Page 6 of Mated to the Vikings

“Thank God,” Samuel said, exhaling a heavy sigh. “Are you all right, sweetheart?”

“I’m perfectly fine and if you call me sweetheart again, I’m going to rip your throat out.” Lashing out wasn’t in my best interest, but he needed to know the score from the get-go.

“Jesus. No need to be a bitch,” he muttered. “I don’t want to have to report your behavior to the authorities.”

Go the fuck ahead.

I pretended I wasn’t paying any attention, instead peering out the window, an unsettling feeling pooling in the pit of my stomach.

Visibility was zero, the world a white blur. I could only hope the pilot had been able to get us close to our destination. We heard footsteps seconds before Greg took long strides into the passenger area. A grin popped on his face. Dressed in army fatigues, two guns secured on his belt, he looked as dangerous as the persona preceding him. “Well, we safely landed. That’s the good news.”

“And the bad?” Dr. Chen asked as he struggled to his feet.

Greg didn’t as much as give him a single glance. “The bad news is that there’s damage to the fuselage that I’m going to need to repair before we can return. Two weeks should take care of it. Maybe a little longer.”

I heard the hesitation in his voice. “And?” I asked as casually as possible.

He shifted his gaze, glancing up and down the length of me. “And we’re still two miles away from the facility, which means we get to walk. Ain’t gonna be pretty. That much I can tell you. Fuckin’ blizzard.”

A collective groan occurred.

“Doesn’t the compound have vehicles? Can’t they come retrieve us?” These were the first words Dr. Consuelos had offered since leaving. Martin Consuelos was a biologist, a man who’d been at odds with Dr. Forrester on more than one occasion. While I admired him, I had several questions about why he’d even agreed to the mission.

“They have several all-terrain vehicles as well as snowmobiles, and there’s a chance I could convince them to collect us if I could contact them. All communication is shot as well. We’re on our own, but we can do two miles in a few hours if we stick together.” Greg glanced out the window. “And we need to stick together and arrive at the compound before dark.” He moved toward a small cabinet near the front, keeping his back to us as he unlocked and opened the door.

“Why?” I asked, moving closer until I was able to see an entire cabinet full of weapons and my guess full military grade. “What aren’t you telling us?”

Turning, he closed the distance, towering over me and inhaling. “A little lady like you needs to be protected.”

“What the hell are the guns for?” Samuel demanded, turning his skeptical attention to Shane. “I didn’t think this planet had criminal activity.”

“I told you,” Shane snarked.

Greg snorted. “You’re going to learn the real story the hard way.”

The man was a true pig, but we all needed him as a guide. I stood my ground, lifting a single eyebrow. “I can handle myself, including the use of a gun. I brought my own.”

Greg seemed amused then gave a respectful nod. “Good to know.” He finally glanced at the other passengers. “You want to know what kind of critters live in the mountains and forests? Well, I’ll tell ya. Dangerous man-eating beasts. They will hunt you for nothing more than enjoyment of the act. They are predators unlike anything you’ve ever known. And if they catch you, you will die.”

CHAPTER 2

Cassia

Shane had been telling the truth. Some sort of beings, angry beasts were lurking in the forest, watching our every step. I sensed their presence. I smelled their primal scent.

And their hunger.

They weren’t simply carnivores of the night, but living, breathing, and thinking creatures, watching our every move. Why wasn’t I terrified?

The snow pelted against the entire party as we set out, our limited clothing soaked after only a few minutes. Visibility was limited, the ice fog thick, ice crystals covering every inch of vegetation. We followed Greg, forming a line and everything around us held an eerie appearance. There was no possibility of talking, the temperatures dangerous. We could easily perish within minutes.

At least the pilot seemed to know exactly where he was going, his long strides hindered by fallen limbs. Everywhere the forest was thick, becoming denser as we headed deeper into the line of trees. The shadows remained foreboding, keeping all of us on edge except for me. I sensed we were being studied. The tingling in my fingers had nothing to do with the freezing temperatures.

We were being stalked.

I knew this in my gut.

There was no way of telling time, but every action seemed to be in slow motion, our breathing labored given the horrendous conditions.