Chapter 5 Tessa
FIVE
TESSA
Tessa woke up with a groan as morning sunlight shone in through her small bedroom window.
Her body felt achy from tossing restlessly in her narrow bed all night long.
Sleep had been elusive as her mind wouldn't stop churning with endless thoughts—polar bear shifters, environmental anomalies, and most persistently, the memory of Kaidan.
She'd always prided herself on being a rational person.
The Monroe women didn't swoon over mysterious men with commanding presences and shoulders that looked like they could carry the weight of the entire world.
Her grandmother had raised her to be smarter than that after her parents' death when she was ten.
But every time she'd closed her eyes last night, she'd seen Kaidan's ruggedly handsome face and that golden beard that had made her fingertips itch with the urge to touch it.
Get it together, Tessa. You're here to work, not fantasize about the local king.
She got out of bed and pulled on her thermal shirt and lined cargo pants, the practical clothing a reminder of why she was in Frosthaven in the first place. The research came first. It always had.
After she pulled her long dark brown hair into a ponytail, she left her bedroom and headed toward the small kitchen area of the research station.
Eli sat at the cramped table with a woman Tessa hadn't met yet—tall, athletic, with pale blonde hair pulled back in a braid and striking blue eyes that seemed oddly familiar.
"Morning, Tessa." Eli gestured toward the stranger with his coffee mug. "This is Elora Veyr. Kaidan's sister."
Sister. That explained it. Elora possessed the same commanding presence as her brother, though hers came wrapped in a more approachable package.
"I'm your personal field guide, apparently." Elora's smile held genuine warmth along with a hint of mischief.
Tessa poured herself coffee and took a sip, the caffeine hitting her system like a much-needed lifeline. "I thought Eli would be accompanying me today. Plus, I really don't need a personal guide."
"Trust me, you do." Elora's expression turned serious. "The ice has been unpredictable lately. Crevasses opening without warning, weather systems shifting faster than expected. Kaidan doesn't take chances with his guest's safety."
"So, Kaidan personally requested this arrangement?"
"Personally ordered it, actually." Elora's grin returned. "My brother has very strong feelings about protecting what he considers his."
Something in her tone made Tessa's pulse quicken. His. Why did that word send heat spiraling through her?
"He seems like he takes his leadership seriously."
"Obsessively so." Elora leaned back in her chair. "He's been king for seven years, ever since our father died. Sometimes I think the weight of protecting everyone in Frosthaven will crush him if he doesn't learn to delegate."
Tessa found herself leaning forward, hungry for any insight into the man who had dominated her thoughts all night. "That's a lot of pressure for anyone."
"Most people see the stern king facade and assume that's all there is to him." Elora's blue eyes sparkled with sisterly affection. "But Kaidan has a sense of humor buried under all that royal responsibility. He's actually quite charming when he lets his guard down."
Charming. Tessa tried to imagine the imposing man from yesterday cracking jokes or relaxing enough to show a lighter side. The image sent an unexpected flutter through her chest.
"I find that hard to believe."
"Maybe you'll get to see it for yourself some time." Elora stood, gathering her empty mug. "He doesn't let many people past his walls, but something tells me you might be stubborn enough to break through them."
Before Tessa could process that comment, Elora was moving toward the door of the kitchen. "Ready to explore? The morning light on the glaciers is spectacular, and I want to show you the research zones before the weather turns."
Tessa drained her coffee and followed Elora to the equipment room, where they bundled into heavy parkas and loaded their backpacks with field gear. The familiar routine of preparing for fieldwork grounded her, reminding her of why she'd agreed to come here.
The moment they finally stepped outside, the brutal cold hit like a physical force.
Tessa's breath crystallized instantly, and the pristine snow crunched beneath their boots with a sound like breaking glass.
The landscape stretched endlessly in every direction—rolling white dunes punctuated by towering ice formations that caught the morning light and threw it back in prismatic rainbows.
"My God," Tessa breathed, her words forming small clouds in the frigid air. "It's beautiful."
"Wait until you see the aurora at night." Elora adjusted her pack and started toward a ridge that overlooked the frozen sea. "Kaidan says the lights have been more active lately. Another one of our environmental mysteries."
As they trudged through the snow, Tessa couldn't shake the feeling that she was walking into something far more complex than a simple research assignment. The Arctic held secrets—she could feel them humming beneath the surface like the seismic activity that had brought her here.
And at the center of it all was Kaidan, the golden-haired king whose touch had awakened something in her that she'd thought was safely buried with her childhood dreams.
The ice beneath Tessa's boots groaned ominously as she followed Elora across a particularly treacherous stretch of frozen terrain. Each step required careful consideration—what looked like solid ground could easily be a thin layer concealing a deadly crevasse.
"Watch the darker patches," Elora called over her shoulder, her breath forming crystalline clouds in the bitter air. "The ice is thinner there. Last week, one of our scouts nearly fell through when the ground shifted without warning."
As if summoned by her words, a subtle tremor rippled through the earth beneath them. Tessa felt it travel up through her boots, a low vibration that seemed to emanate from deep within the Arctic itself. She paused, pulling out her portable seismometer to capture the reading.
"How often do these tremors occur?" Tessa adjusted the sensitive equipment, watching the needle spike and settle.
"More frequently lately. Sometimes several times a day." Elora navigated around a jagged ice formation with the fluid grace of someone who'd spent her entire life in this hostile environment. "Kaidan thinks they're connected to the unusual weather patterns we've been experiencing."
Kaidan. Even hearing his name sent an unexpected warmth through Tessa's chest. She forced herself to focus on the scientific research rather than the memory of his hand in hers.
"It's fascinating how you've adapted to these conditions." Tessa tucked the equipment back into her pack, genuine admiration coloring her voice. "I've dreamed of working in the Arctic for years but seeing it firsthand... the beauty is almost overwhelming."
Elora's smile held warmth. "Most humans find it terrifying rather than beautiful. You're different from what I expected."
"What did you expect?"
"Someone more fragile, I suppose. Someone who would need constant protection." Elora's tone held a hint of something deeper. "But watching you move out here, reading the ice, responding to the environment... you see things most humans would miss."
"My grandmother always said I had good instincts." Tessa paused for a moment, trying to articulate her racing thoughts. "Speaking of protection, Kaidan seems unusually concerned about my safety. Does he treat all his guests with this level of... attention?"
Elora's laugh rang across the frozen landscape. "Trust me, my brother has never assigned personal protection detail for any of our previous visitors. You're definitely getting special treatment."
"But why?" Tessa's curiosity burned brighter than the cold wind cutting across her face. "I'm just here to help with the research."
"Maybe you should ask him yourself." Elora's blue eyes sparkled with mischief. "Though good luck getting a straight answer. Kaidan's not exactly forthcoming about his feelings."
The conversation was interrupted by another tremor, this one strong enough to make them both grab onto a nearby ice formation for stability. As the shaking subsided, Tessa noticed movement in her peripheral vision—a dark shadow against the white expanse, too large and deliberate to be wildlife.
"Are we being followed?" Tessa shielded her eyes against the glare, trying to focus on the distant figure.
Elora followed her gaze and groaned. "That would be my overprotective brother."
Sure enough, the shadow resolved into Kaidan's imposing form. Even at a distance, his commanding presence was unmistakable. He moved across the ice with predatory grace, clearly tracking their progress.
"Why is he following us when he sent you to be my guide?" Tessa couldn't keep the breathless quality from her voice.
"Because apparently trusting anyone else with your safety—even his own sister—is beyond him right now." Elora shook her head, equal parts annoyed and amused. "I haven't seen him this protective since... well, ever."
Heat crept up Tessa's neck despite the frigid temperature. The idea that Kaidan was personally ensuring her safety sent an unwelcome thrill through her system.
Focus, she reminded herself firmly.
"Earlier you mentioned something about political tensions," Tessa said, forcing herself to look away from Kaidan's distant figure. "How bad is it really?"
Elora's expression sobered. "There are four clans in the region. Thirty years ago, our family took over ruling Frosthaven after a territorial dispute. Magnus Rake—he leads one of the other clans—has never accepted our authority. He sees Kaidan's leadership as illegitimate."
"And the research station has been targeted because of this political rivalry?"
"Magnus believes humans contaminate our territory and weaken our traditions." Elora's voice held a dangerous edge. "He's convinced that Kaidan's tolerance for humans makes him unfit to rule. The attacks on your equipment and the lurking around the research station... that's just the beginning."
"What do you mean by that?" Tessa asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Magnus is unpredictable. He's charismatic enough to gather followers but also ruthless enough to use violence.
" Elora paused beside a massive ice formation, her warrior instincts clearly alert.
"I hope he just continues with petty sabotage, but something tells me he won't be satisfied much longer. "
They spent the next few hours working methodically across the terrain, taking readings, and mapping potential fault lines.
Tessa found herself slipping into the familiar rhythm of fieldwork, her confidence growing with each measurement and observation.
The Arctic demanded respect, but it also rewarded careful attention with breathtaking beauty and fascinating scientific data.
"Eli, are you getting these readings?" Tessa spoke into her radio, watching a family of Arctic foxes scurry across a distant ice shelf. Their behavior seemed agitated, as if they sensed something humans couldn't detect.
"Clear as crystal," came Eli's crackling response. "The seismic activity is definitely increasing. We're seeing patterns that suggest significant instability in at least three major zones."
"The wildlife is reacting too," Tessa observed, noting how the foxes consistently avoided certain areas. "They're much better than our instruments at detecting subtle environmental changes."
Elora nodded approvingly. "You read the land better than most. That's a valuable skill in shifter territory."
As the afternoon wore on, Tessa was genuinely enjoying Elora's company. The shifter woman possessed a dry wit and practical wisdom that made even the most challenging terrain feel manageable.
"So, what's it like living in the city?" Elora asked as they navigated around a particularly treacherous crevasse. "All that noise and artificial light."
"Overwhelming sometimes," Tessa admitted. "But there's energy and opportunity there. Though I must say, after being out here... the silence is addictive."
"Kaidan would agree with you on that. He disappears into the wilderness for days when politics become too much." Elora shot her a meaningful look. "He values solitude above almost everything else. Which makes his current behavior even more interesting."
Tessa's cheeks burned with heat. Every conversation seemed to circle back to Kaidan and his inexplicable interest in her. Part of her thrilled at the attention from such a powerful man, while her rational mind insisted there had to be a logical explanation.
"Maybe he's just being a good host this time," Tessa said weakly.
Elora's laughter carried across the ice. "Right. And maybe polar bears are just oversized teddy bears."
As they finally turned back toward the research station, both women were physically exhausted but exhilarated. The day had yielded valuable data and, more importantly for Tessa, a growing sense of connection to this harsh but magnificent landscape.
"Thanks for today," Tessa said as the station came into view. "I was a little worried about shifters, but you've made me feel welcome."
"Most of us aren't as scary as we pretend to be," Elora replied with a grin.