Snowman (Arctic Station Bears Book 2)

by Maeve Morrick

  After reading the file, he understood. Things had gotten out of control. The virus and anyone exposed would need to be eradicated. And a saber-toothed tiger running around might raise a few eyebrows.

  The cover of darkness would have been better for the element of surprise, but it couldn’t be helped. The helicopter itself was very quiet, but he couldn’t count on flying in unheard.

  Parker stood up. “All right, everyone—listen up,” he said. “We’re going in blind. There is no concrete information about the situation down there. We have at least eight hostiles and one on-site agent. You should have received his photo and profile during the briefing. We can expect assistance from him, but don’t let him get close or touch you. He’ll still need to be terminated before the mission is complete, so don’t make a friend.”

  Parker pulled a handgun from its holster and ejected the clip for inspection. “Most of the bears shouldn’t have much fighting experience, and Dr. MacCready doesn’t either. Use of lethal force is authorized. Shoot on sight. We can’t afford for anyone who might be infected with the virus to leave the base. Wear your masks at all times unless you’d like to become a casualty yourself. Do I make myself clear?” He slammed the clip back into his handgun and holstered it.

  “Yes, sir!” said the chorus of mercenaries.

  “Good,” Parker said. “Now, about the shifter known as Calder. You’ve all been briefed. Do not come in contact with his blood.”

  Parker’s earpiece crackled. “ETA ten minutes,” said the pilot.

  “Roger that,” said Parker. He turned to the others. “All right, everyone. Standard sweep procedure when we land. Saddle up and good hunting. Stay on your comms.” He sat back down.

  Parker stared out at the approaching base, bathed in the dim light of a sun that never quite cleared the horizon. The hair stood up on the back of his neck and his hand reflexively moved to his gun. Something was waiting for them.

  Chapter Five - Alanna

  After I relieved Viktor, I sat in his chair for awhile, but my ass fell asleep and I had to get up and move around a little. All I really wanted was to be curled up around Liam right now, trying to stay warm. I could see my breath out in the hallway in front of Liam’s room. I rubbed my hands together and tried to ignore the darkness at the end of the hallway. It gave me the creeps.

  God, I thought. It’s too cold to move. I sat back down and leaned my head against the wall. So much had happened this week. I was literally fighting to survive. Last week, I was fighting to get coffee.

  Last week, I was sleeping alone without a sexy polar shifter living in my head and in my bed. I smiled and closed my eyes for a moment.

  Then there was a hand over my mouth. I didn’t have time to make a sound before I felt the telltale sting in my neck that told me I’d just been injected with something. My heart pounded in my chest as darkness closed in from all sides.

  Calder

  Fate was smiling upon him. Calder had been on his way to investigate the suspicious sound outside when he caught the scent of the female. When he saw that she was away from her protectors, he knew that his investigation would have to wait. He couldn’t waste the opportunity.

  He was on her before she even knew what was happening. By morning, she would be his. And there was nothing the alpha or the other bears could do to stop him.

  Calder carried Alanna to his lab. It was in an underwater portion of the base that was in disuse, according to documents he’d read. Most of the equipment was still in perfect working order. He was even able to use a generator for power, although he made sure to destroy all of the others.

  Calder secured Alanna to a metal table and gagged her. She could cry out all she liked. No one would hear her.

  The sound overhead became louder as he tightened Alanna’s restraints. He paused for a moment and shifted, his cat’s ears being much more sensitive to the sound. It was a vehicle not unlike the one that Alanna had arrived in by the sound.

  Calder quickly finished his work, then turned off the lights in his lab before ascending the staircase to the main level. He was silent as he crossed the common room and then down the hall toward the helicopter pad.

  He was sure that another vehicle would not be able to use the landing area due to the wreckage from the previous day, and would instead be forced to land closer to the base itself. Calder would use that fact to his advantage. He opened the door just a crack and peered out.

  Men in armor jumped out of a black vehicle not unlike the one Calder destroyed. One didn’t look like the others, however, and appeared less heavily armored. Still, the mortal danger in the aura of his presence was unmistakable.

  Calder dispatched him first, crossing the distance between them as a giant cat and using his momentum to shift and punch the man in the chest, slamming him up against the side of the vehicle with such ferocity that he was sure that he’d stopped the man’s heart.

  The spinning blades of the vehicle masked the noise of Calder’s movements. The tunnel vision of the armored helmets that the other soldiers wore blinded them.

  These soldiers were wearing armor to protect their organs, but it did little to prevent Calder from running from one to the next and slashing at a very weak point in their armor. Their throats.

  Calder waited among the bodies of his victims until the helicopter blades overhead stopped spinning before he climbed inside to greet the pilot.

  The man wore no armor. He removed a device from his head and placed it on the console.

  Calder advanced toward the cockpit and the pilot turned around. They made eye contact for a split second before the pilot reached for his sidearm and Calder grabbed his throat and squeezed until the man’s eyes fluttered and his arms went slack. Calder pulled the pilot’s weapon out of its holster and let go of the man’s throat.

  In a few moments, the pilot regained consciousness. His eyes went wide with terror but Calder only smiled.

  “My friend,” Calder said. “Teach me how this amazing machine works.”

  Alanna

  I was walking on the ice next to the water. It was dark outside, but the full moon shed enough light to see snow flurries as I walked along the water’s edge. The air smelled of cold and salt. I looked down at my feet to avoid stepping on anything, and I realized that I was naked. What was going on? I looked all around, but there was no one else in sight. I wasn’t even cold.

  I decided to go for a swim, and waded out into the water. It was warmer than I expected, considering the icebergs. Soon I relaxed, floating on my back and looking up at the night sky. I heard a splash like someone had entered the water and I righted myself, only to see…Liam? He swam over to me with a few powerful strokes.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  “Hopefully you,” he said in a low growl that made me blush. I’d never been approached so shamelessly. That just didn’t happen. I decided to be bold.

  “I think that can be arranged,” I said, and pressed my body against him. His lips were like fire as he kissed my throat and his cock was rock hard against my thigh. We bobbed in the water, Liam’s muscular arms holding me afloat effortlessly, and I gasped with surprise as he pressed the tip of his cock against my cleft and found my opening. I wanted him inside me fully.

  “Please fuck me, Liam,” I said. He lifted one of my legs and thrust into me fully. I could not help but moan. As he slid in and out of me, he stared deeply into my eyes. They were blue, so blue that they looked like they were glowing in the moonlight. I could feel myself getting close to the precipice already. I wanted to fly.

  “My God, Alanna,” Liam said, and locked his mouth on mine with urgency. I felt devoured by him and I worked to return the favor. The long strokes of his cock were punctuated by Liam’s breathless growl into my open mouth as he kissed me. “Allie…Allie�”

  ***

  I opened my eyes. At least, I assumed they were open. The room was pitch black. My head pounded. I was so confused.

  Where was I? A metal table?
I could feel the penetrating cold even through my clothes, it was even colder than the surrounding air. My heartbeat thundered in my ears. My arms and legs were shaking, which shook my restraints.

  Wait. Restraints? I pulled and twisted, trying to free myself. I heard the clank and screech of metal on metal, but my limbs would not budge.

  My breath came in gulps and gasps. I craned my neck to see something. Anything.

  This is it, I thought. I nearly sobbed. This is where I end. I pictured Liam’s face in my mind. This is where we end.

  A choking voice tore through the darkness. “Liam!”

  I hardly recognized it as my own.

  Liam

  Liam!

  His eyes shot wide open and with a deep growl, Liam was immediately on his feet.

  “Alanna!” He ran out of the room. The seat was empty. “Alanna!” His voice echoed in the hall.

  Donny awoke with a yawn. “Liam? What’s wrong?”

  “Get up. Alanna’s gone.”

  “What?” Donny said. He was already getting to his feet. Viktor was tying his long hair into a ponytail as he came to stand by Donny’s side.

  “Calder?” Ben asked. He put on a shirt.

  “Probably,” Liam said. “Find some flashlights. Wherever she is, it’s dark. And she’s afraid. Viktor and Donny, pair up and check the mess hall. Ben, you’re with me. Everybody rendezvous in the common area in thirty minutes.”

  Chapter Six - Parker

  Parker found a bird with an injured wing one day during training. It was unable to fly, and just stared at him quizzically. He’d gathered it up into a box lined with newspaper and cotton and tried to nurse it back to health. He felt no sympathy for the animal, but knew even at a young age that protection was more rewarding than predation.

  His adopted father was red-faced and yelled when he found out. Actually, it wasn’t his father at all but his teacher, who taught him all of the subjects a child might learn in school. Math. Geography. Chemistry. History.

  He also learned a few subjects that weren’t normally taught in school. Mixed martial arts. Combat tactics. Shifter biology. Vampire hunting.

  But the most important lesson of all according to his new father was that caring for anything created a fear of losing it. And that fear was distracting and could one day get him killed. To illustrate the point, he’d crushed the bird in front of Parker’s face.

  ***

  Parker opened his eyes with difficulty—they were nearly frozen shut by the cold. He pushed himself up in the snow. The pain in his chest would have made him double over if he hadn’t learned to control it. His breath burned, and not just from the cold.

  That’s one…no, two. Two cracked ribs. he thought.

  The snow was red with blood. Calder had been very thorough.

  But not thorough enough.

  Parker touched his jacket and was relieved to find that his ammunition was present and accounted for. That weapon that had been in his hand when he had gotten off the helicopter was missing. It had gone flying when Calder had sucker punched him. Fortunately, Parker was superstitious. He wore a very thin, flexible armor that he made himself, and always in three layers.

  He searched the snow around him, then got to his feet to resume his search.

  Fortunately, he’d only been unconscious for a few minutes and not much snow had fallen. His missing gun lay just a few feet away. Parker picked up the weapon and ejected the clip. Everything seemed to be in working order, and he had been careful to select a lubricant that was designed for cold weather use. Still, he didn’t want to take any chances.

  He holstered the weapon in his jacket, where it could be warmed by his body. The action reminded him anew of his broken ribs and he winced.

  He checked the helicopter. The pilot had been torn apart, but the vehicle itself seemed intact.

  Parker had never failed a mission, and he was not about to start. He drew a backup handgun, checked the ammunition and touched the top bullet in the clip for luck, then entered Arctic Station.

  Chapter Seven - Alanna

  “I apologize for keeping you in the dark,” Calder said. The fluorescent lights overhead flickered to life with a buzz and it took my eyes a second to adjust.

  He came around the table to stand over me. His clothes were covered in blood. He seemed to notice at the same time that I did.

  “I apologize for the state I’m in as well. I didn’t have the time to change clothing. Time is of the essence, after all.”

  “What are you talking about?” I asked. I tried to stay calm, but my breath was still ragged and my pulse raced from waking up in the dark.

  Calder rolled a cart over to me. I couldn’t see what was on top, but he picked up a pair of surgical scissors. He touched me on the wrist and I flinched.

  “Get the fuck away from me,” I said. I hadn’t even realized that I’d been holding my breath. I tried to stifle a sob.

  Calder slid the blade of the scissors under the wrist of my sleeves. He cut through multiple layers of fabric.

  “What are you doing?” My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest.

  “Try and relax. I mean you no harm.”

  “I find that a little hard to believe considering that you’ve got me strapped to a fucking table.” I bucked my body against it and bared my teeth at him. I was trying to focus my terror into something a little more practical, like jumping off of this table and stabbing him with those scissors.

  “Alanna. Try not to move. I don’t want to cut you.”

  Calder cut my sleeves to the elbow and swabbed my forearm with iodine.

  He took a syringe off of the cart. It was filled with a dark liquid I couldn’t quite place.

  “What the fuck is that?”

  He regarded the needle warmly. “This is my blood, Alanna. Or I guess more specifically, what’s in my blood. It’s my birthright. I’d like to pass it on to our children.”

  “Our children?” I laughed weakly. “You should really buy me dinner first. Or not be a fucking psychopath.”

  “That hurts me, Alanna. I’m no psychopath. I care very deeply about you, this planet, and everyone on it. I know that the only way to make people change is to change them by force. And our children will do that. They will change people for the better.”

  “Get the fuck away from her, Calder.” The voice was a rasp, but I recognized it instantly.

  Ollie.

  Parker

  Parker moved through the mess hall and into the kitchen.

  A muscular black man with a greying beard tore open a toolbox and handed two flashlights to a smaller man with a ponytail. Parker recognized them from photos even from behind. Dr. Donald Bragg and Viktor Petrov.

  “Okay, Viktor, that’s all we have here,” the first man said. “Let’s get these back to Liam.”

  Parker raised his weapon.

  The two men turned and faced him. Viktor was so startled that he dropped the flashlights.

  Two shots rang out through the mess hall.

  Alanna

  Calder spun around. “Oliver.” He shoved the cart across the room violently. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

  “You left the door open,” Oliver said. “And I knew where to come looking.”

  Ollie looked like hell, but he was standing. One of his arms hadn’t fully healed and he was covered in burns. “Allie, I’m sorry,” he said, then he was across the room, faster than he should have been able to move with his injuries.

  His was right in my face, his eyes wild.

  “Straight out the door there’s a stairway that’ll take you to the north wing labs,” he yelled. “Go!”

  He shoved Calder across the room and undid the strap holding my bare forearm.

  Calder was already shifting, but Ollie jumped on him.

  I reached over and pulled off the strap on my other arm, then sat up and freed my legs.

  Ollie roared as he shifted. But he only held Calder. He wasn’t attacking.

  Ca
lder struggled to pull away, slashing Ollie with his claws and drawing fresh blood.

  I was off the table and running.

  “Alanna!” Calder’s voice, mixed with a guttural roar, followed me out the door.

  Thank you, Ollie. I thought, and ran.

  I didn’t even stop to question his directions. I just ran until my lungs burned. Up the stairwell and out a door into a familiar corridor.

  In the common room, Liam and Ben were waiting.

  “Liam!” I rushed into his arms.

  “Allie!” he said. “Thank God. Are you all right?”

  I am now. I thought. God, please never let go.

  “Where’s Calder?” asked Liam.

  “Downstairs.” I couldn’t catch my breath. “With Ollie.”

  Behind Liam, a man advanced with a gun drawn.

  “Isn’t this interesting,” said a voice from behind me. I shivered uncontrollably. Calder.

  Chapter Eight - Alanna

  The four men just stared at each other for a few seconds. For a few seconds I thought there might be handshakes and apologies for misunderstandings all around.

  Get behind something, Alanna. I could hear Liam’s voice in my head. Now!

  I dove behind a chair, put my back against it and closed my eyes.

  There were three gunshots in rapid succession. One hit the wall across from me. My ears rang from the sound in the confined space and a cold sickness rose in my stomach. I have to get the fuck out of here, I thought.

  I heard a roar, then Calder sailed across the room and crashed into the wall opposite me. He was shifting by the time he hit the wall and his eyes locked on mine for a moment. All I wanted to do was hide, but there was nowhere I could hide safely in here.

  I had to run. Now.

  I slid out from behind the chair and got to my feet. At the corner of my eye, Calder jumped from the wall to the floor. I could almost feel his gigantic teeth on the back of my neck. I screamed and willed my body to move toward the door.