Chapter 19 Tessa
NINETEEN
TESSA
Tessa's scientific mind immediately cataloged the loud rumbling sound, her body tensing as alarm bells shrieked through her consciousness.
This wasn't the groan of glaciers shifting in the distance or natural tremors.
No, this was something far more sinister—the deep, resonating boom of an explosion rocking the land itself.
"Did you hear that?" she whispered, though she could see from Kaidan's suddenly rigid posture that his enhanced shifter senses had picked up the disturbance.
His light blue eyes scanned the horizon with predatory intensity, every line of his powerful frame radiating alertness. "That was an explosion. A big one."
Fear coiled in her stomach as she calculated their position relative to the research station—roughly two miles away, situated in a valley surrounded by towering mountain peaks laden with unstable snow. If Magnus and his goons had just detonated charges on a fault line...
"Avalanche," she breathed, the word barely audible above the wind. "If they triggered a major fault line, the vibrations could destabilize the entire slope system."
Kaidan's nostrils flared as if he could scent the danger in the Arctic air. His polar bear instincts were clearly sending the same warning bells as her own primal survival mechanisms.
As if their shared thoughts had triggered fate itself, another rumble sounded in the distance—not the loud crack of an explosion this time but the sustained, growing roar of thousands of tons of snow and ice beginning their deadly descent toward the valley floor.
"Move. Now." Kaidan's command cracked through the air with absolute authority, his king persona taking complete control. "We need to get out of this valley, or we'll be buried alive."
Tessa's legs responded before her mind fully processed the danger, her body launching into a desperate sprint across the treacherous terrain.
But even as adrenaline flooded her system, she knew they were in trouble.
The avalanche was gaining momentum with every second, and human speed—even her well-conditioned human speed—wouldn't be enough to outrun nature's fury.
"We're not going to make it," Kaidan shouted over the increasing roar, his long strides easily keeping pace with her frantic scrambling. "Not with human speed."
He stopped abruptly, turning to face her with an expression that was equal parts determination and something that looked almost like vulnerability. "I need to shift into my polar bear form. You'll have to get on my back—it's the only way we'll stand a chance."
Tessa's heart hammered in her chest as she processed his words. She'd never seen his polar bear form, never experienced anything like what he was proposing. The scientist in her was fascinated, but the woman in her felt a flutter of apprehension mixed with unexpected excitement.
Trust him, her instincts screamed. He's your mate.
"Okay," she said, meeting his fierce gaze without hesitation. "I trust you. Completely."
Something flashed in his eyes—relief, gratitude, perhaps even love—before his expression hardened with focus. "Grab our packs. Hold on tight, and whatever happens, don't let go."
The transformation began before she could fully prepare herself.
Kaidan's human form seemed to blur and expand, his clothes tearing away as his body shifted into something magnificent and terrifying.
In seconds, where the man had stood, a massive polar bear emerged—easily five hundred pounds of pure muscle and predatory grace.
Oh my God.
Tessa had seen polar bears in documentaries, had studied their anatomy and behavior patterns, but nothing had prepared her for the sheer overwhelming presence of Kaidan's bear form.
His thick white fur was streaked with threads of gold that caught the Arctic light, and his massive frame radiated a power that made her knees weak with awe.
This wasn't just an animal—this was her mate in his truest, most primal form.
"You're absolutely magnificent," she whispered, her voice filled with genuine wonder.
The great bear's intelligent blue eyes met hers, and she felt the mate bond pulse with warmth despite the mortal danger thundering toward them. He lowered his massive body, presenting his broad back for her to mount.
Tessa grabbed their equipment packs, slinging them over her shoulders before carefully climbing onto Kaidan's back. Her thighs gripped his powerful back as she tangled her fingers in his thick fur, marveling at how right this felt despite the insanity of the situation.
The moment she was secure, Kaidan launched into motion with a speed that defied belief.
His massive paws found purchase on ice that would have sent her tumbling, his stride eating up ground with a fluid grace that made her heart soar even as terror gripped her chest. The world blurred past them in a rush of white and blue, the roar of the avalanche growing louder behind them but never quite catching up to her incredible mate.
This is what raw power looks like, she thought, exhilaration mixing with her fear as they raced toward the research station. This is what it means to be mated to a polar bear king.
In what felt like no time at all, they burst from the valley floor and reached the relative safety of the research station's elevated position. Kaidan didn't slow until they were outside the front entrance of the building, where he immediately began the transformation back to human form.
Tessa watched in fascination as her mate's powerful bear form shifted and condensed, revealing the man she was falling desperately in love with. He stood naked and breathing hard, his skin flushed with exertion and his eyes still holding traces of his bear's fierce intensity.
"That was insane but incredible," she said, her voice breathless with genuine affection. "Your bear form is absolutely beautiful, and so strong."
A flush crept up Kaidan's neck, and she was thrilled to see this powerful Alpha king actually blush at her praise. It humanized him in a way that made her chest tight with emotion.
"I'm glad you think so," he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. "Not everyone appreciates the beast."
"Well, I'm not everyone." She reached out to trace her finger along his bearded jaw, loving the way he leaned into her touch. "And that wasn't a beast—that was my mate saving my life again."
He smiled as they headed into the research station, where Kaidan soon found some of Eli's clothes folded in his dresser.
He pulled on the thermal pants which looked more like capris, and a thick sweater that stretched too tight across his broad shoulders.
Tessa couldn't help but laugh at the awkward sight of this powerful shifter in human clothes.
Kaidan let out a soft chuckle too. "Well, we should stay put for a while," he said, his tactical mind shifting back into place. "Let the land settle and wait for the others to make their way back here."
Tessa nodded, her own scientific instincts agreeing with his assessment. "Smart thinking. I don't know how close Magnus and his people are, and after what just happened..." She shivered, and not entirely from the cold. "I'd rather not encounter any more trouble today."
Twenty minutes later, Tessa pressed her forehead against the cold window of the research station, watching the mounting snow piles cascade down the mountainsides in the distance.
The howling winds rattled the station walls, and she could still feel subtle tremors reverberating through the floor beneath her feet.
The explosion had triggered more than just an avalanche—it had destabilized the entire valley system.
Magnus really tried to kill us both today, she thought, her scientific mind cataloging the deliberate precision of the timing.
The cunning bastard had clearly been watching them, waiting for the perfect moment to trigger those charges when they were most vulnerable in the valley floor.
Warm, powerful arms encircled her waist from behind, and she immediately relaxed into Kaidan's protective embrace. His body heat seeped through her layers, chasing away the chill that still lingered from their near-death experience.
"Still processing what just happened?" he murmured, his breath warm against her skin.
She turned in his arms, studying the fierce protectiveness etched across his rugged features.
Even wearing Eli's too-small clothes, Kaidan radiated an alpha dominance that made her pulse quicken.
The way he'd shifted into his magnificent polar bear form to save her life—it replayed in her mind like the most incredible dream.
"You saved my life. Again." She reached up to touch his beard. "I can't even begin to think how to repay you for that."
His eyes darkened with unmistakable desire as he leaned closer, his voice lowering to that rough tone that sent heat straight through her core.
"A kiss is good enough for me."
Before she could respond, his mouth captured hers in a kiss that was tender yet demanding, full of the love and trust that pulsed between them through their mate bond.
Tessa melted against him, her hands fisting in his borrowed sweater as she kissed him back with equal fervor.
This wasn't just passion—this was the soul-deep connection of two people who'd found their perfect match.
God, I love this man, she thought, the realization hitting her with stunning clarity. I'm completely, utterly in love with him.
The research station door burst open with a crash, frigid air rushing in along with their entire team. Elora, Eli, Bjorn, and three clan members—Astrid, Torben, and Leif—stumbled through the entrance, their faces flushed from cold and exertion.
Tessa's first instinct was to pull away from Kaidan, embarrassment flooding her cheeks as she realized they'd been caught in their intimate moment.
But Kaidan's arms tightened around her possessively, refusing to let her retreat.
His alpha dominance kicked into full gear as he faced his people without an ounce of shame or apology.
Eli's eyes widened behind his wire-rimmed glasses, his scholarly mind clearly struggling to process what he'd just witnessed. "Oh... I... well, this is..."
Astrid, the fierce-looking female shifter, exchanged shocked glances with Torben and Leif. The two male clan members looked like they'd swallowed their tongues, their expressions ranging from confusion to outright disbelief that their king was kissing a human.
Elora raised an amused eyebrow. "Well, I guess it's out in the open now."
Bjorn simply nodded with quiet understanding, his brown eyes showing no surprise whatsoever. "Finally decided to stop pretending, huh?"
Kaidan's jaw set with determination as he faced his people, his arm still wrapped protectively around Tessa's waist. The Alpha king energy radiating from him was so intense that even Tessa felt the urge to submit to his dominance.
"Yes, Tessa is my fated mate," he announced, his voice carrying absolute authority.
"I'll be making the official announcement to the council later today.
After what happened with that explosion, it's clear Magnus is escalating his threats to the highest level.
You will all take measures to protect her now. "
Tessa's heart raced at his public declaration.
Part of her wanted to protest his high-handed assumption that she needed protecting, but the fierce possessiveness in his voice sent a rush of heat through her that she couldn't deny.
This was her mate claiming her in front of his people, and the primal part of her that belonged to him reveled in it.
Elora stepped forward, brushing snow from her pale blonde hair. "Kaidan, maybe we should wait until our cameras capture actual proof that Magnus—"
"No." Kaidan's voice cut through the air like a blade, his alpha energy spiking to dangerous levels.
"Magnus clearly tried to kill both me and Tessa today in that valley.
He was following us, watching us, waiting for the perfect moment to trigger those charges.
What's next? Do we wait until he actually succeeds in murdering us? "
The raw fury in his voice made Tessa's pulse race with a mixture of arousal and concern. This was Kaidan at his most primal, his most dangerous—a polar bear king protecting his mate with lethal intensity.
"I'm not putting up with Magnus's tactics anymore," he continued, his light blue eyes blazing with determination. "I won't allow him to threaten my mate, my kingdom, or me any longer. This ends now."