Deep Kiss of Winter Read Online Free

idea of her pain and fear, rage erupted in him. The need to protect her, to destroy those who sought to harm her, burned within him.
    Mine.
    Two realizations struck him.
    This strange female belonged to him alone. And these killers would die before they relinquished her.
    Her gaze held Murdoch’s, and she weakly extended her small hand. With tears running fromher silvery eyes, she spoke, a whisper directed to him, loud above all sounds.
    â€œMercy.”

F OUR
    Will he help me? Emotions warred on the vampire’s face. Danii saw them with her vision flickering.
    The poison was taking hold, leaching away her precious reserves of cold.
    So hot . . . felt like she was cooking from the inside.
    When she’d faced him earlier, he’d been filled with anger. Now his brows had drawn together at the sight of her injuries.
    He grated, “Mercy?” Then something seemed to . . . snap. His fists clenched, and he bared his sharpened fangs. His body appeared to get even bigger. “I’m going to give you their heads, female.”
    Why would he? And how ?
    The vampire didn’t understand how deadly these Icere were. They were expert bowmen, their fey speed unmatched in the Lore. And there were too many of them. At least eight stood between the vampire and her. They were already building ice grenades in their palms.
    With an unholy roar, the vampire charged, halftracing, half sprinting. Five of the Icere rushed to intercept him, lobbing grenades with lethal speed. But he dodged each volley, and the ice the warriors had just surrendered exploded all around him in the alley.
    Like some living thing, a freezing glaze crawled over the battered brick walls, skittering all the way up to the fire escapes, coating the street.
    The vampire clashed with the wall of Icere, battling his way to her, slashing through the warriors with a startling brutality. When he snatched one’s jugular and blood arced out like a fountain in the night, her Iceren captor began to drag her away by her hair.
    The poison had weakened her, but she still fought him. Her claws sank into his arm and tore, rending skin and bone, all but severing it.
    He yelled in pain and dropped her hair to take his knife in his good hand, shoving it against her neck. The blade’s heat seared her skin, and a scream erupted from her chest.
    In answer, a savage bellow sounded; she and her captor looked up just in time to see the vampire flying at him.
    One second the knife was at her throat. In the next, the vampire had wrenched the Iceren’s head free.
    The others took up their bows and charged him as one, the sound of their bowstrings louder than their footfalls. The impact of the arrows slammed the vampire against a glazed wall, shattering the ice.
    He roared with fury, his arms twisting back topull the arrows free. Just as he tore all but one of them from his body, the Icere were upon him.
    She could see him grappling again and again to get to her, yet they kept hold of him, preventing him from tracing.
    Danii tried to crawl away from the skirmish, but the arrows jutting from her chest made movement impossible, and the poison was too strong. If she didn’t get them out soon . . .
    Thermal shock. A nightmare way to die. She was about to be executed, and for no reason. She didn’t want her crown, only wanted to be left in peace—
    Her would-be savior stumbled. From the ice coating the street? No, he seemed to be fighting some inner possession.
    What’s wrong with him? I can’t think . . .
    One Iceren punched the end of the remaining arrow until it pierced through the vampire’s torso. He tore it from himself, but another’s sword slashed his leg. Blood poured from his wounds.
    There’re too many of them.
    As if he read her thoughts, the vampire caught her gaze. A last look for both of them?
    â€œTouch their skin,” she cried.
    Though clearly confused by her words, he grasped one