Page 51 of Blades of Ice

“I’m doing my best, Lydia,” Carleigh said softly.

Lydia rubbed her eyes. “I know you are, C. I’m not mad at you. I just want my mate back.”

“I have no doubt, and I won’t stop scouring for any scrap of information I can get, okay? I’ll check back soon.” She disconnected without saying she loved Lydia, and that made her heart hurt worse.

“Fuck.” Lydia tossed the phone onto the pack and peeled the nearly frozen banana. As she took a bite, her mind went back over her conversation with Carleigh. If Heather was responsible for Beck’s abduction, Lydia would enjoy taking on the female even if she weighed five times more.

Kennedy jumped to her feet, her eyes focused on something in the distance. “He’s coming back.”

Dooley’s large form was camouflaged until he got closer. He slowed his pace to a walk, then shifted to his skin. “Amara, or whoever that was, went into the water. There’s no way to tell which way they swam.”

Lydia tossed the banana peel in the snow and wiped her hands. “Then let’s follow the other tracks. Who knows? Maybe they’ll lead us to Beck and Chloe.” She locked on the snowshoes, then bent down and picked up her pack, sliding her arms through the straps. Once Dooley and Kennedy had theirs on, they set out, and Lydia relayed her conversation with Carleigh.

Dooley stopped walking. “Wait a second. If Heather’s here, and the messages are being relayed from Valerie’s house, someone… Fuck. I bet it’s her son, Tate. Russell told me he’d seen Heather and Tate together more than once.”

“Why would Valerie’s son help Boyd?” Lydia asked.

Kennedy smiled up at Dooley. “For love.”

“You mean revenge.” Lydia stared at Kennedy who was still smiling.

“No. I mean love. From what Dooley said, Valerie has no use for anyone if they aren’t bringing in money, but males especially. If Heather and Boyd came up with a way to overthrow Amara, then Heather could take over the throne here and bring Tate with her. She’d give Boyd a cut of the money for helping.”

Lydia leaned heavily on her poles. “But what about Delaney?”

“She’s a pregnant female who can’t fight. She’s the least of their worries. And maybe while Heather’s at it, she does get a little revenge to go with her new queendom.”

“And her father’s helping, allowing Boyd to remain in Sterling.”

Dooley shifted the pack on his back. “Say we’re right, but how are they going to keep money coming in if they take out the ones running the company? Beck’s going with you, and the girls will go with Amara again.”

Lydia bit her lip, deciding whether to share the snooping Carleigh did. She already considered the couple part of her Clan, so she admitted, “While Sagan Adventures brings in a good bit of money, Amara has amassed a nest egg separate from the company. One large enough to start over anywhere.”

Dooley didn’t ask how Lydia came by that information. He probably had a good idea. “That is if she doesn’t fight Heather. Who’s to say Amara isn’t off licking her wounds and planning revenge of her own? Regardless, we need to follow these tracks as far as we can since we’re running out of daylight. We should have brought the drones after all.”

The trio got back to it. They agreed to stop for the night after an hour of walking. The next morning, they got an earlystart. It took two hours until the bear tracks changed to those of a human. Snowmobile indentions headed north. Lydia found the paper map in her pack and spread it out. “Where are we?” she asked Dooley.

“Here.” He pointed to a spot well away from where they’d left the helicopter.

Lydia pulled out a marker and circled their location. “Okay, if we’re here, and the snowmobile went north…” She drew a line with her finger. “It’s headed toward where the Sagan helo is. Let’s go back and get ours, then fly there and begin our search for Beck. I know we don’t have solid coordinates, but I’m tired of waiting. I’d rather follow tracks on foot and get closer to where he is than sit around with my thumb up my ass while I wait on whoever has him to screw up again!” Her chest heaved, and Kennedy squeaked. Dooley stepped between Lydia and his mate, his eyes narrowed.

Lydia held up her hands. “Sorry. I’m sorry.” She turned her back and removed her goggles, swiping at her tears. A gentle hand landed on her shoulder, and Lydia cried harder. Kennedy moved so she was standing beside her and hugged her. At least she tried to. It was awkward wearing backpacks, but the little fox managed as best she could.

“Nothing to be sorry for. If I were in your shoes, I’d have said, ‘Fuck Amara’ and gone after my mate. Since we’re closer to your helicopter, why don’t we head that way, return to the house and stock up on enough supplies to last more than a few days, fuel up, and get the drones?”

Lydia didn’t want to return to Valdez. She wanted to look for Beck straightaway, but Kennedy was right. They needed to be prepared. At that thought, she pulled out the satellite phone and called Carleigh.

“Hey, Lydia.” It was Harlow who answered. Oh, gods. Was her cousin avoiding talking to her?

“Hi, Low. Is Carleigh around?” Lydia used the silly greeting, hoping for some levity.

Harlow giggled as always. “She had to pee. Hang on, here she comes.”

“I’m here,” Carleigh said.

“First off, I love you, and I’m sorry I snapped. I appreciate everything you’re doing.”

“I know that, silly. I love you too. Is that the only reason you called?”

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