Chapter 12

As the snow blew across the windshield, Beck's mind also swirled with theories. None of them were good. He could see Boyd kidnapping Amara for ransom, but where was Chloe in all this? Was that her who called for help? And why had Delaney defended their father knowing what a low-down bastard he was? He chalked it up to pregnancy hormones, but was that truly behind her rage at Beck? Was Amara missing, or was she simply enjoying time away with whoever had been in her home? More than once, he had suggested Amara install security cameras inside her house, but she was adamant she would not be spied on.

"Do me a favor and text Dooley. Ask him to check the cameras outside Amara's house Friday and Saturday and see if he can identify the male who visited her."

As Lydia was typing, she asked, "You think it could be Boyd?"

"No. Whoever it was, Amara had sex with the male, and she hates Boyd."

"Yeah, can't say I blame her." Lydia's phone pinged with an incoming message. The name Sebastian appeared on the car's display, and she pressed his name to listen as the digital voice replayed the message.

"Sebastian says, ‘Hey, Lydia. Just checking in to see how you are. Dakota and I are worried about you.' Would you like to reply?"

"Yes."

"What would you like to say to Sebastian?"

"Don't worry about me. Things aren't quite as bleak as they were. I hope things are going well for you both." The app repeated Lydia's message, asking if she'd like to change or send it. "Send it."

Beck placed his hand on Lydia's thigh. "Why are they worried about you?"

"I had a meltdown after I… after I killed Tinsley. My parents took me back to Atlanta, and I haven't spoken to Bas since. He and I are close and talk often."

"Have you considered seeing a therapist?"

Lydia propped her right elbow against the window and leaned her head on her palm. "My parents suggested it, but I refused. All they're going to tell me is the same thing everyone else has. That I was doing my duty to protect my Queen and to give it time."

Beck hated that his mate was hurting, but she was right. It would take time to get over killing someone. Not that he had experience in taking a life, but he would if it meant protecting his pack. He also hated that she was involved in his family's problems. If things were different, he would take her back to the lower states to be closer to her family. Then again, she had come to Alaska on a mission.

"Tell me more about this council you want to form."

"We want to find as many types of shifters as possible and warn them to be on their guard. If we gather at least one representative from each species, they can alert those of their kind to what's going on with Agent Stallings. We may not be the only ones who've had run-ins with humans who are a threat, and if that's the case, we can compare notes."

"What do you think would happen if Stallings knew the truth?"

"The same thing that happened last time. He would hunt us down and experiment on us. Use our DNA to create super soldiers or worse. My family was able to eradicate the Unholy, and some of them were given a serum that reversed the damage. Some weren't as lucky."

"Your family…" Beck was amazed. His pack was fighting for power and territory, while her Clan was fighting to right the wrongs of society.

"Don't think all Gargoyles are like my Clan. We have rotten apples like everyone else. My great-grandfather was ostracized because he mated with a human. The one responsible was the Greek King, and he felt the bloodlines should remain pure. He disowned his own sister because she mated with an Italian even though they were fated mates. That same King was responsible for a lot of my Clan's troubles over the years until he was finally taken out. He had followers who came to the States and continued creating havoc in his name. As archivist for my Clan, I have read of many similar instances throughout our history. It's bad enough we have infighting to deal with, but add to that humans becoming aware of our existence? It would be chaos."

"Surely there are humans who know."

"There are, in both our Clan and with the Gryphons. There are human mates, and I have cousins who were adopted, but they are taught to keep our secret. With the Gryphons, they have the ability to manipulate thoughts, and if the humans threaten to out them, they're made to forget what they know of the shifters."

"Damn. And here I thought I was special because I can take the form of a large bear."

Lydia placed her hand on his nape and scratched his scalp. If she did that in his shifted form, he'd surely fall asleep. "You are special, My Bear. Being able to shift into an animal is so much better than what I can do. Claws and fangs aren't good for much against someone bigger and stronger. At least the males get wings and can fly." His mate was cute when she pouted, but he didn't contradict her. His pack might not care for their males, but at least the females had the same advantages when it came to shifting.

The GPS alerted him to the turnoff for the lodge. Since they had time to kill until they heard from Carleigh, Beck could show Lydia his furry counterpart. And maybe she'd give him some more scratches.

Lydia instructed Beck to stop at the main building. "I need to check in at the office to see if my packages have arrived." Beck parked, and he planned to open her door, but Lydia was already out by the time he rounded the hood. She pulled her parka together in the front with one hand and reached for his with the other. Beck wasn't used to having a tactile mate since females of his kind weren't the touchy-feely sort, but he relished each touch.

They entered the office, and when they reached the desk, the man behind the counter lit up in Lydia's presence. Beck knew the feeling. He was also secure enough not to get jealous. His mate was stunning, and he couldn't blame anyone for admiring her.

"Ah, Miss Stone. You have a couple of packages. Let me get them for you." The man didn't even glance at Beck. Lydia turned and pressed her front to his, resting her forehead against his chest. Beck hugged her and touched his lips to her hair. Lydia hummed, and his bear stirred. A low rumble in his chest was returned from a softer growl in Lydia's. Were their beasts communicating? Beck had never heard of bears behaving that way. He couldn't converse with his beast. Their communications were feelings. But the night he found Lydia outside Boyd's rental, she was talking to hers.

The clerk's footsteps were heavy as he returned from somewhere in the back of the building. "Here you are." Beck released his mate and stepped around her to take the packages.

"Thank you." Beck tucked the boxes under one arm and ushered his mate out the door with his free hand. Lydia was quiet as they got back into the SUV and drove the short distance to her cottage. He couldn't wait to see what types of gadgets her cousin had sent.

Lydia removed her parka and draped it over one of the chairs at the dining table. She inspected the boxes, and chose the lighter of the two. Releasing a claw, she ripped the tape open, then her claw was gone. Lydia lifted the flaps, and when she removed the contents, she was holding a black leather jacket.

"This is for you since I ruined your other one."

Beck accepted it and ran his hand across the material. It was the softest leather he'd ever felt. He didn't want to know how much it cost. "Sugar, this is too much."

"Nonsense." Lydia took it and held it out. "Let's see if it fits." She helped him into the jacket, and when it was on, she ran her fingers down the sleeves. "Perfect, like you."

Beck's cheeks heated. He'd been called handsome before, but no one had ever made him feel as special as Lydia did. He pulled his mate to his chest and lowered his head to kiss her, showing her how much he appreciated the gift. Not only that, but how she touched his heart. The kiss went from soft and appreciative to heated and needy. His beast rumbled in his chest again, and Lydia pulled back, laughing.

"What's so funny?" Beck removed the jacket and placed it on the table since he was getting warm in more ways than one.

"Our beasts are conversing, and yours mentioned scratches?"

Beck grinned. "Yeah, when you were running your nails over my scalp earlier, the thought of you doing so while I was shifted might have entered my mind. Would you like to see him?"

"Definitely."

Beck looked around. "Okay, but I'll need to rearrange the furniture first." He placed his cell phone on the table, then went into the living area and pushed the sofa and coffee table out of the way. "Ready?"

"Don't you need to take your clothes off?"

"Nope, they shift with me."

"That's amazing. The only other species I know of that has that luxury is dire wolves."

"Those aren't a myth?"

"No. Nikita, one of Carleigh's partners in H3, is one. Their shifted form is much larger than regular wolf shifters."

"Okay, here goes." He glanced up to make sure there was enough clearance to shift on his hind legs, and he let the change take over. Beck didn't worry about shocking Lydia since she had seen Boyd in his shifted form. The change wasn't instantaneous nor was it painless, but the discomfort went away quickly enough. Lydia didn't hesitate to come closer. Beck remained still, letting her look her fill.

"Dayum. You are absolutely gorgeous. And your eyes… I've never seen anything that color blue." She stepped back and pointed to the floor. "If you want scratches, you'll need to get down on my level." Beck dropped to all fours, then relaxed on his haunches. Lydia closed the distance and buried her hands in the thick fur of his neck while pressing her cheek to his. "So soft," she muttered as she dug deeper with her nails. If Beck were a dog, he'd be rolling over for belly rubs. Never had anyone touched him in this form, and that his mate was doing so willingly was everything. His bear rumbled, and Lydia chuckled. She continued rubbing and scratching until his phone rang.

"Want me to get that?" she asked. Beck angled his head to the side, and she laughed. "Duh." When she picked it up, she told him, "It's Dooley. Hey, Dooley. I'm putting you on speaker."

Beck shifted back to his skin, stretching his arms above his head. It had been a while since he'd let his other side out.

"Hey, you love birds. I've got Carleigh on the line with me. I was able to tap into Amara's cameras. I didn't recognize the male, so I sent his photo to Carleigh so she could do her thing, since I don't have the capability to do the thing."

Carleigh laughed. "And I'm doing the thing now, but facial recognition takes a while, especially if the person isn't from the States."

"And you think they aren't?" Lydia asked.

"I have no idea, but with what's going on with Boyd, it could be possible. The reason I asked Dooley to patch me in on the call is because Nikita came up with something regarding one of the cryptic messages. Her mate is a big comic nerd, and Madsen thinks they're referring to the Black Canary. There were two of them, a mother and daughter."

Lydia brought the phone to the living area and dropped down on the sofa, patting the cushion next to her. Beck sat and slid his arm around her shoulder. "But how does that help us? If it could be either? And the other message said the porridge was too cold."

"I'm not sure, but I wanted to mention it. I was able to trace the phone numbers you gave me. Chloe's cell is shut off, but I got a lock on the sat phones. Two of them are in Seward, and one is in an area west of Valdez."

"What's the number for the one near Valdez?" Beck asked. When Carleigh rattled off the digits, Beck said, "That's the one Chloe uses. I got a call from an unknown number, but I didn't answer it. When we listened to the voicemail, a female said, ‘Beck, help.' Whoever it was didn't speak loud enough for me to tell if it was her or Amara, plus there was a lot of wind in the background."

"Hang on," Dooley instructed. After a bit of typing, he said, "There's a snowstorm in the area around Valdez, so the wind in the background would make sense. If they're near Chugach, you're going to need fucking snowshoes."

"That's Chloe's number, but was it her calling? And if so, why have her ID blocked?" Carleigh asked. "And if it's storming, how can you get there?"

Beck didn't know if Lydia's cousin would like his answer, but he was honest with her. "As for how, I've flown in all kinds of bad weather, and I can get us there. If the snow gets too heavy, we'll land on the water and sail in. Maybe we'll find out who it was that blocked the call and why once we find the phone."

"I really need to rethink my career choice. Sitting behind a computer isn't nearly as fun as being on a case."

Lydia held in her laugh. "That's what you get for having that big brain, Cuz."

"Yeah, yeah. You be careful out there. Beck might be used to the snow, but you aren't."

Beck hugged Lydia tighter. "I'll take care of her."

"Hey, did you get the package Tabby sent?"

"I did, but I haven't gone through it yet."

"Maybe before you jet off to blizzard country, you could try to put the bugs and cameras in Boyd's rental. If we could listen in on his conversations, that might speed things up a bit."

"We'll see what we can do. It might be hard to do in the daylight, and if we wait until night, that's time we're losing getting to Valdez."

"We'll figure it out, Sugar. I can distract him while you sneak in the back."

Carleigh coughed, and Lydia shot a bird at the phone. "Be stealthy, and let me know if you're successful, and I'll start listening in."

"Will do. And call us if you get a hit on the facial recognition program."

"On it. Talk soon." And with that, Carleigh was gone.

"I'm out too unless you need me to come with?" Dooley asked.

"Not yet. There's something else I'd like you to do for me. Can you hack into Delaney's phones, both the one at the office and her cell?"

"Does a bear shit in the woods? I'm on it. Over and out."

Lydia leaned back and looked at him. "I take it that was rhetorical?"

Beck smacked a kiss on her cheek before getting to his feet. "Come on. Let's look at these gadgets so we can make a plan. I don't like confronting Boyd, but I also don't want to put this off any longer than we have to."