Edwina and the Seven Snowed-in Scientists (19 page)

because the fibroids had grown through the uterine wall, I was left

with severe scarring and little chance of getting pregnant. The doctor warned that even if I did manage to get pregnant that it was a very

high probability that the uterus would rupture and kill me and the

baby.”

* * * *

She glanced over at his face, worried that he would find the rest of

the story unpalatable, but knowing he deserved to know it all. “That’s the same way my mother died. I didn’t want to risk bringing a child

into his world that I wasn’t able to protect, so I made the decision to have my tubes tied. At the time it seemed like a sensible option, but—”

“It is the best option,” Kieran said fiercely as he touched her face

with a shaking hand. “I’d rather spend a lifetime loving you than risk losing you in childbirth.”

She shook her head sadly. It was clear that they all wanted her to

stay, but it was also clear to her that she needed to get out of their lives so they could move forward and meet the woman who would

one day complete them in ways Edwina couldn’t.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he said quietly, “but can you

consider doing us one little favor?”

She looked at him suspiciously. They’d agreed to let her go when

the weather cleared and they’d figured out who’d tried to kill her, but she worried that they would try to renege on their promise. She’d

never been happier than she had been in the last eight months, even

despite the fact that she lived in a climate the equivalent of an icebox
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and was presumed dead, but she wouldn’t let the brothers give up

their future for her.

“I’ll consider it, but no promises,” she finally said to Kieran.

“Our uncle—he’s our mother’s brother—is a doctor for both

humans and yetis. There may be something he knows that…” He

trailed off as he saw her shaking her head. Kieran was hoping for a

miracle, but she knew they didn’t exist. “Edwina,” he said, gathering both her hands in his own. “Just hear me out, please.”

She nodded once, bracing herself against a hope she knew to be

false.

“When yetis claim their mate, something happens to them, some

physical change that makes it possible for human women to carry a

yeti child. I don’t understand how it works, but well, maybe Uncle

John can explain it. Maybe tell us what might happen if we claim

you.”

“Claim me? I haven’t heard those words since the first week I was

here. I just assumed it was a figure of speech.” She laughed, suddenly feeling nervous. “But it isn’t, is it?”

“No,” he said with quiet determination. “When yeti brothers claim

their mate, it also binds her to them. It creates a link, or a hunger or craving. I’m not sure exactly what happens, but it means the woman

needs her mates, in a physical sense, at least every few days.”

“How do yetis claim their mate?”

Kieran looked somber for a while, almost as if he didn’t want to

tell her. “By making love to her in yeti form.”

“Shit,” Edwina said as the implications began to sink in. “Calvin

almost did that the first time we were together.”

“I know,” Kieran said. “I also know that it still gives him

nightmares. At the time he’d believed that Jake and I had already

claimed you, but when you insisted he change back to human form,

his primitive instincts were pushed aside, and he realized the mistake he almost made.”

“If he hadn’t changed when he did?”

Edwina and the Seven Snowed-in Scientists

133

“You wouldn’t have been able to leave us. Ever.”

“Holy fucking cow. I’ve spent eight months living with and loving

all of you, never knowing that one fuck in the wrong form could take

away my choices. Why the hell didn’t you share this sooner?”

“Because you didn’t need to know.” She turned to see Gary

lounging in the doorway, and in an instant she was on her feet, anger filling her at his arrogant statement.

* * * *

Gary watched as the woman he loved stalked closer. He smiled,

wondering if she remembered that she wasn’t wearing any pants.

“Don’t you dare laugh at me,” she said, shaking her finger in his

face. “You should’ve told me. I had a right to know.”

“Actually, baby, you didn’t want to know.” He trapped her finger

against his chest, and memories of the first day he met her came

flooding back. They’d shared so much since then, but her temper

never failed to draw him closer. “You wanted eight months of

pretend. We gave you that.”

He watched her eyes flare with anger, but he could see his

argument had hit a chord. All of them had avoided talking about the

future, their family, and almost everything else about yeti society—

exactly as she’d requested—but maybe now she was ready to listen.

“Will you come home with us? Meet our Uncle John?”

She looked so uncertain he wanted to retract his questions. The

last eight months had been like a dream, but it was inevitable that reality would one day intrude.

“Okay,” she said very softly, “but when he confirms that I can’t

have children, you have to promise to let me go.”

“Why is that so important to you?” Kieran asked as he stood and

pressed her between them. “Why won’t you accept that we will love

you without children?”

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“Because life doesn’t work that way.” She shook her head and

held up a hand to stop whatever Kieran was about to say next.

“Eventually you will hate me for not being able to give you a family, and you’ll go looking elsewhere, and I’ll be left alone again.”

Again? Clearly there was more to her fears than what she was

telling them.

“What was his name, baby girl?”

She winced at Gary’s words but mumbled, “It doesn’t matter. He

said he loved me, that he didn’t want children, but when he cheated

on me and got another woman pregnant, he left without a backward

glance. Last I heard they had two children with another on the way.”

“We wouldn’t do that do you.”

“Yeah, well Stuart said the same thing. Look, I’ll talk to your

uncle, but I won’t promise anything after that.”

Gary tried to hide the feeling of triumph her agreement gave him.

Technically, it couldn’t exactly be called a win, but she’d agreed to seek yeti medical advice, so all was not lost yet.

He lowered his hand to her hip, caressing the exposed flesh,

smiling when she finally realized she was still half-naked.

“Oh, crap,” she said with a laugh, “I seem to spend most of my

time half-naked around you boys. I guess wearing clothes is

something I’m going to have to get used to again.”

He smiled. If he and his brothers had their way, she wouldn’t need

to.

* * * *

“Hey, Cal, welcome back to Mawson base.” The guy shook his

hand effusively, obviously forgetting that two of Calvin’s brothers

were supposedly missing, and presumed dead.

“Have they been able to retrieve the helicopter yet?” Calvin asked

without even trying to hide his annoyance. He missed Edwina

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135

already, and if he had his way, none of them would even step foot out of the Kendall shack again.

“Oh, yeah,” the guy said, finally remembering Calvin’s situation.

“They…um…haven’t been able to dig it out of the snow yet, but

there’s no sign of your brothers.” Again Calvin felt his blood pressure rising as Edwina’s disappearance seemed unnoticed. He tried to tamp

down his anger. It wasn’t like he didn’t know she was safe.

“Any theories as to what happened?”

“Pilot error most likely.” The words were so casual that Calvin

was close to tearing the guy’s head off. He couldn’t even remember

this man’s name, but the anger he felt toward him was astounding.

“Peterson has a list of complaints about that pilot. Sloppy

maintenance, poor concentration, failure to follow proper procedure.”

The guys shook his head. “Just shows that women shouldn’t be flying

helicop—”

Calvin’s fist slammed into the man’s jaw before he could finish

the offensive statement. Edwina had spoken of her love for flying

quite often in the past months, and it was clear to everyone with a

brain in their head that she took her responsibilities as a pilot very seriously.

But it probably wasn’t such a great idea to flatten someone the

moment he walked onto Mawson base, though. “Oh, shit, I’m sorry

man. I’m just wound up over my brothers. You know what it’s like. I

was hoping for some good news.”

The dickhead nodded in understanding, his hand cradling his jaw.

“Uh, sure, Cal,” he said as he backed away. “I understand.”

“Where’s Peterson?” he asked, trying to sound like a reasonable

human being and not a pissed off yeti.

“Hangar bay,” the guy said, pointing the way. Calvin nodded his

thanks and headed toward the man who’d tried to shoot Edwina eight

months ago.

Fortunately, Edwina’s ex-boss was alone.

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Calvin was supposed to get an idea of what was going on, not

storm the place, but his temper was already wafer-thin and he wanted

answers right now.

“Peterson,” he growled as he got closer to the rotund little man.

“Who wants to know,” the arrogant reply came without the little

prick even turning around.

“Edwina’s husband.” Well that certainly got a reaction. The man

spun on his heel so fast he almost fell on his ass. He glanced around, seeming to check that they were alone.

“Husband?” Petersen asked in an excited voice. “We haven’t

found the body yet, but she’s been missing eight months in below

freezing temperatures. That bitch is an ice cube for sure.” The man

continued to look around as he spoke, but his eyes widened when he

finally recognized Calvin. “Jesus, Cal, why didn’t you just tell me it was you? All that cloak and dagger bullshit wasn’t necessary. Hell I

would’ve done her for half the price.”

“Is that so?” Calvin asked, deciding to see where this conversation

might take him.

“Yeah, that was one cold bitch. Nobody would’ve guessed you

were married to the ice queen. Oh, geez, sorry about your brothers. If I’d known it was you hiring me, I would’ve left them out of it.” He laughed like the two of them were great friends. “So when do I get

paid?”

“How about now?” Calvin said, hoping his brothers were still

close enough to hear the conversation. “Cash okay?”

“Absolutely,” Peterson said with a grin. “You know, you could’ve

saved yourself a lot of money if you’d just done the job yourself. Hell, people freeze to death all the time in Antarctica.”

“You’re right,” Calvin said, trying to sound affable. “So maybe

we should renegotiate the price.”

Peterson laughed, but cut himself off when he realized Calvin was

serious.

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137

“Hell, no,” he said. “You offered me fifty grand, and that’s what

you’re going to pay me.”

Calvin heard his brother’s soft signal and breathed a sigh of relief

that he could drop the façade. Hopefully, they had enough to not only have Peterson arrested but to also try and track the person who’d

hired him.

Calvin could feel his alter ego clawing to take over. He wanted to

tear this guy into bite-size chunks, but fortunately for Peterson, they still needed answers.

“Who hired you?” Calvin asked in an ominous tone. Peterson

looked completely startled by Calvin’s question but then seemed to

realize his mistake and, incredibly, tried to back track.

After a moment of sheer panic, Peterson looked down and away

as he mumbled his lie. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you do,” Calvin said, taking a menacing step closer. “You

sabotaged her helicopter, and then you tried to shoot her when you

found her still alive.”

“H–how could you know that?”

“I was out searching for my brothers. I was there when you tried

to kill her. I’m the reason she’s still alive.” Well, his brothers helped, but this guy didn’t need details.

“Sh–she’s still alive?” Peterson looked completely shocked.

“Who hired you to kill her?’

Peterson shrugged looking defeated. “He said he was her husband.

Said he’d pay me when I delivered her body.” Calvin knew Edwina

had never been married. They’d discussed her cheating ex-fiancé, but

he knew she didn’t have a husband. The only living family Edwina

had was her father.

“Do you know how to contact him?”

Evan, Simon and several other witnesses stepped into the hangar

bay. Obviously realizing he was in serious shit, Peterson nodded

tiredly.

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* * * *

Edwina stared at the smaller version of dinner. It didn’t seem

possible that she would never see Evan, Simon, and Calvin again, but

it was quite likely true. Tears messed up her vision, and she quickly blinked them back. It was warm in here, but she refused to bawl like a baby over things she couldn’t change.

“Good news,” Kieran said as he stepped into the dining area and

took a seat at the table. “We are no longer listed as missing. Peterson has been arrested, and the police are currently trying to figure out who hired him. They’ve already started interviewing potential suspects in South Dakota.”