“Frosty!” Evie ran down the aisle toward him.
“Shh, monkey.” He strolled up the aisle, stopped near Alicia’s chair, and took a seat across the row from her. “The others are trying to rest.”
“Sorry.” She sank down onto her knees in the aisle, her gaze locked on his. “So how did your first mission with Brooklynn go? Were you amazing like I knew you’d be?”
“We rescued the woman, so I’d call it a success.” Remembering the early conversation with the others he shook his head at his sister. “What’s this I hear about your letter to the Shifter Cop?”
“Uhh…” Evie glanced around before settling her gaze on Alicia’s sleeping form. “Let’s stay on topic. Your mission. I’m not sure I’d call it a success when you let her get hurt.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Alicia’s lips curled up into a smile. He glanced toward her and noticed her eyes were still closed, but she was clearly awake. “She was shot before we arrived, but don’t worry about her, I fixed her up.”
“I know you’re awake.” Evie leaned closer to Alicia. “I’ve seen my brother at work, he’s the best. You’re lucky he was there.”
“I know.” Opening her eyes, she glanced down at the young girl before looking over at him. “He saved my life. They all did.”
“I knew it.” Evie leaned toward him as if to give him a hug. Before making contact, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. “Frosty…you’re mated.”
“Enough, Evie.” His gaze locked on hers, silently warning her to drop it.
In a flash, she turned back to Alicia, leaning in close she took a deep breath. “Mated with her.”
“Evie!” Rising from the chair, he reached down and took Evie’s hand in his, gently pulling her upright. “Back to the cockpit with Taber.”
“But—”
“No buts. Go.” As she turned to go back in the direction she’d come moments before, he wondered how to explain things to Alicia. This was a conversation he wanted to wait to have until they were in Alaska. He pictured finding a quiet spot where they could talk, not in a plane full of shifters that would hear everything said between them.
“Mated with me?” Alicia shot upright, bringing her injured leg down off the pillows he’d propped it up on. “What is she talking about?”
Knowing he wasn’t going to get her to drop the conversation, he held out his hand. “Come with me.” She slipped her hand into his, allowing him to help her stand before pulling away. He glanced at the others, before leading the way back to the bedroom at the back of the plane. It was the only place to at least have the illusion of privacy.
Stepping into the bedroom he found it to be unlike he expected. Instead of the plain room he anticipated, it was cozy and welcoming. A full-size bed dominated the room leaving only a narrow path on either side. After Alicia entered, he pushed the door shut before motioning for her to have a seat on the bed.
“Why did you want me back here?” She spun back to face him. “You can’t seriously think I’m going to sleep with you now. No way, this is not happening.”
A smirk curled up the corner of his lips as he watched her cheeks heat with embarrassment. “Oh, sugar. Is that a not now or not ever?”
“I…uh…” She stepped back from him until the back of her legs brushed against the edge of the bed.
As much as his bear loved to tease her, he decided to relieve her discomfort and shook his head. “That’s not why I brought you back here.”
“Then why did you?” A deep sigh escaped her as she dropped down onto the bed, clearly relieved.
“I didn’t want to disturb the others while they’re trying to sleep, and we need to talk. This was the only place. Unless we wanted to join Taber and Evie in the cockpit, or I guess there’s always the lavatories. Either way those would be close quarters. I expect you’ll want room for this conversation.”
“A conversation about mating, you mean?” She nodded. “So, Evie was right, wasn’t she? I’m your mate. But how? How do you know that?”
“Our animal recognizes our mate immediately. The connection between them is almost instant and at first touch the link grows stronger. The electricity you felt tingling along your skin earlier is proof of the bond.” He stepped away from the door, coming closer to her. “For shifters, the surge of energy is accompanied with overwhelming need. My polar bear wants to mark you as his, to claim you so everyone knows. Until we consummate our mating, completing the bond, he’ll grow more uneasy as the need begins to engulf him. It’s only a matter of days before—”
“Days?” She tipped her head back to look up at him. “Are you saying we only have days to cement this union? We barely know each other.”
“Don’t worry, sugar. You’re human, you won’t feel the effects of a delayed mating. Not like a shifter would.” He took a step back and leaned against the wall, his gaze on her.
“You will though.”
The sadness in her voice had him longing to move closer to comfort her, but he forced himself to remain where he was. “It will be fine.”
“Before I cut you off, you started to say it’s only a matter of days before what?”
“My beast is close to the surface demanding we either mate or…” He paused unsure if he wanted to explain the true consequences of a mating left unfulfilled. Deciding it was best to leave out the fact his beast could go rogue, he added, “Or shift.”
“With your hesitation, I feel like there’s something more. Something you’re not telling me.”
“Everything will be fine. Don’t worry about me.”
“Well, I do. Maybe it’s this mating thing or maybe it’s because you saved my life. No matter the reason, I care.” She paused and let out a deep breath before tipping her head toward the bed. “Maybe we should just get it over with.”
“Not a chance.” Stepping away from the wall, he knelt in front of her. “If you were another shifter, rushing this might be a possibility, but you’re not. Humans need more time to adjust to this, to get to know their mate, and to understand what it means. Rushing in head-first is not how we’re going to handle this. Also, we’re not doing it on the plane where everyone can hear us.”
“What if I promise to keep it down?” She tapped the bed next to her. “Come on, you know you want to.”
“Sugar, no matter how quiet you were, everyone on this plane is a shifter. They’ll hear us. Hell, if they wanted to they could listen to our conversation now, and we’re barely above a whisper.” He placed his hand on her thigh. “We’ll be in Alaska soon. In a few hours, after I meet with Ty and get Evie settled, I’d like to spend time with you. Dinner and conversation. Let’s start there and see where it takes us.”
“Okay.”
“That’s it?” He cocked an eyebrow at her. “I expected more…I don’t know drama. You learn you’re to be mated with a polar bear you just met, and you accept it without any fuss?”
“Why not? It’s not like I haven’t known about shifters for a couple years now. Maybe if I learned about your existence and found out I was supposed to be your mate at the same time I’d be more irrational about it. That’s not the case. I know Lou, and while I’m sure there are some bad shifters in the world, he wouldn’t have had me contact someone who would place me in danger. I also heard Lou talk about his mate. Their time together was short but when he talked about her the love they shared was clear. If that’s what mating is, then I should be honored to have one. Human relationships are unfortunately messy more often than not.” She placed her hand over his. “Plus, I have a couple questions for you anyway. So, dinner and conversation seems like a perfect idea.”
“What kind of questions?”
“How about, why didn’t you tell me before?” Her eyes narrowed as she stared at him. “How long would you have waited before coming clean if Evie hadn’t said something? I’ve wasted too much time on a man that didn’t value me enough to be honest, and I won’t do it again.”
“I’m not that man and w
e had bigger issues to worry about.” He tipped his head toward her injured leg before his gaze returned to hers. “It’s not that I wasn’t going to tell you, I—”
“Just on your terms, right?” she snapped.
“No.” He placed his hand over hers. For her to think he’d lied to her enraged his bear. It had never been his intention. He wanted her safe and that had been at the forefront of his attention. “My priority was getting you to safety, attending to your wound, and once that was done, the timing didn’t feel right. I didn’t want to tell you while we were stuck in a plane where others could overhear.”
“That sounds like an excuse.”
“It’s not,” he defended. “At least it’s not meant to be. I wasn’t sure how you’d take it, and I wanted time to assure you.”
They sat there in silence for several minutes. Frost wanted to say something, but he wasn’t sure what to say to make it better. She was upset he hadn’t told her about the mating from the start and he understood yet when he found her in the cabin terrified it wasn’t exactly the place for such a revelation.
“How did Evie end up in your care? I mean…” Clearly uneasy, she bit the corner of her lip. “I’m sorry, I was just thinking, and it kind of slipped out.”
“Don’t,” he reassured her. “It’s natural to wonder why she’s with me instead of her parents. Truth is, I’m all that’s left. Our parents were killed a couple years ago, which left her in my custody.”
“I’m sorry.”
Sitting inches from her brought Frost’s bear close to the surface, making it hard to control the flood of grief. His attention had been focused solely on Evie. Between helping her manage her anguish and adjust to the responsibilities that came with raising a young girl, his own grief had taken a backseat. Now after being boxed up for years, it rushed forward, choosing the wrong moment to reappear.
Not now. Not here with her. He tried to force the memories back down into the darkness, but they were stronger than they’d ever been, overpowering him.
Chapter Eleven
Unable to control the flood of horror, darkness settled around Frost’s vision, pushing him back into that night.
The bitter scent of blood mixed with the cool fall air as screams echoed against the surrounding trees. Time froze as he turned in the direction of his family’s home. Jumping off the fallen tree he’d been frolicking on, he darted the way he’d come not more than an hour ago. Back toward the house, back to his family. He crossed the distance quicker in his bear form than he could have if he shifted. Still it wasn’t fast enough.
Nearing the cabin, the scent of blood was overpowering. Instead of rushing ahead like his bear wanted, he forced himself to pause at the edge of the tree line. Using the coverage, he took in the area before him. The scent in the air was different—not shifter, yet not completely human. He couldn’t place the strange scent lingering in the air. It was more than blood and terror. The night air held an electricity unlike anything he’d felt before.
“What do you want?” his mother screamed.
“Shifters have no place in our world,” a deep voice rumbled.
His father’s earlier words came back to him, reminding him of the threats shifters in the area were receiving. Some thought it was black magick killing off shifters, others thought it was a serial killer. No one knew for sure. More important, no one knew how anyone learned about the handful of solitary shifters living in the area. Still someone had, and it was clear they were being targeted. Three families had been attacked and killed in the last two weeks.
From his position he had a direct view of what was transpiring. The cozy living room was cramped as his parents knelt on the floor at gunpoint by three men armed with assault rifles. The tallest of the three had Frost’s mother knelt in front of him, his fingers digging into her shoulder as he held the gun to her temple, leaving his father with no option but to wait for a better opportunity. Making a move now would no doubt get her killed.
“Where are you, Evie?” He forced himself to look away from the living room, to scan the rest of the house for his sister. No other movement caught his attention. Was she still asleep in bed? He doubted that. Even though she was too young to shift, her beast was within her, making her senses alert. She’d have realized something was happening.
Staying within the tree line, he circled around to the back of the house. If Evie was awake, it was likely she took refuge in her cave. True polar bears preferred a snow shelter as their sanctuary, whereas shifters had to make do with something less noticeable. The benefit of her hiding spot was it linked to the basement, giving him another entrance, one that would hopefully allow him to go in unnoticed.
“I’ll get her out and then help our parents,” he mumbled to himself as the basement door came into view. His parents had a better chance of defending themselves against a group of humans than an eight-year-old.
After double-checking the area was clear, he shifted back to human form and slipped on the shorts he’d left hanging on the branch when he went out earlier. His beast stayed near the surface, ready to reappear if needed. Rather than forcing his bear further inside of him, he left it close and jogged toward the basement door.
Sliding it open, he was hit with the stench of fear. Evie’s fear. Stepping inside he pulled the door shut enough no one would notice it was ajar, but would still allow him to peer out to check the area when he returned with his sister.
His eyes adjusted immediately, allowing him to see where he was going. Not sure what he’d find when he opened the latch to Evie’s cave, he grabbed the shovel leaning against his father’s work bench. He wouldn’t need it, rather it would be something Evie could use if she needed to defend herself, and it allowed her to stay far enough back they wouldn’t be able to grab her.
He neared the table along the farthest wall and reached up to pop the décor cabinet door off the wall. Before moving the piece of drywall blocking his way, he took a deep breath, checking for any other scents behind the divider beside Evie’s. Nothing except Evie’s terror filled his lungs. He reached up and pushed the drywall to the side, slowly, doing his best not to startle her.
“Evie, it’s me.” As the words left his mouth, she spun back to the opening, her eyes wide as she clutched a small white bear.
“Frosty…”
“You’ve got to be quiet, but I need you to move toward me.” Setting the shovel aside, he rose onto the workbench and held his hand out. “Come on, I’ve got you. I’m not going to let you fall.”
“I’m scared.” Still she scooted closer toward him. “Bad men have Mom and Dad.”
“I know, sweetie, I’m going to get you somewhere safe, and then I’m going to help them.” He wrapped his hand around hers and pulled her toward him, dragging the blanket she had on the pillows with her. “I’m going to grab you and help you down. Be careful, you know Dad always has tools everywhere.”
With her standing on the workbench, he reached up and tugged the drywall back into place. If anyone found the hidden space, he wanted it to appear undisturbed, making it unlikely they’d search further. With it in place, he hopped off and turned back to her. The blanket pooled at her feet as she stared at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. He wanted to say something to comfort her, but what could he tell her? The situation was serious, and she’d know if he was lying to her. Instead he grabbed the royal blue blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders before hooking his hands under her arms and lifting her down.
“We’ve got to help them.”
“I’m going to.” He bent so he could look at her without her straining to stare up at him. “When I was about your age, I’d spend Saturdays down here in my own little hiding spot watching Dad while he worked on his woodworking. I’m going to let you use it while I go help Mom and Dad. No matter what happens you need to stay there until one of us come back for you.”
“Don’t leave me.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him. “Please, Frosty.”
“I have to
.” Placing his hands on her shoulders, he gently pulled her back. “I’ll be back, I promise, and we’ll go somewhere safe.”
Before she could argue, he stepped away from her and pulled back a tool chest on wheels. The tool storage hadn’t been there when he used it, but when he grew too large for the space, his father had rearranged. He moved it out of the way revealing the space he spent so many days in. It was dirtier than it was when he’d used it, but it would keep her safe until he could return.
“I’m not getting in there.”
“Yes, you are.” He turned back to her. “The stairs are directly overhead. You’ll hear if anyone is coming down. Take this…” He glanced around, scanning the area for the shovel he had in hand before. Finding it, he grabbed it and held it out to her.
“What am I going to do with that? Dig myself out the other side?”
“If anyone comes back that isn’t me or our parents use this.” He leaned down, placed the shovel in the space and held out a hand to her. “You won’t be in there long. Before you can plot your revenge on me, I’ll be back.”
“Promise?”
“I wouldn’t lie to you even if you couldn’t sense it.” He looped his arm around her waist and brought her in close.
A roar vibrated the house as the air buzzed with electricity. Heavy footsteps slammed across the wood floor above their heads, followed by something falling over. Whatever was happening upstairs, he needed to get up there and assist before it was too late. “Get in, I’ve got to go. Dad shifted.”
He half-expected Evie to argue. Instead she dropped to her knees and crawled into the dark space. With her hidden away, he pushed the tool chest back into place, hiding her. “I won’t be long Evie. Just stay in there and be quiet.”
Silently as he could, he climbed the stairs, taking them two at a time, all while listening to the activity above. He tried to place where they were and what was happening. He could hear his father’s bear snapping and growling, still near the front of the house. Were all three gunmen still there? He couldn’t be sure.
Alaskan Tigers Box Set 3 Page 47
