Chapter 5

Lara woke, wrapped naked in Orion's arms. For just the briefest moment, she allowed herself to bask in the feeling this man evoked in her. Were they fated mates? She didn't know. Well, maybe she did, but she didn't have time to be anyone's fated mate. She had a job to do, and she was damn well going to do it.

She slipped from the bed and went back to the dormitory, taking a quick shower and getting dressed for the day. Lara chose her clothing carefully. She was unsure of what had happened or more precisely, what it meant to either of them. It still seemed unclear. All Lara knew was that she needed to harvest the Solanum Mystica and get it back to her lab in Otter Cove. She could do, and had been doing, some preliminary work up here at the Aurora Station, but the station didn't have all of the equipment she needed.

Lara wondered briefly how she might feel about everything if she wasn't committed to helping the Tasmanian Devil community. The idea of being here with Orion, somewhat removed from the Resistance and praying she could find a cure in time for DFTD, had a lot of appeal. It was peaceful and stark but had a romantic beauty all its own.

Not knowing what else to do and not wanting to appear either clingy or aloof, Lara headed into the kitchen and began making a breakfast casserole with potatoes, bacon, sausage, eggs, onions, peppers, black beans, and cheese. She wouldn't wake him, although she'd noticed his enhanced sense of smell as a dire wolf often found him heading for the kitchen when food was involved. But she could make a casserole, and he could reheat it if needed.

She looked out the window at the desolate and beautiful landscape that stretched before her. The kitchen was situated in an area that offered a panoramic view of the wilderness. The sky was a menacing shade of charcoal, thick clouds roiling and whispering promises of chaos. Lara stood looking across the wide expanse, her gaze fixed on the distant tree line where she was sure the Solanum Mystica and all of its secrets awaited her. She could almost feel the electric charge in the air, the storm brewing on the horizon.

Lara could feel his presence before he wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling her neck. She still couldn't hear him when he approached. She supposed his stealth was part of what made dire wolves such excellent predators. That he saw her as some kind of tasty snack made her insides turn to liquid fire. She'd been attracted to him before, but now just knowing he was close made her nipples stiffen and her sex soften. A single night had not been enough. What the hell was she going to do?

"There"s another storm coming, Lara," Orion whispered, his voice steady but edged with concern. He leaned against her, pressing her into the counter, his presence a comforting weight and a reminder of what it had felt like last night to be surrounded by him. "It"s too risky to venture out now."

It was as if he could read her mind. She turned in his arms to face him, her aquamarine eyes flashing with determination. "Orion, you know I need to harvest that plant. I am convinced it could prove to be the key to finding a cure. And there's no telling what else it might be able to help us with. The plant was thought to be extinct, and yet here it is. If I don"t get the samples I need, it could be lost forever. We don't know that it will survive another storm, much less the rest of the season."

Orion sighed, stepped back and ran a hand through his dark hair, the silver streaks glinting in the dim light. "I won"t lie to you. I doubt the plant will last much longer. It probably won't even survive the incoming storm. But all things in the Arctic have their season; it should rebound next year or maybe even next season. We don't know what its blooming or life cycle is. We can wait; it's not worth risking your life for."

That's where he was wrong—it was. Lara clenched her fists, a knot of frustration tightening in her gut.

"Don't give me that look," he rumbled low. "You are not to leave the safety of this building. Hell, I don't even want you going over to the hangar."

"Couldn't we take one of the vehicles? Aren't they designed to work in weather like this?" She glanced back over her shoulder and out the window. The storm seemed to be on a kind of collision course with the station. She could almost feel its icy breath. "I can"t wait, Orion. Trudi and her people don"t have the luxury of time."

His brow furrowed, a shadow of confusion passing over his handsome features. "Why do you say that? I mean, I know the disease is eating away at their numbers, but what"s so urgent that you can"t wait for better conditions?"

Lara hesitated, the secret she had been keeping pressing heavily on her mind. Not only was it the secret of a friend, but it was confidential information shared between her as a doctor and Trudi as her patient. Only Lara and Hamish knew the truth, the dark specter that had been haunting Trudi. Lara had found the beginning markers of DFTD in some of the tests she had run at Trudi's request. Once the disease took hold, it could produce lethal results at a devastating pace. Trudi"s time could be slipping away. Every second counted, every sample, every discovery.

"Trudi"s running out of time," Lara whispered, her voice barely audible over the rising wind. "I can"t ask her to wait any longer."

"You mean those of her kind who have it."

She looked into his eyes—her haunted eyes locking with his. She needed to make him understand—it wasn't just a commitment to her research and helping others. It was personal. It was Trudi. "No, Orion, I mean Trudi herself."

Orion looked like someone who'd been punched in the gut. His expression softened as the light of understanding dawned in his eyes. "You mean?" Lara nodded. "Okay, I get it, but going out there now could be a death sentence. I forbid you to go."

"You forbid? Just because we had sex does not make you the boss of me."

His laughter had a dark edge to it. "For someone who's been around a lot of shifters, you don't really get the whole fated mate thing, do you? Last night wasn't just some casual, one night kind of thing. I didn't inflict a claiming bite, but that doesn't lessen what happened between us. You are my mate, and I damn sure am the boss of you, especially here at the station. You look out at the incoming storm and the beautiful wilderness and think it's just snow. I see it for the kind of killer storm that will sweep through here, killing everything in its path that doesn't have the good sense to stay out of its reach."

She shook her head. Her decision was made. If he wouldn't help her, she would go alone. He'd shown her on the map where he had last seen the plant. She was certain at least one of the vehicles out in the hangar had to have a nav unit. She'd enter the GPS coordinates from the map and drive straight to the plant, hop out, get what she needed and be back before he even knew she was gone. Her decision was made. It had been made even before she'd stowed away on the plane.

"I have to do this, Orion. For Trudi."

"You do not owe her your life. You will not leave the station. Am I clear about that?"

Before he could protest further, Lara turned and made her way back towards her room.

"I moved your things into my room," he said.

She stopped but didn't turn around. "You might have asked."

His arms wrapped around her. "I am your mate. You will sleep by my side." He kissed the side of her head. "I need to check on the generators on the other side of the building. I should be back shortly. Do you think you can find enough to keep yourself busy?"

He had no idea. She had a lot of things to do, chief among them was to get to the Solanum Mystica before it was no longer viable.

She didn't tell him any of that. No need to give him a heads up. "Sure. I have plenty to do." Not exactly a lie, but not exactly forthcoming.

He didn't wait for an answer but just headed down the corridor which led to the area he wanted to visit. Her heart pounding with a mix of fear and resolve, she made her way to his room and retrieved her outdoor gear. Orion had scoffed at it, but she figured the vehicles had to have heat. Surely it would be enough if she would only be exposed to the elements for a small amount of time. Then again, better safe than sorry. Inside the dorm room, she rifled through the lockers and found more robust clothing that she could use. She was especially glad to see boots that would provide her feet with better protection from the icy elements.

Making her way to the tunnel, she was relieved when she realized that he hadn't locked the door that led to the passageway. When she got to the hangar, she checked the various vehicles and felt like the Sno-Cat would be the easiest to manage and it had a GPS navigation unit. The vehicle was also equipped with an automatic door opener.

She started the engine, opened the hangar door and drove the Sno-Cat out into the approaching storm. Driving through the blizzard was like navigating through a white abyss. Without the vehicle's sophisticated navigation system, Lara doubted she would have been able to leave the station without hitting something. The world outside the thick windshield was a swirling mass of snow, an endless cascade of icy flakes that obliterated the landscape. The headlights barely penetrated the veil of the storm, casting ghostly beams that reflected back off the snow, creating an eerie, otherworldly glow. In any other circumstances, she might have appreciated the breathtaking beauty that stretched out before her.

Inside the cab, the noise of the blizzard was a constant roar, the wind howling like a living creature trying to tear its way in. The heater blasted warmth, struggling to keep the biting cold at bay, but still, the chill crept in through the edges of the windows, forming delicate patterns of frost on the glass.

The controls of the Sno-Cat were solid and reassuring under Lara"s gloved hands, the machine's engine a steady rumble beneath her feet. She kept her focus sharp, her eyes moving between the navigation unit and any landmarks through the storm. The visibility was nearly zero, just a wall of white pressing in on all sides, disorienting and relentless.

The tracks of the Sno-Cat crunched over the snow, the vehicle lurching slightly as it pushed through drifts and over uneven terrain. Each movement required careful adjustment, a constant dance between power and finesse to keep the heavy machine on course. Lara"s muscles ached with the effort of steering, her shoulders tense with the strain of maintaining control in the treacherous conditions.

Every so often, the wind would shift, buffeting the Sno-Cat with sudden gusts that rocked it side to side. Lara gripped the wheel tighter, her knuckles white beneath her gloves, her heart pounding as she fought to keep the vehicle steady. The blizzard was an unyielding force, a reminder of nature's overwhelming power and her own fragility.

The radio crackled intermittently, a lifeline connecting her to the research station, Orion's voice a distant comfort through the static. "Lara, do you copy? What the hell do you think you're doing? Turn the Cat around and get your ass back to the station." His concern was palpable, a thread of worry woven into his angry words.

"Visibility"s almost zero," she responded, trying to keep her voice neutral despite the fear gnawing at her. "But I"m making progress. The Sno-Cat"s holding up. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"No. Turn the damn vehicle around and get back here. The storm is intensifying," Orion ordered.

If he thought she was going to be a meek mate who did as she was told, he hadn't been paying attention.

She nodded, knowing he couldn't see her but feeling the weight of his words. "Just as soon as I get what I need. I'll check in again soon. Sno-Cat out."

As she pressed onward, the storm's fury showed no signs of abating. The snow piled higher, the wind screamed louder, and the cold seeped deeper. Yet amidst the chaos, the Sno-Cat remained a beacon of stability, its engine a steadfast heartbeat in the tempest of the storm.

Time lost all meaning in the blizzard. Minutes stretched into eternities, each moment a battle against the elements. But Lara pressed on, driven by a determination as fierce as the storm around her. She was a lone figure in the whiteout, navigating the unknown, her path lit by the dim glow of the Sno-Cat's headlights and the unwavering resolve that burned within her.

The navigation unit announced she had reached her destination. She parked the unit, deploying the anchor, zipped herself completely inside her snow gear and then stepped out. She had to push against the door so hard to open it that when it gave way, she all but fell out of the damn thing. She held on to the door handle to get steady on her feet, using a carabiner to attach a stout rope to one of the struts and tying the other end around her waist to act as a guideline.

Walking in a blizzard was a bit like stepping into a frozen nightmare. The world outside the relative warmth of the Sno-Cat was an unforgiving expanse of white, a chaotic dance of snow and wind that obliterated everything around her. Lara took a deep breath and pulled her scarf further up her face until only an eye slit remained. Her eyes were protected with goggles specifically meant for moving in the snow.

Each step was a struggle, her feet sinking into the deep drifts of snow that covered the ground. The wind howled around her, a relentless force that pushed and pulled, trying to knock her off balance and almost succeeding in several instances. It carried stinging flakes of ice and snow that lashed at her face, sneaking into the gaps of her clothing and melting against her skin, sending shivers down her spine.

Visibility was almost non-existent. The swirling snow created a disorienting whiteout, blurring the horizon and making it impossible to see more than a few feet ahead. Using the hand-held navigation unit, Lara had to rely on it, her memory and instinct to find her way, each step a leap of faith into the unknown. The only sounds were the howling wind and the crunch of her boots on the snow, muffled and distant in the storm"s fury.

The cold was a living thing, wrapping around her with icy tendrils that sapped her strength. Her breath came in ragged gasps, forming clouds of vapor that were quickly whipped away by the wind. Every exhalation felt like a tiny, temporary warmth that was instantly stolen by the storm. Her fingers and toes tingled with the onset of numbness despite the thick layers of gloves and boots.

The effort of walking through the snow was immense. Each step required her to lift her legs high, the snow grabbing at her boots and resisting her progress. Her muscles burned with exertion, her body protesting against the unrelenting conditions. She felt the weight of exhaustion pressing down on her, each step more difficult than the last.

Occasionally, a gust of wind would hit with such force that she had to stop and brace herself—even stumbling a few steps backward—leaning into the gale to keep from being toppled over. In those moments, she would squint against the onslaught, her eyes watering from the cold and the sting of the snow. She felt small and vulnerable, a solitary figure in the midst of a vast, uncaring storm, and she wondered why she hadn't listened to Orion.

Despite the overwhelming conditions, Lara pressed on, driven by a determination that was even stronger than the storm"s fury. The thought of Trudi waiting back at the station, counting on her, kept her moving forward. Each step was a testament to her resolve, a small act of defiance against the storm that sought to swallow her whole.

Time seemed to stretch and warp in the blizzard, the relentless whiteout turning minutes into hours. Lara"s world shrank to the immediate struggle of placing one foot in front of the other, her focus narrowing to the task of simply moving forward. The rest of the world faded away, leaving only the storm, the snow, and her indomitable will to reach her goal.

Finally, she reached her destination and saw the probable reason the plant continued to survive. The ground around it was clear of snow and a small puddle of what had to be some kind of hot spring bubbled beside it. The tiny patch of ground not completely encapsulated by snow and ice was a small sanctuary in the wilderness. The plant's delicate green leaves trembled as the storm raged all around it. Lara moved quickly, her practiced hands deftly collecting the samples she needed, each one a lifeline for Trudi.

As she worked, the storm further unleashed its fury. The wind whipped through the trees, the snow and ice falling in torrents. Thunder rumbled overhead, and lightning split the sky, illuminating the scene in harsh, fleeting bursts. Lara"s heart raced as she finished collecting the last sample, the storm now a raging tempest.

Stuffing the precious samples inside her coat to try and protect them, Lara began retracing her steps. Retracing was a bit of a misnomer as the storm had completely obliterated her footsteps. Once again, she had to rely on the navigation unit to lead her back to safety. The way back to the Sno-Cat was even more treacherous than it had been when she'd walked away from it. The ice and snow were slippery beneath her feet. She stumbled, her breath coming in ragged gasps as the wind tore at her clothes, the storm blinding her.

She fought down panic as the weather intensified. The Sno-Cat seemed a distant, almost unreachable beacon. Lara"s strength waned, her limbs heavy and uncooperative. She fought to keep moving, to stay awake, each step a monumental effort against the storm"s relentless assault.

The world around her blurred into a whirl of dark, churning chaos. Lara"s vision dimmed, her body succumbing to exhaustion. She fell to her knees.

"Trudi," she whispered, her voice lost in the howling wind. "I"m sorry." Her last thought was of Orion. She knew in that moment before the darkness claimed her that he had been right. She was his fated mate.

The storm raged on, indifferent to her plight.