Jessica made her way farther up the coastline than she’d intended. She was looking for that perfect colony to release Addy. Not too large where food would be scarce and not too small where predators would single them out.

There was no use putting it off. Addy was old enough now to leave the nurseries where she’d been separated from her parents along the rocky coast of the sea. Back at the lab, Jessica had inserted a dime-sized satellite tracking device under Addy’s right front flipper to track her movements. It was a perfect opportunity for research but Jessica felt sick inside at the thought of releasing her.

Get over yourself.

Addy’s species would be leaving the land for open water where they’d spend the next several years before returning to mate. She had to do it now before she lost her nerve, embarrassed herself as a scientist and endangered Addy.

She’d left Carson back at the field hut, absorbed in coaxing the gas tanks which would heat the cabin into working. She loved his intensity in whatever he did. He gave himself fully to whatever challenges were before him. She felt raw from his touch. He unsettled her in the deepest parts of her soul. She had to have him. He was like a drug she craved but had no cure for.

So what if they fucked out here. No one would know. When they got back to Fairbanks, they’d resume their separate lives.

By the Goddess, she hated her sisters for making her choose between them and the man she loved. And it wasn’t even like she loved them more—it was that sense of duty she owed them. Plus, her fear of what they’d do to Carson.

She grabbed Addy’s cage, heading for the beach. Jessica struggled to keep her balance on the rocky terrain. To the far left, she spied the perfect place to release Addy. She could watch her join the colony without disturbing them.

Addy’s cries mimicked those echoing around them. Peering inside the cage, Jessica reassured herself Addy was the same size as her peers. Still, there was a physical pain in Jessica’s chest as fumbled with to open the cage door. Could Addy evade the hungry walruses waiting offshore?

She could take her back to Icy Cap for a few more weeks. Let her gain more weight. Keep her safe. Jessica’s need for control warred with her respect for Addy to be herself. The young puffin rocked her cage, excited by the sounds outside. Danger or not. This was where Addy belonged.

Jessica released the lock. Addy paused at the opening, taking in Jessica and her surroundings.

Jessica clucked encouragingly. Addy cocked her head. She waddled forward. Then she took another. Puffins were not graceful on land Addy lumbered forward until she rested between Jessica’s boots.

Farther down the beach, a cluster of young seals hesitated at the sea edge. They would wait until they gathered enough fellow seals before launching en masse. Addy could do that with her puffin group.

“Go on,” Jessica said. She pulled her boots out slowly from underneath Addy. Her bird shook herself, flapping her wings. Jessica continued backing away.

Addy waddled and slid toward the shoreline. Halfway between Jessica and the puffin group, she paused. Jessica held her breath. A chorus of barks erupted from the seals. The front line began diving into the green foamy water. As more seals dove in from the group, Addy slid down the rest of the beach to join the puffins using the seals for cover in the water.

Addy blended in with the crowd. She was back in the sea where she belonged.

Be safe.

A terrible emptiness opened inside Jessica. A sob escaped her. She’d done the right thing but that didn’t make her feel better. She still felt alone.

As soon as Jessica returned to camp, she would begin tracking Addy on her laptop via satellite. Eager to make sure all the equipment was functioning, she cut across some fresh snow and climbed back up the slope from the beach.

In the distance, she could see the cottage lights. She had one small hill to traverse before she got back.

Her job was done. It was a beautiful night with moonlight reflecting off the snow, tingeing everything blue. Her heart ached with the loss of Addy. But she was where she belonged.

And Jessica belonged in Carson’s bed. If he was still interested, and she was pretty sure this was a safe bet, she was ready to rock his world.

If anything, events in the last week showed her how fleeting life was. She needed to grab her happiness when she could. Neither of them could see the future, and that was really a blessing. One of her sisters had the gift of foresight and she was a real killjoy to be around.

She cut inland slightly, avoiding the edge again in case she lost her footing. She stopped short. Before her the moonlight cut away like a missing piece of pie. She angled her head lamp to get a better look.

A crevasse.

Alaska’s landscape was always changing, the perma frost shifting, glaciers moving. Ice freezing and melting.

Jessica wasn’t a rookie. She knew enough to watch out for these treacherous gaps in the ice. She got down on her hands and knees to better assess how to get around it. Should she walk farther inland in hopes of it closing up or take the riskier path by the shore again?

She peered in again. But this time she was pushed from behind.

* * *

Jessica had fallen a good ten feet down a rocky ravine.

She took a deep breath, taking inventory of her fall. She was bruised but nothing was broken. There was enough snow to cushion her landing on the rocks below. That was the good news.

This crevasse reminded her of a bear pit. She’d been afraid of those ever since seeing one as a child. Now she was trapped at the bottom with only the dark sky above her.

A headlamp from above shone in her eyes. “You ok down there?” a voice asked.

Her head ached from the fall. She didn’t recognize the voice. It was not Carson.

“Maybe sprained my ankle. Go get the marshal. He’s at the field hut.”

“I can pull you out on my own.”

“Oh, thank the Goddess.” Jessica squeezed her eyes shut. Damn, her whole body hurt all over.

“I’m not ready to fish you out just yet.”

Jessica squinted up to the speaker. All she saw was that damn headlamp shining back at her.

What the fuck was going on?

“I suppose you are wondering why I’m here.” Deegan removed the headlamp. “Sorry about the light.”

“Where’s the marshal?” She must’ve knocked her head pretty hard because having Dr. Deegan here made absolutely no sense.

“I imagine he’s back at that field hut you mentioned. He was inside warming up that frosty vamp last I saw him. Don’t you worry. She’s not making it out of here alive. Those snow machines won’t be going anywhere without these.” She jangled some keys.

Please make this a bad dream. I’m ready to wake up and find I’m snuggled into bed with Carson.

“What the fuck do you want?” Jessica asked.

“Short answer: you. I’m in need of your excellent vital organs. Unfortunately, I didn’t take care of myself when I was younger like you.”

“You’re crazy. I’m not giving you anything. Get me out of here.”

Deegan scratched her chin. “See, you’re not really in a position to open negotiations now. I’ll be back soon. In the meantime, don’t fall asleep or you’ll freeze to death. Catch.” She tossed a thermal blanket down the hole.

“Hey! Deegan! Don’t leave me here!” Jessica called until her voice was raw and her head ached from the ringing in the small chamber.

Her arrogance would kill her. Unless Carson came looking. He would, but Deegan would be ready.

Here she’d railed against Carson about how dangerous his activities were and look at the mess she was in. What a waste of their lives. She’d never get to wrap herself around him. Never to kiss him again--

She couldn’t keep herself safe anymore than she could him.

She’d let her sisters’ objections bolster her own fears. What an idiot. She would rather take her chances with Carson than without him any day.

Jessica loved him. She loved his passion for life. And she always would. Being divorced wouldn’t change that. Or keep him safe. Life offered no guarantees. It just meant some other woman would eventually spend her life with Carson. She didn’t want that.

Not at all.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, she didn’t bother wiping them away.

* * *

It was impossible to tell what time it was. The stars shifted from her sliver of the sky but too much darkness remained. She made herself run in place and do jumping jacks.

What if the ice shifted again with her down here? She’d be buried alive. A few flecks of snow sprinkled down on her. Great. If fresh snow covered her tracks she’d never get rescued.

When she tipped her head back, the whiskers of an arctic fox sniffed along the opening above her.

“Help!” Jessica rasped. She didn’t want to scare the fox but she was trying to think of a way it could help her find Carson.

The fox peered deeper in the crevasse. It cocked its head to one side to get a better look down the hole.

“Luanne?”

The fox’s ears wiggled.

“Find Carson.”

The fox disappeared.

Alone again.

Jessica felt like a mouse in a glass jar. She hated being helpless. She was a freaking warrior, albeit retired.

She was getting cold. Just a quick nap. It’d feel so good to close her eyes.

A soft whine above made her blink. Did she dream that? She rubbed her eyes and then stared up at the dark sky.

The fox was back. Its’ sharp features were silhouetted by the moon. Had the fox found help?

The massive head of ice bear blotted out all light.

Fuuuck.

Jessica shrank back against the walls of the ice cave. Getting eaten alive was not what she had in mind.

The ice bear rumbled deep in its throat. She could feel the snow around her vibrate.

“Carson? Is that you?”

Both the fox and ice bear pulled back from the edge.

“Hey, don’t leave me!”

A short time later, Carson’s head popped in the hole above her. “Are you injured?”

“Just twisted my ankle. I’m so glad you found me.”

“Me too.”

“Is Luanne ok?”

“She’s wagging her tail as we speak.”

“Get me out of here.”

“This rope needs to be secured before I can pull you up. Here goes.”

Jessica laughed shakily, brushing her tears away. He’d found her! She tied the rope around her waist. She couldn’t wait to get back on the surface. But hauling her up wasn’t going to be easy. The walls of the ravine were slick with softened ice. There was nothing to grab onto except the rope.

Carson pulled, Jessica hung on.

Her boots slipped against the crevasse walls when she tried to get traction. Inch by inch, Carson dragged her out of the hole, hand over hand. Her gloves were shredded. Her fingers were bloody and rope-burned.

By the time Jessica’s head made it out of the hole, Carson was breathing hard. Clumsily Jessica climbed out, flopping on the ground next to him. They lay there on the snow, catching their breath. He was naked.

Luanne’s fox licked Jessica’s face and then spun around in a circle and lay down next to Jessica in the snow.

Carson got to his feet. “Let’s get you back to the cabin. There are better places to—”

A shot that sounded like thunder cracked through the night. Carson dropped back to the ground.

Jessica sat up. “What the hell?”

He pushed her back down. “Stay low.” He covered her with his body.

“Oof.” All her air exited her lungs—Carson was no featherweight.

When she caught her breath, she tried rolling under him to get a better look around. She touched his abdomen and came away sticky.

“Hold still—your wound is bleeding again.”

“The wound is on the other side.”

“Then what’s that?” She gently touched the place again. “Carson, you’ve been shot.”

“Get back in the crevasse.” He grimaced. “I’m going to deal with Deegan.”

“I’m not going back down here.”

“Jess, you’ll be safer down there. On the surface we’re target practice.”

“She won’t hurt me. She needs me.” Jessica wiggled out from under Carson. She squinted in the direction of the field hut. Deegan must be up there. “Is Mariko still alive?”

“I don’t know,” Carson admitted. “If she wasn’t lured outside I’d say there’s a good chance. If she has to survive the elements, it’s less likely.

“Where’s your gun?”

“With Mariko.”

“She’s still alive.” Jessica pulled off her parka. “I can’t see her giving anything up willingly. Put pressure on that wound until I get back.”

“Wait.” He grabbed her arm. “You can’t face her unarmed.”

“I’m an Amazon.” She patted her thigh. “We’re never fully dressed without a scythe.”

Carson stared at her. She hoped it was from shock and not blood loss.

“It’s in my sock,” she clarified.

“I love you.”

Jessica was seriously sick of this shit. She’d tried to follow a new path. Apparently, her old life had not gotten the memo.

She crawled on her belly toward the edge of the bluff. The ground vibrated. Deegan was coming for her.

Jessica crawled faster. She would lure Deegan away from Luanne and Carson. She wasn’t sure what advantage lay down at the shore but it was an area Jessica was familiar with and Deegan was not.

“Stop or I’ll shoot!” She heard the woman’s voice coming closer.

Jessica was almost at the edge. She struggled to hold on but she kept slipping.

“Gotcha!” Deegan grabbed her leg, pulling her back from the ledge.

Fuck, that hurt! She’d grabbed Jessica’s sprained ankle. The only good news was that left her other leg free. Jessica rolled from her stomach onto her back.

Deegan held a rifle with a scope in one hand. She dragged Jessica toward her.

Jessica raised her free leg up to knee high, reaching into her sock. The glint of moonlight on steel made Deegan pause.

“That’s quite a knife for a little girl.” The other woman licked her lips. “But I know you took an oath not to harm others. That’s why you play with all those potions of yours.”

“You didn’t dig deep enough in my file. I’m a retired soldier.” Jessica liked the feel of the knife’s handle against her palm. It felt reassuring, like embracing an old friend after a long absence. “Let go of me.”

“No wonder you are in such excellent shape! I promise when the time comes to make it painless for you. Probably.”

“Can’t say that I’ll do the same.” Jessica swept out her good leg, knocking Deegan right in the crotch. “You killed innocents.”

Deegan dropped to the ground, howling in pain. She rolled back and forth to an excessive degree.

When Deegan’s cries subsided, she whined. “Lucky shot. Got a bit of fire in you.”

They were both on the ground. Jessica tightened her grip on her weapon. “I’ve more than a bit of fire in me. I’m a daughter of Aries.”

“You’re an Amazon?” Deegan got to her feet. She staggered but she did it.

“We prefer woman warrior.” Jessica knew she had one attempt with her weapon. If she only injured Deegan, her own life was over. “Since you know the truth about me, who are you really?”

“Didn’t figure that out yet? Not so smart as you thought. I’m Cornelius Root. Now get up. We gotta get back to the station.”

Fuck. Cornelius Root. The murderous fugitive Carson and Mariko had been searching for. Jessica glanced toward Carson, hoping he was still alive. Please don’t be dead, she prayed.

He was gone.

Not dead. Just not there physically anymore, like he’d disappeared into thin air.

That meant not dead.

“Jessica, get down!” Mariko’s voice rang through the air.

Jessica fell back, flattening herself. An enormous ice bear easily cleared her, crashing into Deegan. Drops of the ice bear’s blood splattered her when he passed overhead. Carson’s blood.

Deegan was airborne before sprawling in a snow drift. Mariko pounced, snapping the killer’s neck with an audible crack.

Case closed.

Jessica crawled over to the ice bear. He growled a warning as she approached but she was undeterred.

Carson’s ice bear was as magnificent as she dreamed. She placed her hand on his broad head. He sniffed her hand and whined.

“Stay with me, big guy.”

Luanne’s fox arrived, carrying the first-aid kit in her mouth.

“Let me take a look.” Jessica patted the ice bear’s side. He was solid muscle and not interested in moving.

His wounds were underneath him, staining the snow with blood. He needed help.

The fox tugged at her sleeve, pulling her away. Jessica didn’t want to leave. The fox was insistent. Carson’s ice bear closed his eyes.

By the Goddess, was he dying? No, no, no.

“Leave him.” Mariko was standing over her. Her pale features covered with Deegan’s blood. “He won’t shift with you here. He’s afraid he’ll hurt you. Go back to the cabin. I’ll bring him up.”

“He wouldn’t hurt me.”

Mariko rolled her eyes. “We can stand and debate about it while he bleeds to death or you can give him some space and save his life.”

This vamp was a total pain in her ass but seeing how she’d just eliminated Deegan, Jessica limped up to the field hut.

She didn’t look back. Not even when an anguished roar stopped her in her tracks. Anguish echoed in her soul. Carson.

Luanne’s fox accompanied her and Jessica was grateful for the moral support.

Once inside, Jessica blasted the heat. Now was the time for her excellent discipline to shine. Carson’s injuries were going to require her best self.

She unpacked her fishing tackle box full of herbs and her own first-aid kit. She’d laid them all out on the table when Carson and Mariko banged through the door. Carson, naked and bleeding, leaned on Mariko.

“You should’ve let me carry you.” The vamp helped him to the cot.

“You don’t know your boss very well if you think he’ll let anyone carry him around.” Jessica poured some heated water from the electric kettle in a basin. His wounds needed cleaning before she could begin the healing process.

Mariko flashed her a smile full of fang.

The field hut door slammed again. Luanne arrived in human form wearing a blanket. “We should head back with Deegan’s body. The whole station is freaking out. Some reassurance is needed.”

“Excellent point,” Mariko agreed. “I’ll secure Deegan’s body to the back of the snowmobile.”

“Mariko?”

The vamp turned back to Jessica.

“Thank you. For everything.”

“Just doing my job.”

“Thanks anyway. And you might want to clean the blood off you before you return to the station.”

Mariko slipped out.

It wasn’t long before Jessica spied Mariko and Luanne speeding across the snow, dragging a plastic-wrapped corpse behind them.