Page 34 of Bite the Power
Bjorn finally spoke up, his tone carefully neutral. "What type of patterns are we talking about?"
Kaidan watched his Beta with sharp interest. Bjorn's protective instincts toward the clans ran deep, but his logical mind wouldn't dismiss evidence just because it implicated another shifter.
"Equipment failures always happened before major data collection periods," Tessa explained, animated by the subject. "Weather station reports would be mysteriously inaccurate on days when Eli planned fieldwork in specific areas. Supply deliveries would get 'lost' right before critical research phases."
"Too convenient to be coincidence," Bjorn mused, and Kaidan felt a surge of satisfaction. His Beta was coming around.
"Exactly." Eli leaned forward eagerly. "And it escalated recently. More aggressive tactics and bolder sabotage attempts."
"Culminating in attempted murder," Kaidan said grimly, his hand finding Tessa's thigh under the table. The possessive touch sent heat spiraling through him when she didn't pull away.
Elora grinned wickedly. "Well, Magnus picked the wrong scientist to mess with. Tessa doesn't strike me as someone who backs down from a fight."
"Damn right I don't." Tessa's fierce smile made Kaidan's pulse spike. "I've dealt with plenty of powerful men trying to intimidate me out of my career. At least Magnus is honestabout his hostility instead of hiding behind fake smiles and backhanded compliments."
"Speaking from experience?" Bjorn asked, surprising everyone with his curiosity.
"Oh, you have no idea." Tessa's laugh held a bitter edge. "Try being one of three women in a graduate program with thirty men, all of whom think you're there to find a husband instead of advance scientific knowledge."
Kaidan's bear bristled at the thought of other men dismissing his brilliant mate. "Their loss is our gain."
The intimate warmth in his voice made Tessa lower her head, a pretty blush staining her cheeks. When she glanced up at him, the desire in her eyes nearly undid his composure.
Down, boy,he told his bear, though his own body was responding just as strongly.Save it for when we're alone.
"So, what's our next move?" Eli asked, oblivious to the charged undercurrents.
"Archive diving," Elora declared. "Boring but necessary."
"I'll take boring over nearly burning to death," Tessa said dryly, earning chuckles around the table.
As lunch wound down, Kaidan rose and extended his hand to Tessa. "Walk with me?"
She slipped her fingers into his without hesitation, sending satisfaction thrumming through the mate bond. He led her to his private chambers and then through French doors onto his private balcony, where the panoramic view of his Arctic kingdom spread before them like a crystalline wonderland.
Glaciers stretched toward the horizon, their surfaces gleaming like diamonds under the pale afternoon sun. In the distance, a family of Arctic foxes played on the tundra while seals bobbed in the partially frozen waters near the shore.
"It's so breathtaking," Tessa whispered, her wonder palpable through their connection.
"It's yours if you want it," Kaidan said quietly, meaning far more than just the view. "The beauty and the danger, the peace and the unpredictability."
As if summoned by his words, somewhere in the distance, ice cracked with the sound of breaking glass.
FIFTEEN
TESSA
Tessa gazed out at the pristine wilderness stretching endlessly before them, and the crystalline beauty made her chest tighten with unexpected longing. When Kaidan spoke of this landscape being hers if she wanted it, the deeper meaning in his words sent heat rushing through her. He wasn't just offering her a view—he was offering her everything. His kingdom, his life, himself.
The thought both thrilled and concerned her. Four days ago, she'd been unemployed and directionless in Washington. Now, a king was essentially suggesting she become his queen. The mate bond hummed between them, making her hyperaware of his powerful presence beside her, and the way his scent of pine and winter air made her want to lean into him.
But rational thought crashed through the haze of desire. She did want him—God, how she wanted him after last night—but jumping headfirst into a life she barely understood felt reckless, even for someone who'd built a career on calculated risks.
Back home, she had nothing spectacular waiting for her. Just Melanie, unemployment, and an empty condo. Her grandmother had always said life worked in mysterious ways, and maybe this was the universe finally giving hersomething extraordinary. But the harsh reality remained: most of Frosthaven's population despised humans. She wouldn't—couldn't—live somewhere she'd face constant hostility simply for existing.
If she stayed, things had to change. And the only way to change minds was to prove herself invaluable, trustworthy, and capable. If Kaidan could see those qualities in her, she could damn well make everyone else see them too.
"Can you show me to the palace archives now?" she asked, turning to face him fully. "I want to start gathering everything we need to build our case against Magnus."
