by Lia Davis
“I’m fine. Just anxious.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I thought… I heard something.”
“I didn’t hear anything.” She removed her glove and placed a hand on his cheek, then his forehead.
He leaned in, knowing good and well he should push her away. Needing something to focus on beside Mac’s intoxicating scent mixed with her fear, Luke asked, “What is the beast? You said it was back? When was it here before?”
Mac stepped back, put her glove on, and wrapped her arms around her middle. He moved closer, hoping his body heat would warm her. Dragons, like many shifters, had higher body temperatures than humans. Even though Luke was an ice dragon, he was warm-blooded.
Hell, he was hot-blooded.
“The beast came to our village before.” Yutu peered into the forest. “I hope to the gods he isn’t back.”
Mac cleared her throat before she spoke. “The beast is a silver ice dragon. Some say he’s white and blends in with the snowy peaks. He seems to get bigger each time the story is told. More deadly, too.” She took a breath and drifted closer to Luke.
Yutu grunted. “Intuit legend says the ice dragon lives high in the mountains. He’s consumed with rage and loneliness, and during the aurora, he hunts. He terrorizes villages and kidnaps women and children. They’re usually found dead.”
Mac let out a sob and sadness rolled off her in waves. Luke cursed low, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her close, careful to hold the rifle away from her.
The damned dragon rubbed against him where her body met Luke’s.
We aren’t keeping her. We can’t!
Luke wanted to tell her everything would be okay, that they’d find the girl alive. But that would be a lie. Nothing was certain, especially when dealing with a killer who liked his victims to suffer. And if this legend was about a dragon controlled by its own bloodlust, they were all in danger.
As soon as he found out, he’d need to let DSD know. The situation wasn’t looking good, and though Luke thought of himself as a pretty good enforcement agent, even he knew better than to think he could take down a wild ice dragon.
He would need the team’s help.
Yutu cleared his throat. “There hasn’t been a sighting of the beast in a while. In fact, the last time it showed was when—”
Mac interrupted. “I was five. He took someone, and I remember the hunters returned saying the beast had disappeared… I have to go.” She broke out of Luke’s arms and ran back down the path the way they’d come.
Her sorrow, anger, and fear teased his senses and made his dragon snarl. “Mac, wait!”
Yutu shook his head and turned. “Might as well go, too. We aren’t going to find anything in the dark. Everyone should be headed back to the village within the hour anyway.”
Luke grimaced. Yutu was right—they wouldn’t locate her in the dark unless the beast dropped her at their feet. Luke needed to make sure Mac made it home safely. “I’m going to call my team in to help.”
Yutu nodded. “Thank you.”
Like the lie he’d told Mac, he’d allowed Yutu and Muktuk to believe he worked for a special ops team or some type of law enforcement. Neither had ever asked details, and his story was the closest thing to the truth he could have told them without violating the dragon council’s secrecy laws.
Luke took off, rifle on his shoulder, following Mac’s footprints in the snow.
* * *
When they reached the village, Luke handed his gun and ammo to Yutu. “We’ll go back out in the morning.”
“Agreed. I’ll stay out here and tell the groups as they return. We can set a time to start searching again.” Yutu paused. “I think that’s another group headed this way now.”
Luke looked out into the distance. With his dragon vision, he saw a team approaching. Elisipie wasn’t with them. “Yeah, I think I see them out there.”
“I’ll talk to them, and you go call your team. We need all the help we can get.”
Luke nodded. “Tell everyone to try to get some sleep. We want searchers rested in the morning.”
“Will do. Can you see if Mac could take the plane up in the morning? You’d have a better view of the area from up high.”
Yes, the plane. They could search more area. Luke hoped it wouldn’t be too late. “Great idea. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“If you and Mac can go on up in the plane, I’ll handle the ground teams. Make sure you get some sleep, too.” Yutu held the rifles tight.
* * *
Pulling out his satellite phone from his coat pocket, Luke hit Owen’s number and waited on the connection.
His best friend answered after the second ring. “You’re not coming back until I say you’re ready.”
“So you keep telling me.” Luke closed his eyes and calmed the brewing storm within him. The downtime made him stir-crazy. Add in a psycho, rogue dragon and his anger and fear threatened his own sanity. Never mind that he’d found his mate among the humans in the village.
“I mean it. If you’re lucky, I might come visit.”
“Pack your bags.” Luke took a deep breath. “We have a situation that needs the whole team.”
Chapter Four
Mac paced the living room of her home. Her body shook, and fear and anger banded together, stirring the storm brewing inside her. Elisipie’s disappearance had shaken her world, and it had taken all of Mac’s strength to not break down in front of the others.
She couldn’t get the image of her mother’s cold, lifeless body out of her mind.
The beast had taken Mac’s mom on the second night of the aurora. The villagers had searched for days, but they’d never found her. During the spring thaw, the hunters had brought her back to be buried.
Mac would never forget the funeral. Her father had flown in fresh flowers and a new dress for Mac. The casket had been pearl white with shiny silver accents, and everyone in the village had attended. They’d buried her in the small Inuit cemetery at the edge of town.
Taking a wobbly breath, Mac crossed the living room to the kitchen. Her home, like many of the Inuit homes, was small with three bedrooms. The kitchen consisted of a wood-burning stove, refrigerator, and a couple of cabinets for storage. Mac didn’t need much. She really didn’t use her kitchen very often anyway.
She’d grown up in the house, and everywhere she turned, memories flooded back, reawakened by Elisipie’s kidnapping. This abduction would turn out differently. It had to.
They couldn’t let the beast win again.
She opened the cabinet and pull out a glass, then grabbed the pitcher of lemonade from the fridge. As she poured, her satellite phone rang. Frowning, she answered.
“Hello?”
“Thank god you’re all right.” The shaky relief in her father’s voice triggered her tears. She wiped them away.
“I’m fine. Elisipie was taken. It’s like Mom all over again.” She took a drink of the lemonade and winced at the tartness. It was her mother’s favorite drink.
Mac held back sobs and put the pitcher into the fridge.
“Come to Fairbanks,” her father pleaded. “You can stay with me. At least until they find her.”
She shook her head. “No, I can’t. The people need me here. I’ll be okay once daylight hits and I can go look for Elisipie.”
She didn’t want to stress her father any more than he already was. He’d never gotten over her mother’s death, and he’d been the best father anyone could ask for. They’d borne the burden together, and it had strengthened their relationship. Mac thought back to college. All her friends had gone out partying on the weekends while she sat in the dorm, studying.
Making her father proud was more important to her than anything.
“Mac…”
“No, Daddy. The village needs me. I know you understand that.”
Once the sun bathed the area with its light, she was hopping in the plane. She’d search as long as it took.
Closing her eyes, Mac prayed she’d fi
nd Elisipie.
“I do understand, but I worry about you out there alone.”
“I’m fine.” She sipped her drink and moved to the living room, plopping down onto her couch. “How did you find out about the kidnapping so quickly?”
A sigh sounded from the other end of the connection. “I called and you didn’t answer. It’s been a week since I talked to you, by the way. Then I called Muktuk, and he told me.”
Figures. Mac hadn’t planned to tell her dad about the abduction right away. He’d only worry more about her. “I’ve been really busy dealing with flu cases up north. I’m sorry I’ve not had time to call.”
“Did you get your flu shot?”
He knew her better than that. “Of course, I did. Gave it to myself, in fact.”
“Making sure. That flu can be really bad.”
She bit back a laugh. “I did go to med school.”
“I realize that. I paid for it.” It was his turn to laugh. “You’ll have to forgive an old man who worries too much.”
“You’re not old.” She set her lemonade on the coffee table.
“Yes, I am. I feel it more and more each day. But thanks for humoring me.”
Mac leaned back on the couch, then switched the phone to her other ear. Her sadness had lessened. She needed to remember to talk with her dad when those emotions rose to the surface. He always had a way of making her feel better.
She took a deep breath and blew it out. “What do you know about Luke Snow?”
There was a pause. “Not much. He’s always been good to the villagers. He was helpful when he visited, but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen him. Why? Is he there?”
“Not at my house, but he’s been helping with the search.” Mac tugged at a lock of hair. “He’s quiet.”
“I see he’s already gotten under your skin. Why is that, Mackenzie?” He laughed, and she rolled her eyes.
“He’s just new. He said he’d met you, so I was curious what you thought of him. Anyway, it’s getting late.” She had a hunch about where her dad was heading with his statement, and there was no way she was going to discuss it.
Besides, Luke wasn’t getting under her skin—or anywhere else.
“Yeah, okay. Don’t go searching for Elisipie on your own. Take someone with you, and keep me updated.”
“I will. Love you.”
“Love you, too, baby.” His words were soft, but she still heard the concern in his tone.
He knew as well as she did that it was likely Elisipie would be found dead—if she was found at all.
Hanging up the phone, she laid it on the coffee table and took another sip of lemonade. Loneliness crept through her and she sighed. She missed her dad. As soon as all this was over, she’d make time to go visit him. Maybe they could go fishing, and he could tell her more stories about her mom.
A knock on the door startled her. Get a grip, Mac. She stood then set her glass down. Who could be at her door this late at night? Maybe they’d found Elisipie.
She crossed the room to the door. When she opened it, her heart skipped a beat at the sight of Luke with a half-smile, half-frown. “What’s wrong?”
He drew his brows together. “That’s what I was going to ask you.”
A blast of cold air rushed around Luke and hit her in chest. She hugged her torso, rubbing her arms to warm them. “Come in, please. It seems to be getting colder by the minute.”
“Thanks.” He stomped on the porch to get the snow off his boots.
Stepping aside so he could enter, she held her breath as he brushed by her. She didn’t want to be reminded how good he smelled, especially when he was so close. The memory of leaning onto his chest, his arm around her, warmed her belly. She smiled.
“Did they find her?”
He shook his head. “No.”
Closing the door, she shivered but stayed where she was, watching him as he scanned her home. Tearing her gaze from his backside, she glanced to the fireplace. The fire had died down to a glow under the ash.
He noticed, too, and faced her. “Where’s your firewood?”
She pointed to the back door. “On the back porch, to your right.”
He frowned and headed to the get the wood. She watched him cross the room, confident and strong.
What was she doing? Hiding? Feeling sorry for herself? Really, she felt helpless, like she had when she was five. Dropping her arms, she moved to the coffee table, picked up her glass, and carried it to the kitchen.
When she exited, the deadly handsome Luke was kneeling in front of the fireplace, adding logs to the revived flame. Without turning to her, he said, “You were upset when you left us in the forest.”
She swallowed a lump in her throat. He didn’t know about her mother, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to tell him. Already, memories were being dredged up that she didn’t want to face.
“It’s been a long week, and I’m concerned for Elisipie.” She drifted to the couch, then sat while taking one of the small, square pillows and hugging it to her chest. “So many villagers are suffering from this terrible flu, and I’ve flown all over Alaska to treat them and immunize the healthy people. Then Angel disappeared, and Elisipie was taken. I’m not sure how much more I’m expected to deal with. So yeah, I ran.”
Luke glanced at her. His brows dipped and his forehead creased. His white hair was in stark contrast to the darkness that shadowed his blue eyes. She glimpsed…something fiery in his gaze, but just as quickly, it was gone.
He stood and slid his hands into his pockets. “It should warm up in a few.”
She nodded and stared into the yellow and orange flames. “I could have done that. But thank you.”
One shoulder lifted. “It’s not a big deal. I like to stay busy.” Silence filled the room, and after a few seconds, he said, “You didn’t change much of the old house.”
A small smile lifted her lips. “No. I love it like it is. Reminds me of my childhood. Though I did build an addition to the medical wing.”
Her dad called the hall and add-on portion of the house off the kitchen the medical wing. It had two rooms for patients who needed to be taken to the hospital in Anchorage and were waiting to be flown out. Mac had added two more patient rooms and an office.
“That’s nice. Expansion is good.”
His tone was soft, and he rocked on his feet a little like he was uncertain about being there. Was he really checking on her? Relaxing, she motioned to the sofa. “Please, sit. You’re stressing me by towering over me like that.”
His gaze darted around the room. “I probably should be going. I wanted to make sure you were okay before I went home.”
She pressed her lips together to hold back a smile. He was nervous. It was cute. “How far is your cabin from here?”
He shrugged. “About three miles. I like the walk.”
“Three miles? That’s a long way in the dark and the cold. And you must be tired.”
He advanced to the door. “I’ll manage. See you tomorrow?”
The emptiness of losing his presence hit her. Emotions jumbled, her stomach knotted.
Without thinking of what she was doing, she jumped up and crossed the space between them. She grabbed his arm. “Don’t go. Please. Stay here. It will be faster in the morning—we’ll be ready to go search and not have to wait on you to get here.”
His ice blue eyes held her gaze. She swore a streak of light flashed in those depths. Her fingers tingled where she touched him. Instantly, the feeling was gone. He smiled, rewarding her with his dimples. “Where would I sleep?”
Any damn place you like. “The sofa pulls out into a sleeper.”
She released him and stepped back, wrapping her arms around her middle. What was she doing? Inviting him to stay the night? Why not? She was an adult. So was he. Straightening her spine, she added, “I’m taking the plane up as soon as light hits. Would you like to go with me?”
His devilish smile widened, and he nodded. “We’d be able to cover a lot of
ground in the plane. Yutu actually suggested we go up, too. Great minds think alike.”
“Good. We’ll go. I just know we’ll find her.” She darted around him and headed down the hall to the linen closet. After pulling out a pillow, sheets, and a blanket, she turned and collided with Luke. He gripped her elbows, and they locked gazes again.
Damn, the man was so quiet. She hadn’t heard him approach.
“Are you sure you are okay? You seem tense.” He released her and leaned against the wall.
“No. But I will be.”
He frowned but didn’t comment further. Taking the linens and pillow from her, he went back to the living room. Every time she was close to him, she had the urge to kiss him.
Okay, Mac, you have lost your freaking mind.
He was a person. She worked with people daily, and she could handle a man in her house overnight. It wasn’t like he’d be sleeping in her bed. An image flashed through her mind, and she felt the heat rise in her cheeks.
Thank goodness Luke couldn’t read her mind.
When she entered the living room, she stopped a few feet from the couch. He’d removed his jacket. All he wore under it was a black, long-sleeved shirt. How was he not chilly? The fabric was so thin she could see the definition of his muscles underneath.
“When did your dad retire?” His words caught her attention.
“Oh, umm, about three years ago. A few months after I returned from residency and got my license to practice in Alaska.” She laughed and drifted closer. “He wasn’t joking when he told me he was waiting for me to replace him.”
Luke chuckled. The deep rumble of it warmed her. When he spoke, she noticed a slight drawl, but it was only with certain words, like he’d been in the states long enough to lose it. “Where are you from? You have a little bit of an accent, but I can’t place it.”
He lifted his gaze to her and the smile returned. “The Netherlands. My parents still live there.” He offered his hand. When she hesitantly took it, he tugged her to the sofa and sat, pulling her with him. “What about you? Born and raised here in Alaska, I assume.”
