Page 16 of Falling for her Guardian

Valeth’s upper lip curled just a little bit. “Of course.”

When he was alone in his office, he undid his jacket and laid it over a chair, then moved to the table, resting his hands on the worn surface. In front of him was a map of Northernmost, where the thing he coveted most lay protected by shifters, elves, and his brother.

Maybe this human female was the key to getting through some part of the defenses. He only needed the smallest opportunity to get in and then he could wreak havoc.

For her sake, he hoped that someone actually cared she was missing, because if she wasn’t important to anyone, if Santa didn’t care that she was with Jack? Then she wouldn’t make it through the night.

“So it was an elk?” Storm asked as he stared at the security footage. He and the others had raced to their stations when the perimeter breach alarms had sounded. He’d been tasked with checking the exterior of the buildings along with his brothers Hunter and Winter. They’d seen animal tracks, but nothing had been tampered with.

“Yeah,” Maverick said. The footage played once more. “It looks like it was spooked, but it’s too far outside the perimeter to see what it was by.”

The door to the security office opened and Santa strode in.

“All’s well?” he asked, voice booming.

Hunter stared at the screen for a moment, then said, “No one infiltrated the security building. The barracks were both checked, and the Well is untouched.”

“The Entrance?” Santa asked, scratching his jaw.

“Not a soul,” Maverick said. “Well, except for Storm’s mate.”

Santa’s white brow arched sharply. “What’s this then?”

Maverick made anoh shitface, and Storm let out a low grumble. He quickly explained what had occurred.

Saint Nicholas, the most powerful warlock in the world, had twinkling blue eyes and rosy cheeks. But underneath the jovial looks was powerful magic that could do just about anything. Andright now, Storm felt like Santa was using that magic to see right through him.

“I see,” Santa said. “And where is this human mate of yours? I’d like to meet her.”

“She’s in the breakroom.”

“Uh,” Maverick said. “No, she’s not. She just walked out the door.”

Seren couldn’t stop shaking, and it wasn’t just because she was scared out of her mind. She’d woken up on a cot in a cell with walls that were carved out of rock. The rock walls were covered with a layer of frost, and the floor had icy patches from which water dripped through cracks. Iron bars gave her a view of a dim walkway and other cells that appeared to be empty.

The only memory she had was of feeling very calm and peaceful as she walked out of the security building and then very, very afraid.

Her fingers and toes ached from the cold. She hadn’t seen anyone since she’d woken up, and even though she’d called for help, no one had appeared.

Who the hell had taken her, and why had she thought leaving the security building was a good idea?

Yes, she’d wanted to go home, but she hadn’t wanted to get trapped by some loon and put in a cell.

She huddled into her coat, wishing she hadn’t left Storm’s coat behind.

Or that she hadn’t left Storm at all.

She’d been so freaked out to be heavily attracted to another shifter that she’d bolted at the first tingle in her lady bits, and now she was screwed.

“So,” a masculine voice said, startling her from her musings on whether she was ever going to get to go home again or not.

She jerked her head up and saw a man on the other side of the bars. She knew exactly who he was because she’d seen pictures of him on social media and the news. He wasnota good guy.

“Jack Frost.”

His brow arched and he hummed. “Yes. And you are?”

“Seren.”

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