Page 39 of Blades of Ice

“Who’s that?”

“Congratulations, Lydia. You are now the proud owner of a new company. Carleigh formed an LLC, named it for you and her, then bought the property. It has been sitting empty for so long, the owners practically gave it away. It’s the perfect place to store your new helicopter.”

“My… What?”

Dooley grinned. “Carleigh said you can fly, so instead of renting a helo, she bought one. I’ll explain everything once you’ve eaten and slept.”

“No peanut butter,” she grumbled.

Dooley helped her down, then tossed her bags to Caleb. Dooley led her to one of two parked SUVs, while Caleb remained with the bird.

“I’ll get her stowed, then meet you at the house,” Caleb said.

“Ten-four.” Dooley beeped the key fob and stowed the packs in the back. He opened Lydia’s door, then strolled around to the driver’s side.

“I suppose I now own two new vehicles,” Lydia griped.

“Oh, no. These are rentals. Carleigh didn’t want to spend too much of your money.”

“Right. Like, how much does a helicopter even cost?”

“You’d have to ask your cousin. Or Caleb. He’d know.”

Lydia plunked her head against the passenger window. “How the hell did she make all this happen since the last time we spoke?”

Dooley pulled out of the parking lot without looking at the GPS. He eased down the road, tapping the steering wheel. “I guess when you’re loaded, you can get whatever you want when you want it. But Carleigh figured you might need a helicopter to search for Beck, and instead of renting one for the foreseeable future, she purchased one. You can always sell it afterward.”

“Makes sense.” Lydia wasn’t worried about the money. Even a few million wouldn’t put a dent in what she had, and if Carleigh split it? Even better. But did they really need a warehouse in Nowhere, Alaska?

Dooley pulled into the driveway of the rental house. “Come on. Kennedy will get food thrown together while you shower. Not that you smell bad, but…”

Lydia would have snorted if she had the energy. She knew how badly she needed to shower. It surprised her Kennedy was in Valdez, but then again, Lydia wouldn’t want to be away from Beck if he was off on a rescue mission. Lydia all but fell out of the vehicle, catching herself on the doorframe. She got her bearings, then closed the door. When she turned toward the house, Kennedy stood there, smiling. The petite blonde was always smiling. If Lydia could read auras, she had a feeling Kennedy’s would blind her with how bright it was.

“Hey, Lydia. I’m glad to see you.”

Lydia forced her legs to move. “I’m glad to be seen.” Once inside, she removed her parka and hung it on the hook by the front door. “Dooley said you would cook something, but honestly, I just want a shower and to sleep.”

“No problem. I’ll have something ready to go in the oven as soon as you’re awake.” The little fox shifter grinned over her shoulder. Lydia didn’t have to turn to know it was Dooley. She took the backpack that contained her toiletries and left the couple alone. Once in the master bedroom, she removed her dirty clothes, letting them fall to the floor. When she opened thedresser drawer for fresh ones, Lydia’s eyes teared up seeing her mate’s clothes mixed with hers. She didn’t bother wiping them. More were sure to follow until she found Beck. Lydia found clean underwear, but instead of grabbing her own shirt, she took one of Beck’s and went into the bathroom. She turned the shower on, and while the water heated, Lydia dumped their things out of the backpack and placed them on the counter. Her heart ached not knowing how badly Beck was injured, but she wouldn’t believe he was dying. That she wouldn’t see him again.

“Fuck you, polar bear illusion.” Lydia wouldn’t stop searching until she found him, no matter how long it took.

Chapter 17

“I’m hungry,” Chloewhined.

Beck was too, or maybe that was the pain of the poison causing his stomach to cramp. He was doing his best not to stress and exert more energy than he already had. If he panicked, the adrenaline would speed the blood flowing through his veins, spreading the poison faster. Why he wasn’t already dead… Beck didn’t care the reason, but he was thankful for it.

“Are we going to die here?”

Beck barely heard Chloe’s whispered question. His teeth were clattering loudly in his head, and that he had no control over. He’d never been so cold in his life, and that was saying something considering he’d swum in the arctic waters above Alaska.

Beck tried shifting when he first woke up, but the cuffs prevented him from doing so. “Are you chained?” he asked instead of offering false hope.

“Chained? No.”

“Well, I am, so it’s going to be up to you to find a way out of here.”

“How? I can’t see two inches in front of my face.”

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