Page 5 of Frost and Fate
Moments later the door opened again and four other people entered the room. Three men and one woman. One man was a huge and imposing figure. He wore a well-tailored navy suit, with a crisp white shirt. Handsome was an understatement. He had cleanly cut brown hair pushed up in the front, and a strong jaw that led up to brilliant cobalt-blue eyes. A commanding presence radiated off of him. Nova felt the urge to back away, but a reassuring squeeze from Laurie calmed her rapidly rising blood pressure.
“I’m Gideon Ulric,” a powerful voice boomed. “I’m the Alpha of this territory. This is my Beta, Lance Atwell.” He gestured to a tall, attractive blond man with toffee-colored eyes. “This is Leah Atsilah, my personal…advisor.”
Nova noticed the sternly beautiful woman standing behind the Alpha. She had striking Native American features. Her long black hair cascaded over strong tanned shoulders. Dark eyes and fierce cheekbones completed her aesthetic.
“And this is my head of security, Darren Ridgewell,” Gideon said.
Nova’s heart skipped a beat. It was the man with the honey-fire eyes. Those eyes bore into her now. His shaggy black hair hung casually around his face. He wore dark jeans and a fitted white tee. The tightly pulled shirt didn’t leave much to the imagination. Large well-developed pecs pressed up through the fabric, along with the visible outline of abs. It was very distracting. A clearing of the throat brought her gaze back up to the man’s face where he wore an amused smile. Nova flushed. Damn him for being so distracting.
“Can you tell them a little about yourself?” Laurie encouraged.
“I’m Nova,” she answered.
“Well, Nova…” It was Gideon who spoke again. “…you’re very lucky my pack found you when they did. Had the Collectors been able to get their hands on—”
“Wait just a second,” Nova interrupted, much to everyone’s surprise. “Alpha? Pack?” She shook her head. “What are you people, some kind of cult?”
Gideon stepped forward and his jaw muscles tensed. “We are not a cult. We are a pack. We’re lycans. Shifters. We share a body with our wolves.”
“Wolves?” Nova literally laughed at the notion.
Gideon frowned. An unmistakable wave of energy pushed forth from where he stood. “I understand this is a new concept to take in.”
Gideon’s energy pressed in around her, making it hard to breathe. Bile formed in Nova’s throat. The oppressive energy sent a wild panic thrumming through her veins and the ensuing fight-or-flight energy both terrified and emboldened her. “A new concept?” Nova mocked. “That you’re not even human?”
“In case it escaped your attention”—the blond man called Lance stepped forward and spoke—“you’re not exactly human, either.”
Nova stilled. Visions of ice flooded her brain. Bodies were strewn about, shards jutting out from their lifeless corpses. Her breathing became erratic. She had to get out of this place, out of this room. She was on the move, pulling IVs out and throwing her legs over the side of the bed. Laurie and Dr. Sawyer moved toward her.
“Nova, please,” they soothed. She was spiraling. Panicked thoughts clouded her mind, tuning out the voices of those who attempted to calm her.
She stood and squeezed her eyes shut. “Not human, not human, not human.” She could feel it now, the cold. It wrapped around her like a frozen blanket, protecting her. Nova opened her icy eyes. “Please leave me alone,” she pleaded, a frosty edge to her voice.
“Nova, honey, listen to me,” Laurie said softly.
She couldn’t take it, couldn’t stop it anymore.
“I said leave me alone!”
A gust of frozen wind whipped toward Laurie, knocking her to the ground. She hit the tile floor with an abrupt crash, and then lay there, unmoving. The unfamiliar and gruesome sounds of tearing flesh and bone resounded from somewhere in the room. A blur of blond fur suddenly flashed before her. Nova stared in disbelief. Standing in front of Laurie’s fallen body was a wolf! Toffee eyes glowed as the wolf moved forward. Its teeth were bared and an ominous growl reverberated from deep within its chest. Nova rubbed her fingers together. She could feel an icy sliver building within her palm. All she had to do was release her grip and…
“Enough!” a voice roared from across the room. The shockwave of energy that pulsed outward from Gideon Ulric sent a wave of fear rolling through Nova. She blinked twice, allowing her head to clear, and the shard of ice evaporated from her hand. The blond wolf in front of her retreated and slowly reformed into the shape of…a man? Nova gawked. Within moments she was staring into the toffee eyes of the pack’s Beta, Lance Atwell. He was a wolf? He had just been a fuckingwolf?! And now he was…naked.
Nova turned away, embarrassed. A groan filled the air.
“Laurie!” Nova shouted. The woman was beginning to sit up, a hand to her head. Lance was immediately by her side. He glared up at Nova. “Laurie, I am so sorry!” Nova was horrified. What had she done? She really was some kind of monster.
“I am fine, Nova,” Laurie’s calming voice soothed. “We will need to get a handle on your powers though. It will be important for you, and the safety of the pack.”
“You’re right.” She felt terrible. With a resigned sigh, she turned to Gideon. “What do you want me to do?”
The woman, Leah, had moved in front of the large man. He placed a gentle hand on her arm and she once again took her place behind him.
The Alpha stepped forward and said, “You will need to train. We will practice, explore your powers in a safe space.” His intense gaze steadied onto her. “Just as we learn to control our wolves, you will learn to control your powers.”
Nova remained quiet. It was the fiercely beautiful Leah who spoke next.
“We have arranged an apartment for you here in the complex.” There was a firm exactness to her voice. “Until you are able to control your powers, you will be under close watch. You will be escorted by a trusted and highly trained pack member to and from the training facility, and anywhere else you need to go. You will report to the training room tomorrow morning to begin your lessons.” Leah gestured to her right. “Darren will be one of your escorts and will keep an eye on you.”
