Page 34 of Blades of Ice

“You aren’t a hindrance.” Lydia snorted, and Beck smiled. “Okay, we might be going slower than I would be alone, but if you weren’t here, I wouldn’t be snuggled next to my mate. And now we’ll have a quest to tell our kids about. Our daughter willbe regalinghermate with that time her parents went on a wild adventure in the Alaskan mountains.”

“You’d want a daughter?”

“If she’s like her mother, then absolutely.” Beck kissed Lydia’s hair. “The difference between our daughter and the females in my pack will be how we raise her. She’ll be surrounded by family who appreciates all genders, and our son will never have to worry about being less than.”

Lydia’s voice was soft when she asked, “One of each, huh?”

“At least. Then again, I’m not the one who has to carry them. If you only want one, I’ll be happy with that, male or female. Hell, if they identify as nonbinary, I’ll love them just the same. We have centuries ahead of us, so maybe you’ll want kids eventually.” Truth be told, Beck wanted as many kids as she would give him. He wanted to be the kind of father his was. Corbin Beckett loved with his whole heart and would drop everything if Beck needed him.

Lydia raised up on her elbow, her blue eyes sparkling in the dark enclosure. “I do want them, but not anytime soon. I’d like for us to get to know each other better, travel while looking for shifters to be on the council, and figure out where we’re going to make our home.”

“How long were your parents mated before you came along?”

Lydia snorted, burying her face against Beck’s chest. He thought it was adorable. When he goosed her side, Lydia squirmed. “Well, my parents also mated in November, and by the end of December, Mom was pregnant with me. Things were different back then. My dad’s generation had all but given up hope on finding mates. Full-blooded females were mostly extinct, so when they did find their mates in either half-bloods or humans, they wasted no time in starting the next generation.That’s why I have a bunch of cousins and friends close to my age.”

“I’m glad you have them, and I can’t wait to meet them all. You mentioned your parents moving to New York. Is that somewhere you’re considering?”

“Not really. I was thinking about West Virginia since I can work from anywhere. I know Bas wants me there so he’ll have a Clanmate close by. Cailín, Tabitha, and Anthony are always busy with cases. Luna and Solara spend half their time in New Orleans, and Carleigh’s busy with H3, and I rarely see any of them. Connor has Alyssa now, and they’re busy doing science stuff.”

“What’s West Virginia like?”

“It’s beautiful. It has all four seasons, so if we were to move there, you’d get snow in winter. Bas and Dakota bought a lodge up in the mountains, and the view is gorgeous.”

“Then maybe that’s where we’ll end up. We can at least take a look around when we visit.”

Lydia yawned and slid back down. “You’re the best mate ever.”

Beck kissed her hair again before closing his eyes. He hadn’t done anything to warrant that praise, not yet. But he would. He would always put her first and never let her forget how special she was.

The next day was as tedious as the day before, until Lydia stumbled to a stop. “Look, reindeer.”

“Those are caribou.”

“How can you tell the difference?” She pulled off her gloves, found her phone, and took a photo.

“Reindeer are smaller. They’re also domesticated.”

“Like pets?” Lydia shot a video before stowing her phone and putting her gloves back on.

“No. They’re used to pull loads, and they’re farmed for their milk and hides.”

“And their meat. Let’s not forget that.” Lydia huffed. “I know, I’m a hypocrite.”

“But a cute one,” Beck joked.

When they neared the spot on the map close to where the call came from, Beck pointed at Lydia’s wrist. “Now’s the time for your weapons. I’m going to shift and take a closer look.”

Lydia removed her gloves before calling forth her blades. This time, she chose sai. He didn’t ask why. She twirled them, one blade pointing forward, with the other blade tucked against her forearm. Beck dropped the packs close to her feet, then let the change take over. His Bear chuffed at their mate, and she winked. The first time his Bear did it, Lydia asked if it was mad. Beck explained it was his beast’s way of telling her to be on guard.

Beck used his Bear’s keen senses as he closed in on the coordinates. He smelled the helicopter before he saw it. Remaining still, he sniffed the air. The scent of fuel overpowered anything else. Beck made his way to where the Sagan Adventure helo sat, covered in snow with a puddle of gas on the ground beneath. Shifting to his skin, Beck checked the inside of the craft for signs of a struggle or any clue as to why Chloe would have flown to the middle of nowhere. The pilot’s door was open, and on the floor was her sat phone. He climbed in and looked in the back. Seeing nothing, he sniffed. Chloe’s scent was faint, and another one mixed with it. This one was male.

“What the fuck is going on?” Beck would use the sat phone to call Lydia and tell her what he found. As he climbed down, the crunch of snow caught his ear too late. A sharp pain ripped through his side, and he spun around, trying to shift as he did, but the blade piercing his side prevented it. “Motherfucker.” Beck fell to his knees, and he grabbed at the hilt. If he could getit out, maybe it wouldn’t kill him, but his fingers wouldn’t close around it. The bastard responsible stood several feet away. Beck lilted to the side, landing with a soft thud on the cold ground.Lydia.

Beck? Bear?

The blade must have been coated with poison and was racing through his veins if he was hearing his mate’s voice in his head.

Lydia. I’m… s-sorry.

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