Chapter 7 Tessa
SEVEN
TESSA
The Jeep's engine hummed quietly as they pulled away from the palace, but the silence between them felt anything but quiet.
Tessa stole glances at Kaidan's profile as he navigated the snow-covered road, his strong hands gripping the steering wheel with the same controlled precision he seemed to apply to everything else.
Why is he giving me such special attention? The question had been nagging at her all day. Elora's earlier comment about Kaidan never treating guests this way echoed in her mind.
And the way he'd watched her throughout dinner, his intense blue eyes tracking her every movement, had been impossible to ignore. There was something almost predatory about his focus, yet it didn't frighten her—it thrilled her in ways she didn't want to examine too closely yet.
She'd never had a man look at her like she was the most fascinating thing in the room. Especially not a man who looked like Kaidan—all broad shoulders and rugged masculinity wrapped in an aura of barely restrained power.
And he was a king, for crying out loud. She'd never even met minor royalty, let alone someone who ruled an entire kingdom.
Yet sitting beside him now, watching the way he concentrated on the icy road, he seemed almost... normal.
The air in the confined space felt electric, charged with something she couldn't name but could definitely feel crackling between them.
Every time he shifted gears, his hand brushed close to her leg, sending little sparks of awareness shooting through her.
She found herself sitting unnaturally straight, hyperaware of every breath and every movement.
"You know," Kaidan's deep voice broke the silence, "you don't have to sit there like you're afraid I might bite."
Heat flooded her cheeks. "I'm not—I mean, I'm just trying to be respectful. You are the king."
His laugh was rich and warm. "Forget about that for now. Just be yourself, Tessa. I don't need formal courtesy when it's just us."
The relief that washed over her was immediate and profound. "Thank God. I was starting to get a crick in my neck from sitting so straight."
His smile transformed his entire face, making him look younger and infinitely more attractive. "I prefer authenticity to protocol anyway."
This felt like her opening. "Speaking of authenticity—why are you giving me so much attention?
I mean, I've been here for only one day and you've personally assigned me a guide, invited me to dinner, given me a palace tour.
.." She trailed off, studying his reaction.
"Elora mentioned you don't usually go to such lengths for guests. "
Kaidan's hands tightened on the steering wheel, and she watched his internal struggle play out across his features. For a moment, she thought he might tell her something important, something personal. Instead, he cleared his throat.
"I want you to feel welcome here. Too many of my people still view humans with suspicion." His voice carried a careful neutrality that felt rehearsed. "I don't want you to think all polar bear shifters are unfriendly."
She sensed there was more he wanted to say, something hovering just beneath the surface of his controlled exterior. The way his eyes kept darting to her, the tension in his shoulders, and the careful space he maintained between them—it all suggested a man fighting against his own instincts.
"Well, mission accomplished," she said softly.
Their eyes met briefly before he returned his attention to the road, but that split second of contact sent heat flooding through her body.
Too soon, the research station's lights appeared through the darkness.
Tessa felt an unexpected pang of disappointment as Kaidan pulled into the small parking area and cut the engine.
She wasn't ready for this evening to end, wasn't ready to return to the reality of being Dr. Monroe the climate scientist instead of just Tessa, the woman who'd somehow captured the attention of an Arctic king.
"Thank you again," she said, turning to face him in the sudden quiet. "I had a wonderful time."
"So did I." His voice was rougher now, intimate in the confines of the Jeep.
Their eyes locked, and suddenly the air between them felt supercharged. Kaidan leaned closer, close enough that she could see the golden flecks in his blue eyes and could feel the warmth radiating from his large frame. Her breath caught as his gaze dropped to her lips.
He's going to kiss me, she realized, her heart thundering in her chest. The King of Frosthaven is going to kiss me in his Jeep like we're teenagers.
But instead of closing the distance, Kaidan pulled back abruptly and opened his door. "Let me walk you to the front door."
Disappointment and relief warred in her chest as he came around to open her passenger door. His hand was warm and strong as he helped her down from the high seat, and she found herself reluctant to break the contact.
They walked to the research station entrance in silence, their boots crunching on the packed snow. At the door, Kaidan turned to face her, his expression unreadable in the dim light.
"I enjoyed spending time with you, Tessa. I hope we can do it again soon."
"I'd like that." The words came out breathier than she intended.
Without warning, he grabbed her hand, lifting it to his lips. The kiss he pressed to her knuckles was soft, reverent, and completely unraveling. His beard brushed gently against her skin, and she had to suppress a shiver.
"Good night, Tessa."
"Good night," she managed, her voice barely a whisper.
She fumbled with the door handle, desperate to get inside before she did something completely inappropriate like throw herself into his arms and kiss him senseless. The moment she was safely inside, she hurried to her bedroom and into the adjoining small bathroom.
Once locked inside, she splashed cold water on her face and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her green eyes were bright, her cheeks flushed, and she looked like a woman who'd just been struck by cupid's arrow.
Pull yourself together, she told herself firmly. You cannot fall for the king. That would be completely inappropriate and utterly foolish.
But as she touched her fingers to the spot where his lips had kissed her hand, she knew it might already be too late.
Tessa left the bathroom and changed into her soft cotton pajamas, her mind reeling from the evening's events. She then crawled into bed, pulling the thick comforter up to her chin, and stared at the ceiling. She could almost guarantee tonight would be another sleepless night.
She tried to get Kaidan out of her memory—those piercing blue eyes, the way his beard had felt against her hand when he'd kissed her knuckles—but that seemed futile. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him leaning closer to her in the Jeep and still felt the electricity crackling between them.
Get a grip, Tessa. You're here to work.
But her traitorous heart refused to listen to reason. The way he'd looked at her, as if she were the most precious creature he'd ever encountered, made her pulse race even now.
Finally, somehow, exhaustion won out and she fell asleep.
But her dreams were filled with her and Kaidan walking hand in hand across pristine snow fields, kissing under the moonlight while the Aurora Borealis danced overhead.
In her dream, his hands were warm and sure as they cupped her face, and when he whispered her name, it sounded like a prayer.
The next thing Tessa knew, there was knocking on her bedroom door. She groggily opened her eyes to find pale morning light filtering through her window.
"Tessa?" Eli's voice came through the door, tinged with concern. "Are you alright?"
She stumbled out of bed and opened the door to find Eli standing there with his usual worried expression, his dark hair more disheveled than usual.
"You slept in a bit late today. Elora's been waiting for you."
"I'm so sorry. It must be the adjustment to the Arctic." She couldn't bring herself to reveal that her mind had been completely hijacked by Kaidan.
"No worries. I'll tell her you'll be right out."
Tessa hurried through her morning routine, splashing water on her cheeks to chase away the lingering effects of her heated dreams. Within ten minutes, she was dressed in her thermal layers and joining Eli and Elora in the main area.
"Morning, sleepyhead," Elora greeted with a knowing smile that made Tessa wonder exactly how much Kaidan's sister had figured out about the previous evening.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Tessa grabbed her coffee mug and took a grateful sip of the strong brew.
Eli spread several printouts across the table, his expression more stressed than she'd seen him since her arrival. "We had some more equipment malfunctions overnight. The seismic sensors in sector seven went completely offline, and the weather station is giving us readings that don't make sense."
Tessa leaned over the data, her scientific mind engaging. "These fluctuations are impossible unless something's interfering with the instruments."
"There's also unexpected weather coming in today," Eli continued, running a hand through his hair. "And my grant renewal deadline is approaching. Between the sabotage and these anomalies, I'm starting to worry the funding committee will think I've lost my mind."
Tessa's confidence kicked in, pushing aside her romantic distractions.
"I can help you restructure the grant proposal to frame these anomalies as a breakthrough discovery rather than equipment failure.
And as for the sabotage..." She tapped her fingers on the table.
"We could set up motion-activated cameras around the perimeter, maybe rig some non-harmful deterrents. "
Eli's face brightened. "You think like a field researcher, not just a lab scientist. I knew Gerri was right to send you."
Elora shifted uncomfortably when Eli muttered, "Magnus' men being spotted too close to the station hasn't helped my nerves this past week either. Though I suppose it's just politics between clans."
Tessa caught the look that passed between Elora and Eli—there was definitely more weight behind Kaidan's constant vigilance than just wanting to make her comfortable. The way Elora's jaw tightened suggested clan politics were far more dangerous than Eli realized.
"We should head out now before the storm comes in this afternoon," Elora said, unusually silent about the Magnus situation.
They gathered their equipment from the storage room, bundling into their parkas and strapping on their gear.
Tessa felt a thrill of anticipation as they stepped into the crisp morning air.
Today she wanted to explore the areas showing the most disruption—the unstable zones where the real answers might be hiding.
The trek to the volatile sectors took them across increasingly treacherous terrain. The ground trembled beneath their feet with each step, and the ice shifted and groaned in ways that made Tessa's scientific mind race with possibilities.
"These readings are off the charts," she called to Elora, kneeling to check her instruments. "The subsurface temperature variations suggest something massive is happening beneath the ice sheet."
She was so absorbed in collecting data that she didn't notice the hairline crack spreading beneath her boots until it was too late. The ice gave way with a sharp crack that echoed across the frozen landscape.
Just as she felt herself beginning to fall through the fractured surface, strong arms swept around her, lifting her effortlessly away from danger. She found herself pressed against a familiar broad chest, breathing in Kaidan's distinctive scent of pine and something uniquely masculine.
Her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck as he carried her to safer ground. "Thank you," she breathed, her heart hammering from both the near-miss and his proximity. "I didn't even know you were following us."
Being held in Kaidan's strong arms felt so right and perfect that she momentarily forgot about everything else—the danger, the research, even Elora's presence. His blue eyes were intense as he looked at her, and she could feel the controlled strength in every muscle of his body.
"Tessa! Are you alright?" Elora's voice broke the spell as she rushed over, her face pale with concern.
Kaidan set her down quickly but gently, his hands lingering on her waist. "I'm fine," Tessa managed, though her voice came out breathy. "Thank goodness Kaidan was around, or else that could've been really bad."
Kaidan's expression shifted into something commanding and protective. "I don't want you exploring these volatile areas anymore. Not unless I'm personally escorting you."
Tessa bristled despite her gratitude. "I can handle myself, Kaidan. I've been doing fieldwork for years."
"Not in conditions like these." His voice carried the unmistakable authority of a king. "The ice is more unstable than our instruments can detect."
She wanted to argue, but the memory of nearly plunging through the ice was still fresh. "Fine. If I need to explore any volatile areas, I'll consult you first."
Kaidan glanced up at the darkening sky, where heavy clouds were rolling in faster than expected. "We need to hurry back to the research station. That storm's moving in quicker than predicted, and we don't want to get caught out here."
They made it back to the station just as the first fat snowflakes began to fall. Within minutes, the storm had dumped down with a ferocity that turned the world into a swirling white void. Through the windows, Tessa could see that the blizzard had effectively trapped them all inside.