Chapter 8 Kaidan
EIGHT
KAIDAN
As the blizzard raged outside the research station, Kaidan found himself trapped in the confined space with Tessa, and he couldn't bring himself to mind.
The storm had effectively imprisoned them all inside, but his bear rumbled with satisfaction at being forced to remain close to his mate for the afternoon.
His protective instincts had reached a fever pitch after watching Tessa nearly plunge through that fractured ice. The memory of her falling, the split second of terror before he'd caught her—it sent his heart hammering against his ribs even now.
What if he hadn't been following them? What if she'd fallen into that subzero water? The thoughts made his hands clench into fists.
He'd been following her again today, unable to stay away despite knowing it drew unwanted attention.
Every rational part of him screamed that he was being reckless, that his clan would start asking questions he wasn't ready to answer yet.
But his bear didn't care about politics or propriety—it only cared about keeping their mate safe.
The memory of last night in his Jeep haunted him.
He'd come so close to losing control, to pressing his lips to hers and spilling the truth about the mate bond.
Only sheer willpower had stopped him from confessing everything right there in the charged space.
The way she'd looked at him with those green eyes, the scent of her arousal mixing with her natural sweetness—it had nearly shattered his restraint completely.
Nobody knows she's my mate yet, he reminded himself grimly. And when they find out...
The thought of revealing that truth to his clan made his stomach churn. They barely tolerated Eli's presence, and that was only because Kaidan had forced the issue. A human queen would be seen as an insult to everything they held sacred.
"Anyone hungry?" Eli's voice cut through his spiraling thoughts. "I can whip up some sandwiches. It's not exactly gourmet, but it'll keep us fed until this storm passes."
"That sounds perfect," Tessa said, shooting Eli a grateful smile that made Kaidan's chest tighten with an unfamiliar emotion. Jealousy, he realized with uncomfortable clarity.
Ten minutes later, they were cramped around the small table in the kitchen area, their knees bumping as they ate simple turkey sandwiches.
Kaidan had positioned himself strategically beside Tessa, close enough that her warmth seeped through his thermal shirt and her scent filled his nostrils with every breath.
"Kaidan," Eli said, setting down his sandwich with a troubled expression. "The sabotage is getting worse. They're not just targeting the station anymore—our field equipment is being damaged too. And I'm starting to think someone at the local weather station is feeding us false data on purpose."
Kaidan's jaw clenched. He'd suspected Magnus was behind the harassment, but targeting field equipment was an escalation that couldn't be ignored.
"I already had Bjorn increase patrols around the station.
I'll extend coverage to your equipment sites and have a conversation with the weather station staff. "
"Maybe some of them need to be replaced," Elora added quietly, her meaning clear. Anyone feeding false data to endanger people was crossing a line.
"I was thinking we could set up some booby traps," Tessa interjected, her green eyes sparking with determination. "Nothing harmful, just enough to deter whoever's doing this."
Kaidan caught himself nodding before he'd fully processed her words. "That's actually brilliant. I'll help you set them up tomorrow."
The thought of Tessa being vulnerable to Magnus's games made his bear snarl silently. He was certain his rival had heard about Tessa's arrival by now, and Kaidan didn't want to imagine what lengths Magnus might go to make his anti-human stance clear.
"How did this research partnership even come about?" Tessa asked, clearly trying to understand the dynamics at play.
Eli wiped his hands on a napkin. "I got a grant for Arctic research five years ago, and Gerri connected me with Kaidan. She seemed to know exactly who to call." He glanced at Kaidan with respect. "It's been mutually beneficial ever since."
"The scientific data has been invaluable for protecting us," Kaidan agreed, though his voice carried an undercurrent of frustration. "I just wish my people could see how valuable human expertise is instead of clinging to old ways."
Tessa laughed, the sound warming something deep in his chest. "Stubborn and stuck in their ways? That sounds like every scientist I've ever dealt with."
"Shifters think they know better than scientists sometimes," Elora added with a grin. "It's that primal side of us."
Their laughter filled the small space, but Kaidan's amusement was tempered by darker thoughts.
If his people couldn't accept human scientists, how would they ever accept a human queen?
The mate bond pulsed stronger with each passing minute, his bear growing more agitated at the separation between what it wanted and what duty demanded.
As if sensing his inner turmoil, his bear stirred aggressively, a silent growl reverberating through him. The urge to claim Tessa, to mark her as his and damn the consequences, grew stronger every moment he spent in her presence.
Soon, he promised his restless bear. But first, I need to figure out how to protect her from Magnus and convince my people that humans aren't the enemy.
The storm continued to rage outside, but inside the cramped research station, surrounded by the scent of his mate and the sound of her laughter, Kaidan found himself hoping it would last just a little bit longer.
An hour later, the blizzard finally subsided, leaving behind a crystalline landscape that sparkled under the emerging sunlight.
Kaidan stood at the research station windows, watching the wind settle into gentle whispers across the snow.
The storm had passed, which meant he could no longer justify staying close to Tessa.
His bear growled in protest at the thought of leaving her here, especially after Eli's revelation about the escalating sabotage. Every primal instinct warned him to remain and to position himself as a permanent barrier between his mate and whatever threats lurked in the shadows.
But duty called as always. He'd already spent two days focused more on Tessa than his kingdom, and his absence would be noticed soon.
"The storm's cleared," he announced, turning from the windows with reluctance heavy in his voice. "Elora and I should really head back to the palace."
Tessa looked up from the seismic data she'd been reviewing, disappointment flickering across her features before she masked it with professionalism. "Of course. Thank you for staying during the storm."
"I'll be back tomorrow to help you set up those traps and cameras," he promised, fighting the urge to cross the room and pull her into his arms. "We're going to catch whoever's causing this trouble."
The fierce protectiveness in his tone made Elora raise an eyebrow, but she wisely kept her observations to herself.
Five minutes later, Kaidan gunned his snowmobile across the frozen terrain, Elora riding parallel to him. The crisp air should have cleared his head, but instead, his thoughts remained tangled around Tessa's sweet scent and the memory of her body pressed against his yesterday.
Halfway home, a familiar figure appeared on the horizon, heading in the opposite direction toward the research station. Magnus rode his snowmobile with the arrogant posture that had grated on Kaidan's nerves since childhood.
Rage flared hot and immediate in Kaidan's chest. Without hesitation, he yanked his handlebars hard left, performing a tight turn that sent snow spraying in an arc behind him.
"Kaidan!" Elora shouted over the engine noise, but he was already accelerating toward his rival.
Magnus spotted him coming and slowed his machine, a smug smile spreading across his face as Kaidan cut him off with aggressive precision.
"Going somewhere, Magnus?" Kaidan killed his engine and swung off the snowmobile, his boots crunching in the snow as he approached.
"Just enjoying the territory that belongs to all of us," Magnus replied smoothly, though his blue eyes glinted with malice. "Last I checked, these weren't your private grounds."
"Cut the bullshit." Kaidan's voice dropped to a dangerous rumble. "I know you've been lurking around the research station. The sabotage, the damaged equipment—this has your stench all over it."
Magnus laughed, the sound harsh against the pristine silence of the Arctic. "Paranoid much, Your Majesty? Maybe your human friends are just making up stories to turn you against your own kind. Classic manipulation tactic."
"Eli wouldn't lie to me."
"Wouldn't he?" Magnus tilted his head with mock concern. "How well do you really know these humans, Kaidan? They're experts at creating rifts between allies. It's rather disgusting how easily they've gotten their claws into you."
Kaidan's hands clenched into fists, his bear roaring for blood. "Stay away from the research station, Magnus. I won't warn you again."
"Or what?" Magnus's smile widened, clearly enjoying the reaction he'd provoked. "You'll choose humans over your own people? How far you've fallen."
The taunt hit its mark, but before Kaidan could respond, Magnus delivered the blow that shattered his control.
"I noticed the new human female scientist the other day," Magnus said casually, as if discussing the weather. "Quite the looker, isn't she? Those curves would certainly keep a man warm during the long Arctic nights."
Red exploded across Kaidan's vision. His bear surged forward with murderous intent, demanding he rip Magnus's throat out for even looking at their mate with lustful eyes. Kaidan's fist drew back, trembling with the effort to restrain himself.
One punch, his bear snarled. Just one, and this bastard will never speak about her again.
But rational thought pierced through the rage just in time. If he attacked Magnus over a comment about Tessa, it would be a dead giveaway about his feelings. The entire territory would know by nightfall that their king had unofficially claimed the human scientist as his mate.
With tremendous effort, Kaidan forced his fist to unclench. "You're not worth my time."
He turned on his heel and stalked back to his snowmobile, Magnus's laughter following him like ice down his spine.
"Running away, Kaidan? How very kingly of you!"
Kaidan gunned the engine and tore across the snow toward home, leaving Magnus behind in a cloud of crystalline spray.
But he couldn't outrun the truth that clawed at his chest—things were spiraling beyond his control.
His feelings for Tessa were written across his face for anyone clever enough to read them.
Back at the palace, he strode through the corridors toward his chambers, nodding curtly at the staff and clan members who bowed respectfully. But as he passed a group of younger warriors near the great hall, their whispered conversation made his blood run cold.
"—seen how he watches her—"
"—two days in a row at the research station—"
"—never paid this much attention to any female before—"
Kaidan's step faltered, but he made himself continue walking with measured calm. Inside his chest, his heart pounded like a trapped animal.
They knew. Or at least suspected.
His worst fears were crystallizing into reality. His people were already whispering about his fascination with the human scientist, and it wouldn't be long before someone connected the dots and realized what Tessa truly was to him.
Reaching his chambers, Kaidan slammed the door behind him and leaned against the solid wood, finally allowing his composure to crack. His bear paced restlessly, torn between the primal need to claim their mate and the political necessity of discretion.
For the first time since becoming king, Kaidan was completely without a strategy.
He couldn't announce Tessa as his mate when he hadn't even told her the truth about their bond.
But he also couldn't continue this charade of casual interest when his every action screamed of a male protecting what belonged to him.
The mate bond pulsated even from this distance, his bear growing more irritated at the forced separation from Tessa. Soon, the need to claim her would override every other consideration—duty, politics, and clan approval.