Aidan’s truck was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. It was enormous, with spiked tires that gripped the snow with ease. I climbed into the already warmed backseat, nervous as to where exactly we were headed. Within a few seconds, Aidan peeled out of the diner’s parking lot, and we headed down the road towards Black Oak. When we got to a slippery patch, Aidan drove slowly over the ice, then took a hairpin curve up a deep embankment. He carefully revved the engine until we emerged over the crest. When I saw the sweeping view of the landscape outside the frosted car windshield, I gasped.

An open glacier laid before us, flanked on two sides by a thick, dense forest. In the far distance, a mountain range loomed ominously with snow-capped peaks that almost touched the periwinkle, austere sky. It was so majestic and breathtaking, I almost couldn’t believe it was real.

Even though there was no road this far out, Aidan knew exactly where he was going. We made a new path across the virgin white snow, until we reached an unmarked section of forest that both men seemed to know. Aidan turned the car towards a clearing in the woods and drove straight for it. After a moment, we found ourselves in the center of a quaint, small town tucked inside the canopy of the lush forest.

There was a small grocery market, a bank, a convenience store, and a trapper’s post. A gas station, a restaurant, and a post office laid at the end of a long main drag. Most of the establishments had lights on and people moving around inside the warmly lit buildings. The post office looked like it hadn’t been used in decades, and was the only building that was a disheveled flop. A bait shop and fishing tackle store hung around the backside of the post office building, and a small movie theater with a half-lit marquee was across the street. I’d never expected to find all this so far out of Bond; this town wasn’t even on the map. But nothing about shifters was ever what it seemed.

Off the main drag were narrow streets lined with small bungalows. Their roofs were pitched steeply, forming deep upside down Vs in the sky. A few of the houses were built into hillsides; the permafrost around them acted as an insulated buffer from the cold.

The sunlight began to fade quickly, and navy blue wisps lit the sky. Before long, it’d be pitch-black, with only stars to light our way. Street lights in Black Oak were few and far between. Aidan revved the engine, and the tires spun. The thick chains on his truck gained traction and pushed us forward through the icy, thick snow, as the winter winds lashed at our windshield.

“Almost there,” Jameson said evenly. “I called the council meeting early. Told them to meet us over at the Lodge. Said you’d be there.” He glanced nervously at his brother. “I didn’t think you’d want to tell…”

Aidan cut him off. “That was a good call. I’m sure if everybody’s not there already, they will be soon. Word travels fast around these parts.”

I bristled. Even though Aidan certainly seemed nice enough, the truth was that I’d just met him. And I didn’t know Jameson at all. Now I’d be stranded out in the middle of the Arctic Circle with a bunch of shifters. Lord, help me.

We finally turned down a dark gravel drive-way that led to the edge of a copse of tall spruce trees. Aidan halted the truck just at the edge of the thick, dark forest. The evergreen foliage was so dense, I couldn’t see past the first row of trees.

“In there,” Aidan pointed. “It’s a walk. Bundle up.”

My eyes widened. There was no way I was walking into a pitch-black forest in the dead of winter with two shifters who were practically strangers to me. I couldn’t even see a house, or a light in the distance. It was vast blackness as far as I could see.

“Well?” Aidan looked at me expectantly.

“Fine.” I’d come this far. What was a little further? Besides, if they’d wanted to hurt me, they would have already. I climbed out of the truck and gasped as the cold air hit my throat. The air was so frigid, the saliva in my mouth crystalized when I took a breath. I stuffed my hands into my thick gloves, and pushed them deeply into my pockets. I didn’t see how I’d ever get used to the biting winter chill of the Arctic Circle.

The forest swayed as the wind whipped through the trees, and crackled as heavily laden branches fell onto the icy ground. I imagined most of the black bears would be hibernating, but there was always the chance one might wake up early, hungry and in search of a meal. Now I understood why Alaskans packed heat even when they were just on their way to use the outhouse in the middle of the night. I tightened my jaw to keep my teeth from chattering and hugged my arms around my chest for warmth.

“It’s not so bad, Ginger.”

“Ginger? My name’s not…”

“I know, but your hair is. And the name suits you.” Aidan tucked my dark, auburn hair up under my cap and wiped the frost from my cheek. “Climb on my back and I’ll carry you the rest of the way. It’s only about a mile.”

“Carry me a mile? Are you out of your mind?”

“It’ll seem like a short ride, don’t worry.”

He crouched down and gave me the signal to climb onto his strapping, muscular back. I hitched my legs around his chiseled torso and tightened as he stood at his fully erect height. He felt warm, even through the thick layers of clothing, and he felt sturdy, too. I barely had time to secure my arms around his shoulders when he nodded to Jameson and they took off racing down a narrow path, into the heart of the darkened forest.

Jameson started off in the lead, whipping his way through the thick brush. I could tell Aidan was holding back because he was carrying me, so I squeezed my thighs and spurred him to run faster. Aidan’s muscles sprung to life, and before I knew it, we’d left Jameson in the dust.

“Almost there.” Aidan’s breaths were punctuated and quick. I couldn’t tell if he was running to show off as a masculinity as a point of pride, or if he just wanted to beat his brother in competition. Maybe both.

I suppressed a squeal as Aidan’s feet dug into the ice and carried us up the last embankment to the flattened top of a hill. A grand log cabin in the woods stood about two hundred yards from us, with glowing golden windows. I could see shadows through the frosted glass, illuminated by the soft firelight. There were a lot of shifters inside. I swallowed a quick breath of icy air, and steadied myself. I could do this.

“Olivia, I present to you, the Lodge,” Aidan said smoothly as he came to a halt just short of the log cabin.

He bent his knee and knelt in the thick snow so I could climb off his back. I leaned against his shoulder as I dismounted, and noticed the details of the Lodge. It was an exquisitely handsome structure. It had fine craftsmanship, better than any I’d seen in Bond. The logs were fitted together, tongue and groove, and the roof peaked in several places, giving it a large, grand appearance.

“Well, what do you think?”

“It’s beautiful.”

Aidan’s cheeks were flushed from the cold and his forehead was beaded lightly from his internal heat. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand as he led me towards the front door. We stopped inside a small, enclosed porch where we shook the snow off our clothes, took off our boots, and hung our thick outer coats to dry.

The real front door to the Lodge was past the small, enclosed landing porch. As Jameson opened the front door, the loud, rambunctious cacophony of the group quieted for a moment as they sized me up. When they realized I wasn’t a threat, their reverie continued.

Almost soon as we entered, a short, plump man skulked towards Aidan, keeping his head low as he approached. The man grumbled something under his breath, before he cleared his throat to speak. He never once looked Aidan in the eyes, although this shifter had no problem staring at my curves.

“So, this is the human who’s responsible for Chase’s fate?”

Oh boy. I already didn’t like the way this was going. I shuffled my feet against the polished oak floor, and bit my tongue. I wasn’t about to throw my weight around in an unfamiliar situation. The man continued talking to Aidan about me right in front of my face, like I wasn’t even in the room.

“In a matter of speaking, yes,” Aidan nodded. “She’s his attorney.”

The man looked confused, like he’d never even heard of a lawyer before.

“Attorneys are the people humans use to solve their problems, to find justice.” Aidan wasn’t patronizing the man. It was clear the man honestly didn’t know.

“Justice for humans. That’s a funny one.” The man chuckled to himself. “How the hell does she think a bunch of shifters are going to help Chase? Humans won’t listen to us. They think we’re a bunch of animals.”

Aidan exhaled deeply. “I’ll let her explain it to you, herself. But first, don’t you think I should introduce you? Cade, this is Olivia Ryan. Olivia, this is Cade Reynolds, Chase’s uncle.”

I extended my hand towards Cade, and he grasped it awkwardly, not sure what to do with it. Then, he let go and dropped his arm limply by his side.

The crowd behind Cade turned towards us. Their serious expressions and beady, curious eyes were all trained directly on me.

“Maybe it was a mistake bringing me here,” I said slowly. I trembled as I saw a few of the shifters lick their lips hungrily. Any one of them could rip me to pieces if they shifted into wolf form.

“No, it’s not a mistake. You need to be here. We just have to get the council used to you,” Aidan whispered. “They’re not used to newcomers.”

Cade cleared his throat and finally spoke directly to me. “We were in the middle of a private vote when you arrived, so if you’d excuse us, we need a minute.” He gestured down the hall towards an open door. “You can wait inside there if you like, Ms. Ryan. It’s a minor issue, but we need at least one more to make quorum. And, of course, Aidan has the final say.” He paused. “Aidan, will you lead the vote? Jameson, you can keep an eye on the girl.”

Jameson nodded. “Sure, no problem…”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll watch over Ms. Ryan. Jameson, you can take my place at the table this once.”

Cade and Jameson both looked at each other wide-eyed.

“But Aidan, as alpha, you need to…”

“I will evaluate the vote after I’ve taken care of Ms. Ryan,” he growled. “Besides, my vote is the deciding one. Always.”

Jameson and Cade cowered away. After Aidan nodded to the council members, he led me down a dark hallway towards what looked like a spare room. I had no idea what could possibly be inside.