Page 3 of Bite the Power
"The Arctic Circle," Tessa said softly, testing the words. "When would he need someone?"
Gerri's grin widened. "How fast can you pack?"
Gerri reached into her tiny purse and produced a crisp white business card. The cardstock felt unexpectedly warm against Tessa's fingers as she grabbed it, almost tingling with energy.
"Call me first thing in the morning, dear. I'll arrange your travel and send you everything you need to know about Eli and his work in Frosthaven."
Tessa stared blankly at the card, her mind still reeling from the whirlwind conversation. "This is happening so fast?—"
"The best opportunities always do." Gerri patted Tessa's arm with maternal warmth. "Trust me on this one."
As Gerri melted back into the crowd with surprising grace for someone in three-inch heels, Tessa turned to Melanie, her head spinning. "That was so random."
Melanie's knowing smile stretched wide. "Didn't I tell you? Opportunities come when you least expect them."
Tessa glanced around the ballroom one last time, watching the same men who'd dismissed her all evening. "I really need to go home. If I'm flying out tomorrow for the Arctic Circle, I need to start packing."
The drive to Tessa's condo passed in a blur of streetlights and Melanie's excited chatter about the Arctic. When they finally arrived outside her condo, Melanie grabbed Tessa's hand.
"Keep me updated on everything. And I mean everything—the research, the conditions, even the mysterious men with ice in their veins." Her brown eyes sparkled. "If you need any professional backup or connections, call me immediately."
"Thank you." Tessa squeezed her best friend's hand, gratitude warming her chest. "For everything tonight. Your support, your encouragement, even dragging me to this gala in the first place."
"Go pack before you lose your nerve."
Tessa hurried inside her condo, adrenaline coursing through her veins. Her bedroom soon transformed into organized chaos as she pulled out her heavy-duty field gear—thermal base layers, insulated boots, and waterproof outer shells designed for subzero conditions. Each item she folded brought the reality closer. The Arctic Circle. Actual fieldwork in the most pristine, challenging environment on Earth.
Thirty minutes later, her laptop screen glowed as she pulled up mapping software, typing "Frosthaven" into the search bar. Nothing. She tried different spellings, different databases, even tourist websites. The town simply didn't exist on any map she could find.
That's weird.
Google searches yielded the same frustrating emptiness. No government records, no weather stations, no population data. It was as if Frosthaven had been erased from the digital world—or never existed in the first place.
Her scientific mind demanded logical explanations, but unease crept along her spine. Gerri had been so specific about the location, so confident about Eli's work there.
Sleep proved impossible. Every time she closed her eyes, Gerri's cryptic words echoed through her thoughts. Strange tremors. Glaciers cracking before their time. Dangerous men with ice in their veins. The combination of legitimate scientific mystery and Gerri's oddly theatrical warnings created a cocktail of excitement and apprehension that kept her staring at the ceiling for hours.
Before she knew it, dawn crept through her bedroom windows like a reluctant confession. Tessa fumbled for Gerri's business card on her nightstand, squinting at the elegant lettering in the pale morning light.
Paranormal Dating Agency.
"What the hell?" she muttered, sitting up abruptly.
A matchmaker? That explained absolutely nothing about how Gerri knew Eli or why she'd been at a scientific gala offering Arctic research positions.
Maybe it's a side business. People need multiple income streams these days.
Despite her confusion, Tessa dialed the number. Her scientific mind wanted answers, but something deep in her gut whispered that this opportunity was significant.
The phone rang once before Gerri's cheerful voice filled the line. "Dr. Monroe! Right on time. I have your travel arrangements ready and a complete dossier on Eli's current research. You'll meet me in Frosthaven this afternoon."
"About that," Tessa began, her voice hoarse with sleep deprivation. "I can't find Frosthaven on any map. Are you sure?—"
"Oh, don't worry about silly things like maps, dear. Some places exist whether people acknowledge them or not."
The cryptic response should have raised red flags, but something in Gerri's tone—absolute confidence mixed with maternal warmth—melted Tessa's skepticism.
Her grandmother's voice suddenly echoed through her memory:Life works in mysterious ways, sweetheart. Sometimes you have to trust the current even when you can't see where it's taking you.
