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Sitting in her cubicle, analyzing some raw data, she took notice that the normally happily buzzing lab had gone eerily silent. There was only one person who seemed to have that effect on the team—Kam Perkins. Emery liked Kam, but the rest of the team seemed uncomfortable in her presence. At first Emery had chalked it up to Kam’s intimidating intellect or her position of power within NLGP, but after a while she had noticed a more sinister quality to Kam’s presence.
“Emery,” Kam said, sticking her head in. “Have a minute?”
“For you? Sure,” said Emery, pushing her chair back from her desk. “Can I get you a cup of coffee or some coffee cake? I’m trying to perfect my recipe.”
Kam smiled indulgently. “I’ve heard about this team’s indulgence in their own personal coffeemaker and penchant for pastries and other goodies on Mondays.”
Emery grinned. “We figured after a great weekend, it’s sometimes hard to come into work. Knowing there’s going to be a treat of some kind helps us ease back into the work groove. In fact, Carson even encouraged me and then encouraged the team to contribute to bringing things in. It’s kind of nice.”
“I don’t disagree. Management has heard about it and is thinking of revamping the break rooms but is also encouraging other team leads to look at doing something similar. If your coffeemaker gives up the ghost, let me know. I’ll see that you get a new one at company expense.” She took a bite of the coffee cake. “And your recipe doesn’t need tweaking. This is delicious, and I don’t like coffee cake.”
“Thanks.”
“So, I actually came down to talk to you about meeting me for a drink later tonight. I have a couple of things I want to talk to you about, and I’d rather not do it here at work. Will eight work for you?”
Emery tried to mask her surprise. Ever since Kam had convinced her to come to work for NLGP, she’d been pretty hands-off. Emery understood—she didn’t want to appear to be playing favorites, for which Emery had been grateful.
“Sure. Where do you want to meet?”
“Harbor Light? They have the best bar food around.”
“Harbor Light it is.”
“Don’t work too late. Finish up and go home. I’ll send a company car for you.”
That surprised her. “Great. I’m looking forward to it. Anything I should bring?”
“This isn’t a work thing, Emery. I just feel like I’ve been so busy that I’ve neglected you, and I’d like to make up for that.”
“You don’t need to feel that way, but I’d love to catch up.”
“Good. See you then.”
Kam left, and Emery was left wondering what the hell that had been about, and what Kam’s true agenda was. While Emery didn’t consider Kam to be the malevolent cartoon villain many did, she also didn’t see her as a benign fairy godmother. Kam Perkins was a force of nature and ambitious as hell.
At the end of the day, after her team had given her side-eye all day, she headed for home. Grateful to find leftover chicken pot pie in the fridge, she took a quick shower and changed into a warm, cozy sweater and jeans that she tucked into her mukluks. Sitting down on her sofa, she propped her feet up on the antique Swedish trunk she’d found, restored and now used for a coffee table and turned on her television to find something to watch until the company car and driver came for her.
At a few minutes before eight, Emery headed down to the street to wait for the car. After fifteen minutes, she realized for whatever reason, it wasn’t coming. She texted Kam to let her know what had happened and that she’d head over to Harbor Light on her own. Tucking her cell phone into her purse, she went and got her own car and then headed for the bar.
After parking, Emery made her way cautiously across the hazardous parking lot. Once inside, she stomped her feet, trying to dislodge the snow and ice from her boots. She looked around the dimly lit bar but didn’t spot Kam. Emery took a seat at the bar where she could keep an eye on the front door and ordered a coffee nudge. The warm coffee cocktail tasted good and worked to smooth all the rough edges of her day.
When she’d finished her drink, she pulled out her cell phone and glanced at it—there was nothing from Kam. Emery texted her and then headed back out to her vehicle and drove herself home.
Well, that was a big waste of time.
She trudged up the steps to her apartment and questioned again whether or not she’d made the right decision in coming to Reykjavik. The work was challenging and exciting; NLGP paid really well, and the benefits were amazing, but more and more anything away from the lab made her disappointed and increasingly frustrated. And if the dream version of Carson showed up one more time and then told her ‘in time,’ she was likely to pull her hair out and run down the streets of Reykjavik naked and screaming. Considering the temperature outside, that last part probably wasn’t a good idea.
There was no way Emery could have known, but the next time she saw Carson, it would be lying strapped to a hospital bed, and it wouldn’t be Carson… it would be her fated mate.
CHAPTER 5
MASON
Aleutian Range, Alaska Peninsula
Present Day
They were flying over the ground, making good time. They might actually get to safety. He hadn’t shared with his brother that the Shadow League was closing in. He’d been sloppy, but then again, he hadn’t known Carson had seen the light and flown the coop. Someone must have seen him. It didn’t really matter; all of their lives were in danger.
