Snowfall (Arctic Station Bears Book 3) Read Free Page B

own. He craned his neck to look.
    A helicopter fell from the sky directly toward him. Calder saw a man jump from the vehicle as it fell. One of the bears. He really had underestimated them. The whirling blades overhead brought a promise of being reunited with his mate. Calder closed his eyes.
    There was screaming metal and fire. Then there was pain like the night he’d been met with fire.
    L iam
    “I was so worried about you,” Alanna said as she removed the bindings from Liam’s wrists and ankles.
    He reached up and pulled her on top of him. It made his shoulder hurt like hell, but he didn’t care. He just held her close and felt her breathe for a few minutes. Then she helped him up and found him a coat to keep warm.
    He needed to get the bullet taken care of. It was preventing him from being able to take advantage of the temperature homeostasis that allowed him to maintain his body temperature.
    As the two of them walked outside, the gunman from Arctic Station stood over the smoking wreck of the two helicopters with two guns drawn. Liam instinctively tried to shield Alanna with his body.
    “It’s okay,” Alanna said. “He’s on our side. I think. His name is Parker. He works for the Company.”
    Liam rubbed his wrists where he’d been bound and walked with Alanna over to the wreckage. He couldn’t remember when he’d been so cold.
    He came to stand beside Parker, still keeping Alanna on the opposite side. He couldn’t trust this man, after all. “Anything?” Liam asked.
    “Nothing so far,” Parker said. “But until the fire dies down, we really can’t get close enough to find out.
    “What the hell happened?” Alanna asked.
    “Ben,” Parker said. “Flew our helicopter right into him.”
    “The Company is going to be pissed when it sees the repair bill,” Alanna said. “I mean, three helicopters in two weeks? Someone is getting their paycheck docked.”
    Liam laughed. He loved her sense of humor. He pulled her closer. Partly for warmth. But mostly because he just wanted her closer.
    He looked at Parker and then his shoulder. The coat was already saturated with blood. “Any chance you could you do something about this, Parker?”
    Parker leaned to one side slightly and drew a blade out of an ankle sheath. “As long as you don’t mind this.”
    Liam smiled. “At this point, I’d be fine with a spoon.”
    Alanna stepped toward the flaming wreckage as Parker cut into Liam’s shoulder with the silver blade.
    He screamed in agony. He just couldn’t help himself.
    “I’ve almost got it, Liam,” Parker said.
    Liam could only nod. Tears streamed down his cheeks.
    “And there,” Parker said. He pulled the slug out of Liam’s shoulder.
    The polar bear alpha fell to his knees, his strength returning and the pain subsiding now that the silver was gone.
    “Bad news, amigo,” Parker said. “We’ve still got to close the wound or you’ll bleed to death.”
    “Do we have what we need?” Alanna asked.
    “In the helicopter,” Parker said.
    “Shit. So what are our options?”
    “The knife,” Liam said. “Hold it in the fire.”
    “You sure about that?” Parker asked. “The scar is going to be insane.”
    “It’s better than bleeding out,” Liam said.
    “Fair enough,” Parker said. He held the blade of the knife in the fire until it glowed bright orange. He looked at Liam. “You ready for this?”
    Liam nodded. “Do it.”
    Parker pressed the knife against the wound and Liam screamed and doubled over.
    “I miss all of the good stuff,” Ben said. Liam was barely aware of his presence.
    “Are you alright?” Alanna asked.
    “Fine,” Ben said. “I broke a few bones in the fall but I’m already on the mend.”
    The enormous cat slipped out of the wreckage before anyone knew what was happening. With a roar, he slashed Alanna’s back. Blood dripped onto the snow as she fell to her knees.
    She started to scream.
    No! Liam thought. She’ll change!
    The change had already begun.