Snowman (Arctic Station Bears Book 2) (2 page)

C
hapter
T
wo
- P
resent
D
ay

Liam and Viktor loaded what was left of Ollie onto the stretcher in silence. Ollie, who must have been in unspeakable agony, never made a sound. Donny and Ben searched the helicopter wreckage for anything salvageable, and finding nothing, dropped their shoulders in defeat and knelt down to assist Liam.

I looked out over the ocean and tried to clear my lungs of the acrid smell of burning fuel. The perpetual twilight made the water dark and foreboding, in sharp contrast to the purple snow that fell.
At least the wind stopped blowing
, I thought. I was already cold enough, and it was about to get much more chilly around here.

Strong hands were suddenly on my arms. I didn’t even need to turn around to know that they were Liam’s.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I guess I’m better than Oliver?” I said. “What’s going to happen with him?”

“We’re going to take him to isolation and try to make him comfortable if we can. I’ll probably have to supervise, since I think Ben and Donny might just try finish him off. I really can’t even say I blame them.”

I laughed weakly. “Me either. He does sort of have it coming. You think he’ll be okay?”

Liam put his strong arms around me. I just wanted to live there for awhile. Cozy up and sleep. I wanted to forget about everything that had happened. Liam must have read my thoughts, because he held me even closer.

I smiled.
Well, not everything.

“I think so,” Liam said. “He wasn’t injured by a shifter or silver, and there’s still enough of him left. He’ll probably start to regenerate pretty quickly, which means we’re going to have to keep him isolated in one of the big animal labs. We can’t risk him healing enough to be able to shift and attack.”

“You think he will?”

“I wish I knew. Shit, I wish I knew what was going on in his head to make him act this way. All I know is that we can’t spare anyone to guard him. Not with Calder still on the base. Which also means that we’re going to have to make sure Calder can’t get to him. The big animal labs have cells that can withstand a lot of power. Hopefully it’ll be enough.”

I could feel his concern, but separate and distinct from mine. It was the strangest sensation, like having the feeling come back to a limb that had gone numb. Just not that unpleasant. I could just…feel him in my head.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’ll try to reel myself in a little.”

I turned my head to look at him, but couldn’t really see anything but his broad shoulders.
God, he smells good.
“What do you mean?” I asked.

He laughed. “Did you do much research into shifter mates? Do you know what to expect?”

“There isn’t much info. Biology was my focus. I guess I understand the concept but I’ll need you to fill in the details.”

“We’re going to share…everything. Feelings at first, then thoughts. Then other sensations.”

I pulled away and turned to face him. “Thoughts? Like you’re going to be able to read my mind?”

He put up his hands in mock defense and smiled. “Easy. It’s not quite like that. It’s more like…using the phone. When you want me to hear something, you call. You’ll also be able to pick up on my emotions. And eventually share some of my strength.”

Finally,
I thought,
my days of struggling with jar lids are over.
I tried to think it directly at him without knowing what the hell I was doing.

“Did you hear that?” I asked.

“You think I am the most amazing man on the planet?” He grinned, but when I looked like I might slug him he put his hands up. “Kidding. I don’t think we’re quite there yet. The bond is instant, but it takes time to fully develop. You’re definitely stuck with me, though.”

He pulled me close and I clung to him. I was freezing and he was the definition of warm.

“Anything else that I have to look forward to?” I asked.

“Hairy palms.”

He said it so matter-of-factly that I couldn’t help but laugh, and he joined me. It felt good to laugh after yesterday.

“Liam?” Donny said from behind us. “We’re ready here.” He and Ben picked up the stretcher and began moving toward the door.

Liam took my hand. “That’s our cue,” he said. “Let’s get out of the cold.”

Moving his body away from mine reminded me of just how cold I really was. “I thought you’d never ask. So how long do you think it’ll take before someone misses us and sends a rescue party?”

C
hapter
T
hree
- P
arker

Alex Parker sat in a plush leather seat in an office overlooking downtown Atlanta. He almost choked on his bourbon. “Madam Chairman, you want me to go where?”

The woman stood with her back to Parker, her fingers interlocked behind her back. She stared out over the city below. Her look was Eastern European, with blonde hair pulled into a tight, uncomfortable-looking bun. She spoke with an accent that Parker could not place. “Arctic Station,” she said. “I know it’s out of your purview, Parker. But we have an exceptional situation here. We need you to leave immediately. A plane is waiting to take you into Canada. From there, Arctic Station is only accessible by helicopter.”

“What’s the deal?” Parker asked.

“We’ve lost contact with the Station. We have an operative on site who hasn’t checked in as planned. The mission is containment, then standard fire sale protocol, including our operative if he’s been compromised in any way.”

Parker took another sip from his glass and smiled. “Everything must go, huh? I see why you called me. What am I up against?”

“Polar bear shifters and human female. All with doctorate or other postgraduate educations. And something we’ve never seen before. Here’s the last report we received.” She pushed a file across a desk.

Parker had to put down his bourbon to take the file. That didn’t make him happy. He sat back in the chair and flipped through the folder. A prehistoric saber-toothed tiger shifter with intelligence far beyond most modern humans.
And
a volitive shifter?

“Holy shit,” Parker said. “Is this for real?”

“Yes, Parker, it is. Unfortunately.”

Parker finished his bourbon and smiled. His day just got a
lot
more interesting.

A
lanna

Liam and Ben lifted Ollie’s body and placed it on the bed. They made me wait in the cell with them for safety’s sake. Calder
was
still in the base somewhere. The thought made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Viktor and Donny stood guard outside the room.

Even with my doctorate in shifter biology, seeing one injured up close and personal was both fascinating and heartbreaking. It didn’t help things that this particular shifter and I used to sleep together. And I sort of wanted to hate the shit out of him, since he tried to have Liam kill me.

Liam used a silver scalpel to make a small incision in Ollie’s neck, then he inserted a needle attached to a tube into one of his veins. I was struck again with just how amazing he was.

I smirked. “Just a simple anthropologist, huh?”

Liam laughed. “Yeah…man of a million talents. That’s me. When you’re an alpha, you wind up picking up lots of new skills. Especially when you spend most of your time in a place where help might not be coming.”

“I’ll keep that in mind should I ever need emergency medical attention.”

Liam stepped over to me and smiled.
God, he smells so good.
His eyes burned when he looked at me. “You need someone to examine you?”

I put my hands on his chest. “Why? You know someone?”

“You two want to find yourselves a different room?” Ben said. He hooked a bag of fluids to a stand by the bed, then attached a battery back to the IV drip. “You think this is enough, doc?”

Liam nodded. “Yeah, I don’t think he’ll need it, but we might as well keep him fed and hydrated. He’ll heal faster.”

“And we’ve decided that’s a good thing?” Ben asked.

I couldn’t help but agree, even if I felt sorry for Ollie.

Liam turned to Ben. “He won’t be leaving this room, no matter what state he’s in,” Liam said. “The walls are nanopolymer composite. It looks like glass, but nothing he can possibly do will shatter it. It’ll keep Calder out. The door lock has a battery backup.”

“Fair enough, doc,” Ben said.

The cell really was amazing. It was part of a much larger lab, but most of it was shrouded in shadow due to the lack of power. The emergency lights provided enough light to see, but just barely. I’d always had kind of a thing about the dark. Not my favorite. Too many places for unfriendly things to hide. Even with four bear shifter bodyguards, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being watched.

***

In the mess hall, the twilight spilling through the windows and the emergency lights competed to see which could make the room look more eerie. We ate in solemn silence. The food tasted like ash in my mouth, even though I’m sure that Donny was able to prepare something delicious even without power.

We’d taken care of Richie and Harry. Since the cold storage had its own emergency generator, we were able to place their bodies inside. I couldn’t stop seeing their faces.
I wish I had some Golden Gate right now
. The notion caused a lump in my throat and made me glance at the others to make sure they weren’t watching me have such insensitive thoughts.

“I wish I had some Golden Gate right now,” Ben said.

I barked out the loudest possible laugh, like a pressure valve on a boiler. It was half grief and half stress. It made me feel better, but I slapped both hands over my mouth anyway. My face burned.

The others laughed. “No worries, doc,” Ben said. “We were all thinkin’ it.” He gave me a thumbs-up and lifted a half-empty glass of water into the air. “To the Goldens.”

We toasted the brothers and I tried to finish eating, but the knot in my stomach made it impossible.

L
iam

For safety, Liam ordered the bears to sleep in his quarters with a rotating watch. Viktor had volunteered to be first, but Liam was the alpha. It was his place to keep the others safe. His place to keep Alanna safe. But Viktor had reasoned with him. Liam would be a more effective leader with a little rest. Grudgingly, Liam had accepted.

Then Alanna had volunteered for the second watch, and he knew by the look in her eye that he shouldn’t argue the point.

Liam lied down and Alanna curled up next to him. Even fully clothed and in a roomful of other men, he couldn’t deny the effect she had on him. He wanted nothing more than to tear off her clothes and have his way with her. He wanted to feel his skin on hers.

Instead, he faced away from her. Even after everything they’d been through already and everything she meant to him, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was somehow wrong for her. That he would hurt her.

Liam sighed and closed his eyes. He tried to focus on Alanna’s breathing at his back, but his mind kept wandering.

A
lanna

God, it was cold. Even as Liam lay sleeping next to me, radiating warmth that might rival a bonfire, I just could not get warm. I was even fully clothed, since Liam and I were also sharing the space with two other sleeping men. Donny and Ben had moved some mattresses and bedding into Liam’s quarters. The room was was large enough that we weren’t piled on top of each other. Not that I would have minded the extra warmth. I was freezing my ass off, even while wearing two sweaters, two pairs of socks, and one Liam.

Liam. My fated mate.
Just thinking it was still so surreal. I stroked his back as he slept. Were we supposed to get married? What about our children? What would carrying a shifter child be like?
Stop thinking and go to sleep, Alanna.
I knew I should, but I just couldn’t relax.

“Can’t sleep?” Liam asked. He wasn’t even wearing a shirt, the lucky bastard, and when he rolled over, the way his muscular body moved made me wish he were on top of me, crushing me deliciously beneath the weight of him. Even though we’d thrown a blanket over the emergency lights to dim them, his eyes nearly glowed in the dark.

“Just…I don’t know,” I said. “Everything is so crazy. My life was so different a week ago. I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“We’ll get through this. I’m sure the Company will send someone. A few days from now, we’ll be away from this place and we can talk about where we go from here. I have a cabin in Nova Scotia. I’d love for you to see it.”

Normally the idea of a man showing me his place, even if we were dating, filled me with terror. But with Liam, it sounded
perfect
.

“I think you’re perfect,” he said. I rolled my eyes and he smiled. “Besides, do you think this happens to me with just anyone?” He moved a little closer to me, and I felt that his cock was rock hard. It throbbed against my thigh.

Holy shit
, I thought.
He’s going to tear a hole in his pants.

“Oh my,” I said. I felt flushed. Normally, I was not the aggressor, but Liam did seem to bring it out. I wanted him. Now. I wanted to be
his
. Every part of me. Every piece. Always.

I reached down and grabbed the huge bulge in his pants, and he threw his head back and moaned. His cock twitched and throbbed in my hand.

He growled and rolled on top of me in one smooth motion and tried to pin my arms. I struggled playfully and he slid down between my thighs, kissing and nibbling me, and somehow I felt it even through my eighty layers of clothing. He suddenly pulled himself back up and kissed me. His weight on top of me robbed me of breath, but not in an unpleasant way. After an agony of teasing kisses and caresses, we were eye to eye. I wanted him to look at me just like that forever.

“God, your eyes are beautiful,” I said.

He smiled. “No need to sweet talk me. You’re going to get lucky.”

I pulled his head down and kissed him. All at once simple sensations left me and all I needed was his mouth on mine. His tongue, gently probing at first, became more eager. I matched him until his kisses became more ravenous. His powerful hands slid underneath my sweaters and shirt, trying to pull them off.

I grabbed his hands. “Wait! What about them?” I looked at the two snoring men across the room.

Liam grinned. “I guess we’ll have to be quiet?”

I was so not willing to win this argument. I helped him pull my sweaters and shirt over my head and unclasped my bra. He tore it off me and exposed my breasts. My nipples hardened instantly in the cold, and Liam could not resist them, sucking and nibbling on each in turn.

“I’m dying to taste your pussy,” Liam said, and I felt my hidden muscles twitch involuntarily in anticipation. He didn’t make me wait long, pulling my jeans over my generous thighs. He tore my panties off like they were nothing.
God, I’m going to have to shop for new clothes soon at this rate
, I thought. And then Liam pressed his face against my exposed pussy and growled. All cohesive thought was gone.

I couldn’t believe how wet I was for him. I felt it even before Liam touched my opening with one rough finger, kissing my thighs as he teased me. When his lips found and encircled my clit, he slid his finger inside me.

“Oh my God, Liam,” I said. My breath was ragged as I struggled not to give in so quickly to the sensation. It was no use. He was
amazing
. I could feel an orgasm rushing at me like a train and I was tied to the tracks. Just when it was about to overtake me, Liam stopped what he was doing. I raised my head to look at him. I was breathless.

“Why did you sto—” I said. And then he was licking me again. His finger stroked the upper wall of my channel and his tongue engulfed my clit. My climax came roaring back immediately and rolled over me like a tidal wave, but Liam would not stop, even as I pushed his head with all of my strength and fought for breath and cried out for deities. Some of them I might have even made up on the spot.

I had barely enough time to float back down to Earth before Liam was on his knees between my thighs. I was desperate to have him inside me, and I tried to position my hips to engulf him. He wrapped his hands under my thighs and held my ass.

He pressed the head of his thick cock against my wet opening.
Holy shit,
I thought.
He’s not going to fit.
His eyes locked on mine intensely as he slowly slid inside, letting me get used to his girth one delicious inch at a time.

I’d never felt so full, and I wrapped my legs around the small of his well-muscled back to pull him deeper. I wanted more. More of his cock. More of
him
.

Suddenly, he thrust deep inside me and I gasped, then in one fluid motion he managed to roll both of us over so that now he was on his back and I was on top of him.

“Ride my cock, Alanna,” Liam said. Even when I was on top he was still in control. I began sliding back and forth on top of him. Slowly at first, since I was enjoying the new sensation of being fucked at this angle, but Liam grabbed my ass firmly with both of his strong hands, and began moving me up and down on his cock faster. I couldn’t believe how good he felt.

L
iam

Her pussy was so tight and wet, Liam had to concentrate on not immediately losing control. He knew it would be this way with her—the one who was his perfect match. He let go of her ass and brought his hands up to her breasts, squeezing them as she bounced up and down on his cock. Alanna ground her pelvis into his and moaned. Somehow she became even tighter.

“Oh God. Liam. Holy shit,” Alanna said. “I’m going to cum again.” His eyes locked on to hers and he rubbed her nipples as she bucked and gasped. She collapsed on him, every muscle in her body giving over to sheer bliss. Liam held her tightly. Her back was slick with sweat. Still, he needed more. They both did.