Page 65 of Blades of Ice

They had discussed whether to leave the bodies out in the open for wildlife or take them back to Valdez as planned. In the end, they opted to put them in the cave. It would be up to Amara to decide what to do with them. Beck and Dooley doubted the Empress would give her daughter a proper funeral considering she was a traitor, but Lydia convinced them to give her the choice.

She explained what happened after he left, and when she got to the part about killing Orson, Jon pulled her into a hug. Clinging to his strong back, Lydia assured him she was okay.

Since the helo was a four-seater, Kennedy sat in Dooley’s lap in the back with Lydia beside them. Beck didn’t offer to pilot the bird, instead taking the co-pilot’s seat. The flight to the warehouse took little more than an hour. By the time they stored the helo in the warehouse and got back to the rental, Lydia was ready to fall on the bed with her clothes on. Instead, they said goodnight to the others, and she joined her mate for a long, hot shower after Beck brushed his teeth. Lydia was careful as she soaped her mate’s body. He washed his hair twice before lathering hers. They bathed in silence since neither one had the energy for anything sexual. Hating to sleep with wet hair, Lydia blasted hers with the hair dryer just enough to remove the dampness. Beck was waiting in bed for her, and she turned off the lamp, then slid beneath the covers and into his waiting arms. Resting her head on his shoulder, Beck kissed her now clean hair and whispered, “I love you, Sugar.”

Lydia pressed her lips to his bare chest. “I love you too, My Bear.”

The next afternoon, because everyone slept in, Kennedy cooked a big breakfast, and they enjoyed each other’s company one last time.

When it was time to say goodbye, Dooley approached Lydia. “I was serious about joining your Clan.”

“And I told you it was a done deal.”

“There’s no paperwork or initiations?”

Lydia glanced at Jon who shrugged. Keeping her face impassive, she said, “Make a fist and place it over your heart.”

“Wait. I want to join too.” Kennedy rushed over to stand next to Dooley and made a fist.

“Repeat after me. I pledge my loyalty to the Stone Society and vow to protect all my Clanmates to the best of my ability.” The couple repeated the vow together, and Lydia inclined her head. “Welcome to our Clan.”

Dooley glanced over at Jon who raised his coffee cup. “Yes, welcome.”

Lydia promised Kennedy she and Beck would keep them posted on the Amara search and that they would visit before leaving Alaska. Lydia thanked them for their help, then she and Jon had a tearful goodbye as she thanked him as well for having her back.

“It’s what family does. You know that.” Lydia and Beck stood arm-in-arm as the trio left in one of the rental SUV’s. Once back inside, Beck called Caleb to let him know Jon was dropping the helo off but to keep it from Delaney since it belonged to Lydia. They had driven by the marina on their way to the rental to make sure the Cessna was still in the slip. It had been, so Beck relayed that they would fly it back in a few days. Beck admitted to Lydia after he hung up with Caleb that he was past the point of caring if Sagan Adventures lost money.

“That reminds me,” Lydia started once they were alone and relaxing on the sofa in front of a fire. “I wouldn’t worry about the company. Amara has an offshore account that’s worth millions.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. When Valerie overthrew Amara, she kept everything, but my mother still had money to start a business. She didn’t rule the pack for a century without having a backup plan in case she was challenged.”

Lydia snuggled in as they talked about where they would start looking for other shifters. That morphed into a discussion about whether to buy a house in West Virginia or wait until after they’d traveled a while. Talk turned to kisses which turned to making love. It was wonderful until Beck was cleaning her up.

“Sugar?”

“What’s wrong?” Lydia raised up on her elbows and stared at the washcloth. The cloth was tinged with red. “Dammit. Sorry about that.”

Beck frowned at her. “Why are you sorry? I was too rough.”

“Oh, My Bear. You weren’t. I started my period is all.” The relief on Beck’s face was both sweet and funny. “I’m sorry if that isn’t something you enjoy.”

“Sugar, I couldn’t care less if you’re bleeding while we have sex as long as it doesn’t hurt you. Aren’t you cramping?”

“Nah. My birth control helps with those, and my periods only last about four days.”

“Good. That’s good.” He returned the cloth to the bathroom, and if the running water was any indication, he was rinsing it out. Gods, she loved her mate.

Instead of ruining the sheets, Lydia waited for him to return to go in search of a tampon. After she found one, she pulled on her panties along with one of his button-up shirts. “What do you want for dinner?”

It was early, but they had worked up an appetite. They raided the refrigerator and came up with ingredients for stir-fry. While eating, they discussed when to go search for Amara. Lydia wanted to wait a few days before setting out, giving Beck time to heal further, but Beck convinced her otherwise. “The sooner we locate her, the sooner we can head to Atlanta. I know you’re ready to be back home, and I’m ready to meet my new Clan.”

“How would you like to meet my parents sooner?”

Beck’s fork hung suspended in front of his mouth. “How much sooner?”

“After we eat. We can do a video chat.”

He nodded. “Is it not too late?”

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