Page 6 of Blades of Ice

He gave her his most charming smile. “Is that better?”

Lusa rolled her dark eyes. “Only if you mean it. Do you have time for breakfast, or is this a coffee only visit?”

“Coffee only.” He pulled the white mug closer and stared into the dark liquid as she walked away to serve another customer. Beck had time to eat, but he didn’t want to linger long enough for Lusa to pry into his doldrums. He couldn’t tell her the truth. He wouldn’t share with her, even if he were able. If Beck told her he wanted a female in his life, she’d try to set him up with one of her daughters or nieces. While they were all nice women, Beck didn’t date humans. He wasn’t speciesist, but he was holding out for a shifter whose lifespan would match his.

Beck finished his coffee, placed a ten on the counter under the empty mug, and slid out the door while Lusa was at the other end of the counter. He made his way back to the Caravan for the return trip. The two couples he transported felt the need to regale him with every aspect of their time in Kodiak, taking his mind off both his mother and thoughts of a mate. After unloading their luggage and saying farewell to the customers,Beck refueled and checked over the plane before heading to the building that housed their office. He had a few hours before his next flight, so he might as well check in with Delaney. Just as he reached the door, it slammed open, and a familiar face rushed out.

“Boyd!” The male ignored Beck. The girls’ father being in Seward couldn’t be a good thing, especially after what Dooley had found out. The male was nothing but trouble, and Beck took off after him. It wasn’t hard to keep sight of him considering he was as tall as Beck. Foot traffic was heavy, but people stepped out of the way for the imposing figure. That is until Boyd turned to look over his shoulder and crashed into a young woman. Boyd kept going, but Beck paused long enough to make sure the brunette wasn’t injured.

Soulful blue eyes stared up at Beck, and his bear rumbled for the first time because of a female. He made the mistake of inhaling her scent. She smelled divine, like sunshine after a hard snow, but Beck wouldn’t go there, no matter what his other half wanted.

Chapter 3

Lydia and Cailínhad been in Alaska for a couple of weeks. When they first arrived, they found a lodge to stay in close to the coordinates Carleigh gave them, but without something more specific, there wasn’t much they could do besides walk around town, visiting stores, shops, and restaurants, using their shifter senses to search for other species. They also drove on all the roads to familiarize themselves with the area. Cailín had been bored and wanted to see somewhere different, so they drove two hours to a harbor town for brunch.

Once Cailín parked their rental, they headed to where the restaurants were located. Lydia inhaled deeply. The air in West Virginia was crisp and clean, but it had nothing on Seward. The town was idyllic with its glaciers and ice fields. Boats and seaplanes filled the slips at the dock. Lydia didn’t know if the crowded sidewalks were due to it being Saturday, or if it was always busy.

They found a restaurant that offered fresh seafood, and the view of the mountains was spectacular. Lydia wondered if there were shifters living out in the wild, but then thought better of it. Who would want to subject themselves to all that snow when they could stay in a warm house? Maybe there were cabins out there like… Nope. No thinking about the Bridgewater pack and Tinsley no longer getting to go to her cabin.

“Lydia? Are you okay?” Cailín asked, her mouth downturned. She knew Lydia almost as well as anyone.

Not wanting to get into it again, Lydia lied. “Just thinking that Tabitha should be here instead of me. She’s an actual investigator. I’m an archivist and graphic designer. What do I know about… you know?”

Cailín snorted. “I don’t think her teeny bikinis would cut it in the cold.”

Lydia couldn’t help but grin. “Nah, she’d be strolling along the harbor in her six-inch heels wearing a long coat with fur around the neckline.” Lydia admired her fiery cousin. Tabby and Anthony were both private investigators who also took on security jobs when their boss, Mason Steele, needed them to.

“You have all the skills necessary.” Cailín tapped her nose. If they were only searching for shifters, then she might agree. What if the cryptic messages were sent by humans set to destroy their kind?

Their food arrived, and Lydia tried to forget all her shortcomings and focus on her meal. It wasn’t hard to do with Cailín’s running commentary about each flavor she picked out, and how it was the best seafood she’d ever had. Lydia had to agree.

With their bellies full of halibut tacos and chipotle aioli salmon burgers, they took off walking along the waterfront, enjoying both the fresh air and scenery. The temperature was in the mid-thirties, but the sun was shining, warming Lydia’s skin. She removed her knit cap and shoved it in the pocket of her puffy coat. As she fluffed her hair, she scanned the area. Sterling wasn’t that far from Seward, and if there were shifters in Sterling, who’s to say there weren’t any in Seward too?

An angry voice shouted, “Boyd!” Pedestrians scrambled out of the way as a tall man raced toward them. Cailín tried to pull Lydia out of the man’s path, but she was too late. Lydia was knocked on her ass, but the culprit didn’t bother to stop and check on her. The man doing the chasing did, and when he kneltbeside her, Lydia was mesmerized. Even on bent knee, she could tell he was tall. His hair was so blond it was almost white, and his blue eyes reminded her of a cloudless sky.

“Are you okay?” His voice was hypnotic. “Miss, are you hurt?” She opened her mouth to tell him she was fine, but her stomach roiled, and Lydia clamped her lips together to keep her lunch from coming back up.

“Lydia?” Cailín snapped her fingers in front of Lydia’s eyes. “Stone! Snap out of it.”

Lydia swallowed hard before admitting, “I think the fish was bad.”

The man leaned forward and scooped her into his arms, standing easily. As he carried her through a crowd of onlookers, she couldn’t help but inhale his scent. It was fresh yet masculine, like snow on the trees. As he gently lowered her onto a bench next to a garbage can, her Goyle woke up. It had been keeping its distance since she’d returned from West Virginia, but it was interested in the male. He scanned the area, no doubt searching for the one he’d been chasing. Lydia leaned her head back, and when his eyes locked on hers, she smiled. “You can go after him. I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure? I’m sorry you were injured.”

“I’m not hurt, I promise, but thank you…?”

The large man opened and closed his fists. “Beck. I hate to leave you, but I do need to find him.”

Lydia waved a hand in front of her. “Then go. And I hope you catch him.” She inclined her head in the direction the culprit had gone, and Beck ran a finger down her cheek before sprinting away. She leaned over with her arms wrapped around her middle and took several deep breaths, trying to staunch the nausea.

“Hubba, hubba.” Cailín stood, staring after Beck. “That male is F.I.N.E. fine.”

That was no lie. And the way he lifted her without breaking a sweat? It had been impressive considering Lydia wasn’t a small female. When the threat of puking passed, she sat back against the bench. “You ready to head back to Sterling?”

Cailín narrowed her eyes at Lydia. “Not if you’re going to upchuck as soon as we get in the car.”

Lydia pushed to her feet and waited for the nausea to return. Thank the gods it didn’t. She’d never thrown up, but her mom had often in the early days of her pregnancy, and Lydia wanted no part of it. “I think getting knocked down jostled my stomach, but I’m fine.”

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