Page 46 of Bite the Power
Magnus's lips curved in that slimy smile Kaidan had despised since childhood. "See? This is exactly what I mean. The people are restless because their king is making decisions based on lust for a human female instead of what's best for our clans. The explosion today was clearly political unrest—shifters expressing their frustration that their king wants to make a human their future queen."
"Political unrest my ass," Kaidan snarled, his bear pressing dangerously close to the surface now. "You orchestrated that explosion, you cowardly piece of?—"
"The people won't accept a human queen," Magnus continued, his voice rising with practiced rhetoric. "They're terrified their bloodlines will be contaminated, and their traditions destroyed. This explosion was their cry for help."
Tessa stepped forward, her chin lifting with that fierce determination that made Kaidan's heart pound with pride and terror in equal measure. "Actually, the explosion was placed with military precision to maximize?—"
"Enough!" Kaidan's voice boomed through the chamber, his protective instincts roaring to life as he moved to shield Tessa from Magnus's predatory gaze. "You want to know the truth? Fine. Dr. Tessa Monroe is my fated mate."
The chamber fell silent except for the wind howling outside the frost-covered windows. Several council members nodded thoughtfully—they'd clearly suspected as much—but Magnus's face twisted with rage.
"And I do plan to make her my queen," Kaidan continued, his authority filling every corner of the ancient room. "And yes, I hope the clans will accept her as I have, because she embodies everything a queen should be—intelligent, compassionate, strong, just like my mother was. It shouldn't matter that she's human when she possesses all the qualities of true leadership."
Elder Aster leaned forward, her wise eyes studying Tessa with approval. "The mate bond cannot be denied or questioned. If she is truly your fated mate..."
"This is outrageous!" Magnus slammed his fist on the table, his composure finally cracking to reveal the bitter fury beneath. "You cannot force polar bear shifters to bow to a human queen. Our ancestors would roll in their graves."
Kaidan's eyes narrowed to slits as he stepped closer to Magnus, every inch of his six-foot-three frame radiating lethal intent. "Actually, I can. This isn't a democracy, Magnus. This is my kingdom, I am the king, and I make the decisions. Period."
"This is madness," Magnus spat, backing toward the chamber doors. "The clans will never accept this. Mark my words, Kaidan—she will be the downfall of Frosthaven."
With that parting threat, Magnus stormed from the chamber, his heavy boots echoing ominously behind him. The massive doors slammed shut with a sound like thunder, leaving an oppressive silence in his wake.
Kaidan's bear senses detected the shift in the environment immediately—the atmospheric pressure dropping, the scent of ozone in the air, and the way his skin prickled with electrical tension. Through the towering windows, lightning split the Arctic sky like a jagged scar, followed by the first howling gusts of what promised to be a catastrophic blizzard.
"Everyone needs to get home immediately," Kaidan commanded, his protective nature extending to every soul in Frosthaven. "This storm is going to be brutal—possibly the worst we've seen in decades."
As the council members hurried toward the exit, wrapping themselves in heavy cloaks and furs, Kaidan could not shake the feeling that Magnus's parting words carried more weight than mere political rhetoric. The man had something big planned, and this storm would provide perfect cover for whatever scheme he'd concocted next.
Lightning crashed again outside, illuminating Tessa's determined face in stark relief, and Kaidan felt the crushing weight of destiny settling on his shoulders like a mantle of ice and responsibility.
TWENTY-ONE
TESSA
The Arctic wind howled like a wounded beast against the council building's ancient stone walls, rattling the frost-etched windows with violent intensity. Tessa stood beside one of the towering windows, watching the blizzard transform the landscape into a swirling white nightmare while fury still burned hot in her chest from Magnus's venomous words.
Contaminated bloodlines. Human queen bringing downfall.The accusations replayed in her mind like broken glass scraping against her confidence. She'd faced down avalanches and fires in the past six days, but somehow Magnus's calculated cruelty cut deeper than physical danger.
"Hey." Kaidan's voice rumbled behind her, warm and commanding even in its gentleness. His large hands settled on her shoulders, the heat from his palms seeping through her thermal shirt. "Don't let that asshole's propaganda get under your skin."
Tessa leaned back against his solid chest, drawing strength from his unwavering presence. "Hard not to when he's painting me as some sort of kingdom-destroying plague."
"Magnus represents the worst of our old thinking," Kaidan murmured, his breath stirring her hair. "But he doesn't speak forall my people. Most of them are cautious, not hateful. They just need time to see what I see in you—your brilliance, your courage, your heart."
The pure conviction in his voice sent warmth through her chest but doubt still gnawed at her edges.
Could she really belong in this frozen kingdom where half the population viewed her as a threat to their very existence?
Kaidan's satellite phone buzzed, and he answered with clipped authority. "Bjorn, we need a ride back to the palace from the council building. This storm's getting too dangerous to walk back."
"On my way," came Bjorn's steady voice through the speaker. "Give me ten minutes."
True to his word, Bjorn arrived exactly ten minutes later, his heavy-duty vehicle cutting through the howling winds with precision. The journey back to the palace passed in tense silence, the storm's fury matching the political chaos swirling around them.
Once inside the palace's warm sanctuary, Kaidan's Alpha king instincts kicked into full protective mode. "We're having a family dinner. Right now," he announced firmly.
Kaidan then guided Tessa down the great hall, his hand resting protectively on her lower back, while Bjorn followed close behind. When they arrived at the grand dining room, Kaidan pushed through the heavy oak doors with familiar ease, and they were met by glowing candlelight and Elora who was already seated at the long table.
