and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

––––––––

All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. This copy is intended for the original purchaser only. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, resold, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages embodied in critical articles or in a review. If you would like to share this book, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.

––––––––

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

* * * *

Warning

This book contains sexually explicit scenes that are inappropriate for minors. This book is intended for mature adults only.

* * * *

Blurb

Idonea has been afraid of frost bears ever since she was attacked by one. She has also been distrustful of men after the one who should have protected her ran away. As a shifter, Massak takes the form of both man and bear, so he should be her worst nightmare. One whiff of her scent, though, and he knows they’re meant to be together. Winter is the mating season on the planet of Jensen—a time when nature strips everything bare and primal instincts rise to the surface. Massak must use this time to prove to Idonea that he’s her perfect mate. He’ll use every skill he has to protect and pleasure her until the stubborn female admits she’s his.

Bare Season

(Children of Nanook 4)

by

Allie Ritch

––––––––

Other titles in the Children of Nanook Series:

Mating Season

In Season

Breeding Season

Pleasure Season

Chapter One

Idonea controlled her breathing as she crouched behind a snow-covered boulder and lifted her bow and arrow. She wished she could slow her pounding heart as easily. This deep into the winter night, the only light came from the moon and stars overhead. The arctic terrain, which spanned most of the planet of Jensen, was bathed in the cool glow, and the recent snowfall looked more blue than white. So did the ice hares she’d come here to hunt.

Usually she would have used snares to catch the incredibly fast hares, but that technique had already failed more than once. This was a lean winter, which meant the competition for food was fierce. Giant wolverines had emptied her first few snares before she could get to them, and she had arrived at the last trap in time to see a young spear-toothed cat make off with her meal. She counted herself lucky the hares were all the big beasts had gone after. With food scarce, the hungry carnivores that roamed these lands could just as easily decide to feast on her. The deadliest land predator—the enormous frost bear—frightened her most of all.

Still hidden behind the rock, she resisted the urge to touch the hood of her white fur coat. Her heart tripped faster as she reminded herself of the danger out here. With her village a full day’s sled ride away, there was no one close enough to hear her scream if she got into trouble. She had even left her trusted sled hound, Kelda, back at camp. The female hound had an excellent nose for tracking, but she got overexcited once she caught the scent of prey. The ice hares would have been long gone by now if Idonea had brought the canine with her. Instead, the hares huddled together and dug in the snow for whatever bits of edible moss or twigs were buried beneath. There were about a dozen of them. Their white fur made them almost invisible, but she could see their outlines.

She drew the bowstring and eased up from her crouch. The hares had keen eyesight, sharp ears, and an even better sense of smell. She had purposefully approached downwind of them, but one sudden move or crunch of snow underfoot would send them bolting. Although she was taller than the average woman in her village, the boulder she hid behind—at least the portion that jutted above the blanket of snow—was over half her height. She would have to stand up fully to aim over it.

Like a seal popping its head out of a blowhole in the ice, she eased up for the shot. One of the hares immediately reared onto its hind legs, sensing danger. Had her movement given her away? Instead of looking at her, the hare fixated on something behind her and off to her left. In the blink of an eye, it and all the rest of its herd hopped away. Their speed was such that they seemed to vanish as if by magic.

A chill that had nothing to do with the winter air shot down Idonea’s spine. The ice hares hadn’t fled because of her. Arrow still nocked, she swung her weapon around to face whatever had frightened them. She had to swallow a scream.

Standing there limned in moonlight was her worst nightmare. The adult male frost bear was terrifying in size, with his shoulders almost on a level with her head. Cords of muscle were packed under the bear’s thick white fur, and the long hairs on his forelegs and around his neck made him look even bulkier. His paw was bigger than both her feet put together, which kept him from sinking into the snow. Each toe was tipped with a sharp claw, and she knew his fangs were equally lethal.

At the moment, those fangs were concealed by the leather bag and snowshoes the bear held in his mouth. Idonea shuddered so hard her own teeth chattered. Where was the owner of that pack? Had he slipped out of the straps and gotten away, or was the bag and shoes all that was left of the man?

The frost bear’s brown eyes remained fixed on her face as he