Chapter 14 Kaidan
FOURTEEN
KAIDAN
Kaidan sat rigid in his carved stone chair at the head of the council chamber's crescent-shaped table as he listened to the assembled leaders dismiss the attempted murder of his mate as mere human carelessness.
The ancient chamber's blue walls seemed to press closer with each ignorant word that spilled from their mouths, and the ornate chandeliers cast flickering shadows that matched his darkening mood.
Elder Thor, a polar bear shifter whose weathered face spoke of decades of rigid tradition, leaned forward in his chair with obvious disdain.
"Your Majesty, with all due respect, humans are notoriously clumsy.
And their technology fails them constantly—we've all witnessed it.
It was probably some faulty wiring that started the fire.
This 'arson' theory seems far-fetched when the simplest explanation is human error. "
Kaidan's jaw tightened as his bear stirred violently beneath his skin, demanding he defend his mate's honor. "Elder Thor, Dr. Monroe is a brilliant scientist who's handled equipment in far more dangerous conditions than our research station. She doesn't make careless mistakes."
Magnus shifted forward in his seat, his pale blue eyes glittering with barely concealed satisfaction. "But even brilliant humans make errors when they're out of their element, don't they, Your Majesty? Perhaps the good scientist was simply overwhelmed by our harsh environment."
The condescending tone in Magnus's voice made Kaidan's blood simmer. His primal instincts wanted him to shift and tear the smug bastard's throat out for even implying Tessa was incompetent. Instead, he forced his voice to remain level and authoritative.
"Then how do you explain the rogue shifter I encountered watching from the treeline while the station burned? He made no attempt to assist Tessa or Eli—just observed like he was waiting for something."
Magnus spread his hands in a gesture of false reasoning that made Kaidan want to punch him. "Your Majesty, rogues are cowards by nature. He was probably just some drifter passing through who panicked when he saw the flames. Fear makes people—even shifters—do foolish things."
"Fear?" Kaidan's voice dropped to a dangerous growl. "Or guilt?"
Elder Thor intervened before Magnus could respond, his tone growing increasingly irritated.
"King Veyr, I understand your concern for our guests, but we cannot allow paranoia to cloud our judgment.
The humans have been nothing but trouble since they arrived—equipment malfunctions, strange readings, now fires.
Perhaps it's time to consider that their presence itself is the problem. "
The words hit Kaidan like a slap to the face. These were supposed to be his advisors, his allies, and they were actively working against everything he'd tried to build. His bear pushed harder against his human restraint, desperate to protect what was his.
Tell them, his bear demanded. Tell them she's ours. Make them understand.
For a heartbeat, Kaidan teetered on the edge of revealing everything—that Tessa was his fated mate, that touching her had completed something fundamental in his soul, and that he'd rather burn Frosthaven to the ground than let anyone harm her.
But the calculating gleam in Magnus's eyes stopped him cold.
This wasn't the time or place for that confession. Not when emotions ran high and prejudices ruled the room. Tessa deserved better than having their mate bond used as political ammunition.
Instead, Kaidan rose from his chair, his massive frame casting an imposing shadow across the table. When he spoke, his voice carried the full weight of royal authority that had kept four clans in line for seven years.
"Let me make something crystal clear to everyone in this room. I'm keeping a very close eye on the research station, and there are now increased guards patrolling both that area and my palace, where I'm personally housing Dr. Monroe and Dr. Varkov while my clan repairs the damage to the station."
His piercing blue gaze swept across each face at the table, lingering longest on Magnus.
"If anyone—and I mean anyone—tries anything against either of them, they'd better be prepared for severe consequences.
Because I will not tolerate shifters trying to harm guests under my protection simply because they happen to be human. "
The silence that followed was thick with tension. Several council members shifted uncomfortably in their seats, while Magnus's expression remained carefully neutral—though Kaidan caught the flash of calculation behind those cold eyes.
Without waiting for a response, Kaidan strode toward the chamber doors, his boots echoing off the stone floor. He paused at the threshold, not bothering to turn around as he delivered his final words.
"Clan members really need to change their prejudices and accept others who are different. It will help us evolve as a community."
The heavy doors slammed shut behind him with a resounding crash that echoed through the corridor like a gunshot.
As Kaidan left the council building and stalked through his territory toward his palace, his bear finally began to settle. Every step brought him closer to Tessa, and the mate bond that had been stretched taut with anxiety during the meeting slowly eased.
The last few hours without her presence had been absolute torture.
Once he finally arrived back at his palace and stood outside Tessa's guest suite, he knocked once on her door before pushing it open, his enhanced senses immediately detecting her floral scent mixed with the faint smell of charred paper.
The sight that greeted him made his bear surge with both pride and fury.
Tessa sat cross-legged on the plush sofa, wearing form-fitting black leggings that showcased her curves and a soft cashmere sweater that made his fingers itch to touch—and the woman beneath it.
Her dark waves cascaded over one shoulder as she leaned over the coffee table covered with documents, some pristine white, others blackened around the edges.
Eli and Elora flanked her, equally absorbed in the scattered papers that looked like they'd survived a war zone.
"What exactly have you three been doing while I was dealing with stubborn council members?" Kaidan's voice carried an edge of possessive concern as he moved deeper into the room.
Tessa looked up, her green eyes bright with determination despite the frustration he could sense through their mate bond. "Your sister retrieved my field gear backpack from the research station this morning. The one I stuffed Eli's files into before you rescued me from the fire."
Kaidan's jaw clenched as the implications hit him. "So you stayed in that burning building to save research?"
"Not just research." Tessa's chin lifted defiantly, that stubborn streak he was growing to adore on full display.
"Proof that Magnus has been systematically sabotaging Eli's work for the past five years.
Subtle at first—equipment malfunctions, false weather data, supplies going missing. But it's all documented here."
Eli pushed his wire-rimmed glasses up his nose, his usually scattered demeanor replaced by grim focus. "She's right, Kaidan. I thought I was going crazy or just incompetent, but when Tessa cross-referenced everything chronologically, the pattern is undeniable."
"Unfortunately, we only have partial evidence." Tessa gestured at the charred documents with obvious frustration. "A lot of the critical files were destroyed. We can prove sabotage occurred, but pointing directly at Magnus..." She shrugged helplessly.
Kaidan's bear roared with dual emotions—immense pride that his brilliant mate had risked her life to protect evidence that would vindicate Eli and primal rage that she'd nearly died for her courage. The thought of losing her made his vision blur red again.
"Tessa, you could've died for this," he reminded her again.
"But I didn't." Tessa met his gaze steadily. "And now we have something to work with."
Elora cleared her throat. "Brother, I think what Tessa needs is access to palace archives, weather station records, anything that might fill in the gaps in what survived the fire. Plus, the history with Magnus and our family, and what his motives might be."
"Consider it done." Kaidan didn't hesitate. "You'll have full access to everything. Weather data, territorial records, communication logs—whatever you need to build an airtight case against that bastard."
"Language, Your Majesty," Eli said with unexpected humor, earning a surprised laugh from Tessa that made Kaidan's chest warm.
"Trust me, Dr. Varkov, that's the cleaned-up version of what I'm thinking about Magnus right now."
Tessa's stomach chose that moment to growl audibly, and Kaidan felt the hunger pangs through their bond. His protective instincts kicked into overdrive.
"Lunch first," he declared, already moving toward the door. "You can't solve this mystery if you're running on fumes."
The palace dining room's vaulted ceilings and crystal chandeliers created an atmosphere of understated elegance, but Kaidan only had eyes for Tessa as he guided her to the chair beside his at the head of the long mahogany table.
Bjorn was already seated, his eyes watchful as he took in the obvious intimacy between his king and the human scientist.
Kaidan didn't bother hiding his possessive gestures as the staff served roasted Arctic char with winter vegetables.
He filled Tessa's water glass before his own, ensured she had the best portions, and found excuses to brush his fingers against hers when passing dishes.
Each touch sent electricity through their mate bond, and from the way Tessa's breath caught, she felt it too.
The palace staff's disapproving glances didn't escape his notice, nor did Bjorn's raised eyebrow when Kaidan leaned closer to Tessa than strictly necessary to reach for the salt.
Let them whisper. Soon enough, they'd all know she was his fated mate and future queen, and they'd damn well learn to respect her.
"So, Eli," Elora said, spearing a piece of fish with her fork, "how long have you been documenting this sabotage?"
"Five years, give or take." Eli's expression grew thoughtful. "At first, I chalked it up to harsh conditions and my own inexperience with Arctic research. But when the same problems kept recurring in patterns that defied statistical probability..."
"You started keeping better records," Tessa finished, genuine admiration in her voice. "Smart thinking."
Bjorn finally spoke up, his tone carefully neutral. "What type of patterns are we talking about?"
Kaidan watched his Beta with sharp interest. Bjorn's protective instincts toward the clans ran deep, but his logical mind wouldn't dismiss evidence just because it implicated another shifter.
"Equipment failures always happened before major data collection periods," Tessa explained, animated by the subject.
"Weather station reports would be mysteriously inaccurate on days when Eli planned fieldwork in specific areas.
Supply deliveries would get 'lost' right before critical research phases. "
"Too convenient to be coincidence," Bjorn mused, and Kaidan felt a surge of satisfaction. His Beta was coming around.
"Exactly." Eli leaned forward eagerly. "And it escalated recently. More aggressive tactics and bolder sabotage attempts."
"Culminating in attempted murder," Kaidan said grimly, his hand finding Tessa's thigh under the table. The possessive touch sent heat spiraling through him when she didn't pull away.
Elora grinned wickedly. "Well, Magnus picked the wrong scientist to mess with. Tessa doesn't strike me as someone who backs down from a fight."
"Damn right I don't." Tessa's fierce smile made Kaidan's pulse spike. "I've dealt with plenty of powerful men trying to intimidate me out of my career. At least Magnus is honest about his hostility instead of hiding behind fake smiles and backhanded compliments."
"Speaking from experience?" Bjorn asked, surprising everyone with his curiosity.
"Oh, you have no idea." Tessa's laugh held a bitter edge. "Try being one of three women in a graduate program with thirty men, all of whom think you're there to find a husband instead of advance scientific knowledge."
Kaidan's bear bristled at the thought of other men dismissing his brilliant mate. "Their loss is our gain."
The intimate warmth in his voice made Tessa lower her head, a pretty blush staining her cheeks. When she glanced up at him, the desire in her eyes nearly undid his composure.
Down, boy, he told his bear, though his own body was responding just as strongly. Save it for when we're alone.
"So, what's our next move?" Eli asked, oblivious to the charged undercurrents.
"Archive diving," Elora declared. "Boring but necessary."
"I'll take boring over nearly burning to death," Tessa said dryly, earning chuckles around the table.
As lunch wound down, Kaidan rose and extended his hand to Tessa. "Walk with me?"
She slipped her fingers into his without hesitation, sending satisfaction thrumming through the mate bond. He led her to his private chambers and then through French doors onto his private balcony, where the panoramic view of his Arctic kingdom spread before them like a crystalline wonderland.
Glaciers stretched toward the horizon, their surfaces gleaming like diamonds under the pale afternoon sun. In the distance, a family of Arctic foxes played on the tundra while seals bobbed in the partially frozen waters near the shore.
"It's so breathtaking," Tessa whispered, her wonder palpable through their connection.
"It's yours if you want it," Kaidan said quietly, meaning far more than just the view. "The beauty and the danger, the peace and the unpredictability."
As if summoned by his words, somewhere in the distance, ice cracked with the sound of breaking glass.