Snow Wolf (7 page)

Time in Norway passed quickly.
Krista took care of Olivia and the house while Amy worked. Amy concluded the
project from their trip to the pole. It had taken the better part of three
years to get the results that they wanted but the work was done to Gunnar’s
satisfaction. Amy was taking the next six months off. She felt like she
deserved it especially after what she found out three months ago.

Gunnar’s company won a huge grant
from their government because of her work and now there were four companies
negotiating for her. Amy needed to rest. She’d worked at breakneck speed in
Norway to finish on time and to prove that her results and theories were
correct. Now, she was negotiating with the four companies for six months paid
in advance with medical so she could deliver her little surprise and have
maternity leave. They all needed time to think about it. Nobody wanted to give
her that up front.

She supposed that they were all
afraid that she would back out of the deal after six months. If it was written
in the contract, she was bound to the agreement, no big deal as far as she was
concerned. All had expressed that she could work the first three months then
take maternity leave but Amy needed a break. She was tired. This pregnancy was
really taking it out of her and it was all she could do to stay awake for twelve
hours a day let alone her usual sixteen. Her pregnancy with Olivia was nothing
like this and Amy wondered if this one was a boy. She hoped it looked like
Liam. He was so beautiful. She needed to find him.

“Careful sis.” Krista helped her
sister navigate the steps by taking her elbow. “Olivia, honey stay close.”
Krista was always vigilant about Olivia’s safety and proximity. She’d turned out
to be more responsible than Amy could have ever dreamed. Olivia always behaved
for Krista because Krista didn’t let her get away with anything. Amy usually
let her slide on the small stuff. Motherhood had softened her up she supposed.

“Yes ma’am.” Olivia held onto
Krista’s pocket.

The airport was busy, it seemed as
though the whole population of the state was in this one building. Krista sat
Olivia in a plastic chair outside of international arrivals and situated the
carryon bags next to her. “Sit here Amy. I will go wait for the luggage.”

“We can all go.” Krista put a
finger up and Amy sat back in her chair. That finger had the same effect on
Olivia. Krista walked away toward the luggage carousel. “Auntie Krista is a
little testy today.” Amy muttered.

“That’s because she had to sit next
to that loud man who stinked the whole way home. He smelled bad mommy. He needs
a bath.” Olivia said. Amy tried not to laugh and cupped her hand over her mouth.
She was right, he did. The flight was terribly long, it probably felt longer
than it was but it seemed to take forever. Their layover was delayed then they
were rerouted for a storm. It was like something was trying to keep them from
going home.

Amy saw Krista pull six bags from
the belt and went to join her dragging a sleepy Olivia behind her. She stacked and
belted the rolling suitcases together so that there were only three handles to
pull. Amy took Olivia’s hand and put her purse and carryon straps across her
body then pulled the suitcase behind her.

“I hope our van is still there.”
Krista said anxiously. Amy had hoped that the whole way home. There were urban
legends about vehicles disappearing from airport parking lots and getting used
for crime sprees. Amy didn’t want to have that story to tell.

When they climbed out of the
shuttle, Krista sighed. “It’s still there.” Amy chuckled. “Now if it will
start, we are in business. It was dirty and needed a wash but it looked
unharmed. Krista loaded the luggage while Amy put Olivia in her car seat. The
trip home was uneventful and they all collapsed on dusty furniture when they
arrived. Six months of dust was settled on everything but they were all glad to
be back. Amy rubbed her swollen belly. She had to find him. It was her last
thought before she fell asleep still in her winter coat.

***

“Make her an offer Kiernan. She has
to work for us. Make it exclusive with a contract and tie her up for the next
ten years.” Liam paced the plush office that his brother called home. His long
strides ate up miles crossing from one end to the other along the plate glass
windows. “I’m losing it Kiernan.” They’d searched endlessly for her.

“Brother, calm down. I understand
your distress but I cannot make her answer my calls.” Kiernan tapped on his
keyboard and Liam assumed he was checking email.

“Call Nupen again. Buy her contract
out.” Liam turned on him with bright amber eyes and Kiernan threw up his hands.
“You promised that if I came here that you would get her. Make good on your
promise Kiernan. Let go of the fucking purse strings.” His voice was almost all
growl by the time he finished speaking.

“You need to let that out. Go for a
run while I make the call just wait until you are in the trees before you
shift.” Liam grabbed Kiernan’s glass of whiskey from the desk and swallowed the
brown liquid. He gave his brother a sharp nod and left slamming the door behind
him.

Not having his mate would drive him
insane. He was near it now. They’d finally found out a week ago that she was in
Norway. Who the hell goes to work in Norway? They immediately dispatched a
courier with a message for her but he couldn’t find her. Then the news came out
when Nupen International announced her findings, published her paper and
thanked her for all of her hard work. They also announced a huge grant from
their government to further study what she’d found. He didn’t give a shit about
what they’d found at the pole, he only cared that he’d found her. She’d been in
Norway and under contract to Nupen who was their industry enemy. The two
companies had competed for years back since grandfather’s days. Nupen was human
though and the last of his line. That was the great thing about being wolf, you
only had to wait out your enemy if all else failed. Nupen had hemmed and hawed
about how he was tying Amy up for the rest of her life in a contract and that
he was offering her a lucrative deal but Liam knew that was crap. All of the
Nupen’s had always been cheap. They would not keep Amy. Whatever they offered
he would double it even if he had to do it out of his savings.  He would have
her. If the worst happened and Nupen did tie her up in a contract, he would go
work for the competition. Kiernan be damned. Liam scanned the area around him
and slipped into the trees. He shifted and ran like the devil himself was
chasing him.

Since he’d been in contact with his
brother he’d learned a lot. He’d learned to control the shift and the wolf.
He’d learned to stay awake while the wolf was in control too. That was a neat
trick, no more waking up stupid, lost and naked. Kiernan apparently spent his
youth reading old text and learning all there was to know about being
Lycanthrope. Liam didn’t know there were books on the topic or instead of ice
he would’ve been studying this instead. If he had though, he never would’ve
found her.

The beast slowed under some pine
trees and lifted his nose to scent the air. Liam waited to see what it found,
he couldn’t smell what it had and didn’t know its thoughts but he at least knew
what was going on around him. It trotted down the slope and into some brush. A
flock of birds lifted from the ground and Liam thought he felt joy but wasn’t
sure. The wolf explored until dinner time and finally relinquished its hold
with a little prodding from Liam only a few steps from his clothes. Good aim
this time. He thought. He dressed and headed back.

Kiernan held up a hand when he
entered the office. He was speaking in a foreign language that Liam didn’t know
so Liam sat in the visitors chair and rested his ankle on his knee. He was much
more relaxed, disheveled but relaxed. He stretched and yawned. Liam spotted a
candy bar on Kiernan’s desk and opened it. It was gone in three big bites. It
was Amy’s favorite. If he could get her back permanently he would feed her
these until her teeth rotted. He wanted to spoil her, worship her, and hold her
when she finally let that busy mind sleep at night.

When he’d come out of the shower
and she was gone again he’d nearly lost it. He’d almost flipped the switch and
lost himself to the beast completely. Luckily Kiernan had taught him about that
feeling and how to control it, how not to surrender to it. Liam never thought
that it would happen to him when Kiernan was explaining it to him but was
thankful for the lesson when it did.

“Um…” Kiernan sighed. “Huh.” He
grunted looking at his brother and sat down hard in his leather chair. “Sorry.
She’s gone. She actually left there months ago. The courier was too late and he
didn’t have the wrong address like we thought. I am cancelling the
investigation  there and beginning one here.”

“Gone how?” Liam gripped the chair
arms. “Where?”

“She’s here. Somewhere. Gunnar’s
contract ended so I can’t buy him out. He wants her back too but she told him
she missed the states. He is going to offer her an office stateside when he can
get her on the phone. She is ignoring his calls. Kiernan grinned. He’s willing
to set up a lab with a team for her here.”

“Does he have a romantic interest
in my mate?” Liam stood and leaned over the desk glaring at his brother who was
not intimidated in the least. “Does he?”

“I don’t think so. Did you eat my
candy bar?” Kiernan looked at the empty wrapper and gritted his teeth.

“Yeah. I did.” Kiernan opened his
desk drawer and pulled out another bar then unwrapped it. He shoved some in his
mouth.

“She’s here. He says there are four
other companies romancing her. He told me that she lives here now. She wanted
some things that none of the companies were willing to give. Apparently, she
wanted six months off with pay and medical.

“Yeah so.”

“No, you’re not hearing me, she
lives here. She’s here, like within twenty miles Liam. You can be on her door
step for dinner. At least that’s what Gunnar told me, of course the ass could
be lying. You know how he likes to screw with me.”

“Where?” Liam stood, his eyes
amber, he couldn’t care less about Gunnar screwing around with his brother’s
head. If she was near, he would go find her himself.

“Dunno, he wouldn’t cough up the
address. Don’t panic, I got her cell number from him but I doubt its validity.
I had to pay for it, we owe him a favor. No big deal. Here.” Kiernan spun the paper
that he’d scribbled her number on around to Liam. “Do you still want me to make
her an offer?” Kiernan grinned wolfishly. Now who was screwing with who?

“Yeah. I don’t want to spook her.
If I show up and this isn’t what she wants, she’ll bolt. You call her,
negotiate, and give her anything she wants. If she needs six months off with
pay, do it. We’ll call it a honeymoon. Just get her and lock her in.” Kiernan nodded.
Liam left. If he hung around with her on the phone, he would lose control.

He was moments from having his
mate. Liam hopped in his car thinking about getting the roof fixed. He still
hadn’t gotten around to that. He sped down the highway toward home, whistling
as he went.

He would eat, shower, and wait for
the good news from Kiernan. Tomorrow when she was all locked in, he would see
her. He would make her his.

***

“Amy.” Krista nudged her shoulder.
“Amy. Your cell is constantly ringing honey wake up.” Amy opened her eyes and
stretched. “You’re sleeping so much this time.” Krista eyed her swollen belly.
“The same number keeps calling you.” A shrill noise shrieked from the small
white rectangle. Amy scrunched her nose and looked at the number. It said “Unknown.”
Amy shrugged and pushed talk. It wasn’t Gunnar again, thank God. She did not
want to talk to him again. Ever. He had published her work then won a huge
prize from his government and they gave him a gigantic grant all based on her
work. Then, he refused to share the prize money, he wouldn’t give her not one
penny even though without her none of it would’ve been possible. Of course her
name was on the paper but the not on the grant or the prize. Well, good luck
getting another one buddy. Amy thought.

“Yes.” Amy said sharply.

“Finally.” The voice muttered, it
was familiar but at the same time, not. “This is Kiernan Anderson. I am the CEO
of The Anderson Scientific Institute is this Amy Garrett?”

“Yes.” She glanced up at Krista who
was waiting. “This is Amy.”

“I understand you are on the
market. I’ve spoken with Gunnar and he assures me that you are no longer under
contract with him.”

“We parted company months ago.”
Amy’s brows knitted over her nose and Krista studied her. Amy turned away
before she started laughing at her sister’s detective face. It was the same one
she put on when candy went missing or when someone borrowed her lipstick. Amy
blamed Olivia and Olivia blamed their imaginary dog. It was a game they played
with Krista, when really they’d shared the missing candy.

“I’d like to make you an offer to
work for me. It would include the full package.”

“Sorry.” Amy paused looking down at
her belly, she watched a foot press against her belly and slide sideways. She
smiled and Krista put her hand on the foot as it slid across Amy’s front.

“Sorry? Have you signed another
contract? With who?” He sounded a little panicked and Amy perked up. She had
the advantage for once. “I will match any contract that you are considering.”

“Really? I wanted six months off
with pay and medical, can you offer that?”

“Absolutely but only if you’ll sign
for at least five years.”

“That would depend on pay, I’m
sorry, did you say your name was Anderson?” Krista was bouncing in place now.
They’d been back two months now and even though Amy had savings, they were
depending only on Krista’s part time salary from the restaurant.