Chapter 25 Tessa
TWENTY-FIVE
TESSA
Moonlight spilled through the frost-etched windows of Kaidan's chambers like liquid silver, casting ethereal patterns across the ancient stone walls.
The light seemed almost renewing after the fury and bloodshed that had painted the icy cliffs red just hours before.
Tessa lay curled carefully beside Kaidan in their bed, her fingers intertwined with his, exhaustion painting dark circles beneath her eyes while relief shone like stars in their green depths.
He'd been unconscious for several hours now, ever since she and Eli had dragged his battered form from the icy cliff where Magnus's lifeless body still lay frozen in the Arctic wind.
The memory of loading Kaidan's bleeding, unconscious form into the back seat of his Jeep, then Eli driving them frantically back to the palace, made her stomach clench with residual terror.
She'd held Kaidan the entire way, whispering fierce declarations that he wasn't allowed to die on her and she'd do whatever it took to save him.
When they'd finally reached his palace, Bjorn and Elora had helped carry Kaidan to his chambers, their faces grim with worry as they'd watched Tessa take charge of his medical care.
She'd cleaned and bandaged the deep gashes across his ribs where Magnus's claws had nearly reached his heart, then tended to the minor wounds on his arms with the precision of someone who refused to lose the most important thing in her life.
The imagery mirrors a week ago, she thought with bitter irony, when I woke up in his bed after the fire at the research station. This time, she was the one who'd refused to let go, the one who'd fought to save his life while he lay helpless and bleeding.
Her body ached from the ordeal—bruises bloomed across her ribs where Magnus had grabbed her, and her throat still bore the thin red line from his knife.
But those physical hurts were nothing compared to the soul-deep terror that had gripped her as she'd watched the two massive polar bears locked in mortal combat, knowing that one wrong move would leave her widowed before she'd even properly become a wife.
Tears had dried salt-sticky on her cheeks hours ago, leaving her eyes red and swollen from crying over his motionless form. She'd been raw with determination and terror, refusing to leave his side even when Elora had gently suggested she rest.
As his breathing steadied and grew stronger, his eyelids finally fluttered open like golden curtains being drawn back from windows. Emotion flooded through her—relief so intense it felt like drowning and love so deep it threatened to burst her heart.
"Tessa," he rasped, her name falling from his lips like a prayer.
She choked out a sound that was half laugh, half sob, leaning over him with careful reverence. "Welcome back, Your Majesty. You really know how to scare the hell out of me."
A weak smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he reached up with trembling fingers to touch her face. His thumb brushed away the remnants of dried tears with infinite tenderness. "Am I in heaven?"
"No," she whispered, pressing her cheek into his palm. "You're here with me in our bed."
His smile strengthened, that familiar alpha confidence flickering back to life in his blue eyes. "I like the sound of that. Our bed."
The words broke something loose inside her chest. "I thought I lost you," she confessed, her voice cracking like thin ice. "I can't live without you, Kaidan. I love you so much it terrifies me."
His hand tightened against her cheek, his gaze burning with fierce possession even in his weakened state. "I love you too, my queen. And I'm not going anywhere. It takes more than one deranged polar bear to separate me from you."
Exhaustion pulled him back under before she could respond, his breathing evening out as sleep claimed him once more. But this time, it was peaceful—healing sleep rather than the unconsciousness of trauma.
Tessa watched over him as moonlight continued its slow dance across their chamber, her heart still hammering with the knowledge of how close she'd come to losing the love of her life before their beautiful future together had even truly begun.
Three days passed in a haze of tender domesticity that would have amused Tessa under different circumstances.
Here she was, a woman who'd spent most of her adult life avoiding emotional entanglements, now refusing to leave the bedside of an injured polar bear shifter king who grumbled like a petulant child every time she tried to change his bandages.
"Stop fussing over me," Kaidan growled on the second morning as she carefully peeled away the blood-stained gauze from the deepest gash across his ribs. "I'm not some helpless cub."
"No, you're a stubborn alpha male who nearly got himself killed playing hero," she shot back, her fingers gentle despite her sharp tone. "So shut up and let me take care of you."
His eyes flashed with heat at her commanding voice, and she felt his desire pulse through their bond even as his body worked to heal. "Careful, Dr. Monroe. Keep talking to me like that and I might forget I'm supposed to be recuperating."
"Behave yourself." She tried to sound stern, but warmth flooded her cheeks. "You're in no condition for anything more strenuous than drinking this soup."
She spooned another mouthful of the rich broth toward his lips, and he caught her wrist gently, his thumb stroking over her pulse point. "I could get used to being waited on by my queen."
The title still sent shivers through her. "Don't get too comfortable. I'm not planning to make a habit of this."
But even as she said it, she knew she was lying. The truth was, these quiet moments felt more precious than diamonds. Watching him heal, feeling his strength return through their bond, seeing the way his eyes softened when he looked at her—it was everything she'd never known she wanted.
What shocked her most was how rapidly his shifter healing accelerated. She'd expected weeks of recovery, but by the third day, the worst of his wounds had already begun to knit together with pink, healthy tissue. When she mentioned it, he'd given her a look so intense it stole her breath.
"It's you," he'd said simply. "The completed mate bond. Your love is healing me faster than my body ever could alone."
The words had lodged in her chest like warm honey, sweet and overwhelming.
On the third night, she'd finally succumbed to exhaustion, curling beside him on the massive bed with her fingers still intertwined with his. She'd been terrified that if she let go, even for a moment, he might slip away from her.
She woke to the sensation of his thumb brushing across her knuckles, his voice a low rumble in the darkness. "My miracle," he murmured, thinking she was still asleep. "I don't know what I did to deserve you walking into my life, but I'll spend eternity being grateful for it."
Her heart squeezed tight as she stirred with a sleepy smile, pressing a kiss to his shoulder.
Lying there in the pre-dawn darkness, Tessa found herself reflecting on how completely he'd transformed her world.
Love had always seemed too unpredictable, too dangerous—something that left you vulnerable and broken when it inevitably ended.
After losing her grandmother, she'd convinced herself that career and independence were safer companions than the messy complications of the heart.
But this—this feeling of belonging, of being cherished and needed and wanted—wasn't the destructive force she'd feared.
It was an anchor, steadying her in ways she'd never dreamed possible.
Home wasn't a research assignment or a location on a map.
Home was him, and the life they were building together in this frozen kingdom that had somehow become more beautiful than anywhere she'd ever been.
Later the next afternoon, a soft knock interrupted their quiet conversation about rebuilding the research station bigger and better. Elora entered first, followed by Bjorn and a distinguished older man with silver-streaked hair and eyes like winter storms.
"Head Elder Thor," Kaidan said, attempting to sit up straighter despite Tessa's disapproving look.
Thor approached the bed with measured steps, his gaze moving between Kaidan and Tessa with obvious consideration. "I've come to speak with the woman who saved our king and our kingdom."
Heat flooded Tessa's face. "I just did what anyone would have—"
"No." Thor's voice carried the weight of wisdom. "You showed a courage that would make our finest warriors proud. You stopped Magnus from destroying Frosthaven, then fought to save our king's life. You've proven your worth not through strength of body, but through strength of spirit."
Bjorn stepped forward, his brown eyes warmer than she'd ever seen them. "You've earned Frosthaven's loyalty, Tessa. All of it."
"And you've earned yourself a sister," Elora added with a warm smile, reaching out to squeeze Tessa's hand.
Thor nodded approvingly. "The heart that can thaw the ice in a king's veins due to his stubbornness belongs on the throne beside him."
Emotion clogged Tessa's throat as she looked around at their faces—acceptance, respect, and genuine affection shining back at her. "I don't know if I'm worthy of—"
"You are." Kaidan's voice cut through her doubts, rich with pride and absolute certainty. His eyes held hers with such fierce love that her protests died unspoken. "You're everything a queen should be, and everything Frosthaven needs."
Later that night, Tessa watched with growing exasperation as Kaidan swung his legs over the side of the bed, his face set in that stubborn way she'd come to recognize meant he'd made up his mind about something.
"Absolutely not." She crossed her arms, positioning herself between him and the door. "You're still healing."
"I'm fine, Tessa." His tone held that commanding edge that made his people snap to attention, but she wasn't intimidated by his alpha posturing.
She softened her tone, reaching out to touch his shoulder. "What's so important that it can't wait until tomorrow?"
Something flickered in his blue eyes—nervous energy that seemed completely at odds with his usual confidence. "Trust me. Please."
The quiet vulnerability in those words undid her resistance. With a heavy sigh, she moved to his side, slipping her arm around his waist to help him stand. His sharp intake of breath made her wince, but he steadied quickly, his hand covering hers where it rested against his ribs.
"You're impossible," she muttered, but she couldn't hide the affection in her voice.
"So you keep telling me." His grin was pure mischief despite the pain lines around his eyes. "Must be why you fell for me."
He guided her slowly through his chambers toward the private balcony, each step measured and careful. The moonlight streaming through the windows painted everything in silver and shadow, transforming the familiar space into something magical.
When they stepped onto the balcony, Tessa let out a gasp. The Aurora Borealis unfurled across the star-studded sky like ribbons of green and violet silk, more brilliant than she'd ever seen before. The entire kingdom spread below them, peaceful and beautiful under the ethereal light show.
"Kaidan, it's stunning, but you really should—"
He turned to face her suddenly, his expression so intense it stole the words from her lips. The northern lights reflected in his eyes, making them seem to glow with inner fire.
"You've given me back my life," he said, his voice raw with emotion. "Hell, you've given me a life worth living for the first time. I'm done pretending it's too soon to know what my soul already does."
Before she could process what was happening, he was lowering himself to one knee despite the obvious pain the movement caused. Her heart slammed against her ribs as he reached into his pocket, producing a beautiful ring that caught the moonlight.
The diamond was flawless, set in a band of white gold engraved with Frosthaven's crest. It was elegant and powerful, exactly like the man offering it to her.
"Marry me, Tessa." His voice held no trace of doubt or hesitation.
"Be my queen, my partner, my everything.
Rule beside me, challenge me, drive me crazy for the next hundred years.
" He paused for a moment and took a deep breath.
"I love you with every breath in my body, and I want the whole world to know you're mine. "
Tears blurred her vision as she stared down at him, this fierce king who'd conquered her heart completely. Her throat felt tight with overwhelming emotion.
"You really don't do anything halfway, do you?" she whispered.
His smile was radiant, transforming his usually serious features into something boyish and hopeful. "Not when it comes to you. So what do you say, Dr. Monroe? Ready to become a queen?"
"Yes." The word tumbled out before she could second-guess herself. "Yes, I'll be your queen."
When he slipped the ring onto her finger, their bond hummed like live electricity—warm, alive, and eternal. The sensation was so powerful she gasped, feeling his joy and love pour through their connection like liquid starlight.
Hours later, the sound of voices drifting up from the courtyard below interrupted their quiet celebration. Tessa peered over the balcony railing to see shifters gathering in growing numbers, their faces turned upward expectantly.
"Word travels fast in a small kingdom," Kaidan murmured, his arm tightening around her waist.
Her heart skipped at seeing the crowd's enthusiasm. These were the same people who'd viewed her with suspicion not long ago, and now they were celebrating her engagement to their king.
Kaidan stepped forward, his voice carrying easily across the courtyard. "My people! Tonight, I present to you your future queen—Queen Tessa!"
The roar of approval that erupted from below made her ears ring. For the first time since arriving in Frosthaven, she saw no suspicion or fear in the faces below—only respect, acceptance, and genuine joy.
The northern lights seemed to pulse brighter overhead, as if the very sky was celebrating their union. Kaidan turned her in his arms, his eyes burning with possession and promise.
When his mouth claimed hers in a kiss that was both tender and demanding, the crowd below erupted in fresh cheers. But Tessa heard nothing except the thundering of her own heart and the whispered promises of forever that passed between them in the Arctic night.