Page 46 of Blades of Ice

“Oh, how cute. She thinks those blades will stop a bear.”

“It was impressive,” a male voice added.

Lydia took a step back, doing her best to keep both voices in front of her. Her foot hit something, and another grunt sounded from below.

“Beck?”

“It’s too late for him, I’m afraid. Now, what are we going to do about you?” the female asked from closer than she’d been seconds before. Lydia swung out, and the female laughed. “You can’t hurt me,” she whispered in Lydia’s ear. Lydia swallowedhard. She’d asked for weapons that didn’t kill innocents, but this female wasn’t that. She was responsible for Beck being hurt.It’s all about intention.Lydia cleared her mind and called forth sai made from ice. From one instant to the next, the metal swords shortened to icy daggers, and Lydia struck. Something wet coated her hand as the female gasped.

“What did you do?” the male yelled. The air changed, adding light to the room. A roar shook the ground as crystal blue eyes glowed in the dark. Eyes belonging to a huge beast. The animal pawed at the ground, and with a growl Lydia felt deep in her soul, the animal lunged.

“No!” Lydia gasped, sucking in air, and swinging her arms in front of her. “Beck!”

The door was flung open hard enough to hit the wall, and Dooley ran in with his claws out. A little white fox bounded in behind him and jumped on the bed with its teeth bared.

“Nightmare,” she managed to choke out. “Sorry.”

The fox – Kennedy – padded up the bed and curled up beside Lydia, setting her chin on Lydia’s leg. Lydia ran her fingers through the soft fur and closed her eyes. Tears seeped out of the corners, rolling down her face. Kennedy whimpered, and Dooley stepped closer.

He sat on the edge of the bed and placed a hand on Lydia’s shin. “Sawyer Beckett’s a fighter, and now that he’s found his mate? A fated one at that? Well, Beckett’s not going to give up. Wherever he is, whatever has happened, he will battle with every ounce of power within his soul to see you again. I know this, because it’s what I would do if I were in his shoes.” He squeezed her leg before standing and leaving her alone with his mate. Kennedy didn’t change back to her skin. She pressed closer to Lydia, offering silent support.

The next time Lydia woke, it wasn’t in a panic. The spot next to her was empty, and when she pressed her hand against thequilt, it was still warm. Lydia smiled at the thought of her new friend staying with her during the night. She would have to find a way to make it up to Kennedy. Lydia stretched, then climbed out of bed. The shower was calling her name.

“Sawyer? Are youawake?”

Beck ignored his sister. His head was throbbing, and talking would only make it worse. Nothing they said to one another would help their situation.

“Dammit,” she muttered. Soon after, a soft thump sounded in the dark as she once again took to her fur. He knew it wasn’t fair to hate her for being able to shift, but fuck, his bones ached with the deep chill. Beck drifted in and out of consciousness. His mind played tricks on him, making him believe Lydia was there with him. If only.

No. He wouldn’t want her to be imprisoned too. Some kind of mate he was. So pathetic he couldn’t protect his female. He’d give anything to be able to converse with his Bear. It rumbled every so often, but Beck didn’t know why. He could no longer sense what his other half tried to tell him.

Hot breath hit his face. What the fuck was Chloe doing? Beck didn’t bother opening his eyes. He couldn’t see her in the blackness. Her large body settled against his back when she lay down. If he had the strength, he would turn over and snuggle into the warmth of her fur. At least his back would be warm.

“My whole lifehas been a lie.” Dooley sat with his head leaned back against Kennedy’s stomach, who was stroking his hair with one hand and sipping coffee with the other.

“You ruined my mate.” Kennedy winked at Lydia. “He spent hours going through oldLucyclips searching for that phrase.”

“Not hours,” the male whined, but he wouldn’t meet Lydia’s eyes.

“Sorry to burst your bubble.” Lydia helped herself to coffee, and once she had it doctored the way she liked, she turned to sit across from Dooley, but the doorbell rang, halting her steps. “I’ll get it.” She set her mug on the table, and when she got to the front door, Lydia peeked out the curtain covering the sidelight. A delivery driver held a box as well as the signature device. Lydia twisted the locks and opened the door.

“Package for Lydia Stone.”

“That’s me.” She signed her name and took the box, thanking the driver as he checked out her chest. She’d dressed in a tank top and layered one of Beck’s button-ups over it. The edge of her tattoo was visible, but it wasn’t something she wanted the stranger staring at. Lydia turned her back and closed the door, relocking it. She carried the package to the kitchen and placed it on the table. She elongated a claw and used it to slice through the packing tape. When she pulled back the flaps, she had to hold in the squeal at seeing the prosthetic. There was an envelope beneath the mask, so she opened it to find a pilot’s license containing her information along with the voice transmitter to use with the mask. If Dooley thought her bracelets were scary, wait ‘til he got a look at her with the prosthetic on.

“What’s all this?” Dooley asked.

“A pilot’s license so I can fly the helo without getting in trouble. A couple of drones, and this…” She held up the prosthetic. “This is plan B.” It took more than slipping it on over her head to get it perfect, but Lydia put it on anyway.

Dooley placed both hands on the table and leaned forward, studying her new face. After a beat, he sat back. “Your Clan is fucking scary. Or brilliant. But still fucking scary. Magic bracelets. Voodoo masks. What else are you going to bring to show and tell?”

Lydia pulled out the voice transmitter, but she didn’t put it on. “This tiny device will change my voice to match Chloe’s.”

“Again, brilliant, but you said that’s plan B. How would that even work? You’re taller than Chloe.”

“We’ve learned that most people don’t pay close attention to the details unless they’re intimately familiar with the one being impersonated. The trick is to find someone similar enough in size. Most often when these are worn, they’re used as disguises or to hide our true age. My great-grandfather created them so he and his mate didn’t have to move around as often.”

“Fascinating. Are you saying you can become anyone in the world?”

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