Page 5 of Blades of Ice

Beck thanked the driver before climbing out of the backseat. The front door opened before he had taken two steps, and Dooley’s mate, Kennedy, stuck her head out. Beck made his way onto the porch, and when he reached the door, Kennedy stepped back, allowing him to pass.

“Hey, Beck. You want some coffee?”

“I’d love a cup.”

“Dooley’s in the cave. Head on down, and I’ll bring your coffee as soon as it finishes brewing.”

“Thanks, Kennedy.” Dooley had won the lottery when he found his mate. The female was whip smart, and she cooked like a dream.

“What’s doing, Beckett?” Dooley asked in his deep bass as soon as Beck’s feet hit the bottom step. He’d hung out more times than he could remember in the basement with his friend.

“You tell me.” Beck took one of the recliners facing the wrap-around desk where Dooley worked.

His friend scrubbed a hand down his face and sighed. “You know I’ve kept an eye on everything happening in BC ever since we moved. Until a couple weeks ago, there wasn’t anything, then I noticed some weird chatter. At first, it didn’t make sense because it was in code, but the more I played with it…” Dooley angled his head to the side and kept quiet as Kennedy descended the stairs. She brought Beck his coffee, handed Dooley an energy drink, kissed her mate on the temple, then retreated upstairs. Dooley popped the top on the can and took a long swig. Beck sipped his hot brew while waiting.

“It seems there’s dissension among Valerie’s ranks, namely with Boyd. Just like Amara kicked your dad to the curb once you were born, Valerie has done the same to Boyd since he’s failed to give her any female offspring.”

“What does that have to do with us?”

“Back to the weird code. It said, ‘It would impress me if we could shift her around.’ Normally, that wouldn’t raise an alarm—”

“But my mother is the only queen we know of who uses Empress as her title.”

Dooley jabbed a finger in the air. “Bingo.”

Beck downed the rest of the coffee and cradled the cup between his hands. “Amara hasn’t checked in with the girls today, and they’re worried.”

Dooley whistled low. “The Empress is missing?”

“I wouldn’t go that far, but it isn’t like her to be radio silent. However, I had a weird vibe earlier at the dock. I chalked it up to your cryptic message. Now I’m not so sure.”

“Besides trying to figure out where these messages are coming from and to whom they’re being sent, I’ll do some‘snooping’ with the cameras around the dock. See if I come up with anything.”

Beck ordered a rideshare before standing. He reached out a hand to Dooley. “And I’ll let you know as soon as we hear from Amara.”

Dooley clasped Beck’s hand. “Kennedy made you some cookies.”

“I can cook, you know.”

Dooley grinned. “But can you make honey and caramel, double fudge cookies as good as she can?”

“I don’t even try. Why would I when she keeps me stocked up?”

“Yeah, well, when you find your mate, Kennedy will share the recipe. Until then, she’ll keep on making them.”

“And I appreciate that. I’ve got to head back and load up.”

“Watch your back, my friend.”

Beck inclined his head and turned toward the stairs. As he climbed, Beck rubbed his chest over his heart, the same way he did every time Dooley mentioned Beck finding his mate. He thought he might have found the one back in BC, but when it came time to move, Heather refused. She said if Beck loved her, he would stay. If she had been the right one, she would have understood he was honor bound to protect his mother and gone with him. Beck knew every available female bear in a two-hundred-mile radius, and none of them had caused a stir with his beast; then again, neither had Heather. Beck was ready to settle down and have a few cubs of his own, but he wouldn’t do that until he found the one who lit him up from the inside. Maybe that was the reason his shifter was getting restless. Granted, he was only thirty-six and had hundreds of years ahead of him, but he wanted those years to be spent with his perfect someone at his side.

Beck stopped off in the kitchen where Kennedy was stirring something in a large silver bowl. She pointed to a bakery box with her free hand. After placing his empty mug in the sink, he grabbed his stash. “Thank you, Kennedy.”

“You’re welcome. Tell your sisters hello for me.”

“Will do.” Beck saw himself out. Once back at the dock, he stowed the package in the plane. Since he still had a few minutes to spare, he made his way to a small café while he waited for the passengers returning to Seward. He was greeted by the older Inuit woman behind the counter who was already pouring his coffee by the time he sat on a stool. “Good morning, Lusa.”

“Sawyer.” Lusa refused to call him Beck. She held the coffee pot aloft, angling her head to the side. “Looking pensive this morning.”

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