Chapter 8

Peeling my eyes open, I sit up. It's always so dark in here. I guess Thornfield likes it that way, but it can't be doing Mack any good. Gently, I swing my legs out of bed and pad over to the tiny window in the corner of the room. I open the blinds. The smallest amount of daylight filters in. I peer through the glass. It opens onto an alleyway with another building almost directly in front of it.

Even after being here almost a week, I find the layout of this place confusing. It's like there are so many hidden parts of it, I can't make a map in my head.

And I was always pretty good at that sort of stuff.

Mack is still sleeping. He winces, then turns over.

I sit down in the armchair by the fireplace, and wrap a blanket around my shoulders. Some time in the night, I put my clothes back on because I was cold. Because Mack was cold. Like he's already fading away.

I shake my head to try and dislodge the thoughts then look for Snow. I stand up and turn around, half expecting to see him sleeping behind the chair. But he's not there.

In the other bed, Kim stirs. He sits up, narrowing his eyes like he's struggling to see me.

"Snow's gone," I mutter.

He gets up and slowly walks over to me. "He slept with me most of the night," he says. "After Tanner brought him back from his supper." He glances at me, and his cheeks flush a little. "You and Mack were sleeping."

A smile twitches on my lips. "Sorry," I say knowingly. "Did we disturb you?"

Kim shakes his head. "It was beautiful, actually," he says. "You two… it's a connection I haven't seen many times before." He scrapes his fingers through his hair then goes to lean against the wall next to the small window. "All of you. I find your dynamic kind of fascinating. Coming from someone who thought he'd spend his whole life with only one woman."

"Your wife?"

Kim nods. "We hadn't even…" He breathes in sharply and puts his hands into his pockets. "We were saving ourselves for our wedding night. So, I've never…" He trails off.

I can't help looking at him with surprise. "Oh," I whisper as everything slots into place; the way he was in the hall of mirrors. The fact he didn't want to fuck me, but wanted to touch me. "And you're still waiting?"

"For her?" Kim shakes his head gravely. "She's gone. Even I know there's no coming back from the dead."

"I know people who've tried to do that. It doesn't end well." I sit back down and cross one leg over the other. "Actually, I just meant… do you think you'll wait until you find someone else? Someone you want to marry? Or do you think your wife was the one?"

Kim frowns. His face is a picture of confusion and I instantly feel guilty for having asked such a personal question when he's still recovering from everything that happened.

"I'd like to fall in love again," he says. "But I can't see it happening. I can't imagine anyone ever comparing to her."

"It is still very fresh in your mind." Mack's voice sends droplets of pleasure skittering down my skin. Like warm rain on summer leaves. "Give yourself time."

Kim smiles at him, but he's still squinting a little. "I really need some new glasses," he mutters.

I'm about to ask him whether I can go find him some from his apartment – wherever that is – when a yelp breaks out from underneath the bed. Kim's bed.

"Snow?"

Another yelp. A sound that's somewhere between a growl and a bark.

The bed shakes.

"He was under there the whole time?" Kim asks, moving to lift the sheets and peer underneath.

Mack chuckles, but then his face drops. "Something's wrong." He tries to get out of bed but his legs waver and he drops to the floor. Undeterred, he joins Kim pulling the sheets aside and peers into the dark space beneath the bed.

"Snow? Buddy?" He reaches in. "Is it the spell? Is it wearing off?"

He looks up at me. "The shrinking spell was supposed to wear off today. But something doesn't feel right."

As he speaks, he grips his side and rolls over, crying out in pain.

I drop to my knees too, but as I do, the bed shakes and starts to rise up into the air. There's a deafening growl. A roar. The bed breaks in half and its pieces go flying across the room.

Then there he is… Snow. He seems bigger than before, more muscular. All heaving energy and power and soft white fur.

Kim scrambles backward, muttering, "Holy fuck, he really is a polar bear."

Snow is panting. He paces back and forth, yawning, growling, flexing his muscles.

"I think he's okay." Mack sits up, leaning on the bedside table that's positioned between his bed and where Kim's was. "He's just adjusting."

Snow pants loudly. He shakes his head, his entire body, then makes a funny trotting motion.

The door clatters open. Kole and Tanner rush in, followed closely by Sam and Thornfield.

Thornfield, for the first time, looks something bordering on shocked. Then he grins. "Well, well," he says. "Nice to meet you at your full capacity, bear."

Sam rushes over and hugs Snow's side. Tanner claps his shoulder like he's one of the gang, and Kole nods approvingly. "Have to say," he looks at Mack, "I much prefer him like this. He looked kinda ridiculous as a dog."

At that, Snow huffs.

"You must be hungry," Sam says.

"I made sure he got supper," Tanner replies, "but he's a little bigger now and could probably do with some fish."

At that, Snow's eyes brighten and he licks his lips.

Helping Mack to his feet, I laugh and say to Thornfield. "Don't suppose there's a zoo around here with a large supply of spare fish, is there?"

"No," he says, rubbing his chin. "But there's a stall on the market." He reaches into his pocket and takes out a wedge of cash. Handing it to Sam, he says, "Take this. Buy all the fish."

Sam frowns, looking at the cash as if he's not sure whether to count it or not. "All of it?"

"Your friend needs to keep his strength up." He narrows his eyes then gestures to Kole. "You should go, too, viking. He'll need help carrying them."

Kole's entire body tenses. He hates being told what to do, especially by Thornfield. But he restrains himself from a snarky response, and nods. "Fine," he says. "But when I return, we need to talk about Zephyra. Kim left her in the tunnels last night. She won't have had chance to relocate. She's too injured and it's daylight. Which means we need to go back there tonight and finish her before she has the chance to escape."

Thornfield nods slowly. "I agree," he says. "It's early. The stall will only just be opening. Go now, and when you return we'll form a plan."

Kole nods, almost imperceptibly. But as he strides past Thornfield, I notice him look him up and down, and my pussy twitches at the idea that he's thinking about Thornfield's cock. Fuck, I'd like to see them together again. But I know it was a one off, so I'll just have to be satisfied with the memory.

And with telling Tanner about it in full detail when I get the chance. Because he will be very curious; I know that, for sure.

* * *

With Sam and Kole gone, the room seems a little less crowded. But it's still not fit for purpose.

"I need air." Mack sits up on his pillows and shakes his head, rubbing his thighs – which are back inside his gray sweats. "I can't sit in here all day again. I need air. Snow does too."

"You can't go for a walk," Tanner says. "Even if you were up to it, Snow's back to normal now. He'd be spotted in no time."

The door opens as we're discussing our options. It's Miranda, carrying a tray of potions and coffees. "Everything alright?" she asks, setting the tray down and examining the pieces of Kim's bed that lay in two different parts of the room.

She spots Snow, and barely flinches. As if it's completely normal for a polar bear to be standing in front of her.

"Mack and Snow need some daylight. Some fresh air."

"You'll have to use the roof," she says. "If you can get up there."

"I can get there." Mack gets out of the bed and has to steady himself on the bedside table. Gruffing, Snow hurries over to him. Somehow, Snow seems in better shape than Mack. But I don't know enough about what's happening to them to understand why.

"I'll help." I move to tuck Mack's arm around my shoulders and he smiles. "You could help by bringing the coffee, Little Star. Let me at least prove my legs still work."

I glance at the tray Miranda's holding. The potion bottle next to the coffee cups is purple. Usually, the stuff she gives Mack is blue. My heart trips in my chest. "Is that…?"

Quickly, she says, "No, I'm sorry. I just added a different tincture to it to see if it helps. I'm having a little trouble with the elixir. It's not the right color." She frowns and bites her lower lip.

"Trouble?" Mack asks. He's still leaning on Snow, and I feel like he's using precious energy standing that he could be using to walk to the roof.

"We'll get there." Miranda nods at him. "I just don't think I'm getting the temperature of the willow bark quite right before I add it. But I'll work it out. I'm sure."

"Work it out?" Irritation flares in my stomach. "You're being a little causal, don't you think? We're talking about Mack's life, here, Miranda. You need to do more than work it out."

Miranda's eyes soften. Instead of being annoyed with me, she puts down the tray and squeezes my hands between hers. "He'll be alright, Nova. We have everything we need."

Moisture pools in my eyes. I look away, but Miranda squeezes my hand again before leaving the room.

"We do not, however, have the scepter." Thornfield is pacing back and forth. He looks up at the small window. It's casting a beam of light into the room now, so he closes the blinds. "Did you reach out to your friends in the Bureau?" he asks Mack. "What are they doing?"

"I've been a little preoccupied with dying," Mack says darkly.

Hearing him say that makes me inhale sharply.

"I'll go and call Luther." Tanner takes his cell from his pocket. "I'll ask what's happening. If they have any other leads."

"We need more than leads, we need—" Thornfield's eyes flash, but he bites back the rest of his sentence, breathes in deeply, then says, "Fine. Call."

He's about to follow when I step in front of him.

"I think we need a backup plan."

"A backup plan? A spare scepter? I'm afraid I don't have any others lying around."

"A backup plan for Mack." I fold my arms. "There's nothing we can do about the scepter right now. But we need a plan B in case the elixir doesn't work."

Thornfield sits down in the armchair and sighs heavily, as if this entire thing with Mack and Snow is an annoyance. A distraction. His eyes graze my stomach, my thighs, my legs. And I'm suddenly very aware that I'm not wearing pants.

Retrieving my jeans from beside Mack's bed, I continue. "I know they're not your concern. I know you brought us here because you needed us for something else, and that helping Mack is just a side quest for you. But?—"

"It's fine." Thornfield waves his hand in the air, still watching me as I button up my jeans and adjust my tank top.

I'm conscious of the fact I'm not wearing a bra and should be. I find the bra, but just hold it awkwardly instead of attempting to put it on. "Fine?"

"I have no particular feelings for the shifter and the bear, but I think an alliance between us might be useful in future."

I shake my head a little incredulously. "Your compassion is astounding."

Ignoring me, Thornfield says, "I know where we might be able to find some information to help us."

"All right…" I glance at Kim. He's been studying Lucien carefully, and I'm not sure whether it's because he's interested in what he's saying or because he's trying to see him clearly without his glasses on. "And where might we find this information?"

For some reason, everything Thornfield says makes me suspicious. As if there's an alternate motive to every single thing he does and thinks.

"A bookstore in town. Occult. Some of my family's books ended up there, and I know there is one in particular that includes some writings on bear shifters. It's not something you'll find in any other edition."

"How did they end up in an occult bookstore instead of here with you?" I fold my arms in front of my stomach, aware the movement makes my breasts swell above the neckline of my tank top.

Lucien licks his fangs. He's noticed too.

"They were stolen a few years ago."

"And you just left them there?" Kim asks, frowning.

Thornfield ignores him. He glances at the window. "The sun sets early this time of year. We'll leave as soon as it goes down. Get in, get the books, then I'll go and deal with Zephyra."

"That's a lot to do in a short space of time. Why not just tell me what the book is and I'll go get it?" I move toward him, but Thornfield flashes me a red-tinged stare that stops me in my tracks.

"No," he snaps. "I go with you or there is no book."

"All right." I frown, tapping my foot with irritation. "Fine. Then I'll meet you down front at sunset."

"Just before," Thornfield calls as I exit the room. "Before sunset, Nova."